WINNIAN'S LOVERS.

Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 869, 9 December 1893, Page 4

WINNIAN'S LOVERS.

;/ , Chapter V (Continued ) . ; Whatever happened now, even if • .-"she forfeited ail else of her grandfather's property, this much was i certain. Ten thousand pounds came *; to her absolutely and at onco ; Tre- ; yanon Grange was free. :. , « Papa ' (and she turned to him /with a little sob), ' you will take -~' the money, won't you 1 You'll not . refuse me that much.' % I will take it willingly, dear, : and I ehall insuro my life for ten thousand pounds ; then, if I die before I' ha"e lepaid you, I shall : feel your generosity has not wronged ":'- you.' •And Mr Penhurst,' suggested Mrs Trevanon, gently ; ' I think when the iiiorcgage is paid some '•■ one should write to him, and tell him that though we are able unexp ectedly to redeem the estate within the time first named, wo are not ungrateful for his generosity.' ' Well thought of, Lil,' said her husband, cheerfully. , 'I will write myself.' But he never did. When he paid over -his daughter's legacy to Mr Penhur&t's lawyer, he expressed himself most warily regarding the absent soldier, sut he never wroto to him. And he iiad a reason for the omission. When Mr Godolphin, an old gentleman who had been the friend and companion of Lord Netherleigh for more than half acentury, reached the Grange he told Mr Trevanon it was the earl's dying wish that there ■ should be no link between Winnian's past and present. She must take her own mother's name, and be Miss Pane of Castle - Netherleigh From time to time she might . come on visits to her father's house, but she must come there as Winnian Trevauon — in a word, peoplo were ■ to think of Loys Trevanon's daugh- ■:■ ter as quite a different person from . ; Miss Pane. • The heireso was to make her home chiefly at the Castle, and to ' make no new friend 3 until she was twenty-one, except those presented to her by her guardian. • This being so, Mr Trevanon was ''; certainly wise not to write to Mr ; Penhurst. He could not have written to him without telling whence he derived his fortune. To tell that would be to .reveal his child's identity with Lord Netherleigh's heiress. .: . . . ' And you are really going to New Zealand without me V said Winnian, regretfully. 'Mother, I wouldn't : have believed it of you.' •Dear, how can we take you? You are a. great heiress now !' 'Ami?' . 'Surely' -,•'-' I don't know. What are these - extraordinary conditions Mr Godolphin won't explain to ns ?' Mrs Trevanon had received ft hint not to be communicative on this point. In truth, she knew very . little. herself. ■ .'Your father says they are most . natural and very easy to yield- to. I hope you will be able to comply with them, Winnie. You see it 1 . would be such a pleasure to come f< back and find you lady of Castle ONTetherleigh.' Winnie sighed. -.. • 'What is it, dear?' ■ ' I used to wish something would . happen. Three months ago I did .not even suspect Mr Dugdale's proposal.'Since ,then events 6eem to have come upon us iv a kind of heap. I feel almost overwhelmed.' ' There is no need, dear.' •And. lam to lose you. That is worst of all.' - ' Not to lose us, dear. In five , years we shall return to live at ;he Grange jto make it what it has never been -'-before"— an easeful home.' ' And I may come to .you theni' • Surely. Only Winnie, I think • that long before that the news will 'come to me in my distant home ■'• that you have chosen someone to • fill the place in your'heait that Mr Dugdale coveted.' •It won't.' • You are still a foe to thoughts .of love and marriage. It seems strange at your age, dear.' 'I can't help it,' said Winnie, almost pettishly for her. I will never marry any man unless I love him.' • No one wishes that, dear.' ' And I shall never love anyone at all.' - « We shall see.' Winnie might well say events followed on each other thick and fast. Before she had at all recovered tho'/newß of her inheritance, the date of her father's departure was fixed. He had taken passages for himself and family in the good ship &rgus ; Winnian would go with them to Plymouth and be with the dear ones to the last. Naturally ' the few acquaintances they had in Dorrington, who had heard nothing of the girls heiress-ship, setting her : leave with the rest, were under tlie belief she was going 'to New Zealand. This was just what Mr God\olphin wished ; he joined the party in London, accompanied them to Plymouth, and soothed Winnie's giief, then she and he were left alone watching the retreating vessel, as kindly as her own father could have done. • It is but a little slice out of your life, child,' he said, kindly, when they had reached the hotel. ' What are five years after all V ' But it will never be the same again,' sobbed Winnie. ' They may come back, but it will be different. We can't all belong to each other as one family again.' ' Mrs Trevanon will love you all her life, I am very sure.' ' But five years — they must alter ÜB.' 'We will try to make ( it pass happily for you. Indeed, Wiunian, for your mother's sake, we 1 must - havo loved her child, even had she been other than she is.' • And being what she is V ■■>. -'We-love her for herself.' • Its very good of you. Mr Godolphin, what is Castle Netherleigh line V • ' ' •-" • The picture of an English home. -tXou will learn to love it dearly.' To lie fontinwd)