THE MYSTERY OF HADDON'S FERRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 270, 16 November 1887, Page 6

THE MYSTERY OF HADDON'S FERRY.

(By E. D. E. N. Southworth.)

CHAPTER XLVIII.

OERALOIN E'S MOVEMENTS

Oh, had we never, never met, Or could this heart c'en yet forget, How blest, how happy bad wo been, Had fato not frown*d so daik between. Thomas Moobt.

The elegantly furnished house in Franklin Square, temporarily occupied by the French ambassador, was tho usual winter residence of a Northern Senator, whoso agent, with the consent of the proprietor, had let to the Baron de La Yalette until the first; of the ensuing December, before which the am. bnssador would bo ready to return to France. Ifc was some time after sunset, and, indeed, nearly seven o'clock, when Madame de La Valette and her guest alighted from their carriage, and entered the spacious hall of this handsome house. "Dinner at eight my love. I will myself show you to your apartment," said the lively little French lady, leading the way up stairs to a medium-sized chamber, very prettily, yefc very simply furnished. Geraldine, still in deep mourning for heruncle and guardian, required bufc little adorning. She had dressed for dinner before leaving her boarding-house. She had only to lay oil'her hat and mantle, and change her black kid gloves for white ones, to be ready for the evening circle in the drawing-room. Madame la Baronne did nob'keep her guesfc waiting. She soon appeared, complimented Goraldine, kissed her, and led her down to the drawing-room, an elegant apaitmenfc, upholstered in blue and gold, and occupied now by two gentlemen-a delicate, refined looking little man, with a fair face and silver-grey hair and beard, whom madame presented as Monsieur de La Yalette, and—a perfect, contrast to the baron—a huge, obese young man, with a large head covered with short - cropped, sandy hair, and a broad, fair face, lighted with pale blue eyes, and decorated with a pair of shorfc-ciipued sandy moustache.?, whom Madame do La Yalette presented as Prince Si_ismuntl Yon Schweringon. Both sentlemen made very profound bows, and greeted the young lady with the most reverential courtesy. Both also spoke English perfectly, with a slight foreign accent.

Dinner was announced

Tho baron offered his arm to Miss Fitzgerald : Princp Sigismund bowed and tendered the same courtesy to Madame de La Yalette ; and so they went into the diningroom.

We need not-linger over this dinner, or the pleasant evening that followed it. It is enough for our purpose to say that before the ponderous German bade his host goodnight, Miss Fitzgerald had discovered that she had made a conquest of tho greatest prince in Christendom, so far as size and weight go toward constituting greatness. f< Who is this Princo Sigismund Yon Schweringen '!" inquired Geraldine of Madame do La Yalette, who had accompanied her to her chamber for a littlo chut before separating for tho night. " Who is Prince Sigismund Yon Schweringen, Veronique ? I apprehend, of course, that lie is probably some mere appanaged prince of some small German state, a younger brother, son, nephew or cousin of some littlo reigning grand duke, or some little grand duchy about half tho size of one of one of our Virginian manors. But who precisely is ho ?" " You are right, Geraldine. Ho is the youngest son of the late and brother of the present reigning Grand Duke of Schweringen." "Ah! I wonder what is his age. It seems to me that ho may bo of any age between twenty and fifty. His faco looks twenty,- his figure fifty." " I thought so, too. I inquired of Monsieur de La Yalette, who told me that Prince Sigismund is just twenty-five." " Only'twenty-five ! MUerabUe ! What a beast he will be by tho time he is fifty !" exclaimed Geraldine. " That is cruel of you to say, when it is so easy to perceive that the prince is already infatuated with yon." " From what you say, my dear, it would seem that His Highness is a bachelor," said Geraldine, with a shrug of her shoulders.

" Yes, yes, certainly," laughed the little lady, as, with a " good-night" and a hasty kiss, she left the room.

Geraldine sank deeper among tho embroidered white lilies of her blue easy-chair and fell into thought. The subject might be guessed from the broken words that fell in low murmurs from her lips. "If I could drive Gerald from my thoughts—if I could drive Gerald from my thoughts — Prince Sigismund Yon Schweringen. I dare say he has little or nothing beyond his title. That does not matter. I have enough for a dozen princes. And then his title—if ho has no more—his title is a royal one. . Prince Sigismund Yon Schweringen — Oh! what a beast! What does that signify ? Princess Yon Schweringen. Oh, Gerald, if I could only tear you from my memory ! Heigh-ho ! it is time to go to bed." And to bed and even to sleep she went.

The next morning after breakfast, while Veronique and Geraldine were- sitting together in the boudoir of Madame la Baronne, • servant entered with a card upon a silver >ay, which he offered, with a bow, to Miss Fitzgerald. Geraldine took it, and, to her great surprise, mid, scrawled with a black lead pencil, in a large, school-boy hand: " Royal Greenleaf, of Greenwood." " Heavens ! my dear ! what is the matter? You look aghast! Who is it?" exclaimed Madame de La Yalette.

"Itisnvy relative and ex-guardian, Mr Greenleaf. I must' see him, J suppose, Veronique. No.do not be alarmed. There is nothing the matter. I was taken by surprise: that is all. Where shall Ire ceive him, Verenique ?"

La Baronne spoke in French to the servant, who respectfully answered in the same language, "Philippe says that Monsieur is in the little reception room. You will find him there. Philippe, attend Mademoiselle," The man, with a low bow, preceded Geraldine down stairs to a small apartment opening on the right hand of the front hall, where she found Royal Greenleaf standing in the middle of the floor, gazing around on the frescoed and gilded walls, and looking a great deal too large for the room. Indeed, his first words showed he felt so, too :

"Hello, Gerry! How do? Blest if 1 don't feel like a turkey-buzzard in a canary cage! Haven't you got any bigger nor plainer-looking rooms than this to ask a fellow in ?" " Thjs is the usual reception room for casual strangers, I believe, Mr Greenleaf. , I am very much surprised to see you. When did you arrive?" ' «Why, early this morning. 1 came up in the same coach with the Rev. Dr. Goodwin, who is on his way to Europe for his health, you know. I left him at Fuller's, looking for his friends, I inquired for

you at tho staeje-office, and they told me you were at Fuller's. I inquired at Fuller's and they sent me to a slap-up fino boarding-house near President's Square. I went "there, and they told mo thafc you were visiting here afc the new French ambassador's. Well ! I'm blest if lam nob glad to find you afc last, ami get to sonic place.whore I can hang my hat aud rest!" And With these words Re:>yal Greenleaf deposited his old leathern valise upon the carpet, hung his hat upon a gilded gasburner, and seated himself comfortably in a large arm-chair. Geraldine also sank into a seat, overcome with wonder and dismay. What had brought Royal Greenleaf to Washington, and what on' earth did ho mean by bringing his luggage and hanging up his hat in the French ambassador's house V Did honest, frank, ami simple-hearted Royal think that because his relative, Miss Fitzgerald, was an invited guest ab tho ambassador's, he also, as her relative might visit her, and take up his abode ttiere at his pleasure ? Yes, indeed, that is just whafc frank, honest, hospitable Royal thought: and ho fully expected that presently the lady of the house would appear and welcome him warmly, and direob a man-servant to show him up to his room, and supply him with everything he might need. "For such was tho custom at, Branksomollall." That; is to say, such was the custom afc hospitable, kindly Greenwood. Geraldine did not know what to do in the awkward premises, or how to set him right without giving offence. However, she put off the evil hour of explanation as long as she could by engaging him in conversation for the present. " I hope you left tnem all well at home," she said.

"Oh, yes, as well as they can be after tho sudden way in which you left, them," said Royal, wiping his red faeo with his handkerchief, and then rattling up his red hair with his fingers. ■ "Did any particular business bring you to Washington, Mr Greenleaf ?" inquired Geraldine. " VTES !" answered Roy, emphatically ; "and now I am coining to ifc. Geraldine Fitzgerald. I was your guaidian up to a very few days ago."

" Yes, sir."

" Well, Miss Fitzgerald : I, as your late guardian and nearest malo relative (except Colonel Fitzgerald), must understand the rights of this matter better than I can pretend to do now," said Royal, stoutly. "As soon as I heard that you had gone to Washington, I made up my mind to follow you as soon as possible and have ifc out. So now, Gerry, I wish to hear the truth from your own lips. For if that follow Fitzgerald has wronged you.sefc fire to him ! If lie wore fifty times a Fitzgerald and five hundred times my cousin, 1. would call him out and flghfc him, und ono or the other of us should bito the dust before wo parted !' said Royal Greenleaf, grimly, driving his great fingers through his shock of red hair.

"Mr Greenleaf, I thank you for your generous zeal in my behalf; but, indccel it fs uncalled for. No one has wronged me —least of all has Colonel Fitzgerald. I broke off the engagenv nt with my cousin, and dismissed him. with orders never to appear before me again. I suppose it was to prevent tho possibility of \\U over disobeyin"- me that he so suddenly married Gertrude Haddon. Sen all!" " May I, ns your late guardian, inquire why you broke tho engagement, Geraldine .' " No, you may not inquire ; or if you do, I can give you no answer. It is my own affair."' " , " Then you have noting to complain of in the conduct of Colonel Fitzgerald V

'' Nothing whatever." " Well, then, I'm b!e.«t if / haven't!" " You, Mr Greenleaf ?" : "Yes, I!" " I should like to know what ?" " He married the girl I had set my heart on !" " You- had set your heart on Gertrude Haddon? What do you mean, Mr Greenleaf?" •'I mean that I liked her myself. I intended to ante her to marry me. I did, indeed ! I told my sister Sue so. And she approved of my choice, but advised me to wait. I told Fitzgerald of it, and he advised me to wait. Said she was a more child yet—too young! .Just think of that fellow, now ! Said sho was too young to be married, and then turned around and married her himself ! I'm blest if I don't think I ought to call him out, after all!" burst forth Royal Greenleaf. " But had you ever asked this girl to marry you, Mr Greenleaf ?" "No; they all told mo she was too young, I tell yon." " Had you courted her ?" "No; when 1 court I mean business. And thp very first thing I should do would bo to put tlio question. No, I did not; But I wisli I had !"

"Then if yon never addressed the girl, and never asked her to marry you, I do not see what quarrel you can have wibh Colonel Fitzgerald upon that subject," said Geraldine, who was bent on preserving peace at all costs. ',' No, and that is the worst of it. I wish I had a just cause of quarrel with him. However —

' Shall I. wasting in despair, Die because a woman's fair? If sho be not fair to mej What care I how fair she be V

as the sweet old songster sang. ' Heap o' sense in them old songs,' as Aunt Jess would say. Besides, ' there's as good fish in the sea as ever was caught out of it.' There's little Mary Faire —Mayfair, as we call her —a bright, charming little creature. But I say, Geraldine, where are the people of the house ? Or, if they are all too busy to come .and make mo welcome, aren't you enough at homo by this time to call a manservant to show me to some room where I can get some of this travel dust off me and put on clean clothes for dinner? What time do you dine here ?"

"Wedino at eight o'clock. But, dear Mr Greenleaf, how shall I make you understand ? Madame de La Valette does not expect you. Indeed, I do not think she is prepared to accommodate yon. Oh, what shall I say?" she exclaimed with dismay. " Why, what is the matter with you, Geraldine? Do you mean that your friends would not bo glad to see me ?" inquired honest Royal Greenleaf, in perplexity. " Oh, Mr Greenleaf, how can I tell you ? I—l think your visit would bo very inconvenient just now," said Geraldine, in great embarrassment.

" That means, I suppose, I must seek a lodging elsewhere ?" "I fear so, Mr Greenleaf. I am very sorry." " Well! if this is not like being kicked out of doors, I do not know what is !" said poor Royal Greenleaf, with a mortified and crsetfallen air, as he took up his valise in one hand and his hat in tho other and prepared to leave. '' Oh, do not say that, Mr Greenleaf. I am so sorry ! but you know—" At that moment a footman entered with a card for Geraldine. She looked and read:

"My Lovr : I have reflected: your guardian comes from the country. Unless ho has niarle some ii.oie agreeable arrangement, make him stay here. I will come down and welcome him as soon as you will permit me

"Veroniquk"

With a smile of real pleasure Geraldine passed the-card to Royal Greenleaf. " There !" cried honest Roy, as soon as he had read it. "What did I toll you? I knew, of course, the politest people on the face of the earth, as the French are, weren't a going to behave worse than Arabs! jlere," ho added, beckoning the footman, "tell your mistress I am much obliged, and of course I accopt her kind invitation."