Wet Humble Lover OR THE GYPSY PEER

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 65, 16 March 1907, Page 15

Wet Humble Lover OR THE GYPSY PEER

CHAPTER XLIV. A GLAD BEXTKIOX. | Tazoni rode back to the Hall, flung ,' himself from the saddle and ran up the gteps, burning with excitement. From the dining-room Lady North- ' -life came out to meet him. j ••Truant!"' she exclaimed, laying her hand -non bis arm and looking up to j him proudly. :i I was half afraid that • y ou had run away from us all again." ' yCo," he said, "I shall never play . jjnant' again; but/ he added, '"they all 'seem to "have run away from you, mother." " "Yes."' she said, I do not know where they have gone: perhaps to Florence, j Vho must be ill, very ill, poor girl, j 'Sifter all she has gone through. Ay, msm boy, you think you can console her. 'jr vs h! a mother's eyes are sharp, and '■'<_eat. D ;g m en like you do not blush ■g r nothing- Sir. you are very wicked j aad artful; and Florence is worse. Oh, | t, B t I must have a full confession!" I Tazoni stroked her hand and averted - : _i= eyes atL '' l - ll!shed a K ain like a _ !r i- " Lady Northcliffe smiled joyfully, then j i sighed jealously. "Hv son,"' she murmured, "you must save a corner of your heart for your j mother and your father." .. At that moment Mr. Hitehem, who f" had been quietly waiting for an oppor--tnnitv to interrupt the interview, knock--ed at the door. _ - "Come in," said Tazoni- "Ah," he exclaimed, holding out his hand with a anile, "'it is you. Mother, I owe this - gentleman, I am almost inclined to think, all the joys I am revelling in. He - las striven hard to restore mc to my own—even against myself." lady Northcliffe left Tazoni, and held out both her hands with a charming anile of gratitude, which completely -overpowered Mr. Hitehem, who bowed, scraped the ground, crimsoned like flame, and at last ventured to touch the small white right hand respectfully. ""How can we thank you enough ? Do tou know what you have given mc, sir? . A son! A son!" ~~* _ir. Hitehem bowed again, and a most extraordinary moisture dimmed his keen Eight. , "I —ahem—your ladyship will excuse ' mc," he faltered, more embarrassed than he had ever been before in all his adventurous life. "But duty—Jnly did my duty, and—well, my lady—hang mc if" it's not truth, and so I ain't afraid to say it. But time is passing, my lady. The carriage is at the door, and the earl - is waiting, my lord." -. ; Tazoni felt like a man in a dream as he was whirled to Northeliffe to meet his father. He could not be sure that he was not asleep till at last the carriage stopped, and mechanically he mounted the splendid staircase. The door of a room was flung open, and he t_s gently pushed forward- He ii he was about to swodn, but a voice, »oit, tremulous with emotion, and musical. saved him. "This!—my son!" it said, with accents of withering pride. And with a great sob Tazoni fell on his knees at the feet of the aged figure and noble face. There let us leave him. The pen falls from a hand powerless to describe that meeting, where love, long pent up and shut back in the kindly hungering heart, poured forth and overwhelmed the new-found son. Presently Lady Northcliffe came in, and while they were talking started to her feet. "What's the matter?" said Tazoni. - -T had quite forgotten poor Lord Harry! My great happiness has made mc selfish. I never asked him to come hack with us—indeed, I never thought pf him—all my heart was with you." Tazoni smiled roguishly. *T do not think you need feel anxious £_ him," he said. •""Where is he?" asked Lady NorthtEfie.

"Bets* said a voice, as a servant fooeked at the door, and Lord Harry's _____ome face appeared. K Come in," said Lord Northcliffe, »__e Tazoni jumped up and caught his friend's hand, "come in, Harry; I alssays loved you, but I little thought I shonld have such cause to be grateful to you. Come in."

Loid Harry came and shook the old e_ri_ hand with hearty delight for an --taut only, then went to the door and i___ed in a lady. "Lttrfi!" exclaimed Tazoni. Lady Northcliffe rose and looked from cne to the other with a smile. Lord Northcliffe smiled also. '■Ah," he said, '"you are the young lady my son has spoken so much of. Let mc kiss you, my dear, for all your goodness to him," and the old man took ier in his arms and kissed her. Lady Northcliffe embraced her silent-

-bea Lord Harry, taking Lurli's land, said:

. I cannot contain my secret any -tager. - dear Lady Northeliffe. You s_ow how eagerly I have been searching for my. relatives. That secret is over, I have found one to inherit Lord DalH_e's money. This is she! Lady Northcliffe, let mc present to you my «m_in and betrothed, Lady Lurli Dal--ifle!"

exclaimed the old lord, —this young lady is " • lord Dalkine's daughter, mv cousin, Sad-my future wife:" Lady _sortheli__e caught Lurli sob|*&g to her bosom, but not before Tazoni fcad snatched a lass. '--Let-me get outside." he said, ""or I go stark mad!" "Gome on," said Lord Harry, "we'll them to cry their hearts "out, and Jon and I will work off our excitement » the open air." Thai night, after Tazoni had torn aw " a y from his newly-found parens, he lay down on the luxurious couch ™ the magnificent room, and gave him- *"• PP to the ecstasy of realising his

(Bofe through it all there stole a _n_«L» and as he fell aslee P the sigh nned one word en his lips—that word 5* of her who had never been HaSL, t I° m his thoughts throughout *"«"w_.d, exciting day. Florence!

CHAPTER LXV.

y DEABE-t THAN LIFE. Beautiful, proud Florence! &S? For some I* lo * a {eeUn g m s^ 7 thankfulness overwhelmed _flfi .-f __ d been rescued from the '- I ftatß e who had th-eatened. like

By CHARLES GAR VICE Auihoe Or «Et__nff_." *' Hb * HfiAJ-T's Desire," " Lokbie, ok Hollow Gold,* " The M-__Q-is," etc.

the fabled monster of old, to devour her. But at what cost? At the cost of her father's happiness, of her family pride! For weeks, though Tazoni rode over to Earlscourt, she kept out of his way, and, when he asked to see her, which he did imploringly every other day, she always refused. She could not trust herself in his presence. The time drew near when the crash of the mine must come, and Lord Darteagle decided to go up to London and bear his share of the reproaches and abuse which would be heaped upon the Board of Directors. He dressed himself with great care, and, as the carriage drove round, he kissed his wife and dearly-loved daughter, and smiled—oFl, 50 sadly and so wearily. "Be brave, dear," murmured Florence. He kissed her again and stroked her hair. •"Heaven reward you for your love and tenderness, my darling," he muttered, and he released her suddenly and left the room. As he did so a carriage dashed up to the door and two gentlemen ran up the steps. The next instant they heard I a eiy from the hall, and rushing out found Lord Darteagle staggering in the .arms of Tazoni. "'±_ush!" said Tazoni, ""he is all right, thank Heaven! It was my fault, I told him too soon!" "What—the mine?" sobbed Lady Darteagle. "'Saved!" breathed Lord Darteagle, sinking. into a chair and holding out a hand to each of the men. "Saved! Florence, look at him. He has saved Earlscourt and your father's life, for I know that if the mine had gone I could not have lived through this day's work!" ! "Xo—no," said Tazoni, in deep dis- | tress as Lady Darteagle fell on her ; knees and caught his hand with a burst of tears. "No, no, for Heaven's sake! Dear, dear, Lady Darteagle—see! see! Florence!" and he sprang forward and caught Florence in his arms at the very nick of time. For the first time in her life she had fainted. , Raising her in his strong arms, he carried her into the drawing-room, and, laying her on the sofa, fell on his knees ] beside her, while Lady Darteagle called I for water. I Before it could be brought Florence recovered, and lifting her beautiful eyes, let them rest upon his face with such a wealth of love outpouring on them that he closed his own for a second to drink in the glorious joy. Lady Darteagle looked from one to the other, then stole from the room and ascended to Lord Darteagle's room, where the two earls had gone to talk over the grand tidings. : Flcn-ei.ee, when she saw that her • mother had left her alone with rose and looked round with helpless distress. But Tazoni, without rising, caught her hand and drew her to the sofa again.

She sank down, and tried to draw her hand from his grasp, but he held it tightly and pressed one passionate kiss alter another on it.

"Oh, my darling, . have some pity on mc!" he pleaded, looking up at her with all his soul in his eyes, his voice tremulous with emotion. "Remember how I have loved you all these years! You will not cast mc aside, Florence— you will not turn all my joy to misery? Oh, my darling, I cannot live without you! I cannot, I cannot! Florence, speak to me —tell mc I may hope! Tell me—tell mc that you love mc!" I She trembled, flushed, paled, and at .last allowed him to draw her to his breast.

Then the pent-up passion of months burst forth, and almost terrified her. He pressed her so closely to him that she could scarcely breathe, he kissed her eyes, her hair, her brow, till her face was all on flame, he poured passionate epithets upon her thirsty ears, until her heart throbbed with blind ecstasy, and at last, when she could tear herself from his clasp, she fled from the room and left him.

Though they had expected it, Lord and Lady Northcliffe received the news of his betrothal with the utmost delight, and, instead of rebuking his hot impatience, only encouraged it. Tazoni would brook no delay, and at last worked himself into such a state with his impatience that for sheer pity they at last consented, and Florence was promised to him that same summer. No sooner did Lord Harry hear of it than he declared that he must be married the same day, and he was so backed up by Lord Tazoni that Lurli. after a little fighting, yielded, too.

The months flew by. The trials to which all had been looking with so much pain, came and passed away. With them passed away also the evil geniuses of our hero's life.

Though Mr. Hitehem strove to the utmost, he could not shield the wicked and abandoned from their just punishment.

Luke and Raymond Smeaton and Horace Denville, all three, were sentenced to penal servitude for life. When they had been carried away ior ever beyond the ken of those they had injured another wicked genius disappeared. Emilia Smeaton could not endure to breathe the same air with the woman she had tried to wrong and insult. She left England and was seen some years afterward, faded, prematurely old, and marked with the gambler's unmistakable brand, leaning over a rouge-et-noir table in one of the small German principalities. Then she disappeared for ever, and no one but the porter of the little German cemetery could point out the small part in which the restless, scheming Emilia at last found rest and surcease from remorse. So the summer sped on, and the wed-ding-day arrived. It was to have beon quiet, but all the world knew it, for Air. Plumpett, who was to be one of the honoured quests, had made it known in the "Fashionable Gazette." All the world knew it, and never seemed tired of talking of it. Invitations came in from great ladies and leaders of fashion; and when Florence and Lady Lurli appeared jfor one night only at a ball of Lady : Prettilace's their appearance created so genuine a sensation that Lady Prettijlace wept tears of delighted satisfaction 'at the possession of such lions. It need I hardly be said that Lords Tazoni and ! Harry were there also. Indeed, so mad-

ly in love was Tazoni. that he could scarcely endure to have Florence out of his sight.

So the wedding-day arrived. Preparations bad been made at Earlscourt, but great as they- were they were not sufficient to accommodate tbe immense crowds.

Everyone from whom Tazoni had received kindly help in his days of trouble had been asked by Lord Northeliffe, who had with Mr. Hitehem's assistance procured a list of such.

Mr. Hitehem had now grown so indispensable at the Hall that he had consented to remain a fixture, and seemed so much at his ease in the position of Lord Northcliffe's right-hand man that one would have thought he had been there all his life.

The cottages which Lord Northcliffe had been building were nearly completed, and the gipsies, for once, had consented to cast off their nomadic habit and settle down near their beloved prince.

They were ail to be at the wedding, and they worked off their superfluous enthusiasm in building triumphal arches and decorating every place that had points capable of decoration. The day arrived; the two brides, beautiful and blushing, were led to the altar, and the two heroes were crowned with great joy at last.

It would need the pen of a Homer to catalogue the events of that day—Mr. Plumpett made his endeavour in the "Fashionable Gazette" and failed. Suffice it that we record one little incident.

Florence —we beg her pardon, Lady Florence Hursley —stands -in the little ante-room.

Beside her is her husband—Tazoni— looking at her with a passionate pride of love that set her trembling when her beautiful eyes met his. Before them are the mothers. Says Lady Darteagle, weeping:— "My darling, Heaven has been good to us!" Says Lady Northcliffe as she embraces the blushing bride: — "Florence, keep this for my sake," and she swiftly unfastens a chain fromher neck and fastens it round the neck of the girl. There is a locket attached, and Florence opens it. It is a portrait of Tazoni. She raises it to her lips and kisses it. Tazoni is almost jealous of it, but he has a little surprise, and produces from his travelling cloak an old box. "Mother," he says, "Florence has a little keepsake for you. It is here; open it." Lady Northcliffe opens it and starts with amazed delight. "The Northcliffe jewels! My dear boy, how did you get them?" "Ask Hitehem," he retorts, laughing and kissing her. Then, as Lord Harry calls out that their two carriages are waiting, the last embrace is exchanged and the two heroes carry off their brides. Ring out, mad, joyous bells, and be ye prophets of a life-long happiness for tnem all! THE END.