TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10425, 16 September 1911, Page 2

TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

CHAPTER XIV. 1 Where air and space were plentiful, tho afternoon might have been only : pleaseirtly warm. But the house in j Hill Street was somewhat small, and j filled with people as it was this afternoon, it was almost as hot as thougn I the time of .the year had been the mid- j die of August rather than the begin- , ning of June. ] Mrs Throckmorton had. for onco | been "At home" in a sooial sense,and her acquaintances had testified their , appreciation of the fact in altogether J unexpected numbers, not a little to the nervous alarm and irritation of the hostess who liad deserted upon the first available opportunity and vanished upstairs on the arm of her maid, leaving her daughter and her foster sister to manage- tbe affair between them. ' In her best days Mrs Throckmorton | had been no more than an amiable ; figurehead. Now she was scarcely that. | Her defection mattered, .very little- j People came, talked, laughed, drank ' tea, gossiped with, and critised each other, trod upon one another's toes hnd gowns, and departed. The afternoon wore'on; the arrivals grew fewer and the departures more rrequenfc. At length there remained but one lady Mrs Moorfield. She made one of her i bright, vivacious gestures of pleasure. ' as tho door, closed on the guest whom, she had resolutely sat out and whose last bow had been made over Lorraine's hand. He was rich Mr Rosenthal. "I declare, I thougat the man would never go I" she said, with a deep breath of relief. "In another moment I should have told him that it was hopeless to try and sit me out, as I had asked Tom to caH for me here. I really did so, my dear. You will forgive me, won't you, dear? The poor fellow is working so hard just now that he does not get nearly enough air, so I am going to make him drive round the park with me before I take him home to dinner. How exquisitely your hair is dressed to-day' I have been admiring it all the time I have been here."

"Have you?" 'Clare glanced at an adjacent mirror. >"I am so glad you like it. I nave been flattering myself that for once I was almost as artdstic as Lorraine."

"Perhaps you are." Mrs Moorfield glanced from the bright-fordwn head to the ruddy chestnut with a smile. Lorraine, in one of her straigt, simply-cut, white gowns, was pouring herself out a cup of tea. "It is scarcely the same style," she said; "but you two girls are so different. It suits you admirably,,, though, Clare. I never saw you look better.. The.new maid?" "Yes, her own idea." "She must be a treasure." " "She is. We are delighted with her. Are'at we, Lorraine? You have not seen her,, Mrs Moorfield?" ; "No. Why do you ask?"

- "She is rather curious. And so fs her name—-Alethea. Ventry! Lorraine Hush! .'She is here! Do -notice her! What is it, Aletihea?"

"Sirs Throckmorton is asking, Miss, if you are at liberty yet. If so, will you please come to her- for a lew minutes*?"

The new maid, standing just within the door, deliyered the message with Her usual air of demurely respectful propriety. . Her perfectly fitting black dress showed her fine figure to perfection ; a, tiny fanciful French cap was upon her neatly dressed hair; her liace-trimmed trifle of an aoron was jmt as stylish, dainty, and snowy. Mrs Moorfield's dark eyes looked at her keenly. As she shut the door upon her and Clare, she looked at Lorraine. "A lather striking person!" was her comment. . • ... "Yes, she is . I have often thought so. ,A little theatrical." "Perhapsshe is; although I could hardly ®ay, in what way." . "Clare had a fancy when the woman applied for the situation, that she had seen her somewhere before." ; With of amazement and'surprise, Mrs Moorfiejd put down' ;h;6f-;c^p>;:\>-JTha.t , my yejy.thing that struck me the: moment i'Tcokedlat. her."

~ "Indeed?" Lorraiiie looked naturally surprised, is very strange indeed."

"Yes—but signifies nothing. London is only a huge kaleidoscope—it would be ridiculous to attempt to retain a clear recollection of all the different faces it shakes up for us." In her easy* pleasant way she changed the subject. "May I ask how it is that I miss my nice boy.to-day? I thought his attendance was constant." "Nice boy ?'' Lorraine echoed. . "Harry Seton, my dear. The nicest boy J know. Or, to be correct, I should say Clare's nice boy." "I—l am afraid daire would no* - care to hear you style him so.'? ; ~, <No?,\ th -e grave look and tone of the reply Lucy Moorfield's smile .clouded; she looked equally surprised "and, concerned. "My dear Miss Ljitouohe, forgive me if I am too curious, but; I; have always .regarded' it >. as merely a question jof time.' The.- pobr ,boy is so entirely devjoted to her. He seems just the>an for her. You cannot mean that there is no likelihood of an engagement between them?" ■ "None whatever. Clare has refused him."

*^ fused Wm? Oh, he told me -that! 'Mrs Moorfield smiled again. 4 My dear, that is not much. Clare is a dear girl,- a sweet girl, but I fancy ■ano is as capable as most of our sex of

(OUR NEW SERIAL.)

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

changing her- mind. Perhaps there is an ( obstacle P Mrs Throckmorton may not favour him, perhaps?" Lorraine shook her head. "Mrs Throckmorton does favour him. It is the only subject upon which she and Clare have ever had serious disagreement. The marriage would delight her." "Then that is not tbe reason?" Mr?. Moorfield paused. "Surely, my dear, you do not dislike poor Harry?" "I liked him. If I liked him for m« other season, I should do so because of his love for Glare. If only she had oared for him, I ——" With a violent effort, she checked the passionate outburst and turned away. Mrs Moorfield, seeing the hands wrung together, wondored for an instant, and the next felt that she understood. Goodnhumoured Tom had heard many a dissertation by his wife upon the passionate love of Lorraine Latouche for her.foster sister. A look of pained concern crossed her bright face; she rose and stood by the girl's side. ' ■' ■

"My dear," she said kindly, "you must not think me too inquisitive, but I can hardly'think of you and Clare as of mere acquaintances, although we have known each other for so short a time. She is connected with my husband's dearest friend, who is my friend, too, and you are her sister. I am fond of her and I am fond of you. You mean that Harry Seton has no chance because there is somebody else?" "Yes," Lorraine answered, "these is somebody else." "Someone of whom yon do not approve, or you would not be so distressed. I know how you love her: Shall Igo too far if I ask who it is? Is it Sir Derek?" , "Yes!" said Lorraine.

"But, my dear " Mrs Moorfield checked herself. "It is only a passing fancy, perhaps?" she said tentatively. "Ho is very handsome, very fascinating. Is it well, really serious?"

"Yes, it is serious. Since you know or guess so much, Mrs Moorfield, I will tell you. You will not betray her secret, and it does not shame her. She is -too good, too loving, too trustful—that is the sum of her faults. She loves Sir Derek Willoughby—has loved him with all iher heart for two years, longer, perhaps. Sihe wiK never change —it is not in her nature. I know hor thoroughly. To love once means for her to love always.", She paused, her hand at her throat checked a fierce sob. "You think he is not worthy of her?" she said slowly. "It is true—l know it. But it would be true of any man. Sihe is an angel!" "It would at least not be so true of Harry Seton," Mrs Moorfield answered'quietly. There was something wlhich she surely ought to say. Should she say it? "Is there an engagement?" she asked. "Not yet. It is understood between them—no more." "Do you think—my dear, forgive m&— it would be a" haippy marriage—I 'mean for,her?" ' ■•'. ■"'..■■ . , "I know it is. the only marriage possible for Glare!" •".'■

Lorraine said iti'jgtjihbornly with clenched hands; it was as though she set the whole strength of -her nature upon her words. For the first time in their acquaintanceship, Mrs Moorfield put her arm round the girl's waist.

( "My dear," she said gently,' "you have great influence.over Clare. Try to check'her infatuation for Sir Derek if you can.. Indeed, she must riot marry him! I won't speak of the past, although I have heard from my hushamd one story the details of which I should not care.to.repeat to you—they, are common enough unfortunately. But there is the present." "Thepresent!" Lorraine drew back quickly. "Yes. Do you know a Mrs Da Blanquiere?" . , "No. What of her?" [ "For one thing—this: It is said that Sir may marry her, and that she openly says that she means to marry him." , "Who is she?". Lorraine asked .hoarsely, /;.$.. .. ;..;..

"That is -more, I believeV than any one cduld really tell you. ' She appeared in town last summer. Sir Derek knew her then. She is said fb fce a widow and very wealthy. What is certain about her is that she lives in one of the fastest of fast sets, and that gambling and betting are carried on in her house. As for Sir Derek, I know that often he is in her society, and her name is coupled with his, as I have told you. It may be 'nothing but mere gossip " "But you think " Lorraine interrupted. "My dear, I think that the person who helps on Clare's marriage with Sir Derek will be Clare's worst enemy. There is Tom's knock. I must go. Think it over, and do your best to prevent the marriage, for Clare's sake." (To be continued.) '