The Marriage of Felicity

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10653, 7 June 1912, Page 2

The Marriage of Felicity

j OUR SERIAL. , M

BYALANADAIE. I - Author of "TheEsrl's #ife," "The Pride of John Middleham," "His Ftb&r's Sen," "Bertra m's Folly," .etc.

CM A PTEK XX—C ont in u ed . "J asked yo:i I.ecuu.se ihe rruLi- wiu ' he c.i.cidediy ii'ip.c i.-.uu." "[ mini iie.i" the truth." <jnid I'i'l-ii-'ty, gaz i':.r ;;i '.er enemy ;vi■ .*i >ieady eyes. "I <!o i; it s.ir lliat I ,<-Ji«i!l i,c----1 ;.t?\{' yo'.ir Sl.l'Okirii'.'.'. which Ml.iV bo •/(H"i of malice. You I:;.v.- r.ot I.kt-*cl r ni( for some t'uie." | Isobel looked a<;, her and tlieu gave way to her passion, i j VJt would l)c more correct if you <a:d that.l nevor liked you," .she said. . "When wo tfrst :vr.t 1 w:\s je:i'ous of .••our wealth, hit your girlish admiration amused me, and I mado use of you." "You are not telling me anything t'mt comes iio <i .surprise?. I havo Jeit for a long vnvi t!.i;i,, you have not eared for'me." { •' ' '*•' "And I suppo.se it did not l.reak you' heart?" asked Lsobel --luilvj'g ironically. "But rtlut ab.'.ut mv" iclf.t;.on.r. 'with MurkP" ' "iou say you were engaged to him. What if T should, refuse to credit this ; story?" "±iis letters to me will Ciirrol.vnrato my words,' said Isobel. "T have at 1 .least forty of tlievn. Our wipigcmei.t lasted over qu'to a long period. Wlu.t exquisite letter.'; ho always wrote!" Felicity wined. There came to her Memory tihe first letter that Mark had ever written, to her, and which left her with a bitter sense of disappoint-rnt-iit. "I can let you we those litters, of course,' said hobel . '"To me they, have always seemed so beautiful tint I have wondered whether any woman on this earth could have derived su.-!? pleasure from written words." , » Felicity's face was turned to the J wu.dow. | "I do not want to see them." she said at length in a low voice. Sorne- ' how she knew that'it was true. Mark had been engaged to Isobel, and he had never said a word of it to her. Her thoughts went back to the time when she first saw Mark, and she remembered that 'he had spoken of,lsobel ■■ —'had. spoken of her beauty, of ' her charm—but had not,spoken as a man speaks of .the woman to whom he m is engaged. Surely that engagement must have been 'broken off nearly as soon as it was made. She remembered now quite distinctly what Mark ihad said 'about Isobel; she remembered that Isobel had always given her the impression that she did not care for Mark. That would have been quite natural if there had been a broken engagement. Mark, chivalrous 'always, would not lhave cared to say any thing that might hurt Iso r bel. Isobel could mot perhaps hide her chagrin. "I thought you would not care tc ; see them," said Isobel. "I have kept them all, though. Now that I hiaive promised to be the wife of andths'.-| man, I suppose I must destroy them, | but it will cost me some bitter pangs } —they are the only things I have kept to .remind me of the man, I love, of . the man who loves .me." Felicity looked up quickly, pain in her eyes. "Surely you—what you say now cannot be trine.?- Can a man love two women? My husband loves me, and has loved me from he beginning." "What do you mean'by the beginning?" "I mean from the beginning of the time he came ioEttringham,' said Felicity sturdily. "It was not my fancy alone. Our love dates from the time we first saw each other." "You poor, deluded little fool!" said Isobel, giving way to her .hat© with ioi savage exultation.. "You deluded little fool. When' Mark went to Ertringham it was with my kisses on his lips,and a promise wrung from me that I. would give hem two years in which to become famous and make a fortune to offer me." ' > A sudden 'faintness came over Felicity. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them she saw as though through a mist the beautiful: mocking ©yes of her enemy. " : ; >'•■ "I'm notsaying anything that I caainot prove," said Isobel quietly. "I can,give you j>rqof of what,! say if ■/' you would care to have it." . , : '.'Do you,want to—kill—me?" .asked. Felicity. "Is there any more for ine I to hear?" ' "There is a great deal more," said Isobel. "You understand now, that, although you fell in love.with him at first sight, he had no love for you." "If there is proof, I must believe it," said Felicity, struggling with her faintness. It seemed to her as if misery and shame were stifling her. Had she shown Jove so plainly that he had thought fit to give up Isobel ? "If Mark loved you, why did he not marry you?" she asked. "Mark did, .not .mairy me because'l would not marry a poor man," said Isobel quietly. "But he was engaged to me np till the eve of your wedding = day.''' 0 , '■■ fit is 'a lie!" cried Felicity, fehe ' had shaken off her faintness. "Mark is not a man to deceive two women. Why should he marry me if he loved you?" / , "Oh, most innocent of women! «:- ' claimed Isobel. "Why shouldai man { who was ambitious marry an heiress ? : ' i "You —you mean me to understand rt —that iMark.whom I have always look- 1 r cd upon as honourable, jilted you in order to marry me for my money? Am I right? Is that your meaning?" 'Yes. You had better iisten 'although it is disagreeable information.j It does not reflect much credit on either of us. When your father died and Mark brought you down to us, we oil

ki:?w that you were in love with him/" . Felicity knew that this was true. "Go on," she .said dully. "Well, you came to i:s, and as I raid, we al! know how the land lay. Afterwards it was incumbent on. us, as a polito'.■necessity, to ignore the fact that the Jove was on your side only ; toleration, affection, and kindness, 'if you will, belonged to Mark. A ],i:an of his kindly .nature could not but be affectionate- toward an orphaned girl.*' Again she paused, looking straight at her victim. "Do you wish- me to .go on?" she asked politely. Felicity looked up. The hunted, desperato look in her eyes would have moved most women to compassion, but Isobel -was inexorable. 'j^ "Yes," she said, "go on." , * ,l; ,"Of course. I know it can't be p'le&s..aiiat—the, truth jvery 'seldom i|i>.".-,/;| I "Go on,' said' "'Felicity. "*" a.'| "Well, you came to us very mucn|i&i love, and 'ill!. You remember yyoju asked me to go to a doctor with you.". "Come to the point," cried Felicity, "My goiing to a doctor with you can have nothing to do with. Mark's fecli'irg toward me." "Excuse me,' 'said Isobel, again ! cruelly polite. "Our goii/i the doetor together is the basis of he whole thing. Yon remember you were so pleased with his verdict. The doctor forbade you nothing, prescribed you nothing, only advised you to make the most of life. Do you remember that when we went back to the waiting room I went out with the ostensible purpose- of seeing if the cab were ready? What I really did was to reenter the doctor's room. He, thiii.kin(g ] that I had come for some definite information regarding you, told me th;|t you woidd not live more .than six months." ' ' i Felicity looked, at her in bewilderment. ( . ■ '( "But lam w'ell now," she said. "I am better than I have ever been." "Mackarness may have made a mistake," said Isobel. "I believe mow that he may have made a mistake, j but the six' months are not yet up, biit he gave you six months' life. You reI member we saw Mark in the park as I we drovo through?" •' I Felicity gave a low cry. j "For heaven's sake, go on!" she | exclaimed. "Whv did Mark give you up?" I "It was at my own suggestion," anjswered Isobel. "I pointed out that, , while you were so much in love, and I could not possibly live more- than six | months, lie should marry you, then, ; when you were no more, the way would be clear for us. The usual period of mourning over, our union could take place, and we'd have a cfeligthful tim© with the wealth, that, in your in-, fatuation ,you would have made over to Mark. That was the plan. Twill do Mark the justice to say. that, for .some time 'lie wasopposed to the plan,', jbiit in the end yielded." | Felicity sprang to her feet.■/, ' "I don't believe it!",she cried fiercely. "I can't believe it—it is top monstrous." . ~ ' , '-. . ~:.'. ■ ,?.?,. -'-.-'/ "Asl have-'said,'he was at first unwilling to play his part, and'he did not want to marry you, for. he was desperately in love with me." For a, moment or,two Felicity hid her ;head in her Jhands ;then she raised her grief-stricken eye-s and looked at Isobel. "I can't .believodt of him!" she said. "He—he might have married mo to get my money, but not to gain another woman's love!" Isobel took a purse from her pocket, and from it produced a piece of folded paper. : -' ; . ■'',■-. . ;•• "It will be best if you were to read this,", she said. "Then perhaps you .will credit me with speaking the truth —the whole truth.' ' She handed over the paper to Felicity, who, .after some hesitation, mit out"her hand and took it. Even Js6-»el —cruel and revengeful as she was, was a little afraid ; when she saw the look on Felicity's face ,as she read the note. "I will* do what you saisk of me: I believe Felicity loves me.But although I may bo her husband, remember, darilin",'that I shall always be your lover." MARK." <To ,toe oonxmuea.j ,