A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10066, 11 June 1910, Page 2

A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

5 BY *'. EL. DACEE, | it Author ot—7 he Doctor's Secret, A Caso for tho Court, L Sir John's [Jcires?, A Lovoless Marriage, I a t| i | £ Treihclmc's Trust, Etc. | Jj £3 T. «****s e****.®* Qs l c°=»«»-sce« e ajt 1 1

CHAPTER XXII. -Continued. j "Fooiish little woman!'" he said, j, His clasp tightened abmt her, and f he pressed warm kisses upon the pale c upturned face. "Dreams are nothing t but the result cf a disordered fancy. You ir.uat give 1:0 lead to them. ( Fortunately I can leave you in good < hands. And, when all is over, rotting j . shall part us again. We ;;will lne at j ( Manthorpe, or go abroad. You shall I , decide." i She thought of her grandfather, and J a sense of misery filled her hea;t. f Her husband's fierce words still rang in her ears. The oIJ gavJeiic, it) his j resentment at the supremacy of John | Pitt, had indulged too freely in sttor.g liquor. He had ro longer any , interest in the garden, but wandered to the nearest village, where hu drank , away his remaining senses, and talk- , ed libelously about hi 3 Qvanddaughter's "aristocratic husar.d." He ] shed maudlin teais to enlist the sympathies cf the frequenters of the village* inn. amot g whom, oceas-ionally, , were the male servants of his own home. Some of the stories had been repeated to Clifford, by the butler, and hss brow had crown very dark. "ihe old gentleman is not safe away from home, sir," Hackeit said, "He loses his head. He did net know me; but I told the fviiks m the Ked Lion that every word he had said was untrue. You know what these villagers are, sir." | "Thank you, Hackett,'" Clifford replied; "but you need not trcuble again to defend me in a village ale house. I shall adopt mcaiis to teach Mr Dudley the folly of his conduct." With some misgiving.s, the batler saw the flashing eyes and lowering brow of hi? msster. "The old man will catch ii!" he thought. On the evening before, imrr.ediattly after hearing Hackett'a story, Clifford had complained somewhat bitterly j to his wif' 1 , and she was thinking of I it-now. Her influence over her prardfather was at an end. He considered that he was the aggrieved party. It was her fault that he wiis iioit.eless; that his business v\as goue. If she had married Revest Wi..tcr-", things would have been very different. ■ "When al! is over, nothing shall part us again!" Percy repeated fondly "There is my grandfather !■' she laltered, and she never forgot the swift change in his face. His eyes darkened, his lips tightened; the arm round her waist threatened to crush her, and she turned faint. "Oh, Percy, you a 0 hurtirg rre!" she gasped.. His clasp slackened, and he looked away from her. She had chosen an unfortunate moment to mention her grandfather, but the sudden anger in I her husband's eye 1 had siopped the) worJs upon her lip?? He misunder- ! stood her meaning. Hildred resolved never again to defend the old man, 1 who had proved himself to be both selfish and unreasonable. "I forgot to tell you," Percy said coldly, "that the lawyer, Mr Sparks, ia coming hera to-day. I judged it wise to make my explanation to him in private before we meet at Manthorre Park. I must introduce you to hiiti." He spoke in measured terms, bat his blood was fired with a .burning, jealous pain. "I worship my wife with a !o\e that is almost idolatrous," te thought, "and yet I hold bat a saM-at'ary place in her heart. She must choo:e between her grandfather and her hubsand!" He strode out cf hte room, and Hildred heid out mutely toward him. He did not see the action, but walked [out into the autumn sunshinp, while his wife , dropped into an easy chair in a recess beliii d the hea«y window curtain?, and wept scalding tears. Fifteen, twei.ty minutes passed, and then she again heard his footsteps in the hall. She prayed that he might not see her tear stained facq. It would but add to his worries. "Come into the library, Spark?," he said hurriedly, nervously. "There is no one there, fortunately, and I I want to get through an unpleasant j bit of business," |

i Hildred essayed to rise, but her 1 j imbs were numbed. She heard the j awjer follow Percy into the rcorn, | tnd then the sound of a gently closed I [ !oor, and the cold, incisive voice of : j he visitor. "My lord, I am utterly bewildcr:d. No, I don't feel in the mood for sitting down. I want to know what ; ill this means. Your lordship's letter ; :sn;e upen ma like a bombshell—like j 3 bolt from the blue. You hinted thai \ ;ou were married to the lady whom I '! :aw with you in London some weeks : since, but I hope it is not true." "I am proud to say thnt it i.t qui to ; :rue, Mr Sparks!" waa the angry re- [ :ort. j For a minute there waj deep silenc", ! rhe lawyer stared [at Clifford, aa | .hough he would read him through j jnd through. !j "I am not marl or dreaming—am j [?" he said at last. "Yuu are really | Married?" "Yes—l nr<: really married." Mr »?parks sat down, and wiped a;reai beads of perspiration from his brow. j "May 1 ask hew long you have | been married, Lord Clifford?" j "Nearly a month. If .you want the exact d?.te, you can have it," Percy replied, a ii'.tla sarcastically. "Perhaps you require the history of my wife' 3 antecedents, sir?" "A month," the lawyer muttered, half to himself; then ho spoke up again. "I think, Lord Clifford, that I would sooner have heard that you were dead than m:=rnei ! Do you know what you have done? By that act of madness you have beggared and traitorously deceived the woman wbu would ai£ for you. Nay—your anger does not, will not, affect me. 1 have yet before me the vision of your betrothal to Constance Glinton. Your oath still rings in my ears. 1 say that, the sight of Heaven, Constance Glinton has a greater, claim upon you than the woman you have wedded. If the truth could be known, it would prove, I fancy, that Owen Daventry has had a hand in the business." "Goon, sir," Percy said sternly; "and, when your raving is finished, I will talk to you." The lawyer had become calmer, but his face was white ar.d set, Clifford could not help being strongly impressed by his manner. "Sit down, please," Mr Sparks said, "and I will explain your lordship's present position. I see no way out of the difficulty. Mr Daventry has been too clever for us; and I think it is that which angeis me most. This cousin of yours contrived a quarrel between Lord Manthorpe and my firm. He held you and your father in the hollow of his hand. It j was no conflict of intelligence. You ! were headstrong, ia petuous and foolish. The earl's mind was weakened by hi? bodily ailments. You were jealous of Daventry, and disobeyed your , father. Naturally, he listened to the tongue of the schemer. According to him, you were a profligate, a roue. To bring you to your senses, a new will was made by a local attorney, which changes Daventry from the dependent to absolute master of every acre and every shilling of which the earl dies possessed." Clifford had grown pale to the lips. "It is past belief!" he murmured. TO BE CONTINUED