WITH ALL HER HEART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11825, 30 November 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

WITH ALL HER HEART.

EY CHARLES GAEVICE. Author of " " At Love's Cost." " Love, tbe Tyrant," "The Shadow of Her Life," "A Heritage of Hate," " Nell of Shorae Mills." "Just a Girl," Etc., Etc.. Etc.

CHAPTER XLIII. Cottce met the doctor driving on the Starborough Road, and panted out her request that he would go to Mrs. Farren's cottage at once; and when he had gone she sank on the bank by the roadside, gasping for breath and covering her face with her hands. She was almost too confused to think, but presently she realised what had happened. Her impersonation of her dead brother, Ronnie, had borne strange fruits. The earl —all the world presently— proclaim her heir to Starborough ! The tears sprang to her eyes as she thought of aJI poor Ronnie had lostshe did not' know that Geoffrey had been recognised, and that his legitimacy had been proved. Ronnie lay there under the Australian pines, and she was in his place. The thought almost drove her mad. She had only one desire: to ca.st aside her boy's clothes for ever, to get back into woman's attire, to be a- woman. With a hot flush of shame she sprang to her feet and hurried down tl»e road, casting fearful glances round her, lest Geoffrey should have come after her. What she should do she did not know. She was alone in her plight. If only Mrs. Sefton were here. At any rate, she could wire for her. She turned aside to the village post office and sent the telegram; " Please come at once.—C." Then she hurried on. She was turning into the lane which led past the Hall gates to Betty's, when she saw Eva coming out from "the drive, and at the sight of her she stopped dead short, with her hand to her heart and breathing painfully. Eva saw her and stopped short too, I hen she hurried towards 'Cottie.

"Bonnie!" she exclained. "When did vou come back? Have vou seen him — Bell?'' Ronnie clung to her hand. "'I am in great trouble! Oh, help me! Take me somewhere. I want, to speak to youl want to tell you— " Come back to the Hall with me," said Eva, still holding her hand, which was hot and trembling. " Where have you been all this time? We have been looking for you

everywhere, and have been terribly aoxioul about you. Mr. Bell *' "Oh. wait, wait until we, get inside, please! pleaded Cottie. Kva, led the way to her own sitting-room, and Cot tie fell into a chair and hid her face in her hand*, unable to speak for a. moment or two; and Eva stood beside her, with tier hand upon Cottle's shoulder, watting with gentle patience and sympathy. At last Loute looked up. her face suffused with a burning blush. \r!' l i'T <™ ne ><*: I have seen Geoff— -mi. bell. fie is with th« earl at Mrs. *«wns terrible has happened.' Oh. what shall I do? They think lam heir to btarborough. They have got the packet bheeney stole from me. and the papers in.it say that J—l mean Ronnie— the ear?« nephew. Please don't speak, not for a moment! f am no confused, and in such trouble ! '

'• run why should you be in. such trouble my dear buy'.'" asked Eva, after she bad somewhat recovered from her astonishment. ".It is very great, good fortune for you; why do you look so ashamed and guilty':" Lottie sprang to her feet. "Oh. don't you understand? No; how should you'.' You don't know! You don't know thai Ronnie is dead—" "What do you mean?" said Eva in a puszled tone. "How can he be dead! Are you not Ronnie?" "No; it was Ronnie who died that, night wo got to Geoffrey's hut : and 1 took his place and deceived Geoffrey—have deceived everybody all along." Eva sank into a chair and tried to grasp the tact. x "Then who are you?" she asked. Cottie covered her face with her hands. "1 am his sister. Constance!" she said, almost inaudibly. " I am Oottie; I am a —a woman. Oh. why have von never guessed it!" White and red bv turns, Eva sprang to her feet: and stared at the boyish figure, with its head bent with' shame/ A woman—a. girl she breathed. " Oh!" "Yes," said Cottie, making a clean breast of it ; " r know what you think—that I was alone with him all that time, that I have been going about as a boy: that I am not fit to be in the same room with you, to breathe the same air! But 1 meant no harm. 1. was alone in the world, and helpless and friendless, and just a girl alone in that wild place; and I was afraid. I meant, no harm ; and after it was done, after 1 told him the lie and said 1 was Ronnie, it was too late io go back. L could not,vou'U see that, understand why. But have I been so very wicked? No one but von and Mrs. Sefton knows (he truth—not* Geoffrey, not anyone."

"Mrs. Sefton!" Eva started. "Then you are— are the Constance Sefton. the young lady Mr. Bell is in love with?" Cottie made a gesture of assent, her eves full of tears. " J "Yes," she said; " 1 meant to tell him— I don't know how, but T meant: to tell him. Oh, [ think I'd better go awav and never see him again. Yes; that is what I'd better do. And I—oh, 1 love him so!" A sob broke, her voice, and the sob, mora than anything else, won Eva's heart. She caught tie trembling form to her anil soothed the weeping girl. " Hush, hush '." she said. " You must not think of going away, of leaving him. He loves you very dearly— I fully believe, loved you all the time without knowing — yes. when you were out with him alone,, there, in Australia." Cottie shivered with a- delicious thrill. "Oh, do you think so?" she murmured. "Yes: I am sure of it." replied Eva. " Now, slop crying, and let us, we two women, put our heads together and think what we had better do. First of all—-" Cottie broke in before she could finish.

"Yes!'' she whispered. "These clothes. Oh, I have still more to tell you. I stole some of your clothes from that basket at Betty's." A light; broke in upon Eva. "Oh, now.l understand how you got away. It was very clever! But they were old clothes, and you shall have better than those. They musthave fitted you very well. Yes; "we are nearly of the same height—and yet you always seemed so much shorter." Oh. bow wonderful, how incredible it all seems! But come with me, come with mo!" She took her hand and drew her into the adjoining dressing-room and hurriedly looked i up* some clot lies. "Oh. how pretty you are • she exclaimed when Cottie hastily made the exchange. "I don't wonder at his being in love with you. Why. I was almost in love' with you myself—when you were a boy. But we won't speak of that: we'll forget it. Now. what shall we do?"

" They 'told me to go straight back to the castle," said Cottie helplessly. " They will be waiting! for me there." Eva thought for a, moment, then she said, "And you shall go. We will both go. Don't be afraid,'' for Cottie had shrank back - , and the colour which excitement had. brought to her face began to fade. "No one shall harm you : and no one shall say a word which shall make, you ashamed. See, dear— I was going to say ' Ronnie' again ! —I shall be with you. You shall stay with me, and I will stand by you like— a- sister, if you will have me for one," she added in her sweet and gentle voice. The two girls embraced, and while the carriage was being ordered Cottie told her strange story fully to Eva; so strange was it, indeed, that Eva felt as if she were listening to a. romance woven by the most famous of novelists : so true is it that truth is alwnvs more wonderful than fiction.

She held Cottie'B hand as they drove towards the castle, and both the girls were silent, or nearly so; but one remark broke unwittingly from Eva. , " If you are not the heir—and you are not, then Mr. Sidney Ba,ssington is still the next Earl of Starborough." Cottie shook her head dolefully. " I don't know: I'suppose so: I'm so ignorant of all such things. But I wish he Weren't, for I dislike and distrust him. I wish that poor Ronnie were alive, and that it was I who had died—oh, no, I don't. I can't wish, that, for there is Geoffrey. But perhaps he will not love me any longer—lie may be so shocked, so ashamed—"

"I don't think he will." said Eva, very softly, and she glanced admiringly at the beautiful face beside her. " You must be calm, Cottie,"' she whispered, as they drove up to the entrance, and Yates and a footman came down to receive them. " Remember that whatever happens, J will stand by you, as long as you want me." Yates was no doubt surprised to see Miss Eva RasWeigh as a visitor to the castle, but his solemn face was quite impassive, as usual.

"His lordship has just, returned, miss." he said. " Will you come this way, please?"

He Ifd them to the drawing-room, and Eva and (Lottie sat in almost breathless silence. Presently the door was thrown open,, and the earl entered slowly, leaning on his stick, his face as cairn and expressionless as if the terrible and extraordinary scene in Mrs. Farren's cottage, with its* important and far-reaching results, had never been enacted. He stood and looked from one girl to the other with a penetrating, piercing eye, which lingered for a moment or two longer on Cottle's downcast face; then, with a stately, but exceedingly courteous, bow, lie said, in that tone of deference, of suggested reverence, with which the men of his day always addressed women " How do you do. Miss Rashleigh? Your visit, whatever its import, is a very great honour and pleasure to me. Pray l>e seated," lor Eva. in her agitation, and out of respect for his age, had unconsciously risen. '" Let me beg of you to be .seated. Permit me to inquire after Sir Edward Rasbleigh's health. We have not seen each other for some time—the loss, as well as tin . mse, is, I fear, mine. I am an old man, mul a cantankerous one. I hare been ill and feeble of late: but I am stronger now, and if my strength continues to increase I hope to have the pleasure and honour of calling upon Sir Edward, and the satisfaction of telling him that—l am afraid I do not remember the causes of our quarrel—-that I am sure I was in tile wrong." " My brother will be very, very nleased to see you, Lord Starborough," faltered Eva. Confronted by those dark, piercing eves glittering in the waxen face; that "rim! calm, and stately courtesy, she found her task very difficult. " I have come—we have come— Starborough, this young ladv is a great, a dear friend of mine. Her name is Constance Sefton. She wishes to see Mr. Geoffrey Bellit is important that she should see him at once." The ) glittering eyes fixed themselves on Cottie's face penetratingly, as the earl bowed to her. "It is most foi-tunate that vou should have come here," he said, "for—Mr. Geoffrey Bell is at this moment in the castle; I will send for him." He rang the bell and gave the message to Yates; then he turned to-

Cottie, " Is this vour first visit to this neighbourhood, Miss Sefton?" he asked, blandly. Cottie raised her eyes, and, inwardly quaking, answered in it very loir voice— "No." s " In-deed," said toe ea.»l. "It seemed to me that I had had the pleasure of seeing you before ; but the name is not familiar to me." At this moment the door opened and Geoffrey came in. He was grave and pale, and his face bora marks of the terrible straggle which had taken place in the cottage. He had 110 idea why the earl had sent for him —they had been together in the earl's room, talking long and earnestly, when the carl had been brought down to see Eva —and Geoffrey looked with surprise from Eva to the other girl sitting, with downcast face, in the shadow of the great room. "Miss Rashleigh !" lie said; then he looked again at the other; a cry of amazement burst from him. find he sprang towards her, and caught her hand. •'"Constanceyou here!" The earl had'risen, and stood grimly regarding them. "Permit me to retire,"' he said, and he turned towards the door. "No, no!"' cried Geoffrey. " Don go, sir! This young lady is—she is Miss Constance Sefton—she is, may I say it, Constance?—my future wife. I was going to tell you about herabout my hopswhen you were fetched away just- now. Con- ~ stance, this is the Earl of Starborough." He led her, shrinking and trembling, towards the earl, led her with love and pride on his face and in his bearing, as if he were sure of the welcome she would receive. The earl fixed his eyes 011 her, and as he scanned her face his thin lips curved with a peculiar smile, one, as it seemed, of cynical amusement. He extended his hand, and took and held hers. " I am glad to see you at the castle, Miss S'efton."' he said, "and I congratulate your future husband, whomsoever he may be. ' Geoffrey beamed at the earl and at Cottie with all a lover's satisfaction. " She hasn't promised yet, sir," he said, earnestly: "but I think you will, Constance. "when you hear what I have to tell you. I have found Ronnie, my boy partner, "and I have got his consent which you insisted upon. ~ 1 fu-.ind him to-day— morningin the strangest way. There has been a discovery, matte under terrible circumstances —I will te'il vou about them later. He proves to be the nephew of Lord Scarborough here. Neither he nor I nor his lordship knew it until this morning. The discovery came like a thunderclap in the midst of a tragedy. Ronnie will be here directly he should have been here by now. I don't know what Las kept him, or where he is. I was going in search for him— " There is no need,'' said the earl, slowly. "I saw him in the room a few minutes ago." „ , . Geoffrey swung round in astonishment, and Cottie shrank back and sank into a chair and covered her face. "Ronnie, the boy, here, sir!"' exclaimed Geoffrey. Where? Where is he gone?'' "He sits there,"' said the earl, with perfect calm; and he pointed to C >ttie. Geoffrey stood transfixed for a moment, then he sprang towards her, drew her hands from her face, and gazed at her aearchingly, the bands that grasped hers trembling with the excitement of the dawning truth. i "Constance! Ronnie!" he exclaimed. " Yes, it is you ! Ronnie, speak to me! 'Are you Constance or Ronnie?"' he drew back for a moment, waiting for her reply. Eva rose and glided towards them. " She i; both," she murmured, almost inaudibly, in her agitation. " Don't you see can't you guess? She has been. Constance all the time. It was her brother. Ronnie, ■who died; §nd it was she, Const&nce, the sister, who took his place." A sob escaped Cottie. • "Oh, forgive ma, Geoff!"' she pleaded. " There is nothing to forgive,'" murmured Eva. " She was driven by circumstances she was alone, out there in that wild place —" There was no need for her to say more. Geoffrey gathered the trembling, shrinking girl into his arms and strained her to his breast. "Constance—Ronnie!*' he cried, in a voice hoarse "with emotion. " Oh, how blind I hare been '. And my heart ought to have helped me to the truth I ought to have known that my love for you was, from the beginning, that of man for woman. How blind I have been! You ask for forgiveness! It is I who ought to kneel to you. Yes! Forgive me, Ronnie; forgive me, Constance! Oh, my darling, my dearest; I don't know what to say! I have got you both, Constance and Ronnie in one." Ho looked at the earl, seeing the b-ant, stately form trough a mist of tears, which did not shame • Geoffrey's manhood. " Boy or girl, she has j been all the world to me, sir," he said, j brokenly. "No man ever had a truer friend j lover' The sweetest, dearest —and girl— all the world." They clung together, forgetful, of all else except themselves. Eva. stole to the earl. "You see, you understand, my lord?"' she pleaded. " They have loved each other from the first. You "cannot be angry—you will consent? She is your niece, your own blood" : The earl raised Eva's hand to his lips With old-world courtesy. "My dear young lady," he said, with perfect calm and perfect courtesy, " I have no desire to interfere and, indeed, Ido not think any interference of mine would be of any avail. The romance must take its course. Indeed, I am conscious of a certain satisfaction in adding to it, and, so to speak, rounding it- off to poetic completion. If these lovers are not too engrossed :n mutual confidences. I should like to inform Miss Constance Sefton—l humbly beg your pardon Miss Constance Bassingtonthat the young man whom she has honoured as her J choice is also my nephew, the son of my brother, Reginald Bassington, and that he is the heir to Scarborough.'' Cottie heard and understood only dimly; but the earl advanced to her and took her hand. "Yield her to me for a moment. Geoifrey," he said. "My dear young lady, the man you have promised to marry, the man you have known as Geoffrey Bell. is Geoffrey Bassington, clearly proved, subject to certain formalities, which, no doubt, Mr. Oldham will see to, to be the heir to my title and estates. By a strange concatenation of ' circumstances, t am this day provided not j only with an heir of whom I approve"— bowed to Geoffrey—" but a niece, whose j beautv and- grace I freely and frankly acknowledge. If any person of this group has cause to be satisfied I humbly think it is myself. At any rate, I get rid of a certain bugbear which* lias ridden rather heavily upon my shoulders —I allude to the person called Sydney Bassington, with whom Tate has been pleased to plague me ' for some months past. He was a terrible nightmare. I admit it. But we will dispose of him with a suitable allowance and honorarium —I have made several additions to the picture gallery lately, Miss Rashleigh. Will you honour me by inspecting them? These young people are best left aloie." IT3 extended his hand with courtly grace, and led Eva out of the room. , ~ , Geoffrey and Cottie fell into each other s arms. (To be continued oil Wednesday nest.)