THE DOUBLE SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9614, 7 October 1909, Page 2

THE DOUBLE SECRET.

CHAPTER IV.—Continued. "My son." replied Lady Astraea, "I fear we cannot, honourably, for J tell you in confidence, that this deal girl takes the Percy name as my gift, and has no idea of who either hei parents were." "Poor child! Is it possible? Thai rmiy m?ke serious complications ii some heir of good family falls in love." Lord Harcourt rose and paced his library. "Mother, I hope that Pauline wii: nut mar my plans for Lina. She may prove a k girl fjr more to Dugald Probyn's taste thdn Lina, ant I am hound, if I possibly can, tc have Dugald for a «on-in law." '1 do not think she will see much of Dugald. But, my son, I have thought for a year or two that Dugald's position may be a trying one. All the world louka at him as the Harcourt heir, and yet, you .are not old, you might marry, and a son would destroy all Dugald's expectations. He is not mercenary, but such a thing would, be hard on any man." "Never fear," said Lord Harcourt, "my days of love are past. I had a passion which I sacrificed to pride. Love ot the highest type might hnve been mine, and I failed to see it until too late. That waa upon me the judgment of God. Now, if I can see my daughter fairly established as Dugald's wife, I shall have obtained the deaieat wish that is ltft me." As Dugald Probyn had not heard this, and as when he came he caught fleeting observations about Lord Harcourt's marked admiration -of Pauline, who shall wonder that the heir-at-law looked at the stranger ward with some bitteness, and as he saw her sitting by Lord Har court intent on hi 3 conversation, he misjudged her. and said: "This Mis 3 Percy is more astute than most girls. She has no other to manage for her, but she will manage i')r herself to he Lady Harcourt." i (.HAPTEN V. COMPLICATIONS OF THE SECRET. Was not Dugald Probyn in error in his judgment of Pauline? If he was, he was but little likely to find oppoitunity, to correct it, for Pauline sedulously withdraw herself from .him. In her fear lest some word, or lot k, or allusion should betray htr to be the girl for fifteen years known as Persis Ormesby, Pauline only spoke ta Dugald as barest courtesy requittd, and her an> xiety for concealment gave to her voice an unnatural tone, to her manner a hesitation and embarrassment which made her seem quite other than she was. This coldness and embarrassment Dugald began to attribute to the fact that she was scheming for the hand of Lord Thomas Harcourt, and felt that to these schemes he, as the heir, might take deep, if secret exception. True, Dugald Probyn was not mercanary, and was manly enough to recognise his CDUsin's right to marry when, and where he pleas:d, but what man could attractiveness in a face that was depriving him of a fortune, an estate and a title? Again, Dugald, had high ideas of womanly delicacy, and mairied love, and he could not but reprobate tha course of a woman who would scheme for a husband especially when the case was that of a young girl endeavouring to win a man old enough to be her father. Dugald, therefore, treated Pauline with reticei ce and frigid courtesy. 'Pauline, beautifully unconscious of the designs attributed to her by more than one party, added to her fear of discovery a long prejudice against young Probyn; these two had met as spoiled children, and had been hostile to each other. Children easily imbibe the- prejudices of their elders, and Charlotte Ormtsby had held Peter Probyn anti his son for her enemies. Pauline had accused Dugald as a boy of devouring all her peaches; as a man he had become possessed of all her property; she could forgive the -latter error easier than the former, for she had resigned the fortune, with a silent pride, while the peaches had been taken from her by force. Whiie Dugald and Pauline were as far as possibla apart, and Lord Harcourt congratulated himself that the grand beauty of his guest was not likely to be set in rivalry agains! the piquant charms of his daughter, Duagld Probyn felt a growing un> easiness in regard to Lady Lina. He knew that Lord Harcourt desired him, as the heir at-law, to become the husband of Lady Lina, his cousin (hstant by three remove i. If Lord Harcourt should marry anJ have a son, this match would be less desir able in his eyes. As for Dugald, he was heart free; he had never been in love, he was not likely to fall in luve, but rather to find love an emotion steadily growing by close acquaintance; nothing would induce him to marry for convenience, his own or another's. He found Lady Lina both pretty and amusing, but the longer she and Dugald were acquainted the nrore of frank brother-and-sisterly feeling entered into their companionship, this on Lina's part being tinctured with a little distaste toward Dugald. an too proper and

v by duncan mcqregor £ 1 1 y Author of "Kennedy's Foe," 'lshmael Eeforme (# 5 "A Game of Three, - ' "Edna's Peril." Etc, etc. £

t&jenm. --m i n'rTi • - •-* dignified, and on his part with some condemnation for Lina, as too coquettish. He found the fair damsel alone under a beech-tree in the park or.e afternoon. She had flung off her wide garden-hat, and was tossing into the air little handfiils of the yellowing beech leaves, for now the autumn was advancing. "May I sit dawn by you?".said Dugald. "What has happened to the maddest, merriest maid of them all?" "I'm meditating whether or'liot to run off and join some gipsy caravan," cried Lina. "Lord Thomas has been scolding me; I hate scolding, and my lord knows it!" "Lord who? Oh, I beg your pardon," said Dugald, understating. "So I shock your sense of pro • priety by calling him Lord Thomas. 1 always called him that, or Lord Harcourt, more than father. Father has always sfeemed an appellation foreign to my tongue," "I am sure he is exceedingly fond of you," said Dugald. "No doubt of it. lam of him, and yet it does not seem easy to consider him in a parental light; he does not understand me, and I don't understand him; filial emotions are not my strong point." i "Well," said Dugald. "I find where emotion fails us, we, as reasonable beings, may be directed by a sense of duty—by conscience." "Eh?" said Lina, opening wide her blue eyes'; "what means that? I feel not this divinity id my bosom.' Now your are quite as horrified as Lord Thomas. Tell me now, which would be best—to run off with a gipsy caravan or to marry out of hand--to get rid of all this worry?" "if that is all your reason for marrying," said Dugald soberly, "I should think running off with the gipsy caiavan would be the less irreparable mischief of the two." "Gome now, you seem mora congenial to me," said Lina; "I have a mind to take you into my confidence. Cannot you see how they are tormenting me? There is Aunt Viltl,orpe urging off me the claims of that long necned, round-topped prospactive bishop, her nephew. The whola family upon me the good qualities of Mr Pousonby, and his face getn scarlet, and he breaks into a'Jperspiration whenever he looks at me—evidently is frightened at me — yet wildly hovers about, like a moth around a candle. Then I get no peace of mind from any one about the rook " | "The who?" "Oh, another candidate for my affections, presented by the family and called by me 'the rook,' '' said the reckless girl. "I have never seen him, 1 think," said Dugald. "Not? Oh, I thought you ha J, but no, you have never met him." "And there is young Brinkham," ''Suggested Probyn, as that young man was then passing, with a polite bow. "Ob, if you are going to count lads like whom I have in training, you might number my parties by the dozen. The truth is, 1 don't want or e of them—not any one that I have ever seen, have made up my mind that I must fall violently in love at first sight, and I never saw a person yet that dazzled me or pleased me in such a manner. I like myself better than anyone that ever II saw." "Well," said Dugald, laughing, "in that admiration of yourself very many seem to agree with you." I TO BE OONTINt/ED. i