THE MIDNIGHT PROPHECY; OR, THE HEIR OF STRATHSPEY TOWERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 230, 29 September 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MIDNIGHT PROPHECY; OR, THE HEIR OF STRATHSPEY TOWERS.

BY EMMA GARRISON JONES,

CHAPTER LXXI. THK HERMIT'S STORY.

The earl was convalescent, at least he bad recovered sufficiently to be removed; and °n the eve of their departure a very happy 'ittle party gathered about the blazing woodfire in the hermit's cave.

On the morrow they were to separate— the earl and his family were going by slow stages to Strathspey Towers, and Doctor Pwenfrew and Maggie were to return to their long-forsaken cottage. The earl and his family, his wife, his son ! Sitting there, bolstered up on his couch, wrapped in his dreseine-gown, the pale, wasted, meek-faced invalid looked very unlike the proud and haughty peer of days gone by, out in.his eyes was a light of holy happiness they had never knovm before. He could not rest if his wife left him for ah instant; sleeping or waking, her hand must be clasped in his, her sweet, white face must be where he could see it continually. '. i ■ ■;' ', ■ ■ ' <• . ,' f •'> 51 cannot quite believe that you are alive, and all my own, Marguerite,' he, would say, with touching tenderness, ' and I'm constantly in dread that you'll vanish from me like a dream.' .

.'l,shall never vanish again, dearest,' she would reply.; 'Heaven has given us to each other for time and eternity; we will never part again." ; And no-.v they sat together, in the red glow of the wood-blaze, the October winds wailing without, Larly Stiabhßpey supporting her husband's head, and their son, the young man who needtd no better proof of his birthright than the face that he bore, his father's own face pver again, sitting a little apart. > ' Sir Marshall Neville and his wife had gone on to the Towers, and Lady Marguerite had accompanied them, but the doctor remained with his patient, and Mageie remained with her father.., '.There are many things tb be explained before we part,' remarked the hermit, as lie threw another fagot on the fire ; ' and perhaps it is as well to begin now. Your lordship, doubtless, has 3ome curiosity to ( hear the history of your son's life, and to be assured that he t&ydn'r son, and no impostor?' The earl bowed gravely, and his countess smiled, her own pathetic, tender smile, her eyes resting on the noble face of the boy, for whose sake she had borne so much, with unutterable love. ,

1 We need no assurance,' she said :' our hearts tell ua the truth, a truth that cannot be mistaken—and my son's, face speaks for itself—-he is the Earl of Strathspey's son.'

■:; fHe ia-the Eavl of Strathspey's son,': replied the hdrmib, solemnly; 'there is not one link lost in the mysterious chain of events ;that goes to prove his identity. I have been living in this cavern for over two-score years,' he continued, 'excluded from the world for what reason,, there is no need of telling here. Fifteen years ago, thfa summer gone, I was awakened about imdnight; one stormy night, by the sound of human voices. As no one ever intruded upon me, or even seemed to suspect that this cavern wa ß inhabited, I felt somewhat startled at first, and lay perfectly ;quiet, listening to what was going on. There wera two personß within <tho cave, a man and woman, and they Word holding an angry altercation. '"' ■.'.. "I will not kill the boy,' ware .the first words I understood, spoken iv the man's voice. ?.!■■ ;.':-! .i■'■ '' ■ '■■ ■ ';.■>; '•:'■■ ■'- Hi tell he shall be,killed,!replied the woman, Bin-illy; • I'll do it myeelf. You fooled lia'dy Drummotttr tire filfßt miaisejry^ shall notfdo it again. Do you ..wanthibj rw live and supplant our own boy?' . - :"Nal neither do l>ant my Jbanda stained with blood again. I tried that work once, andf 11 never do it again. I'll leave the child here iin this cave—if be dies, 'tis no lookout o' mine, if he lives, let him live— the world's wide enough for him- and us "But if his birth should come to light, if Lady Drummond shouldfind out, thep our own boy will Buffer.'.1 ' . ', "But the Earl of Strathspey .hew received our boy as his own son, and he won't be likely to abandon him; and Lady Drummond never, will find out, if you'll only keep close. Come, the boy's asleep ; we'll leave him here, and tell Lady Drummond he's dead.' ; ... 'There was some little more altercation, and "then they departed.. I arose, and, taking a light, went into the main; cavern, and there, reposing on, a bed of moss and leaves, was a little laid, with fair hair, and fair face, and on his right arm, from which the loose sleeve .had fallen back, gleamed a blood-red dross. . !■ •! had heard of the ifamouß Strathspey birth-mark, the scarlet cross, and I was pretty well convinced that the child was the Earl of Strathspey's son.'■.■-. ; • 'I took him in my arms, lind brought him in here, and laid him down upon my couch. He slept all night, and awpke the next morning, and looked around him with j the brightest blue eyes that ever a lad possessed. - / - ■•' _ -. ■■ ■■ , I 'He said his name was, Romulus, and that he.used to live with his grandmother, 'under the mountains; but the bad woman [stole him/from the pretty lady,.who was his I 'Ifully intended.to take the child to the Earl of Strathspey, and tell him what. I know, but upon inquiry I .iouhd that the earl had gone abroad, and that his countess was, insane", and there seemed to have been great 'trouble inregard to this same boy. u 'ln the meantime, as: ; the days vyore ftlon^j my Ht(ile lad.greV verydear ;:tome, ib was like giving up my life to part from liim. And I argued, selfishly perhaps^ that he might come to harm ci^aifi if I Jet him go out of my hands. 'To be brief, I" determined to keep him with me,to rear ,|iim up to manhood,, and wait for an opportunity to reetore him to his 'father.'' ■■ ■,: ■' ■ ■-"' '■ •' "■: •' - the blessing of my .blighted life, for long and lonely years, I have done a good part by him, too. Isent him to Heidelberg and then to France, and", his education is thorough. And now, Lord Strathspey, I restore him to you and your qountess, *J son you may justly be proud The earl, unable to utter: a word, held out j his hand, which the hermit, grasped ; and Lady Strathspey, who was weeping softly, | crossed to her son's side and embraced him.:' ' ■■• ,'.■ ,: '. , ' ■■ •' ~: ' • And all these years, my boy, you have known you were Lord Strathspeys son j Why didn't you ; seek your father, and make yourself known to him?' - ~ ~ The young man laughed, and laid Jus hand caressingly on liis mother's rippling ' It was no easy ■ task, my little mother,' he said,, playfully, 'to bear the Earl of Strathspey in his castle, and avow myself his son; I thought it better to wait till fortune made my, ;way clear, and you see, she did not tail me.' - ' ' But there is other, proof yet, the strongest proof of all,' continued the hermit, when'the little flutter of joy had subsided; 'needless no doubt, but it will make assurance doubly sure.' - . ; He arose as he spoke, and disappeared into alittle alcove curtained offbeyondthem, almost immediately returning accompanied bytheinanßerkit. _ '" . , He "came limping in, 'and;rhis dark. scarred face looked ill and. pale. ,-,■■. v ' JSow, sir,' commanded ■ the hermit, sternly, indicating a seat near at.hand, 'we will /hear your; confession, and if you expect to receive th^e; underserved mercy

you have been promised> make a: clean breast of it.' : : ■.""'■..

I jThe man sat down,'shifting uneasily from I the earl's solemn eyes/ , 'That's what I've made up my mind to do,' ha began, 'and if yer worships will let me off this time, I mean, to cut clear o! Lady Drumjnohd and the whole pack, and go back to the old folks, where I should a gone over twenty years ago. 41 hardly^know how to begin,' he went on, his eyes on the floor, his fingers working neivously, 'it is sich a long, tan-gled-uptale. 'Ibis over twenty-five years ago that I run awayr from my father and mother as lives down in the Tyrol, under the mountains, and went to sea. - I was always a roving blade, and tending goats didn't agree with me. I went to sea, and was gone six years 'fore I ever set foot on English soil agin. \ ■ '•". 'I had good luck, and made a right sharp pile o' cash, and when I landed in Liverpool I thought I'drun up to London and have a week's frolic, and then cross the Channel^ and see after the old folkel

' But instead of a week I stayed a month, and in the course o' my frolicking'l fell m love with a, black-eyed lady's maid. A half gypsy she was, but wonderful 'andsome, and I loved her like mad; But she was a skittish gal,'and liked to have moie than one string to her bow, and after we was man and. wife; 'and I'd spent all my money on her, she played me false. She hung on to a gentleman's footman, who wore a laced coat, and went off to Northumberland, giving me the slip.' • ' 'Shewas Lady Drummond's maid, and they went to an old place called Cavendish Manor. I followed'em, bent on revenge. I was a wild, hot-blooded feller in those days.. '■:. ' ■..'■ •, ' '■■' ' ' ■•' ' ' 'To cut,matters short, I found her and her footman together, and I flew at him, right there in the servants' hall. He caught up a carving knife and give me this ugly scar, and that made me. wild. I got my dagger, which I allers carried, and killed him —killed him tight there and then." ■ v. • ■ ,■:■,,■■■..•' ■ • 'V; ■ '

' Heaven, yer honors, murder be an awful thing,' he went on, shuddering and working his hands together ; ' I hain't got that man's blood off my hands to this day —it will follow mo' to ray grave; that night's work was my ruin. . ■';., ,-■"- ---' Lady Drummond she got wind o' the murder, and she had me seized and locked up in one o' the great vaults under the old bouse. Then she come at me herself, sich a woman, wi' eyes like the stars of heaven.-" ' She told me I'd be hung if she informed agin me, but shewanted a job done—an' if I'd do it, the murder sboulsl never be known, and shod make Lola live with me. In course I agreed to do it. And for a month' or two things went on smoothly. el« lived with Lola; and we had a little boybaby born, and she seemed so fond o' the child, and so lovin' like, that I agreed to forget and forgive the past* • 1 When the 'boy was a bit over a month old, Lady Drummond and Lola packed'off on some mysterious work, and left me to take care o' him, an' a lively time I had. When they got back the job I had to do turned up. Lady Drummonds had a baby, and she wanted it murdered. > ; She didn't tell me it was iheEarl of Strathspey's baby r bub Lola did; : She stole it wi.' h(tr own hanijs from the room 6' the countess,-'fore it were sn hour old. VI jes tell ye it made my hair rise when I hearn what I had to do. Bat there was no backing out. Lady Drummond had me slick; ■ >' ■■ j

'I tuk the baby, all wrapped in a quilted flannel cloak that belonged to Lola's baby, arid carried it off to murder ili. Good Heaven, I'm sinner enough, but I couldn't do, that, lovin' my own baby as I did, too. So I made up my mind to take it home to my old father and mother^ I crossed the Channel with ibj feedin'it from a; bottle,-like,' I'd Been1 Lola do, and the little mite lived! ;¥6JB«e, ibjyasn^ had:someshjng»,elße to d 0.',,.;,. w,// ..;■-. ' The q6untesar\vftß Bobbing;audibly^ t"| ' Indeed\:yer ladyship,'continued Berkit,* 'I was tender wi' the babe, ae.if it; were my j own," arid ib slept in my, arms day and i night. '■ " ■ '•'' ■"■ ' ' :' Bub when I got down to the Tyrol, for the soul of me I couldn't face the old folks,' my money all gone and I a murderer; so I writes a bit, as well as I could—l never did make no great fist at writing-^arid I rips; the lining o' the baby's cloak and puts it in, arid fastens it together agin. Then I tak the cliild, an' left it bri top of a cliff,: 'Where: I kriow^d the old man would cross it.'

♦Then I Wng round, and after awhile, when I peeps'at the baby again, as Heaven hears me, my lords; there be a miloh goat a standing over it, and it a sucking for dear life. Then, says I, that cbild'll be Earlof Strathspey one day, and nothing can hinder, arid ye see, yer worships, it'B come true. 'After that I sees the old folks tug up the cliff, a hunting^the and-they comes on the child and carries him off, never dreamin' as myself wore bo near, and they not set eyes on me for seven longyears.-' 'I went back ario told L'adv pruaamond the job was done, arid she believed me. After that big rewards was offered by the earl for his child, and Lady^ Diummond and Lola sets to work arid they pricks a red cross intb our boy's arm, ,and as scon as it was healed over, Lola t&kes him and Btarts down to Frarifie, where the earl was. ' I was mortally opposed tb it; but they would have.their way; and Lola said our boy/would be -Earl of Srathspey by-arid-by, so I ' let 'eiri alone. She wont wi' the child,' and staid as its nus, "and got a great reward from the eai'l. ; ' , ■ ' 'After that I went to sea agio, and when' I gob back I. found everything in a flurry.. Lady Drummond had found out thab the earl's baby was alive; aisd Lady Strathspey' had found out top. I couldn't get the' ran of it.; bat Lola, she was on the watch —ishe was determined I;'our boy should be the earl!s son; So she;follows Lad^ Strath r : spey down to the' Tji*rol, arid steals ■ the boy away from her when she whs out walkin'. ■■:'':.:,,'.■:.. , ,' 'She brought him up to Cayendisn Manor, and Lady Drummorid shei swore'l should be hung an' our boy should die unless I made way wi' the boy. this time ; j so I tuk-him off in the night, arid Lola; went with me; but I'd made up my jnind ; j I that he,should live. I did "feel ast if 'luck wouldn't come to my own child if '!_ I hurt a.hair of his head. -

'I brought him across to this cave, aad in spite of all Lola said, left him h§w^: I knowed the hermit lived here*, and waffted him to find him., Then we goes back to iadyDrummond, arid Lola still,nurses the earl's boy, and I go to sea a third^time. Coming home agin, I finds things in"aworse muddle than ever. The.-earl threatening to disown our. boy, and he, led on by Lady prammond--I want ye to'uriderstand that, yer worships; the boy's bad enough, but Lady Drummond led him on to murder his own father.as he thought him tp be. , "■''■''■ She laid all the plot for him, and made me takethe letter down;to Perth, which was to tell him to come to the old Watch Tower. Lola's mother, the old wbmani Mother Gwinheth, was liviiiV in the old ru|ns, arid they led the earl into a trap; but a trap for themselves it turned out to be. ■;-,■ 'Ve Aknows ,the rest, an' now, your honors, one word more, and I'm done* JDon't be too hard on me and Lola's boy;; if he hadn't been put; in, a false place he might never a' gone to the bad ; so^don't be too hard on hini. 1 , : ," -. 'He shall not suffer,' replied ,Lord Strathspey, in a choked voice. . ■ " : There, needed no further proof or explanation. Lady Strathspey had already •told her story—the story of her long imprisjnment in a; mad-honse -—dwelling lightly on her sufferings, for her husband's sake, desiring still, in her infinite binderness, to spare him all possible pain—and her final escape. >- ■'■~ ,1' ;: : i»,But:;. ;/ the. hody, that was found,, drifted I aehpre by th^ tide, w^s ppt hers; < the grayt

in;the asylum grounds, over.which .Lord Strathspey had'shed such .bitter ftears of remorse and agony, was not her grave. ;She was not drowned, but in the precipitancy of her flight she lost her mantle, which . being found near, the river, ~ strengthened the supposition that she had ' been swept off the broken bridge by the high waters, ■

She succeeded in making her way out of :U Lancashire;'but she was,ill and weak, worn out in mind and body, and without ~ money to pay for a night's lodging or al;----morsel of r food. v She walked; till . her feet... * were bruised and bleeding, and at the end - of the second1 day sat down behind a hedge to paps the night. Morning- found her ill -' and delirious; and it happened that self- , same morning that the hermit came by, on one of his periodical journeys. He found the pale but lovely lady lyinsj by tha way- I side, and like the good Samaritan of old, he ; administered to her wants. * He ftot a carriage, and had her conveyed ; to a neighbouring farm-house, and called in. : a physician, and had her properly nursed and cared for. On his return he stopped to '* inquire after her welfare^ and found her en- > tirely recovered, but utterly.destitute and .... friendless.'" ■ '.-'■ ": '■ " '■'' •'".".. ■- ■'■■■;: •■'

; Won by his fatherly kindness, the un- '■ fortunate lady confided in him her name and station, and the piteous story .of her. bitter wrongs ; and,' incredulous as:"lib seemed, he believed and trusted; her," and, -t furnished her with sufficient funds to carry. ; her to France, where she found a home itt' the old Languedoc Convent. - ■ ; ' "' Her son, the young Romulusof the Tyrol; % was in Heidelburg at the time, and the, old ~ hermit thought it wiser to make no mention ' of him to the poor countess, as the knowledge of his existence would only increase her sorrow and anxiety. He determined to ; J bide ■ his time, and wait for the working of • Providence, little dreaming'how marvelloufl ' it would be. ><>. ■ "■'■-i':^ ;

• CHAPTER/LXXII. , - l . " ' THE END.'; ". r ,': ' \'\ .- Maggie Renfrew stood in ; the self-same ' garden, where she had stood before in the V flush of a spring sunset, her fingers crim- , soned with the juice of the ripe berries she '~ was picking for her old, father's tea. He ,; was sitting in the sunlight with a happy-L. >mile, lipon Iris face, listening to' his . daughter's voice : trilling a•> Highland .f melody. ■'; ■ •■, ' ' , ' ' Down the green lane., bordering ;witjv;/ white blooming hawthorn, came the young .. ( : Lord of Strathspey Towers on his fleebj";. ■ black Arab. Seeing Maggie in the garden, r he wasout of the saddle and ; at, her side ia ; i breath. Sho gave him .ashy, s'weefc.'.wel-...,. :ome, her flaxen cheeks blooming., like the ; oetals of an opening rose.- ■-'"'■ " ' I haven't been; returned an hour,' said fche young mau, his bright blue eyes full of" loving delight; 'Oh, Maggie, I'wanted to see you so—Tseem to have been absent a ~ lifetime !' ' ;. ( " ..'' ;'J '! , '.-, Maggie bl'.ished, and, evading the sub- ' ■'■'■ ject she knew was coming, asked: ; , ; 'And did you visit; the. Tyrol, and find;. ' jrour fosfcer-parent alive ?' 'Alive and well, and overjoyed to'see Little Roraißie ' again.' But; you shouldaave seen' them 'when-their son", was 're-; j 3tored to them-rtheir boy they had mourned, ; is dead. And he wept like a child. 1 believe he'll lead a virtuous life now.' ■»■ 'And Lady DrumiTionil, and Berkit's son;. , —I don't know what to call him, the late Lord AngusI—whero are they ?' continued Maggie.. ■ ■ ~"■■.-.:•■ ~,-■;.■ , 'j.'" ~',' . : 'Gone, never to set foot on "English soil f again, and theDunda's woman Syith thenu ; rleel inexpressibly relieved ; we shall bava ; < no horrid,trials, no punißhments, or any- V thing of that kind. 1 prevailed upon th&; earl, my father. to v give the young man.; soßoetning, ahdmy mother, addedjto it from heriown pifivftte fprfcune. He; goes^tp^uj^v >' tralii Avof th :& \ hundred thpusaria. I lee), aft«c-all v jas.ifihapoorVay.wa^inore^itiriea.. L=-,^, agaj.»eb fch.an sinning, aiid it did me good to sße" tuftfbiftH iaWayTtf'l9"u.?;%^n? & '•> - ' ,'Oh, 'Lord Stratlispey," cried M^gie, her eyes fiilirig with: teai-s; •how.gOod'and.' noble you jare!' ; <. ~_. „ '.;.,£,.,.;,,-.;., ■ ■ 'I am bo happy,; Maggie, I could nob, make niy worst enemy suffer. Not so;^ v happy, however,' he added, 'as not to need another bright drop in my cup_ of joyMaggie, my beautiful darling,' imprisoning thej little stained fingers, 'when .will you consent to be my own?. You knowibow, , l F love; youy my darling, and I think you love me." «Ido love you, my lord. ; 'Then why not be mine:at once—whenr> Pearl is married f ' ■ *. t-■ * •Oh, my lord !' she cried, 'am I-.ihdeedl, worthy to be^ yotn' wife ? Will your friends t receive me'willingly ?' 1 ' You, my Maggie!' he replied, with passionate ardouri "Why,l theiking son hisf be none too good: for vyou; and my mbther; the countessj has repeatedly. • said that if she had her choice of^ all ttha; women in the world, you should be ; ;my v w jf e _^yq U ; and none other. -So,' little yrbu(ihearfc,';it is settled, andyou'must getyour bridal robes iri readiness.' . • , But the CpunteFsof Mortlaketookithab trouble on her; own hands. She sent her? pecondi*order,; to Paris. for,.,'bridal, finory,. this time for two complete trousseaus, one for" ia present to Maggie. ; Onthenightbefprethe^weddingniorna^ large party congregated in the grand draw-ing-rooms at Strathspey Towers. The earl* and yhisccountess; seemed-to have grownyoung again'in their.ne\v-foundjpy.i' .:, ■'• •■Do looWiat my^dear mistress,? said, Judith, standing with her husband on the iterrace without,; her own babyrbpy in her arms, and lookingf through' the glittepinff window; 'only look at her, Hendrick. I declare she.looks almost as young; as her ■daughter. How happy we arej how brighb it is after the long, dark night!'. > ~...J.C,--,:.i . ■ Within; ih>her; royal velvet robes,'with the great diamond -flashing in her turban, 'aijdiher jewiUe4 stick rattling at her c^de.^ the old countess was -at ■ Her, gayest." She : was having a rich Joke. She had CaptainEossbrooke in, the centre of the grand room,', 'his.black wit lying at'his feet, and she.waa; telling the^early and Lady ■ Neville how^ 'shamefully they had been imposed upon. ~, i.V.' I:thought it wouldn't do to let the mar* triage go on without divhlging' the secret^ 1 Jshe'chuckled ;;'so now as ;you ; ;kno^tliia; whole Til introduce "you, Lord Strathspey," ;■■■ to Sir Bayardßrdmptdn, your future son*' in-law/ >' >\ ■>- • ' •■, ■• ■■■-■ ::■■-. ':■ -■-■ '> v■~ ; ■The earl arose and = took Sir- Bayard'shand. ' '• ;' " '* l . ' '- ~ -?* 'Tis quite bewildering,'.he said; ,*but J am growing! accustomed to surprises. lam;' glad to see you, Sir Bayard * and if. my little; Peavl likes you aB well in your present character as she liked Captain Fossbrooke", I am wholly' satisfied:' ;• ;■ i ' ■ . ' Happy little Pearl was hiding her blushes on her mother's shoulder. ' ♦ And what does Lady Neville say. V asked the wicked old countess. . ' Her ladyship was pale with astonipK« ment. ■■■;.'::,:•:■.■.■'■-■ ;■'.'■..-; ;; -•■■<:[:■■ l-K:'~, ;w: : ■ :'- -- - - ■ Whyj,what can I say V she cried, ; -.•'• My dearSirßayard, I welcome you.with all. my heart, though I have to regreti the ;losit of GaptainrFossbrpoke. Marguerite^ loye^ come and kiss me. :-i '~;. .: t ';.. Arid Marguerite obeyed.; :? ~■ ■ AinPhth later, in the;lovely May weather/1 there was a dpuble wedding at Strathspey Towers, a- wedding that pleased the old countess to her heart's1 core. \ ; •* ■ I Lprd; Angus married; Maggie •Renfrew* and Lady Marguerite married Sir Bayard Bromptoh; and two happier,'lovelieTbrideii * neyer danced beneath the blue; Erigliafi skiea. , '. ' ■ '.'■"■'";"" After^^theAyedding there'was a grand eu* tertainmerit, to which^hundred?[ find huttf dredsof the peasantry flockedinnfla/great siipper and dance beneath thev gr*eenv rtfstling oak-boughs^ And who Should open the ball ;but-the Countess ;i&\ Strathspey and Colonel GilbertVerney !L ■■• ■-■■-■•• - _, ; ;; _ ]•[, v '[THE'.BKJ)."]", 'r::.-^" , - .'■ ■"