A SECRET FOE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10139, 9 December 1910, Page 2

A SECRET FOE.

OUR SERIAL.^

ry GERTRUDE WARDEN. Author of "Scoundrel or Saint?" "The Secret of a Letter,'' 'A Bold TWrmtion," '-'The Wooing of a Fairy," "The Crime o2 Monte Carlo," etc.

Oi l APTER XContinued. "Not in the least. .1 believe that when she arrived in London she went to the West Central Hotel, and she may have gone back there; but even if she lias, what can I do? I cannot make her teach my children if she will not. It is most shameful, most sollisb of her. L must consult Lord Mallyon ab once ,and let him know liow his protegee has behaved herself." "Lord Mallyon sent me to hep; you and Miss Dagmar to como and lunch with him to-dav. I believe lie expects Sir John Moray this afternoon ; but I understand that ho thinks it will be bettor not to tell Miss Mallyon tlfat Sir John is coming." "Ah, if dear Dabmar could only be persuaded to marry that excellent Sir John!" Mrs Mavrogodato exclaimed, and for the next twenty minutes she treated Drogo to exhaustive details concerning her daughter's past and present admirers, until he had to plead an immediate engagement in order to escape. The immediate, engagement was nothing more than a hansom cal> drivo to the AY est Central Hotel, where, upon inquiring for Miss Iris Travers, lie learned to his extreme delight that she had returned to her old room about nine o'clock on the previous evening, driving up In a cab, with her Lag on the top. That morning she had risen early, partaken of breakfast, written somo letters, and fmallg had gone out a few minutes only before Mr Gordon's arrival. Drogo left his card with a message that he would call again in half an hour. Then he strolled along the Embankment watching the barges and steamers, with his thoughts fixed on other things; ; He had fully determined what he should say to Iris at their forthcoming interview. He should just tell her lie loved her and ask her ir she could find it in her heart to marry him, and come home to the old people at Surbiton until he could arrange something different. At least, she. would be sheltered there, and petted and cared for. Once they were, married, Lord Mallyon in all probability would leave off any attempt to flirt with liey, even if he ever felt inclined to do so. There would not be much fear, Drogo told himself, setting his mouth hard, that any mail would annoy Iris with undesired attentions then. ■ * Drogo's heart beat high with hope as he paced the broad pavement of the Embankment. Iris' eyes had met his with such tender pleadings iu their depths on the preceding day, and her voice when she thanked him for saving her life, had so vibrated through his heart, awakening hitherto unheard echoes of responsive sweetness, tliat he could not help hoping. She was the ideal girl he had hoped for, longed for, a rare combination of beauty, intellect, and sweetness, of gentle maidenliness and quick intelligence; It was presumptuous to imagine that she could lovo him, but lie was quite sure that at least she liked him, unless, indeed, his foolish display of jealousy and bad temper at their last meeting liacl alienated her. At any rate, she was fancy free, and he believed, jnanlike, that". he*could make her marry him, and make her love liim.

Master's sanctum, a room of which the prevailing impressions were books of all shapes and sizes lining the walls, saddlebag furniture, and big brass bowls filled with roses, the sweet scont of which hung upon the air. Lord Mall von was seated at a desk near a great Elizabethan window, which occupied half one side of the room. The light fell 011 his silvergrey hair and delicate aquiline profile, and on his long, slender hands, with a Rembrandt-like effect of sun"shine and shadow. He was dressed in a light gray suit of a tint which he particularly affected, and he wore in his buttonhole- a beautiful tea-rose bud. At sight of Mf? visitor, ho rose, welcoming her with his charming smile, and his two hands outstretched in greeting. The young girl was dressed in one of the two gowns she had purchased immediately after her arrival in London, a- close-fitting, blue serge, in which she looked very slim and girlish. She blushed as she gave Lord Mallyon her hand, aild let him gently lead her to a deep, roomy armchair. "I am quite ashamed to let you be nice to me, Lord Mallyon," she began timidly, 'because when you hear what has happened, perhaps you will be very much disgusted with me. I have left Mrs Mavrogodatos, and I do not mean to go back." Ho turned her chair so that it faced hers, and looked at her with an amused smile, after putting on his gold-rimmed glasses to get a better view of her. "Well," he said, pleasantly, after a short pause, "voa certainly didn't give it a very long trial. But I can quite understand that the children were too great an ordeal." "It was not that, Lord Mallyon. I could manage the children quite* will if—if " " "If their mother didn't interfere r" You need not mind speaking out. My sister-in-law knows my opinion of her method of bringing up a family. Then it was their mother who wa.» | not to be borne——" "Oh, no ; ; Mrs Mavrogodato and her daughter were most kind, especially Miss Mallyon, who treated me more like a sister than a governess, until '' "Until what, my dear Miss Trav- - ers?" j "Until last night. I will tell you | just what happened. The children ] had gone to bed, and I was in the schoolroom ,correcting their lessons, {when Mr Fitzalan entered very quietly behind me. I was standing by the window with my back to him. I suppose he thought," she went on in a lower voice, the blood rushing all over her sensitive face, "that, being a governess, I was not in _ a position to resent an impertinence from him or any other man. Or I don't know what he was thinking of, 1 he could hardly have been in liis right senses, I should stfy; and indeed lie seemed to smell of wine and whisky as he suddenly cauglit mo round the waste and tried to kiss me. * - "Before I had managed to break away from him Miss Mallyon came in, and Mrs Mavrogodato immediately after her. They seomed to think it w.is my fault, in fact, they said so. So I left the room; and while Mrs Mavrogdato went to the opera with "Mr Fitzalan, I packed ray bag, got one of the servants to help mo with it downstairs and on to a hansom, and went at once to the West Central Hotel, where I stayed when I first arrived in London. Perhaps you may hear other versions of this story, Lord Mallyon, but- I give you my word of honour that I have spoken the exact truth. Mrs Mavrogodato and Miss Mallyon did not understand that Mr Fitzalan's attentions were as repulsive to me as they would have considered similar overtures from a stranger. I don't want to be hard or bitter, or ungrateful, particularly to your relatives, when you have been so kind to me. But II would rather die than go back to [that house again." j She was deadly pale, and quiveri ing from head to foot with suppressJ <?d indignation and excitement. Lord Mallyon listened to her story very attentively, with his heavy black eyebrows contracted a little, but without making any remark. Excitement suited her pale refined beauty, lending to her blue eyes a wonderful brilliance and fire. Lord Mallyon was accustomed to read faces, and he read absolute truthfulness in hers. Yet he remained so '• long silent that Iris grew nervous, and at last rose from her seat. "I see," she said, in a voice which trembled a little, "that you think I was wrong. I am sorry. I will go now. Good-bye, Lord Mallyon. I will detain you no further." "Wait a moment, my dear young lady. Remember that you are dealing with a lawyer now, and not with two emotional women. I believe you | absolutely. And to convince you of that let me tell you that I was the accidental witness of a little scene on board ship, when Mr Fitzalan, who is a puppy and a coxcomb, acted in exactly the same way, and was repulsed by you with great indignation. Some men are so overwhelmingly conceited that they are indifferent to snubs, and Fitzalan is such . a one." (To be Continued.)

So lie waited hopefully, striding up and down the Embankment, and every now and then consulting his watch. But he was fated to wait some time, for the lady to whom he was so eager to offer his heart was at that identical hour engaged in conversation with no less a person that Drogo's employer, Lord Mallyon. Poor Iris had awakened early after a night of unrest and dreams. In the morning she had decided that it was her duty to consult the man who hail procured her the engagement at Mrs Mavrogodatos, and in other ways shown her so much kindness. At least Lord Mallyon should hear from her lips the; truth, about what had occurred, and not some garbled version that would lead him to believe that his kindness and generosity had been wasted upon an ungrateful and unworthy person. ' Iris was not at all without hopes oimeeting Lord Mallyon's secretary also, for she could not bear that Drogo should suppose suppose that she had.left Mavrogodatos on account of the vulgar flirtations cf Edward Fitzalan. ' At eleven o'clock, therefore, she had engaged a handsome, and having given the direction, "Mallyon Court, Knightsbridge," was presently set down before the handsome and imposing red-brick mansion, faced with" white, and built in a modern version of the Tudor style, enclosed by a paved courtyard, and a wall eight feet high, and shaded by tall chestnut trees, which was the town residence of the attorney general, Baron Mallyon, of Oklboroujrli. CHAPTER XI. KING COPHETUA. "Lord Mallyon is disengaged, and will be happy to see Miss Iris Travel's." So said the stately footman, and forthwith he conducted Iris to his