The Marriage of Celia

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 68, 21 March 1934, Page 17

The Marriage of Celia

By MADGE BARLOW.

Aut&or or —— "Joan Fatrlle's Cross-roads," A "The Black Bretrayal," "Love's Tangle," etc. V

CHAPTER XX.—(Continued.)

Slie was silent, looking at the dark tracery of the trees stripped of their leaves, he at her profile. Little curly wisps of hair beneath her cloche black satin hat tempted him to touch them, dared him to crush his lips to them and

the pale cheek they caressed, but he restrained his mad desires.

"A fresh, beginning in a straDge land gives a chance to retrieve mistakes," he went on softly. "We are both up against ruination, and it would be our chance. In my case, of course" —recollecting that she was ignorant of his financial straits—"l don't mean ruination in a material sense. Yours is different. You are dependent on Lennox. Any day he might go off on an exploring expedition and conveniently forget to provide for you. Out there where there's boundless liberty you and I could scrap the past and find happiness together."

Eagerly lie leant towards her "Please turn," said Celia's muffled voice. "The night breeze is sharp, and it's blow, Jig in my face." Diek turned the car promptly at her request. "I can't have startled you," he proceeded, "not after these intimate weeks which have shown us each other's hearts. Lennox will free you if he's the man lie seems. Think over what I've said, Celia, think earnestly and often. I won't pester you with talk till my plan is ehip-shape and I've converted a bunch of stock into ready cash. It's a big step, dearest, but a step you'd never regret." She gave him a long look, probing, intense; gave him her hand at parting, wordless, marvelling that he should contemplate sacrificing his career for her, casting everything he had gained and stood to gain away from him as though it were a mere speck of dust in the balance. That was a great thing, a most wonderful thing. That was a sacrifice beyond her deserts. That was love magnificent, heedless of old wounding, royally forgiving. Celia's eyes dwelt on Dick mistily, visualising a halo round his head. She did think as he had bidden her. She, who had banished thought, wooed it back to her, braved the ordeal of being alone with herself, with the real self smothered under tinsel trappings, the Celia who delighted in clean, pure atmosphere, implicity of living, the common sweet joys even the poorest may possess, since they are ours without money and without price. This real self asked her the question Dick had asked: "What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" It was still an unanswered question when days shortened, nights drew in, and November fog descended on the city. At the end of six weeks Robert had not sent for her, and the extending of her visit to eight weeks, its overlapping on the third month, perturbed Mrs. Anstruther. To the lady's relief she eventually received from Robert a letter enclosing a cheque for a larger amount than the first, and stating that as his wife seemed to cling to London lie woukl defray future expenses at intervals. "Exceedingly generous of him," Mrs. Anstruther twittered. "No grumbling, not a whimper of protest or a hint your time is up; just a businessliko footing of the bill. I am charmed to keep you, and will write him to that effect. Mentally myopic though she was, Mrs. Anstruther, viewing the matter at close range, pronounced the Lennox marriage "queer." Celia's blood ran cold. It was borne in upon her with a sense of absolute finality that Robert had put her from him as she had put him, would never invite her to come home. Dick guessed there had been a breach, Sanna guessed, soon it would be an open secret, and she had nowhere to hide her humiliated head. The question which haunted her must be answered speedily. Many of her acquaintances were dropped, and she went out less because she wanted leisure to think, but in the twilight hour, watching tho window across the street, thought was clearest. She could not deny Dick access to the house, nor did she wish to. She was gentle with him, broodingly quiet, grateful to him for his loyalty, uncritical of the moral aspect of his scheme in her warm gratitude to one whose attachment had suffered no change. He deprived himself of his evening relaxations if she preferred to be indoors, and was content to sit in her company and Mrs. Anstruther s. Occasionally Celia and ho conveised apart, and she talked of June at Scarcliffe, saying she felt a dozen years older than the June girl; but not once did she mention the rose garden. And Dick forebore to mention Lennox, something in her eves convincing him that the rift had widened. November passed uneventfully. Sanna impatient for rapid developments, took Celia to task, said it was evident even to the bat-eved that she and her husband had had a serious split, and her recent seclusion was raising a perfect babel of gossip. It was untrue. _ flic C ay set had missed her for a few nights, idly speculated as to the cause, and ceased to bother about her, her withdrawal making less stir tlian the ripple created by a pebble thrown into a shal--1 low pool. She reappeared amongst — them and found tliem unexcited, incurious; found Sanna a purveyor of falsehoods and a female Judas, betrayin", and bv her own familiar friends betrayed. The vicious circle was complete. Celia recognised the liollowness of such friendships, their base intßincerity, and felt a scorn too detached to have its root in personal bitterness. Dick's borrowed coin had tricKlea through his fingers like sand. Dcc ™'"S the moment ripe for the last loan which would complete the despoiling of the Israelite, he approached the erstwhile bland usurer, and, to his horror, met harsh refusal, veiled threats of extreme measures pending unless he repaid a] certain portion of the debts mcui 1 ed. | A honeyed tongue and specious promises were of 110 avail. Rushing frantically from the premises on a gloomy afternoon, he cannoned into Major Toicev The violence of the impact knocked off the victim's hat, .and m choice army language the major denounced the outrage. Its furious author A consigned him to perdition. Ihe. next instant his coat lapels were gapped, and he was shaken in a fashion which testified to the aged campaigner s physical fitness. "You'll be there before me, young man " Joicey gasped, his wind unequal to h'is spirit. "You'll go in a deuce oi a hurry, be kicked into it. Is Lennox a stick or a stone, do you imagine? "" ' ; I've seen and heard sufficient to war-

rant interference, and, by jingo, Algernon Joicey will interfere." "You wouldn't be Algernon Joicey u vou didn't," Dick mocked, elbowing him to one side. "I have you to thank for my uncle's enmity. You told tales of me in that quarter, too." "Nothing that everybody didn't know," said the major, retrieving his hat and cramming it on his head. I won't tell him this. I wouldn't injure your business reputation. Your uncle thinks you have sprouted brains, and is rather pleased about it. Brains without stability of character betoken a screw loose somewhere. Far be it from me to draw his attention to that loose screw. I—"

"Oh, clear out of the way, and be hanged to you," Dick roared testily. "You'd jaw the hind leg off a donkey." "I'll teach one donkey to respect rrrey hairs and other men's wives," the major foamed, flourishing his cane. "I advise you to prepare for anything in the shape of violence and sudden happenings, for I declare to you solemnly that Lennox shall hear from me a plain unvarnished talo of rank treachery, and right soon." "Moonshine!" "Is it?" the major leered. "Wait and see." CHAPTER XXI. It was early December, bleak, frostbound. A subscription ball in aid of a deserving charity was being held in the Albert Hall, and the function promised to be a crowded one. Celia was going and, because of the charitable object, Mrs. Anstruther decided to put in a brief appearance. Dick, Sanna, and the Bohemians had all bought tickets, Dick glumbly reflecting that this was his last launch into extravagance.

Celia wore a severely plain white frock devoid of ornament, and no jewel-

lery, only waxen white camellias in her hair and at her bosom. Mrs. Anstruther told her she looked very nice, but her dress didn't suit tho occasion, and she smiled and said it suited her mood. Lamenting that moods were the bane of tho younger generation, the elder lady draped a Shetland wool shawl over her pyramid of snowy hair and blushingly dabbed a modicum of powder on tho tip of her blue-cold nose.

"I wonder," slie murmured, studying tho effect, "what is tho nature of the pressing and unexpected appointment which prevents Mr. Avery from escorting us. Most pressing and unexpected, ho sent word, didn't lie? Since he is to join us in the ballroom we need not delay. I think he has aged terribly in tho past week or two. Don't you? Grown haggard, you know, and quite unlike himself."

"Perhaps ho has something on his mind," replied Celia. "Business affairs, I suppose."

Celia absently said it might be business, but in her heart she attributed Dick's haggardness to his consuming anxiety to learn her decision, to his fear of her decision —she had taken so long a time to do her thinking.

Anxiety and fear he certainly had, though not wholly on her account. Added to the vanished mirage of a ranch in tho golden West, his other causes of despair were empty pockets, the Jew's threats and change of front, Major Joicey's threats, apprehensions of how and when Lennox would attack. On several occasions after the collapse of his airy castles he had tried to confess to Celia, and his recent boastful lies stuck in his throat and choked him.

When Mrs. Anstruther and Celia arrived late Dick was not to be seen,

and they stood watching the dancers and admiring tho decorative effect of] massed chrysanthemums against banks of fern. Sanna chatted with them a while, and amusedly scanned the inexpensive white frock. "If this were a fancy dress romp I'd say you'd got yourself up as Innocence," she jeered. "Not

a bracelet or even a necklace; not a ring except the gold badge of servitude. Darling, you are the perfect guy." "She isn't a guy," bleated Mrs.

Anstruther. "She looks very well indeed, which is more than can be said of you, for you will we/ir green, though you know it gives you a bilious complexion." "If tho face were an index of the mind, Celia would have a bilious complexion outrivalling mine," Sanna tittered, spitefully. "For a marvel lier attendant knight has deserted his post, and in consequence of his desertion she's feeling too limp to dress for anyone else. Oh, hero he is." disappointedly, in the next breath, as Dick was observed struggling towards them through the crowd. "Sorry my appointment detained me," he said, speaking agitatedly and showing traces of acute mental strain. "Miss Percivale, I'll get your aunt a comfortab!o scat where she'll have a good view. Will you and Mrs. Lennox wait there until I place Mrs. Anstruther with a lady able to toll lier who's who and what's what?"

"I won't wait," said Sanna, the instant he led her aunt off on his arm. "Two's company, when the two are you and Dick."

"I'd rather you didn't stay," Celia declared, gravely. "You are not and never were my friend." "I could be a dangerous enemy," Sauna snapped, her eyes pin-points of venom. "Take care lest I harm you.' "You have done your level best to harm me, and failed," Celia retorted, calmly. "I havo flushed with you, Sanna."

(To be continued daily.;