Chapter XXXIV.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 24

Chapter XXXIV.

Old Wounds-Healed? The evening was already beginning to fade as Walter turned from Fitzurse House. The summer itself had faded into autumn. The latest embers of the season had gone out. Walter had been invited to go down into the country with Lord and Lady Pallas ; but now he thought he would not go, although he longed to see one of the country houses of the class whom Dr Johnston would have called the great. But it would be better not, he thought ; ou the whole .much better not. Janette would not like it, and would be jealous ; poor dear Janette ! He could not help smiling complacently to himself at the thought of Janette being jealous about him and the attentions paid to him by a great lady. The evening sun shed one of its latest rays across his smiling face.

He would not pass through the odious streets of Fitzurseham, and perhaps be grinned at; by the envious inhabitants. It used to be at one time a favourits theory of Fitzur-sehamifces that Walter was destined for greatness of some kind or other, and was certainly destined to rise in world and get into good society. Yet, now that he had risen and got into good society, Fitznrseham did not appear to feel proud or gratified at his elevation, but, on the contrary, showed a disposition to grumble at him and jeer at him. We have already spoken of the Fitznrseham population as an irreverent population who would jeer at success as well as failure. In fact there was no telling what Fifczurseham would not jeer at if it felt so disposed. One might be the glass of fashion and the mould of form, and yet a ragged, bandy-legged Fitzursehamite would be as likely as not to shoot out the tongue of derision at him and hold him up to public contempt. A Fitzuirsehamite gamin with dirty face, bare feet, and torn pantaloons never to be mended, would proclaim himself rigidly exacting in regard to female costume, and would make disparaging comments on the get-up of Mrs Langtry.if she happened to pass along his way and he disapproved of her bounet pr her dress. One might have saved the State, and yefc if he happened to wander along a Fitzurseham street might find himself an object of sincere contempt and loudly expressed ridicule. It is no wonder that Walter Fitzurse, an old resident who had cut the place, should have felt strong objection to parading its streets on foot in the evening.

He knew a way near the Rectory and by the river bank from which he could reach one of the piers of the river steamers without tempting much of the commentary of Fitzurseham. He was moving along this quiet path now when forming his resolve not to go to Lady Pallas', and when the setting sun illumined his complacent smile and dazzled his eyes. Because of the dazzled eyea he did not see that he was near running into the arms of a pair who were turning round a corner ; a man and a woman. The -woman was leaning on the man's arm and they wero in deep conversation. Walter might perhn}js havo passed on without noticing them further but that they stopped in some doubt or confusion apparently ; and then Walter looked at them and saw that they were Vinnie Lnmma«i and Christian Pilgrim. Vinnie drew back a little disturbed ; Pilgrim maintained bis usual gloomy composure.

>( Vinnio — Mj.ss Lammas ! " Walter exclaimed, taking off his bat making a bow worthy of a prince doing salutation to a princess. *' Pilgrim —how do again, Pilgrim? Lovely evening — going f oi' a walk P Hope Mrs Lammas is well ? " " Mamma is quite well, thank you," Vinnie said with a heart a little throbbing. Pilgrim could

feel it throb against his arm ; he withdrew his arm. "Mr Pilgrim was kindly seeing me home ; Mrs Pollen has gone to town for the night." " Yes, I know," Walter said ; "I have just been there ; lam going to town too. Good evening, Vinnie — Miss Lammas ; good evening, Pilgrim. My kind regards to Mrs Lammas."

Christian Pilgrim said never a word ; Walter bowed again and moved off. But when the two had passed on he stopped for a while and looked after them. He became very curious to know whether Pilgrim would go into her house with Vinnie and remain for any time there. He felt curious to knowwhether they were going straight to Vinnie's home, or whether a long walk by the river side might not precede Vinnie's return to her mother. He had, one might have thought, his heart's desire. He had carried off and married the pretty granddaughter of an earl ; he was carrying on a flirtation with the wife of an earl ; he could still feel the momentary impress or Oamiola Sabine's hand ; and yet he suddenly felt a pang of jealous passion at the thought of Christian Pilgrim taking a walk with Vinnie Lammas, perhaps lingering with her by the river, accompanying her to her home and going in and sitting with her in the room which which Walter remembered so well and of which the memory sometimes brought a feeling of regret and sometimes a shudder, according to the mood which happened to have possession of him. 'He felt devoured by curiosity to know whether Pilgrim would return at once to Fitzurse House, having seen Vinnie to her home, or whether he would go in with her and make a long stay. Braving all risk of being recognised and flouted by jibing j Fitzursehamiles, be followed slowly the path ! Pilgrim and Vinnie had taken. He.kept them in view all the time until he saw that they were close to Vinnie's house. Then he fell back a little and waited. There was a beetle-browed archway forming the entrance to a narrow lane which led in a crooked and curving way into one of the meanest and squalidest parts of Fitzursham, parts which Walter had never penetrated. In the shadow of the archway the young man stood and waited and watched.. An hour passed and Pilgrim did not come out of Vinnie's house. Walter could wait no longer ; he had to return home. His projects of moral and philosophical reform were disturbed by what he had observed ; his mind was disturbed by it. He could not bear the idea of Christian Pilgrim, on whom he had always looked down, coming now to supplant him in the heart of Vinnie Lammas. It would have pleased him if the girl had always remained faithful to the memory of her first lover. It appeared to him as if Pilgrim were doing him a positive wrong. He was vexed, and felt humbled. It was too much, he said to himself; he wasn't going to stand it.

Meanwhile Christian Pilgrim was spending a quiet and happy hour or two with Vinnie Lammas and her mother. He was having tea with them, after the old fashion of the days before Vinnie had been disappointed in love. Things, indeed, were gradually restoring themselves to the old condition of quietude and something like contentment in Vinnie's house. Mrs Lammas .was delighted with the improved fortunes of her daughter, with the friends she had made and the prospect that seemed to be opening up to her. All that was wanted to make them both happy now was that Vinnie should forget altogether her love for Walter Fitzurse; and Mrs Lammas thought with much secret satisfaction that this now seemed very likely to come to pass. Mr Pilgrim was undoubtedly very attentive to Vinnie, and although it was so far in a fatherly sort of way, yet Mr Pilgrim was not nearly so old as he looked, and he had a very good position- as manager of Mrs Pollen's Fitzurseham property, and Mrs Pollen made no secret of her regard for him, and her willingness to do anything in her power to help him to gain any object he had in view ; and there was no handsome young admirer now to put into.contrast with him ; and in short Mrs Lammas had made up her mind that Pilgrim would some time or other ask Vinnie to marry him, and that on the whole Vinnie could not do a better thing. Therefore she saw with pleasure that the two seemed day by day to grow more friendly, more intimate, more necessary to each other; and she waited in quiet confidence for the moment when Vinnie would come to her and tell her that Pilgrim and she were going to be married.

Vinnie was indeed becoming day by day more to Christian Pilgrim. By imperceptible degrees his friendship for the girl, his compassion for her, his sympathy with her, were deepening and broadening into a tenderer feeling. After his one wild outburst of passion about Miss Sabine he had fallen into a condition of mental dejection and shame which for a time made life almost unbearable. He had been roused out of the depth of this depression for the first time by the shock of Vinnie Lammas' attempt at suicide. In his anxiety about her and his pity for her, he forgot for a while himself and what he considered his degradation, and he began to feel grateful to the girl because she had made him think of her and not of himself. When Vinnie became part of the establishment at Fitzurse House, Pilgrim was constantly directed by Mrs Pollen to see the girl home and to take care of her generally, Mrs Pollen having her own views and purposes about both of them. So it came that Pilgrim renewed his old intimacy with the mother and daughter, but under conditions very much changed and in a frame of mind very much changed also. "Don't you think Vinnie is looking much better, Mr Pilgrim ?" Mrs Lammas asked when Vinnie had left the room for a moment to see about the tea.

" She is indeed greatly changed for the better," Pilgrim said. "I was afraid she would have a shock to-day. Do you know that we met him ?"

" Met whom, Mr Pilgrim?" Mrs Lammas was a little slow of apprehension. She really did not know at the moment of what "him" Christian was speaking. " That young man— Walter Fitzurse. I don't know what he was doing about here. Yes ; he stopped and spoke to her."

''My ! lam surprised. How did Vinnie bear It r

" Very well ; she did not seem to mind so much as I was afraid she would."

"lam so glad. But lam sure she wouldn't." Mrs Lammas expressed this conviction quite as much for the purpose of reassuring herself as of assuring Pilgrim. " She don't care about him any more, Mr Pilgrim ; she will soon forget him altogether, I hope." " I hope so, too." Pilgrim hoped, but was not very confident. He thought Vinnie had borne the meeting very well ; but he had seen, too, how the crimson flush came over her face, and howshe trembled, and little as he knew of women and their ways, he knew enough to know that Tinnie had not yet got over all her love for Walter Fitzurse.

Nothing more was said then. Vinnie came back, and they had tea and talked pleasantly over various things quite as in the old time. Vinnie was in what seemed to be remarkably high spirits. Pilgrim was delighted with her mood and her ways. He was getting very fond

of the girl in a half-fatherly, half-lover like sort of way. ' When he was going Vinnie came out with him to the doorstep, just as she used to do in the old time with him— and of course with Walter too. There just in front of them were the windows of the house where Waltpr used to live. Vinnie's eyes turned that way with- a look which WQuld have filled with misgiving theheart of an admirer more skilled in reading the mood of a woman than poor Christian Pilgrim. It was a tender and beautiful autumn evening: the mild light of the "Shepherds- Star" fell on Vinnie's pale upturned face and eyes, now wistful and melancholy. " It was strange, wasn't it ?— meeting, him today," she said suddenly, sinking her voice as if there were anyone but Pilgrim to hear her words. " You bore it very well," Pilgrim said encouragingly ;■" 1 was glad to see that, Vinnie. You will be quite strong in time; and you ..will be happy." She remained silent, looking still at the . windows of the house which she once used to watch with so affectionate an interest. Her silence made Pilgrim feel a little uneasy. It was as if a damp cloud had suddenly come" over his prospect. "Yes ; you bore it well," he said once again lhat was the first time you saw hiin— since that Sunday ?" " Yes ; at least no, not exactly. I saw him once before." x Vinnie spoke with great hesitation now -In^ truth she had almost thought at first of saying " Yes" in an unqualified way to Pilgrim's question ; but to do her justice she always tried to be a truthful girl. " Saw him once before— since that time do you mean ?" . " iTes, Mr Pilgrim ; I saw him once before " " Where was that, Vinnie ; tell me about that • I didn't know anything of it. Where did you see him ?" J " Here— l ineau of course iv Fitzursehatn • it was quite by accident ;• 1 never thought of meeting him." " Here, in Fitzurseham. Where in Fitzurseham i"' " In the old churchyard. ' I went in there one day when I was going from here to Fitzurse House ; and I stayed a few moments alone- and then he came in." ''And he talked to you ?" "Yes, Mr Pilgrim ; he talked to me." " What did he talk to you about ?" " Oh, asked me to forgive him, and that ' It didn't last long— l wouldn't stay. He said he was very sorry about me; and do you know he had never heard until that moment that I tried to drown myself ?» This was said in a woman's last despairing effort to try and make people believe that her. faithless lover was not,' after all quite so bad as they might have thought' him Pilgrim's heart sank. " You never told me of this, Vinnie," he said, gloomily. " No," she said, in despondent voice, " I didn't What would be the good ? It didn't matter. It couldn t make any change." " Does your mother know P" "She does not. I did not tell her. I was afraid it would make her feel uncomfortable She would be fancying things." " Fancying things ! Yes, very likely," Pilgrim thought. He could not help fancying things as he looked now into Vinnie's troubled face, "You didn't see him again after that— until' to-day ?" he asked. "No, not until to-day. It was all a mere accident. He doesn't come here much now— to Fitzurseham, I mean. I don't suppose I shall ever see him again." (To be continued.)