THE DOUBLE SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9619, 12 October 1909, Page 2

THE DOUBLE SECRET.

V BY DUNCAN McGKEGOR jj Author of "Kennedy's Foe," 'Tshmael Eeforme ? "A Game of Three," "Edna's Peril," 5 Etc, etc.

CHAPTER V.—Continued. Once in her chosen re treat Lady Lina tlurg herself in a large chair ana began to meditate, but no sooner had she fairly set before herself the figure and speech of the gipsy, and from this portraiture gathered the impression which the woman herself had failed to convey—that the gipsy character was assumed -when Rivers came in, flushed and discomposed. "My Lady Lina! It is long past the hour to dress fir dinner. The iamily are at table, and LadyAstraea Hareourt and my lord are so alarmed about you! They have sent the footman everywhere."

"Go, Rivers," cried Lady Lina, laughing, "tell them that 1 am here —that I have not eloped- certainly, if I should go it would never he so hastily as to leave'rny jewels. Bring me some dinner here to my boudoir, and then dress me to go down after the ladies return to the drawingroom." "It is always the same thing," said Lina, after her maid left. "Stranger and friend, all perplexing themselves about my marriage, as if 1 were a puppet, unable to choose for my St. If. and were the one marriageable girl in three kingdoms'. Choose I will choose! I have chosen! And now, Lady Lina Hareourt, my dear, see if you can carry out yr<ur plans." She took out a locket with the ivory portrait of Granitto Marie Arriano, and studied it until Rivera came up with a fnotboy, and her dinner. Study of the painted hero had not spoiled Lina's appetite, for she attacked the fare set before he r with the vigorous zest of youth and health. The next day Lady Lina pursuaded Pauline to drive to Hastings with her, and while Mrs Vilthorpe was choosing a bauble iri the Swiss store, with Pauline to aid her selection, Lady Lina ran up to the studio of the miniature-painter. A fortnight later Pauline remarked, hanging on the rose-coloured wall of the Lady Lina's room, a portrait set in strong reliet bright tints around it—an oval olive face, black hair waving over the shoulders, black eyes full of fire, a quaint humour and great quickness expressed in every line and feature —it might have been a model for "Young Italy." "Whose face is this?" cried Pauline. "The face of the man I mean to marry," replied Lina. "l'hen you do not mean to marry Dugald Probyn?" "Certainly not. The worst recommendation he ci'uld have is the way in which he has been forced upon me."

And yet Dugald had not forced himself upon her. She knew this, and liked him accordingly. She said that evening: "I am sorry you are going back to Italy to-morrow, Cousin Tugald. I like gentlemen's company better than ladies', and I like to have one gentleman around who does not feel bound to make love to me,' 1 "They may have been because you gave me no encouragement.'' "Eh? ,Wel', you got so much from other quarters I thought you did not need "said Lina, looking up roguishly. "Then add it to ' my sirs of omission," said Dugald, "that 1 did not rave, and fall on my knees, and make violent love," "The idea of such a tning! That would not be your fashion. This would be your way of making love: "My dear Lady Lina, I have felt myself very fortunate in securing your friendship. I feel how far I—how far any man falls below the ideal of such a woman as you are. Your dignity of character, the charm and benefit of your conversation have supplied to my life the one element that has been lacking to my perfect happiness. To part from you is more painful than I cacn express. If you would accept my heart, my fortune, and my future, you would make me the happiest of men.'" Dugald broke into a hearty laugh as Lina, in a broad caricature of his grave toneF, arid his old-school courtesy, thus commended qualities as dignity and improving conversation, in which she was entirely lacking. "And then if you kindly accepted me?" he said. "You Wo M ld feat, sleep and proceed with the routine of your daily life and affairs just as calmly as ever." "And if you cruelly refused me?" "You would be astounded in spi'.e of your humility, but would still eat, sleep and proceed with legation business. However, there is one comfort Dugald, you will never love ine in this way. You are more my idea of a friend than any one else, and, Dugald, I want you to do ms a favour." "Joyfully what is it?" "I'm sick of England. I have not been in Italy for years. Not since I was a little girl. I want to go there and see—oh, the Pitti Gallery, and the Leaning Tower of Pisca, and the Apollo of the Vatican. Do, Dugald. beg Lord Thomas to take us all over there to stop several months, won't you?" "Why, "ertainly," said Dugald, with a vision of how delightful it would be to have this charming family of kindred near hitn, with whom to spend holidays and evenings, to to have Lord Thomas sympathising with his Italian studies in

antiquities. Lady Astraea to talk with of philanthropies,and questions of justice, and political economy and education, and this lovely girl to wander with him through miles of picture-galleries, where beauties smiling from marble or canvas where none of them fairer than she. "I know your father could hire seme grand old palazzo, splendid in antique frescoes and tapestries and massive pavements, carved chests like that in which the lady of the mistletoe bough found her doom, corridors haunted by the mighty armorclad ghosts of the middle ages; a palazzo where every room has a story!" W' "Oh delicious! And what kind of stories?"

"Of all tones and shades, grave and gay, comic and tragic. In this banquet-hall an insurrection was plotted, and here the agents of the Myecici butchered in cold-blood tie plotters. Here from this window an enraged monk swung a cardinal fresh from his feasting; from this balcony some fair Juliet of happier (testing descended on a rope ladder to her expectant Romeo. Here tome fugitive and his maiden came in menial guise, and the lord of the palazzo fall in Jove with her, married her, and the long line of her sonsand successors is written in the gold book." "Enchanting! To live in such a palazzo will give flavour to my life. See that you get us there, Dugald." At this instant Lady Una thought that she saw a shadow pass the open window; that shadow like a-tali, graceful woman, a kerchief knotted around her head, a cloak over her shoulders. This was the fashion of the gipsy, passing, looking in. "Quick, Dugald! spring out on the terrace and see who is there!" Probyn sprang out with a promptitude natural to him, but the terrace was deseited, and no rustle or footfall sounded in the shruberies. He broke off a spray of ivy and returned to the drawingroom, winding the spray in Lina's puffs and raids of gold auburn hair. He thought as she looked up at him with deep, pansy-hued eyes, that she was the pretliest gitl he had ever seen. "Lord Harcourt," said Dugald, "I have beeir describing to Lady Lina some of the (harms of Florentine life. She desired to go to Italy. Will you next consider the advantage and pleasure of leasing a palazzo for a few months and making a prolonged stay in 'the Lady Land?" "Indeed, I will," said Lord Harcourt, "if Lina and my mother, ai d Miss Peicy would enjoy it." "And no Aunt Vilthorpe," suggested Lina. Not half an hour later Lord Harcourt, very jubilant in view of the, plan ot taking Lina to Florence, sauntered through the hall and out of the main entrance into thejortico, to look at the weather prospects. In less than five minutes he staggered in, white and blind as a man who had been struck a heavy blow, and he fell senseless on the hall floor. Thus reported Timbali, his man, who had just entered the hill and who carried his master to the library. Timbali made his report to Dugald Probyn, whom he had called fro.n the drawing-room' Timbali understood his master's aversion to all exciternants and he carried Lord Thomas to his room, ser.t tor Dugald, and a physician and the housekeeper, and scarcely any others in the Towers knew that Lord Thomas Harcourt had had some strange seizure, Dugald delayed his departure for a week. I TO BE CONTINUED, i