FETTERS OF GOLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19857, 30 January 1928, Page 15

FETTERS OF GOLD.

BY DOROTHEA COEBOULD.

A POWERFUL STORY OF LOVE AND INTRIGUE.

i'COPTRIGBT.)

* C : H AFTER XII. (Continued). «' I think .our house-warming lias been n success," Bir Dudley remarked, by way of making conversation, as he and his wife pasfeed down the ballroom side by side. " 1 hope you have been having a good time." "Oh, splendid!'' lie did not notice the sarcastic uiilexion of her voice, " the time of my life!" •• Well, I enjoyed that waltz, perhaps jater ou—" •' Oh, my card is filled up for the other dances," Mollie replied quickly. " I shouldn't have had this one to give you ouiv— ' ** Our dance, I«idy Alderstone," and, relieved at not having to finish her sentence lier partner .Having been James jUdwyn, whose name slie had scratched off her programme, Mollie took the Duke's arm and moved away. Sir Dudley muttered an ugly word under liis. breath as he watched the radiant figure in the almost regal "toilette" ■which so well became its wearer, join the Cancels with lier dinstinguished-iooking partner. Had Mollis shown, as she ought to Jiave done, he told himsqlf, any pleasure gt, hi 6 appropriating her spare dance, he would have felt decidedly self-satisfied a i having done his duty and salved bis conscience for having devoted himself so much to Narah Lyndhurst, and thought no more of the matter. But Moilie's evident reluctance to dance •with him, and then conceding the favour

merely tor the sake of keeping up appearances, was a severe blow to In: amour propre" and prevented him from feeling that he had magnanimously tried to make up to her for his disloyalty in listening to Norah's distasteful suggestions about the divorce—a suggest soli ■which, had the latter known it, had awakened within him the first feeling of repugnance any word of hers had ever caused him. And now Mollie had taken upon herself to snub him—actually snul him! Vet, how well she danced; and, ve s he was obliged to acknowledge that fact also, how pretty she looked as she pfood talking to her guests, the smile oi her lips and the light in her eyes enhancing their beauty. He caught himself regretting that those same eyes which had been vront to regard him sc kindly, even lovingly, during the first weeks of their marriage had lately assumed a cold, proud look, almost of dislike, certainly of contempt, whenever they met his own. , " Norah was right. he muttered " Gwvneth inas taken up with that fellow Aldwvn, who is desperately in love with her. Veil, I shall give him a hint to clear out to-morrow, or there 11 oe trouble," The. house-warming party came to an cud at last, and as the greydawn crept over the hill tops, and filtered in tc join forces with the light m the window of Alderstone Chase, t'.e last vehicle glided away down the drive fheeven uicr had been a success from first to la-1. But there was no triumphant ela.ior in the heart of the young hostess, whose beauty and charm had won for her golder opinions from her guests, who were unanimous in declaring that she woulc take her place as one cf the mc*t popular hostesses in the neighbourhood. Mollu could neither rest not sleep, weary as she was. The words James Aldwvn had spoken that evening still rang in her ears with the clang of a funeral knell. Her father a murderer, her hnsband the lover of another woman! The man she had tolerated and even liked for aer father's sake as one of his oldest fnends, a traitor to them both. What further was wanting to dash the cup of happiness from her lips, and make her life •'A galling load .Along a rough 4 a weary road . That road she would tread henceforth to tiie end. , ~ , "I must go and get the truth r *rom d«id." She saici to herself at last. people ara all leaving to-day. I shall taU tlio first train to London to-morrow, and whether I come back here or not, remains «ro be seen; but go on living heie under present conditions, I will not—and lie cue can make me." "1 am sure you will bo rejoiced to get rid of us all!" Mrs. Carew said, as she bade Mollie good-bye on the afternoon 01 the day following the dinner and dance. "You look quite tired out to-day, dear, bat I may tell you that you made a sensation last night. The Dujko and Duchess are loud in your praises, and I predict a brilliant season for you when you go to town next, year, for if the Duchess takes you under her wing your success is ceitain. I tell Dudley I will never forgive him if he doesn't hping you up to be presented. I shall lriok forward to seeing you very often then and cementing our friendship. I never enjoyed a visit so much in -my lite." t "It is s"(veet of you to say so, Mollie replied, <v and I, too, hope we may meet again. I have loved to have you here. The two young women kissed each other with real affection, for <ach had won the other's heart. 'Norah Lyndhurst had overheard every "word of the foregoing, and something told her that it was a decidedly bad move to have behaved to Lady Alderstone as she had done, making the latter, she felt, hei enemy for life. She made a half-hearted attempt at parting friends,- but Mollie, who had not addressed a single word to her since last evening, except when couitesy demanded, bade her a coidly formal farewell, in marked contrast to her more friendly leave-taking of Colonel and Mrs. Lyndhurst, and her affectionate regret at parting with Peggy, who was, however, promised that should pay another visit later on, when Tod had his holidays and could com?, too. Dinner thai evening was partaken of by Sir Dudley and Lady Alderstone and •James AJdwyn, their only remaining guest, almost in silence. Sir Dudley was evidently in a bad temper, and the other two scarcely spoka to each other. Immediately the meal was at an end, Mollie rosa, and, pleuding fatigue, retired to spend -the rest of the evening in her own apartments, and the two men, alter a. desnltoyv conversation over their wine and cigarettes, also separated to go their respective a ays, Sir Dudley with a coldlyworded apology for leaving his guest to *n>use himself, on the score of having s/>me arrears of correspondence to get through before going to bed. Aldwvn returned liis host's curt "good night," adding : "I find 1 must get off in Ihe morning earlier than I intended." He had already intimated his intention to lea > e on the following day. "So if it won't bo inconvenient to you to send me to the station in time for the curly train, I shall he greatly obliged " "Certainly. You can give your orders to Matthews for the car to be round any time you like. See you at breakfast probably." and Sir Dudley left the room. "That she-devil, Norah Lyndhurst, has heen putting in a word for me, too, it. strikes me," James Aldwyif muttered to himself a.-j the. door closed. "Well, if it ■wasn't that I know I've no chance with Mollie, and never had, I'd he even with him. I'll be off, or I shall forget I'm in civilised Englar 1 and put a bullet through him, and then finish off Bert Toller." Sir Dudley did not, after ail, join his guest, at the morning meal, having met his bailiff during his usual early morning stroll as the. latter was on his way to the Chase to see him. and the important discussion which followed kept him later than he intended. Mr. Aldwyn had already left when at length Sir Dudley arrived home to breakfast to find it awaiting him, and the dining-room empty. This "was a, very unusual occurrence, for Mollie was always the first ai the breakfasttable. As he seated himself and took up his letters, Matthews entered with a tray of hot dishes, which lie placed before his master. "Is her ladyship not down yet ?" Sir Dudley inquired,. "Her ladyship left, at 7.30 this morning for London, Sir Dudley," was the reply, in a tone of mild "Mr

| Aldwyn also left to catch the same train, I believe. But her ladyship took the elec- | trie brougham." "Oh, yes, of course, her ladyship has guno up tc. see her father. 1 quite forgot she -Has going so early," I heard her ladyship say something of the sort and that she had left a letter, Sir Dudley. She gave it to Roberts just before she i ?ft." "AO right, it's here. Tell Puller to have (he car round at 11.15, I must catch the 11.40 to town." "Now what the deuce has happened 1" -Sir Dudley murmured, as he took up lib wife's letter. "Can she and that fellow, Aldwyn, have gone off together?" "1 was in the lounge, he read, "when you and .diss Lyndhurst had your interesting conversation between the dances the other night. I need not say that it shocked mc terribly., I feel that, undor the circumstances, and knowing now what your real feelings are towards me, I can no longer remain at the Chase. I will not repeat what I said to you before our guests arrived that evening, but you must distinctly understand that I refuse to be further humiliated by you and the woman who has come between us. Therefore I take the only course open to me, and leave you. You can divorce me if you choose. I do not understand anything of ! such matters. But if you feel that you will be happier with Norah Lyndhurst than you could ever he with me, then it will be better for us both that you should marry her. I shall place no obstacles in the way of your happiness.—Gwyneth." Sir Dudley read the letter through twice, then laid it down. That his wife should have overheard his love-making to Norah Lyndhurst filled him with horror and shame. He could not help feeling that he had besmirched the honourable name he bore, by allowing himself to foster his love for another woman, when ho had a wife whom he had vowed at God's altar to love and cherish to his life's end, thus paviing the way to such a scandal as had never been known in the Alderstone family before. For Gwyneth had gone away with James Aldwyn. Not for a moment did Dudley doubt that fact. And it was he himself who was responsible for it. Well, he would follow' the fugitives and horsewhip the cur who had injured him, within an inch of his life! There was a letter from Aldwyn among the others on the table by Sir Dudley's side. He recognised the handwriting, and tore it open savagely. It read:— Dear Sir Dudley,—l have hastened my departure, feeling that for some reason or other you no longer desire my presence at, the Chase. And, as I may not see you again before my departure, I take this opportunity of thanking you for your kind .hospitality, and for giving me a very pleasant time during my visit to you and Ladv Alderstone. I much regret that you should think I have not made a fitting return for it, and that you failed to tell me in what I have offended you.—Yours, James Aldwyn. "Regrets that he has not made a fitting return for my kindness and hospitality, does he ? When he has repaid it by eloping with my wife!" Sir Dudley tore the letter in pieces and they fluttered to the floor around him. "Well, if I've failed to tell him how ha has offended me, I'll do it now, and make him regret we ever met, before I've done with him!" Upon his arrival in London, Sir Dudley we mi straight to the hotel where he knew Aldwyn had been staying since his arrival i n England. "I'll probably catch them there," he told himself, but to his great annoyance he was to Id by the waiter of who m he inquired for Mr. Aldwyn, that the latter had merely returned to the hotel that morning to fetch his luggage and settle his bill, and had left to catch a train to Folkestone. "Did he come back here alone?" Sir Dudley asked the man. " Oh, yes, sir, quite alone, I'm sure." "And you don't know where his address will be ? I wanted particularly to see him before he left London," " Sorry, I don't, sir. I'll ask the manager." i But the latter could give no information as to Mr. Aldwyn's destination beyond Folkestone. The gentleman had been in a I great hurry and merely vouchsafed the I information that he was leaving England, but for what locality did not transpire. " 1 must go and' have it out with old Toller," Sir Dudley said to himself, as he*fcft the hotel. But again he was destined to be disappointed. Mr. Toller was away for the day, he was told, and not expected back till late, having left a message for a friend to that effect." " Has a lady been here to see hirn today, do you know ? " was Sir Dudley's next inquiry. " No. sir, not that I know of." Because Lady Alderstone came up to town to see him this morning, and I was to meet her here." Her ladyship has not been here, sir. I know her ladyship quite well, and couldn't fail to recognise her." Now, what shall I do next ? "• Dud- ! ley asked himself as he hailed a taxi and ; bade the man take him to Albemarle ! Street. " I really don't think it's worth | while to follow those two to Folkestone, j I should only get there after they had started for the Continent, as they evidently intend to do. Once across the water it would be a wild-goose chase to try and catch up with them. Besides, why should I trouble myself, after all, to bring Gwyneth back if she doesn't Mmit to come, and no longer cares two straws about me? It's all Norah's fault. If she had only done what was right and stuck to tjie man she has chosen instead of me, she would have let me alone, and 1 believe Gwyneth and I could have got on quite well together in time." That same afternoon Sir Dudley returned to the Chase without having made up his mind what, his next move should be. He found Miss Alderstone in the library, pacing the flcor with her bands behind her back, a favourite mode of exercise when sh? was perplexed or troubled. She greeted her nephew with: " Where is Gwyneth, Dudley ? I came over this afternoon to s:.? her and was told slio had gone to London. She never told me she was going. Has she come back with you ? " " No. The fact is she lias gone off with James Aldwyn. They left by the early train this morning. I have been to London to try and overtake them, but they had already started for Folkestone, I presume, en route for the Continent. So I gave it up and came home-" " What ? Gwyneth gono off with that Aldwyn man? Nonsense! You must be mad, Dudley, to think of such a thing! I'll not believe it. The idea is absurd! " 'Tis true, though, I had a letter from her this morning, saying she had left me, and that I could have a divorce if I liked, and marry Norah Lyndhurst •for all she cared." " Well, I repeat. I don't believe itIf Gwyneth has really left you, it is that hussy who is at the bottom of it. I saw the way she treated Gwyneth, and how you made love to her and let her do it. I'm ashamed of you, Dudley! \oi.ir wife, is worth a dozen Norah I/yndhursts. You've been a fool, for the child loved vou " , , r 1 41 Not she! She wanted to be Ladv Alderstone that was all— ° (To be continued daily.)