A SECRET FOE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10153, 24 December 1910, Page 2

A SECRET FOE.

(OUR SERI.AU>

iy uERTRUDE WARDEN. Author of "Scoundrel or Saint?" "The Secret of a Letter," -"A Bold VWnntion," "The Wooing of, a Fairy," "The Crime Oi Monte Carlo," etc.

CHAPTER XVIII.— Continued

"If you give it to mo," she said, I promise that sooner or later the link shall go back to its original owner. But I cannot buy it of you, and you cannot sell it to me. because it doesn't belong to you." "All right, we'll give it to you," Helen said, after a pause. "Anyway, even if you won't pay for it, we want to please you, because mama says its only by pleasing you that we will get invited to Mallyon Court." "I like Uncle Jasper," added his nephew. "He gave me a bright halfcrown last Christmas. , Auntie Iris, ask him to give me another, 'cause I've been good and guv up the tennisball.".

Mrs Mavrbgodato's return, accompanied by her eldest daughter, put a stop to the conversation, and Iris had only time to slip the little case into her pocket before turning to greet Dagmar. All through the drive from Bayswater to Knightsbridge Dagmar ted and laughed in her apparent impulsive and irresponsible fashion, and she was closely watching Iris to ascertain whether the anonymous letter had produced any effect. Certainly Iris looked extremely serious and even sad, but this sedateness was becoming in one of her pale beauty, set off, as it was now, by the rich and tasteful costume.

Dagmar hated her uncle's wife a little more than before, when she noted how Iris' morning dress of soft fawn-coloured cloth, with a. sable collarette and ,muff, and a large brown velvet hat, enhanced the whiteness of her skin and the clear brigh blue of her thoughful eyes; and tears of mortification and envy rose to her lids at the thought of her fever-wast-ed face and dimmed beauty by illness.

With all her arts, she could not induce Iris to confide in her; the latter*' was, indeed absorbed by the sense of her responsibility she had involved in taking possession of the jeweller's case and broken sleeve-link, and as soon as they reached then- destination and she had conducted Dagmar to the luxurious apartment set aside for her use, she went slowly down to the library and paused for a moment outside the door.

< Lord Mallyon was out, as she knew, and not expeced home until late. But the idea had entered her mind that in this instance she apply for advice to Drogo Gordon. More than one consideration urged her to this step. Not for one moment did she suspect that her husband's jealousy had been aroused against his secretary. But, -recalling the fact that her presence under the same roof was sufficient to induce Drogo to offer to resign his position, she was very anxious to show him that he need in no way object to being an inmate of the house with her, as she meant to treat him as though his half-spoken love avowals had never been uttered. By this process she hoped to put him entirely at his ease; and as to danger either to herself or to him which might accrue through making a confidential friend of a man who had loved her once, the idea of such a thing never entered her head. She was a married woman now, and she believed herself as safe, in her absence of passion and her loyalty to her husband, as Drogo would be in his pride and honour.

There was no one else whom she could consult, and Lord Mallyon consantly alluded to Drogo's ....singlemindedness and rectitude. Consequently to Drogo Gordon she went; and as the young man raised his head from .the correspondence upon which he was engaged, his eyes fell upon the charming figure of Lady Mallyon, who ' had not yet removed her hat and furs , holding a little gloved hand to | him across bis desk.

Ho took it reluctanly, barely touching it with his fingers, and murmured a cold good morning. AH the while he was deeply angered against himself because her proximity set his heart beating so madly. To get excited over a married woman—a girl, too, who had sold herself to an old man —was to acknowledge a degrading weakness of mind! So he told himself while his eyes, after the briefest glance at her face, sought his papers, the while ho stood, serious and silent, before her.

"Mr Gordon," Iris began, speaking quickly nd nervously, "I very, very

much want to ask your advice. It is on a matter which concerns Lord Mallyon. I know that his heart is rather weak, and that any shock to his nerves is bad for him. I have news to communicate to him of so startling a character that I scarcely know how it should be told. Will you help me with your advice?" Her frankness disarmed Drogo. She looked so slight, so girlish, and helpless, as she stood there gazing appealing across at him, that all his best instincts wore aroused. Bringing up a comfortable chair, he begged her to be seated, and, taking his former place behind his desk, with his back to the light, he sat awaiting her story with keen attention. Iris rapidly detailed to him the entire incident of the broken sleeve-link, I concerning which he had already | heard .from.Lord Mallyon,, the subsequent appearance of a similar ornament worn by Dagmar, and, finally, the discovery by the children in Dagmar's dressing room of the case and missing portion of the link, which Fitzalan claimed as his property. As she finished speaking, Drogo rose to his feet, flushed and deeply excited. "At last," he said; "I have the clue." CHAPTER XIX. DAGMAR'S CONFESSION. Iris gazed at Drogo Gordon in surprise. "What clue do you mean?" she asked He resumed his seat and thought a little before replying. "You see,"' he said at last, "the part of this whole business which puzzles you, and which would puzzle me also but for something which has quite recently come by accident to my knowledge, is the means by which the sleeve-links came into the possession of Miss Dagmar Mallyon. Am I right, Lady Mallyon?" "Perfecty. She so detests Mr Fitzalan " "Pardon me, Lady Mallyon. It is certain that Miss Mallyon professes to detest Mr Fitzalan. Whether she realliy'does so is another question." "What do you mean, Mr Gordon ' J You know my affection for Miss Mallyon " "1 do, indeed, and for that reason you must let me also make a confidence. Three nights ago I spent the 'evening''with some friends in Westborne Park. On'leaving them about eleven o'clock, I remembered Fitzalan who had more than once asked me to call and see him at his new rooms off the Edgware Road, had borrowed a book of mine to which I particularly wished to refer on tin following day. Fitzalan, as I know, has a habit of of sitting up reading ; consequently, when I approached the house, I was not at all surprisrd to see lights in his rooms. Before, however, I had time to ring the bell, the front door opened very quietly, and Fitzalan came out with a lady on his arm, aiul at once hailed a hansom, into which ho helped her. In spite of her thick veil, and in spite of the fact that she was almost the last person I expected to see in such a place at such a moment, I recognized Miss Dagmar Mallyon." It was now Iris turn to spring to her feet, and a red blush of shame and indignation for her friend mounted in her cheeks as she confronted Drogo. "Mr Gordon! do you know what you are saying?" "Perfectly, Lady Mallyon. If I had , not recognized Miss Mallyon's figure, the contour of her face, and a cloak she was wearing, I should have known her by her voice as she said "Goodnight, Ted, darling! I'm afraid I have come out too soon after my illness, I shall pay for this to-morrow." (To be Continued.)