THE HEART OF DIANA,

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12483, 26 June 1926, Page 9

THE HEART OF DIANA,

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BY

DOROTHY M. GARRARD,

Author of "Iris,” "Roger North cote's Wife,” “The Spider** Weh,” etc. tTii(ie3tlilliiiHHniiiiiiimiiC3iitiiliiiHit3iliiii!iiiiie3iiiiiiiiiiii»iiiiiniiuminiuiiHiit3niiiiiniiu:3HMiunniHmi;iiiimE3iniiiiimommnn»:3ii

CHAPTER XXl—(Continued.) And then at last she spoke; her voice came with clear decision: “No, I will not marry you, Clifford,” she said' deliberately. “You won't,” A sudden petulant anger swept over him. He had nover 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 lie realised his words were feeble, unconvincing. Yet he wanted her,« wanted her and her money more than ever he had done. “When I married Derek I married a man 1 did not love.” Her voice was low* for tho first time a certain restrained feeling had Crept into it. “And I faid for it—l am paying for the wrong did him—in a way that I least expected. So do you think it is likely I should make the same mistake again?” “But why shouldn't you* love me?” quickly ho took her up. He really did not understand what she was talking about. Perhaps, after all, it was just some womanish whim easily swept away. “You cared for me once.” His voice was passionate. “I can make you care for me again. I will make you ” he stopped abruptly. Something in the half-contemptuous gnie of her eyes cut him' short. “No, you can't, Clifford. You can't make me love you again.” Despite the contempt in her eyes, her voice had a half-pitying note. “I tried to, in Corn-wall-Lpd have done anything then to get away from myself—and I couldn't. And now—now it is incredible to me that I could ever have cared for you. You're not straight. Your mind is full of twists and turnings.” He writhed nt the cool criticism of her words. “It’s not really me you want, but what I can bring you. 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?” “You're sending me away?” His face was distorted with anger. Never had his vanity, his pride, had such a wound. ,He would like to have taken her white throaty in his hands and crushed it. For one wild moment the thought came to him that he would, indeed, force her to him. He took a step forward, his face inflamed, his eyes flashing with disappointed passion. Quietly Diana stepped towards the bell and pressed her firgers upon it. A little half-nitying, half-con-temptuous smile curved her lips, and the eight of it maddened him. Before she could prevent him he had seized her nrm in his hand, his face was cloae to hers. "You shall pay for this—pay as you’ve never paid for anything before.” lie spoke through his clenched teeth. •'l'll dog your footsteps, wear you down, until you're forced to give in to me.” I “You coward!” With a sudden, swift movement she had torn her arm from his grip, pushed him fiercely away from her. . Neither of them heard tho door open, or, until they hoard the sound of hla voice, knew that Andrews was in the room. Quickly Diana turned towards him. She had not caught whet it was the -old man said, but. so inconsequently the idea 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—if you S lease, madam,” he almost e spoke, “there’s someone —someone here." He seemed as if lie would have tried to say more, then ho looked back half-helplessly over hia 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 face, or the words he must have heard as he came into the room? And then, as her gaze followed hiu, she caught sight of a man standing ia the background in the hall. When ho saw her he came forward. Her heart gave & great beat—a beat that seemed ns if it would have suffocated her. For the man was her husband —Derek. For the minute Allerdyce was the most master of the situation. He had lost

Diana. H© ground his teeth at the thought. But at least ho could make her suffer. If ever the way wore easy it wae uotf. “So you’ve come back,” -with perfect sangfroid he stepped forward, mastering his rag© and evemg Derek coolly up and down. “Rather unexpected, wasn't it? At least no on© expected you, I'm afraid, did they, Diana?” If© turned to her, a malicious smilo on his face. And, as no saw .her white face, saw how sh© was holding for support on to tho back of tho nearest chair, a sense of triumph caroo over him. oh© had spurned him, but it was his turn to bo top dog now. “Yes, I have com© back.” Derek came further into the room, and, as he walk* ed, ho limped slightly. Otherwise, except that h© was a little leaner, a little browner, than when he went away, ho looked just the same. _ , “And you wern’t killed after all. Again It was Allerdyce, with that subcurrent of malice in his voice, who asked the question. ~ , , “No, I wasn’t killed.” Deruk. 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 liip from the brute s claws. But it wasn’t until I got back to Nairobi that I found out there had been a mistake, that my name hod been sent home instead of his. And then • suddenly lie stopped. . . . i _ "Then you thought you d like to give us alt a surprise, I suppose. luo novelist spoke with deliberate insolence. Ho took his place at Dianas side. if see if the old soying-wliat is it about when the cat’s away, but I daresay you remember it better than I do-had any truth in it. It was a pity you roulrtn t»et hack In time for Christmas. Some dovil. sprung from rage and disappointment, prompted tiio words: your wite and I had a perectly charming time down in Cornwall together. “Oh don’t take any notice of him. Mr Derek,” suddenly old Andrews hurst in. Only now had it dawned upon him that this stranger, whoso name be had not caught, was the man who, so lie believed. was nt the root oi all the between his master and mistress, why, I heard her calling him a coward as _ camo into the room. And he b a lying kn(, w “ Derek’s voice was curt, but thero was a sudden gleam of anger in bis blue eves, a sudden hint ot mat steely look Clifford Ailerciyco hod once seen in them before. In ft flasn l* e wished his last words of deliberate insult back. In a battle of words he could hold his own, more than hold his onn. But with these brutes of soldiers, one never knew what violence they might at “WeU, I won’t interrupt this family reunion,” be began quickly, edging ms way towards tho door. But, before no could reach hio 80kl, one of .Derek 9 lean, brown hands shot out, catching him by “Leave ol me' alone," he tried to apeak with dignity. “Leave me alone, you fool 1” His voice suddenly became almost a scream, a scream of terror. But the other’s hold only tightened. Anil the next instant he was being shaken, shaken until his teeth chattered, until he was just a limp, helpless bundle. "You little rat," Derek held hi* at arm's length, contempt more than anger in his face. Strange as it might seem, gone was the time when ho.could be jealous of Clifford Allerdyce. Besides, he, too, had heard the echo of Dian A-s words, seen the. look on Dianas face. “But remember this,” the other man* breathless and half-sick, could only look up at him with foolish, .bulging eyes, “if ever you come here again, if ever I have any cause to believe you are working at your underhand schemes again, I’ll give you forty times worse. You can have mo uii for assault now, if you like, but ,if you do I’ll toll the whole story in court. Now go,” with a last, quick movement he turned, opened the door and pushed Allerdyce-through it. “Andrews," quickly he turned to the old man, hut there was tho hint of a smile on his grim face: ‘will you anil Hill" Hill was the under-footman, young and athletic —“see that the gentleman leaves the house." (To bo concluded:)