TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10412, 5 September 1911, Page 2

TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

CHAPTER Vlll—Continued.

"Why, some bitterness,' yes. _ That is inevitable, I suppose. But it will pass, and .'.hall neither spoil nor poison," Severance answered. A litle surprised at her being there, more at the fervour and vehemence of her tone, he involuntarily recalled the impression she had made on him of l>eiiig sometimes beautiful. Henceforth he would have the knowledge that she was -so. ' 'But I certainly carry away neither expectation nor hope, Miss La-tou che. In that sense, Redbourne is for mo utterly past <and gone." "Ah, that is ri^ht— right! I knew it. You are a man —I felt it when I saw you first —iand you take as a man should!" There was a ring in her voice like exultation as she put her hand on his arm. "Has said that she is sorry for you ? It is her sweet nature to be' sorry for everybody whose path is not smooth. Ah, I do not echo her! Sorrow, condolence, pity! We give them to the victims of the world, not the fighters. They are an insult to a man like you ( You are .right, to go —right to throw all aside. Derek Willoughby takes fro mfortune what tfie Taw gives him; you can wrench fro mher what you will. I won'e even suggest that you should take' courage ! Why should I, when you have it now ?" "If I had not you would give it to me!" He took her hands, meeting the blaze o flier blue eves, and thought, not for the first time, of how they had looked at him yesterday. Tehy had been fride, fixed, filled with a sort of dumb agony and horror, while there had been amazement, consternation, incredulity—but, no, not sorrow —upon the wondering sweet face of dare. He pressed the white hands, feeling how firm and thrilling was the clasp they sent back, remembering, too, that he had never before touched them so. "A man must be a poltrc- m, indeed, if he leaves a woman to point the way for him. A thousand thanks for what you say, Miss Latouche. When we meet again I trust to give you proof tha I have not forgotten your words. Until then good-hy." Afterward, Bernard told himself that he must have been mad to kiss the white hands, and wondered what could have possessed him to do it. He certainly had done it. His memory of her rapid movement of recoil, her imperious gesture to him to go, was too vivid for doubt. There must be some confounded magnetism in the girl, her voice, her touch, her eyes. He glanced back presently, when a curve in the path came, curious to know whether she had moved away, and saw her standing motionless, with the dog at her side , her head still thrown back in the imperative attitude with which she had bade him go-

CHAPTER IX "Dear Mr. Severance: Mother says ah© is quite ®ure you will be expecting to hear, ffoan u®, laaudl I hope.it is true because we shall be all much pleased to see you. You will note that we are in town for a f while. At present it is not'our.initen/tion.' to stay all through the season, but it depends upon the state of mother's health, and upon how soon Loraine and I tire. But I fancy we shall soon prefer Redbourne to HiOH Street. lam .nob .sure, by the way, whether you know that we have the use of this house whenever we please. "When may we expect to see you? I know, you are always busy, but you must please spare time to drop in soon. . /This is my first attempt at a 'season,' and I think I shall ask you to be a little useful to us if you will, for I am sure that you know lots of nice people. "May I congratulate upon your late success? Sincerely yours, Glare Throkmorton." Bernard Severance put <lo\ra the letter—dainty to look at, kindly expressed, prettily written, .in ail ways Oak© the winter. It hiad surprised Mim 'more than a Mttle to find it laanong the pile whiiclh. lay upon Ms ■bjraafefiaisit tahflb, and he> had opened it first. 'Nor' did lie hasten to open any otf its oamipanious. 'He sort reit with a doiuibtfcfuil frown. Pretty Glare, penning her kind little urate, did. mot guess how long its reoipienit would meditate over it. The April samdhlinje, streaming Jmgjhjtiliy in ait his duilil window, showed ihiiffi to be little changed by the passage of the last nine months. Whatever disappointment he hiad; suffered by the loss of the fortune so mysteriously wrung from, him at the moment of grasping, it had been borne with fortitude. Jit had been saad by some who claimed penerat'ion tihlat he must be as (hard asi iron itself, for no impress-ion Mad been, made upon hiim. But Tom Moon&eOd (Shook has head, and knew better. The bdow had not struck the less deeply because it had been met wiiitih an. unflinidhing front: Yet the Bernard of to-day was in one .respect widely different from the Bernard of mine months ago. Then fit hiad .been said of Severance "'thlat of he were both, careful and lucky he fhlad the ball of fortune at his feet. Now it was said tihkat hie w:asi sure to rise to the best that his profession Wad to offer. Be had been lucky; he niad worked with sn dogged perseverance, and now, in the week just paistt,! something that promised full fruition ! Shad arrived. J A abanoe hiad oome to Trim in & 1 Mg case— a case which had filled | columns of the daily papers, and mused great excitement in' the city. 1 He hiad seized upon it, and worked

(OUR NEW SERIAL.)

By CARL SWERDNA, Author of "A Mere Ceremony."

i in such a way, warning liis verdict against what looked like overwhelming odds, tibat now legal circles were busy with liis name. He knew that his struggles were -over, Iris position w..ts made. He was proud of tiro . fact, but lie (vas .not thinking ol it now, or at best it formed but the background of another subject. He was absorbed in his question—would } lie be doing well and wisely to see i more of Clare TUiirockmorfcon ? { This was not ben - first letter _to j Mm. .and this was. not a. first _ visit which she h>ad cordially asked him to pay. He had obeyed liiea- previous imviitiat'ioais, and bad three tames been a guaat for tlhe week-end at Hedibouime. .Whether lie would have done, so, bad it® new master, the baronet, .been theire, was_ a question •wlhiich be drid not ask himself; but Si:r Derek was abroad, shooting bag fame, and his' return wias uncertain, md Mrs Throckmorton, who ihad been pleased to take a feeble fancy •to Mm, had wel/comied Imm; to her ■neat little estaiblcisihimjen't a,t Redbourne'i9 east wing as warmly as t!hat lymphatic and. fretful lady ever troubled herself to do anyithnng. 'So he hiad paid these three visits, and eacilx had confirmed him in his first dmpresisiamof Oliare, that she was the prettiest a.nd sweeteis/t ginl it had ever been his lot to meet. Would it be well for hiiiri to see as muc'h miore otf her a® the aooeipftrl lariioe of- this invitation mean ? He lit a cigar while lie considered He did not pretend to himself that Qie wias violently in love with her. He reflected, witli a sense of amruisementt, (tiba't had lie been so he probably •would not have waited to think of lit. Wlith alii her prettinessi, tuer sweetness, and her charm, perhaps /slue was soanwely the girl l to inspire a strong passion; or it might be thM lie was not tlhe man to feel jt. Altogether be found himself inclined to tlhe latter view; his' life so far luad been singularly unaffected by women. Hie had been, poor, ambitious ; i't miglilt be thai lie was _ 'by mature cold. But the fact remained that dare Throcfcrnortton. was the only .ffirl whom he had ever oared to marry. There was no reason why he !should not do Ms .best to win her Hot hiis wife. She liked him—.she bad elhowin iit in: a dozen' little ginli'sfh ways, pretty and artlasis as herseilif. He wais a mail who did most things wiitih a certain l methodical gravity. He rose from the table with his mimd miaide up, and replied to tihe letter. "Dear Miisis Throckmorton: I hope you knew wlhen you wrote how rruudh pleasure your le'tter would give me. I should have to be buisy indeed if I did not • hasten to respond to it, if only to teil you bow entirely I am ait your service. HVlay I present myseilf at Hill Street this evening P A tfhionsiand thanks for your congratulations. My siuiooess, lam bound to town, Was oultirun my expectation®, thougjh not miy hopes. With my best . tihanSia and regards to_ yourself and Mrs Thtroakmiorton', beilieve me, Always faitMullly yours, Bernard Severance." "P.S.—Your pardon for my remissness. Plray present my best respedte to Mies Latauohe." "How quiet you. are, Lorraine. I don't think you have stirred for the last half hour. And I am sure tfhat itih'ere is nothing to stare at firom that dull window. Not like our Eed- ; bourne riewisi, is it? Tired, darling?" • ".No, my love. "Ready for yousr coffee, then " "Yes, I am. "Don't -sfbir, /and I will bring it to yiooi. Only one lump of sugar, isn't ! iit? .There! I wonder wihether mothj er wiH ohange her mind and come j down again ? I left her half asleep." ! ''l .should think not. She- is tired, l or said so." "Yes. I know iwihab you mean, diear, and I widh you would try to rouise her. But sole never will now, I am afraid. iSibe has got into the ihlabiit of being iffl., hasn't sihe? SttdJil, I alimost expect that she will make an effort to-nisjhit. Mr Severance is a favourite of hens, you know. I told you he had answered my letter?" "Yes." "By special messenger, too! So he is certain' to oomie. I am very glad far I have alio doubt we sliiaM find him uisiefuil. He is saire to know isome nriioe peoplle, and reiailly, as mother sayis, ..after l>eing aiwiav from town so long, sllie feels quite lost. Buit wiitih Mrs Jiardin'e, liady Heston, Cousin iMariion,.and Ma* Severance-, to to do very well. And then tihere are ffcheSteton'is .jjeople. And Mr Severaoiee iisj very nice hiimiself, or at least ' I ftfli&nik iso." i'Tknow you do, dear." . "That souinidls a K/tftle Mit stiff, Lorraine, don't you; tlhlbiik so?" ;"I have seen very Kittle of him." "Sodiiave I . Bu't emouigjlv to judge. Do you mteian that you don't like (ham ?" !"NO." . . - "Pon'lt be so abominably laconic! Do you mean, that you do?" • "Yes." "Once,'you know, you told me that you tlhtought he w,as a man in five tihousiand." "I do think so." (To be oontiaued.)