Lady Marjorie's Love

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 1 May 1913, Page 2

Lady Marjorie's Love

(OUR SERIAL

By Carl Swerdna Author of "To Fw-th-ing," "A Mere Ceremony," "A Fight for Hono or," Etc. '

CHAPTKR XXX.—Continued. j "Indeed: 1 " Something of conster- 1 nation showed iitseli in Mr Chadburn s voice quit? as plainly us in his face. "May J—may I ask with what object, Lady Marlingford:'" "1 suppose with the idea that your influence witli Mr Harrington may induce him to withdraw. It is very ridiculous, tor you would naturally de- , cline to interfere, and it is most ri- • dictilous and imprudent as for as she herself is concerned, for penniless girls are by no means sought after in these prosaic days, and Marjorio is really a must difficult girl to manage. But the dowager—" The countess' tone changed. "Ah, heie•silo comes! Oh, p>*?y wait, Mr Childburn! I .shall have much pleasure m presenting you to her, I assure you." The dowager was indeed coming; her stick tapped smartly on the stairs with sharp little emphatic thumps; from the window there came an indifferent 1 v suppressed gurglo of ; laughter. Whether tlic entrapped and helpless Mr Chadburn would have j made a desperatie attempt to retreat I was again something that was known only to himself. Any idea which he might have ontertamed in that direction was frustrated before the advancing dowager reached the bottom of the staircase. A foptman appeared and approached the countess, looking from her to her companion with some doubt, as though wondering whom lie (should address. Naturally the ladv was the readier, and she spoke first. "What is wanted, Baxter A visitor ?" "Yes, my. lady. A—a gentleman wishes to see Mr Chadburn." "Indeed?" Her ladyship glanced round with a smile. "Already?" she said. "Evidently people are anxious tp welcome the new master of Castle." Marling, but what an awkward time to choose! I presume you are expecting no one,, Mr Chadburn ? "Certainly not! No one knows lam here that lam aware of—as yon know, I had not intended to leave London until next week." He look- ; ed at the man. "Did the gentleman j give you any name?" lie asked. ° "The—the gentleman did. not men-. tion any name, sir." The footman, • being obviously embarrassed, coughed j delicately to hi do it. "The gentleman said, sir, that lie would be. great- | ly obliged if you would see him. It is most important business." i "Important business?" Mr Ch,*;dlmrn frowned. "Don't know what it can be —better see him, I suppose! Ha-e I your leave, Lady Marlingford? Thank you! Show him in!" The footman retreated. > In a f'_ seconds lie, reappeared, ushering in the visitor from the outer hall. As. his face and figure became plainly visible in the jfght of the lamps, Marjorie uttered an exclamation so sharp and loud in its .startled astonishment that it turned, all eyes in her direction. Even the dowager, pausing on the stairs, turned ard glared that waf, too. In her amazement the girl did not notice the sudden, quick tightening of her lover's arm about her, for the entering figure was that of no less a person than Mr Tom Jocelyn! .

ORAPTER XXXI. Mr Tom Joeelyn, bag, bluff, florid, important, so overpowering]? large and overbearing that- he entirely cast into shadow and overwhelmed the smaller, quieter figure that followed him, -walked sloivly into the hall. Of all the surprised eyes there only Barrington's clearly made, out this second visitor. Marjorie heard the short, odd laugh he gave, and, glancing up, isaw in liis face a change as odd. But beyond advancing a pace with her, though not far enough to' join the group at the foot of the staircase, he did nothing but take her hand and place it within his arm. Mr Ohnd'burn, astonished at the appearance of a person he had never set eyes on before, stared and said nothing; the dowager on the stairs adjusted her spectacles,; the countess, looking from one to the other, suffered her carefully set. smile to die away in perplexity. Jooelyn, .shooting one quick glance about him, advanced and i addressed her. ■ I "Beg pardonVl'm sure, Lady Marlingford—don't wish to intrude on you, of course—but, knowing that Mr Chadburn was here, I thought that the sooner I came, the better, as what I've got to say won't very well bear keeping." . He was loud, confident, dictorial; all that was commonly unpleasant in his maimer was accentuated. The counter made a movement with her hand. . ' "This gentleman is Mr Chadburn," she said. "Oh yes—know that! I've seen him before! In fact, I should have called upon him in town, hut that he .left to-day unexpectedly." Instead 'of looking at Mr Chadburn, he obstinately kept his eyas upon the countess, and just as obstinately persisted in addressing her. "As for what I've got to say to Mr Chadburn, that pretty well depends upon what he says to me. He may not know about this business, and he may—that's for him to say. At -any rate, I've got a -\uty to do, and I came here to do it." ' _ I "You are uncommonly obliging, ' sir!" Mr Chadburn, yvith a short laugh and advancing a pace, took upon himself to reply before the countess could do so. "No doubt I ought, to be greatly indebted to you for this art of duty, whatever it may be, but, a<s at present I don't know what it is, and don't know von, might I ask you, Lady Marlingford, to kind.

lv oblige mo witJi the name . J * "With pleasure. Mr Tom Jocelyn, of the Holt, a near neighbour," said the countess graciously. "Oh!" Mr Chacl'bum swung round and glanced in Harrington's direction. "Why, this must be the fellow you knocked down, eh, my boy?" "Yes!" He smiled, and patted the hand upon his arm in response to her involuntary tightening. "That's the fellow, sir!'' "Of counse —of course!" With twinkling eyes Mr Chadburn turned round upon Jocelvn again. "Well, Mr Jocelyn, all that T know of you at present beyond your name is that you took advantage of a. vo.ung lady's 'helplessness to insult her and get knocked down for your pains. Perhaps you'll be good enough to come . to this important business of yours as soon as vou can" "Insult, her!" Jocelyn shouted, clenching his b:g fists and turning purple. "Hang it, that's a good one, that is! I didn't insult her half so' much as that prize-fighting -scamp that's beside her now, and that knocked ray tooth out. confound him! Look here, Ladv Marlingford, I've known for two or three weeks now that that fellow there has had the cheek to make up to Lady Marjorie, but-, beyond thinking it cheek. I didn't tliink anything, never supposing that she'd be such a little fool as to look at him. But now, quite by accident, as one may say, what do I find out? Why, that he's a fraud, a cheat, an imnoster, and what's more, I've ,got here with me the man that can prove it! f don't know who hj« is—perhaps Mr Chadburn can say—hut his name's no more Barrington than mine is!" The dowager glaring on the stairs, uttered a shrill, staccato scream, the countess an exclamation, Marjorie a scared, incredulous cry. She did not see the figure that quietlv advanced into 1 the light; had she done so she would have re-cognised it ius that of Mr George who had paid, that short visit to Castle Marling a week or two before. Her ©yes were on her lover's face, frightened, unbelieving. An cod as evpr, and keeping her hand, he' looked at the other, and nodded. "All right, old boy!?' he said tranquilly. "I should have sloughed your skin for good jo, apother and been Uncommonly glad to do it, for I've found it an awfully tight fit more than onye! As it is, allow me to hand you back your name and your Joan!" He laughed, and looked at the count ess and the petrified old figure which, stood staring above her, "Mr Jocelyn is perfectly correct, Lady Marlingford. While lam prepared to offer you the fullest apologies, I confess that lam an impostor. Barrington is the name of a very good fellow, for it is the name of my friend here, but it cerfcainlv is not mine!" '' Not your name P Good heavens!'' cried the countess. Genuine amazement and consternation were in her face ag she looked! from one to j;ho other. "Mr Cbadbum, can it be that you knew of this extraordinary deception —that you connived at it?" "Oh, yes. your ladyship! I did | know it, and I did connive at it. The. I young rascal's been masquerading un- ; I der false colours ever fiince he has I been here—he has been deceiving | everybody, and lie hap been* going. I ~al)out und«r. • his friend .BarHngton's | name. How* do you do, Barrington ? | Glad to see vou, my dear fellow!" The old man laughed with twinkling I eyes, and, stepping back, put his hand upon the young man's .shoulder. "Yes he's an importer sure enough. Lady Marlingford. but we shouldn't have needed the help of that blustering gentleman over there, to tell you «o. He's an imposter, it's true, but T hope you won't find it out of vour power to forgive him .for that, for he is also my son, Gerard Barrington!" "Your son?" cried the countess. "Your «on! Impossible!" "Quite possible. I assure your ladyship—my only son. I've been intimately acquainted with him for about nine-and-twenty years, and I think I may venture to sav that I'm pretty sure of him!" With another laugh Mr Chadburn dropped his hand and,, glanced across at Mr Tom Jocelyn. That disconcerted gentleman, with a, purple face*/ staring eyes, and open # mouth, presented a spectacle ciently ridiculous. "As for you," I young man, as I consider your presence here an insult to the young ladv who will soon be my daughter, I shall feel obliged if von will l>e good enough to take younself off," he said quietly. "Jim, my boy, if he doesn't seem disposed to go, and yon don't feel inclined to turn him out yourself. I think you'll find a footman, or two about." (To be Continued.)