Lady Marjorie's Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 25 February 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjorie's Love

By Carl Swerdna Author of "To tha Uttermost Farth-innr," "A More Ceremony," "A Fight for Bono ur," Etc.

[ X. (Continued.) Jojmiinu was a plump and plethoric page Ik;;,-, so very low down in the household M-alo that even the scullery maid was privileged to rate him at her pleasure. ".Not more than a menth ago, .sir, a letter for the countess thai -he'd had the handling of was found under a table ;,u the stiii room—a place he'd, no business near, ! let alone inside of. A week old it was, too, and a line taking she was in, a-ud a go:)d talking to she gave him!" "Mrs 'i'ring had not taken the letter, ! ;<:id new bent forward to look at it more closely, being bereft cf her glasses, neither more nor less .shortsighted than are most ladies of sixty or I so. '"Oli," she cried, ''frn.ni him, is it? And time enough that he troubled himself, too, it's my humble opin- ! ion l" That .she was out of humor was too : plain to be mistaken. Harrington would have seen it in an iiista:ut, even if tho letter had not horn Marjorie's name. His eyes looked a. question; the housekeeper answered it. That is to say. she responded to it in a fashion ; that made him more curious than ever. | 'lt mayn't be my business, sir, and I'm aware that it wouldn't bo so eon-, sidered 'by most. But my young lady is my young lady. I'm fonder of her , than of any creature alive, poor lamb, '_ and, business or no .business, T so say plainly out that it's my opinion he neglects her!" '; "He:-"' Naturally a little bewildered Harrington ghuiecd from the housekeeper's indignant face to the letter. "Who neglects her?" Rd demanded crisply. "The—the writer of this, do you meanr" "Of course I do, .sir! Never once lias he been down to seo her for so much as an hour since tho day my lord was .buried, if you'll believe me, and she engaged to hi.ni this iwelvemeinth!" "Lady Marjorio is- not engaged?" The tone made the words a sharp assertion. "Hut indeed she is, sir. I'm sure 1 thought you knew. Why, but for my lord's death and all'the other dreadful misfortunes we should have had the wedding before many months had gone by!" "Whew!" The whistle he gave was long drawn out, peculiar sounding; he put down the letter, walked to and fro, and resumed his former position. "Who is he? What i s his name?" he demanded, with his former abruptness. "Bligh, «ir—Mr .Loftus Bligli. Or," added Mrs Tring, correcting herself, "tho HonoraWe Loftus Bligh, by rights. He's the third sou of Viscount liydersdale, hut he's been' an invalid and pretty well confined to his room for about five years now. And a fine sharp temper and tongue he used to have when ho was about, as well do I re.mmeber. An angel from heaven would have been put to it to please him, Mr Barrington, the last time he was here!" Harrington did not answer beyond a short nod ; it seemed that he was not interested in the infirmities of the viscount, of temper or otherwise. He looked down, cogitating, frowning; habitual bright look was lost in sudden gloom. "Bligh? Loftus Bligh?" he repeated slowly, rolling the name over and over. "Bligh—old Rydersdale's son? I've heard of him, surely—l" must Jiave heard of him. The name's familiar somehow. Bligh? I fcnv, Mrs Tring, do you happen to know what ho is?" "What he is, sir?" Mre Tring, notunderstanding, echoed the question doubtfully. "Yes, what profession? What does he do for a living, you know? Third sons haven't much a.s a rule." Mrs Tring, feeling that her own knowledge of the subject far surpassed her questioner's, indulged in an amused laugh that was not without its sarcastic ring, for she was immensely resenting this neglect of her young lady, and Mr Bligh in conseguence had fallen in Ixer favor. "Mr Bligh doesn't helong to any profession, Mr Barrington, and (never has done that I know of," she said. "He has an income from his mother's side of the family, I've lieard." "Much?" asked Barrington tersely. "It can't be, sir, from what I've heard —that is," added the housekeeper, qualifying her statement, "not for a gentleman." "Ab-h!" Barrington said. Tho ejaculation was almost as long drawn out as the whistle had been; it was a sound of comprehension; his look seemed to show that he understood' many things. He nodded, digesting them, and with the hint of a smile. 'J'hen ho sought more information. "How did she come to know him, Mrs Tring? You know, T suppose, eh?" "Oli, of course, sir!" cried the housekeeper readily. "That's really bow it came about, T think, sir. You see, my lady has lived such a quiet life down here that she hasn't had the chance of seeing many gentlemen that's likely to take her fancy." Mrs tring checked herself recollecting that the question was as yet unanswered. "I meant to say, sir, that Mr Bligh's her cousin." "Cousin? Ah, indeed?" His tone seemed expressive of still further enlightenment. Mrs Tring, like the good-natured creature she was, isuppliod him with a little more m addition. —slightly involved, after tho manner of her sex. "When "I sa yMr Bligh's ner cousin

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. menu you fco understand that bo 'isn't her first cousin. It was (|iiite a ' distant relative of my late, lord's thai" j married Viscount Kydersdale. Hut if j you tlilllk you'll know tliat without j my telling," said Mrs Tring, who • kept a 'T'eerage" iu the place of honcri n the l».'M>kc;i •■ i» in hrr sitting room and studied it religiously, as became a respectable woman. ! "Shall I' J J doubt it. You could pluck me in five minutes over an exam m DcbreLt.'' .i'i> took a turn aoontj the nom, still contemplative, "lie has been here a good dial i st'sipo-" ': " he said .suggestively, "and Lady Marjorio has always known him and been used to him ? Jt that about it?" i Mrs Tring assented; the statement lifted the case like a. glove. .Harrington took another walk. ! "What is he like? A handsome l'elloW ) eh?" This time the- assent was grudging, but Mrs Tring was bound to admit, and did admit, that Mr Bligh "was all that." Harrington walked again. When he turned round it was uith a flush and a laugh. ; "i say, Mrs Tring, in strict confidence, you know, is she fond of Jiini r"' | __ Mrs Tring, still indignantly dwelling upon the neglect of "her child," opined slightly and vaguely, "that it was more than he deserved if .she ( was," adding a rider to the effect that \ "that was all she'd got to say" on the subject. The climax being given with vigor was perhaps the reason why '; Barrington pursued tho-subject no further. He had put down the letter; now he took it up again. | "I'll give Lady Marjorie this if you don't mind, Mrs Tring. I can say a word of apology then for its having 'got among mine, you understand. You don't- object?" | Mrs Tring did not object, being indeed only pleased to assent to any proposition from a person who held so very snug a. corner in her good graces as Mr Harrington. A question or two •solicitously asked and indiffeently responded to, on tho prior subject of his, and she withdrew and left him to himself, with Lady Marjorie's -love letter still in his hand. His brightness had suffered only n momentary eclipse, for tho gloom which had overcast his face was gone ;as he looked at it. He laughed prcj sently. > j "Her cousin—.she has always been [ used to him—she had not had much chance of seeing others —that's how it. > came about," he said slowly, repeat- . ing the various items of information | with which Mrs Tring had supplied ' .him. "Yes, 1 think I've got about (the hang of it —his absence and negr loct included. The reason's pretty . [ plain." He laughed again. "Odd," i he said. "I'm not especially vindict--5 ive in a general way that I know of, 1 but I should uncommonly like to j punch the head of Mr Loftus -Bligh I 3 And if he were more of a man and i did't richly deserve it I should enjoy 5 it all the more. ' I suppose in some t circumstances it's decidedly consoling for a feow to.conclude that tho other ! fellow's a scamp. Hello! Was that t. the carriage? And will this coni'ound- . [ ed letter get me into a row or not?"