MAGDALEN'S FORTUNES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 6, 8 January 1891, Page 6

MAGDALEN'S FORTUNES.

BY 71". HEIMBURG, Author of "Gertrude's Marriage/ "Two Daughters oi Oneliace/' "Lora,"etc.

CHAPTER VIII

Sleep was hardly to bo thought of that nighb. There was such an uproar in the old house that) you might have thought the Wild Huntsman himself had come from the neighbouring Karz Mountains with all his cack, and was storming through the echo-

ing corridors,

Boors were banged, orders shouted out, and such loud conversations carried on that it almost seemed as if they wsre having a struggle for life and death. Busy servants hurried hither and thither, baggage was dragged about, and above all the other voices sounded loud and commanding one hoarse manly one. I even thought I heard Gerard's deep clear tones, only much lower than the others. There were singlo exclamations such as, ' Splendid placa !' ' Enormous trees !' 'By Jove, a capital animal I' ' Kusch, whab do you say to a game of Skai;:' all of which gave conclusive evidence that Joachim and his quests had arrived. Even when the gentlemen had gene from the corridor into their own rooms, loud talk and laughter penetrated to us ab times. Auntio and Robert were sitting in bhe parlour together on the sofa; I had gone to my room early, for I knew they must have a great deal bo talk over : ib was not until late that they separated at lasb. Confused dreams, from which I often started up, visited me for a few short hours, and in these dreams I saw a little creature in a bridal veil, trailing through the long dusky corridor; strange to say, she wore a brilliant crimson mallow-wreath, which peeped out from under the veil, and two of auntie's ■cats walked behind her as attendants. Below, on the steps, stood Aunb Theresa from the villa, and on her stern features rested a wonderfully pleasant smile.^ ' There comes Robert, and Charlobte, too, said she, and as I turned round to look at her I awoke. The nexb morning my head felt quite confused from my uneasy night, bub Aunt Edith's face was fairly radiant wibh inward happiness. ~ 'They went off long ago. Did no you hear, Magda, whab a noise they maue when they started? Dear me, what an uproar ib was ! I did nob shut my eyes all night-' , . Then Charlotte came, and as she stood in the lofty old room, in her simple dark green woollen dress, the soft folds of which clung closely to the slender figure, her magnificent golden hair wound round the back of her head in thick braids/into which she had put, a deep red rose, she seemed to me so d'ilierenb 'from usual, so much more charming; the gay expression which she usually wore had given place to a gentle, happy" excression, which lent a womanly softness to her whole manner, the charm ot which seemed to surround her to-day. She looked thoughtfully beiore her. Now and then a mischievous smile played round the fresh lips, especially whenever her eyes fell on Robert's picture, which hung above Aunb Edith's work-table. ' They are coming back au three, auntie, and dinner is ordered ab haif-pasb. Let mo ~ee, what time is it now V she cried, interTup'bino- Aunb Edith's regrets bhat she had ■loc waited a little longer lass night, for Robert had come only a few minutes afber she went out. 'Do you know, auntie, thab I lay awake halt the nighb V she said evasively. • Your story had such an effect on mo that I could nob close my eyes. You poor, poor auntie, how much you have had to bear ! bub now it is over, and your happy days are coming, and they will be delightfully happy, you will see.' , , „ •, «Yes, child, ib will be as the dear God wills,' replied Aunb Edith, who had a hunting-coab of her son's on her lap and was busily sewing on the buttons. 'Ib will be His will, auntie, nodded Charlotte decidedly, while an expression of absolute confidence rested on the charming countenance. Then she walked about the room, and her little noss soemed to be scenting something in the air. Ha, ha I see,' she said: 'someone has been smoking here. So he has taken up that vice already, has he? Well, I willShe stopped short and turned her bJusb?ng face aside. ■ I mean, a hunter has to smoke,' she added 'What do you think, Magda?' she asked, with her" head turned the other way. 'Shall we go to the Abbey garden t lb is since I visited your old Mother Abbess, aad auntie has so much to see to here r Ye<. go, children, go. How is it Lobtchen, do you dine with bhe gentlemen : •No, auntie, mamma ia complaining ot headache, and Ferra-she has her official migraine. To toll you the truth, there is trouble enough about Joachim, and bhey are very much vexed—brr !' She shook herself playfully. ' At the villa ib really seems as if the very walls would come down on us ; even the little one cries unceasingly, and is so perverse thab no one can do anything with him. Gerard looks worried; Joachim, on the contrary- Bo you know what papa always said, auntie-a hundred hours ot worry will nob pay a penny of debt? Joachim seems to have taken the proverb to heart, for he is in the highest spirits, notwithstanding ho is in such dreadful difficulties. Come, Madga, I don t want to think of ib to-day,' she added. We wont out into the corridor, tripped down the steps and oub into the Abbey garden which looked doubly forlorn and deserted to-day under the grey autumn sky wibh the trees half-stripped of their leaves, and the unswept walks on which the withered leaves were thickly strewn. A fine mist hung over the highest tops of the trees, the air was oppressively heavy, and from a distance came, now and then, the report of a gun. _ Charlotte walked unceasingly up and down the garden paths ; the old grave was left unvisited ; she seemed lost in thought. • It might be so beaubiful in the world if there was nob always an ii and a bub,' she said, half to herself. 'There is always something standing behind us with a warning finger, saying, "Don't be so glad, I am here 1" ' . Then she looked ab her watch again, and ab lasb she sab down on a little bench, drew me towards her and maintained a persistent silence. " « Stay with me, please, Magda, she entreated, as I got up once, to pick a few asters which were blooming under difficulties araorg the tall neboles, and looked over ab me, as if asking to be released, * Please stay, I must have soma one with me to-day, 1 am afraid to be alone.' I sab down obediently, and wrapped myself up in my shawl, lor ib was damp and cold. Ab lengbh Charlotte got up, and now she was suddenly in a great hurry ; her face had brightened, and she began to sing softly as she walked. • lb is very silly bo freb over bhings bhat may happen,' she said, stopping suddenly. ' Come here, pet, I will kiss you for being such a delightful companion,' she said, gayly, fulfilling her promise on the spot. On the dark staircase she stood still suddenly ; then she new up the stairs and i

leaned against the clumsy banisters, breathing heavily. 1 could see how pale she was, and her whole frame shook.

Then the sound of a manly voice came up to us, speaking calmly and gravely, as a father talks to a child. Our eyes followed the direction of the sound, and rested on a door open only a crack—ono of those dark doors of the Abbess' house which were always closed. •

1 Gerard !' whispered Charlotte, are in tho library.'

( they

' And if you. promised improvement a thousand times, Joachim, and if you gave meyourword of honour, 1 shouidnot believe you again. You have destroyed my confidence ; in my eyes you no longer possess the right to speak oi honour, for you have lost it, since you —but we will not talk of ib any longer.'

Charlotte had sunk down on her knees beside one of the pillars, and her face was pale f.s death. Bhe sab crouching there with closed eyes, as if shrinking from a fearful blow from which there was no escape. My breath stopped too, and I clung trembling to tho banisters; something dreadful musb happen after words like those.

But everything was still; you might have heard a pin drop. 'Notwithstanding that,' began Gerard again, ' I will do all that is possible to preserve for you in the eyes of the world the shadow of your honour—not for your sake, no, I have no pity for you, but for the sake of the good old name thab our father lefb to us—our father, who would turn in his grave if he could see what his son has come to. For his sake I am going to be mad enough to pay thirteen thousand thalers for your so-calied debts of honour. When I heard yesterday how you had managed to extend your credit, I would have been glad to pub a bullet through my head, though that should rather have been your affair. I have been asking myself constantly how ib was possible for you bo do such a thing, and I have found no answer. I will take care bhab no one bub we two knows anything about the matter —the interest of the family demands it. Bub one bhing more—you have now spenb a forbune of about twenty thousand thalers, besides which I have, during your career as officer, paid at least ten thousand thalers for your debts, not counting the present sum. You must understand that this is the last, for I cannot ruin myself for you ; Ferra. has almost nothing left of her fortune, and she, ,vith her luxurious habits, as well as the education of her child, comes enbirely upon my shoulders. And I shall bo obliged to make her retrench. So now you understand bhab bhis money is the last you will receive from me, and 1 shall expect you to conduct yourself accordingly. Now that is all I have to say to you—as for the rest, you know how we stand, we are ' ' For heaven's sake come !' whispered Charlotte, starting up and slipping quickly down the stairs.

I tried to follow her, but sank down in terror, for I heard the clank of spurs, and a young man sbalked by me, happily withoub perceiving me. It was a. slender, elegant figure in the fashionable hunting costume of the present day ; he was striking the air with a little riding-whip, and; his handsome faco, which was romarkably like Ferra's, wore an expression of deep vexation. He muttered alow curse, stopped before tho stairs which led up to the corridor, mechanically twirled the ends of his wolltanded moustache, then began to whistle, and stalked on.

As soon as he was out of hearing, I crept down the stairs and found Charlobte sitting on one of the benches in the cloister ; she had been crying, and large tears still hung on her long, dark lashes. ■ Magdalen,' she said, looking at me, ' whab we have just heard we will keep to ourselves, do you understand 1 Always, always ! Promise me !'

' Yes, Lobtchen,' I replied. ' Because he is still ray brother,' she said in a low tone, and began to cry bitterly

again. 1 sat clown by her, kissed her and caressed her, and would so gladly have comforted her, if I had only known how.

'Do you know what he has done ?' I inquired. She shook her head. 'I can only imagine—he musb have given notes —oh, don't leb us talk about ib —I cannot say it ! I am so bitterly sorry for Gerard —' and again her head dropped and the tears came.

It was quite dusk when we went back to Aunt Edith ; it was as still as death here in the old house ; only from below came up various sounds from the animated company at dinner. They were dining in the huge old hall on tho ground floor, exactly under tho rooms Aunt Edith occupied, and in the vaulted kitchen the meats were being roasted to-day on the spit. Robert had been with his mobher in the meantime, and, as she said, had waited a long time for his cousin ; he certainly must have been the last one ab the table, and Joachim had even looked in on her a moment, to discharge his duty by inquiring how she w.i 3. 'He is just the same as ev9r,' she said, 'handsome as a picture, careless and a little extravagant—in a word, " the wild Denaphoff." lam curious to see him after he has settkd down.' Charlotte made ; I grasped ber hand silently. Ah, yes ; it all looked_ so magnificent" over there in the beautiful villa ; but there, too, black care was lurking in the corners, looking about with greatlowering eyes, torturing with its presence everyone who dwelt under that roof. ' Poor Gerard —how anxious he must be !' whisDered Charlotte.

(To be Continued.)