Lady Marjories Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 February 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjories Love

By Carl Swerdna Author of "To the Uttermost Farth- ing," "A Mere Ceremony," "A Fight lor Hoao m," Etc.

(Ol'R Si R^L

CHAPTER XI. (Continued.) She .spoke in ho:- most imperious tones and up the stair.-: ni lie" most magnificent manner. Marjorie gave a little shrug and a laugh and put lier cheek down up:.-n .Jack's nea-d. •' wimt dee., she teil us that for, I wonder, old boy? VV 0 won't t-iy to him stay if he doesn't mean to ivill we? Xo, that we woii't!" . Tiie carriage was ordered and came •ound; tao countess descended mid •]rovo c!i' in it.. Marjorie v. cut satin tornir hat.-k to the window and eurkd lerseif i.p in the corner of the seat igain, .Jack jumping to his former >ost. A piece of the drive was visible torn hen.', and at any moment l.ettu-i nignt appear. The lower sash was •aised, and as .she. leaned the breeze Ji.it was .stirring among the ilower >eds outside flowed in over her ;iiul. itinrd the soft feathery tangles i.-f her mown hair. It fanned a. little color n to her cheeks, too, but still she lookid hut a sad and .solitary little figure igainst that dark heavy iooming background as .she sat and waited —far oo patiently—for her lover. Some one who appeared presently, mcl who was not loftus, thought so — ilr Barrington. She was so absobed n her musings that would not inve been aware of his presence had ie not halted and spoke;; her diuin. "Good morning, Eady Marjorio '" "Oh, Mr Barrington —good mornng!" She roused herself with a little hitter and gave him her hand. Since hat talk in the -shadow of the old lamiers, which had been almost coiiidential, she had nearly always dene ;o—h e seemed to expect it. "I —I pally did not see you." <'■ "J. am sure you did not; at the lowest computation you were a hundred niles away. I ought to apologise for iistur.bing yen, but, .seeing you here, . could not resist stopping to ask you f your headache is -better." "Very much better,, thanks! Keepng quiet always cures it. What a ovelv rooming, isn't it?" "Glorious —far too lovely for you to jo indoors! May I suggest that you vill drive the headache even further iff than it is at present if you ,;jme mt in the air?" "I dare say, but I am not going out morning." The words sounded ' IV themselves, and, because rus(|fi N, and was not at the ie thOilgfifc g. - i,j n g humor, she lQittSU'fi 111 a Stilly ->an't go out," dded more: "1 really v. ~ visitor.'-' lie said. "I am expecting u ->ntire"l fece ; I understand." How v . u _ y he understood' Marjorie had no cw eption, and she saw .the quick change ' n his face without in the least eom>rehending it. Had he read the letter -hat announced his coming lie would lot have known better than he did sliat she was waiting for Loftus Bligh. "Can I have the honor of doing any-, thing for you in Upton Wafers?" ho asl<e<L "Nfitiuilg, thanks! You are going tllere again?" ■ * "I must. I'm in a muddle about the renewal of old Parkins' len&i) - -— can't- make top nor tale of ife. 1. must get Petherick to help me ftut.-' "He will understand, Jf think." Marjorie's tone was a little cold; she wa-s not sure that she liked hearing her favorite Mr Petherick alluded to in that unceremonious fashion. Certainly the dismissed and incompetent Brent would never have thought of doing it. But then Barrington and ceremony always did somehow seem as a-sundei; as the poles. She would have liked to call him rude, ill-bred, but she had never been able to feel that he was either. She decided not to resent this style of mentioning Mr Petherick; more, she even deigned to continue the conversation. "You seem to find that the estate gives you a great ileal to do, Mr Barrington ?" "You are right! I don't tiiiuk I jver worked so hard in my life." Marjorie opened her eyes iuvolintarily; it struck even -her inexperience that if Mr Barrington had ever aken things more easily than the exceedingly easy fashion in which ho ;ook them at Castle Marling lie must )e the most enviable servant to whom employer ever paid wages. Something >f this was expressed in the involunt:ry little twist of her mouth. Glancng up, she saw a hinted-laugh in his iyes, and smiled. \ "Or, you are joking!" she said. "Indeed I am not. It is a. srrie.us natter. I shall tell Mr Chndburn thai [ want a rise in: my screw." "That you—what?" Marjorie knew almost as little of ;hrag as she did of Sanscrit; her look vas mystified. Barrington half -'augh:d and apologised. "I beg your pardon, Lady Marjorie —what am I thinking of? I .'should iiace said that I shall request him to 2;rant an increase in my -salary, there's a phrase fit for the countess to atone for the other one. I must ho off or I shall never be back before Parkins swoops down on me again. Vlay I take your remembrances to Mr Petherick?" "Do. And tell him that it is a long :ime since lie came here to see me." He went. Mtrjorie's eyes did not 'olloy him; theje fixed themselves expectantly upon the point where Lof:us would presently appear. She took put her watch and glanced at it. It ivas growing late—.perhaps he would not come at all. He came. The watch was barely out nf her hand again when he came in bight, walking slowly, with his usual indolent and easy poise, looking as well-bred, as well-dressed, as handsome as she had always seen him.' She had not acknowledged to herself n.'iv

reason why there should be any change in him inwardly or outwardly, ami yet she 'was cuiksciuua of a sensiui-iii v.! surprised perplexity at seeing im Loitus she had aiway;, kno.\H. f :i u tlid not try to anaiy;:e the feeling, (!::i u.;i try t..- u:.<ler.--Uu:d how it was th.i.r new, sr!:r;i ail about her, all lier life, was -so cruelly, hopelessly changed, sh-.> snouid feei tlii-s miserable et;i! 01 disappointment to nee him jest the •same. lie *ll:ust have walked f;cm Upton Wafers, she thought, pale with tin; rising of a. troubled tumult in n mbreast, and trembling a-s she tried to steady herself. Then an angle of the house hid him. and she sank do-.,:i 011 the window seat again, and had not stirred when he was ushered in, looked round, and came up to Iter. She ro=e ami gave him a hand that was quite cold; ho bent down and put his lips lightly to her cheek. "Why, you must have seen me coming, Marjorie?" l l was watching. Did you walk from Upton Wafers?" "Xo ; had a fly to the gates. .7M! have the dogcart when I go and drive straight over to Wynneborouph, I think. I find there is not a train from Upton Wafers timed to meet the express—always the way in these conntry places. T forgot-, though—.ire the "horses here?" "Yes. Mr Chadburn bought them all." ' "Ah. I wasn't exactly sure how that was! That's all right, then! And how are you, dear?" "I am quite well. Won't- you sit down?" That wa.s all their greeting. ■ Marjorie sat leaning forward a little, with a flutter in her manner and a perulexitv in her face that were .almost--path-etic in their doubt and wonder. There was 110 difference in him, there was nothing missing in the way in which lie had met her, both were substantially what they had always been, find what until now had satisfied. lier. but there suddenly seemed much missing from what, in the circumstances, should have been. She looked at him, searching his handsome face with eves wistful and large. Ho. was beside iier after all her miserable expectation and disappointment, and his first words on coming had been w;;rds of going away. He sat down, slightly pulling forwaid a large chair for the purpose, and scanned her up and down. "I don't think you look well, little lady, although you -say you are'. You are thinner, and you have 10-t all your color. How is'that?" Y "Perhaps it is the heat." i-'