Lady Marjorie's Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 13 February 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjorie's Love

j (OUR SERIAL

I Bv Carl Swerdna i J' Author of '-To the Uttermost Fartb, ing," "A Hero Ceremony," "A Fight j for Honour," Etc.

C'r'APTrlH Vi. ('( iintiiiiii'ci.) The lawyer »ti»<ijl there looking iit \w>\ widiing that, .she w.jukl cry or ~,-• anything rather than sit, there wirii tii:ii- fixed, eok;rUs-, fare. 'I hat .-ho was half stunned stii!. that fears would oom.e later, he did not understand. A sound (!•!' irritation came :,';;iii * he counter; Lady MariingFord's patience ws »x!i ust'vt ; advanced. The look that .slid gave Mr Petherick as she spoke in hor high, clear voice was a look not Free firm contemn!,. _ ''This a trying interview for us all, Sir Puthnric-k,"" -she said; "the sooner it is Fraught to a, conclusion the beitei. especially for my stepdaughter's sake. You have mentioned to her Mr ("hndbnrn's consideration and kindue.vs; as she profits by it no less than myself, it it only right that she should 1)0 told what it is.'' She .stopped. Mark.r'u- slowly turned her largo eyes toward; her, waiting. The (■■unite-. ■; had a' letter in hey hand; she touched it. '•1 will explain what I mean, my dear." she said less coldly than usual, and with a glance of Mime kindiino-s at the. small white face. "No doubt you will feel as grattful for Mr Chadbi:rn': consideration a- I ennfo-s that I do. By the terms of his purchase of Castle Marling hj? could enter into possession of it at once—indeed he could have done so before your Father's death. He waived his right then, until. ,! tuu'ei-tar.d, slid l , time a- it -hould .suit your Father to vacate it and he ma.-t kindly waives hia right again now. In this letter he bogs mo —and you—for six months, ! For a year, if necessary, at Any rate until our Future arrangements are completed, to remain here and consider Castle Marling our 'home. I am abcut to reply to hi- letter, thanking him For his offer and accepting it.'"

Fur hor." "Never cared For her?" repeated the lawyer. •'Never!'' a.funned Lady Marlingfoid. dm't agree with mo, Mr I'otheriek, J. see. Ah, you wore always so loud oF Marjone! Quite natural on your part!" She smiled again hor laniL, satirical smile. '"We must agree 'to d. : ll'er For the present," she said ooiulv. "Leave it to time. Wo

CHAPTKU VII. In a handsome dining room in a good hut not ultra-fashionable West Lnd square sat the new owner of Castle Marling and Ills son. The lime v,!s liali' past nine in the morning, and breakfast was laid nil the table. Xo servants were present. The simple'manners which, had boon natural to the elder man in the past days of his poverty were his manners now in the prosont days of his wealth. Kroet and bright-eyed with Ins big. broad-shouldered figure comfortaiinfilling the wide arms of his chair, with his handsome, florid Face and his thick, white hair, he sat and. stirred the cup of coffee, which he had just poured out, with such a beaming look of good-humor and good-nature irradiating him frm head to foot as might have made the m.st inveterate pessimist smile in involuntary sympathy. This was his normal expression, known to every subordinate, hou-ever humble, to whom his wealth had made 'him master, hut it was never quite so bright, never quite s o simply satisfied and happy as it was when he looked, as he did. now, at 'his son. "Got anything on to-day my boy?" Mr Chadiburn asked cheerfully. "Nothing particular, sir. Nothing that T know of. Any reason for asking?" The young man's voice was as pleasant as his father's', his eyes were as frank and bright, hi-i whole appearance and personality as instantly attractive to most of those who saw Ivm and heard him. f-'mvh dubt'e difference as a certain well-trained and well-groomed air which, the elder man lacked, an accent of greater precision, and a tone of greater refinement in the voice were so slight that they merely delicately marked the inevitable distinction which was hound to show between the man who had, made his way without refining outward influences and the man whom they had always surrounded. and scarcely effected at nil the strong personal resemblance between the father and son. That the affection with which the elder regarded the younger was not one-sided, the hitter's glance back again showed as he uncle his reply. •

"Accepting it?" Marjoiie sprang to her Foot. "1. can't stay here!" she said, in a suffocated voice, with her hand at her throat. "It—it would kill me. I think! I inu=t go away—right away! I'll go to-day—-now. I can't stay here!' v "You can't stay here?" A note of impatience sounded in Lady Marlingford's voice again ; a faint satirical smile crossed her handsome pale face, "lu that case," she said, with cold deliberation, "perhaps you will permit mo to ask you, my dear, where you intend to go?" The girl did not answer. The cruel sense of this question brought home to her the full measure of her desolation as it had not been brought yet. .She fell back in her chair with a low, moaning cry, hiding her face. The kind-hearted old lawyer would I have spoken, trying to •..nd'ort her, I but the countess quickly interposed to stop him as she had interposed, be--1 fore.

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"Leave her to herself," she said, in a. whisper ; "it is far better, believe me. To-morrow she will probably lie better fitted to hear anything more that you may find it nooessary to tell her, iluit she has heard quite (sufficient now." There was sound sense in these •words, without question, and there was dismissal no less assuredly. Appreciating the one and entirely understanding the other, Mr Petherick did the only thing possible—he made his bow and turned to the door. Sensible apparently that she had not been too gracious, the countess followed hint and gave him; her hand. "You hare always had a kind of attachment for my stepdaughter. T know," she said, "and I quite understand and appreciate, Mr Petheriek, the distress you liave felt in communicating this sad 1 intelligence' to her. ! It is a most terrible Mow forlier in all ways poor child —T am, most heartily sorry fo her! What troubles me is the thought of her future. She has now no prospects of any kind." "No prospects?" Echoing the words and dropping his voice as she liad dropped hers, the lawyer's gray eyebrows went up in .surprise. "I must 'beg leave to remind your ladyship of ;w'ba.t you have surely forgot> ten!" he said. "Lady Mariorie has 'happily before her the prospect of he*; marriage." "Of her marriage?" "Of lie marriage with her cousin, Mr Loftus Bligh." "Oh, my dear ,Mr Petheriek!" The countess made a faint sound of laughter, looking at Mm with raised brows. "Surely," she said, "you do not expect that that always unsuitable engagement will be carried out now?" "Expect?" echoed the lawyer. His old face flushed; he was hot in an instant as ilio glanced across at the slight figure in the chair, still with the clasped hands miserably hiding her face from the light. "It—it exists, your ladyship?" "Ok, unquestionably if exists—at present! But ILofttts Bligh is poor, he is idle, he is a fashionable society man ; he proposed to lady Marjorie Wvnne the heiress, the future mistress of Castlo Marling, Can we now that she has neither a penny nor 1a homo? And wo must always keep in mind the fact that ho never cared