SIR JOHN'S HEIRESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9674, 13 December 1909, Page 2

SIR JOHN'S HEIRESS.

CHAPTER 11. Continued

Sir John muttered something that was unintelligible to liia niece, then added: "Ah well—after all, I know something of the present rector! His predecessor deceived me, and I washed my hands of the Church." "Mr Jarvis has always been my friend," Hilda said; "and he is a good man." "I am glad to hear it! I will see him before he goes away. Now, little elf, come closer to me, anc. listen to a few things which I must say to yon. I have no need to question your truthfulness; I am certain that you would scorn even the semblance of a prevarication." His burning eyes were fixed on Hilda's face, and there he saw a sufficient answer. "And yet I have disliked and avoided you for years because 1 believed that you were a true daughter o+' your father! You wonder why I hate and despiss him? Because he did me the bitterest wrong that or<e man can do to another; because he has been all his life an incubus upon ire, and his evil deeds haunt me on my death bed! Do you think that he is still in India 9 " Hilda was startled by the question. "I have never heard to the contrary, uncle. My father has not shown any interest in me since he sent me to England." "Poor child! tfut the scoundrel knows all that has been going on, I am sure. At this moment he is in England; he has been in England for years, living on his wits —and upon me. I have honored notes that I never signed in order to save our good name, and to save him from the punishment he so richly deserves." Hilda was horrified. Had her handsome, good-for-nothing father sunk so low? "And you must beware of him in the future," continued Sir John. "I am glad you are soon to be married to a man who will stand none of his nonsensj, People here have called me mad; and I wonder that lam not so in very truth! I don't know that I should tell you these things, except in palliation of my steming eccentricity and unnatural conduct toward you, and to warn you against the hypocricy aid the villainy of your father." He pause J, and Hilda wiped the gathering moisture from "his brow when she listened with tingling ears. "Thirty years ago people were pleased to say that I was a clever fellow. I had been called to the bar, and there was every probability that a brilliant career in that profession lay before me. But visions of silk and the woolsack were swept away by a sudden passion for politics, and my writings and speeches attracted universal attention. This decided me, and 1 soon became a prominent personage in the political world. In my new lite I made both friends and foes. Among the latter was the last owner of Woodcroft Castle. Glyder Idwal, a fiery Welshman, who hated me and my principles with a heartiness that was quite refreshing. We met in London, at a club, and, he being a much older man, I submitted t) a wordy castigation. Believing that he had the power to alter my views, he evinced a paternal sort of friend ship toward me, and finally invited me to his own house I went; and there I saw his daughter, and knew that she was the one woman in the world for me. 1 "Hilda, iny child, I loved but dissembled. Can you blame me for playing a double part until I felt perfectly sure of my ground? The daughter of the old Welshman us the very apple of hia eye, but he would have seen her dead rather than that she should wed one of my political creed. He had faith in his powers of reformation, however, and I pretended to be impressed by his arguments "My otily confidant was my young brother—your father!"

CHAPTER IX

WHY SIR JOHN HATED HIS t ROT HER AND HIS CHILD. Hilda recalled the fierce gaze of her urcle when had encountered him in the wood, and she covered her face with her hanns. "Poor little elf," Sir John said half tenderly, "I am frightening you!" He caressed her htnd. "I would not tell you, hut 1 mustmust not only to explain my own conduct toward you but for your future protection against th» man who is your father. Let me loo.k into your eyas! Ah, how like they are to mine! We ar» both true Carringtoiis—dark of eye, dark of skin. But your father is fair—a handsome, smiling villain !'" He clinched his teeth, and was silent for a little while; then he sighed wearily. "Let me finish my story row. for I never wish *n refer to it he resumed. "I loved Gldyer Idwal's

BY F. L. DACRE, $ . 1 Author of "A Lotslbss Marriage," "A Change of Heart, I* •'Trenholme's Trust," "A Case for the Court," jjj Etc, etc. /

daughter, and for her dear sake I wa~. reaciy to sacrifice all save the actual principles of the cause I represented. It was an easy matter to play the cart I had chosen here, and I think that Lady Mary understood it all from the very first. We cared for each other only as matured and intense natures can care, and her father revelled in the victory he bad achieved. He was a bigot, an egoist, an enthusiast, though in moat things a good and sensible man. "About this rime your father came upon the scene. He had already left the service, and looked to my influence for advancement in some re munerative civil capacity. He was a handsome, devil-may-care fellow, who followed Pt my heels like an obedient dog. I knew that he was shallow and weak, but I did not dream that there was any real harm in him then. In a way, I was proud of my young brother;, and he made himself useful to me on many occasions. "I introduced him to the old Prince ot Ogof Llech, and he was cordinally invited to the Castle. From the very first Lady Mary did not like or trust him, and she besought me not to make a confidant of him. I laughed at her woman'shears, but I was a little vexed. 1 told her that she ought to like my brother for my sake, that he would be faithful to me. As for his being my confidant, I bad no secrets from him, and he would be be3t man at our wedding. "Shortly after this I was called back to London on a matter of urgent business, but he stayed behind. I left Ogof Llech apparently m good health, to arrive in London delirious. It was one of those sudden attacks to which strong men are sometimes liable. "For several weeks all was a blank to me; and when I awoke to a real knowledge of things, it was to learn that Glyder Idwal had discovered what he termed my 'perfidy,' and fiercely repudiated any claim I might have upon his daughter's affections. He would sooner see her dead at his feet than that she should become the bride of a man of my ruthless principles. Furthermore he and his daughter were going abroad, and it would be useless fur me to think of following them. Thus he had written to me. At first I was stunned; and my brother was symathetic. He had been requested to leave the Castle, he said. And, as t«r Lady Mary, she was quite resigned to her father's will; he was convinced that she had said as much. "I wrote several letters, but were returned t<» me. As suou ad my strength permitted I went to Ogof Llech Castle. The servants knew nothing, and greetfd ma silently. The master and the young mistress were gone; 1 had driven them uway— I and my brother. The English were a hateful, grasping people. "But there was me to do, and this softened the siting of my loss -of my humiliating defeat I would have staked upon Lady Mary's constancy, fwhertas it had bean more fugitive'''than a breath of summer mist — a drearn and nothing more! I had given her the best of my heart, and now mv heart was dead within me. If I was powerless to communicate with Lady Mary, my address was known to her. But there came not a word, and I thought her false and frail.

"At length the government offered me an important and lucrative post in India. I accepted it eagerly, and my brother went with me. I will not speak of my life there exctpl to tay my services gained me a grant a large sum of moi.ey from the nation. That money I have invested here. In the meantime I had become disgusted with my brother's peccadilloes —he had become a gambler and a dr nkard, and upon the strength of our relationship had ingratiated himself into the hest circles of society. All sorts of stories were afloat concerning him, until his adventurous career terminated for the nonce in marriage. I was rather relieved tc hear of this, pariicularly when I Dad positive assurancts that his wife was a lady of good family But I believe that he troke her heart; she survived your birth only a few weeks. "Events now occurred which placed an eternal barrier between my brother and myself; indeed, they hastened my departure from India, and I hoped that I had done with him for ever." Sir John paused, and motioned to Hilda to give him a cooling drink which stood upon a table at hand. Beads of perspiration were on his brow, and his parched lips quivered from emotion. "1 returned to England," he continued,, "and my fellow countrymen made much of me. It was said that my diplomatic abilities had prevented a devastating war. But my fame afforded me little pleasure; I had done my du y, and was sntislied. I had but one desire, and that, was to hide myself from my ieilow men; life had 110 i..i\hi.r charms for me.'"' Sir John [ aus d and gazed half wistfully into Hilda's sympathetic eyes. TO UK COMTI N L'j