When Love Rules The Heart.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9588, 7 September 1909, Page 2

When Love Rules The Heart.

CHAPTER XXX.—Continued,

"You know better than I what is the law in the matter," Lord Rainhill said wearily, "and I leave you to act with a free hand. Honestly, Ido not believe that Miss Etherington will ever be discovered. It has been proved that she fled from the house at Perryiiill in delirium, in fear of her life. She was not responsible for her actions. She left the house in broad daylight. It stands to reason that she could not have proceeded many miles without being noticed by someone. She was hatless, jacketless. A large reward was offered immediately for news of her. The best detectives in London were employed to trace her. No—l,am convinced that the poor girl wandered Lito the river, and her body has either never been recovered, or recovered too late fo identification. Gentemen, I will wish jou good morning. The subject is to me a mosc distressing one."' He was fast losing ail self-control and hurried out of the musty office. "I was a fooi to come here!" he thought. "Everywhere, lam re minded of Zilla —poor Zilla' Let them do as they please." He went to Henley the next day. There was no peice there. Lady Arnandale was delighted to see the brother she so fondly loved. Sir John Annandale prosed about the British occupation of Egypt and the jealousy of France. He was a political encyclopaedia, very useful to his colleagues, but a nuisancs in a drawing-room.

"Haven't you brought any luggage, Duncan?'' Lady Annandale asked, dismayed. "No—l can't endure this place! I am continually reminded of the past. I was glad to be in England yesterday; now 1 am determined to leave it again as soon as possible." Tears came into Lady Annandale's eyes. "Only two short years," she murmuted sorrowfully—"and how terI nble the csianges! Afcer all, life is ' like a bubble." "Oil, fio;;'t moralise, Flo!'* Lord Rainhill uiterrup-ed. laugning disagreeably. "Life would be pleasant enough if there were no meddlesome people." In an ir.stan; he regretted the speech. 'Torgive me, sis," he adJed—"l am horribly illtempered and out of sorts! 1 know that I am a brute, but then I am so miserable!" Sir John Annandale : resumed the discussion of political affairs, and Lord Rainhill and his sister left the room. "You have seen Cecil Howard?" Lady Annandale asked. "Yes—he met me at Southampton. A remarkable alteration has taken place in him. He confesses thai «e is in love, and is as shy and diffident as a schoolgirl when he thinks and speaks ot the witch who has charmed him." Lady Annandale laughed merrily. "I have heard of Miss Queetiie Vavasour. Queenie! 1 bslieve that she is both wealthy and handsome—quite a lucky chance for Mrs Francillon ! Miss Vavasour must look after her dollars. If she is a really nice girl I do hope that Ceci" will S:e successful in catching her!" They had wandered on to the lawn. " Lord Rainhill was gazing sadly at the gleaimng river. "You will stay to dinner, Dunca;i?" his sister asked.

"Yes—if you have no objection to a tweed suit. I have merely a change of linen in my bag.'* "Good boy! Your room is ready for you; I insist that you stay the night. I am quite disappointed that you have not arranged to pay us a long visit. I thought that ynu would have so much to tell me about your travels!" So Lord Rainhill stayed to dinner, and permitted himself to be bored by Sir John for the space of an hour. Then he betook himself to the banks of the river., and smoked a pipe in the bright moonlight, recalling aa he did so the gay scene of a little more than two years ago. "I am quite resolved to go abroad again at once," he L told Lady Annan dale an hour later. "I am wai.ted at Rainhill Court for a few days, to go into matters there with the steward; then I will ca'l and say good-bye to you and Sir John. I promised Cecil Howard that I would be present at Lady Lovatt's reception on the twentieth," he added, frowning. "I was a fool!" Yet he found himself wondering if Cecil's love was reciprocated. He was interested in the friend of his boyhood, the brother of his girl sweetheart —his wife, Helen —interested more than he knew. "It is only natural," he reflected. "We have always been more than brothers to each other." The business at Rainhill Court occupied nearly a week, and, on the whole. it was very satisfactory. Lord Rainhill's determination to go abroad again was not pleasing to his neighbours, for Rainhill Court was the pride of the country. To close it indefinitely meant a great los 3 to society. Lord Rainhill returned to his hotel in town. There was no news of Cecil Howard. He began to feel anxious. "I shall know the result tomorrow," he reflected. "Surely Howard will not be foolish enough to ruin his brilliant prospects for the sake of a woman?"

BY OWEN MASTERS. Author of "Captain Einlyn's Daughter," "The Woman Wins," "The Heir of Avisford," "One Impassioned Hour," Etc., Etc.

CHAPTER XXXI

MISS VAVASOUR BECOMES INTERESTED. Mrs Francillon had a smart little establishment overlooking Hyde Park. She moved in the best circles by virtue of her late husband's relationship to a certain peer. He had been a colonel in the Guards, a handsome, rollicking ne'er-do-well, and had nothing save debts to leave her when he died. But Mrs Francillon was a shrewd woman, unscrupulous and business like. She had in • hen ted a thousand a year from her father, and his sum was added to considerably by her own exertions. She wrote spicy paragraphs for society papers—sub rosa, of course. She introduced wealthy people into certain high circles, and for this her fees were high ' She also chaperoned friendless heiresses. In short, Mrs Francillon slaved perpetually worked as hard as a politician out of office. With all her faults however, she had several good points; she revered the memory of her handsome and careless husband; she idolised her only son, a good-natured but effete young man of the "curled darling" order. She had provided the best private teachers for him at home in his younger days, and he had been at Eton and at Oxtord. Now he was launched into society and was "in the market." A clever mother was manoeuvring to get her son comfortably married to an heiress; and at this moment she felt tolerably sure of success. Ihere had fallen in her way an American beauty, who was young and rich! Miss Vavasour's mother had died while on a visit to England with her daughter. Miss Vavasour had no other relatives, and elected to be guided and counselled by the shrewd and sympathetic Mrs Francillon. Mrs Francillon was a born diplomatist. A dozen men were already madly in love with Miss Queenie, and Charlie Francillon made the thirteenth. He had been carefully instructed by his mother as to how to proceed, and the American beauty appeared to favour his suit, while better men were sent hopeless away. Mrs Francillon was in no way surprised. Her good-looking son had no equal! And then Miss Vavasour was so davoted to herself! I TO BE OONTINt/ED.I