A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10037, 11 July 1910, Page 2

A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

I " f w Author of—The Doctor's Secret, A Case for the Court, In Sir John's Heiress, A Loveless Marriage, p jr Trenholme's Trust, Eto.

CHAPTER XXXVll.—Continued. "No one but yourself hns cast a doubt upon your marriage!" she said. "Why did you remove your wedding ring? Why did you leave your husband? Do you not see the anomalous position in which I am placed? I am guilty of a cruel wrong. I did not believe that you were legally married, and was trying to save you from a manjwho had betrayed you!" "Betruyed me?" echoed Hildred "You led me to believe so. You told me that you had been deceived from first to last; you appealed to me to help you, and you threw away your wedding ring. My mother's heart pitied you. Heaven knows that I am not one to interfere between husband and wife! Again I ask you —whv did you leave your husband?" Hildred had risen to her feet; i her face was deathly white, her fingers were tightly interlaced. "Mamma," she paid quietly, "I I thought that you knew—l thought [ that you guessed; but the idea that you doub el my marriage nevei* crossed my mind. I never wished to go over the whole business again; but, in justice to myself, in justice to my husband, I will do so I have said that I was deceived. My husband wooed me in the guise of a poor musician, and I never dreamed that he was an aristocrat —a nobleman, until afler he took me to the Woodlands. Even there he deceived me for a long time; and dees not that prove that he waa ashamed of his country-bied wife?" "I do not think so," observed Mrs Deverell. But Hildred went on impatiently : "Do not pass judgment until you have heard me out! Mv hubsand took me to London once, and he met Mr Sparks, the lawyer. He was afraid to introduce me as hi 3 wift\ and I was subjected to the greatest indignity it is possible for a woman to suffer. I never foigot the misery of that awful night, and I do not think I ever forgave the one who caused it. Percy was never the same to me afterward. Then came the news of the Earl of Mauthorpe's death, and Mr bparks subsequently called at the Woodland?. I had no intention of listening to what passed between' the lawyer and my husband; hut 1" could not help hearing that which terrified me. Our unfortunate marriage,would ruin Percy completely, unless it could be set aside—annulled. 'the lawyer pbaded in a cold-blooded way, and I heard the name of Miss Glinton, of a solemn betrothal between her and the man 1 thought had belonged to rile, heart and soul! Oh, it was horrible, and I prayed to heaven that I might die! I fainted " Mrs Deverell interrupted. "And perhaps that is why you did not hear your husband' 3 reply," she said. "I no not believe that he would listen quietly in such base proposals. I have bf«n blind from beginning to end. Lord Clifford loved you as few wives are ever loved." "Wait!" resumed Hildred, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I have not yet told you why I fled from my husband and I need not exact from you a pledge of secrecy." Her face waslghastly white, and her lips quivered, "Mamma, I left him because I felt certain that he had my unhappy grandfather! I do not accube him of premeditation—his anger was easily aroused, and that very day he had spoken of my grandfather in bitter terms. Ac the inquest I lied —I perjured myself—for my hueband's sake, because I loved him—because I shall always love him. I had been the cause of his ruin. He probably loved Miss Glinton with a passion that I had never been able to arouse within him. She was suitable to him in every way—a high-born, beautiful lady, who could restore him his fortune and happiness. I was unable to reason the matter out calmly, or I might have acted differently. 1 was mad with love, jealousy, remorse, horror!" She sank upon her kneea beside Mrs Deverell and burst into a fit of weeping, bitter, scalding tears trickling through the fingers that were clasped over her eyes. "My dear child," the elder lady said, "I pity you from the bottom of my heart—l pity myself for the foolish part I have played! it is utterly impossible t.o dissolve your marriage, even if Lord Manthorpe desired to be free —evpn if he did not love you—even if he were not moving heaven and earth to find you! As for your mad belief that he would strike a defenceless old man, I do not share it. .Reckless and impetuous he may have been, but I leel sure that he was iiever cowardly. In your folly and I ignorance you have misjudged him in so many things that, in my tight, he stands condemned in nothing at ! all, except it ibe in loving you too , well. If Lord Manthorpe traces you 1 to Deal and heats of your supposed I death, it will break his heart. You may then be free in very truth!" gj [ Mrs Deverell spoke sternly, arnosn I harshly, and a great cry came fnra the girl's agonised heart. "'Oh, Percy, my husband, forgive me!" ) The same evening Mrs Deverell • caused a telegram to be sent to Mary

the caretaker of Rose Cottage. It ( was sent in the name of Frost, and asked tor particulars of Lord Manthorpe's visit, if such had been paid. The reply did not come until the next morning., and it was in the shape of a letter, which ran thus:f "Dear Mistress: I was so glad to hear from you! I have received the money which you was so kind aa to send to me for the little -■•■rvices which I done, and, now that I've got your address, I want to thank you with all my heart. Yes, a gentleman did call, and &aid as the poor girl who died was his wife. He took on very bad about it, and went to ihe grave in a blinding storm. He fell down on it and cried like a child. I was that upset I couldn't sleep a wink all night; bat when I went to the church yard next morning he was gone, as, of course, he would be. He was a pleasant, nice spoken gentleman, and full of repentance for the wickedness he had done. I told him repentance to such aa him always came too Hte. I haven't heard nothing about him since. I'm very glad to send you the news, and my thanks for your kindness. "Yours respectfully, "MARY FARMEK." Mrs Deverell's face was very grave when she read Mary's letter. She did not show it. at once to Hildred. I They lunched at the Grange that ; day, and Mrs Deverell and Lady | Locksley had a great deal to talk about in the privacy of her ladyship's boudoir. In the meanwhile a warm friendship was springing up between Hildred and Constance Glinton —a friendship that was to endure for all time. CHAPTER XXIX. RECONCILIATION. Mrs Deverell did not spare herself as regarded her conduct toward Hildred. She told Lady Locksley the plain, unvarnished story from beginmg to end. "I took advantage of Lady Manthorpe," she said, "while in a state of melancholy hysteria. It was under a misapprehension, of course, but that does not alter the fact. 1 have separated husband and wife, and caused untold anguish to Lord Manthorpe—perhaps more than that. What is to be done. Clara? You are a clear-headed woman of the world!" Lady Locksley had listened in amazement, but her face was now very grave. ; "It is a moat remarkable story," she observed; "but there is nothing discreditable in the part you have taken, Alma. Since Lord Manthorpe has so strangely disappeared, I counsel silence until we can obtain tidings of him—silence as regards Lady Manthorpe and the world in general. MissjGlinton must be our ally. She is thoroughly acquainted with the moods and fancies of the young earl, and her assistance will be invaluable." "Do you think that she carss for 'him still" Mrs Deverell'asked. "As an affectionate friend —as a. loving sister merely," was the quick reply. "Constance is a sensible, clever girl, and Lord Manthorpe made all things clear to her. 1 have no doubt that she was greatly attached to him, and that she did .not relinquish her fond dreams without a great deal of disappointment and anguish; but Miss Glinton has too much self respect—too much nobility of character, to bear resentment or to covet a love which was never hers. One of her dearest wishes is to know Precy's wife, and to love her for Precy's sake. My dear Alma,. I have spoken of Lady Manthorpe as a 'dairy maid,' a 'rustic,' and in other terms of which J am now heartily ashamed. Let this be my apology,, for only to ycu have I uttered such unkind things. lam not surprised that the earl fell in love with her. She is one of the loveliest and most graceful girls I have ever beheld. Now our chief concern is as to the whereabouts and the fate of his lordship. The | story of his wife's death is the cruel- I e.t thine imaginable! This evening, ) when we are alone, I will lay the amazing truth before Miss Glinton, and report to you our plan of procedure." within forty-eight hours inquiries concerning the young earl of Manthorpe were being made in every fashionable club of London, arid in all cases the reply was the same. Everybody had heard of his romantic marriage and his sudden reverse ot fortune, and everybody believed that he had gone abroad with his plebian wife—travelling incognito. Not a single clue was forthcoming. His movements were of little interest to the world. If he chose to be eccentric, it was his own affair. | TO BE CONTINUED