Untitled

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9608, 30 September 1909, Page 2

THE DOUBLE SECRET.

Author of "Keunedy's Foe," '-Isbxuael Eeforme "A Game of Three/' "Edna's Peril." Etc, etc.

"I am deeply provoked at you," said Lady Astraea. "I do not mean to give you up so. Pauline, will you not come into our family as my ward, and simply said to be the child of my friend and relation? The circumstances of the past few years have hindered your being personally known to our family or friends. Don't reI fuse an old woman who loves you." "Rut what name dare I offer?" said Pauline obstinately. "Consider that you cannot get any kind of a position or go anywhere without a surname. As you do not know your mother's name you cannot take that. A name you must assume; you cannot have a bill made out, a letter sent you, a person introduced, unless -you have a name, and as you reject that of Ormesby " "Because I know that at least is not mine.'" said Pauline. "Then you must choose one for yourself. Now I offer you one. My maiden name was Percy; the branches of the Percy family are legion: you are of age to choose a guardian, choose me informally, and take the Percy name as your surname. Under my wing," added the old lady proudly, "no one will question your name. And to da away with your foolish whim about dependence you can be my reader and secretary, without saying a word about it to any one. You are in mourning, and will not go out next winter. lam suffering for some one to set my cabinets and libraries, my private collections, and my letters in order. 1 want the letters looked over, sorted and then bound. As you can see, I would not trust a stranger with them. I prefer, Pauline, to nave you so much my adopted daughter as not to mention a salary between us. Don't refuse m«; I rely on you to improve by your very presence my granddaughter, and make the last of the Harcourt line exactly what it ought to be." If Pauline was proud, she was too generous and tender-hearted to resist > tiis kindly talk. She instinctively felt that a girl of her age, although matured by unusual cares, and trials, needed the shelter of some older and wiser woman's protection. She recalled how Charlotte Ormesby. losing a little of her selfishness in the last night of her life, had said to her, promise me, child that you will not reject Lady Astraea's care for you; do not try to stand alone in the world. Every young woman, especially one as fair as your are, needs a mother's gun ance. Lady Astraea will ba to you a mother." Moved by thtse thoughts, Pauline caressed Lady Astraea's hand which had clasped and said: "You are only too good to me; let it be as you asy. I hope I shall prove worthy." "No one asks questions of me," said the stately old lady, "and I shall merely say that you have a little fortune in the hands of Allen Bird. We may find out your parent and, at'least in about two years I think that packet will reveal it. You will not want to marry sooner than that." "1 shall never want to marry," cried Pauline. But at this commonplace protestation Lady Astrata only smiled, CHAPTEK IV. THE SEAiiCH FOR THE SECRET IS ABANDONED. From Norburywain came Birkin with such news that Pauline only telt thpf she had probably a mother wandering somewhere around the world; and Lady Astraea. to whom Birkin unfolded Mrs Bolton's gossip more explicitly, felt that this mother was likely to be a questionable sort of person, whom it was much better never to discover. But then she looked at Pau ine, straying along the paths of the lodging-house gardens, habited in deep mourning, her hands lightly clasped before her, her head and shoulders thrown back in a stately way that she had. ■ (TO BE CONTINUED.] j j

CHAPTER lll.—Continued

Meantime the Lady Astraea Har* court and her young companion had passed a pleasant week in a charming lodging overlooking the river. The landlady was most attentive, and a pretty little maid performed many of Birkin's duties. Pauline felt the comfort of relief from the cares which for more than a year had pressed upon her. During that time she had devoted herself to Mrs Ormesby, who had grown captious and wilful instead of patient and gracious through suffering. Her cays had been passed in a sick-room, where if sne were nit needed in attendance, she was expected not to be outsioe of call, and where she spent houss sneltered by the curtains of the bow window which jutted over the garden, nights in which she passed weary hours endeavouring to soothe both mind and ]body. These had conspired to render Pauline grave and self .forgetful; and while thrown thus out of amusement and society, she had taken refuge in study and reading, and Lady Astraea found to her surprise and delight a choice companion in the girl whom she had befriended. Lady Astraea had a special fondness for being read to. Pauline had read for days to Mrs Ormesby. To her she read all the novels and plays that came out, with Lady Astraea she had a wider choice, and poetry, travels, history and popular ncie.ice divided the time with tales Her voice was beautiful, her comprehension profound, her sympathies intense; and Lady Astraea enthusiastically declared that the opera ai.d the theatre had no entertainment so delightful as hearing Pauline read. M "You are exactly,' the young friend and a l warn," said the old laciy to Pauline. **You seem to restore me to my youth; you remind me of a dear friend of my girlhood—she had such a voice, I wish my granddaughter were a littlejmore like you." "I have nut seen Lady Pauline since we were both children of ten years old," saict Pauline. "We all call her Lina." said Lady Astraea, "and that _is well, for we shall make no confusion in names. I do not mean to part with you, rauline. The reason you have not met lately is that two years ago my granddaughter had measles, and her father was so alarmed lest they should leave a weakness of the lungs that he sent her to Nice for the winter. I'htn all last jear Mrs Oi'meshy would .see no strangers?, and you were attending upon he r , and so out of society." "I have heard that she is very beautiful," said Pauline. "No, my dear; I think beautiful expresses a higher quality, something more of repose, something expressing more loftiness of thought than my granddaughter possesses. Her mother had those traits which her daughter lacks, but still was not a beauty as she lacked perfection of feature. Charming and bewitching are the words for Lady Lina, and she has proved altogether too bewitching for my peace of mind. When only sixteen, and at Harcourt Towers wi th her governess, getting additional lessons from masters, she set her music-master so beside himself that I was obliged to dismiss him; and, when I spoke seriously to her, she declared with such wide, dark eyes—her eyes are always deep-coloured, like pansies, when she is very greatly in earnest—that she really had not even looked at the man, that I exonerated her from all blame. But now I think she is a born coquette. At Nice her governess and aunt were with her, and obliged to bring her home because some German count made himself so ridiculous about her. \ Then last winter ehe numbered a boy of eighteen, an old gentleman of sixty, Lord Stilborn who has no fortune, Honourable James Hamford, at whom she would not look because he h club-footed, and a Captain of the Guards to whoro_ finally her father forbid her to speak, among her adorers. I brought Dugald Probyn to the Towers for a week last fall, and he. is about the only man who did not succumb at once. They were excellent friends, but I think the raving of the others, who were near her, kept him on his guard. I was sorry, for I shall feel relieved when she is married, and Dugald is certainly the husband for her on all account; bis disposition, his relation to the estate, bis calm, good judgment, all commend him to us. Now, Pauline, my dear, 1 expect everything for Lina from your companiosnhin you will develop in her goodj qualities that are now in abeyance, and you cannot help but love her, for she is most bewitching. I have seen her father watch her for hours as if bewildered." "Dear Lady Astraea," said Pauline. "I, a poor and nameless girl, cannot go into your family as Lady Lina's friend. I am too proud to be an humble companion." "Dearest child, I meant nothing of the kind; I want you to be one of us. Will you not be mv adopted daughter?" "No," said Pauline, "I should still be looking at that as charity. You do not mean it so, but I shall feel it. I mean to get a place as teacher, or as reader. I could become one's reader. Won't you recommend me, Lady Astiaea?"