THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5967, 21 October 1890, Page 4

THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

ITO BE COS-TINUKD. - ]

[BY AMELIA E. BARR.j

CHAPTER XII. (Continued)

As the hour for leaving lior home drew uoiir, she dressed herself again in the fatal wodding- dress. Around" her throat and arras were the sapphires and diamonds ■which had been her father's bridal gift. Maxwell cast an envious look at them. Reset, how suitable they would bo to Julia's beauty ! Ho touched them lightly, and said :

" Grizelda, I would leave those gems at homo. The roads outside the city' are haunted by desperate robbera, especially on Buch an occasion as this. You look vory lovely without thorn."

She did look lorply, the words were truo enough, for repressed excitement had given a luminous coloring-to her skin and en intense brilliancy to her eyes ; but the compliment at that moment was such a mockery that shw could not avoid a look of enquiry which was very disconcerting. If shame or remorco had been possible to him ho would have felt its sting r»t that moment. But she made no objection to his proposal. " I will remove them. Will they bo safe in my jewel-case if both of us are abseni ?" " Give the key of your casn to me. Thoy will be safo enough until tomorrow. , ' She went upstairs, secreted the precious stones about her person, and brought the key of her jewel-cnso to Maxwell. With some ostentation, ho put it in his pocketbook. Then the carriage was announced, and they left tho room together. Maxwell had that day dismissed hia coachman and replaced him with a man sent by Peppo. He saw the fellow holding tho reins, and waa satisfied the scheme would bo carried ont.

He made ono or two attempts to speak, but Orizelda could not continue them. Her whole soul was on tho watch. Maxwell thought she was sulky about the jewels, and ho rather prided himself upon his clover scheme for their preservation. And when Poppo came for their price, ho would have him at an advantage. Ho would demand the jewels or bo paid tho money. The more he thought of his little plan the better pleased ho was with it.

As they approached the skirting of the wood where the attack was to be made, ho became silent. He had purposely left the city half an hour later than the fete demanded ; ho was glad to floo that tho rond was comparatively deserted. Ono belated carriage dashed past them at a rapid rate, but midway along the dangerous strip they were alone.

Two figures camo suddenly from the wood. In a disguised voice, they ordered the coachman to descend and hold tho horses ; and tho mau in a paroxysm of protended fear, obeyed. Peppo aud his confederate tied Lord Maxwell's hauds and feet, performing the operation with such unnecessary cruelty that their victim was forced to relievo his agony with oaths and cries ol sincere distress.

Orizelda was speechless She had seen Peppo glance at her throat and arms, but eho did not know that in tho tightening of Maxwell's cords ho was taking an adi'auce payment of tho revenge he intended. It had betiri Maxwell's own suggestion that bf; dhould bo bound. It was a mirticient reason for his not, giving tho alarm until circumstance*! forced it from him, but ho had no idea of tbc suffering that ho was to enduro in consequence of it. Tho operation diil not fako three minutes. Then Grizelda was carried into the wood, the homed were securely tied, Peppo imd tho conclimiiri disappeared, and Mvxvcll was left, bound on the roadside. Though in arrent ngnny, he noticed Griz<.-Ma's ominous eileneo, and Mipp'Wd *haf, sho had fainted. Ten minutes Inter he had himself lost CoriecioUßnwft, though tho cuttiriu- cold soon restored him to a conception of the possibilities of human nature in physical suffering.

Some of the poor hangers-on at such festivals, stray musicians, servants out of place, etc. paa°i?d tho standing vehicle and tho tied man ; but; they hurried away, aa if thoy had wen death. Not one of them cared to risk tho oiHco of giving information. Suspicions, imprisonment, worso even might come from it.

"Thopoor are always guilty," said one. " Let tho man wait for his equals. It is not oar fault if we dare not be charitable."

So Maxwell actually lay in his miserable bonds until tho first guests began to return to the city. Thou his condition raked a tumult and an outcry of enquiries and indignation. He wan taken back to Romo in Prince Camparas's carriage, and nil the paraphernalia of the police net an quickly an poaml.ie on t.ho track of tho robbers.

Rut wmc hours hail bi'un lost, and Maxwell did not help to put investigations on tho right rmt'i. Indeed, ho wn« becoming tiverv moment more terrified at the result of bin wicked <le«d. Thin was natural, >»nd stipnrrmfitnil »At>n. The devil does not mind how much cure, how much torror and remorse haunt the sinner, wliun tie deed is fluiie. Thn ht'tr-iviil accomplished, he wna quite willirifr tlmt Jinlas nlioulJ httrur himHolf; he nlwavH is willing that suicide tthoultl follow m«rd?r.

But Miixwell hi;d iitnplo time for reflection. His wrists and anlch's were fri>rhtfnlly nut aud .swollen, and the painful inflammation sujjurvcning wns iiefioinpi'.nial by ii wrtvi.'te attack of itmito rheumatic foyer.

Flis sufVerintr;! were t-rriblo, but amidtlifm all lie had a ciiiistunt fear slill more terrible —if ho .-h'Milil l>Hoc>mfc dolirimm and confess the tr'.itli ! Tli.'r.- wiih no relief for thin fpar liut in thd diimand for Peppo's Burvioen as his Httfudanr. The physician knew lioiv Grizflda had uurj.-d Pcppo's wife buck to lifo; ho th'iUirht it a very natural thing ilifit IVppo Hhoiild repay t!u: himliK.'Hs.

Poppo wan not a kind uuivo. Peppo mao"n him suffer a great deal that. wn,s bevoml even the plenitii'le of stiilVring natural to rheumatii) fever He uninpollod him to (ionfess the jewfl trick, and he guvn him in return auch a cm th<> tonot of honor anions thievi's, as mado Maxwell remetribei - it with (cur and trembling. Yen, it must bo confessed that Poppo wi» neithur kiti'l-hoiirted nor truthful. Hu rt-liwu tho to'lium of hiM uttei'fionH to hi» noblf putient with Huch cletrtiU of Grizslda'a death us ho thntiirht lilcelv to makn him misurnhld, Whil-i coiiHolini; himself with thu that. GriztfMii Imd foririveu him, nay, oven thanlcfd him for rifling her of 11 lify mado horiibls by the tie which hound her to her hufbaiicl, he Maxwell no comfort of any kind.

In certain mond" Jia dtsvribod Grizeldft's ansyclio rewiyrniitiou, her jirayors* and blessings, until lin wi.'Ot at hi« own eloqunncc. In'other moods ho proferrert that Maxwell should thitili Kin; hud cuff-jred every outrage and brutality. Both ntori«H were rold with an equal nir of truthfulness. Maxwell writhed between the two versions in an agony of HUrtjienso and unuurtuinty, made terrific by the phtintftMtiial horrors of Htimidelirium.

ifo was in thi.-i condition whon Colin rouched Koine. Tho news of Gmeldn's fate, dreadful us it was, was scarcely a surprine to him. The vague anxiety which had Kurtdeuly taken possession of him at Edderloch had gro"vn with every mile lio had travelled, until it hud become- a fever of apprehension. Wheu ho heard tho worst ho sviis quite! prepared for , it. Had he arrived two weuk.s ourliur, ho would certainly have discovered tho whole plot and reclaimed hia cousin. But; his untiring energy, hia lavish uho of money, hie sleuthhound litttrorl of Maxwell, were baffled by iccomputencti, supewtitiou«, delays, falso cluum, lapun of time, a scoro of other ohhtacdos whicit it was impossible for him to obviate.

He would not sen Maxwell. He said boldly that it was not his interest to find his wife. In npito of tho general sympathy for hi* loss and ."iifEoring , , Colin had an unquenchable fire of hatred aud suspicion in hin heart uguinat him. No ono in Rome would iiaten to the faintest whisper, not even tho police ; but Colin was not influenced by thi» blindness of public judgment. He made every arrangement for the continuance of the no-Htch that lovo and hatred could uevino.

Thou lie hastened back to Edderloch ; for McNeil hud been advised of his daughter's lose and probably death, and Colin thought with pity and dismay on the old mau's grief ; for tho fondest lovo, if put between the living and tho dead, turns however reluctantly, to the living. There are hopes ii the living, but the dead leave us none.