CHAPTER VI.- (Continued).
A Several times Walter's voice faltered as Be* 'read this strange letter, and, long^ Before .the oonolueionj his mother and -here in tears. After it -was read a' ailesce followed. Mrs. Manton^ to Norah's surprise ordered her away, leaving only a plate of apples <?u the table, and the tea nothing be'done for Mice f s asked \ »t last* in a low, distressed tone. I go to Melbourne," replied "I will find her .at all cost, and ! pennade her to come back— not but to return to a better life. Oh, ■at I knew her destroyer 1" V'And his faoe blazed with wrath. It would >not have been well for the sedncer ■to h«t« tan there then. '" * ' " Walter I" laid Mw. Mwton auddenly. "Yes, mother." "I think it would be as well for yon in future not to bring Yiotor.hexe. No doubt he if right enough among men, but. I hardly think, from what I hear, he is a safe visitor where an innooent girl lives.*' "There is not muoh danger of his coming," replied Walter, somewhat pained at ths remark; th« justice of which he coold not but feel. " I have tried to wean him fxonvthe oompany he keeps by bringing him here, but ne always seems bored with our quiet society, and appears glad -to get away. But, mother, I think you judge him harshly, for much allowance must be made'fbr one so handsome, and so petted. Besides, mother," he said, in a lower tone, "always remember, our hope was to see him Alice's husband." ■ < '
"Yes/ 4 said Mrs. Manton, absently; "and they appeared to like each. other. Bttt it wm not to. be. What sin have we committed that our punishment' is so Had Walter and his mother* been able to look into Talanga's soul they 'would hare had irteh cause for fear.' 'Every word they said was a dagger into the poor girl's heart, for Victor had long ago pOffesied it, unknown to himself, unknown to any. In her eyee there was no man equal to hex young hero, and it added' to her admiration that he was gay; and different to ordinary humanity. Woman, thoa art a strange being! • ... "Well, if he don't care for.our company," laid Mm. Manton, " neither do I oaze foz hia. I don't know how the idea oame into my head, bntTve often thought, as he used to lounge on the sofa in that graceful, idle way at bit, thai fc« r«embtod • tiger preparing* to ipriug on oil victim. I nevex oould underHand nil eyeat. they're more than. human, and he flashe» a light out of them that magnetisM you in a way. ' "Well, I tee it's i>me to get to town," remarked Walter, looking at Mb watoh. In ralto, he wanted to get away, for he saw the deep thai had fallen upon the Utbltto tuppj dwle. "Don't n>ta>e st> muth; katp your hearts np, for we may, xttriftva the, pait yet. Good-night ! dear mother— good-night, Tally 1" Walter always bade them godd-night after dinner, as he seldom, except on Saturday nights; returned home till one or two o'clock, bong folly oooupied with work up to that time ' . , ■ . ' • He lingered at the gate fora little while, looking at the gloriouß moon^which had ristn well above the horison, filling sky and earth with glory, and presently he heard the thrum and Unkie ot the piano as Ttia>, ttri&enti? to gelt lid other "bibber thought*, ran over the keys ia aa aimless way. Ere long she struck into tfcat lovely melody of. Verdi's, La Donna c mobile, from " Bigoletto." The beautiful scene, the lovely music, brought back to Walter memories of the past. He ' remembered * moonlit night, like the very one before Alice left them so mysteriously/to hide her shame, aa she told them in a letter,- when ghe played the aooompaniment, and Viotor, in that musical and thrilling voice of hi», Jeaning over Alice, sang— How ft&de women are. ' ' ' J Tleethig ma* falling atari' ■ - ■■ ' Chaufingfoteter— coMtßat,alil runts*.
M The Terie is wrong," said Walter, aa he hurried down the street to dissipate the fweet» yet bitter memories that thronged into his mind. " Woman ii, unfortunately, too constant; it ii man whomever changing."
OHAPTEE VII. DBA?. I Crone to his account when it was tail, And not an entry on the credit page; , Called without a'warning from the training school, i- And not' a lesson learned in youth or age f O, Death 1 thou art dread to the good and the true, And the righteous, in terror, face thee ; But what 'are thy horrors to those they are due, And where from their doom' can they flee P Called away in the shadow and silence of night With his weak, mortal vision to lace Heaven's light! It wbb half-past seven fall; when Wallet I reached (be Princess' Theatre, and the ecene was fallal bastle. ,*Cabs thronged about the entrance loaded with bpera-goerß, for the season was a short lone, end do opeia was"* repeated, bo fall houses were the rale. Besides, the artißtes were of the first olsbs, and the operas were placed on the stage almost {as well as [in Melbourne. Farther ib»n thin, the » arintooraof ot Grit tally believed that } uxueßß they made their appßtoraace st the opera— it did not matter a sixpence* that nine out of ten of them neither understood the language or comprehended and appreciated the musio— they would-lose the haji-mark of gentility, (tonal William Lyster 1 ,. therefore, gained considerably by their notions. ■ - . . .Walter made his} way; to tne, dress oirble among' the dames and cavaliers, all in strict evening' coßiame> and w"»9 soob 'in '&© veßtibiufe, where he looked louad to see Victor. [Not noticing* him, ne passed on the shame of the ■press, and soon saw Maater Victor, as; usual, bending over One of the boxes talking* to a beautiful girl, the daughter of a great quartz miner, reputed to be worth a couple of plums. Walter knew the lady had a 'penchant for Victor, and wondered whether hie volatile triead had resolved to ' givfi nj&JWfl ifle* t>i the H&bonme heiress and to takd the miner's danghier| and 'his gold. Not liiiog' to intrude, he walked out into the ' vestibule, which was common to ihe 'occupanft ,pf the dress circle and stalls, and where was a glittering b,ar, pzesidecT, over by" Hebes . whose oharnis attraoted ' all the jtunem ' dorec of Grit. Already several worshippers of these goddesses were at their devotions, and Walter noticed particularly. Mr. 'Bartholomew Biley, the young horße-breaker who, in oompaif^ with Lan Began, had nearly ridden' over him ,in the afternoon, Bat, as he was always called, appeared- greafy. taken with a young damsel dressed in ' blue Bilk, - outrageously 'trimmed, and having her hair frizzed and anauged iv an alatming manner, the vihoto bejng giaced-by.a camelia the size of a young oabbage. This young lady. was casting sheep's-eyes at Bat 4 who oertainly looked' a ■h«ndßome fellow in his jaunty horse-bzeakex's attire, the cords particularly showing off as wejl tamed a leg m a gallant could desire. But customers thronged round the bar, .and : Bait wag forced away, and was about strolling ■out whe'4 he saw Walter, who, being a re.porter, was known to every, chick and child on Grit: . . . .
'.'Good evening, Mr. Maatoa," said Bat, with that easy familiarity so characteristic of the" young Victorian. " Going to the uproar, I suppose. WellJ I'm .a bit on the loose myself to-night, and wouldn't mind going in if- they had .a good play, bnt I oan't make bead or tail oat of tbeir Italian things,' their soreeobing and fiddling, and they're not good at' 'that, for one never hears them . sing l Eomb, BweeYhomeS zwi£p2«y a good hornpipe." . 4 . ." It's s, aS&ter of taste," said Walter. - •< Are ye there, Walter, me boy," said the ooroner, in. his strident voice, as he pushed to the barT " Oome here and have a sap of the orathar wid me. I mast have somethin' to kape up me heart, or that Government busiueis'll be the death o' me. I thought, as I'd three days before me in the bnsh, I'd oome and enjoy a little civilised amusement before I wjnt« Are ye there, Misthet Rudder, and you. Mi. Berton? Oome along wid ye, and join bb." -The two gentlemen£mentipned did so, and were earnestly advised to take nothing bat & special whiskey, which the lady in the bine dress always kept for the doctor, by order of Mr. Heffernan. This they did, and then the doctor launohed oat apon the villainous conduot of the Government and his cleverness and astnteneßS, and might have gone on, like the brook, fer ever, had he not caught sight of (to aon. Angus Sfacpaail, a Minister of the Crown, and one of the members for Grit, whereupon he rushed after that august and powerful gentleman, to lay his oomplaints Before him for the hundredth time. The two other gentlemen walked into the oirole, | and Walter was left with Bat, who. kept a bit off while the "quality "were together, but who now approached.
"You won't be offended withfme if I ask yen a question?" heaskedj in an uncertain depreciatory tone. " Not at all, Bat," replied Walter. "It's— it's about her," nail Bat, almost ftß il he expected to receive a blow. Walter's face olouded. " I see yenlrd oßea&ei}, Mr. Manton," sate Bat, whose nanally good-hamoared, daring faoe was troubled ; "but you know that I was foolish enough to love her, and I hoped" — most deprecatory and apologetic— " that when we grew up, we'd be married, for my father's a respectable farmer. But when she left, I went to the devil, and "— recklessly— " I'm almost as bad tas Dan Began now." " I know this perfeotly well," said Walter; 11 but it is very painful." How strangely the music of the overture, which had been commenced, sounded in Walter's etna. Again he remembered. The fixrt nighV be had ever heard an opera, Alice was with r him, and it was his 1 first night as a critic, the goal of his ambition. The opera, strange coincidence, was "Luorezia Borgia," but the oaßt was different. He had then thought all was consummated, the highest- pinnaole scaled. As he thought this, he smiled bitterly. "But— bat," said Bat, most apologeUqaftfr *itb. « <remot in fifo-wiTO; "iiyon please, Mr. Maaton, don't be angry. One of our fellows went to Melbourne with a racehorse, and he told me he saw fcrat the theatre, and that she is "
" Stop," said Walter, angrily. " I want to hear nothing about her."
"Well," replied Bat, straightening himself up, and looking most .determined, "I, tell you, her brother, that no matter what has happened ; no matter what will happen, I'll always love her, and she can be my wife to-morrow, if she will only have me." Walter could' see that the young fellow, was deeply moved; indeed a mißtnad come into his eyes, and the words he spoke almost choked him.
"Tour feelings are creditable to you," said Walter, " but do not think of it — she is not worthy of , you." "If ever I know who ledrher away I'll break every bone in his body, 11 said Bat, vengefully. "I'm with you there," replied Walter. "What are you stopping here for?" queried Victor, who just come out, looking dazzUngly in his well-fitting evening dress. " Don't-you know Hie opera has commenced; don't, you hear Bella Y<nmn(" and he tauaamed lightly the beautiful air.
.*• How pale yon are, Victor," said Walter, "but it makes you look twice as handsome as -ÜBual. The truth is, that I' saw yon talking sweet things to Miss Mundio, and I didn't like to interfere in love aflaire.
Both laughed heartily, and were jabout to enter the dress-circle, just as the 'song, j Neltaifatril di Eimiwi, was T&ej»iM»i>£, wiea up rushed Constable Longsighfc, his mahner : fall of excitement, and his face evidencing ; that 1 he had some important business on band. • ' * • '• - " Have you seen ■. ■ Dr. .Weight ?" ; heasked excitedly. * f ., "Yes," replied Walter ; "he's just gone"; into the dress-circle with the Honourable Angus' Macph_ail." • c-i* « « I must see him at once/ said the constable. . ' , " •. ' He was about to rush away when Walter . took hold of his arm. • . , "What's the matter, LongsigWj.?,'Mie queried. " I see something in our line has occurred, and, of course, I want the* information." '<• "' ' Longsight just then noticed Victor, who was standing byl "Oh, Til tell you as shortly as I can>" replied Longsight, '• for Mr. Graham is..interested." ' . A \ ■ '[ Me ! " cried Victor iita hollow voice. " Tes," said the constable j tV your uncle's dead." '" Dead !" exclaimed Victor; becoming as pale as death ; and he would have fallen had not Walter placed his arm round him. ■• "He is dead enough/ resumed the ConstaWfe, i» &s coYA professional way, jasfc as he would give evidence before a jury. "It appeara &at he stopped' in Grit all the afternoon, and ! quarrelled and drank with eyery)oody, swearing atl kinds of vengeance against 'those who did .not knuckle down to him. He was specially, hot on you, and wanted old Kumyon to go to the office and alter the will, but Eumyon couldn't have put his hand to paper Vfor the wbrld, and ihe "-clerts were away. Well, as wasalways'Orant'B'CUßtom, he staggered'offhomelateinth^aftfexnoon, swearing all the way up tfie* street ' gt Grit and all the people in it, and wishing them allj.tp, the devili and where they r wouldn't want coals. Her waa ala'q chuckling at the I'idea1 ' idea of having got all his drink' for > nothing. i That's the last that' was seen of him aliire. Old Mother O'Brien, who looks; after the place, and who always goes there at seven,, to make him a cup of ;tea when- he wakes out of bis drunken sleep, wen.tf over a3 usual, lit the firei and set the kettle oh. At first she didn't take much notice of him, for he always sleptNrerx soundly, but at last she wondered why he didn't enore, and, kakihg the candle, went to wake him. Hia face' was swelled horribly, and Bhe saw at once that hewtfs dead. TLei son; heard her screams,' and he rode in and' told us." ■
.!' Good: God, what a horrible death!" said Walter, still tenderly embracing Victor. "What do you think he died of ?"
. " Di;ink, I suppose/'.replied^Longsight, coolly, looking at the barmaids, who .were supping the horrors with^aU the zest and rariosiiyipf their adz. /"The o]d doctor ii aaohoksea generally .tejls the jury to bring in a verdict of died of serous apoplexy, and very serious the disease appears. But I must Bend in for the doctor.. . The jury 'must view the body to-night, for he'll be three days away." _, * . . And Longsigo,t communicated with the doorkeeper, who went off ia "searoh of Dr. .Weight, whom he found ogling the ballet 1 girte through a huge opera glass. •" Constable Longsight wants me," he said, tastily. "Ay cooree ; n^ 01^ 1 ' bother. I knew it. People never think of others' comfort whin they die, and aren't daoint enough to do it respectably. But I suppose there's no help for it"— with a sigh — "I must sacrifice meself for the country." "Don't be bo downcast, Viotor," said , Walter, fondly pressing the pale boy to his breast. " The death of this man is a jndgment on him, He left (he world with curses on Mb Itps, and you have no cause to be sorry, for he treated you like a dog." "He waß my uncle," said Victor, in a suffocating tone. " Give me some brandy," he added to the barmaid ; " quiok ; I feel faint."
Dr. Weight had, in the meantime, been informed of the faots by Longsight, and great was his wrath and dißmay. Here was what might be made a great case, and he had to get over it that night, when, had circumstances permitted, he could have adjourned it from time to time, and streamed heavy feeß. He heartily onrsed, sotto voce, his look. "But there's no hilp for it," said he, « and the burden must be borne. Tell me, Longßight, what have the police done ?"
" They've gone np to the bat and taken charge of the corpse, and Maoarthy and another are hun ting up jurore. Dr. William b has gone up to make the post-mortem, and after that the body will be removed to the Hiberaia Hotel, where we'll hold the inquest in the long room. It needn't take long;" " That's the divil of it," eaid the doctor, with a curse. " You've got a cab ? " -" Yea." i « Then let us #>."• ; " Will yon allow ns to go with yotf ?" asked Victor. " Why, will you go ?," queried Walter ; •« ii will be a horrible sight." "I must go," replied Viotqr, determinedly. "Of course ; oome along," Baid the doctor, and the quartette left the bright soenea'bf the opera, with the final atrainß of the brilliant Senti la danza invitaci chorus resounding through 'the theatre, to visit the abode of giim, silent, ghastly Death 1
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS18801113.2.45.2
Bibliographic details
Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 62, 13 November 1880, Page 3 (Supplement)
Word Count
2,830CHAPTER VI.-(Continued). Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 62, 13 November 1880, Page 3 (Supplement)
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