Lady Marjorie's Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 22 March 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjorie's Love

(OUR |st RIAL

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

(CHAPTER XVll.—Continued.)

"Good old George! I thought he'd come—thought I could depend upon him. Hope ho has pulled round all ri.rht, though, and is fib for it. Pretty" rough on him if 'ho Jmsu't, ' He laughed amusedly. "Pretty rough on him from all points of the compass, it seems to me. But then he's a brick, is old George! Ah, here we are at last!" The dogcart turned in at the gates, slackened at the sign that he made, and pulled up beside him. In a moment he was warmly shaking the hand of the person who descended from it, and a word to the driver had sent tho dogcart on to the house alone. "George, old fellow, I'm uncommon, ly glad to see you!" "And I to see you!" The response was as heartily spoken as the salutation had been, and each looked kindly at the other. "You got my wire?" "Oh, yes! I should have driven over to meet you. myself but that two of those old fellows I wrote to you of came in and badgered me. I say, how's the leg?" "First class, thanks! I have to be careful, of course, and can't do too , much:-with it. but it is going on us well aS it can go." "That's well! You don't thank coming' down here will ho too much, for it?" "No fear of that. I have been out and about for tho last fortnight. As you vsee, I have to keep to my stick j for the present." I They were following slowly in the | wake of the dogcart as they talked, Barrington showing himself to be a good deal the taller and probably a trood deal the younger man of the two. George Was perhaps five and thirty, a slight, .keen-looking, sunburned \ man with a broad forehead and full dark. eyes. From a certain "bur" that sounded in his crisp and ready speech it might have been guessed that he was most probablv of northern blood and breeding. He walked rather slowly, with * a slight limp, glancing a,lx>ut him with appreciative eyes at as much of the Castle Marling demene as his range of vision would let ham see. "How is the governor?" Barrington broke a 'short silence' by asking. "Perfectly well—jolly in all ways! I don't think I ever saw him look better." "That's well! Does lie know you've run clown here?" "Oh, yes! I showed him your wire. He was in two minds, I fancy, as to whether he should or should not come with me. But he is uncommonly busy, and I told him I didn't suppose at was necessary yet." "Just so; you have exactly hit it—not yet. How long can yon stay?," "Not over to-morrow conveniently." He glanced up with some doubt in • his questioning face. "I don't know what I'm wanted for yet," he paid quietly: "Nothing wrong, T hope?" /'Wrong! iNot a hit of it!" Harrington's laugh and tone were so very conclusive that the other's face 'frightened instantly. "But. well. I'm in the deuce of a muddle, old chap, that's the long and short of it. and something uncomfortable will happen if you can't contrive -to straighten out the snarl I've contrived to get things into. Leases and rents and accounts, you know—that sort of thing. The old hoys come here and badger me, and I'm Hanged if I know which of us obfuscates the other most! I'm not Jniilt for this sort of business, I suppose." He laughed again. -"Well,- the plain truth is that I've been rather thinking of: something, else." "Ah!" George's eves gave a twinkle. "I dare say," he said dryly. "Not that detail, ever was your strong point, I fancy. So things are in a muddle, eh?" "Deunce and all of a muddle, ham* them!" " "Well, T can straighten them into working order a bit to-morrow, probbably. I must run up by the even■inp; train, though—tho governor ' is sending me. north." He hesitated, with another pleasantly shrewd and twinkling upward look. "Is is allowable to put a question ?" he asked. "Fire away!" said Barrington easily. "Thanks! T should like to know, then, by your leave, if the leases and. on—the business part of the -affair—is the only part that has »-one wrong?" '/Eh? What's that?" He- was quick in the sharp stop and turn that he made, and both face and voice altered as quickly. Then he laughed again. "Ah, so the governor broke faith, did he " he asked coolly. "No, I can't go as far as that. But I may own that I got a hint. W objection, I trust?" "Objection? Not I; you are welcome to know all about it for me. What were you asking?" "I said I hoped it had not gone wrong. Does it promise well? Tll put in that way." * "It.does —very well, I think, lit fact, and between ourselves —in con-

fidenco, you know, old boy—about as well as I want it to promise." "That's good hearing!" George's face brightened with kindly pleasure. "You won't mind me saying that, all the 'circumstances considered, I, was ; rather dubious ahout it!" "So? Now , I wasn't." Ho laughed. "Don't put me down as too much ••of a prig, Georgo!" "Not likely!" Georgo pondered. "So it's all going smoothly and without a hitch, is it?" he said, in a satisfied tone. "Without a hitch? No, I can't say that. In fact, there's another fel- . low." I "Whew! That's awkward! An engagement, do you mean? Who is he?" j "Cousin —confound cousins! A felj low named Bligh. Yes, it's an en- . gagement .right enough." "That's awkward!" George com- ; mented again, and still with a lengthened face. "What is he like? Have you seen him?" "Never set eyes on him. Like? Well, a bit of an idiot, for he doesn't care for her; a bit of a sneak, for he j •was after the money; and a bit more of a coward, for he'd get out of it if he could hit on a way, and. in the meantime he neglects heir. That's about all I know of him." ■ "Does she care for him?" George asked. "Care?" Barrington laughed again. "Pooh!" he said lightly. "You may doubt the circumstances and the disadvantages if you • like, George, my boy, but I'll beat Mmstill with one hand tied!" Georgo clanpsd his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I hope." he said,-"that I may expect the honour "of •art' introduction to Lady Majorio Wynne?" . Lady Mariorie, getting tired of the novel and looking out of her window for a change of amusement, was perhaps watching! for Mr Barnington and his friend, and perhaps was not. At any rate. s>ho saw them, and naturally wondered what the name of the sunburned mnn with the stick might be. If she had known that he was think-; ing of her quite as much a<s luh companion was. she might have wondei-e-d still more. As it was", she only thoueht fretfully of how ridiculous FenHTa was. and wondered with resentful restlessness how it was that for quite a, fortnight now Loftiis had nit written to her. The countess, in plainly saving that he had never cared for her. had said a tiring as untrue as that.other thing had l>ecn absurd, but she had' said a thing that rankled most tormenting and bitterly for all that. Few understood better than her ladyshirj both* 1 where and i how to plant a sting. (To be Continued.)