Lady Marjorie's Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 29 March 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjorie's Love

(OUR SERIAL

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

CHAPTER XIX. (Continued.) -No, not vet " The question, gently as it was' asked, brought bad; }™ tussle with the dowager and the Kibes and sneers of that bitter old woman rather too vividly, and Marjorie winced and colored and hit her hp. He saw it, and could have understood the position or affairs no better than had he been present at the scene. "The Continental mail comes in again tomorrow, doesn't it? 'No doubt I shall hear, then." Fager to eluvium the Mibieet, she hastily caught at the fi, *fc that e«ine into h- head. ""* onbusiness is finite over, T suppose, Mr Ba,rrin«?:tnn?" "T did nil T could do. It is over so f n •" —yes." The cluanee in his face and voice 'in* *;o sudden and marked tha*inrie could net pretend ignrrance. She looked awkward and distressed. and. ifeeling both, said nothing. "T beg ycur pardon." bo said. 'T should have thanked you for your interest. T have done all T ecu Id do in the matter, bait T am sorry to say that ithnt has virtually amounted to nothing. Tn d.ofng what T hoped to do T have [failed entirely.' <<l_t a,™ said the girl'gentlv. She 'wrbed she. had not spoken, and.did not knew what to say. • "Tha.mk von again! I think T told you when T went awav that it lvas not ! a pleasant matter. I might have ponflirt he," and r -aid that it -was a. m'sr"painfnl one. It concerns otli--as well as myself, and so I am £u:v> you will pardon me if I say no more about it.'' ! Oertainly Marjonie did not .wish to pursue it. Another subject presented itself, and she caught at that, glad to break the embarrassed little pause, nnd almost as glad to see how quickly the cloud left his face as she broached it. "You saw Mr Chadburn, of course? T nee'd uo,t ask." "I hare been with him every day." "And he —lie"—she stammered, and blundered —"be told you, perhaps, what I thought he might tell you?" "When he would be down here? "No, not definitely. T believe his plans xire not made, and be has at present much to keep him in town. But T think T may say that he will not take possession, here 'while it will in the 'east inconvenience you." "He is very considerate. It need not he long now." she said, with eheerfullness by no means so steady cr I so easy as she had tried to make at, ' ".-since I shall be going away so soon. J And. though I don't quite know what the countess' plans are —as to time. I mean--still, it is not likely that she will be here niudh longer than 1 shall. Perhaps you told Mr Chadburn that I was going abroad?" "1 did mention it."

/didn't appear, because I'm certain that I should have detested him." "It is certainly fortunate." "Oh, very! You saw him. no doubt ]>id he say when he '.meant to come down?" "I don't think he mentioned it." He looked at her, smiling. "Since we ore speaking of him," he said —"of young Chadburn, you know —I .may be allowed to give you a little piece of news about him. It is, T believe, very possible the new establishment bore will not l:.e a bachelor establishment, after all." 'Oh," cried the girl instantly, "you mean that he is going to be married ?'' I "So T understand." "Oh!" cried Marjorie again. "T i had not learned of that. Mr Chadburn told you?" j ' "I was not exactly told, but T am pretty sure of the fact." "I see. Is Mr Ohfldluurn (pleased?" i "More than pleased. The dear boy is delighted!" 1 "Then, I suppose, she is a. nice 'girl?" Marjorie questioned, doubtfully and slowly. "I am sure that you would think her a very nice girl." | "Then you saw her?" ".No, It was a pleasure I was look- ' ing forward to all the time I was there." "Then you can't tell me whether s'he lis pretty?" "The prettiest, sweetest little girl in the world! Or, at any rate, one person thinks so." "Oh, he would, of course! That's quite the orthodox thing, isn't it? But I wonder she cares to marry him, iif he is such a goose." "To quote a very hackneyed remark there is no aeoounting for taste. Possibly she doesn't think him so." "Or perhaps she <s a goose herself!" Mariorie laughed and paitted Jack's head. "T'.m afraid I'm not interested in two people whjam I've never .seen. Mr Barrington. Let u* change the subieet. Tell ane some London news. It is such an age v since I was there. Your business did not always occupy you, did it? Apart from that, did you have a pretty good time?" "Thank you! With the exception of one extremely harrowing experience, I had a very good time." "Harrowing experience?" Marjorie looked anmzemjent. "Whatever do you mean " Then she met the laughter in his eyes, and laughed, too. "Oh, you mean some joke, of course!"

"I chough! that verv likely you would," she said. "He has been very kind, and I appreciate it, indeed, Mr Barrington. lam not—not so prejudiced or so —so foolish' as I used to 'he. lam .-roirry to hear tiliat lie does not mean to coma here heforo I go away. I should 'have liked to see him and thank lira."

"Would you?" Barrington said eagerly. "If you will let me write and tell him so lie will come tLe nevt day. You don't kraow how pleased he would be!"

"Oil. no. thank*—of coups? not! T couldn't possibly think of letting Mr Chadburn take a long journey on any account, particularly when he is an busy." she :said decisively. "J will u rito to 'him ; that 'will be better. It would bo ve-vy ungracious to ceo without thanking him at all. You have told me so much about Mr Ohadburn that I ought not to 'be- surprised at his being so kind:, but I confess I am rather surprised' that his .son should be equally so—in the way of staying away. I mean. [ somehow got it into my head that Ihe would yery 'likely come back' with y»u." "Indeed?" •' "Yes, and f was sincerely hoping that T should turn out to be wrong. It'is very absurd.. I diare Say, but—well, you haven't given me a very favourable impression of him. you know.'' . "Evidently not. But [have rarely mentioned hiim.'.' "Ah, that is the very reason! If you had liked 'liim you won Id have talked nvore about him'. But if he is such a dreadful isiitn pie ton. as ynu say he is, of course you. oan't -rare about him much." % "T don't think T .said jw>!" "Why, yes, you did! You mustrememlver. And I couldn't possibly have known that lie was a simpleton unless you had told me so. Now could IP" She was very triumphant over this, find then ■.suSbs-Lded into- compassion. I "He nni.it be % terrible disappoint- ' ine.nt to Mr Oluidburn, though." "Er—possibly. But. as far as T can .judge, 'lie appears to h* tolerably satisfied with liim." "He is his father, and it is natural, T suppose!" She gave a shrug expressive of pitying iiuiuLgeneo for the 'folly of fathers. "Weil. I am very glad tliat I wars mistaken, ar.d that he

"Joke? Tragedy! Is ' there anything more calculated to lacerate the feelings than an encounter, after ft dozen years of so, with one's- first love —especially when, at a modest computation, you discover that there is at least half as uracil again of her as there used to he? I assure you that until T saw her I n&vor gave myself credit for having loved so extensively!" "A dozen years?" Her big hmvn eyes were wider than ever. "Why, you must have been a boy!" (To be Continued.)