Fotheringay's Son

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 17 December 1912, Page 2

Fotheringay's Son

'OUP SERIAL..)

BY kUM AB«

I CHAPTER VJII (Continued. His anger seemed to give her courage. She had not boon able tn '.vitlisrai.nl lr~ despair, but his disdain and wrath roused her. "jf ! did jilt you,'" she cried, stung liv his words, "it was not my fault! You should not have come to mo and asked me to- be your wife when* you knew it was .your beggary that you a>'ked mo to share!" For a moment lie looked at her as i!' not understanding; then he Ml ha ok. "Kur heaven's sake," he cried, ''do not say another word! Ho you waist to make me execrate your name':' i might- not have forgiven you for your treachery, but ( could have understood it if you had jilted me for love of another man! But to jilt me because of another man's money. his position! I never dreamt that you could, sink k; low!" There wa-; a. dead silence in the room. Tt was the duke who spoke first. Fie wont ever to Virginia ami put hi.-: ami round her. "Onv?!" ho said gent-lv. "Crime, sweetheart! For what'-ver vn.-.on ifc was that yen married me, I -shall alwaysl bless the hour you caudosoemled to do it. Captain Fothoriugay. again 1 say to yen that 1 am at your service if you slviuld want mo!" "Want you!" exclaimed Tony. "Why should T want you? Do you think it would give me any satisfaction to thrust a sword through, your body? Wraild that give me hack my belief in the only woman I" ever loved? "Would that ever give* me back my lest illusions? Xo, go your way.

take her with you, and. remember, [iiiat ;> woman who was fak'.-> '- man can be false also to another! Beware of letting her be with a man richer than you ar<> —she will sell imrself to him next!", He flung the words -it. them b"tlt like the -madman hr> then wa-s. He h"d lost- all mastorv over himself. With one hand gripping a chair, bis face pale and thin from hif illness, his blue eyes almost bla.ek from sheer anger Tom Kotheringay looked the incarnation rf evil. The duke had flushed a dec;V red at the insult to Virginia but he held himself in cheek. And that meant a great deal to him, for he came of a fighting stock. If Tony had not been weakened by illness he would have thrown himself upon him like a terrier upon a mastiff. Even the presence, of the ladies would not .have restrained him. The duke ilHd out his; hand 'to Virginia, and the. girl took it gratefully.

"Come!" ho said again, and walk- \ (\l no to Lord Rnyhu.ni. j "Wo are going to Southampton Y>y ! this morning's train." lie said. "My yacht is .waiting there for lis. We arc steaming South, hut, if you have any message, for Virginia, we shall not wail until this evening. We shall touch at Lisbon, if you wish to write to us. T have made all arrangements so that tho marriage may he known, and we will write to you." Lord Rayburn took his hand and pressed it. "I believe that this matter has caused you pain," he said. "Bo good to my girl—s>ho has behaved treacherously!" "I am to blame as much as she is," said tho duke. "Bo good to hot-now," said Lord Rayburn, and then he melted, and hent down and kissed Virginia, Avho clung to him as she had never clung to him before. He was touched by her contrition, and 'the fatherly love asserted itself. "My girl," he said, •'you have hurt mc. to-day m ;tiy to:>dcrest part,—we Rayburris- have nl? ways been honorable—but I will give you into your husband's keeping with i every confidence." Virginia kissed her mother and them turned to Tony. She was deathly pale and staggered a little. Tony." she said, "I want you to forget that you ever knew such, a person as Virginia Rayburu." He looked straight into her eyes. "Forget!" ho said. "Forget! I shall remember it to the end of my days!" Virginia passed, out of the door and out of her father's house. They heard the carriage drive away, and then again there was silence in the room. Tony had thrown himself into a chair and way staring ',nto space. Lady Rayburn went across to the young man and laid her hand' on his shoulder. "Tony," she said —her eyes were full of tears and her voice tremn/ with emotion —"Tony, I should h:>{oved you for a .son, and I cannot unlove so quickly. Let me feel that you will do nothing rash, nothing unworthy of you. Let us bo proud of you! 'Exchange into another regiment, volunteer for foreign service, show us all what you are made of!

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

| Lot evem Virginia [Vol that she J l:l .s J !iung ji-.vay a love that was worthv of i her!" The young man looked up. "Dear Lady iiayburn," ho said, las voice very hard and defiant, 'you j mean very wcll j but you do not understand men. I ..shall go to perdition my own way, :nu| in mv own c-:entrv and as thoroughly I can!" Lady JLiyburn wrung );";• hands. "But this is pure cbiiclislmoss," she said —"pure v.alifuHnesrt ! "Why should vou ruin yo:n- carreer bc-caui-e a girl has jilted you? Why should you do what nothing can over undo? You are on the threshold of your life. • Make something of it. man!" | "You may save your words." he I said. l 'My love for Virginia, might have saved me; her treachery haf j broken and ruined me! Nothing matters at all now. Don't think of me again. !" shall go out of your life. Think of the duchess, your daughter, [instead! Think of her position, her I wealth, her great influence! Tn a month you will have learned to say, 'My daughter, the Duchess of Alfreton,' with relish,. What doe?., it matter if she has broken a. man's heart? Xobody knows of it —the world will talk of her romantic marriage, and you will he very proud of it .all in time. And, as for me, the sooner T remove myself from your presence the better it will be for you. There is one thing, though, that T must say. j T am :-ure neither you nor Lady Hayburn was privy to this vile treachery. !' absolve you from that." J "I won't rot have had it happen for the wealth of the whole world!" cried Lord, i'ayburn, and Tony believed, him. He got up from the chair into which he had sunk, and with, diffioultv steadied himself. 5 "Good-bye!" ho said, but he did I not hold out his hand to either of them. Lord Rayburn opened the door for him. and they heard him , • niakmg his way to the carriage that was still waiting for him. They caught one glimpse of hifi face n.s he drove away—a white, despairing face, with all the life gone out of it. Lady iiayburn burst into tears. That true lover, her husband, was at' hor side in a. moment. "Luce," he said, "let us leave this purse-proud country and got back to Ireland! I have had enough of the season, haven't you? I feel as if 11 could not look any one ok them in the , face. Tliey will believe that wo have ! schemed for this —we who would have I done oven-thing in the world to k-ecp jour name unstained! Let us go, jdear!" "Yes," replied Lady Raybuivu, "wo I will go." And then, womanlike, she I began to make excuses for hor daughI tor. "I suppose it was a great tempjtation," -sho said, "and, George. I | always knew that the child was ambitious. "Of course she fell in love J with Tony—who would not?—and she realised sooner than wo did that she could not marry him; she was made for exalted position?., and high places. But Tony! Heaven only knows what will become of him!" (To ho Continued.)