THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5991, 5 November 1890, Page 4

THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

[B V AMELIA E. BARR.j

CHAPTER XVII.

THK LAIHD l-l SATISFIED.

Nev-T «i'l.in the memory of any living being in Knapdiile had there been such an evjnt as the Maxwell marriu_;e.< to discuss ;

and never had there been so much visiting. Families long on terms of scant courtesy made frion is over it. The affair was felt in a in.-uirier to touch every one's honor; for it was important to come to a proper decision as to which of the parties was to blame. If Lady Maxwell, then, of course, she could not in- visited ; if Lord Maxwell, then some degree of pitying courtesy might be granted. GrizeliU took her own place with nn apparent calm indifference to public opinion. But she was in rea icy very susceptible, as any good wom-ui is, ami ought to be, to tho crkiei-ms of her neighbors. Sho wished to stand well with them. She had been so lotur isolated that she had a very natural cravintr for the companionship of her social equals She was grateful to those ladies who called and gave her an opportunity to ene"iiriu.'i' their good-will.

Maxwell's sudden flight and his cowardly desertion of Julia in the hour of her humiliation were universally condemned. Every man spoke of it, and every man' felt himself to he immeasurably above and beyond such a dastardly deed." And it was noticeable that as each one explained the course he would have taken, tho moro chivalrous and impossible that course, tho more positively it was asserted to be the only ono

.which would havo adequately met the situation. Nor was this sentiment alto-

gether n false ono. In great emergencies, men can do great things much easier than

small ones. A Rubicon may be crossed rather than somo trifling sooial domand obeyed. But it is characteristic of our age that nothing laits. Tho old nine days' wonder bus dwindled down to at most thirty-six hours. Anything older is ancient. hintory. < well's im-m-iry was only kept alive hy the uueurniinty became, iv a week or tivo, a Ih.re. Tho h'ltel filled with guests, many of th-en r-oi'irkal.h- on- * ; the villagers had th"ir hand* foil and w-re in-koig money. Th- ireiiTy had their hou-.es full and wore giving enter'-lium-nits The person so foiili-h as to mention Mixw.-ll was quickly made to feel that, he had committed a nocia! blunder. For even where there is tho aver.iire kmdn.'ss of heart, how soon people act over thing-. ! Whi-ih of us has i friend wholrispc-in-in"iitlysntiered Oy his feelintrs? Which of us i* not "iwa.-e thit, out of our immediat.- domestiu relations wife, husband, children, money matters, there is nothimr we could not f>tce with tolerablo equ'».!iitnifv ? To OriZi-lda, the summer went by happily. She iilm.'st felt as if it were wrong to bo so huppv: .in-1 yet (hi-, mental aee.u*«tion of her-elf could ii'-vcr .-.'and examination She had !-" •'..i'.s.< to irive her husband reuret il • hu-l t..rt.ired and hal-d her. He had betrayed her t.. death, careless either of her Ik.ii i. or s.-lt'ei-inu - . And in that la-t moinentarv iii.-eritiL.', when he had found his crime uiiae.-omrlisbid. he had glanced at. her with the h ;*"■'i of hell in hi- .-yes. That he had run iiwav from tl) ■ sh imo and distress his p-1-.-i..n 1.-i I ere il--d was .jtiife in keepintf .-. it', te... oi m'.s ei->iel. or tvi-n nature. She wouM htvo been astunished if ho had r-ni tin •.'. hy the side of his sufferitiif

partner. Fur .i|i"ii Julia fell tho woiirht nf rh..' -h>nu'-fu' pmiti'in When -he roc -vered .■-mi-.'iim-n-ss. t-velve hours after Mix well's

fliirht. thf'V w.-n» (inmp'-lli'd to tell her that

she had I "'en deserted She took the nevvo tl s pit .i-iite women without self-restraint are m;>s> intake mi event full of sorrow and inoriiiie .Hon. She upbraided God and man and d.s'ii.v. her man and enemies alike She refus-1 all Onzeldn's..iters. She weut imo livt-Ties if she hur heard h-r voice. She v-'iw.-d she would not leave Blairgowrie, not vet would she permit Grizelda under the sa ni> roof with her. The situation was a trviug otic to the real mi-tress of tho house. McNeil insisted upon herre-oiiningatonce the riirhts which nothing h'.d t-sken, or could tako from her. As soon, therefore, us Julia had been carried to her bedroom, Lady Maxwell called together tho household, and enrolled them anew in her service. All but Julia's personal maid accepted the (thanu'O gladly. Tie latter was a L'.nd'.n womau of tho highest pretensons, and no offer was made to induce her to desert ht-r mistress. The Karl o' Lauder was then written to. Bo' Mime 'lav « mu-t elapse before his iirri/al. ;l "'' Grizelda explained this thr "lull Julia's maid, to her. the rooms „he h.d .(■•■iipi'-d : '< Ulaos.'owrie were pliced ~, her -.-■' vie uniil her friendsctmi*. Ju'ia's temper winild noipermii her to accept, tlu-tn. As,sum -is she c übi cntro! herself she ordered h'.r ef_.-.:tH to be packed, and iv the meantime sent word, to several of the families with whom she had been most intimate, of the strait -he was in. Unfortunately, in every ease, there was an insvtriiiountii ble obst, tele to her entertainment, ilne was jii.-t |_oiti_T awny. Another had every room fu'l. A third had sickness in the house which rni_■ ht prove coiitatrion.s. She couhi »ro to the hotel, but she dreaded the publicity, and besides, it was m reality the McNeil Hotel. No roof of McNeil's should shelt.-i lor In thi- «iil niini, Or Brodick offered the h.e-iii'alii '.■<■• tee manse, and the lady accepted i' l'"'« r.-iaiion-hip at once changed t |l . ,r,„, : ilc-tor's uliitilde. .-he «';ii now hi- I'u.-i, an I In- lin-icd him-. If for her eonih r! ll'' _;ave up his o-.vo room, !{>' escorted h>r from r.kit-o-.vrie with rei.p.-i:';. tin .-.-ire, ted s-iotlied her passionate grief wills the' liei.tle forbearance nod wisdmn which, while lot'itiir iho .-iv deals pitifully and piti.--.tly with lie- -UM.er. Still he -jv.iuld listen touoneof her tirades „gaiii«t Oil/'lda; aud he upheld vj,.. s'f-it'.s course as tl:-- otih proper oour-e for a f .tic r to pi'sne i'.quaiiy ju-t. was he .-.hen her angertiirie.lup.u Lord Maxwell. ••Mv d'"- 1 ' hidy." he -aid. ''you are

i>lil;. in th. fault It i- uv.i rive that olf.-r.-. th.'- tempi .lion If v»u had not been from the fir.-.t innir Ii""- 'h ;, u You tiUiiht to have 1,,,,.,, ,-„..-,. -~- ,„hl nft hay- followed blood - money Hie. i.'.->. urn I iu<_e." " Maxwell lov.-d 'a • ■ rem my childhood " " iii-i-e ii* I." inni:, my only, that "ill .sin in- a woman if .-he jri'ves him neither n ~.„1 ;, ......... •. i- h-.p. . Why -hould he > Maxwell u.:d-.i- too ; noni you th'.rif GliY.A'hi were out. >>t I he w.ij you would marry l tlilt ;.,, be put. i'ri/eUiaoiit of the way." " I never uthii i .-oiidi a thought." '■ lie. ■ v.-;n no need of words Tlie t , n , H (•;,. ;;-..-, tie' /inndu, the feet can s',. iik. '• Jh! tnn.l.ici, no doubt you offered liiin the r.ppic a ihou.-.iU'l t men.". " tie luVfd in--, tin.l I lovul him. We hel'iiutci in <'"'■'' "'h'-T hv tics stronger 1b..11 of mari-iau-e." •• Let in..- toil yon, madam, thero is no lii- >-!ioh_ei- than a promise to Almighty Clou I mv.-iilt heard that promise from Maxwell'- lips when he took Grizelda MoJS'i.'il to wile, and vowed to love and cherish i,el- all ill., -iays."

• ' 'J'hr n it, -.van a cruel fate that threw ua toy-ether afterward." •' ii'udain, hiu is not thu result of fate, or of ;mv particular statu of tbinifs. There is in the sinner an inherent weakness, and an openness to attack, which, sooner or later, would have led him or her into tho same crime, whatever circumstances prevailed. "l he trouble is that the sinners do not count tho cost; they will not see that sin and punishment grow out uf one stem." Hu-b conversations us these, though iimbttdrud in the kindest spirit by the minister, d'd not please Julia, and she grew ko impatient of her position that on the morning of [1 "' third day she left kldderioch, without any escort but that of her maic". -Vihe knew the hotel her Undo Lauder would rest at in Glasgow, and sho resolved to meet him there. It iva- a great iclief to every ono when fchc departed. Already she Ind worn out wh.it little popular sympathy whs directed to her ; and it was now every one's interest to be friendly with McNeil. Ho was left without a peer in Ktiapckle. Not only would ho control his own lands and enterprises, but it was most likely ho would be appointed guardian of tho young lord, and of Blairgowrie. As the months went by, the conviction grew that Mux well was dead. None of the advertisements, carefully worded to his circumstances and needs, had been answered though inserted in the principal papers of a" countries likely to be his retreat. No one had snen the yacht. It had put into no port; it had not been met by any iucominir or outgoing vessel. The two sailors whom he .-no's with him bad never returned. It wtis r< e-mbired that there ml ! been a iuivci-C St. m tin: list liie-hl, after the flight,

„ .."I cve.t-i ...u believed that tin- yacht and nil on b.-.ud had gone to tho bottom of tho sea. . Jiut wi'.h the i-etuni of the spring, the men who bid .u'oi:ip:'i.ied Maxwell, came back t-- j.'.d'leri- eh. 'llc-y hid been caught by the v.'oiie.- •■ in :i 11.:'J were without money in li'ivis ceil ii-nf remained iv Tarbet, .lieu--.'ii<-h --r!-. us they we.-o able to find, until the Hue v.vi.th. r enabled them to obtii'i a pi;.-'■::■■■! lioaie on the early trading D .:ir. . 'tnev »ent at once to tho minister v.-ith tho ii---.v-t ot Maxwu'l's death, and to him they spar.d none of its dreadful de-

tails. Brodick was profoundly impressed: he vuh uliuo.-- tciritied at tho verification of his own prophecy.

" The word came from the Lord," he snid, " and lam his servant. The message He gives me, -hall I not deliver it?" Yet as he softly paced his room to the tumult of his thoughts, a great pity for the miserable man came over him. That impulse to pray for tho dead, which every heart has felt to be deeper than creed and stronger than reason, made him suddeuly pause, and. with clasped hands, raise hia. eyes to heaven. And though his lips moved not, his soul recalled like flashes of bght, the promises of God's everlasting mercy. I i Into this strife of feeling and reason came the laird. He brought into tho study lhe freshness of the spring, the atmo.-phere ot primroses and cuckoos aud the gurgling t.f fresh water-courses. BrodicS's fice was like an open book to him. Ho was accustomed to read the man's inmost thoughts there, and he said, before the minister could " What strange thiug has happon>;d ?" " Maxwell is dead." " Now, God bo thanked !" "Laird!" , , „ "Yes! God Almighty be thanked for the word; When tho wicked coiiso from troubling, it is good reason for thanking Him." " " He died a dreadful death." " Ha lived an ill life, which is in itself a kind of death. To go before God with ouo's hands bloody ! How terrible that must bo, Brodick. What came to him?"

He listened with a shocked face to tho story. He had nothing further to say Maxwell had bueti judged by a Power whoso awards wero buyond human criticism. But us tho two men" sat silent, they were both feeling how necessary it was to take steps at once to verify the report aud to prepare for the future it entailed. It was not considered reccssary to tell Grizelda the mauner of her husband's death. "The yacht struck a reef oft Hams, Coliu said to her. "The two men with him were saved, and have returned. Lord Maxwell ie no more." Sho made no further ouquiry. For a few days she was exceedingly still, and the laird noticed, with a littlo private anger, that her eyes looked as if sha had been weoping. "Thou sho assumed the widow's mourning garments, for though thoy were but a dismal form, yet society has cortiiin demands whioh no one is (.-ntitlcd to despise. Tho black dress and the band of white crapo round her head were, however, to McNeil tho livery of freedom and joy. Ho liked to sco her in them They were in his eyos far more of festival robes thau the snowy satin and sparkliug jewels of her bridal day.

ITO BE CONTINUED.']