Fotheringay's Son.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 30 November 1912, Page 2

Fotheringay's Son.

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CHAPTKK I (Continued.) CHAPTER ]f. It was not easy to begin— not I'roin ■wailL of words, lint from excess of tlieni'. Tony, moved to the depth of his being, feit inarticulate. Me a" 1 * Virginia sat together for several minutes withon.s savin*"; a word, an<l when ' lie actually spoke it was just one '. word. "Virginia!" lie whispered, j The girl looked straight at him —' eyes but hers could hold him as she did; she knew, too, that the moment had como when she loved him as she had never .intended to love any one; .for Virginia it was who had first «ug--1 Bested to her parents the advisability of going to London for the season. "Yes," she said softly, "what is it, Tony?" "Dont you know? Can't you guess?" For a moment she hesitated. There were reasons she knew against becoming engaged—little tags of amhition that clung to her—quite everyday ambitions. She would have liked to bo "my lady," as her mother was. Then she looked at Tony and realised how much she loved him. "Yes." she said, "I know, Tony!" "Virginia." he cried, impelled to express his feelings "you know how T love you! You know that I cannot live without you—that there is nothing in the world for me hut to have you and hold you as my wife —the dearest possession a man can have! j You understand that, Virginia? I I cannot tell you what I feel for you. Do you know that I feel the most contemptible creatur9 in the world in comparison with you—that T dare scarcely raise my eyes to you? T who have always been so strong, so cold to every woman who have never felt the shadow of interest in any one! 1 don't understand myself, j Look at me, Virginia, and have pity j on inc.'"

Tony's hands trembled, and there were tears in his deep-blue eyes. His appeal was irresistible. . The littlo grain of common sense which Virginia possessed was for the moment blown j to the winds. She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her heart with such a womanly gesture of tenderness that Tony's voice broke altogether. I "Virginia," he cried, with 0 sob—"Virginia, is it. possible that you can condescend to love me, that you will be my wife?" "I love you!" she said simply. "I love you! Tony, I cannot Ijelp it; when you iare with me I forgot everything except that I love you!" Her lips trembled. Tony pressed I her to him and kissed her passionate- 1 ly. If the whole world had been looking on, Anthony Fotheringay would have kissed her just the same. Fortunately for them, there was no ■one present to see them sea! their compact. And then for an hour at least neither of them thought of anything excopt each other. Incoherent, passionate words of love fell from the man's lips. Indeed, lie was so shaken by the intensity of the love that he was no longer himself ■ and it is doubtful whether they would have emerged from their hiding placo if the music had.not ceased and the rustling of silken gowns through the hall had not made them realise that the guests were on their way to suppW. It was Virginia who sprang to her feet first. "They are going, Tony." she said. "We must not be the only ones left behind." "Why not?" ho asked. "I should be ashamed," she murmured.

"Ashamed that the world knows you love me?" He had also risen and was looking a t her. She hung her head. "Not ashamed of that," she said haltingly; "but, you know, it is all so new —I feel different already'!" "Of course you do!" .He laughed. "You are mine now Virginia—my kisses have made you mine—you will never let another man' touch your lips?"

"Tony!" she said in •remonstrance. "I am sorry," he said penitently. "I should not have asked; but, Virginia, I feel that if you played me false I, should sink down into tho lowest depth! I don't think I should care what I did. I have my faults, but there is one thing I can do perfectly, and that is—lovo you!> So that you know I shall ask little of you! By heavens, no! I want love, love always! If once you withdrew your lovo from me I should go mad, T think!" "Tony," she said again, looking at] him curiously, "I don't understand. Why do you tell me this now, just wnen vou have told mo and I havo told

BY ALAN ADAIR Author of "An Island Princess," "A Marriage of Felicity " Eto.

you that I love you? ]s it as if you do not trust me, Tony." "Not trust you!" ho cried. '.'.Not trust you. Yirgini.ii! Whom should T trust if not you? F trust you. as J have never trusted any one. Why should you say that it sounded as if I did not trust you? I should not love you as Tdo if I did not trust you!" She had grown quite pale; there was something more passionate j.n his manner than she had imagined could be in any man's. Jf she failed him ! A'irginia was never quite sure of herself, j ITo saw her varying color. | "T have frightened you," he said penitently. *"1 am a Unite. Yirginia! T did not mean to .speak as t havo spoken. Tt is quite true, though; I could not take hack a single word. T do love you so that if yon failed me I I should not be able to keep myself in j hounds at all. My darling, why do |T speak of such• things? T know you love me. Come ; let us go with the j others across the hall. Let me pledge mv wife that is to he."

"Yes." she said, "I will go." She gave a tender glance at the little nook where they had first told their love. "Life has been .perfect .tonight, Tony," she gently said. "Life will always be perfect," he said.

"I shall grow old and less beautiful. Tony, when a woman marries a man like you, she risks a great deal. She gets old before he does; you are too handsome, ever to be anything but attractive, my dearest!"

"You risk nothing," he declared. "You are my first and you shall always bo my only love! 1 could not love another woman! I have thousands of faults, but I have that one quality—l am a man of one love. When you are quite old I shall see you as you are now in your rose-col-ored gown, with the waves of your soft hair jnst on a level with my lips." She laughed gayly; he had found the right note. That tragic note, full of portent, frightened Iter; this soft, tender one, full of love, was the note she craved for.

"And now,' she said, "we must join the rest, Tony." "The rest?" he asked. "There is no rest; tho others don't exist; but we will go, you and I, and sit among these shadows—the only real pair of lovers in the room!"

: "oh, you egotistical person!" She laughed. "Are we, then, everything and the rest nothing ?'' He nodded. "Take my arm, Virginia! If you only knew what it meant to me to feel it there, and to know it is mine!" She obeyed willingly and looked up at him as they followed in the wake' of the "shadows" on their way to the supper room. i "Don't look *o absurdly triumphant Tony! I feel like a conquered being!" :"That is what you are!" he assured her. "Not look triumphant, indeed! I should like to sing my song of triumph out loud'before them all ! !" "You have no need to sing while you look like that." "No, my heart is doing the singing." cmfwy cmfw cmfw mfw fvvy fwy fwm (To bo Continued.)