Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8238, 17 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XXl—Continued. Sir George had finished his letters, and was tired of reading the paper. The atmosphere of London was heavy; a fit of depression settled upon him. Something, he hardly Knew what, about Selina's expression remained ,in his mind long after she had gone to her room. He began to thiuk about her future, and he saw for the first time that his marriage that had signified ao much to him had carried a very different significance to his sister. His conscience pricked him a little, and he sighed involuntarily more than onoe as his mind bfougbt baok unwillingly piotures from the Though there was joy illimitable where love was, there was also unrest. About those old days now there olung something lik9 a roraanoe of comfort and of tranquility—not that he wante3 to go back to those old days. It needed only a vision o.f nis wife's lovely face to flash across his miud to mark the difference marriagobad made for him. Bnt Selina was not herself and ,it i hurt him to recall her changed .appearance. Only a few .months ago she had been ao bright, like a kitten full of p'ay. ' To-nigbl, aa they had sat opposite one another at dinner, she had not onoe opened her lips. Her face had worn a tired look, and her eyes when they had met his, had been full of trouble, 'l must arrange something,* George, T)urnstone said to himself. 'Of course, her proper place is with us. Perhaps I ana only imagining things, but it 'struob me to-night that Selina looked far from happy. So be bad pondered on till the door had been opened and Dorothy flashed into the room. ♦Now am I a dear, sweet thing?' she cried, as she flung her costly wraD away from her. 'Do you know that I ought to have gone to a ball and a supper, and that 1 came home to you instead?' Sir George rose and put bis arm about her. He kissed her many times. •Did you oome because you \ wanted to come?' he asked, in a } low voioe, 'or because you felt that * you must do your duty?' 'Those areeilly questions,' Dorothy answered, with a little laugt. 'Of course, 1 wanted to oome baok to you. The world is very nice, but you are much nicer.' . £ ■ They were mere frothy words, part of the jargon which she was learning to pick up every day, pretty-sounding phrases meaning absolutely nothing. They sounded like words spoken by an aogel to thiß man who worshiped her. .«• 'Are you tired of this?' he asked her, eagerly;. 'Do yon want to go away?' She' shook her head and nestled . closer to him. 'Oh no, I don't want to go now that you have come. We are going to have such lovely times,' she went on, gayly; 'I am going to make yon very smart and take you about, and then I shall be horribly jealous oY you, because I know all - the other women will fall in love with you.' She let her husband strip her pretty hands of her long gloves, and turned herpelf round and round so that, he could admire her new gown. " 'Tell me about the play,' said Sir George, as she poised herself on the arm of his chair. «Ohl It was very amusing. There's a girl there that dances , beautifully. Mi Delaval said that Hbe reminded him of a wonderful Eastern dancer that he had seen.' •Delaval,' said Sir George, quickly, and his browa contracted in a frown. I'Washewith you to night?' 'He generally is,' Dorothy said, carlessly. Sir George was silent a minute, while Dorothy swayed herself to and fro, singing to herself one of the melodies she had heard that night. Sir George, got up, and then Dorothy realised that he was looking very grave. •Is there anything the matter?' Bhe asked. Like a man, Sir George weni straight to the point. •I had no idea you were so friendly with Delaval. ,He is not a man I like—io fact, 1 may say he is a man I disl'ke very much.' Dorothy's face flushed hotly. •You never said that before,' she remarked. At once she settled in ber own mind .that this was some of Selina's doing. •I never thought about it,' Sir George answered, a little recklessly; then be softened his voice. 'You I can'S of course, be expected to understand such things, my darling. But, as a mater of fact, though it . is the fashioD, apparently, to make a fuss of this man in society, he is the last individual that ought to be brought in c'ontaot with you.' r ' Dorothy's eyes glistened. 'Do you forget that 1 met Mr Delaval for the first time as a guest in your house?' Sir George frowned again. He had no wish to be reminded of that very unpleasant evening.' 'Delaval was no invited guest,' he answered. 'Miohael Silchester brought him unexpectedly. 'Yes,' said Dorothy, with a little hard laugh, 'just as Mrß Silchester brought Lady Dunworthy.. Then, before Sir George could say anything, she went on: •I find Mr Delaval a most interesting and delightful man, and, as he has known me since childhood, 1 am afraid I can't drop him out of my acquaintance even if I wanted to. Sir George looked at her in a pained and troubled fashion. She bad gone baok In this mo-

By Eftie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," "Brave Barbara," "A Splendid "temptation of Mary Barr," "the Interloper," etc., etc.

ment to that manner she had worn when first she had let him see that their marriage, which signified all in all to him, wps something in the nature of and bondage to her. 'I never knew till now,' he said, in a low voice, 'that you had kaown Mr Delaval so long. 1 fancied he waß a stranger to yo3.' 'We have not met very frequently, it is true,' Dorothy said, 'but that is because he has been so rarely in England; but he was very intimate in my ohild life.' There was a moment's silence, in wbioh Lady Durnstone continued to hum to herself, and then she picked up her wraps and gloves. 'lam so tired,' she said, with a yawn. air George waited a moment irresolutely; then he came towards her. 'We will disuuss this matter antoher time,' he Baid. 'Does it require discussion?' Dorothy asked, in a languid way. Then she explained. •You see, darling.' she said, 'you ore so little in the world that it is natural you should take n prejudiced view of certain things and certain people. I should say that you were about the only person who would find objection to Mr Delaval.' This remark annoyed Sir George. 'You are talking nonsense, Doro thy,' he said. 'How oan you possibly know as well as I do of the kind of man Delaval is?' Lady Durnstone shrugged her shoulders, threw her wrap over her arm, and began to advance to the door. *I don't think I want to know more than 1 know already,' she said. Indeed, he is the only man I know whom 1 really call my friend.' With that she passed out of the ] room, and left Sir George to himself. **She spoke languidly and coldly, but there had been an element or quiet decision in her words and her manner whioh left an unpleasant impression on her husband's mind. As she went up the stairs, trailing her beautiful wrap carelessly on the carpet, Dorothy was extremely angry. She laid the blame of all this to Selina, and jumped to the sadden conclusion that it was for this very purpose that the girl had brought her brother ap from the country. •Horrid spy!' Dorothy said to herself. 'Heaven only knows what she has been saying to George. Now 1 remember I have noticed that she has looked at Delaval very often when he has been here. 1 suppose she has invented all sorts of things in her own mind, and then she must have made mischief with Qeuxge. F.ow she has changed I She used t n be so nice when we were at school. Oh, dear! said Dorothy to herself, irritably, 'lwish thosa days were baok again—then I should be free to do what 1 jilted. She worked herself up into a real temper, and ended by' considering herself a very ill-used person. It was the exaggeration and foolishness of youth, and, if (inly things hac! been normal* with her, the matter would have ended there, and' in all probability Dorothy would have fallen In with her husbands wishes, there would have been no further trouble;, bat thrown entirely on her own self for wisdom and counsel, cut away from ih3 other who had guided her so carefully,'divided by misunderstandingfrom discussing things in a natural way with Selina, she succeeded in bringing herself to a state of refcellion against everybody aad everything—urged thereto by the remembrance of the subtle pleasure which Delaval's attentions to her that night had signified—a mental condition whioh boded ill for &her own future and the future of the man who loved her. ,

CHAPTER XXIII. SILCHESTER REVEALS SELINA'S SECRET. It wan late before Mionael Silchester parted from his strange companion. Even then he did not go straight r back to the hotel where be was staying. He walked and walked until he was weary. The story told him by the Italian woman whom he met so strangely worked like poison in his thoughts. W?%£T, #* He never doubted this story. There had been the element of truth'in her look, in her words, and ijornething* of dignity in her bearing. (To be Continued.