Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8215, 20 August 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER X,

A WOMAN'S HAND.

Punctually at the arranged hour, Mr Delaval was at Miss Lascombe's door. He had ordered an automobile, and Selina was like a child when she got inside, and they began to move away in the stealthy, smooth fashion which is characteristic of these vehicles. 'I am sure we shall all have wings and fly away before we are dene,' she said. 'Polly, is not this delicious?' She was looking quite herself again. Most women would have remarked that her gown was badly ruade, her boots too thiok, and her hat the evident product of a provincial milliner; but the man looking at her saw nothing but the esqrrisite freshness of her skin, the sweetness hud the soriousimis of ber Jipe, aiid the treasure ami! bfinnty that lay in the depth of her eyes. Besides, she was eo very slim, so graceful in her movements, that ber unfashionable clothes took to themselves a grace of their own. When Orally they reaohed the rooms which,he had described as being so peculiar and so poor, they found themselves transported as it were into another world. Selina took oil her hat, and wandered about looking at one thing after another.. She shivered at the array of weapons gathered from all sorts of countries, but she reveled in the old tapestry, in the priceless pictures, and in the innumerable works of art scattered about. Eefore lie welcomed them Delaval had been careful to remove from the wall a small oil painting of Caroline Baraldino. It was one that she had given him a fflw years before. Ho wanted nothing to jar, nothing to spoil Selina's first impressiun of the life he intended shd should lend. He pictured to himself this slim, half-boyish, wholly delightful form wandering iu aud out of these rooms. He had already begun to sketch out for himself plans for the future, for that ideal life which Selina was to share. When she was well engrossed in looking at some marvellous things that sh«,liad in her hand's,, be spoke to Miss Lasoombe in a low voice. 'News reached me this mornins,' he said, 'of Dunwortby's serious illness. He is on the coast of Afr jca. 1 imagine, from the source through which this message reaohed me, that things must be very serious with him this time; in faot, 1 am half prepared to hear that he is already dead. Well,' Delaval added, 'he has had fair innings! I have done a good deal in my time, but Dunworthy has gone further than 1 shall ever go!' 'Dead!' said Miss Lasoombe, and she caught ber breath. 'Oh! that poor woman; what will she do now?' 'She will not live long,' said Delaval, and bespoke gently; 'it will not be the man's death that will olaim her; her child's desertion will end all things for her'.' Miss JLiascombe was silent. •Yes,' she paid, 'that iruat cut bitterly. Wei, I hope the girl has chosen for the best, but I bave some doubt. George intends to be everything to ber; but, unless I am mistaken, there are possibilities in that girl's character about whioh the man she haß married is absolutely Ignorant, and with whioh be will te unable to oope if they develop.' 'There should be great character in tbe child of two such people,' said Delaval, thoughtfully; 'but, as far as I can read, Lads Durnstone's mind will play no important part in her future.' 'She is very beautiful,' said Miss Lasoombe, quietly. 'Very;' the man beside ber assented; 'but it is'the beauty of 'sorrow. She is bound to play havoc in many people a lives besides her own. 1 have some odds and Bnds of things belonging to Dunworthy upstairs; I wonder if you would like to see them? I shall not say anything of this to her,' he said, in an undertone," 'because the wound is not yet healed, I fear,' Delaval said, as Miss Lascombe and tie moved away unnotioed by Selina, 'that Miss Durnstone, though she may not bo conscious of it, feels keenly the many disadvantages of this marriage.' 'She did certainly do so,' said Mary Laecombe; 'but she love's her hrother so completely that all she hopes for now is his happiness; every other consideration is set aside in that one big one.' Jealousy moved quickly iu Delaval's heart as he listened. He wanted to begin to assure himself that Selina's love for her brother was beooming a little less. He intended to share her love with no one. Left to herself, Selina wandered about, examining and admiring. She wondered a little A'hat had become of her companiione, but there was so much to hold ber attention that ehe hardly missed them. She was standing with a wonderful piece of pottery, many centuries old, in her hand when the heavy curtains that covered the door were put on one side and a woman, entered. She came in as one who knew the place, find there was a thick veil over her face. Selina turned with a start when she shw that tall, wonderful dignified form close beside her, and *he lady who had entered looked a little startled. 'I beg your pardon,' she said, in a low voice; 'Mr Delaval's servant told me 1 should find his master here.' 'He was here just a moment ago,' Selina answered. '1 don't quite know w,here he has gone. This is auch ajmysterious place, ia it not?'

By Effie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Fetid," " Brave Barbara,'* " A Splendid Heart," " Temptation of Mary Barr," Si The Interloperetc., etc. ;«g

she added with a little smile. 'Rooms seem to open out of rooms.' Tbe tall, blaok-robed figure advanced into the room and sat down. She threw back her veil as she did so, and Selina gave a great start. 'Oh!' she said. She put down the big jar she was holding ana clasped her hands together nervously. For tbe faue before her was the.face with which she had grown familiar from the many portraits of it whioh t'ihad studded the room occupied by Dorothy Baraldine when she had been a guest at the Gate House. Her heart beat painfully, the tears came into her eyes as she saw the tension, the unutterable sorrow, written in the beautiful face before her. 'You are Mrs Baraldine,' she said, v ; involuutarily. Caroline Baraldine looked at her with some surprise. 'Yes,' she said, in her sweet, gracious voice, 'that is my name.' Selina oaught her breath aud advanced a step nearer. 'You don't know me,' she said, 'yet you must have heard of me often. I know you eo well, iu the same way. lam Selina Durnstone,' she finished. Mrs Baraldine rose from her chair, aind then sank back into it heavily again, and Selina, seeing her agitation, moved nearer still. 'Oh! 1 am so sorry', ebe said; 'I —I hope you don't mind seeing me. I have wanted to meet you so much. Won't—won't you shake hands with me?' Dorothy's mother was sitting crouched back in the ohair. There was a strange look on her face—one of pride and suffering, even of hardness. Her eyes were closed an instant, and then she opened them and looked at Selina. «I think,' she said, speaking with difficulty, 'yau are wrong to ask me that.' Selina's hand fell to her side and her lips trembled. 'i don't undertsand you,' she said. 'lt would give me great pleasure to hold your hand. A long time ago I learned to know you—as it were, in a sense, to love you, and—and lately,'saia Selina, quickly, 'I have been thinking about you so much. I have wished that 1 uould see you.' "Why do you want to see n>e?' asked Mrs Baraldine: though her tone was cold, her voice trembled. She had grown old in these last few days; the softness, the roundness that had olung to her so long had gone absolutely. She could never be anything but beautiful, but it was the beauty of an old woman—a woman full of eo*row. 'What am 1 to you?' 'You are the mother of Dorothy,' said Selina, in her fearless way; 'the mother of the girl who is my brother's wife, and now my de*Hr sister. There is every reason why I should know you—every reason why we should try and love one another.' Caroline Baraldine put out her hand suddenly and caught Selina's in hers. She pressed it to her heart and her lips. 'Oh,' she said, 'you take a l'ttle of the great burden away! Ynu lesson the darkness a littlel For surely there must be some of . your sweetness In his nature. I don't oaro about myself; J have merited harshness. I can only bow my head and accept all that comes; hutbut he frightened me because of her. His hardness, his coldness has chilled my heart because of my ohild, and now I meet you—oh, lam grateful to you for what you have just said!' Selina's hand clung to Mrs Baraldine's. 'Don't agitate yourself.' she said, 'and try not to worry. I am sure you must be very unhappy just now —well, then, we are companions, because I am unhappy, tqo. Dorothy has told me how all your life has been wrapped up in her; all my life,' said Selina, '1 have cared for no one, for nothing as I have oared my brother, and —'and he has forgotten me. Ko—no,' she went on, quickly, and she knelt down by Mrs Baraldi te, 'I know it is not quite the same thing; he is only my brother, and you are Dorothy's mother. Still, there is a bond between us, and,'—Selina's voice dropped to a whisper—'l want to ask you not to judge him to hardly—to forgive him if he hurt you. He is a atrange nature, but he is really good, really—really good.' Caroline Baraldinw was weeping quietly. She hent forward and let her lips rest on Selina's hrow. Her tears fell on the girl's face. 'God bless you,' she said. 'Even if I never sea you again, you have given me one gleam of joy. Some angel must bave brought you here this morning, I came —I came,' she broke off, and at that moment the curtains were pulled on one aside and Delaval and Mary Laacombe came into the room. (To be Continued.)