CHAPTER XXII,—A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 63

CHAPTER XXII,— A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE.

Brereton was furious at the failure that had prevented his discovering the whereabouts of Joan. Her cabman had suddenly disappeared down some haunt of his own, and seemed to Brereton as if the earth had opened and swallowed him tip, horse and hansom as well.

Feeling baulked in his desire, he dismssed his own cab and walked slowly and ', aimlessly along Piccadilly. Should he call j on Miss La Touche or not? What was the j good. Yet why should he not? Perhaps > she could tell him something of Joan. She • would be almost certain to know where she '. was living ; but would she tell him? Any- i way, there would be no harm done by ask- ; ing, so for the second time that afternoon • Brereton found" himself in Green street, j Geraldine happened to be in, and had j omitted to give orders that she was " not j at home." \

She was writing in her own sanctum — the room where Joan used to sit — when me maid told her that Mr Brereton was in the drawing room.

It was on the tip of Geraldine's tongue to say that &he could not see him, but feeling just then " stuck " at the particular part of her story that she was writing, she threw down her pen impatiently with a certain sense of relief at the interruption. " Say I will see him directly," she said, 'men, woman-like, she turned to the glass over the chimney-piece and touched ncr head, daintily adjusting a little curl into 2>lace on her forehead and smoothng down a ruck in her delicate silk blouse.

What did he want? The man interested her as a type that she was not acquainted She liked to draw him on when she was in a certain mood that craved conquest, or to snub him if he became too familiar. In any case, he never bored her unless she was under stress of great anxiety, as s-lie had been that day when going to Ralph.

f^he had not seen him since then — what a long time ago it was, and v hat a lot had happened since then. Unhappiness and d-espair had come to her that she Avas struggling against now, lighting them dow i and calling up all her pride to help her. Ralph should not think that she would go

' on eating out her heart for love of him, though she was — yes, she was ; and she loved him so dearly, so madly, that lift ougti that love she was smothering her own feelings in order to help him. She wanted to restore Joan to him. *>nd so win his forgiveness. It was a task ohe had set herself to do — a task that seemed well nigh impos« sible ; but Geraldine vowed she would do ify and !=he intended to keep +hat vow. " It is quite n long time since we met," she said, extending her slim white hand, that flashed wit'n costly rings, for her visitor to take. Brereton always admired Geraldine ; her calm superioiity, her ease of manner, her perfect savoir-faire appealed to him. Coarse and rather brutish as he was by nature, he only admired a certain type of women — a lady in every sense of the wor3 ; oth-er women had no attraction for him, and he was not a man who would ever be tempted to marry beneath his own rank in life Until he had come acioss Joan again, he had thought seriously oi proposing to Miss La Touche, and the thought returned to him now as he held her white fingers in his and admiied her manners, her aristocratic tone, and the red glory of her hair that crowned her well-shaped head like a rich diadem. " I did not know you were in town until I heard so the other day. I thought you were still at Woodhurst," he said. " No. As soon as Mr Rutherford ; a strong enough to travel he and his mother are going to Nice or Mentone, and will remain there for the winter, I think, " replied Geraldine. " Are you not going with them, Miss La Touche?" '"I? Why should I accompany them, ilr Brereton?" " " I did not know. I thought — the fact is, Miss La Touche, I thought it was a settled thing between you and Rutherford," said Brereton, clumsily. " You are mistaken. There is nothing between Mr Rutherford and myself — absolutely nothing," replied Geraldine, firmly. "Isn't there likely to be?"

Brereton came nearer to her, his bold eyes upon her haughty free.

" You know how much I admire you "' He paused, waiting for a sign from her that he might go on. She moved to a little table of nick-nacks, and began fidgetting with them ; she was wondering whether she should allow him to propo.-c to her or not; trying in the few moments that she had to weigh the pros and cons of a marriage with this maiij whose wealth might tempt many a woman of society to link her life with him.

Geraldine had only that veiy morning received a long letter from hey mother upbraiding her with remaining single still, complaining of her debts and difficulties, and her daughter's extra,". agaiK-us. Here was a way out of •th^&e petty trouble?. She had only to jive a nord, a glance of encouragement,, . an"d she felt sui*e Horace Breieton would ask her to become Tiis wife. People would no lonjer dare to pity her as being neglected oy RalphItutherford. and hs — he would a-r-e lliat she was soon con&oled. She gave a little laugh, and tfaiiec! ap with the look of a finished t.'OOiieii..- in Brereton's face. '" You admire me? How nice of : 'c;i to s:iy sol I love admiration. Ami "•? that what you have called to tell nv'. ' The mockery in her tone !..-• = d T',^reton's pa':Si'"<l2. "Not orJy. tk't," lie sail. -ivA .linosfc iiereely caught her bare arm, wliere tha loose sleeve fell back from its soft v. hiteness, ar.d held it iv ft, grip el uxr. "I want you to bo my wife." he fried. She flushed warmly crinuon. Hi-s t.'>;ich hurt her delicate fl>.sh ; he mi" roy,;:!i — coo bold — too daring. She almost rofiif-ed him — almost ; but not quite. The next instant she met his gaze with a straight "ook from her eyes. '' I have no love to give you, bu- I'll marry you if you want me," she said, with perfect sang-froid. " I do want you. You can give me a very fair exchange for the fortune I will settle- upon you. You can get me into better society, introduce me to your fine friends, help me to get into swell clubs, and all the rest of it. Ido not know that I care about an affectionate wife — it would bore me. \\'e shall suit each other admirably, I fancy," he said, scanning her charms with a critical gaze, as if he were buying an ornament for. his house, or a horse for his stable. The girl standing before him turned hot all over. She felt the indignity of tha bargain, and was ashamed of it. Nevertheless, it should remain. She would sell herself to this millionaire. Why shouldn't she? It wou'd please her mother. They would be able to leave Green street and go to Berkeley or Grosvenoi- square. She could have that rope of pearls now that she had seen at Hunt and RoskeU's, and diamonds that would outshine those of all her friends. She gave a harsh laugh that rang througn the room oddly. "What are j^ou laughing at?" said Brereton. " Only that this is the strangest couvtshio I ever heard of. We have been frank, with, each other at anyrate," she an&weied. " I am nuite willing to make love to you if you will allow me," he said, slipping; nn arm about her waist and bending over her till she felt his breath hot on her faco. His lips were almost touching her cheek. She suddenly felt a horrible aversion for him, and jej-ked herself away from his encircling arm. "Theie is no necessity for love-makinfj o~ familiarities of any kind," she said, sharply. "For heaven's sake, let us behave as reasonable bemgt:, not as idiotic lovers." "That's all very well. I may be tempted sometimes, and you surety can't refuse your fiance a kiss." said Brereton, nob well pleased at beina retmlsed. " Nonseas-e ! Look here. I want to know if you will put the announcement of our encasement in, the Morning Post at once ;

also in any other of the fashionable journals. Til write it out now. and you can post it ; then the thing "will be done," said Geraldine, sitting down to her writing table 3 where her monogram shone respilen- j dent in glittering letters on a blue velvet i blotting book. " You are in a great hurry for it to be j known. I really do not see the necessity j of announcing it so soon," remonstrated j Brereton, pulling his moustache nervously, j "He suddenly realised this thing he had done, and he thought of Joan — of the : ■woman he had wanted, to marry — the only j woman who had the power of thrilling him j — of rousing his passions to a white heat of j frenzy. He wonld> rather she did not know ! of this engagement yet, for he was still determined to see her again, to find out ■where she had hidden herself. She drew him like the magnet draws the needle. Geraldine took no notice, however, of his 'Jeeble objections, and frrote out the notice which she handed him to pest. "Will you go now. please? You see, I am chaperonless ; so it is hardly the thing for you to remain to dinner, or I would invite you ; but I shaill write to my mother to-night, and she will probably think such news behoves her to return home at once, when, naturally, you can then come to the house when you please," said Geraldine. As he took the envelope from her hand he thought to ask her about Joan. I " By the bye. whom do you think I came across to-day?" he asked. " Haven't the least idea,. Anyone I know?" she replied, carelessly. " That Mrs Hatherlev who was living •with the Rutherford*. "' He was astonished to see the impression his news made upon his fiancee, who started up from before the writing table with a cry of surprise. " Mrs Hatheriley ! Oh. where? How? I ■would give anything to meet her. Give me her address at once," she exclaimed, excitedly. " I certainly would if I knew it ; but, you nee, I don't," replied Brereton. " Oh. why didn't you ask her where &he ■was living? What did she say? What is she doing? How did she look?" questioned Geraldine. Brereton laughed at her eagerness. " I didn't know 1 she was such a favourite of yours, mv dear Geraldine" — she winced at the sound of her name uttered so glibly from his lips. "The fact is, I did not get a chance of speaking to her. She was in a hansom that passer! me like a flash. Besides, what is Mrs Hatherley to me? You foraet I barely know her." Geraldine turned a surprised glance upon him. "I forget nothing," she said. "It is you ■who forget that you informed me that you knew Mrs Hatherlev years ago, and knew something to her disadvantage. It is just possible that- one day I may ask you to tell toe what that something is." (To be continued.)