CHAPTER LIX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2093, 5 December 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER LIX.

LOUD CAIWDAU'/'J IU'.TUiIN, Duting Lho whole of bis journey to London Lord Camdalo was thinking of bin young wife Tho sweet aud gentle worda of that Iftter J hauntad him ; the fair young faco, with its uad eyca, haunted him ; the gentle, loving manner, he could not forgot them. He said to himself that no man had ever j been ao loved, that such lovo wa-i a treasure greater than tho whole world held, that no one would e\tr again care for him as she did. Then ho wondered at finding that his thoughts were all with Ailie. '• It h beeaubo she loves mo co much," he thought, "ao very much. I wish to Heaven it had all been different." He wondered what would happen, even now supposing that he loved his young wife, and meant to cling to her, what conlil bo the moat that would huppen ? nia father and mother would bo most terribly grioved and disappointed ; his mother, who vms the proudest of women, wouM certainly never content to speak to him ngain. Hiß lather could not disinherit him — he must, some day or other, be Earl of Kosenoath, but it was in the earl'n power to doprivo him of somo part of his inhcritanca ; ho vrould have cared htllo for that if he had loved her. Then h^ could never, at leadt during hio life-time of hia parents return horne — he would have to remain an exile from tn> country, his friends and all uiosl dear to him; still, ifhehadlovsd her he would not have minded that. Then he iourcc! himself with a sensation of wonder. ' What did it; all mean ? Why was he haunted by Aihe'o faco, and Ailio's v^ioe, and the thoughts of Ailie? It v/aa Lady Ethel whom he loved. Then the train stopped ; hfl had reached London, and was haU •"•."•'"tied to find that dur ing the whole journey lie had only thought of one thing — and it w Ailie. Ho went toil no. el and took breakfaet, thoriheprepe.ii" \ ' ruself attho HorooGuarda It was a mcro uitio that he waa wanted for after nil. A court martial was bsing held on one of tho inferior oifieera of his ngim^Dt, and somo facts that he alone could furnißh were required at once. Ha found that he could cusily return home on tho morrow. What should ho eivy to Ailie ? 11 Quo would imagine," he thought to hirnaelf, " that J was tho most vacillating man living, yet I never remember in nil my life to have been undeoided in any other matter." He did not maho the inquiry about which he bad felt such keen anxiety, whether a separation oould bo legally obtained or not — the lawyer he had iutended to consult was not in town, and be would not go to a stranger. So he returned homo without having raado any attempt to filciir the doubfc. He ptcttmd to himcelf how pleased Ailio would bo to see him —how her face would brighten and soften, oven though blio should apeak no word— how, if Hhe found an opportunity, ehe would welcome him with mptme, notwithstanding the little note. And Lady Ethel— she would be pleased too ; but tho case was so different. It was neatly sunset on the dtt> following when he reached home. Tho wcaWn «!ty warf all atlaino, und the tall toweia of tho grand old Abbey gleamed fiery red in the light of the aottinj nun. It was a beuutiful ovoniug; from the 0001, shady woods came the Bound i of the birds Binf;i/'g their vesper hymn ; tho flowers eecmed to be distilling all their sweetness ; ho heard the pretty, musical cry of the ling-dove, the call of tho mother birds, and a great sense of peace stole over his heart.

ThTe on the wontcvn terraca, whora tvo rights wine 5 hi lia'l Mixvl v/aihne for Ailir, Lady Rthd sat, lucking met lovely in the lig it of thf rrtli/V,' tint. B!,o oj'tt. j from h^t mm wb.n ahe saw him and hft'jtoi'Pi] to him. "liT,l not know that you expected home to Any," nhe said, as sho held ont both her handij in kindly f/rpotirif;. " Have I returner! too soon ? ' he cukccl, laughingly. " That would bo difficult," hbM Jiaty Ethel. Ho looked at the bountiful ffise, liatfninpr to the clear, swret voire, and then asked bimaolf did he rc-nlly lnve her "bt-tter than <k\l the world bf sides? Did he rpfilly lore her better than that fa ? r young wife who wan ready to die for liim ? Which shovra the old adage is true, that love must win love. Lady Ethel walked up and down thg loop; terrace with him ; they diflouflsod hia London journey, the oourt martial, mauy other Httlo topics of intoreßt, but it never once ooonrred tn Larly Ethel to tell him that MUs Darwent hud gone away. Ailie Doiwent never once camp into her thoughts. The dinner-bell was ringing when they entered the house, and the countess, who s«w thorn together, suddenly reoovered ber pood humor. It looked well, she thought, thnt Lady Btkal should hare been the first to sco him; it looked as though there was some kind of understanding between them, and now that that wretched girl was out of the way, who knew what might happen. So the oountesa was more amiablo than usual ; nho nppko very kindly to her son, and made up her mind to defer until the mornany explanation about Miss Dprwant. It struck Lord Carsdale that there was Hometfaing of subdued and plea'surnblo excitement among the different members of the family. Lady Waldrdvo looked pleased and amiable; the earl Boomed highly delighted. It seemed to htm, too, that Lady Gertrude looked younger, happier, and better than he had seen her look for some time. " Has anything happened ? " ho asked Lady Ethel. She looked at him with smiling eyes. j "I dwe not tell any secrets," she repliod. " Ask Lady Gevtrude." Ho crosf od the room to whero'hia sister was , sitting. Looking at her, be felt sure that hie Conviction was a true one— that the looked younger, happier and bottor. "Gnrtie," he asked, in a kindly voice, " what baa happened, my dear ? You look different. You look better,than I huvo I'cen you look for years." And Lady Gertruda, whofo faco was generally impaßsive and calm as that of a statue, positively looked np at him with a blush on her face, and a light in her eyes that made hfr look quito young. "What hag happened, Gsrtto?" ha repeated, vvonderiugly. " You had better ask m&innin,' 1 sho replied. And he laughed at the words. " That sounds as though I had inftdo jou an offer of marriaga," he replied. Still ho felt cuviouh, and he orossed the room to where Lady Waldrove sat with a vary oomplaoent smile on her face. She wa? talking to Lady Legard; and Lord Cnrßdhlo, looking at that lady, paid, goatly : " Lady La^ard, will you be so very kind as to grant me five minutes tetc-a Ute v>ith my mother?" Sue complied laugbjnqly, and he ?at down by his mother's aide. Suddenly it occurred to him it was very strange that'hft had not seen Ailie; she was sometimes absent from the dinner-table, but even when that wns the case she always appeared in the drawingroom in tbo evening ; now he saw and heard nothing of her.. Because of his sell-oonooioua-ness, he dare not ask .about her ; it would have been easy to have said—" How ii Jliss Derwent?" — but ho could not do it. Sho would surely oome down presently— unless, indeed, ehe were ill, and, knowing what that letter must have cost her, he felt that he should not bo surprised to learn that sho who really ill. " Is anyone ill in the house, mother?" ho n,cl.pd, suddenly. Litdy Waldrove looked ntnrtled. "What a stmnpa question, Tivian. No ono that I know about. I have not heard even po much as a headache mentioned. Why do you ask?" " I cannot tell— the qjc-Jion occurred to roe ; and now 1 hava another ono to anV. Whit is ths meaning of tbn unusual good j hunuotir?" Lady Waldrove lauphed. "Has not Lady Eshcl told you?" she asked. " Lady Ethel lias told mo nothing," he replied ; " but I sco for myself that Homething veiy p'casant has occurred." "You are right, my dear boy," onid tho countess ; " something to pleasant, that I cau hardly believe in my goo I fortune. I begin to tbink that I am one of l^o moet fortunate of mothers." 11 1 am rejoioed to hear it," ho said; "but what is your ne\ro, mother? It concerns Gertrude, I know, for she looks bo happy about it." "It doos conwrn Gertrude ; and thin is tbe [ news — that Lord Rawdon hag written and | askod her to be his wife." 11 Lord Rawdon ! " he cried. " Why, I thought ha went abroad years ago." 11 Ffo has been in Greece for the last three yearp," said Lady Waldrove. "You know that, before your sister's marriaga, I used to fancy there was a liking for oach other ; but be went abroad Vithont saying anything. Now tho first thing that he does, on returning to England, te to propoao for hor."

(To bfl continued.")