Fotheringay's Son.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 5 December 1912, Page 2

Fotheringay's Son.

'OUR SfcRIAL.)

BY ALAN ADAIR

CHAPTER 111 (Continued.)

CHAPTEK MI. (Continued.)

"Yes," said Lady Kayburn, "I suppovij so." She knew no more about money mutters than a babe, but she bud had enough, and she imagined that Virginia would always have enough also. In the morning room Tony bad found bis belovedfi looking, is possible, more beautiful than she had looked the previous evening. He took her in his arms and kissed her ardently.

"It is fill over." be said joyfully — "all over! They "have given you to mo! Henceforward you are mine—mine only, and I warn you that 1 shall be a very dragon of jealousy." "Not more than I shall be!" she. answered, with a laugh. "Look at yourself. Tony! Do you look like a man who would give his wife no cause for jealousy.'-'

"Virginia." he .said, and his voice was very .solemn. "I will not have you saying a thing like that—it hurts me. You don't understand me, dearest. There never has been a woman who has had a moments serious thought of mine except you. There never will be another. I can only love once — T know that. You have all the love f am capable of. I wish I felt sure of you as von may feel of me." "Don't you feel sure of me?" She looked up as if to assure herself that she thoroughly understood him. "By heavens, Virginia," he said, "it is only because I cannot believe in my good fortune that I am not sure of you! T do not know what Tam that you should think twice of me. You have the making and the marring of my life in -thope'little hands of yours. I shall not rest until you wear a ring to show you are mine." "[ want to wear your ring," she said. "I want to feel myself bound to you. When you are with me, Tony. T fo.pl as if nothing in the. world would be strong enough to part us. When yofi are away from me I am not so sure.*'

"What could part us?" lie asked. "T don't know, I can't toll, but you arc to l>c with mo always, arc you not? Tony, I must tell you! Ido not love tlio world very much, and admiration and beautiful things all round me."

"Do you think I want to make a cloistered npi of you?" he cried. "I want the world to see you in your beaut» knowing all the while that you are tied to me by the bonds of love. You do love me?"

"Love you? Of course T do! Why should I have consented to become your wife if I did not love you?" Tt was only because lie was to play polo at Hurlingham that Tony hurried away at last, and when he did go it seemed to Virginia' as if he had taken the life of the house with him.

She. found her parents ready and e,*igcr to congratulate her, and certainly that day she forgot to think whether such things as settlements had been discussed at all. Tony had evidently satisfied her parents, and she was highly pleased with him. Every one seemed to wish, to have him, to make much .of him, and his devotion was laid at her feet. She would have been hard to please if on that day s-hs* had not felt as if life were opening out to her in its most beautiful form.

CHAPTER IV.

That Juno day seemed made for lovers and for the preen lawns and shady trees of HurlLngham. The sun shone brilliantly, and the soft wind made gentle murmuring*; as if it were telling" the tale of its love to the trees. Everything was bright -and gay —the ladies' dresses, the light suits of the men, the emerald of the grass—all served to make as charming a picture a.s heart could desire. Virginia, in her cool dress of whiu' and green, with her beautiful face shaded by a large hat, was looking her best. She had not quite conic out of loveland; the smile on her lips and the dreaminess of her eyes gave to her loveliness that touch of the ethereal that sometimes her face locked. She was seated with her parents well in the/front row of the spectat-! , ors; there were two or three rows of ' chairs behind her. She did not seem to notice anything, but kept her eyes fixed on'the pavilion whenc the players were coming. Lord and Lady Bayburn were talking to. an Irish friend; Virginia was thinking only of Anthony, Fotheringay. Suddenly she heard his name mentioned by some strangers;" As she listened to the beloved name, which was ispoken without any thought of secrecy, she little thought that what she would hear would alter the whole course of lier life. "Fotheringay is to play for the guards; that means an eaay victory." "Yes, there is no one equal to him. Handsome fellow, too! He is the man I admire most." Virginia smiled to herself; she so thoroughly' indorsed the unknown speaker's opinion. "Yes, his looks and his athletics are his only capital. I am in daily expectation to hear of ids being en-, gaged to some rich woman; it is his only chance." "What do you mean?" "Ho has next to nothing of his own, and his regiment is, as you know, a very expensivo one. He is head over oars in debt and not overscrupulous,

Aulhor of "An Island Princess," "A Marriage of Felicity " Etc.

, as you have heard. lam always expecting him to come to a terrible grief." "Xot overscrupulous? Explain your meaning." "I mean only that he does not know the value of money or what be owes. T believe Damian has pulled him out of the fire two or three times. But now Damian iy going to India, and report says that Fotheringay had better, make has.'to with bis heiress or else he will have to send in his resignation." Virginia ■sat quite still, but the dreaminess had faded from her eyes. She looked as she would look twenty years hence: all the girlishness had gone out of her face. She gave oik look round at the speakers, and saw two middle-aged men —not two me" who would be jealous of Tony at all. What thev had said must bo true.

And so Tony was poor! Poor and !• debt and not overscrupulous about +1" way in ■•which be trot monev! He took money from Damian, of whom be 1 often spoken to Virginia. The girl knew Damian quite well——knew him •a.ud his devotion to Tony, whose only chance of salvation was marriage with an heiress. And S'he, Virginia, was poor, too, and, what is more, she had always rebelled against her poverty. She was well-born, .more than commonly beautiful, but she had been brought up on insufficient mean*. The Tiavhurn estates were strict'v entailed Lord Rnvhurn was an indulgent landlord. There wan very little mon->y available. Virginia knew that this season in London would make great inroads on the money which her oarems had put awav for her. Thev had, ir. quite a childish manner, looked at tiiis season in London as an investment Had it not be »i Virginia herself who had originally suggested it? And an she sat there her heart failed her. No, she could not man—

noor iivin : it was bad enough to ma" a man without a title, but if he poor, tlip alliance was impossible. Sh« tried to reason to herself tbit if Tonv wpfo so unworldly as to f -, 1l in lov« with a. penniless woman, it must l" 1 the woman herself who j-hou'd hr nol- - bond." The intimacy had been - chanter of romance. She sat quite still, thinking this over for what seemed to her an eternity—in reality it was about ten minutes. Sb'~> was mused frr>"->. hor abstraction by a voice she had heard bv once, but which had a pleasantness of it ft own : "Good .afternoon. Miss Kayburn! May T hope that you have not altogether forgotten me?" Virginia gave a start. The dapper little man, with the light mustache and the pleasant manner, who stood before her was the Duke of Alfreton. She did not know how it was he had come to her side. She supposed that it was easier for a duke to penetrate through a crowd than for other men. She way not altogether mistaken in [her surmise. '■ He looked verv pleasant and affable a.-', he stood smiling at her in the sunshine. The world that had looked black to her a moment ago .suddenly looked bright. She knew the duke admired he'i*. ! "Certainly 1 have not forgotten 'you!" she. said, holding out her hand, | and tlien she turned to her mother. "This is the Duke of Alfreton, mo'thor." The duke bowed low, and Lady Ra.vburn looked nt him in a kindly fashion. She liked all young men, especially when they looked bright and pleasant. The fact of his.i heinrr a duke was also rather pleasing to her. She had nn snobbish feeling at all, but «he rather liked, votoblo people. (To bo Continued.)

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