For Honor's Sake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7944, 19 January 1906, Page 2

For Honor's Sake.

CHAPTER Xl—Continued. But the girl thoroughly understood what was ultimately expected of her, and was thoroughly determined to to go her own way, as she had over done; bub the position was falling to her pride, All her sensitive eoul revolted at the manner iu which she was thrown on the marriage market; she disliked and despised her guardians, their mean and sordid ends, their low tone of thought. They could wear no masks to her; the hearty demeanor of the one, the blandness of the other, only disgusted her. She knew that both were capable of even rank dishonesty, if it wore at ouco jjrofitable and safe. How was it that, to shun an atmosphere so antagonistic, the girl had not escaped through the easy . door of marriage? Men had wooed her whom it had surely not been difficult to love, yet she was deaf to all. Did she know herself? Surely not; and yet that evening at the Ambigu, that other ovening at the Pare Monoeau, were epochs in her young life. Every look and tone of Esrio Stewart to that last, soft leavetaking, which was such a long farewell, were as clear in her memory now, as she stood to-day in the April sunshine, as when he was by her side. She was grieved for him, ah! eo grieved, because his marriage was so unhappy. Had he ever loved this Pauline Arnold, or had be pledged himself to her in a mistaken sense of obligation, grateful to her fur her oare of him when he as wouuded? Surely if he loved her he would not have lingered in Paris, while she was in London; and within a year of bis marriage he exiled himself for an indefinite period to take part in a petty struggle, wherein there was little excitement and no glory, as if he were weary of life. £ Ah! how carefully] Claude searched the papers daily for news of that campaign With what a quiver of dread she looked among the slain and • wounded for one name. What a thrill of gladness went to her heart when she missed it; or saw it in connection with a record of some brusti with the enemy: for pitched battles there were none, in this sort of guerilla warfare. And now he was home again, safe and unharmed. Surely hia wife gave him loving welcome! How could she help luving him, unless her heart was as cold as stone? Claude had seen in the paper this morning that Captain Stewart -was in London. - Would he call at The Ferns, when he heard the Davenants were in town? But, auyfoow, they might meat each other ia sooiety. The girl's heart throbbed faster at the thought; yet she did. not half realieo what gladness it would be to her to see Esiio Stewart once more. The opening of the room door startled her from her reverie, and made her look round. It was Chris Davenant, coming into breakfast. Claude bad bad hers three hours ago; tmt eleven o'clock was early enough for her guardian. Mrs Davenant generally breakfasted in her room, -and came down between 11 and 12, when she had been to a ball; otherwise, she was rather earlier. "Good morning, my dear," Chris said, just touching his lips to her forehead; "I wish you bad been with us last night." "Was it a nice ball?" asked the girl, ringing the bell for the ooffee. "Very; lots of 'smart' people, though it's so early in the season; and, among them, whom do you think?" "Anyone I know?" asked Claudw, • carelessly thinking of Basil Tollemache. "lo be sure," returned Davenant, •taking bis seat at the table. "Our ■handsome friend Captain Stewart, of Lochmohr." A quiver went through all th*» girl's nerves. "CaptainStewart?" she repeated. "He only arrived in London yesterday." "And came to Lady Alister's about one a.m., to escort his wife borne, my dear. She was there from ten o'clock, and I only saw Jhim speak to her once during the hour they were in the rooms together. She was surrounded by a corps of admirers. That's marriage a la mode with a vengeance, isn't it?" added Chris, laughiug, while Claude listened with suoh an aohing heart . that she was glad there was no need for her to speak. "The husband home from six mocths' existence in a beastly hole in India, and the very next night my lady goes alone to a ball, and my lord only goes to bring her home!" Claude felt choking. She turned away, moving some ornament on the mantel to bide the blinding tears in | her eyes. What a bitter home-oom--1 ing for a man who needed so nmob love! How could anything in the form of woman bo so brutally cruel, so absolutely heartless? "She must be of adamant," the girl managed to say, quietly, ufter a moment's pause. "Were you introduced to her, Unole Chris?" He was no relation, but one cannot call one's guardian "Mr." "No. I saw her. A lovely woman, blue eyes, yellow hair, rosebud lips. Not a patch on you, though my dear." "Never mind that. You spoke to Captain Stewart?" "Rather. So did Julia. Asked kim to'oall; and, of course, he said he would. I suppose his wife will, too; but lam not eager for her company." Claude did not fell that she wanted Pauline, either, but she said: "I doubt ber caring much for us or our manner of living; it's rather too Bohemian." Davenantlaughed. "So much the better. She'll come once; that will be enough, and Stew-, art can come ns often aa ho pleases. I'll warrant he doesn't let my lady interfere with him in any way."

By Bertha XKL Clay. Author of " Wife in Name Only," i( Wedded and Parted," "Dora Thome," " A Queen Among Women," " A True Magdalene," etc., etc.,

I That speech jarrod upon Claude's .fine sense but it was nothing new of its kind, only it wounded her more because it was uttered in conneotion with Esrio Stewart. Two years ago she would hardly have divined that she herself bad any share in Davenaut's remarks; she would have anderstood clearly the reference to the benefit to be derived generally from a man so well-known and so great a foavourite being ( a friend of the house. But she was wiser dow, and quite understood that Davenant reckoned upon her as a factor in attracting tbo desirable guest. Yet she scarcely even changed colour; self-command was one of the lessons she had earned under the fostering care of her guardians. "I suppose lie goes his way and his wife hers," she said carelessly. "Did you see anyone else you knew?" "A few, Ba3il Tollemache for one. He's coming hero to-morrow evening." "Is he?" "You don't seem to take to him," said Davenant jokingly, but watching heroovetly out of those close-set green ;gray eyes of his. Claude, leaning back in a low chair, clasped her hands above her curly head, and drew her straight brows together. "Count Zarolyi was much nicer," she remarked. "And you refused him." "I said that ne was much nicer than Tollemache," returned Claude, oracularly. "Oh! I can't follow your quirks and turns. You're so fond of subtleties, Claude. What's against Tollemache?" She laughed. (To be Continued).