THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5993, 7 November 1890, Page 4

THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

[B V AMELIA E. BARR.j

CHAPTER XVII. (Continued/

The whole or thu summer was much disturbed by this event. ,-laxcvoil's lawyer, accompanied by the two men who bud been tho dead lord's lust companions, went buck to 1 >.rris and removed the remains to the family vault in Ualloway. Brodiok went with them. Tho laird nsised isim no questions on bis return, and tho only remark the minister made referred to tho funeral rites. " It wa* '.iii Episcopal clergyman who conducted them," he. siiid. "There is. something for us to learn, McNeil, from thfir .<ervii"O. Our silent gathering at the gravo-sido has no audible voiro of tenderness or hope The English Oliurcl) never forsHkc-i h'T dead a< long as they are in the upper air. She waits fwr her last solemn farewell sit the grave."

Tho youiiLT Lord Maxwell's nffiirs were not mi onsilv nettled. Having been born osi foreisrn irrJund find in seclusion, it was necessary to prove his identity and his parentaire. But Grizoldu had always kept this emergency in view, and prepared for it; so that the (Inly difficulty l»y in the direction of summoning her witnesses. About this business it was necessary for Colin to no again to Rome. Tho Donatas ■were, pleesed at t!.c prospect of a visit to a country they had long wished to see. Peppo" in view of certain tangible profits, was not averse to it; and ho brought not only Giterina to Scotland, but such other peasants as had been familiar with Gnzelda during her stay with Caterina. Peppo was found in a house which no hau bought about sixteen miles from Homo, the very finest house in the village, of which he was now a most prominent resident. Ho w>l« tilliu" an office very similar to a justice of nonce, and filling it with a moral seventy whirh was the admiration of tho pious and the terror of those who came for judurm.-nt before him. For Peppo was very sensitive to th- admiration of his fellows. His Tin-..undine were those of morality and reli'Mon. and he look the lead in thorn as ea-il'v as ho had taken in Koine the lead aiiv.n" the class noted for their light fingers mid eW virtues :\U farm was prospering his vineyard doing w.-ll: Cnt-rinu was the mo-t obodiftit of wives, and Peppo the most satisfied of mortals. But Orizolda felt even this passing invasion of her old life <i great trial. There are friend- raised up for certain emergencies, who are best kept only in kindly memory after the emerirencv is over. They leave upon thumountahi-l/.ps of the ptist a lovoly li'-ht but th-v do not fit. into any future of life. Urizei.'a felt this with regard to her Roman friends. bhe must mhvays roiueinber thorn with affection and "ratiiu.ie. but. tUey could only bring memories which had no part in her happier

oxMemie. , S> sh«' -.viis nor ,-orry whon all the forms ■!■,.'- ,iein »'i'".- '<f th" law were siitisfieil, and tl'j,. v could d"..art. The Oonntas went ■iwVt- with h-urrs full <-f rleitsurn in their Mp.'J ~ vii'M.u..■...- Veppo had a slip of paper I'" hi. p.«-.kV.t-b,,ck which «.iti,ti.,d M his 0^, , , ..rfitiMt.--. '-'.n.--i-ii.si. »»i-l '" : '»>- "<-•? ( i r ,'..L.,,.. ■■■--•} on.-tn.-'uts—"Vi-ry one, Kuleeit, him soinethir..; to brighten

the re,f .of hi- yoirs. >~ had bi.-.'ti uuiv.T-iilly propnesied, Me -Ju-il -A-i.i unit./d v. ith (iri/.'ldn in tho -if tli.- young lord and his est«t..'U." And gradui.lly

m<: tumult - ftlK-iiunf.iis.;ous,.l..t, Tv iM:ii-th-ul;.t- msii-iinn-s <|j.."l .^w.iy

. lu .l(}riz.likV lif., s-Uied into tlut culm, \ •' ,i li" il order uliicii is the sweetness »ia ■ ,!I "m' l ,' s tho -Himess of our days. A «over- .'- ."- if j fiiiTiiuod for young .-Yrohibnld, who U ;'l y ~}lo ,-iti' -xcei!-ut companion for Gril"£ 'and Colin was >i u'rmt doal of his tii* n ,. ,',t Biairgowri,. fhere was also some l,'"i' u k> attend to, and ho appeared to oniov"b.'inu hi* uncle's deputy. ' After the term of her seclusion over, Pri/t-Ha begun to entertain her r-.eighbors, to visit and to travel it little On tho bread of l> tterness who had tfrown to a woman's noble* future: and Her patient, pious soul bad iinuart.-i to her beautiful body an «,r ill noble sem-ritv and candor that wan XMcNeil watched her with increasing love ami admiration. Colin was her u-orsb.per lon* before he «m ftw.iro of tho power she had over him. , s the Dlea-Htit month*, Mimmcr unci by. All were hippy in the r - the i'lMire. ibe laird, allowed >'•' .if ■~ worry .1 iit'ie btr.au>.- ;t certain ;; i ; nii : hi ;,,, W hW>i». f..r , ;r .»!- ---",.....U!it .i-iiv (l'hiyej by the ln.l .-ci.-i-.m of f Y"' v ,.} 1 (., ';■-■< ea-ily ifr-tiify him, ii,-^aw"piaii.ly !'■•<"' Clin w " : - 'Jo-ply i-, i.,ve with GrizeM:, ;!'.■!. a-- Jar as be -id i-1.-U"-. W:i<« 11l iov,. with P-'li,, It iva- the n.iUiral ihii.jr. '-!" Mnt- °;; ' t,r b,M.h. The,, why ,!i.l ti ); :y {■!,. j lP .ver took into ! l i",Vt'b- S i"umi'rous Miiid'-wy imp. ,iire.M,.is V, it ' v., !/'i- «""ie'u lov.- .1.-iiu'ht-, in inv-nt- ! euia.,.t C ;;"n,. UUaLT-tIH-l v.by (J,,| ltl ■ C'Tiz-Li- -Wonia lie:.' '-' H"! ifi-ira..-!!-.! r- : , ~,",,,., inth, n,-te:ul ;.f l)y a f tnu^,t *i{ Ul •;, ~,,;,.-• yutii ro im.i..-r>!-(!id • i,-,i't.!,e i'i ; >vri".th is, f.t'f.-r .iH, tu.- !ie;neM ~!,!.. ,»,.,. 1., l !;,-n a , IV , t pr:,,.-!,:,, /a, ti... ).,■:... f i-ir..,:,!, b,! s α-i » ■..■•.!> :- 1" *.iH,..-.! ■<:..«,«..,* whii;ll H-i.i. i!. f -» n«--.y .- ■ —i.iiiy i»ii' y *„...' v.-H : ..«/'."-.f '" '"■"■ •■«»""; tu-i-iur-'i 1 l-.r .».'.! i;,..if....r.-..-ti...-v '<•«■«■'« h.m.einttr. sil-.n-u- m-..-.".r.-..t. 0r.,, :> Wi , r ....,.,<•.■„■ 'I'-.' I til" h-l.oWS'il t r,.,1,,-r Tb.-in.-tiiiKii' > i ■' "'■"• lili " r - ma r1,,.y a.iv-l ... wil t|,,T.. α-d 1 „„„ ii-,hine wire ):itlui.-tn!<;.s tmh ~;;[:'",.„: -<■ »»* *•■»•*<*- *»> fra^..".-'-'.""' , .'' l i.- ! "^M K .illt lJ won.t,r ° V !rtVtheK .»!■'. >». «">»' !,, " 1 a 'i"' '■■'""' out of tht, lib- v, ,::. Slu- W; .h ,:1..t1.L,l I.i Uis.-cd 1, , 1" niiiill , d . c■-.'. Tli.-oM me" turne-.l -iijntly .'uva.y, as it thov had »"■=■ -■" ;:!, - v " F :l iv ,f ' ,n : ltl,,!l ' rm.eir '-es w.to v/-t.. :i.«.» yet tm-ir hearts f 1 of h t'.-ie — «•».■< dreamwere lull 01 lilt,', I.- ■- • • 1-1-7 ! i! ■i- b''•' "^ II 1 ,,>M1,! f '-"> ll!1 :"i rooms will. lif-. "•"•I t-mvoyin-Jii.ll to'a, "i l ve W itht. l «ry..,., J rur....s: l ruu,. C ih.«a I-'nxliek hud a vision f-i bis own youth ; ofS"^b., l behaa,vo.,edb,slost,vifo ou ,he I,»U of Aranteeme; ot Jiw joyful trv-t -lv had trivea him whou dying upon th.j hills of God. His strong iute wu.s as tender «ih it child's.. '•AlcNeil " be wiid "it is a wonderful story, this old HW-y of love ! _ It ie as froth to-niu'ht sii the iravik-n ot Blairgowno as it wa« in the Garden of M™. , ' " I am a happy man, brodiok Over tho moonlit moor, in tho solitude „„ i Hileceo of the i'xquinito night, the two m' Ji"urfß had a m:.j..-»ty ; th,,y o'lrried with them tho air of those men who it yd when tho world w.« young, when . in ; r ,U w.ilke«l the e.trth not unseen, and God" hir.i-eif talked with Abnthain, calling him, " M<i I'Yintd." TitH 15KB.