THE DOUBLE SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9599, 20 September 1909, Page 2

THE DOUBLE SECRET.

CHAPTER I.—Continued. "It is twice that." gasped Mrs Ormesby, "for my half was only for life; I cannot will it as I would; acd young Probyn has a place Under government and an estate in reversion; he does not need it; and you, poor Persis, pool girl, will be beg-: gared." | "Then,*' said Persis, "I j beggared, and fight my own way." | Mow, why had not Lady Astraea I spoken? She ckredjiot, fearful in the scrupulous honor Ic'st she might give a biased judgment, for Dugald Pro | byn was next heir to her own son's estate; and with his long-defrauded two hundred thousand pounds, was the man whom the family seniors had quietly selected as prospective husband of Lady Pauline Asfcraea Harcourt, her granddaughter. But now, when Persis spoke out with a clear voice that wauld never take back its just verdict. Lady Astraea rose, and crossing the ruDin to her, took her in her arms. "My child," she said, "stand in your own strength, and be a woman and a lady in your own right, in virtue o; your own high principles. If all the'world desert you. I will be your friend, and feel you more to be esteemed, tempted and triumphant over temptation while unnamed, than when you were untried Persis Ormesby." Charlotte Ormesby lboked.wistfully at the two, then burse out: , "How could any one believe her to , be my child? With such a patience, and such pinciples, and such unsel • , fishness as she has always shown tc , think that I was her mother! I was always the most self-seeking of - women, the most reckless, the most ambitious; and Mr Ormesby, my hus- , band, except his nephew. Peter Pro- ; byn. he was the most disagreeable , man in all England." She turned her face to the wall. "But her shild was honourably j born." sighed Persis ] "And so were you, I'll venture!" , cried Lady Astraea. The notion of Reginald ia merely her gueds; we , can clear it up, I've no doubt. Oh, , no, clean comes not from unclean — , that is Scripture-rand children . basely born are not inheritors of a ; whole moral law of good principles. Persis, keep up your courage; we'll ferret out for you a better ancestry than that; and as for the money, that two hundred thousand pounds "Let it go!" said Persis. "Butane's fainting!" She darted fmward, rang the bell, and went over Charbtte Ormesby, | loosening her dress at the throat and _ fanning her. "I have allowed her to say too much/' said Lady Astraea, regretfully, as Adeline, the maid, vainly applied resporatives. Finally the flask of ammonia was by some accident spilled on the breast of Charlotte Ormesby's robe, and the pungent oaor from which the others drew back breathless penetrated the contused brain, and called back consciousness. She looked furtively at her nurses. "You aie better," said Lady As-, traea. "I allowed you to over exert yourself. Re£t now; the story is told." "Not all told," aaid Charlotte Orme:by; "there is more to say, and I must say it soon to you; I will tsll you everything." "And, remember, I will be Peisis' friend," said Lady Astraea. "Yes, yes. I suppose so," replied Mrs Ormesby indifferently. \ Lady Astraea glanced at Presis to see how she accepted this indifference, and saw relief rather than pain on her face. Charlotte Ormesby noticed this also. "Go away, both of you," said she, raising herstlf and moving her hand pettishly. "I'll tell vou both the story to-morrow. Let Adeline stay with me." Lady Astraea and Persis crossed the hall to another room. There Persis renewed the discussion regarding the misfortune which had so suddenly blasted her hopes. Lady Astraea tried to comfort the young woman, but fersis would not be soothed or comforted. "I shall never be a party to fraud," she exclaimed with em phatic determination ringing in hsr tones. It was a lovely May day; the lady's carriage was before the door, gorgeous with the Harcourt arms, the coachman ai:d two footmen in Harcourt livery. St. James Square echoed to the impatient pawing of the black horses, wherein Lady Astraea's soul delighted. "Those wretches will disturb your mother," said Lady Harcourt. "Persia, it is a charming morning, come and drive with me in Hyde Park. She will not want you, 1 think just now she would like to have us both out of sight," she added, as Persis glanced back toward Mrs Ormesby's room. "Poor Persis. this is a hard blow to her," said Lady Astraea to herBelf, as the young girl left the room; "to lose fortune, family, name, everything in a_breath," and then she heard Persis' maid, Hannah, exclaiming as she met her mistress in the hall, "Oh, Miss Ormesby, are you ill. What can I get for you?" "Nothing but my carriage-dress," replied Persis, speaking in clear, un ■ altered tones; "I am going to ride with Lady Harcourt."

V BY DUNCAN MCGREGOR £ 1 1 t, Author of ''Kennedy's Foe," 'lshmael Reformed," %, V ,f A Ga-ine of Three/' "Edna's Peril," 3 / Etc, etc. /

( "How bravely she takes it," said her ladyship, pacing slowly up and down the room. "There must be good blood there—blood always tells." There was little said as tha carriage roiled along Regent streot and Piccadilly, by the gates of Apsley House, and into Rotten Row. The London season was in all its glory; coaches, saddle-horses and landaus flashed along the famous drive. As Lady Harcourt noticed the evident effort with which her companion replied to various salutations, she realised that this gay scene was too severe a tax upon a mind shivering from so severe a shock, and ordered her coachman to drive along the north of the Serpentine and toward the Victoria Gate. On a gentle rise above the gate a cluster of oak-trees with rustic seats in their shade, left now in entire solitude by the revelers on the popular drives, attracted Porsis' attention. "Ah," she cried, "how green and quiet that looks. If one could only get into some such a nook as that and let the world and its worries slip by them unknown forever." "Let us go up there and sit for awhile," said Lady Astraea. "I want to talk quietly to you, my dear, and it seems as of out of doors would give us more room for what we have to say; nature is always comforting, standing so calmly outside of ail our vexations." She stopped the carriage and ordered the footman to carry a fan anil a fur rug to the grove in ques • tion. It seemed quite deserted, as no one noticed a woman of middle-age, sitting on the root of one of the trees, screened by the tree's trunk from the approaching party. "Lady Harcourt," said the footman, "I think the seat by this tree is best shaded, and has the finest view." ''Very well, Norton; put the rugs there. You may go to that seat at the foot of the hill, and tell Hadley to drive slowly about through the park for an hour." The man spread the afghan over the seat, laid the wolfskin rug on the ground for his lady's feet, and went down the hill to a safe distance where he miyht indulge in his favourite pastime of humming tunes. I TO BE CONTINUED, i