THE DOUBLE SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9638, 2 November 1909, Page 2

THE DOUBLE SECRET.

CHAPTEu X.—Continued,

"Lay aside your mourning and your exclusiveness. Bring out of their hiding the lace, and dresa and jevvels which belong to you, and become you. Be more Lady Lina's companion in society? Instead of replying Pauline suddenly dropped both arms on the table and leaned forward, peering intently through the foliage. "What ia the matter?'" c-ied Lady Astraea. "Have you seen a ghost? or fallen in love at first sight?" "Neither," replied Pauline, recovering herself; "and I will take your advice, and do as you wish, Lady Astraea." She rosa aud accompanied her friend indoors, icsolved to begin the reformation in her manners at once. She calif d Lucy and Rivers, and set about arranging a dress for the evening, when a number of friends would be pr. sent at dinner. The dress which she chose was of lavender silk, trimmed with Mechlin lace; a necklace and bracelets of pearls, and woite rosebuds in her hair.

CHAPTEK XI.

THE SECRET SLEEPS.

While Pauline prepared this evening magnificence her mind dwelt not so much on what Lady Astraea had j been saying, as in tbej fact that she had seen passing among the trees of the garden a figure which, despite its coarse draperies, bore close resemblance to Mrs Bemis. Such a figure she had twice remarked passing the front of the Palazzo Kidolti. Could it be that this strange woman had followed them, and why? Was this her mother? Next April would this relationship be made known, and must she then say, "Come, mother, let us fly away, and hide from all the world?" This suspicion of being followed, and her desire to really see this woman and demand an explanation, conspired to distract her attention from Lady Lina and Granitto. Her secret excitement, and her wish to please Lady Astraea, broke the self-placed bonds of restraint,, and she shone out her real self. Somehow it happened to be Dugald Probyn on whom she shone most brilliantly. Dugald believed her to be the destined bride of Lord Harcourt, thus forever out of his own reach, but he yielded to the spell of ber presence. She talked to him freely, and he was enraptured; he would be happy while he could; he would enjoy this gracfous presence for the brief space until Lord Harcourt declared his engagement, and then he would hurry away to India, never to return, for what did this entrance into society mean, but yielding to Lord Thomas' suit? With the warm days of June all Florence began to turn longingly toward the hills. The air within the city was too confined, and the first day of July saw the Ridolfi palace l closed and the family took possession for the summer of a villa on the hills near Fiesole. A short d;stance from the villa was the farmhouse of the farmer of the Pazzi estate, and soon after this for tunate countryman began to furnish butter, eggs and cream to the luxurious inhabitants of Villa Pazzi, he was made yet more happy by the arrival of the summer lodger, one Granitto Marie Arriano, who came with fowling pieces and fishing xods, books and portfolios, and an easel, with much other unnecessary paraphernalia, and took the farmpr's best room. But the genial farmer was not J the only individual who basked in the unexpected sunshine of good luck. Close by the main entrance to the vineyards of Villa Pazzi was the stone home of the head Vignajo, or vine dresser. He also presently got a summer boarder, a veiled woman in black, who spoke Italian with an English accent, seldom went out of doors, spent mo3t of her time embroidering, or working at a lace pillow, and sat from morning till evening by the front window of her room, a window sheltered by vines, and overlooking the vineyard gate. Now it had happened somehow that the more Granitto Marie Arriano had followed Lady Lina, the oftener he had met her, and the more devoutly he had made love with the soft glances of black eyes, and the mellow tones of the mo&t musical of Italian \oices, the more friendly had the Lady Lina grown to her Cousin Dugald, the more they had walked and talked and sung together.-'

V BY DUNCAN McQKEGOR ) C Author of "Kennedy's Foe," '-Ishmael Kefonae V "A Game of Three," "Edna's Peril." / Etc., etc.

Pauline had lost ail her childhood's detestation of Probyn, and had not the least idea that any one could lend a thought to Granitto, or any other man, while Dugald was by. So it happened that as Lina and Pauline and Probyn bad grown to be the best of friends, and were constantly together, they were walking of an early July evening toward Fiesole, when they met Granitto Marie Arriano, and who of the three was most surprised to see him, and to hear that he was "pursuing his studies" at the adjacent farmhouse. Granitto walked with his friends, told a tale about every peak and every villa in sight, trolled a lovely ballad, and left them at the vineyard gate. He was walking with Pauline as they reached the gate, and none of the party saw a white face looking at them through the vines. It was not Pauline's place to ask Granitto to call at Villa Prazzi. Lady Lina longed but dax-ed not Dugald was prudent, and remarked that he was glad to have met Signor Arriano, and he hoped Lora Harcourc would soon meet him also.

Dugald felt that he was only performing his cousinly duty to Lady Lina in observing next moaning, at breakfast, that they had met Arriano on the previous evening, and that he was boarding with the farmer. Whereupon Lord Harcourt looked suddenly at his daughter, and Lady Lina could not for her life prevent a brilliant blush. Mrs Vilthorpe sug- \ gested that "it was a pretty time of day, and she did not know what the world was coming to." Lady Astraea, from behind the tea urn, said, tranquilly, that "they had come to Villa Pazzi for retirement and not to en tertain company, and it was not necessary for Signor Arriano to call?!" and Lady Lina. regaining all her courage, chimed in, "that it was to bs hoped that at last they had found a place where for a little while they could escape the vexations of society, and be all by themselves." While this remark tranquilized all > the other members of the party it did not allay the fears of Mrs Vilthorpe. After breakfast she asked an interview with Lord Harcourt, in the room which he had chosen in lieu of ali bay, and there expounded to him that his mother was getting very aged, that Lady Lina was very thoughtless, that there was more than an accident in Signor Arriano having found a lodgment near them, that he was no party for Lady Lina j Harcourt, that his antecedents and I property were pretty generally uu- i known, and that too much care ! could rot be exe r cised as youth was ' romantic and reckless, and she wished Lina might be warned, etc. Thereupon Lord Harcourt rang his bell to have Lady Lina sent to him, and when she came in, "fair as the moon," be began: | "My dear Lina, your aunt " "Still harping on my daughter," remarks Lady Lina. ! "And very.appropriately quoted," j said Lord. Thomas, biting his lips. ' "Your aunt thinks, like fair Jessica, you have an admirer unsuited to the views and expectations of your father for you, and we hope you will be on your guard, and not encourage a stranger like Signor Granitto Marie Arriano." Within a few days Lady Lina, finding leisure superabundant, began to pine to resume her Italian studies, and very happily some stranger called and asked for Signora Viithorp, and said that "he had heard there were signorinas in her most illustrious family, and he besought her patronage for him, as he was a poor man making his living by teaching to foreign milords and miladis the Tuxan tongue." Now this petitioner, who called Mrs Viltlaorpe "Illustressima," was her very beau ideal of a teacher for Lina; he was aged, with flowing white hair and beard, nearly covering his face; he was humpbacked, stooping, a patch over one eye, and smoked-glass spectacles, the very safes*; possible teacher for Lina, and Mrs Vilthorpe engaged him immediately. He was to gi\ e lessons to Lady Lina and Pauline; but Lady Astraea was taken sick and Pauline spent most ot her time with her old friend, and so intermitted her Italian studies, and the teacher instructed Lady Lina in j the drawing room while her Aunt V. ' was on the other side of the room J reading a novel. If we mention in passing that this carefully gotten up teacher was no other than Granitto Mane Arriano, it will be taken for | granted that most of these lessons were devoted to the conjugation of the potent verb A more. | I TO BK CONTINOED.I