AS IT FELL UPON A DAY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9337, 5 December 1898, Page 4

AS IT FELL UPON A DAY.

BY EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS,

Author of " Little Brave Heart," etc,

CHAPTER XXVIII,

o Anne took the telegram from Bastian's hand almost mechanically, but thought became vivid, intense, as Bhe read Rachel's telegram. It bore the post office stamp of Eußton station, and the date of the day before.

' It reached here yesterday afternoon aEter I had left the office. Had I received it,' Bastian said, 'it would have spared me one journey, at all events.'

Anne did not. make any reply. She was reading through and through the message written on that thin telegram. 'Do not expect to hear from me for several days. My plans are quite undeoided, but shall let you know eventually where I am. You will understand thoroughly why I have done this. Rachel.'

Anne lifted her eyes at last towards tbe man sitting so wearily in the chair.

' What does the child mean, Bastian V she asked, gently; Uervous and anxious as she was herself, Bhe tried to dismiss her own feelings to think of him.

He had a worn and wretched look. Evidently he bad only just returned from this journey of which he had spoken.

Anne went across to him and pui her hand on his shoulder.

1 1 shall never sneer at presentiments again,' she said, half lightly. ' I felt I must come to town to-day, although 1 had nothing but fancy to go upon. She changed her voice here. ' Tell me all there is to tell, Bastian, dear. What is wrong ? What does Rachel mean by this telegram ? Is—is there trouble of any sort V

' Ay,' Bastian answered her, bitterly. ' There is real trouble, Anne. I promised the child I would keep her secret as long as I was able, even from you. She had such an awful horror of letting the world know the pitiful mistake she had made, and I'— Anne put out her hand. 1 Stop,' she said, feebly. ' I—l am afraid to hear what you are going to tell me, Bastian.' She turned so white and faint she bad to sink into a chair, and Bastian came and bent over her. ' Oh I I cannot breathe,' Anne said in a whisper. Somehow she had no need of his spoken words. She seemed to guess the real significance of his silence. Bastian ministered to her gently. He brought her a glass of water and pushed open a door that led into another room. •It is quite empty. Robinson is there as a rule, but I sent him out just before you came, Anne.' Anne sat helpless in tha chair for a few minutes. There was something indescribably pathetic to Bastian in her collapse. She was, as a rule, so strong, so helpful. the found her voice after a moment. ' She has married Giles Hamilton, you mean, do you not, Bastian ? But how could she do this and why—why ?' There was a broken cry in Anne's voice, then she calmed herself. 'When did it happen, Bastian ? The great shock is over now ; I must hear everything. Oh Imy poor, poor, unhappy little sister F

Bastian gave her as quickly and as quietly as he could all the story of Rachel's reckless folly and misery.

1 Had I gone to her with Eleanor Foster's story" one day sooner she would have been saved! There is a fate in these things against which we cannot struggle, apparently.'

Anne watched the man as he turned and walked to and fro in the room.

Her imagination quickly conjured up the picture of that morning in Rachel's boudoir when the girl's bravado had fallen beneath the power and influence of her love. Her eyes filled with tears; she could so easily realise how a very tempest of anguish and shame had fallen upon Rachel in that moment. ' And you told her then about Eleanor 7' Anne asked, after a moment. ' She had not had even an idea that it was Hamilton who'—

Bastian shook his head. 'It was a terrible shock to her, poor child !' he said, sadly.

'It seems so odd,' Anne murmured almost to herself. 'At once when I began to go into the subject I knew it could have' been no one but Giles Hamilton who had ruined Eleanor's life. I never said this openly to Rachel. I thought it would come to her, too, when after '—

Anne paused.

Bastian half smiled.

' You need not mind saying it, Anne. She told me herself in that moment of truth between us, how the odious suggestion of myself as that poor girl's destroyer had been put into her mind. It was this,' Bastian added, in a low voice, ' that has brought us all to where we stand to-day.

Anne moved aimlessly about the room.

' Bastian, what are we going to do 7 What is to be done ? I do not yet understand tho position fully. If you have this man in your power why has Rachel gone away from us in this manner 7 You say you insisted on Hamilton leaving England, and yet'— Anne drew a deep breatb, 'he was in our neighborhood yesterday ; he came to Corby to arrange for bis mother's funeral.' She told him very hurriedly, almost in a whisper, all that Giles had done about Eleanor. ' This was one of the reasons that brought me to you. Oh! surely, surely, Bastian, such a base, cruel man as this must never be allowed to force Rachel into bis life. It chokes me when I think of it. I broke down last night when your mother told me of the interview between Uncle Hubert and this coward. How little I knew then that my poor, little Rachel had given herself into his power ! I hated him for the wrong he has done to Eleanor, and for the baseness of his nature ; but now—now that I know all, I do not know what I feel! I suffer too much. Bastian, you love Rachel; can you not stand between her and this dreadful future 7'

Anne broke suddenly into a flood of

tears, and Bastian stood and looked at her—a man worn almost to desperation by the difficulties of the position. In this momont of acute mental pain the senses of both W6re dulled, otherwise they must have caught the sound of some one breathing heavily in the adjoining room ; they must have had the consciousness of a third presence.

Neither of them gave a thought to any such thing. The fact of the open door did not come to their memories ; they were both bo lost in the whirl and troubled suffering of a heavy mental anguish. Bastian spoke first, his voice low and hollow.

' You wring my heart by such words, Anne,' he said, hoarsely ; * do you then know me so little 7 All that a man may dare to do I shall do in this crisis, for sooner would I stand and look upon my child's dead face than know that her pure soul had been allowed to be darkened and shadowed by that man's evil influence. Yes, all I can do I will. I went to her last night on purpose to secure her from him. Yon do not see the danger now. Have you not heard that Lendover is dead, and that all his wealth is bequeathed to this man ? It was in the papers yesterday, and she must have read it, poor child, and have planned her flight instantly.

1 She had not acted an hour too soon,' Baßtian continued, hurriedly, ' for when I reached Nestville last night to find her gone I was in time to have an interview with Hamilton, who had come there immediately even with his dead mother not yet lain in her grave to commence hia reign of triumph over Rachel.'

The man suddenly sat down in a chair, his hands dropping between his knees, and Anne rose and came beside him.

' Tell me more,' she whispered. ' We quarrelled, and I struck him. I do not think I hurt him, but he fell to the ground, and my rage was so terrible I felt I dared not remain near him any longer. I walked in my misery along the shore to the town of Wavemouth, where I slept last night, and I returned to town this morning. I had prayed I might find some message from Rachel, and that telegram was waiting for me.

*It has comforted me a little—but oh ! Anne, how., am I to spare the mortification, the heart* aDguish she will be called upon to bear from this man ? He is determined to punish her, and if she will* not meet him half way he will publish her story throughout the world ; he will put hi 3 case into the hands of the law. lam ready to lay down my life for Rachel. You know I have always loved her—but what will my love serve now ? I may, indeed, harm her instead of being a shield and a protection.' Anne said nothing for many moments ; she stood there, her hand resting on his shoulder. ■Can you make any guess as to where Rachel has gone ?' she asked, after a long pause. Bastian shook his head. ' None whatever. She is not alone. I should imagine she has taken Lucy wherever she has gone.' Anne paused again. ' She will be easily traced, Bastian ?' she said, with half a query in h9r sad, low voice.

He made a gesture of despair. 'A child "liko that against such a man !' was all he said. Anne left hia side and walked back to the place where she had sat, then she returned to him. ' I was wrong just now, dear,' she said, very gently ; ' it is not for you to fight this man and protect Rachel ; it is my duty. Rachel is more to me than my sister ; she is almost like my child. No matter what folly she has committed, I will do all in my power to protect her—and when my heart was full of horror for what thia man had done to poor Eleanor, I felt strong enough to put him under my feet and crush him. Help me only to meet him, Bastian. He must be back in London now agaiD, since he must attend to the funeral affairs. I will write to him. I will see him.' Bastian looked up at her ; her voice was firm and calm ; there was a dignity about Anno in this moment that was almost inspiring. Bhe was, as sh§ had said herself, the proper person to stand forward openly on Rachel's behalf and Bastian felt she

would not fail,

* You are a brave, true woman, Anne,' he said, as he rose to his feet, 'and you have right on your side.'

' My heart is full of unutterable con-

tempt for this creature,' Anne said, swiftly. ' Could anything be more wantonly cruel than his last attack on poor Eleanor ? Let us leave our own sorrow, Bastian, for a little while, and think of her. She will have to leave Silchester now—you know what Uncle Hubert is 1 He is very angry with me. I must find some haven for her. Shall I tell you my desire, Bastian V Anne said, half wistfully ; * it is to see Eleanor safe in the care of a husband 1'

'To marry Philip I' Bastian said, almost sharply. «Ah ! she will never do that, Anne ! She is too proud.' ' He loves her, Bastian.'

' Yes ; poor fellow, he loves her with all his heart and soul—and Eleanor, if she does not love him, has something more than affection for him ; but she will never be his wife now, Anne— never, never 1'

AnDe sighed deeply.

'Life is sad and gray all round, just now,' she said, with quivering lips. * Bastian, can you drive with me ? We must discuss immediate plans. I shall look to you to give me Hamilton's movements. I must speak tq him-? and oh ! Bastian, as soon as Rachel lets us know where she is I must go to her! Come—l shall not return to Silchester till this afternoon; we can talk over everything before I go.' It was not till Anne was in a hansom being driven westwards by Bastian that she remembered Philip Robinson. ' I asked him to come and speak to me ; he will think me very rude, -Bastian, and yet since you bave spoken so definitely, it is, perhaps, as well I do not broach the subject pf Eleanor to him,'

'He has the subject on his brain, poor lad,' Bastian said. ' I have always sympathised with Robinson in this matter. He seemed to me the very husband for Eleanor Foster; but all is changed now, Anne. He is another man. He loves hor, if possible, deeper than ever, but he has endured too much disappointment. 1 tell you frankly I should be grieved to lot Robinson know the full truth. He has a strongelement of foreign, almost savage, blood in liib veins. Heaven knows what he would do if he were told the truth.'

And while Bastian was speaking these words the horrible influence of this knowledge was working like a mad spirit in Philip Robingon'g overcharged heart, He sat in the smaller and inner room of Baßtian'e office ; the light from the high window fell upon his face, and revealed the ghastly pallor that had crept under his sallow skin.

He had returned to the office, and gone to his usual place quite naturally. Bagtjan and Anne were too deeply lost iv their interview to hear him return, and he would have passed out again immediately had not the name of Eleanor fallen on his ears.

Some spirit seemed to spring to life within him and bold him looted to ihe

spot until all was said, and as Bastian and his cousin finally went away, Uobinson sat on thinking, dwelling on the story of shame and sorrow that stood like a phantom in his path, and stained forever and swept away the purity of the woman he adored. [to be continued.]