When Love Rules The Heart.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9582, 31 August 1909, Page 2

When Love Rules The Heart.

CHAPTER XXVl.—Continued. "You shall hear it to the last—you have provoked this confession!" was the savage reply of Duncan Armitage. "I have said that 1 met my fate in a street singer, and I repeat it with pride. I made no sacret of my admiration for Zilla Seton, and Florence wrote to my father. I never saw the letter, but I can understand the purport of it. I was a wild, headstrong, untamable fellow; 1 was madly infatuated with the florid beauty of a vulgar street singer! A disgraceful mesalliance! I must be circumvented! I can imagine my father's awakening." He sneered. "He met me with studied compaliaance. He gave mo no opportunity to unburden myself. He was so kind that I hated"to wound him; he bewildered me with his artifices. Then he wrote to Helen without my knowledge, and the engagement was the talk of all who knew us. In the meantime I had fouud a home for Zilla Seton; 1 had rescued her from the brutality of the scoundrel who pretended to be her father, and she was under the protection of a respectable couple at Brixton until I could marry her." Cecil Howard looked incredulous, horrified. "You were mad, Duncan—mad!" "A madness that was elysium! Zilla was decoyed from the home I had found for her, through the instrumentality of my father and Clarence M<»untarbon. She has never been heard of since—all trace of her is lost." "Have you questioned Mr Etherington?" the young lawyer sneered. "I cannot imagine that you could have fallen to such depths. I applaud Lord Rainhill s action, and shall call Clarence Mountarbon a friend! By , Heaven, I can find relief even in my sister's death!" "Ctscil, Zilla Seton is the legitimate daughter of Etlierington. You may well look amazed! Judge me as you please. Your opinion, or that of any other man, is of the utmost indifference to me; my life is valueless I have no longer any fatu in mankind; all. motives appear to be selfish, and malice is everywhere rampant. I will do my duty as far as I can, but it will be without interest, without pleasure. That is impossible, siiice I believe Zilla to be dead!" Cecil regarded him half pityingly. "I did not know." he began hesitatingly, distressfully. "I have wronged yuu—l own it' I have envied you your lot in life. You have been petted and pampered while I have had to slave, and my future is still in the balance. At college we were on an equality; I never gave a ! thought to the poverty and privations which were to dog my steps. When I wa3 face to face with my perplexities and problems, I felt that fate had dealt hardly with me. You the pampered darling of fortune, and I her slave! I had no sympathy with yuuv peccadilloes, and, when I believed you bad stooped to that which would shame a gentleman, I think that I hated you for my sister's sake. Duncan, you are not altogether blameless, but I ask you to forgive me." They were clasping hands when Lord Rainhill and Lady Florence cama into the room. No other word was spoken. The Rector of Rainhill, the London surgeon, and General and Mrs Howard followed almost immediately. It was a quiet dinner. Only the ordinary civilities were uttered, and everybody was glad when it was over. Duncan Armitage was the first to leave the table. He went straight to Helen's room, and she welcomed him with a joyous cry. "I know that you would come to me, my darling, as soon as you could getaway from the others." He kissed her face and tenderly caressed her hair. "Dear little Helen—dear little sweetheart!" he half sobbed. "You must not be sad, my own," she whispered. "See how happy I am! Now, I want you to read to me, something from Owen Meredith. One of my hands must be clasped in yours, and 1 will close my eyes and listen to your dear voice." He obeyed her humbly, willingly, tenderly. He opened the book at random, and Helen listened enraptured— '"Love-laden from the lighted west, Thou comest with thy soul opprest, For joy of him; all up the dun Delicious sea, low fearlessly, Warm wind, thou are the tenderest Of all that breathe from south to west, Blow whispers of him up the lea, Upon my cheek and on my breast, And on \he lips which he hath prest— Blow all bis kisses back to me, "Far off. the dark green rocks, about. All night chines faint and fair, the far light; Far off, the lone late fishers shout, From boat to boat, i' the listening ftarlight; Far off and fair, the sea lies bare, Leagues, leagues beyond the reach of rowing; Up creek and horn, the smooth ware swellsh And falls asleep; or, inland flowing, Twinkles among the silver shells, From sluice to sluice of shallow wells;

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'"Or, down dark pools of purple glowing, Sets some forlorn star trembling there, In his own dreamlike brilliancy, And I feel the dark sails growing Nearer, clearer, uy the sea; And 1 catch the warm west blowing All my own love's sighs to me. On the deck I hear them singing Songs they sing in my own land; Lights are swinging, bells are ringing; On the deck I see him stand!'" Armitage ceased reading and glanced at the fair, sweet face on the pillow. The blue eyes were closed Jthe breathing was regular. The lips moved. He went over and listened. "Duncan, my darling, my lover, my husband!' ' These were the words of her dream. CHAPTER XXVII. THE SPECIALIST'S OPINION. On the night of his arrival at Rainhill Court, Amitage turned wearily on his couch, and wondered how life would be bearable in the blank future. His dreams were of his untroubled boyhood, of dense green woods, of brimming rivers, of little Helen Howard. In the morning he rose unrefreshed, weary. There was no news of Zilla. In one sense it a relief. He anticipated the worst now. The rector came in to luncheon. He had been given carte blanche in the matter of the strange wedding, and announced that he would be quite ready to conduct the service at noon the next day. Lord Rainhill thanked him in his cold, incisive way. "We must gratify the poor child in all things," he ' added. "The bells must ring a merry peal. lam glad that the weather is clearing again —a south wind will carry the music ■ to her room." He turned eagerly to ' Sir Edward Black. "Ah, if it were only possible to recall her from the shadow of the grave!" The surgeon shook his head decisively. "Pray indulge in no false hopes, my lord! Miss Howard is gradually sinking. Nohing can save her." | TO BK CONTINUED.!