OUR SERIAL STORY HER DEAREST WISH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 131, 19 May 1911, Page 9

OUR SERIAL STORY HER DEAREST WISH.

(Continued.) Laxly 1 errulal-o was short-sighted. ! Lady R;d,.->rongh put tip her eyej glasses mu I surveyed. Dec; ma and her | male companion. i “No; thia<t is young ILlmiiister," she ' anoweired. | I here was a cert am significance in | her tone, aaid Lady Ferndale glanced I as het. j “Wha.t a. sweet girl she is!” she ■ said, miiOngly. “Now. 1 really don’t j think any of us were quite so lovely i as she is," .she -added. I *’l suppose she is; oh, yes, of course I she is. as - ented Lady Roborough.; ) “but to tell you the truth, 1 never ! think of her prettiness when 1 am | with her; there i.s something about | her that 'passeth thow,’ as out friend J Hamlet soys.” “1 know, said Lady Ferndale. “She iacmates me, and 1 quii<to sympathdise with Edward: indeed, I'm rather more in love witJi her than ho is.” “And yet.” continued' Lady Robo rough, still looking towards Decima, “there a.ro girls who are as beautiful, and certainly mo.ro clever and accomplished. For instance, you scarcely ever hear her say any tilling brilliant or witty—” “1 don't know tliat I particularly care for brilliant or witty girds,” interpolated Lady Ferndale. “ —And. she has few accomplish--1 ment-s. Her cha.r-m is a nameless one, |or difficult to descrilie. Do you think | it .is her goodness?'' she asked, doubtfully. Sometimes I tliiavk it is; she is awfully good; arid you know she was Lady Pauline’s ward or charge. And yet there isn't a trace of tire Pliiarisee in her.” “Perhaps it's her gentleness." suggested Early Ferndale. “So lew girls have that, nowadays. I'm afraid it’s rath,tv imfashioiKiblc. Girls like to be thought fast and ‘smart'—dear me, how 1 Inat-e the word!—and ore sisliamied of possessing that- inconvenient thing, a. heart. Sonic-times I'm imclined to think that in the next generation or two it will only lie. the men i who will be capable of the 'emotions. • Now, Deciina Deane is like a sensitive leaf.”' “Toti sensitive. I'm afraid," said Lady Roborough. “Ah, yes; and yet how admirably sell'-cont'ained and seif-posse-sed she is! I like to sit and watch her face; it- is -like a mirror, and yet so grave and calm. and—what do you call itr —not i. n] > a ss. v e —ln it—- “ Ail serene.” suggested Robo rough. .Ladv FrTnd:ale laughed. I '

"That sound.-, like slang!" she. snld. “But I see yon know what, i im-.-hi. She looks to mo Eke one of those rare 'dies, which have stood t!:e strain of wind and rain. and. though the.v mill stand erect, show something of the ordeal through which thev have ixi.-e--cd.” “There is untiring faded about on-r lily, though,” affirmed Lady Roborough. “S’ho is still a. girl, and as fresh as a. newly-opened hhissom.” “Yes. Is she quite well now?”' asked Lady Ferndale. “She was so very ill. and looked so paie and fra.il for so long. that. I began to fear the lily would not hold tip it.s head again. ’' “She is better; quite well. I think. She is really very strong; indeed, she must be. or she would not. have pulled through.. She is playing tennis just now ; a. hard game, and she was on the wanning side.” “ I wonder she has not married," said Lady Ferndao. “I am glad her engagement with that man, Mr Jlershon, was broken off. What has becomrol' him, do you know?” Lady Roborough shook her head. “ao; he left the Firs more than a. year ago. It is for sale, as you know. 1 don’t know what has become of him, but I think I heard that he had settled in some place on the Continent. Yes.” she uen.t on. after a. pause, “it is strange that Decinra does not marry. She has had one or two offers tinning the last- twelve months, 1 know, though slmi ■ — you know her—of course, has mot told me of them.” “And there wall bo a third directly." said Lady Fernd-ale. “That as Ixn-d lllniiuster with her. is it not?”

“Y<->. Oh, yvs; he will propose to her. Ho is dying to do so. for he is very nnwh in love w-ith 'her. It is an open secret-: indeed, he has told me, mud has asked me to help him ; but 1. declined. Docima is not likemost girls, and one feels that one would be treading on very deliicatc ground if one ventured t-o play the part- of match-maker with her.’’ Ladv Ferndale nodded. sympathetically. ‘ “I should not like to I could not. Do you think she w-ill accept binir" “I—don't know. Some::m-es I think ■she may. at others 1 think not." “That's very mm-eimim.ttm, my dear." r<-<pond<d J/.dy rermiale. ?. ith a smile. “It expresses what I f-el exactly. But Deci ma. without mi.iumg it, of course—for -lie fs simp lent y itself—is rather deceptive. 1-or instance, sonictim-e.s she w:i! L'* cuit-f —quite frierid'y to Lord Illmmster. and he will go about looking as nappy as a sand-boy : mid presently he will come to me and make d-mmoim ng.an. and complain, that Miss Deane has cither pa.al him in the ro.id w-t-h a. cold bow. or answered him -o ab-umtiy anti with such a yre-miumed. dreamy manner that he i-» sure there ;S no hope for him." “Poor fvil-ow! How I yiiity him! Imagine being really m ivw with De<>iin Deane! How a nan would suffer I”

“Oh. he suffers badly enough.” as- ! seated Early Rohorougli. placidly. I “But I don't feel for him so much. | I think of Deeiina. I want her to ! bo happy." “_\iid she is not now.” Lady Re borough looked doubtful and rather sud. “I—don t know. I'm afraid not. That, absent, drea-iny look which makes poor Lord lllminster so wretched is too often on her face. It comes quite suddenly, just after she lias be<-n. talking and laughing quite brightly, as it' she had suddenly remembered something. The expression passes quickly enough sometimes, but it has been there, and one cannot forget it." ‘ ‘ Was n.’ t-—wasn' t there something between her and I.ord Gaunt?" said Lady Ferndale, hesitatingly, and in a low voice. “I don't know. They were very much together. She helped him iai tlie village ; indeed, all the great improvements— But you know all about that as well as I do. But Lord Gaunt was so much older, and was i married—though we did not know it. j Oh. no; there was nothing. Hew | could there be?” i “There was sonnet hin>g said, hinted, { at tlio trial.” “Oh, no. She chanced to call upon her brother when Lord Gaunt went to his rooms that night. There was some suggestion, some hint of a love affair between them, but it must have been groundless. Otherwise, why is ho not here ?’ ’ "Yes; nothing bias been seen of him since the trial,” remarked Lady Ferndale. “No,” said Lady Roborough. “He is abroad, in Africa ; one reads alxmt him every now and then. I don’t suppose be will ever come back to England.” “So Edward says. What a pity it is that a place bike Ix-afmore should be shut up. There seems a Fate in I it. Now, I pity Lord Gaunt. I liked j him so much.” I

“So did we all, arid we all pity him,” chimed in Lady Roborough, with, a, sigh. “But what will you? There is one great mistake which a man can commit—an unfortunate marriage; and he never can dodge tho consequences. It is the one piece of loll;' which is always attended by its Nemesis.” “Poor Ixird Gaunt! And D.ecima lives all atom- with her lather. Lady Pauline has gone, has she not?” “Oh. yes; some time ago. Yes, she ■ is alone with -lier father. Her bro-I tiler is at Sandhurst, lie passed last; Al arch. He worked terribly hard, | and won his way back into all our hearts before ho left.” [

“It must be a great responsibility for her.” said Lady Fcrncale. “Air Deane is more-—more absorbed in lias lad., than ever, isn't ho? 1 saw him o,nce for a few minutes once when 1 called, and I. think he was .scarcely cons.anus of my piresence.”

“Yes. it is a great responsibility.” said Lady lloburough. “But Docima. is not the girl to :-'i'rk it. No daughter could be more loving and devoted.”

“Al'hat a. xs.ife some h-a-ppy man will | have! 1 Im-pH 1k» yvsll be Lord 111- | minster; lie is a line young fello-w, j ami it would bo a good match.” i “ilush. she is coming!” exclaimed , Lady Ro'tMjiroiTgh. warn-ingly, as De- ; ci ma. name across the Lawn, with her i racket in her band. “Well, my dear, what have yon done with Ixird 111- ; minster?" asked the old lady. “Come : into tire shade.” She took Decima’s Ira ml and drew her into tiro chair i beside her, and kept, the small hand j and patted it caressingly: every one j felt a strong temptation to pat and I caress the girl. “Lord llimimier has gone to play i tennis,” said Deeima. “I was down • for the set; but I felt rather tired, I and knew he would lose if I played, ■' so 1 asked him to get a stronger I partner.” I •‘For which he was very grateful, i I'm sure,” remarked her ladyship, 1 drily. ! “Oh, yes.” said Deeima. innceenG ; |y. “He plays so well, and it- would > have been a piity to make bim lose tho set.”

“Yes. a. great pity,” assented Lady Roborough. as drily as before. “AYill you have some tea, my dear?” She looked round for one of the neat maidservants who were in attendance, butDecinra rose.

“I’ll get a cup. And may I bring some for you and I.adv Ferndale?” “Isn’t that like her!’’ said the old lady, when Dec-uno. was out of hearing. “You can never by -a;ny chance tempt- her to think of herself only.— Thank yon, my dear,” as Decima came back, with the maid bearing the tray. “And have you been enjoying you itself ?”

“Yes, very much.” said Decima-, with her soft, bright smile. “It is so lovely here, and every one is sohappy that it makes one happy just to be with them. And I have been on the lake.” “Yes? Wlio rowed von. dear?” “Lord 111 minster." said Decima, as innocently and unconsciously as before. “And I played two sets; and Lord lUminst er tried to teach mo howls: but I was very stupid and a wk ward. “Ye> ?_ I hope he wasn’t angry.” “Angry? Lord 1 Hminster !” Deeiina laughed. “Oh, no; I don’t think Im could lie; he is al ways so patient and kind.” The two older women exchanged glances; but Lady Rnhorough shook her head slightly. She was too much a woman of the ■world not to know that when a young girl is in love with a man she is not given to—open —praise of him. “And when did you hear from your brother. Decima?” asked Lady Reborn ugh. changing the subject with susp.icions abruptness. Deeima’s face lighted up. (To be Continued.)