Lady Marjorie's Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 February 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjorie's Love

By Carl Swerdna Author of "To the Uttermost Farth- ina," "A Mere Ceremony," "A Fight for Honour," Etc.

(OUR SfR'AL

(Chapter X.—Continued.) The countess sighed again—a pensive sigh of conscious' merit. Had Barringt:.n with a verbal reply matched the look ho gave her it would have f |)sc:i a '.ioaicMvimt startling ■ackno-.v-. lodgement cf the condescending confidence with v. hicih she had -boon pleased to favor him. For the maintenance of his present enviable [position in tlio good' 'books of tho lady it was porha.ps quite as well that Jonathan appeared, charged with a message. A person, reported as "Fanner Parkins," waited in the oak parlor to see,Mr Chadburn's agent, Barrington made tho : necessary bow and apology, and de- J pa' - ' But her ladyship's fine blue eyes paw a great deal, although it happened that she did not at all divine the bottled r.n retort the deliverv of which would have so much astonished her. with a .smile —a smile which' presently broke into a laugh in •which contempt and n roil sear en t were scorn-fully one. "Just as T thought!" she said, half alo"d. "T felt sure of i+.! As much i--> love with that foolish little chit.as f l'"utrh ho nvere as foolish as she is! R'd:cul n us]y absurd, r<f course, and yet—why net? He could nt least provide 'he' with clothes and bread and hotter. I suppose. which is morp than she will ever be able to -obtain for herself." CHAPTER. XT. So you have come down, Marjorio! T whether you meant to '•oend the day in your room -as well n? last evening. Jon look wretched Impale and out! Is your headinch; -to; still ?" "Xo. it doesn't ache, lm,fc J don't fool vorv bright, Fenella." The fnihtes*' tone ha/1 slightly r-iriraonions—she •never l ,r, d headaches or indeed any aches, pains, or ailments whatever— and the rnrl's had heen listless and Judging bv her pale cheeks. the dark circles n>uH' • I,n r "ves. .she had rot slept well. Lady. Marlingford, glancing up from the ac"ou.nt be-nk which, slip- was itidustriouscheckiro-, and which good Mrs Tring would probably hear .something -p'bout shortly, 'had seen the signs of them with impatience "Bright? Y<ni lonfr the reverse of. that, child! I <]o wish, for vnur o-vn pake, that you would try to be a h'ttle .more cheerful. Are you going out this morning?" "Xot this morning. I can't!" Can't? What do you mean?" -. " T a ' m going to tell'you. Loftus is coming." ''Coming?" The'countess' first invdlu. nteT y -surprise .was checked : her hand«sirij fnce set in its severest lines. "It is what W °hould ha ve done lon a; ago," she snid "butl confess i-H I dm &ti.rpnsCa b.he At' it, ivia-,\, I. ask what excuses he makes to you ?" j "Excuses?" faltered <h" r-irl," 1 "For hisi f]i hiini'vinc "ia->~bl ~ 1 Reallv. my m >j X \ ' * " P - lecL! 'r „ -»*■'• >'°u must know n in : 1 apolco:v explanation does h j? offer you?' 1 Marjorie's pale cheeks flush-v] un hot and red : tho haughty little gesture with- which she thrp-v hack her head wa.s one which had become familiar to fJerard Barrington. Tom ■Tecelvu had been intimately acquainted with it ever since she was fourteen. "It will be time enough f"r h'm to that when .T n«'-~ 'vm for either, Fenella. At present I have not done - so." "Xo? I confess T ,n/imi'"p vor ,v patience, my dear. What I think of vour indo-pment. is aether 1 Mr Bljo-li i's earning down at last! And at wl>.?t s " "He says ho will be 'here to luncheon." "A]J! Apf-j .] ie Temn-ns. course ?" "Xo. Hp says he shall fT-V- on/. to Wyr.neboreugh and eatcb the London express from there. He has business." "Indeed ! For a man who does nothing whatever he is certainly excessively occupied! And .so beyond that there is nothing in the letter at all?" "Nothing—there was no need for more as he is coming. .He dislikes writi.ng long letters, and I don't care for reading them. T thought I had better tell you, Fenella, or T should not have interrupted you. Pray excuse me!" She walked out of the room with her cheks still ;hot and her head still high, Tho countess, looking after her. shrugged her shoulders and smiled— 7 a smile of half-disdainful compassion. " 'There are none so blind as those who won't see'! She exemplifies th" nroverb, the foolish little creature.' 7f she did not take so absurdly romantic a view of life she would s'ut]--yee what his conduct means. As it . 's. T positively believe she has the faintest idoa f that her less of fortr"" and even-thing else can make the slightest alteration in her . engagement —the engagement that would never have been entered into or even thought of had she heen what she is now—penniless!" She -stopped, musing and frowning, as she did not often care to crease that smooth white forehead of hers. In her cold way she was sorry for her stepdaughter, and she was almost worked into a good, honest- rage with Lo-ftus Bligh. "I shall take the matter into my own hands!" she said, aloud, decisively. "Little simpleton as she is, he shall not play with her! I will speak to him myself." She meant it, and for Fenella Marlingford to mean a tiling usually meant thill"' was as good as done. But the plansW the most resolute go "agley" occasionally, and this particular plan of the countess' did so. As

!she still sat at her account, hooks a letter was brought to her —a iei-tcr from the vicarage. Heading it, nut; changing countenance and color a;; she did so, she rose and went eat in to tho hall. "Marjorio? Are you there?" Marjorio was there, in the bread, cushioned window seat of. a great, square window that -was ornamented with dragons and griffins in stained glass, most of them grotesquely and ferociously vicious. .Sometime:-; with her bonk or work, quite as often doingnothing—for it must be confessed that .she .was sometimes a very idle little creature —she v/ould remain there with Jack beside her for hours. He was beside her now, sitting erect, with cocked ears, moving his sleek head up and down in affectionate and placid appreciation of the caressing little Jiand that absently patted and stroked it —so absently that at the sudden wound of her stepmother's clear voice the girl looked round with a start. "Yos, Fenella. Do you war.t me? Oh, what is it?" « iShe rost as she spoke, almost alarmed, for it was .not usual to :-ee liie countess .with a face so agitated and pale. Instinctively her eyes went to the letter. Lady Marling.ford, touching it with her other hand, composed herself and spoke. "I trust it is not so very bad," she said. "Mrs Somerset has one of her terrible attacks .again, and has sent forme. I must go at once!" "Oh, of course you must, Fenella !" Marjorio was all sympathy; she liked gentle Mrs .Somerset, the vicar's wife, who was supposed to have made quite a terrible descent in the world when she married the vicar. She and the countess .had been friends as girls, and if Lady Marlingford really cared warmly for any one at all it was for her. Often when there occurred one of the terrible attacks of-pain .from which she suffered—her ladyship would be sent for, and never failed to go readily. "Poor Mrs Somerset —I am so sorry! Shy 11 I order the pony carriage for yon?" r ■ ' ■ "Yes, do so." The countess, turning toward th e staircase, stopped. "It is impossible for me*to say when I sjial] bo back," she said,' "but it is nearlysure to be rather late. You will tell Mr Bligh, Marjorie, that I especially request that he will remain to see me?" "Keinain?" Marjorie opened remonstratory eyes. "Why, Fenella, you know I told you that lie meant to catch the afternoon express from Wynneborough. It goes at four o'clock." "He must lose the express. Be good enough, my dear, to do n$ I tell you.. I desire that he will remain to -no, me,''