Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8236, 14 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XX.—Continued. The fact that he had been so generous to Delaval never onco troubled Michael. He had considered it an honour to help so distinguished a man, and he had long ago put from his mind all remembrance of Delaval's indebtpdness to him. Indeed, in his heart of hearts, Michael longed to be aole to prove to himself that this man whom he had honoured and admired so deeply was still worthy of that honour and admiration. And in this it was not merely for his own satisfaction that he longed—it was the far deeper desire to aussure himself that Selina's future would be in th 9 beat of hands. Though he did not oome direotly in coutact with St. John Delaval, be soon made himself acquainted with the fact that, his former friend "■us vnry much in evidence. Indeed, just us as he had Heou Sel'na unawares, so he had pulsed St. John Delaval in the street, though he had been unseen himself. He had but little time, however, to spend in LondoD, and so, on the evening of the fourth d3y—the o ame evening in which George Durnrtone sat dining a'lone with Selina—Michael resolved that the tide of waiting hud come to an end, and after he had dined very ciuietly at his club ho sot out to mnbe his way to thoqe rooms which had so fascinated Seliu?, and which remained impressed in her memory as being the "-lace where she had spoken to Dorothy's mother. It was not the flrat time Michael Silohester had teen to those rooms. He remembered sadly enough how impressed he hod been by Delaval's hospitality, and by the great man's pleasure in welonming him in the days when they first met. There wan no suoh welcome for him to-night. He made his way through the narrow streets to the old-fashioned •out de sac* where Delaval had found bis London home. But though he rang and rang no one answered his summons. It was a warm night, and odds and ends of poor people who lived round about were lolling in their doorways. By this time, however, they had grown aooustomed to having su strange a neighbour as Mr Delaval, and evidently it was no new thing to them to see a person ring many times without obtaining ingress. Miohael frowned and determined to go away for a little walk, and then come bnok again. He could see by the draperies at the window that Delaval hid not deserted his room, though he might possibly be staying at a hotel. What, however, was more reasonable still was that be was dining out, and bis black servant had taken this opportunity to go out himself. 'Unless he has given orders that I am not to be admitted,' said Miohael to himself. 'lf I can succeed in'making someone hear I may be able to discover when I shall be able to find him in to-morrow.' He walked for about three-quar-ters of an hour or longer; and the summer twilight bad passed into dunk when bo retraced his steps to Delaval's rooms. Once again he rang and rang, but the house was evidently without an inmate;,at any rate, no one came. Just as he was turning away a voice spoke tc him, and he turned sharply, seeing then for the first time that seme woman was crouched up in the shadows olobo to the doorstep. He could not distinguish her dearly, but he was consoioua that she had a pair of large dark eyes. 'So there are others who oome in search and find not; but he is too clever, this great man,' she said, with a sneer. 'While you ring and grow impatient, perchance he is even on his way to une of those far off countries where he is a king I I, too, have rung, and rung in vain. Bat lam very patient, and hare I sit and wait; for he will surely come. Ob, yes, he will come, and I shall see him.' Michael felt extremely uncomfortable. She spoke in a slow, studied voice that made a great impression on him. She was not an English woman—there was something strange about her & S He made no nnwser to her, and was turning awayjwhen a thought suddenly came to him, and he remembered with a flash what the little boy had told him that night when the seoond anonymous letter had come. Acting on an impulse he turned and spoke to her. 'Have you ever been in a village called Amleside?' *I have been in many villages,' said the woman, and her voice sounded wearily; 'but know not their names.' 'Perhaps you know this,' Michael said, and his voice was strained. Have you not written letters to a man called Silohester, who •lives ' The woman interrupted him. "'Silohostor,' she repeated, in her broken accent. 'Ah 1' she peered forward, and she seemed to tremble with excitement. Are you, then, this man Silohester? This one I have wanted. 'My name is Silohester,' Michael answered; and if you wrote those letters lam glad to meet you. I want an explanation.' The woman laughed, and moved out of the shadows. He saw then that she was no longer young. There was a bright moon making its way through the warm, misty atmosphere. She stood before him clearly revealed. There was something pathetic about her. She wore no hat only piece of drapery pinned about £her bead and wore about her shoulders like a shawl. Every movement proclaimed that

By Efsie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," " A Splendid Heart," " Temptation of Mary Barr," "The Interloper," etc., etc.

she was a foreigner, probably an Italian. 'Why did you write to me?' Miohael asked, in a low voice that was full of agitation. She answered him with a question. 'Why have you oome here to find this man? Is it because J have awakened you from a dream?' She shrugged her shoulders. M doubt not that you were angry, and yet you should be grateful—oh! so grateful!' Then she changed her tone. a 'Come away from here,* she said. 'You will but waste time waiting for him. Be is not here—he has not been here for many days. I know, for 1 am watohing him. 1 follow him—sometimes like a shadow. He has left here beoause he feared ycu might oome. You will ask why Ido oome here if I know that he is not here? And I answer that it gives me pleasure to oome—that I have a sort of happiness in sitting here, knowing that it would make him grow white if he were to oome suddenly and tiud me. Besides, the time is not rpnriy. I have ben waiting—waiting for you! Oome,' she repeated 'we will go away from here now. 1 will speak to yuo. I will tell you all you want to know.' As they passed away from this narrow street into a broader tboroaghfare she put her hand on his arm: *I cannot a=ik you to my home,' she said, with pathetio dignity, 'it is too poor--too low. Yet I can not walk— I have walked already so much. - 'Tell me where you would like me to take you,' said Michael, in his quiet, kind way. She nodded her head and smiled at him. '1 have not dined yet,' she said. 'lndeed, I have not dined for many days. I will aooept a dinner. There is a restaurant not far from herequiet, where people will not stare to see you with so poor a oreature as me. It is close by your great opera house. Ah! sometimes I stand and watob the carriages, and their beautiful women inside —the jewels, the laoes, the scents! And sometimes 1 see him in one of these carriages, and I ask myself if he turns pale or shivers as I launob my curse after him!' Michael tamed to her. 'Why—why shoald you curse St. John Delaval?' ho asked, hoarsely. The woman put ber hand on his arm and looked up into his face. 'Why?' she answered—'beoause he has made my life barren, beoause he took away from me all that I had—because he is a murderer' '.

CHAPTER XIX. 'HE IS THE ONLY MAN I KNOW WHOM I REALLY CALL MY FRIEND.' Delaval happened to bo one of the guests at Lady Beesborougb's dinner. He oame in when all were assembled, and, as he looked round the room and noted that Selina was not present, his brows contracted. •Are you here unchaper,oned?* he said to Dorothy, when he reached her side. 'I thought you never went out alone.'

'Oh said Dorothy, with a shrug of her shoulders, 'Selina hates dinner parties. Selina hates most things,' Dorothy added, a little sneeringly. 'You have no conception what a dull person she is.' Delaval oily smiled. He arranged quickly in his thoughts that be would go baok and spend an hour with this 'dull companion.' But Lady Dumstone's next words made him ohange his plans. 'To-night, however,' she said, still with that sneer in her voice, 'dear Selina is in the seventh heaven of delight. She has got her beloved George with her. 1 'Your husband?', said Delaval, quickly. J 'orotbj nodded her head. 'George arrived unexpectedly just before dinner,' sbe said. 'At least 1 did not 'expect him, but I found out that Selina sent for him. It was very sly of her not to tell me that she had written, was it not?' (To be Continued.)