THE SOUL OF HONOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13767, 4 June 1908, Page 3

THE SOUL OF HONOUR.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

~- -~- : -U '■..";.' ■'* .';'':; : ———•—- i-" ■"' BY LADY TROUBRIDGE. g| ' ."■■ [COPYRIGHT.]- ;: .CHAPTER XlV.—(Continued.) - '"■ : StTDPENLY Marcus realised that the most j i important part of his mission was unful- '' filled. In this woman's hands lay all the /,: power. Had not Vannister practically said S so; sho could make or mar his destiny with :. a word to the nan who adored her. And ; 'ho, instead of -trying to propitiate her, ["'-, Irving to convince her of his penitence had ;!"■'.' .spent the 'precious moments in sneering, |§| cynical words. Fool! Fool !• Perhaps ho i. would never have another chance. It was |tv more th.in likely that she would not put herself again in the way of being insulted; * 'she would go to her husband and with a ..\ few words obtain his dismissal and then it would be all over. Husband and wife ; > would oe left to their golden dream of lovo and happiness, and he would bo cast out. I ~Sow that the past was irrevocably gone, he remembered how tender and true she had '' been, how placable, how easy to win over ." - to forgiveness. Was it yet too late to touch " : her, to move' her? No thought came to him of tho deadly insult ho was offering to this dead love of if'" his in approaching her with his new love affair. His mind was too common to take '{:'. this view. His only hope lay in her in- :•,-■■■ fluence, and ho determined to try again. ; "Honour," he cried out, "Honour." f The sharp sudden cry of intense bitterness made her turn. f:) lie flung himself at her feet. :]•:>,. Honour," he said, his passionate eagerness lending a spurious intensity to the > words, and his voice almost choked with passion and despair. | "Well?" she said, drawing back with a /.: gesture of distaste.. "Honour, do not go, do not leave me so. t% c I have not half told you of my shame, of my sorrow. I am in great trouble, great ' • difficulties. Will you not listen to them for the sake of the love that was once, so real a thing between us." She raised her hand. "Stand kick, - please," she said, and he quailed before the majesty in" her eyes. "Do not allude | to our former love, it never existed with -, •- you, you never loved mo, and I thank God lor vour baseness sinco it saved mo from .'■' . you. v ■''•'";,'■■.'•" I • He was losing his nerve and self-control. "Then for tho sake of pity, of mercy, !.-'! help me," ho said, "or I shall be ruined." Honour stood cold and rigid. "What is 'Mfc' it you want?" ..;' "Your influence' with your husband."_ She remembered then for tho first time ;,■'; Vannister' parting words, and appreciated, the penitence of the man before, her at its true worth. " I socj 77 she said, with a slow, cruel smile. "It is a question of money, and that, I ~' think, you need hardly to discuss ou your fev knees. Get up, Marcus. You are an arch ' |%h : comedian, I know, but your powers are wasted on me. I have seen you off the t : : stage too: often." Like a whipped hound he crouched for a ||E|; moment before her words, and then stood up. _ '' Now," she said, imperiously, " state ', your case." . All trace of feeling was resolutely banished from her voice. f}' Marcus spoke with difficulty, so dry had his lips become. " You will allow," he said, hoarsely, "that we were both free to form what new, ; ties we would." ; /' ' ■ '■.; : ; . " Your discretion left me free," she said, calmly;' "what then?" "I also the words stuck in his throat. " You wish to marry?" "Yes." Her lips curled in a proud smile. " My- congratulations to you and mf condolences* to her. Is that all?"' •; "No, it is not all," ho cried, for she was " : -turning away. "I am at the present moment heir-presumptive to Gartlands, and I asked your husband to make a settlement .mi my future wife. He first refused, and in \ doing so he. told mo of his marriage, which .. lias naturally changed my position somewhat. Later on he referred me to you, .-;'■ telling me to plead my cause with you. You : _ see ho knew no reason why it should bo 'almost impossible to do so. Honour, V Honour, you have found a new life full of t;V happiness and good fortune. Can you not i..." spare some crumbs from your table to feed }l' me—" ~ , At last he had found the right words to !;, ; touch the noble heart of , the woman he had so fearfully wronged. '■~ She paused, .and her fair brow wrinkled ;'.■" ( in thought as the position drew clear. Marcus was being punished. With his own hands he had dug "the pit into which he had, fallen. His sin had veritably found "{' him out.' The equanimity of Honour's soul showed her a revenge which even heaven - would not deny her; tho only revenge i•-' which a Christian may take, and in taking ■'. it she would heap coals of fire on his head.. ' - "What is it you want of me," she said, "'or rather what did you ask of—of my husband?" ' " Her father requires a settlement," he | muttered, "otherwise -the marriage can j. never take place." jy;•'■' Honour moved slowly back into the room ; "'.' be saw. she was revolving the matter in her mind, and he- hung on 'her next words .•' even as she, poor soul, had once hung on '. .., his. . • , '. • Ho dreaded her as he watched her, dread- | | ed the silent majesty, the fixed aloof serenity of her look as-though only in coldest pity did she interest- herself in the matter j: ' n all, andfifty thousand pounds was in -'.; "*■"', the balance. , ', Again his fingers clenched \". themselves together a.s ho thought of closing them on her round, white throat. The .-'-; mad impulse passed, and he stood mutely .*', 'Waiting her pleasure, ||--*\At last she spoke, and the words dropped .'icily from her one by one. "1 will do it," she said, and his heart ..hounded within him. "Because I do sco . that my marriage may have done you harm, | and also to prove to you that poor as I v; have been money does not sway me. It is :" my revenge to feel that you will owe your chance in life, to me." She paused *<und ':.;' looked sternly at him. "For all of us," she -V said, "oven the vilest, heaven holds a chance of amendment, and by my hands iy yours shall come to you." v . " You arc an angel!" cried Marcus. The i\ blood rushing in thundering waves to his ;; heart as ho seized her hand and kissed it. :" , Neither of them saw a pale face which for one moment looked in at them from the window; no warning whisper made U- Honour rush away before her 'tardy bliss ; V was wrested from her for ever, and in an- %- other moment the pale face and burning V eyes wore gone, and only a fight footfall || pressed the gravel unheeded by the two in J| [he room. gg "I will do this on one condition," continued Honour, snatching away her hand Kg.with loathing, and looking away from him as she spoke, " and it is this—l must know '"., and realist- that you are, so far as you arc ' capable of tho feeling, in love with this \'S lady. Hyacinth Windermere. She is very ."'," —nothing but a child, and knowing •■';;' what Ido of you, it is my duty if I can ■;- ..- to protect her." •f Marcus stared. He had never thought of her taking this line. It disconcerted him altogether. . ; : ''I lovo her well enough," said Marcus, i and the sullen note crept into his voice again. '"You need not distress yourself about that." iff; "I am hot distressing myself," said •|J:;; Honour, coolly. "I don't think anything (':, to do with you could ever distress me again in this; world; but it is my duty—my sacred duty, to look after this girl's happi- ■ ness. I kiiow as no one else is in a posi- •'. tion to do that she is going to marry a , man without heart or honour. She must ■'! be safeguarded." pf _• The hot rage surged up in him again. ||";. Oh! to strike this woman to tho earth! . The wish was so violent that it turned into •V something more than a something .'. ,\ Uiat had in it the first faint beginnings of a jresolve. 10-1/ "You have the power," he said; "it is Jt'rf for you to dictate the terms." $.*;i "'Very well, then. I shall advise" my ';:.• husband to give. consent and to promise to ;] fettle fifty thousand pounds _ on—on your -", v.iv, provided that the marriage does not ilte:,':' .-■•-. • :

take place for a year, and that Lady Hyacinth comes here to mako our acquaintance. Her family can hardly object to that." He looked at her. in ever-growing amaze-ment.'.-This woman had once thought herself bis wife, and now.she spoke of the arrangements for his' marriage with a perfect and complete sang froid. It was impossible in truth for aretes* ■ vanity to let him truly understand how completely her love had turned to loathing. All he'recognised was that she was putting him in a dilemma winch, he'had. never foreseen, and he wondered secretly what her motive could be. Hyacinth in the same- house with this keeneyed woman, with her deeper knowledge. Tt would not take Honour, an hour to find out that Hyacinth did not care for him, and was being forced into it by her mother. And as for.Hyacinth, what might she not discover, and with her, to know a thing was to reveal it. It was the maddest whim of Honour and it would ruin him. Luckily it would ruin her also. The door opened, and Vannister camq in, walking slowly, his face changed as if by some blighting experience. ■ - M Honour . sprang to him instinctively. What is it? she cried. "What has happened.' l (To be continued daily.)