SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER HUSBAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 291, 6 December 1894, Page 6

SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER HUSBAND.

BY E. WEB NEB,

Aubhor of «His Word of Honour,' •The Masber of Ebtersberg," and •The Alpine Fay.'

CHAPTER XXI.. ' OFFER OF CONCILIATION. The day waa drawing to a cloeo. The sun, rb it wept down, broke through the gather, ing clouds once more with a bright crimson glow which flooded woods and hills with a *rief, transitory splendour. Only for a few minutes, then the great red ball of fire sank slowly below the horizon, and wibh ib disappeared all the brilliancy and colour which it had lent to the earth for one fleet-

ing momenb. " Arbhur Berkow had just opened the iron gate which gave egress from the park, and Pepped outside. There he stood still, arrested by bhe sight before him, and gazed long and sadly at bhe departing sun. He who stays behind on a sinking ship, and sees disappear in the distance the Doab which is bearing all he prizes on earth away to safety and the far-off coasb, while the ,hip itself drifts helplessly nearer and bearer the rocks on which ib must inevitably perish, such a one may hold oub wibh unflinching courage, bob he can be lighthearted no more. When the lasb hope has fled, there comes a great hush. He is able and ready bhen to meet the worst; and ib was this stillness which lay on Arthurs features. He had dreamt his dream, and the days at hand were such as to require a full and complete awakening. ~.... He crossed the meadow, and book the direction leading to the officials dwellingbouses. The broad ditch full of water, which ran alongside the upper end of the park/passed through this meadow-land; bub, in place of the graceful libtle bridge which spanned ib higher up, there was here only a simple plank, strong and safe enough, but so narrow as only to afford room for one passenger aba time. Arbhur stepped onto it quickly, and he had advanced a few steps when he came suddenly to a stand before Ulric Hartmann. who appeared to recognise him ab the same moment. Berkow stood •till, supposing that the deputy would retreat and allow him to pass; but the latter thoughb possibly the time had now arrived for thab provocation to which the chief engineer had alluded. Whether he really were trying to force on a conflict, or only obeying the instincts of hie own rebellious nature, he stood motionless, and made no sign of giving way. . • Well, Harbmann, are we going to stand Btill like this ?' said Arthur, quietly, after he had waited a few seconds in vain. 'This plank is too narrow for us both ; one musb go back.' . 'Must I be the one?' asked Ulric, sharply. • I should think so.

Hartmann was about to answer in an aggressive spirit, bub all ab once a reflecbion '• struck him. ' « Well, yes, we are upon your ground ; 1 ' have forgotten that.' He wenb back, and let his employer cross "6ver_ Arbhur stopped when he reached the opposite side, • Hartmann !' Ulric, who had already one foob on the - plank, turned round at bhis address. «I should have senb for you before this, if I had nob feared my doing so mighb be wrongly interpreted. As we have met, 1 should like to speak to you.' A gleam of triumph shot over the other s face; but it passed quickly, and his features reapsumed the reserved look which was habitual to them. • Here in the meadow ?' • The place does nob signify ; we are alone here.' ~.,,. : Ulric approached slowly, and placed himBelt opposite his employer, who was leaning against one of the willowß which bordered the water-course. They were a strange conbrast, bhese bwo. The slender, almosb delicate figure of the highbred man with his pale face in complete repose, his dark, earnest eyes, whence that lighb had now vanished which gave bo them ab bimes so inexplicable a charm,' and the giant frame of bhe miner, carrying his fair, curly head so proudly, whose gaze, full of fire and a sorb of savage sabisfacbion, never swerved from his adversary's pale countenance. ... ' I need not tell you now of all thab has occurred of late,' began Arthur; 'you musb be as well acquainted with it as I am, perhaps even better. The other works have followed your example ; we are entering upon a lengthened conflict. Can you answer for your comrades ?' Ulric started ab this question. « How do you mean, Herr Berkow ?' '*'.« I mean, shall we be able to settle this business ourselves withoub foreign interference ? On bhe other works they have found it impossible to do this. Up ab the forges they have already senb a requesb for help from the town. You are no sbranger to the tumults there, and you know best whether this were necessary or not. However much I may desire to'avoid all extreme measures, I warn you I shall oppose, force to force.' At the first words Ulric bad looked up in surprise. ' •-...' •Thab' is nothing new to.me. Force to feme! I knew from the first we should come to thab some day.' Arbhur looked steadily ab him.

' ADd whose fault is ib, if we must come to that 1 Ia ib brought aboub by the reaiabanceof the masses or by the obßtinacy of one man ?' • By the obstinacy of one man • you are right there, Herr Berkow. You know ib needs only one single word from you for us all to be ab work again tomorrow.' ' And you know that I cannot speak the word, because it involves thab which is im-. possible. Ib is for you to concede something now. I propose it to yon once more.' 'Really?' said the miner, with an outburst of scorn. 'No doubb, because the whole province is astir, and we have gob our mates to help and back us.' . Berkow drew himself up quickly, and his eyes flashed. A ' Because we shall have to restore by force of arms that order and discipline you are now trampling under foob, and because I wish, if ib be possible, bo save my people from euch a fate. Lay aside your scorn, Hartmann, you do nob believe in ib yourself. Whatever has happened, or may yet happen, bebween us tw.o» we may, I think, mutually absolve each other of cowardice.' Again there came the look and tpne which had struck all dumb with astonishment that day in the committee-room. ■ Arthur seemed conscious of the advantage he had gained. He came a step nearer. ' « Can you nob see, Hartmann, thab with ench behaviour as this you are making your future stay here quite impossible,' he asked, gravely. ' You think, perhaps; bhab when we come to negotiate, your friends willpub pressure upon me. I shall yield to no constraint, I give you my word. Nevertheless, I can and do appreciate your valuable powers, misguided as they are. So far, they have been used to my injury alone, bub, for bhab very reason, I can better estimate the services they mighb render, should you one day cease to be hostile bo me. Listen now to the voice of reason. Be satisfied wibh the practical concessions

you have obbained, and, of my own free will, I offer you bo remain on the works, with the usual chances of promotion. I know there is a certain risk in retaining an elemenb of discord like yourself among my hands, bub I am willing to run the risk, if my trusb in you meebs with similar confidence.' The offer in itself was somewhab hazardous, perhaps, made, as it was, to a man who looked on all moderation as a proof of weakness. . •So far, I have asked toi confidence in vain,' continued Arbhur. 'Up to this time you have refused to truab me. I came here as a stranger, if nob bo tho place itself, to you, at least, and to all that concerns the works. You meet me with a declaration of war, withoub oven,inquiring what alterations and improvements I mighb be willing to make. You received and treated me as an enemy, and yeb you could nob know whether! were your enemy ab hearb or nob.' *We are ab war,' said Ulric, curtly. « Everything is fair ab such bimes.' •Must there be war between us? Ido nob mean the presenb strife, which must come to an end sooner or later. I mean thab secret, embibtered warfare, which hard treatment and oppression on the one side, and rancour and hatred on the other, teed and foster continually. Ib has been so all these years, I know, and ib will be so again, if you submib only bhrough compulsion. We ought to make peace before there is bloodshed on either side. We can Btill do it. As yeb nobhing has happened to make the breach irreparable; in a few days

Ib may be boo late.' • Our confidence haa cosb us dearly,' said Ulric, bibterly. 'Your father made such a claim upon it during all those long years thab we have nono lefb for his son. I believe you don'b make bhe offer oub of fear, Herr Berkow. I should not believe ib of any one else, bub Ido of you. Bub, as we have seb aboub helping ourselves, I bhink we had bebter fighb ib oub bo the lasb. Leb it be decided bhis way or bhat. One of us musb win in the end.' ' And your comrades ? Will you take upon yourself the responsibility of all the care, the want, the chances of defeab, which this "lighting ib oub" may bring with it?' . ' I can'b help it. It is done for their sake.' ■ ~ ' No, it is not done for bheir sake, said Arthur, firmly ; ' bub for the sake of their leader's ambition. You do nob wish for a recognition of your party ; you wish for a subjugation ot every obher. Thab is why you stake all upon a throw, and, believe me, you will lose it.' . This was a bold speech bo be addressed to such a man ; ib stung Ulric to fury. ' Well, as you seem to know so much about ib, Herr Berkow, you may know more for all I care. You are righb, bhis is nob a quesbion of higher wages, or a brifle more safeby in the mines. Thab may be enough for bhose who concern themselves only aboub their wiveß and children, and think of nothing else all bheir lives long ;

the men of spirib among us require more. We have begun to understand ab lasb bhab ib is we who toil and you who enjoy tho fruits ot our labour. You have mado übq of our aims for this slavish work long enough, now you shall learn to feel them.' He hurled forth theso words with exceeding violence, as though each of them were a weapon with which he could strike down and slay his enemy. Arthur, however, did not movo a muscle or attempt to retreab by so much as a stop from the dangerous neighbourhood. He stood in bhab attitude of cold proud repose peculiar to him, and looked his adversary steadfastly in the face, as if by the power of hia eyes alone he could fascinate and tame him. «I think, for the present, you will have to leave the reins in hands which are accustomed and able to'hold them. Thab also must bo learned. You may rise in rebellion, and dostroy'existing institutions by brute force, but you will never create new ones wibh ib. At present you can only throw into the balance bhe weight of numbers, and thab. will nob suflice to give you the mastery.' . . . Ulric tried to answer, but his voice was choked by passion. Arthur easb ono look over ab the forest, where the red glow grew ever deepor and deeper; then he turnod to go- • If I could have forseen that all conciliating words would be unavailing, I should not have aoughb this interview. I have offered to make peace with you, and to leb you remain on the works. Hardly any other man would have made such a sacrifice, and it cosb me an effort before I could bring myself to do ib. You havo rejected my proposal with scorn and hatred. You will be my enemy. Well, be it so, then, bub the whole responsibility of whab may now happen must lie with you. I have striven in vain to stem the torrent of disaster. Whatever may be bhe issue of the strife between us, you and I have done with each other forever.' So saying, he turned his back on the miner, and left him. •Success to you,' cried out Hartmann, after him, ironically, bub Arthur did not appear to hear. Ho was already at some libtle distance, and now struck off into the road which led toward the houses. Ulric remained behind. He muttered as he watched the other's retreab : •'» We have done wibh each othor." No, , no, Arbhur Berkow, we are only beginning now. I would not own to myself the cowardly feeling which held me back, bub I j dared nob attack him while she was by hia side. Now the way is open ; now the time for a reckoning haß come.'

{To be Continued.)