THE HEART OF DIANA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18551, 8 November 1923, Page 5

THE HEART OF DIANA.

BY DOROTHY M. GARRARD. Author of "Iris." "Roarer Northcote's Wife," " The Spider's Web." Etc.. Etc.

(Copyright.) CHAPTER XXI. That Diana was talked about she was perfectly perfectly aware that a great many people, convinced that she had married her husband purely for his money, would refuse to believe his death could be any great grief to her. And there was another story going the rounds— whether Toni, who was now in the service of another woman, had started it she did not know— Derek had gone deliberately to his death— to desperation by her treatment of him. So far Diana had had no actual details, as to how Derek had been killed, beyond that it was in a big game expedition. Tho place where it had happened was hundreds of miles up-country. Apparently only a native runner had brought the news. And sometimes the thought that this evil rumour might indeed bo the truth tortured her. She remembered the last words of his letter to her. She had not looked at them in that light before, but that might easily have been his meaning. As .lie reached her own door she brought 'own mind back resolutely to tho present. It was bad enough at night when she could not get away from her thoughts. But now she could force her brain to occupy itself in some other way. But how? Nothing seemed to take awav from her loneliness, her unutterable loneliness. Andrews opened the door as usual* After Derek's death ho had pleaded that ho might go awav back to the retirement of his country village. But when Diaaa herself had asked him to stay, he had consented, for a while at least. And somehow, although they never spoke of Derek, in the pact weeks a curious comradeship had sprung up between the two. " There's a gentleman to see you, madam," he said now, as he closed the door. " I didn't catch his name, but ho said he'd wait until yon came in." " Thank you, Andrews." As she crossed the hall. Diana wondered indifferently who it might be. She 'was really tired now and wished to rest. It was rather an odd time to call, too, unl*r-s the visitor was someone she knew well. And then the butler would have known him. But perhaps it was merely some application for a subscription, or other call upon her charity. She was inundated by such demands already. It was almost dark now, and. as she opened the door of the room and saw -it was in darkness, she wondered if there could indeed be anyone there. She switched on the electric light, while it struck her for the instant that it was foolish of Andrews to admit a visitor without more inquiry. Why, it might be a thief who had already made off with all he could lav his hands on.

No, whoever he was, ho was here still. There was a man sitting at the far end of the room. As she closed the door and went forward, he- rose slowly from' the depths of a big armchair. And, with a start, she saw it was Clifford Allerdyce. Allerdyce came forward, his hand outstretched.

"I hope you don't mind my establishing myself here," he said easily. "You know it's so long since I've seen you, Diana." (Swiftly his voice dropped, a certain pleading note came into it. " I just couldn't keep away any longer." At the first sight of him she stood absolutely still. She did not apparently see the hand he held out to her. " You're angry with me," his quick intuition sensed the hostile atmosphere. He had known before he came to the house that day that this was going to be a difficult, a more than difficult, interview. If he had not been desperate, in desperate straits as to money, he would not have attempted it. But he had seen the girl, Toni, learned from her that she had been dismissed, that Diana knew something of the schemes that had been laid between them. Only, as he acutely reasoned, beyond the fact which be had already owned that he had lied as to the reason of.his coming to, Tregona, there was nothing tangible against him. It was the maid who had done the dirty work. " Won't vou tell me why you are angry with me, Diana?" he went on humbly. " I can see you are angry. Is it because I've come too soon] If it is I'll go away at once."

"But I'm not angry with you," she spoke at last. For the first time her gaze met his directly. Swiftly he took in that she was thinner; her face was almost austere in its fine profile: her eyes looked bifger than they used to do. While she was, if anything, more beautiful, her beauty, so to say, seemed cast in a more ethereal mould.

.■___ " You're not angry?" There was reassurance in his voice. But he wished she would sit down, not stand about in that, uncomfortable way. "I know you've had a ghastly time of it, with one thing and another," he went on quickly, and coming closer to her. "I'd like to have written, but I felt I mustn't. And I've tried to keep away as long as I could. But it's two months now, Diana. Don't you think I've kept away long enough " She did not answer. He wished she would answer. Her impassivity began to annoy him. But she was beautiful, and one of the richest women in London.

"You know I love you." His voice was low. "I've always loved you. I told you that at Christmas, and you didn't send me away. I don't want to say anything about your husband." He was quite clever enough to know that disparagement of Derek would not now advance his causa. "But he's dead, poor fellow ! You're alone, and you're not the port of woman to be alone. You're too beautiful, too much in need of love and care. I won't hurry you. I'll wait-as long as ever you like. But you must come to me in the end. You will marry me, sometime, won't you, darling?" His voice dropped to a sfill lower note of tefcJerness. -

But still Diana did not answer. Still she looked at him, in that curious, aloof manner. Never, so he felt in a spasm of irritation had love-making been so difficult.

And then at last she spoke; her voice came wiin clear decision

"No, I will not marry yon, Clifford," she said deliberately. f , <! You won't!" A sudden petuJanC anger swept over him. He had never' expected this, an absolute refusal She had loved him once. She had never cared for her husband. Now that he was dead the old love must come back. "But why not?" As he spoke ho realised his words were feeble, unconvincing. Yet h'e wanted her, wanted her and her money more than ever he had done.

"When I married Derek I married a man I did not love," Her voice was low, for the first time a certain restrained feeling had crept into it. "And I paid for itl am paving for the wroncr I did him—in a way that I least expected. S) do you think it is likely I should maki the same mistake again ?" "But why shouldn't you love me?" quickly he took her up. He really di 1 not understand what she was talkin; about. Perhaps, after all, it was jufii some womanish whim easily swept away. "You cared for me once." His voio was passionate. "I can make you cars again. I will make you—" he stoppe I abruptly. Something in the lialf-cor - temptuous gaze of her grey eyes cuC hill short. "No. you can't Cliff*—d. You can t make me love you again." Despite th) contempt in her eyes, her vece had i half-pitying note. "I tried to, in Cornwall—l'd have done anything then ti get away from myself—and I couldn't. And —now if is incredible to me that I could ever have cared for you. You're not stra*?ht. Your mind is full of twists and turnings." He writhed at the cool criticism of her words. "It's not really me von want, but what I can bring voir. And" now," her voice grew low, trembled a little, "I've found out. although it's too late, that I cared for Derek. Do you think that, caring for him." again the cool contempt on her face infuriated him, "I could ever marry you? And now will you please go?" _ V "You're sending mo away?" _ His fata was distorted with anger. . Never hid his vanity, his pride, had such a wouni He would have liked to have taken h?r white throat in his hands and crushed it.

For one wild to iXned f PP ° H te ihrbeU a?d fingers towards the b ,-il, * i~ a rf niivinff. half connever paid tor anything before. ;#< ,gj ; movement «be grip, pushed him fiercely «WW. *£* Nefthlr of the, door opener until they heard the sound of his voice, knew that Andrews was m the room. , Quickly Diana turned towards mm She ha/not caught what it. was the old man said, but, so to«>^^ tt y n,S struck her, he must have been very quick in answering her ring. And • then, suddenly, she saw that the butler's face was agitated, his hands were shaking. Oh, if you please, madam—a yen , please, madam," be almost stuttered as he sDoke '* there's someone— here. He seemed as if he would have tried -to say more, then he looked back halt haplessly over his shoulder. __ "Someone here, Andrews? What could have happened, she wondered quickly, to have upset the old man so. Or was it the sight of her own angry lace, or the words he must have heard as no came into the room? And then, as her gaze followed his, she caught sight of a man standing in the background in the hall. When he saw her he came forward. Her heart ga*e * great beat—a beat that seemed as if it would have suffocated Ker. For tho man' was her —Derek. • i • • ■

For the minute Allerdyce was the most master of the situation. He had lost Diana. He ground his teeth at the thought. But at least he could make her suffer. If ever the way were easy it was now.

" So you've come back," with perfect sangfroid he stepped forward, mastering his rage and eyeing Derek cooly up and down. " Rather unexpected, wasn t It? At least no one expected you, I'm afraid, did they, Diana * " He turned to her, a malicious smile on his face. And, a* ite saw her while face, saw how she was holding for support on to the back of the nearest chair, a sense of triumph cam* over him. She had spurned him, but at was his turn to be top dog now. " Yes, I have come back." Derek cams further into the room, and, as he walked, he limped slightly. Otherwise, except that he was a little leaner, a little browner than when he went away, he looked just the same. " And you weren't kiiied after all? " Again it "was Allerdyce, aith that subcurrent of malice in his -voice, who asked the question. "No, I wasn't killed." Derek - spoke almost mechanically. His eyes were fixed on his wife. He appeared oblivious to anyone else. "It was the other man, poor chap," he went on, addressing; himself directly to her. " I only got a dig in the hip from the brute's claws. ; But it wasn't until I got buck to Nairobi that 1 found out there had been a mistake, that my name had been sent home instead of his. And then " suddenly he stopped. "Then you thought you'd like to give us all a surprise, I suppose." The novelist spoke with deliberate insolence.. He took his place at Diana's side. "To see if* the old saying—what is it about when the cat's away, but I daresay you remember it bet"--a- than I do—had ..any truth in it. It was a pity you couldn't get back in time for Christmas." , Some devil, sprung from rage and disappointment, prompted the words: " your wife and I had a perfectly charming time down in Cornwall together." Oh don't take any notice of him, Mr. Derek," suddenly old Andrews burst in. Only now had it dawned upon him that this stranger, whose name he had *ot caught, was the man who, so he believed, was at the root of all the trouble between s. his master and mistress. " Why, I heard her calling him a coward as I came into the room. And he's a lying knave." ...... " I know," Derek's voice was curt, but there was a suddon gleam of anger in his blue eyes, a sudden hint of that steely look Clifford Allerdyce had once seen in them before. In a flash he wished his last words of deliberate insult back. In a battle of words he could hold his own, more than hold his own. But with these brutes of soldiers, one never knew what violence they might attempt.' " Well, I won't interrupt this family re-, union," he began quickly, edging his way towards the door. But, before .he could reach his goal, one of Derek's lean,* brownV hands shot out, catching . him by the collar. '- : -" x '"-' : \- » •"•/-'-'- -'

" Leave me alone," he tried to speak with dignity. "Leave me :. 'alone,- v. you f fool " His voice suddenly became almost;: a scream, a scream of terror. : But the ; other's hold only, tightened. And ■ vtie ■ next instant he was being shaken, shaken until his *-Jith chattered, -until' lie) was ;. just a limo, helpless bundle. ••'■;■- ■■&■:. * % I :v' " You little rat," Derek held ; him at.; arm's length, contempt ~aore than anger » in his face. : Strange as ib might ' seem, gone was the time when he could :bevjealous of Clifford Allerdyce. : : Besides he,'; too, had heard the echo of Diana'?.words, )i seen the look on Diana's face. •'.'; But remember this," the other man, :j breathless ',. % and half-sick, could; only look up at him with foolish, bulging eyes, " if ever yon v come here again, if ev«r I have any cause - do believe you are working at your undernand schemes again, I'll give you -: forty times worse. You can have me up for asault now, if you like, but if you do I'll tell the whole story in court. Now go," with a last, quick movement he turned, opened the door and pushed Allerdyce through it. , " Andrews," quietly he turned to the old man, but- tLere was the hint of a smile on his grim face ''will you and Hill— Hill was the under-footman,, young and ' athletic—-" see that the gentleman leaves .the house." ' ;■ ■ • , , {To. be concluded to-morrow.)