DUNLEATH ABBEY; OR, The Fatal Inheritance.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 103, 2 May 1890, Page 3

DUNLEATH ABBEY; OR, The Fatal Inheritance.

BY HANSON PENN DILTZ,

Author of The Duchess Undine,' Etc.

CHAPTER IV.

OK THE EVE OF A OBASD WEDDING. i The day was almost spent—that day of such strange and wondrous events—and the, shadows of evening were beginning to fall long and slanting across the green sward** and flaming gardens surrounding Dunleath Abbey, and the oppressive silence that had hung like a pall over the place since early morning remained unbroken. The manleft in charge of the investigation get on foot by Detective Sands was vigorously pushing the. work confided to- him, in a quiet but none the less effective manner; and the splendid preparations for the mar--riage ceremony to be performed in the evening were complete. At sunset the:heavens were .aglow with wondrous f-adiance, and soon after the moon swung like a globe of fire above the waves which it burnished with its golden light. Therra was a hush in the very atmosphere, that hush that precedes a storm. All day long guests bidden from afar had been arriving, and had been taken to their rooms to rest. The Jbishop who was to officiate, was there; the great Sir Jasper; Cardross, a kinsman of the earl, was there,' and would give the bride avrayj and a; duke and duchess of blood royal were in" the. crimsqn and gold state apartments,; where crowned heads had lain before. Lights began to gleam everywhere as the twilighfi deepened, illuminating the lofty halls and the long vistas of rooms that had been thrown into one. In the vault of the great conservatory—the finest in England—electsric lights hung, shedding their brilliance upon a scene rich in Oriental dolour, and lines of Chinese lanterns were suspended aiaid the dense foliage far as the eye could see* .',■..'.-. . ,' , • Servants, in\the scarlet and cream livery \6t the house, flitted noiselessly to and fro, making siare that everything was in place, andiiow and then a guest in, f\ill evening dress, blazing -with jewels, was seen moving l , amid this scene of en-, e&antment. Far np in the dome of the gtfeat entrance halA lights twinkled like stairs, and the ball-room, with its marvellous frescoes and waxed Uoor, was already lit.j In the . banquet chamber, where Baron Warnock had marshalled his legions, plates were laid for five hundred guests, and the tables glittered with silver and. gold told as the house of Danleath. . ; At that same twilight hour, In the bright, luxurious suite of rooms net apart for her use, the, bride.-elect was reclining in a low, cushioned chair, drawn clostf to a window,, from which the ocean was visile. She'was; alone, and as she looked out to where the moonbeams were silvering the waves, there were shadows in her eyes ttfiat seemed strangely out of place, since she was this evening to wed the suitor of her choice. ■, 'Yet I am not happy, nor Iβ he,' she : murmured', her lips quivering. 'lanxsellng myself, and already I half xtgret it. There has been coercion used wifi him, I am sure* else Hazel Harslan, ami not i Stella Langstrotb, would have . 'fteen Countess of Dunleath. ....Well, were itnpt for the title and wealthj I shoujd have been willing. Victor is very nice, and handsome as Apollo, bub he is too sensitive, and could become terribly jealous of a wil'o he truly loved. I am gldd he cares no mori> for me than he does.. If ib were onJy/A Geraldine, poor, dear Geraldine,. how different my life would be '.' . She paused, blushing painfully; and drawing a small picture from her bosoms gazed at ib tenderly through blinding tears for several; minutes. She then suddenly tore it to pieces and cast it out of the win- , ; dow, sobbing passionately as she did so: • Farewell, Geraldjine, my darling! I pray Eteaven save you from suffering as I do! Oh, if I only could tear your image from my heart and cast it from me ail have that slip of paper ! But come what will, I how turn my back on the old life, the life that is sweet with thoughts of him I love. And yet—l would not give up the rank and riohes I covet for his sake if I could—no, no!'"' v ■ * ' ■~-.,■,,..:- ■ •• Still sobbing convulsively, she Aurnea abruptly away from the window—the fes-

tijre scene below was bafeeful to her—and approached a table, on which lay an open jafvel-caskeb containing rubies and emeraida fit for a Sultana; but the sight of tl.em brought no smile to her pale lips. Np, for the thef6 of those old family diamonds had been a cruel blow to her, since in her heart she cared a thousand times n»re for them than for him who had given tl era to her. I ' Why should I marry him, when some diylmay grow to hate him?' she asked jxrself, aa tearo of ' disappointment Willed into her eyes. 'Bub it ie too late tc recede, and I would nob if I could. Bor Geraldine ! will some day forg< bme and wed an heiress. I would have one but for my, .father's reckless exthvagance,' she added, with bitter emasis, as her mother and several other la lies filed into the room, followed by her ft iid. , ' I They had come to array her for the altar, ' At that same time, in his own aparbm nits in a remote portion of the Abbey, w J man of whom she had been thinking i i musing over the approaching ceremony, ff. iile waiting for Jura, who was to meet I n there in secret, for the purpose of dei ing what to do in regard to Lord arnock. I Curse him ! I have hated him almost! ii sr since that day I saved his life,, E evasney was muttering, his face dark \ & scowling. ' I hate him. for his power )1 fascination among women, andbecau.se I jrybody worships him, and because of; i titles and riches, which have robbed mo the woman I love. Yes, lam base^ qugh to hate the- friend who trusted me v d loaded me with favours !' ; 1 There was a flush of insolent triumph; on Chsvasney's face that actually j rbled his fellow conspirator, who just : >n entered the room and stood before n. i Ah, Jura, glad you're here, but we must ! careful, for the deviPll be to pay if you I >uld be found here,' he Continued, his Ibs shining with a diabolical light. ' Onlydiscreet, and I tell you I will bring my rd Victor to his knees.' I But do you propose letting him leave re without saying a word to him aboutr s—this matter?' inquired Jura.' 'If you 'But I do not,' answered Chevasney,j i lenly. 'And have not you, who hate n as deeply from one cause as I im another, sworn to stand by me to the' d?' !. 'I will indeed stand by you, sir,' saidra. 'I would like to see him suffer for, i crime the same as I would. But whatj ionishos me is his motive for the act. : tly think of an English nobleman steal-: I his bride-elect's jewels on the riigTht fore their marriage! It is inexplicable I' ' Rest assured he had a motive. Jura,, ' d I have a presentiment that we shall ow what it is, perhaps soon; and for 3 very reason that we are in ignorance of i intentions, we must act promptly and b- with caution. Now, my plan is this,' itinued Chevasney, dropping his voice to vhisper. 'I love Stella better than all j world besides, and she loves me; but iman-like, she has leb Warnock's titles d riches blind her eyes to everything c. Bub she shall never rest an ur in his arms as his wife, , he cd,_ in hoarse, bitter tones. 'I will I him- first, I tell you! I am poor, of arse, and so is phe. Thu3, through our vertyllosb her, and Victor won. And w for my revenge. Once she is his wife a will be a rich woman, even if she leaves nin the same hour. Her marriage settlesnts will make her that. Well, as soon they are married I intend telling him. ; at he H sf en ,taking the diamonds, , d,, t that they are concealed in.-, : Kia ivafce roony, bufc that the m&tter , irbe hushed ■'.qp if he will come down hdsomely. 3 -Of "'course he will tie; •uck dumb with of me ilt being made public, and once having mitted the deed, he will for ever be in ? r power. Then j will tell Stella she has irried a thief; and if I know,her, ehe' 11: refuse to live with him, but will geb vorced, and finally wed me. And our lowledge of his guilt will keep \yarnock ent, seeing how easily we could ruin Pa!" 1 '.■■; ~:: '" ' ''• ' 'Zour scheme is indeed grand l' echoed io Spaniard. 'But if be should be obsbSite and deny everything ?"■ j* Then, we will expose him before all the ipple assembled here to-night,"cried CheEeney, with a smile of diabolical cunning., I'Ah; my Lord of Dunleath, now I long to sasure strength with you.! And you swear „mo, Jura, that everything is jue'fc as you " . ■■•.. ■• ' "' ' ■-.' ' Yes, sir, I do,' answered the Spaniard. ■ gangarro saw 'him take them, 1 and!saw an enter his own' roome 4 -with them, nereis no doubt about it.' ~' ' .., •And you and Sangarre are oldtfweet- ! lartsj and after > years of waiting liope to lake enough out of this to be independent c rest of your lives ?'• - ' 4 Yes, sir, we feel sure that whab We know worth a handsome sum tb somebody,' reied Jura, coolly. • Your plan is splendid,. ad cannob fail. ■ And you may fee sure he 111 submit to any terms rather than endure lehumiliation of exposure. He Mlltheh tplain bismotivein stealing; 'thediamonds:',. [Thus the itwo vevll-deers schemed and : [otbed, and then they parted, ■ each toaftnge for the' carrying out of the plot by pich-they were to ruini>he man -Who'had pen a tried friend to the One and a Kind [aster to the other. . -: : I "; {To be Continued.)