AN EVIL INHERITANCE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 36, 10 February 1917, Page 19

AN EVIL INHERITANCE

By W. E. NORRIS, Jifltftor of "The Square Peg," "Xot Guilty," "Pauline," CHAPTER XXXIII. GUBIEFPE THE INSCRUTABLE. "On. on our ten toes," eaid the Rector dieerily. in re I jl y to s y lvia ' s q uestion of how he and Mrs. Cotton proposed to return home. '" We aren't half as likely to come to grief a≤ a horee would be in this weather, and it's no distance." Tt w»s n o great distance to the Rectory hut the sky. which had been clear an <l starry, had become overclouded and the front door was opened upon such pitchy darkness that Sylvia exclaimed: "You'll never be able to find your •n-avl Do let Giuseppe see you home with a lantern.' . She added, laughing.. "Giuseppe is always ready to do anything at a moment's notice, and always does it better than anybody else couldd/' The departing guests protested a little for form's sake, but were in truth not Eorry to have their footsteps guided along a dangerously slippery road; co, after a few minutes' delay, the proces6 ion started, Giuseppe stepping lightly ahead, irith his lantern held just above the ground. At lirst there was no conversation, owing to the necessity of keeping a sharp look-out for frozen puddles; but the eye soon adjusts iteelf to 6eind-darkness, and the Rector was n ot a man who could keep silence for long. "Yon were some years in Mrs. Lynaen's service, weren't you?" he inquired of his leader. " Yes, eir." ansvered the man, " and I should still be in the Signora's service if she desired it." He epoke English easily and in a gentle, subdued voice. Further leading observations drew from him the statement that he had tome to this country chiefly because he had thought it possible that his fomer mistress might have need of him. He did not like this country, 'he confejsed, aud he did not think that the Sjgnora was as happy here as she had }een in Italy; but he Tinderetood that she was obliged to reside on her estate. For himself, he counted it a privijege to serve her, wherever she might te. "Well, you wtfuld do her and all of bb a real service" remarked the Rector, "if you could grt on the scent of those compatriots of yours who have been molesting her eier since she came here." "My compat'iots have been molesting the Signorj, sir?" repeated Giuseppe incredulously.," Oh, no, Ido not think there are an; Italians who would do that" "There aje, though," the Rector affirmed. " Toe one thing we know for certain aboit them is that they are Italians. Y<ii have heard, of course, of their outrages." Yes, Gaueppe had heard of threatening letters and of an infamous employment of explosives; but he was very sure that /heee things had not been the work of talians. Often it will happen that witi a change of ownership there is discoAent amongst the peasantry. Of the abduction of Miss Rowe and young Jr. Aider he had not heard, nor .did he Understand how such proceedings "could a designed to injure Mre. Lyndcn. ' "Prpably they were not meant to injurepier," saad the Rector; "but the object of these people . . . hold up, Jane?you were very nearly down that time,iny dear . . . the avowed object of these people is to restore Tranton to the Alders, to whom, in their view, the place rightfully belongs. Apparently their original idea was to scare Mrs. Lynden out of the house. That plan not coming off, they thaught the next best thing to do would be to marry young Hγ. Alder to Miss Lynden." "Could they make the Signorina marry the young gentleman, sir?" Giu6eppe inquired. "Of course not; but they could prevent ferm from marrying another lady whom he thought he wanted to marry. I must say for them that their plot wasn't badly conceived. First they manage to entrap Mies Rowe; then they get hold of Geoffrey and tell him that she will be murdered or tortured if he doesn't swear not to marry her. Thereupon he 6wears—and indeed I don't Know what else the poor fellow could aave done." Giuseppe's only comment upon thie Was that if the young gentleman was now going to marry the Signorina h.e Tfas not nmoh to be pitied. The Hector laughed. "Oh, I don't mind Baying that I'm with you there. Still, good ends shouldn't be reached by foul meane. Besides, we dent know that the marriage will take place. And again we don't know that attacks upon Mrs. kynden's person and property will cease if it does." "It will not he good for anybody who attacks the Signora while I am here," said Giuseppe, speaking with more animation than he had yet displayed. "I'm sure of that," returned the Rector heartily, "and I'm glad you're here to mount guard over tier. Prevention '* better than cure, though. What ought to be done and must be done is to clap these misoreante into prison." "Certainly, cix." "Then eurely- you ought to be able to lend a hand. Given that they're Italians—which L 3 proved—it would be odd if you hadn't some notion as to who and what they are besides." Odd it migibt be, but it wae nevertheless a fact—or co he averred —'that GiuBeppe 'had no notion at all. How oould the possession of the Tranton property affect anybody in Italy? Moreover the Signora had only friends in Italy. "However tihat may be there is pretty Practical proof of her having enemies in England, ,, rfb&erv-ed thte Rector, "and one infere that they have allied themselves for their own purpose ■with some gang of Italian ecoundrele in London. There are plenty of Italian Koundrete in London — Anarchists β-nd co forth. One Teade in the Papers about *he Black Hand and other secret soeioties wJiieh have (ramifications all over the world. Fellows nice that would be open to a bribe, ■Wouldn't tbJey?" "t 13 possible, sir/ , Giuseppe asaen-ted. "Well, couldn't you find out something about ■them? You must have opportunities." g^ Giuseppe, wnile mildly disclaiming any connection with secret societies, did not fliink it likely tihat they would lend themselves to the purposes described. 'What 'he had just heard about young Jfr. Alder and Miss Rowe surprised him; «Wt it weuld surprise him even mane to «am that they had been imprdsened by «alian Anarchists. Fot the rest, if the Signora wished him to make inquiries, ■* would make inquiries. His tone imrespectful and indifferent scepticism.

J '?" point of fact, you don't very much where in wihat I have been telling you," "id the Eeotor, pejfctta.4.

It was at ifli-is juncture *hat Mm. Ootton eat down abruptly and forcibly in 3 the middle of .the road. * "My dear Jane," α-emonstrated her 1 husband, "do be careful!" 1 "The worst of your admonitions, Joe," | answered the poor lady, scrambling on ' to her knees,"ie that they bo often come too late. Xo, I'm not broken anywhere, t thanks, only shaken to my foundations. Help mc up, and now let Uβ concentrate upon keeping our balance for tine rest of j. the way. The wonder is that you ( haven't lost yours all <fchis time while j you have been holding forth about nuta ] which neither you nor I can crack." ] The RectoT would fain have continued , to held forth, for he did not yet despair ] of utilising the lantern-beaner as a nuv ] cracker; but his spouse, holding him < tightly by tlhe arm, exacted all 3iis at- i teution, while Giuseppe manifested no disposition to resume the interrupted colloquy. The latter, when the Rectory do&r 'had been reached in safety, stepped • back, with a dignified bow, declined, with a still more dignified gesture, a proffeTed tip and disappeared into the night. '"Confound the fellow!" muttered the Rector, a good deal disconcerted by this final tacit reproof; "a butler is a butler, when's all said and done, and one isn't supposed te insult anybody's butler by doing what's customary. Bothered if 1 can make him out!" "He can make you out. though, without any bother at all," retorted Mrs. Cotton, ''and if you'd gone on catechising liim for an hour, you would have been no wiser than you are now. Not that he couldn't have thrown light upon the whole business if he had chosen."' "You think so?" sure of it. He said he was surprised by your stuj;y of the kidnapping, but he wasn't. As /or its being news to him. thM's rubbish, lie must have heard from the servants, even if Mrs. Lynden and Sylvia haven't told him. Oh, you ■may depend upon it that nothing of what he heard from you was news to him!" ""He seemed to be sincere in his professions of attachment to Mrs. Lynden," observed the Rector meditatively. '"He did; but of course that's just what he would wish to seem if he was bent up#n some fresh enormity. I think he's dangerous, and I think Mrs. Lynden ought to be warned." "H'm! —well, I'll warn her. She can • but call mc an old fool, and if she does, I can but relieve myself by passing the compliment on to you. I confess that I'm half of your mind—though only half. That's to say I shouldn't wonder if the man were dangerous, but I doubt his being a danger to her." "Be that as it may, we can't do anything to-night," Mrs. Cotton sensibly concluded: "so I shall take my aching bones to bed." (To be continued daily.)