Leola Dale's Fortune.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 153, 29 June 1903, Page 6

Leola Dale's Fortune.

By CHARLES GARVfOE, Author of "The Maiqme," "Lonrie: or Hollow Gold," etc.

f CHAPTER XXXVIII. (continued). ; '■> "I have been deceived," said Leola. : Mr Kingsley—whom you have i gust left has come back—alone!" J "Alone, yes," said Philip Dyce. "But is that, fact sufficient cause for .such ] $reatm£nt as you are extending to me?" "He lhas come back alone, and he *rent away alone," said • .Leola., her , &cart beating fast. ( Philip Dyce shrugged his shoulders. ' "No one can be more pleased to hear it than am I," he said. "But then " ' "How I have been deceived and misled!" said Leola, passionately. "Not by me," he returned, quickly. R li Cyril Kingsley is innocent then ; tiave we all been deceived and misled. iTou know as much of the matter as 1 tto. Why—why should this affect you so, Leola? You are my affianced wife!" "I Tvas," she murmured, -with bitter feelf-scorn. "And can have no reason to be so affected by Cyril Kingsley's guilt or innocence." "Can I not?" she blazed forth—"can $ not?" "No!" he said. "What is Cyril Kingsley, your servant, to you? If he has been in any -way wronged, let him have Tβfiress. Reinstate him, reward him, compensate him; but do not revenge his ( wrongs on me. who love you better than life itself." Leola's lip curled in scorn, and the fcneer maddened him. "One would think," he said, passionately, "that you had a tender interest in the fellow's welfare." "I have," she said, all the love of a passionate -woman overcoming the timid reserve of a girl — f: I have, for I love him." Philip Dyce started forward, and looked for the moment as if he could kill her where she stood, then he folded his arms, and a bitter sneer pbiyed on his white lips. "You love him?" he said, hoarsely. •■You love this Cyril Kingsley, your servant —this clod!" "King beside you!!" "blazed Leola, (Confronting him. "You are my affianced wife!" he breathed. "No!" she cried. "I am his." • "So be it," he said, burning with mingled rage and scorn. "I cannot be too grateful to you, Miss Dale, for telling me this in time. I shall not stand in the way of Cyril Kingsley; I trust Miss Marsden will be as considerate! Is it possible?" and he laughed with suppressed fury, "that you are serious, or is this some elaborately planned jest?" Then his whole manner changed, and he bent toward her imploringly. "Leola! think—think, I beseech you! I will let these wild words go unheeded, if you will but consider their' import and withdraw them. You tell me that you—you, the foremost woman in the county, the mistress of Lorme, are betrothed to one of your servants? Aj man -who is believed" by all to have run away with another woman? I pray pi" you to consider what these wild words signify " "Spare your entreaties, sir," said i Leoln, -with the caJm of suppressed emotion; "I am not ashamed of my loA r e aior its object. I am ashamed only of my own credulity and the consequences it has produced." "Then," he said, with deadly composure, "I am to understand that it is I ■who am dismissed—that you recall the promise you gave me—that, in a word, you will break your troth and—jilt me for a man who " Leola broke in: ■" "Philip Dyce, I would not be your ■wife though Cyril Kingsley were ten times as false as you have represented him!" "And that is your answer?" he saicJ. I Leola. inclined her head. ' "So be it," said Philip Dyce: "I acBept it." He stood for a moment as if forcing Ida composure. <r Yes," he said, slowly, "I accept it. If," and he looked at her with a malignant smile, "if such wrong as you haA 7 e done me could ever be avenged, the future Jife which awaits you would avenge it. But it is beyond requital or redress." He took Tip his hat and turned towards the door; but, before he could reach it, it was opened, and "Mr Ford entered. "Miss Dale! Miss Dale!" he said, "are you here?" The room wa3 now so 'dark that he could not distinguish her for the moment. "Miss Dale is here, Mr Ford,"' said Philip Dyce, coldly. "Eh—is that you, Mr Dyce?" said Mr Ford; and as he spoke he put his hand behind him, but not before both Philip and Leola had seen that it held a folded parchment. "Yes, it is I," said Philip Dyee, and he held out his hand. Mr Ford came across the room to shake hands, thrusting the parchment into his breast-pocket; then he Leolu, and started. "Mis 3 Leola—they told me you were in your i - oom. I hope you are better?*' "I am quite well, Mr Ford," said Leola. "When did you arrive?" "I arrived a couple of hours since. Why, bles3 me, my dear child, your hand is like fire! Eh, what?" And he scanned Leola's face earnestly, and looked from it to the pale, set face of Philip Dyce. "Has anything happened, eh? Mrs Wetherell told me the news, and I was anxious to congratulate you." Philip Dyee frowned, and Leola. with her lip 3 set hard, broke in constrainedly: "I did not know you were here, Mr ford. Why did they not tell me?" , "I particularly begged that you should not be disturbed, my dear Miss Dale," said he, with his courteous bow. The old gentleman fingered his eyeglasses in evident distress. "What is this? "Pardon my seeming unwarrantable curiosity, Miss Dale, but —but I am an old man, and may eonfees my deep and heartfelt interest in

your welfare. I came expecting to be allowed to congratulate you. I heard from Mrs Wetherell that you and Mr Dyee were betrothed. < ; We were/ said Philip Dyce, gloomi"We are so no longer," said Leola. Mr Ford started, and turned pale; he turned an imploring glance at Leoia, and as he did so his hand unconsciously went up to his breast-pocket. "My dear Miss Dale!—Mr Dyee!" he exclaimed, with emotion, "let me beseech you not to let some trifling variance destroy your mutual happiness! Let me count those words* as idle and meaningless, spoken in heat, and ill-con-sidered. Miss Leola," for Leola had moved nearer to the door, "remain, and permit me to go; I will see you at a later hour. Indeed, I have important business with you, which this quarrel—l am sure it is" only temporary—would seriously complicate. Come!" he said, wiping his forehead, "i am an old man, and should not be deemed presumptuous if I beg, if I implore, of you to allow me to be peacemaker between you." Leola swept past them. "You do not understand," she said, with a swift flush of crimson. "Mr Dyce {and I can *be nothing to each other from henceforth but strangers." "Stop!" cried Mr Ford. "Do not go, I implore you. This—breach musk—l say must be healed! Miss Dale, Mr Dyce, I abjure you solemnly. Let this quarrel end! I have my reasons for putting my request, my prayer, thus strongly!' and again his hand strayed to his breast pocket. "And I," said Leola, "have mine for refusing it," and with a slight inclination of the head she left the room. Mr Ford looked after her, and then fell to pacing the room in great excitement. '•This must end,"' he exclaimed. "It must, it shall end," he repeated, and stopping short in front of Philip Dyce, who leant with folded arms against a chair gloomily. "Philip Dyce, do you know that you are letting the sweetest and rarest treasure in the world slip through your fingers?" Philip Dyee shrugged his shouldere. "What can I do to hold her?" he asked, quietly. "Tell me and I will do it. I came this afternoon aa little expecting and prepared for the change as you yourself could be. I have done nothing to offend her save carry out her own wishes. This fellow, Cyril Kingsley " "Ah." broke in Mr Ford, "that is the point.' She seems to think that he has been hardly treated. I cannot see how. You say he was dismissed-—light enough punishment that. He could not expect to remain! But —but " '•But Miss Dale's interest in him is very warm," said Philip Dyee, with a fierce sneer. The old lawyer scarcely seemed to hear him. "Philip Dyce," he said, "I am old en- , ough to be your father's father, and I know you. * You love this beautiful girl ".» ° "As Heaven is my witness," responded Philip Dyce, hotly.' "Good!" said the old lawyer, solemnly. "You would barter all you have for her love in return?" "All I possess in the world." came the immediate reply. "Good!" repeated Mr Ford, still more solemnly. "Then go to her at once, at once, and regain her goodwill, for tomorrow it may bt too Lite." "What do you mean?" demanded Dyce, with feigned surprise. '"I mean that to-morrow her pride may be enlisted against you, and a barrier may be Taised which you will be powerless to break down. Philip Dyee, I will be candid with you. Mind, before I say a word more, I am her legal adviser; I am on her side, and I will fight you •to the death if there, is a leg to stand i upon!'" "What, in Heaven's name, do you mean?" demanded Philip Dyce. "I will fight for her to the last!" repeated the old man, clutching Philip Dyce's arm in his excitement. "And 1 defy you. Now listen to me. In the iast two hours I have been in the library looking for some papers. I. had to turn out some old drawers, and— and is there any wine in this room f^ "I will get you some wine," said Philip Dyce, quietly, and he rang the bell. A footman brought a decanter of sherry, and the old man drank a glassful almost at a draught. "Now," he said, locking the door after the servant, "I am going to do -that which no other lawyer in the world would do; but, remember, I do it for both your sakes. You say you would give all you possess in the world to , keep Leola?" ; "Everything I possess," said Philip • Dyce. "Good. Then, Philip Dyce, I have . found this in the old bureau in the • study!" and the old man drew the. 1 parchment from his pocket and extended it. Philip Dyoe started at it. : "Well, , he said, in perfectly feigned ! surprise,, "what is it?" "It is Sir Godfrey Lormes' will!" ; "Sir Godfrey's -will!" echoed Philip , Dyce. "Yes—or a forgery!" responded the ! old man, quietly. (To be continued daily.) i ,