A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10036, 9 July 1910, Page 2

A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

CHAPTER XXXVIII. I MRS DEVERELL REALISES HER j TERRIBLE MISTAKE. ! "Miss Constance Clinton!" hil Ired felt that she must scream, but, to her astonishment, she found herself gazing with Apparent calmness at Lady Locksley, who continued to address her with pleasant effusiveness. Fortunately, the shadows had deepened, and her intense pallor passed unnoticed. "Mrs Deverell and I were girls together," Lady Locksley went on. "And I should have called lorg ago but for being in town witti Mias Glinton. I have no intention of being overlooked by one who was very dear to me in the happy days of girlhood." At that moment, to Hildred's intense relief, Mrs Deverell hastily entered the room. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and pain. "I could not find you, dear," she murmured. Lady Locksley interrupted her witn a bright laugh. "My dear Alma, we have already introduced ourselves! Now, aren't you going to give us some tea? You both look positively ill through moping here by yourselves, and, unless lam turned out by the footman, I shall refuse to go until you have been civil to me!' Mrs Deverell smiled faintly. "You have taken me by surprise, Clara," she said. "I had no idea that you were the widow of Sir Claude Locksley, or that you were within a hundred miles of Harding Manor." "That is because you have so long been living out of the world. My dear, it is really unkind of any one to doubt one's friends. I have no more love for the usual run of society than you have, but that does not cause me to eschew my own familiar spirits. I have heard from the rector of your recent bereavement, and I sympathise with you deeply." Her voire took a tenderer inflection. "It is not a year since I myself lost my only child—a son, who was the very apple of my eye. He was killed in India." She touched Inr moun/ing pathetically, then added, with a wintry smile: "V\hat a sombre group we make! Even Miss Glinton is sorrowing over the death of a guaidian who was as dear to her as a father. I mean the Earl of Manthorpe, whose eccentric will has been the talk of the county. But of course such matters have been of no i/»teresr to you. Ah, here comes the tea to revive our drooping spirits 1 ." Mrs Deverell's chief anxiety was for Bildreu; but she was relieved on seeing that the girl was quietly conversing with Miss Glinton. "lam sure fhat we shall be very good friends, Miss Deverell,'' Constance, was saying. "Lady Locksley has told me a great deal of your mamma's sad history. We heard only yesterday of your arrival at the Manor, and her ladyship insisted upon calling at once." Hildred listened half dreamily. It seemed incredible that she was sitting within a few feet of the beautiful, high-bred woman whom she had hated—the woman who loved her husband! Her husband? She had no husband now. Hildred Dudley was dead —the past was only a cruel dream. "Will you be Lady Locksley'a guest for very long?" Hildred murmured. "Pardon me it I am too inquisitive, Miss Glinton." "Lady Locksley is a distant relative," Constance replied, "who has taken pily upon my loneliness. Ido not believe that I have another relative in the whole world—at least, I do not know of one. Locksley Grange is now my home." She sighed, and her brilliant dark eyes became misty with tears. She looked wistfully at Hildred, adding: "I want you to like me, Miss Deverell, if you can; I feel that there is a bond of sympathy between us." Hildred did not reply. "I ought to hate her," she thought, "but I cannot! Still, Ido not want her friendship; I never wish to see her again." Lady Locksley rose suddenly and shook her skirts. "Now, my dear Alma, when may we expect to see you at the Grange?*' ehe briskly asked. "I want to have a long, long talk with you, and will take care- that we are not interrupted by callers. The girls are getting on splendidly together, and I venture to predict that Constance will soon recover her lost spirits. Solely upon her account I have recently plunged into a veritable whirl of mild dissipation in town, but without any appreciable effect. Even my wealthy and beautiful young kinswoman has a sorrowful story—an affaire du coeur—like most of us poor women !" She lowered her voice to a whisptr. "If you have not heard of her late guardian's will, you do not, of course, understand, Alma. He wished his son to marry Constance, I and insisted upon a deathbed betroi thai. Prom what I can gather, the \ present earl was already married — quite a romantic affair—King Coph=tua and the beggar maid, you know. Anyhow, it was a serious blow to 1 Constance, for nlie really cared for / Lord Clifford. He behaved as well as

BY i'. L. DA CUE, Author of—The Doctor's Secret, A Case for the Court, Sir John's Heiress, A Loveless Marriage, Trenholme's Trust, Etc. •

could be expected in the circumstances, tut, as a result of his infatuation for the dairy maid, he lot.es a fortune." "And where is Lord Manthorpe i,ow?" Mrs Deverell calmly asked. Hildred and Miss Glinton were examining some photographs at the farther end of the loom. Lady Locksley looked at her friend in surprise. "Where is Lord Manthorpe now? Society says that his lordship is on the Continent, enjoying the Bociety of his wife. He disappeared completely soon after his father's fun.eral." "Are you sure that he was mar- ; ried?" Lady Locksley opened her eyes in astonishment. "The Cliffords of Manthorpe were never dishonourable, Alma!'" she replied deciaedly. "Besides, Percy confessed everything to Misß Glinton, andthere is no doubt that he worships his wife, whatever she may be. It is a thousand pities that love should play such strange freaks. I have known Percy since he was a mere child. He was always impetuous,, warm-hearted and generous. I say that.it is a thousand pities that he ever met the pretty country girl. His Hie is completely spoiled." Mrs Deverell felt bewildered, and her face showed it. Of what had she been guilty? One of trie wickedest acts possible to man or woman! She had deliberately planned to separate husband and wife, though she bad been woefully misled by the wife herself. She had acted for the best, but it had all been a mistake. "I never believed that Lord Manthorpe really married her," she murmured. "Hildred made some discovery which horrified her. She flung away her wedding ring, and I naturally thought that she had been tricked into a sham marriage." Lady Locksley was gazing at hei curiously. "Alma," she laughed, "you are very much interested in the affairs of Lord Manthorpe!" "Hush, dear! I should like to see you alone to-morrow; I have a great aeal to say to you.'' She was greatly agitated, and Lady Locksley knitted her brows in perplexity. "Luiicn with us, Alma," she said, briefly. "We shall expect you about an hour before noon!" Then alje added plaintively: "My curiosity is at fever heat. I sbali have no sleep to-night. Constance, my dear, i ordered dinner for seven o'clock, and we have a long drive before us." The four ladies left the room together, and, at parting, Miss Glinton impressed a warm kiss upon Hildred's pale cheek. When Lady Locksley's carriage was gone, Mrs Deverell spoke quietly of the arrangements for the next day. "I was terrified for yo*ir sake, darling, when I realised that Misa Constance Glintoa was actually in the bouse," she said tenderly. "Yol passed through the ordeal wonderfully well!" "I thought that i hated her," the girl replied, "but find that I was wrong. How beautiful, how proud she is!" There was a note of pain in her sweet voice, the pretty lips quivered. " What strange fate could have sent her here?" ''Your own heart should answer that question, darling!" Mrs Deverell said after a minute's silence. Her pale lace flushed, a sudden Ipolc of resolution came into her eyes. "Dear one, I want you sit down beside ine, and answer me truthfully. I am assailed by an awful fear—the fear that I may be heipiiigi to ruin two young lives!" Still the girl did not understand. She moved swiftly toward the woman who had adopted her as a daughter, and twined her soft arms about her neck. "Dsar mamma, what is the matter? You ask me to answer you truthtully. Have I not always done so?" "My darling, tiiere is a wretched mistake somewhere! Are you a wife in very truth? Tell me that Percy Clifford did not deceive you—that the marriage was no mock ceremony?" "Why do you ask rre such things? Hildred demanded, with flashing eyes. "Does any one dare to cast a doubt upon the legality of my marriage? Who cares to insult my husband's honour? We were married from my own home, in the little church of Llanthorne; the ceremony was performed by the rector. Hundreds of people were there; the way as strewn with flowers, the bells rang out merrily." A cry of dismay escaped Mrs Devertll's lips. TO BE CONTINUED .