Men Were. Deceivers Ever.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1042, 16 July 1904, Page 4

Men Were. Deceivers Ever.

CHAPTER VIIi

BY EDITH FRANCIS

" You will follow iuo to my study,' Alino," ho said etifily. " I have something of importune# to say to you," Through the dark hours of the night tho girl hud shod many .1 bitter tear, but how could sho ruin tho happinoss of hor father in his love for a woman. And thon, in spito of all, it was bo hard to givo up Neil. Sho never denied this to herself, Still, this did not inlluonco her muoh, for sho folt that this passion would Burely dio now sbo knew Ins perfidy. It was family prido ancFjiity for her father that turned (tho scale in favour of self' aaorifico. And now the moment was como when out of hor own lips sho must confess to modesty I The baronet wore his sternest look. Hb had, of course, beon intensely gratified to find his first suspicions false, but ho like his daughter, had family pride, and smarted to feel that Aline could have beon guilty of such oonluot. Besidos, ho hud a'l along chorishcd tho hope, the determination, of mnrryin',' hor to his nophew, Jack, auc ho by no means desired Neil Denton as a son in law. Howovor, tbore was no other way that ho oould see, and ho bent his shaggy blows, and looked like a surly, vicious doj at his daughter, " Alino, how comes it that yon have gone against tuy will in tho mattor of youi marriigo?" said. "You need not put yoursoli to shamo by any falsehood or explanation, I myself saw you clasped in Captain Denton's arms, and hoard tin sound of the partiug ltiss you gave him as you fled at my approach, You soem ti have forgotten that a St, Olaro has livoi at the Abbey ever siuco it was gifted to ut in tho days of Henry the Eighth. Have you ontirely forgotteu your birth'? (iirl, will nothing, I say, bring a blush to you 1 cheek." 11 And is it only to scold me that yoi have brought me here" tho girl answcrc< calmly, but with a face white as snow " What can I say except to confoß3 ffi fault?" The baronet swore lustily. " Why, you piece of mock modesty I he cried, " you have not the common do cency to deny your shame I Well, yo shall havo your wish, and becorno th wife, the honest wife of the man you dot upon. At twolve o'clock I shall send for you to meet this captain, so that lie, before your eyes, may ask my consent to his marriage with you. There I You may go and know thai to satiifv yoursolfish love I your father havo to stifle tbe great pride 1 huvo in my honse, and give up tho thought of seeing you tho wife of yonr cousin, He glared at her as if asking if she had nothing to nay nothing to plead, At that moment so strong was his rage that he was disappointed sho nover attempted an excuse. I Sho was having the best of him after all for had he not been forced by hor to givo , hor to tho man she loved. But the girl simply bowed hor head j and with the jatno calm look upon her ; faco as she had worn throughout the interview, replied' "At twolve o'clock I shall bo roady if yon sond for mo." Sho waited for a momont, and then, as vu father rcur.incd silent—perhaps h o r .id not siWitk again-quiotly tinio) and loft tho loom, . Tho tloor seemed to imaii.l fail like a boat at sea as she mucle her way to the i drawing-room, where sho sink on to n chair and lot her hand fail on tho lablo. The clock tbked, on and struck tho quartor and half-hour, but sho never moved. She had supported the drraded scene with her father,sho had said tho words ■ which virtually linked her to Neil, and now hor head seemed as lead, and sho, waited on in a half stusor for the _ second 1 summons, when she, with Neii beside hor, J would have to play out the farce. j At length a servant camointo the room i with a message such as sho expected. | She roso slowly, for she felt stiff in every j limb. Tho servant waited to throw open tho door of tho study and anuounco her, Noil was standing by the writing tabic and mechanically sho took her place be* lide him, opposite her father. His voice came to her ear mufilod as if by a thick sea mist or fog. A word sho caught hero and there, bat her souses wero nearly numbed. At length Noil Donton took her hand in his and kissed her clioelt, Then, (or tho first time, a scarlet blush auffuaod her cheek and neck, and, with a a little' cry as of pain, she llecl from tho room, to throw herself on hor bed, to writlio in mortal agony and to moan lo herself of tho lost lovo which uovcr could be hers. For sorno hours sho was not disturbed, but presently tho trial came, and she had to dress for dinner. Sho had no wish to givo Sara tho pleat sure of seeing how she suffered, not to oondescend to notice anything that pwsod bi-twofii Sail and hor stepmother. iJ ho must keep up appearances, and that was as far as she felt that she could go. Captain Denton had boon invited to dinner, as was but natural after his formal ongagemont to Aline, Ho came forward now with the confidence of a lover sccuro of the heart of his mistress, und hoped, with much seeming concern, that hor nervous attack had quite pa3sed, Tho girl answered" Yes'' in a listless manner, and then walked across to hor stepmother and soatod herself beside hor on tho sofa. She had some cause to pity this woman, who had been forced by want of money, to marry a man uioro tlnrn twico hor years, and who had fallen in lovo with a man of her own age, whoso charm of munnor Alino knew to her own cost, By this manoeuvre sho foiled Noil Denton.'imd when dinner was announced, of course, bo had to ofTe; his arm lo his hostess. It was not until late in tho evening that ho caught hor for a moment iiiono, Iho two ladies and ho had boen standing in the conservatory, which was lighted with Chiueso lanterns, when Sir Godfroy's voice came to them calling Sara, 'The latter had scarcely disappeared through tho loopcdfback curtains wlion Noil cngorly turned to Alino, " Yon must hato me," ho said. You havo overy right to do so, and I have no exouse to make, I acted lo savo the honour of ono woman, and novcr thought for tho instant of the insult I was indicting ono luith fnirer and purer, But Aline, if you h ive corroded lo this engagement, it has ' en to savo your father pain, and also yuUftre tuo uiuiid, and hr.vo toj noli,. , spirit, to betray a wm an who hr.d pleivle-l with you for mercy. Believe me, when I

ask you to entry on Ihiß—tliiu Jlionest doccption, it is 'or your father, have tranpjjresscd too fur, I toav evor to bo forgiven, but at nil ovonts you shall havo nothing furthor of which to coiuplnin as far as I nui concorned. Lot things go on just na tlioy have been ijoing' To itcop tho bandugo over' your father's eyos I must bo the lover; but it shall bo only in his presence, and novor will T offend yon knowingly. Now, will you allow mo to try and regard mo to try and vcßftin jour friendship if I cannot your love?" Ho had Bpoken more seriously and openly than Alino lmd hoped for. To be continued.)