TEMPTATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3156, 28 February 1911, Page 3

TEMPTATION.

By EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS

Published by special arrangement—All rights reserved by the “Times.”

CHAPTER 111. A week later and all the countryside knew that Mary Verney liad arrived, and was installed at Yelverton. Feupeople had seen the arrival; indeed, the village people rather'regarded this quiet home-coming in the light of a grievance. They had expected the now mistress .of Yelverton Castle to ride up to her new home in state; to have shown herself off to be gazed at and criticised. Certainly they had imagined that there would be some sort of excitement attaching to her arrival, and found' it hard to believe that the great event had actually taken place, when the news leaked’ out that Miss Verney was al-ready-among them. George Verney himself had been taken by surprise. The day following that on which the meet had taken place he received a telegram . It was dated from the nearest town, and merely asked if it would be convenient for Miss Verney to arrive at Yelverton that evening. . > - Sir George instantly despatched a reply in the affirmative, and occupied himself in the following hours in gathering together all'his possessions, and having the major part of them packed ready for his departure, whilst the. remainder was garnered into his own room.

At his orders the house was made to look ats very best. ' The hot-houses were robbed of their treasures, and lamps were lit everywhere. It was both a pain and a pleasure to George Verney to superintend all these arrangements. But the pleasure dominated, for since he had been given the knowledge that his cousin had been staying so near, a certain delightful feeling, half suspicion, half hope, had dawned in his heart, and as the hours drew near which Miss Verney had fixed for her arrival, he found himself waiting with an eagerness that was not entirely born of excitement or nervousness for the first glimpse of his kinswoman's face. He went to stand in the doorway as the sound of wheels warned him that the carriage was approaching, and thus the first impression that Mary Verney had of this wonderful home that awaited her was this handsome and kindly faced young man standing clearly defined against the blaze of lights with outstretched hands to greet her.

Lady Sonierton alighted from the carriage first-. She turned to support the girl, and the grip that her fingers took on the soft young arm was so painful that it aroused Mary from the dazed sense of oppression and misery that had fallen upon her throughout the day. “Welcome!” said George Verney, “welcome to your home. Cousin Mary!” There was a light in his eye. and a strange sense of happiness in his heart as he”realised that his hope, vague and unexpressed as it was, had been truly founded, and that this girl, whose face and voice had' haunted his thoughts so strangely, was none other than the girl who was to reign at Yelverton in his place ! Hand in hand they passed into the splendid old hall, where all the servants had been summoned to give a respectful greeting to their new and youthful mistress. " ”

"White as death, like a creature in a dream, Mary walked into this kingdom which now belonged to her. Lady Somerton swept closely behind. She spoke brightly and easily to Sir George the while, filling up the silence which Mary should have broken. Her ready tact, her easy manner, her savoir faire carried the situation easily. But she need not have feared that .George Vernev would have interpreted his cousin’s silence wrongly. On the contrary, the young man' was more moved than he could have told by the dumbness of those pathetic iips, by the- delicate shrinking of what he felt to be a proud spirit. To him. this white chikl-face. with its lovely eyes full of trouble, spoke volumes, and lie hastened to give her all the sympathy in his power. Naturally and easily, as lie had done a score of times when receiving his grandfather’s guests, he played the part of host, arid at last summoned the housekeeper, and desired licr "to show the ladies to their rooms.

The apartments which had been occupied by liis grandmother, the late Lady Vernoy (and had been unoccupied since that lady’s death), had been prepared fo r this mistress of Somerton. Lady Somerton was installed close by. Her maids wore busy when Miss Vcrney entered her beautiful bedroom. Already some of her wonderful clothes (which had been chosen by Lady Somerton, and accepted by the girl in that spellbound kind of way in which she had accepted everything that had occurred since that memorable night) had been taken from their boxes, and were being stowed away in the various wardrobes.

A fire blazed on the hearth —flowers abounded. The room had an enchanted look with its dainty chintz hangings and beautiful furniture..: A second maid was waiting, with a curtsey, to offer her services.

Alary put her hand to her throat. What she said she hardly knew, but at her request the two maids withdrew, and she was alone. She stood and looked about her like a hunted animal. On every hand she was surrounded by some evidence of George Verney’s thought. On every side'she was mocked by the sight of luxury which was to her an unutterable shame. . Swaying to and fro in a very anguish of suffering, a little moan escaped her lips. Then suddenly she seemed to awake. Pressing her cold hands tightly to her heart, she drew a deep breath, and swiftly, with feet that stumbled a little as she went, she passed out of this splendid apartment, through another one, beyond which lav the room which she knew had been allotted to Lady Somer- s ton. ' Perhaps the other woman must have divined and expected some such .visit, for before Marv could reach her room she appeared at the door, still wearing her splendid furs. .With a face grim as death, and almost as white as the girl’s, miserable- one. she advanced, and,-.grip-ping Mary’s wrist, she swept her back to the room she- had just deserted, and carefully closed the door .upon them. “Is this your obedience ?” ,slie hissed. “L- this how you repay me?” •■■■.•■. Her rage was terrible. ~ She.almost struck the- young' creature beside her.. The girl * looked at her wildly, and then she suddenly crouched on the ground at Lady Somert-on’s feet,. “It is too much for me,” she said hoarsely. “Release me —I entreat of von. I beg of vou to release me.” Then she went on almost bitterly: “Yon were: not true that night. You—you deceived

me. You led me to suppose tlmt. I was to till the place of your own child, that you r heart "'as breaking because this child was lost. You never told me what it was I should have to do—that —that I should have to do such a wrong as this. I —l cannot bear it. Give me back my life, and let me go.’’ • The woman, looking at her. did not answer for a moment; then with a cruel smile she stooped and dragged the girl to her feet. “Still the same old story.” she said. “Give you back your life! Let you go! No —a thousand times no ! Ton took a solemn vow to do all that I asked, ana as 1 have kept mv bargain, so you must keep to yours. You have everything that I promised you —wealth, position, beauty of life and surroundings,, and all you have to give in return for this is obedience. Look about you_ This is yours 1 You ara a very queen. Is your memory so short? Have you forgotten that day in the park when you were starving —when there remained nothing in front of you but death by your own hand? Liston to me,’’ she whispered fiercely. ‘For the last time. I tell you that what you have done cannot be undone. Yoii belong to me absolutely. I have bought you, body and sold, and all the tears and the pleading in the world will not- move me. You belong to me, I say. Dare to go against me, dare to thwart me, and I will torture you!’’ She released the girl so suddenly that Mary staggered and almost fell. Lady Somerton stood and looked at her with a frown, contracting her brows for a moment. Then, as she saw the girl’s head sink on her breast, as she saw a tremble run through the slender form, the smile came back to her lips. She turned to go back to her own room, and as she went she spoke sharp- “ Rouse yourself,” she said; “we have very little time in which to dress for dinner. Let .Hammond put out your white crepe gown.” She herself called to the maid to enter, and gave orders what Miss Vernev would wear.

Then she swept away, returning, however, almost immediately with a little medicine glass containing some fluid. “Drink this,” she said ; “you are nervous, which is only natural, and this will do you good. You had better dress Miss Ye nicy at once, Hammond,” she ordered, “then she can rest a little while.until I am ready to go down with her.” Mary made no further effort to rebel. The stimulant she swallowed put a little false strength into.: her limbs, hut nothing could take from her heart that agonising shame. ? . The maid, who had served her notv some time, . took special , pains with her toilet this evening. It was impossible not to like Miss Yeriioy. She was so gentle ;- she had alwavs a kind word. “And fo r all her riches,” the maid said to herself, “.she do make me sad. She has got a look .in her eyes that touches me somehow. M ell, if there’s anybody in the world a* ought t° he happy,"surely its her. She’s got everything in. the world that she can want.

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I'd like to see her a little bit brighter; but perhaps that will come,” mused on the maid, as she brushed and 'coiled Mary’s beautiful hair, “for one like her there’s sure to be the best, of futures!” (To be continued to-morrow.)