PRIMROSE DELORAINE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10281, 8 July 1911, Page 2

PRIMROSE DELORAINE

OUR SERIAL.

THE MISER'S DAUGHTER.

By MAISIE PENDENNIS, Author of "Sir Reginald's Whim," "The Forgotten Heir," "Rival Beauties,' 'etc.

CHAPTER Vll.—Continued. "Come along," Mrs Vivian gaily cried, and tucked 1 her arm through Sir Gerard's. - Together they vent into the dining room, which was just as charming as were the pink boudoir and the white drawing room. It was papered and hung with Pompeian red, which formed a tasteful background for the dainty dinner table, with its spotless napery and flashing silver, and glittering glass and chint, and banks of winter violets, that lay like a purple shadow across the green freshness of their leaves. Yes, it was a charming room, anddelightfully, comfortable, as well as pretty; and Sir Gerard glanced oround him with approving eyes. Manlike, he appreciated prettaness in any shape or form., and he also appreciated comfort. And when he had gazed round the room he glanjeed at Ms hostess, who looked even mire charming than the room, as she sat at the head of her table, with the roseshade light falling on liar fair face and fair hair. And once more hi 3 eyes expressed his admiration. ."Well," he said, "'have you thought any .more over what I ©aid to . you this afternoon, Valenie? Have you made up your mdnd what you will d o about Primrose ?" Mrs Vivian laughed, and shook her head. "Oh, what a persistent person you are!" she said. "You always want .a plain answer to a question., and) I am a woman, and I never know how to give you a plain answer." "Well, I'm bound to admit that you don't seem to, as a rule," he answered, ' 'but surely you can this time. It isn't such a difficult problem that I've s>et yo uto solve this time., is it? And it is just a question of pleasing yourself, you know; although, of course, I should like you j to .please me, too-, iS you cam." J She peeped at him demurely from beneath her drooping lashes. "Perhaps I would rather please you,'i.she said. "But, anyway, I've decided that I will take charge of | Primrose-' for you. I know it will ! help you, if I do, and I won't let her bother me too much. I'm sure I will find the allowance that you've promised me' very useful. I'm so tired of being a pauper." Sir Gerard looked round the room again. "Rather nice quarters, these, for a pauper," he. remarked. "I don't think you have much to complain of, Valerie; but, stall, no doubt, you wil ! find the allowance very useful as you say; and I shall be extremely glad for you to have it. ' Anyway, I'm glad that it is settled. 1 know where I am now. As soon) as Primrose arrives. I will hand her over- to you, but I don't see how she can arrive for a- month or more yet," "I am thankful for small mercies" laughed Mrs Vivian. "I hope that she won't be very dreadful, Gerard. Do you think she will." "Well, judging from what I knew of my old friend Deloraine, I should say certainly not. But then, you see, one never knows. Besides, Delr oraine made' a foofeh marriage, as you know. He ran off with a- gamekeeper's daughter, and his family gave him the cold shoulder for doing it. He 'has "been out off from civilisation for years. Of course, the girl may take after her mother; but I hive always heard that her mother was. very pretfty, and quiet, and presentable. Anyway, we'll hope for the best." ■- .• :•■■ - ■■ "That's all we cam do," said Mrsj Vivian, quickly; and then she looked at him. "Wasn.'t Mr Deloraine," she aisked, ' 'some relation of Lord, Eversdiene's ?'' , I'm sure I've heard that he was." ■■- "Yes," he said, "he was a relation of Eversdene's (mother— a distant cousin of hens. I doni't think Eversdene iiememiberß him, though. The fiasco was rather before Ms day." . "What a wild lot they are," she said, "I meani Lady Evensdeuie'is people. And this Lord Eversdeaie seems to take after them, doesn't, he. He's much more like them he> is like his father's people. He isn't a bit of a.n Eversdene you know." "Yes," said Sir Gerard, "he's a queer chap, Eversdene— a queer chap a good fellow." ■;-. i Mrs Vivian raised her eyes and-, looked at'him again.. , "I "wonder when he will come home i again:," she said. "It's two yeara now 'since .he went and he said he should only be away six months.. But there's mo accounting for him—there's no accounting for a man." "There's no accounting for a woman, either," iaiughed Sir Gerard. "But Eversdene is certainly a bit er-1 raitdc. I can't think why on l earth he

keeps, abroad as he does, iand leaving the -castle to take ca.ro of itself. It isn't as if his mother were alive, or as if he had any sisters to live there. It's a shame to leavo a fine old place like that to servants. It is a pity that Ev.arsden.e- doesn't get married. That would settle him, if anything would." "Perhaps he will marry some day," said Mrs Vivian, with, another of her quick, questioning glances, "and perhaps he. will settle." "Perhaps the sky will fall," retortei Sir Gerard, and then they both) laughed. "Marriage doesn't always settle people," Mrs said tentatively. "And I don't see what you know of it Gerard, seeing that you have never tried it, you stolid old 'bachelor." "I know enough to realise that it would have settled me," Sir Gerard said—and the admiring look flashed once more into his. dark eyes—"if I had-married—the right woman." "Does ever marry the right woman?" a.sked Mrs Vivian, in the same tentative way, " or the right man, for tllie matter of that?" "Don't try to be cynical and world-ly-wise," laughed Sir Gerard. "It , doesn't suit you. You are. much top pretty for that sort of thing. I wonder," he went on),»"if you could guess who the right woman would be in my case, Valerie?" "I never guessed a riddle, in my life," she .said, "and I am too old to begjm now. Eat some of your own chocolates, Gerard, and don't talk nonsense." He helped himself obediently to the chocolates, but he still looked grave "You always put me off in that way," he said, "when. I want to be .sorious." "Life isn't long enough to be always serious," Mrs Vivian, said. "Besides, it ds only a waste- of time, being serious about anything bearing on thiis. particulaa' subject, and I thought we had agreed to let it be a barred subject." Sir Gerard sighed and .was silent. He wished that the subject that lay so dear to. his heart had not been, a barred suibject. He wished that circumstances had been different. He wished that fate had allowed hitm to make the woman* he loved his. wife. Bui it was not to be.. Cdrcumstamoes and fate had decreed otherwise'. The ] woman he loved was not for him. Never., unless- And he sighed once more. "Very well," he said resignedly, "let it be a barred subject then, for the present, anyway," "Sensible omaai!" cried Mrs Vivian gaily. But her' gaiety cloaked an. anxiety whose existence he did not suspect. A few minutes later Marie made her appearance, carrying her mistress's evening cloak, and wheal she had put it on. Mrs Vivian made an even prettier picture than she had presented I before. The cloak was of thick, dull, ! cream silk, bordered .with! white fur, and trimmed with broad ' bands of jewelled embroidery. It was lined with the palest rose pink, amd the soft, mingling of delicate odours formed a most effective adjunct to the wearer's fluffy prettiness. As sihe smiled aip in his face, Sir .. Gerard felt Ibis heart heat faster, and once more his eyes glowed with the passionate admiration that he could not repress. ; "I wish,' 'he .said, "that there were no such things as barred ideas. I wish I were free to say all I should like to say to you, Valerie; but it is no good wishing, is it?" "Not in the least," said Mrs Vivian lightly. ' 'lt's, only a waste of time, arid it seems a prty to waste time, doesn't it, when, there are so many ways in which one cam employ it pleasantly? We're going to employ,.it pleasantly this evening, aren't we " Sir Gerard still looked grave, a<n«l, as she .turned towawi the door, he laid a detaining hand on he rarm. "I lavie you, Valerie," he said. "You know x love you." And then he grew graver still. "I may," he said, in a low tone, "take your advice or I may not Time will show. You advise me i to marry Primrose Deloraine, amd I rniay anarry her, and I may not. But, remember, Valerie, whatever I may do, whatever destiny and circumstances may lead me to do, no woman in the world will ever have power to •radse even the ghost of admiration Jhat I have felt for you." And then, he stopped and laughed. /To be Continued).