UNKNOWN

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1888, Page 7

UNKNOWN

I 157 GEORGE PAYNE. I CHAPTER VI. ' ■lrjWiii);,', and the little apartment we 'Ralßlore described in tho Kue de la Paix wd ticganf arid as cosy in aa before. I This Ike a tVole was iaid for two v ; persona-" CAib gises and bright plate on a snowy cloth. The,room was onoctupied, pave by a com" jcrtafcle eat, which lay, as usual, curled up On tie nig toe the firo. Tho clock on 4T fewintelffea eald it was. a few minutes i jjjPJfjjMdjji'tM the hand reached the ■* WiiJrnuitJofcrßd.-wi.th a tray bearing! wnf teo mid a bouquet of flowers. Hs deposited the tray on a side-table, ! mm, taking from it the flowers, opened I M raper irtiioh enfolded them, and dis--5 WE bunchoi white lilac. ".;', ,?i«e hi carefully arranged on one of J= napkins. Then ho lifted the curtain «4;cancea!ed a door, upon which ho j jA lib!' aim-oral a voice within. j flidaoistlle est servj,' said the man. J jMbetptWlhe doer opened, and he U %lhi\ portiere aside for our vouue : wine.:..: ■-..■; ;..j : ;;f- J & |cto dressed in white! Some soft, j :-: Wfnl atrial fell in folds from her- neck, I tt w intercepted at the waist by a T, & in,' ~ vl,i::h ifc eßCa P ed JmmediU *J,Mdfell m ripp]i ng cascades to the ,'™- Mw ornament, nor a soupqonj m inhere, till the eye, passing j '.. lit - head.' How radiantly «Jnlßholookal there, with the crimson . » f .» background. The servant P»*?inrt«it upon.her with a kind gNt adrmrnhon. He seemed to feel j us he noiselessly- passed k ? udden ly-stopped. y m&m drove every particle of "PP roach ed. 'Maderaoit'CdtSf 1- pufc ° ut her « n "' lll > ■S2 Bhe b ' wh «pered, asVe ' i!E ri, . , l ß?er,loweri ne hor eyes, I iff?' 'And then she had reached the dowers, •Cham Th" ln f ant bad bm ' ied she turned Si iW. HPWS.H. inquire imX 'WtLarU , Alld > ,eavin £ her X &Z f f dr f> "c vanished. " fo*i fr ;, l )01ll ' i "'.^-gathered '•^S^ [o her sweet lips. Qnd to assure herself aR . (I tht> » rea again 1 lifted and V^^macheve/thoFronch- £ !L!° commence dressing, forward and took she asked, looking n" 5 ti nßtljo and enterI c arao U P tf»e young

! '■'':. No; Melanie; dqn't. fhtj are sacred; for I believe they come from the gates of de,s.th!' ' ■ •Oh,? said mademoiselle, • what aghastly idea 1 Keep them, and''welcome. What c^fp\_.~fne,%n *?'.'- ..' ' ..*.* , For answer she looked at the waiter-, and made a sigrial of silence. ;"■* Oh,' said the Frenchwoman, 'he cannot understand one word of English. Bub never h.!nd ; let us eat bur dinner.' Thomealpassed'in silence. The young girl scarcely bandied food, and upon the HrSt instarib'that ib was possible .he waiter was dismissed. :- 1 ,', As th-? 4oor closed upon him, Qonah got up from her chair and came over to bhe I Frenchwoman. She held bhe flowers oub, before her, and said in a whisper : ! "■ 'Melanie, they are from him !' i * From whom?' said the Frenchwoman, in surprise. - ...... ' These flowers have been sent bo me by him*, bhe man I bhoughfc dead.' : 'Ma pauvre chfcre, whab makes you blank this?' ' - .**•- '■ . ■■' '• " ' *':'-* " For answer; the * girl held them . oub. ' Smell them,'she said. 'Well, said the Frenchwoman, a;fter bending oyer thpm. , . 'Do you nob find a curious, a delicious odour, unlike anything else ?' Qonah asked quickly and earnestly.' ■• * - ■• i ' 'Yes, perhaps there is something beside j the perfume of the flowers, though I should not have disassociated ib from them. .- '.' :V' -. .-.:' -:.'; - ' ■.. .." 'Ohjlphould. There never was a flower that smelt like -his, nor one which had ibs magio power* Ab, Melanie ! This slight perfume has called up. before me scenes arid sorrows which were fading away from my memory. I see at; this momenb bhe white, upturned face, the dark, kind eyes, the trembling lips Which tried to conceal the terrible agony of bhe body, and bhe poor, poor v white i hands clubching tho coarse covering. I see the shanby and bhe poor young gin who sbopd there friendless and alone, jso alone, so alone; I see ib all, arid; Psee more?: I see now bhab God has kepb alive the love that poor grid mistook forpityV-tbe love she thought buried in a distant grave. -.■He'i^ies,;'*.''on,*''-V![eianie> he lives, and my heart is xtoo full of arid thankfulness.' (.'. She had' sunk into # ,ohair> and the |Fi*erich)yon)an was kheebng . beside her. :Th'e!hre flickered iuppn her white garmerits, and she sobbed aloud. ' A gentleman to sfle madeihbiselle.,' ;r The servarib sbbod aside to usher in bhe visibor, Bpbh women sbarbed to bheir feeb, and/bhe Frenchwoman, with the quickness of lightning, burned down bhe lamp. In bhe obscurity a man was seen sbanding at, the door, which he fteeined to lean against. The figure looked tall in the dim light; a long coat of dark material quite enveloped ib. ;He held his hab inagloyed hand, and. he seemed unable to niove. With a slight cry the girl sprang forward, but*as she' appioached bhe stranger's outsbrebched hand she shrank backhand wibh teembling 'lips faltered, still gazing at bhe stranger. '1 knew ybu had Come, I knew you sent me the flowers.'. .j The man came hastily forward.:;■■;■..There., was no misbaking his satisfaction at the reception. - He seized her hand, 'Chere, chere athie,' he said in low tones, as ,he" kissed it, and. then * led her to a chair. As he did so, Mademoiselle Melanie retu-ed behind the porbifere, but only so far as bo see bhrough an opening withoub being seen, and to bear every word spoken in the room? From the moment he had bouched her handiOoriahhad regiiiried her composure, and as she sat down, a curious feeling of disappointment took possession of her, and she'looked up quibe calmly. She might have been welcoming an ordinary Mend or acquaintance; her np^nhsr waf oply obrdiiyl, nothing more, as she looked into tho stranger%lacp. "■ ''" ' " s'< ■ ■'... :He saw the change in an instanb, and ib somewhat sbaggered him. He turned and drew a chair beside her. ;* You expected me. You had nob forgotten me; Ah, zis is happiness.; Zis is v^o^'^^c■. reburping to life for,' apd as if over-1 come, lie buried his face in hi* hands, .. Still she looked- calmly, almost dreamily.' at him, and then, as if feeling the necessity of saying sbtpe^hing, fh^ sppks so quietly—: ■t'Yes,' I '.recognised the flbwerg py a.h oolour which clung ,bo the things you gave tne that«dreadful day. i recognise the same odour now ; I su[)pose you ulwaysuse it; it is unique! Biib do bell me what W-hgn -did you recover ? where

_________igß______________j_fa (jlicl you go. how did you And me ? I mean, how did you hear I was in Paris ? It all like a dream, and' this,' She continued, looking aadjy into- the fire; • this is the awakening.' He-looked up, and as he did so he saw the fmochwdman, a ud received from the portikto, now lifted aside, a signal. 'Mademoiselle/ he said, pushing back jhy chairs -'it isallverysimpioi I recovered ! iromze wound you, with all others, .soughb mortal, zftb day ever bo be remembered. 1 at ohce mitde inquiries about you, to whose bender care I know I owe riiy lifo'i I hoard youl-kd gone to Centerville. i I was ill-so long' zat; when I had strengtl. to reach iCenterville, you had gone East wis ze -Judge and his family- When I reached New York I heart ?at you had gone to Paris. wis a companion, and fat your friends were soon to follow. I oamebei-ehs sobpasitWas possible. Ifound your jaddressonly a few hours ago. I sent you ze flowers, I followed zem. When I saw you I soughb my hearfc would break for !j6y/;f6r you-Wfjre gladi I saw you.were glad, but how ray heart is like lead. You are cold, you are. disappointed. Oh, mademoiselle, why did you save my life for zte;?■;■":' I should have died;,' nossing but my jniemory would have remainded, and zat remenibrance was of one yOu sought you could love—noW you know ib is-not so. You loved a shadow, -you dp not recognise ze reality. Adieu, madtShoiselle, I see I speak your thoughts. I will go. J He stood np as he said the lastwords. The girl felt that she had injured, had deI ceived him. Forgetting thab be. could hot [know how she had treasured his memory in her hearb, she accused herself of fickleness; and as be said the word of farewell she held Out her hand and detained hitn. 'Np,. '.no,- phti said, "you shall not go away again. I have nqver for one hour forgotten you. I never in my. heart believed you dead. I tried j oh, how I tried to got back into my possession the papers i you left me,", that I might write to your mother. If yon lived I knew she would ! h^vo hoard from you, and if you Were reaUy ;no more, that I could convey to her your last wishes. . The papers were stolen from me, and I have offered thou Bands for their ! recovery. Why did you 'hot write tome j bhrough my friends"ati Cent erynle't,l never I heard one word. I was this very day arranging atrip to Poland, to search for your j mother. I had forgobbehbheJ name, butl ; knew if X oyer heard ib I should ramoihber lif instantly, so I -determined to gd to your [Country and bo go bhrough the lisb of I Polish ,-pames till J found ydurs. And then I-—to gain information if possibles' i" As she spoke he hM resumed his sOtit, arid when from' tithe .to timet he heard of her desire to hear tidings of him, he seized her hand arid kissed ib arderibly. Bub there was no desire on her part to leave her hand in his. In fact, she was cordial and altnosb affdebioriate in her riaariper till he touched her, and then, do what she would,. she involuntarily re.coiled. Now when she ceased speaking he dropped on his knees beside her- .''••'■ ' Sank you ! oh.sank you,' he said, taking bobh her hands, ' now God Mess you for zese words!. I /oj., made_hbi->elle—Oonah —let me call you zab—l love you. I know you fee rich now,f bub I am rich too;; Your preserice brought us duck ;. wo found gold jusb after you left-is. Icaie for nossing, I have sought of nossing but you since ze day Iwe parbed. I shall think of nossing bub your happiness bill my dying day, if you will trusb me wis ib. Oh, ma chere, your words hayo given me new life. I feared, I feared. I do nob duiow whab, bub now you lofe me, I am fran.tic, I am mad wis happiness.' : |He triesd to take her in his arms, bub §h§ \ sprang away from him and looked nlmpab ! wildly aboub bhe room as if for protection, I and in anobher moment she was in the arms of the Frenchwoman, who had enter-sd bh§ room, and stqod before the portiere J ?-Qh Melanie, Melanie, take me away. •■ I am so f^ghteripd> '#-'rihbpPßy>,''?lhe'-'Bobbed; 'What have.l do. c? jOb, ta_a m-saway-' ' 3?h'e Frenchwoman exchanged a quick look with the stranger, and without a word led the girl from "the room. - "' When they were ajone, l^demoiselle Melanie folded the girl in her arms and kissed her tenderly. " •'.-Qhj ma ch-l.r.e,^shesaid, * how glad I. am. I knew at a glance it was he, and he loves you, aijd yon love him, and all is so happy "for your fiiburc. But you muSb rest now, dean Sit down quietly b^re, and let me go and speak to monsieur. He must go how

and come again; -here, chfere pebibe, resb and keep quieb.' . ■ And the Frenchwoman led her convpaiuon bo a sofa, and, after seating her thereon, was aboub bo leave the room. .'■-."- ■ • ■'■■■■■ ,'". 'M elanie'—bhe girl's voice was so changed as bo be scarcely reco_rn isable--'Melanie,'and she clubched blie Frenchwoman's dress wibh one hand, whilsb with bho Qbher she wildly' pushed bhe hair from her brow, * don'b go, doh'b leave me. What have I done? Why ' do you speak to me like this? What musb idot ..;.-■. i*. . ,;.-.;■*.' , '..■ ;;, i *.;.■■ ' 'Ma clia-d: tinge, pow la grace- de, Di&U, tranquillisez-vow*. There,' she murmured, ' as she sab do\l?n besjde bhe ohiid-like figure, ' * bheref nowdo nob tepeak, do n(jt fay pne : word till you havo rested calmly., There, I will leave you only for a momeut. There, there, such moments . only, cpme once in ; one's life, maebfere* The knowledge that bhe man you love loves you, bhe joy of being able bo confesiyour lpve for .him,, fa ■- tell him thab your hearb is his, bhis is bho ; greab happiness of one'-S hfo, Ajidt—-rr VSbdp, sbqp 1' almost shrieked the gp-1, putting'her hands . to.. ..her• ears., .'iNob anobher word, or you wd.l drjye me iiiad. I . have been a fool, ft 'lunatic. Oh, whab shall I do, whab shall Ido ?' , -t •- ■ She buried her face in her hands, and sobbed piteously., ■ The Frenchwomsn looked down upon her with a kind of conbempb. She sfaod over her for a few secbndsi fthd then noiselessly lofb the room. ; (To be Continued.) . J