A DIRE DECEPTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12523, 16 March 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

A DIRE DECEPTIONS

[M AKTHUR EIOBV.] Ukdek the rod .lamp, whose sanguinary glow almost vanquished the soot-grimed fog that clung about it, the brazenly new hara&plate Announced that Dr. Eoboft.Bodmay was at home for consultation. "He woiildbe a bold patient Who ventured 6tit oh sudi ft night a* this," .declared tie" yduhg doctdr While' he kicked the 1 gloWiiig embers into & btSien iiea#j "^ d , I don't want him. ?he curse of woman is in my soul, and— Bah! What an atrocious idiot lam become ! Jennica's' married, and that ; ends the" ; story; To-day id Jenmcas wedding-day, and because" it isn t mihe 1 will sit here and—" ~ -. . ; ~, . .„., .. The night bell, heW &fid raspy, gave a fditsirig* peal.- .- •■■ ■ , „.. •„, ... _.-,. — " What jiiibecile is that? '; angrily mutt§re<l tho doctor.. "I Wtih't sfS.ftfiy patient td-itipt. This is hiV' iiiglit. I an* gbiflg to sit }iU& ifid gloat bve'f iny , ifretohedtifess un- . til I am gbrge'd. . To*morroW I'll begin «i^aU>— new man, ,a new life, hard work, and forgetfulness; but to-day is Jsnnica s Wedding-day. afid. I—" , . . . , .... , ... ■ A Woman's voice, , low, full, pathetically insistent, reached his ears; the voice that love had once ehdeated to his heart, and passion. -liter, had seated ttflfiii IliS hiehiOty.. st6vcfd by a fffthtio impulse, lie prepared 1& lock liiffiSelf it*-and the; ./intrude* out; but he was only half-Way stress the room when the door was flung back, ,-' and the Goibite*s VilbttiV bee Jennica Hope, pallid, agitated ftlmdst to breathl«ssness, rushed in. „ "Bob!" she gasiieb 1 . ," Come !--Quick !~ Paolo is dying! For the love of heaven, Bob; come"at once and save his life! _ .P«etlmay'B burst of anger resolved itself into an irritable curiosity. . ... , . '"What is .WxOiif. With ydur htisbaitu? he inquired. "What has happened? Why do you tern® to me?" - -... ' ~,,,.,. Impulsively dehhica outstretched her arms. . "In the name of pity< ddti't Stop to ask tjiiescidiiSj" She Pleaded. : "It is ft matter of life or death. Padld has been stabbed in the back; His, life blood is draining from hi? poor* helpless bod v. Bob, as yoit once loved me-!" . . " Where is lie!" . -.■-.- "At mv utotlier's." ,'..•;; : ... "Then why did j'Oil tome.here? There arc* fifty msdical men nearer.", / A Spasrri Of libtrbr, tiriifftd With sympathy tit the plight of the .Wretched Woihaii) thus faced -With seme sinister disaster within, a feW hour* bf her marriage ceremohyj seiKcd Upon Bedmay's nerves ; btit he ruthlessly flouted it. . 4 i,4 . It was not fait that.Jeritiica should appeal to him. to mend the hurts of the man who had robbed him of his life'3,lov& lit the name of everything reasonable " she Should have abjieded td title. Of the hiittietdtiMlotitOM' iiVitii* between Steafie Square arid Mrs. Hopes flat iii VMtribf OirdetiSj Vic'tofift. ■:.•'• Why did you cbnte to me?" lie reputed. " Because there is need of secrecy. Beefttise I khOW that, thbiigh I have wronged «hd; hurt ydm I can still rely upon you. Bob, I implore i As yfiu once. loved me* cohie! There is a brougham outside. ' ~ :/-■ "I '.-'•. don't -: like th» /elenient of. secrecy,' obstinately returned BMinay. ;"Who stabbed vbur husbttrid?' , 4 ■: -, ~; "A ntenibef of oho of the iiidst powerful and s;ectet socialistld societies lb Ebrbp% to Which he belongs;" _ ' ( "Theti lie is a triitor;' . "Kd, nd. It is all for love of trie. I learnt the fact&-:fi*brii Paolo—drily just now; I"_isJje glafieed fearfully round the rodm and reduced her voice to a tense. whisper—-" too am a member. I joined .when, in Palermo. It Was my own folly. I would hot let Count .Vilotti rest until M Did divulged secret that ahbtila, llfeVer liiS spoken. Tli|h I was compelled' to' joih the society. Arid ho Wbmari membiit may marry Withbllt the consent 8f the cofiimiltee. ; Ih certain eases she may dnlv iiuirry the man chosen for he?, by the committee. So: when you asked die to be yout wife t Wrote for permission; Tne repiv was an absolute order to marry Count Vilotti within three months. Fool that I was, I trembled at the ccnsed,Ueiice.3 of refusal, arid obeyed.the dlctlliß. I had not ■been WBttfel'iOUr HbUts teft?t% I lefthit that the ofdeiv Was a' fraud, arid Cdunt. Vilotti the IdrgM-. He ld¥ei ttl©=—how passionately i date not new tecallf—and h# ddi-e/tl to for£& committee's drder. to Witt me from yotij Bdb; from ydit &nd—" . , //• "And th& v dagger thrust that struck him down?" v . . . . & "We Weird going* away. At \ lctoria. Sfcaiionj under cover•of the fdgf, an appointed agent revenged the society With aft awful blow. But the fog that sheltered the assassin permitted hie to Sttfttcll .Pa&ia away beibfe the efeeoba IMBW could fall, arid td take him Met td my motht*'!; Wh&fefiWhdfe he « dvlttf I Oh, don't hesittotf ftriothef second! If Paolo ihdUld die the Whole Wretched story must out, and— for" the sflM of a stricken maHj fof the ld>e. that you dtiee begged of me, and that I—God help nie!—that I Wbrild have given yoii 4 thousand . titneS— Witli my whole heart arid 66111 ana life 1— -fiob!—Come With me! COffiel-

'Pins ftifhfe Had thickindtt; Even the, ted lama fAilijd td f>i<?r6o the/ dhbkinf pall. The fog "bad SWepfe the, streets, leaving them deaf and dead., l 8 4-.. i . i:\ Bob Wis for going hot-foot to tile District Railway Station and so on to .Victoria, but ..tenniea would iidt be left ilbbe, aiid begged for the comparative privaeV of the btdiitfhahi. "We shall be there quite 89 sdoh,' she pleaded. . . ; - ; I Hef nerves We're limp. It WSiS dbvldus that her drearl of the VfeHigSaiice 6f, the ioeiet-f, whose terrible methbas she had so recently witnessed, held her in thrall. Indeed, it WaS pay tS Bee hbW Vilotti had terrorised hei 1 ; intd discarding the man she loved ih : favour '.:.; of himself—a fededdookihg,. fairspoken adventurer, born, to a titular distinction and i* i email, annuity. And jennica would inherit Wealth. ./• > , . Ycwing in brofessional. self-edUttblj. Bob lledmay could flit his mind lipbn the patient lid was going te sifeeeiir ts th&. exclusion of ' the : pale, heart-sick, ; ttenibliag woman who sat beside him. To have flUng his arras about her fttid febbthed her shivering senses with a: strong, bianly embrace Would have beeh a he&V&nly delight; but she wy tiife Oouateas Vilbtti and life a young doctor hftstenillg-—lf the brougham's stumbling frfawl that in pith a leg was a reekless flight, could be fed Jftterpfeted=4d the sneedus' of het? husband, a rogue and a scoundrel 1 « . ■ ■-:•-, \ * ■' -■■ " Cannot the man drive faster? : Oh, do tifgehim to go faster!" ftno pleaded, at the end of twenty minutes'torture, . - /Glad of the interruption, Redmatf; dropped a window to hurl a Word at the driver. He Was thrusting a head into the soupy fdg when a leng, plaintive heot stirred the muffled ' silence, and sent Bob book. into the biOugham; "Where did that noise come frem!" he demanded. . • ;: " From beneath us 1" declared Jeliniea. "It was the voice of a Steam tUg, Wo are .crossing the river i The fellow has missed his way Gbbd he&Vens! . It's 60 thick there isn't & lamp visible! Hi, driver 1" ha shouted, his heat protruding again, ''you've gone astrayl • We're erasing, the river! We're on some bridge I Don't you bear, you idiot? You're driving acroS* to the Surrey side. Stop '\<- Pull round 1 Wft : shall be lost he? yond all hope of reeoWerihg. Don't you know I'm a doctor hastening to reach my patient?" '. ♦* , ' , The vehicle rumbled on. He might have addressed a lamp-post for all the effect Of his remarks-—Unless, perchance, the driver's whip curled around the horse's legs, and | sent that blinded, startled animal plunging j helplessly forward towards the Surrey ride of the river, and ftway-»f«tther away .'than ! the wounded man in the flat at Ventnor Gardens? .: % . ■ : "Is your man. deaf he demanded of Jcnnica. "■. ■:''■■■ ■. .- f '-■ .- • -r "It's a hired brougham. I don t know the man, but ho certainly was not deaf when ■I Bpdko to him." . '.'. "'.''■•' "Then -he's drunk!" decided Bob. " We're in a pretty fix. Sit still, Jennica. Don't follow me, or Wo shall all lose one another." ■■■''■ . He sprang into the road, and, keeping one hand against the brougham, ran forward until he oOuld peer up to where the fogenveiop&d driver sat, lashing his fog-scared, plunging; horse to- the utmost speed of its daring. » ,/ .',.-•'." Stop, you scoundrel!" roared / Bob. "Don't you hear me, you drunken fool? Stop, or the first policeman who---" ' / The Whip's thong curled about Bob's shoulders, and bit a walo in hia left cheek. " You hound 1" he cried. "So you're more rogue than fool 1 You're determined to get across the bridge! You're—you— By George, but I > see your game! You're in league With, the > assassin 1 You're an agent of the society ! You'r© instructed that I must hot reach Ventnor Gardens in time to—" . , A cry of terror from the interior of the brougham sharpened Bob's wits and stayed his chattering tongue. - With ft blind dash he sprang forward, took a. venturesome grip of any part of the plunging animal that ohanee might direct to his hand, and ; grasped by great good luck the off rein near the bridle. */ "Whoa I"; he shouted, as he tugged at the rein; '. arid the frightened horse, all too ready, obeyed. ■■■■. "

/ The roads ; were soddened and ■• slippery, and the-halt was sudden. The animal slid, this brougham'e impetus did the rest. Down

upon his knee's sprawled the horse, and down j from the box leaped the driver, and, s »s ho ! muttered an Italian imprecation, ■ ho flung himself upon the unready doctor. • ■ , In stature he was shorter than Bob Redmay, but greater .•maturity had knit his; sinews. Moreover, wrestling had been his hobby, and before the finer-built doctor had quite' realised the-ferocity of the attack, the Italian had thrown him to the ground, and was Standing* over Him, yielding but slightly to the pressure of .tenhioa's small but resolute grip. , ■ , _ . "How dare you; hotly ;gasped Jennica. : "What :ic the meaning ;of this madness Are yen intoxicated, or— V* -.-» .-■ , The driver interrupted her. Italian. . _ "I .am not intoxicated, .countess. Mad I may be, vet never would l.wish to be more sane than I have been on /this, night. Ah! you recognise me 1" "■Signer Favata!" gasped/J6nnica. - ; .. "The same, countess. The'"Man who— attacked your husband." _ , , ' . , , : Jehhica voiced a low shriek. Bob leaped to his Wet, quivering with fury. • ■ ' " You scoundrel!" he hissed ■ between teeth that could not part ; because of the tension of anger; ."You dare,stand there and teli a lady—! You bloodthirsty miscreant! You minion of a murderous society that—"'.,- V : :■■.■'■/- :: ■ ■:v'y' '• ■/:',!>■'!■ i V&"PardOn," interrupted . Favata. ' I am rid agent of the society, signer. You ate' mistaken." . ■ . 4"" ~., -, "Then What is your position in this gruesome .business? How tlo you come Here iii the place of the- driver of this brougham?" "Because the Count Vilotti: has to die. ■ He was still living when,the countess ran out to fetch medical assistance, and I pursued lier to your dodr. To invite.the coachman of the brougham: into your- servants' quarters, .011 your invitation, .sigrior, that lie should take refreshment while I guarded his horse, and then to drive off -in the fog while the fe-lleW was still \ drinking* your health before the kitchen fire, was $ the simplest of thoughts. For the Count Vilotti must die'. Forty times have I warned him of the inevitable result Of persisting in marrying the signorina, and he laughed at and mocked me. I gave him his final chance this morning. On the way to > the church I pressed a note into his treacherous hand, but Hie warning was ■.unheeded. ._ When he signed the 'marriage register he signed his deathwarraiit. But It .was, at the bidding of no society. Hid society Kates, nothing for his" marriage, v liotti has [lira, from the first. Tlie initiation of the Signorina Hdpo was a farce. She is it member of ho secret society. Vilotti lieu and pretended; dteW the siglibrina within his web, then lied find lied again. It, is true,, though! myself only discovered the truth this "afternoon 1" „ . The horse lay in the road s between the. shafts, half ..hanging by the collar _ that was pulled taut to' its throat by the twisted harness, ..... '' ' , ■. ■ ■"■Bbbi" pleaded iteiihica. "We must get back at oboe. You ftiiist drive. I will help yoiipUt the horse bit his legs, arid—" "You shall hot go to the help of Count Yilotti this night!" rotted Frivata. "/'" V-/-"Won't we?" ehollerigad Bob. "I fancy that we will.; If you venture to interfere I'll fling you;into* the river! Do you heat, sir! Do you—? Hands off, you monster! I'm prepared for you this lime!" "It is you own doing, signer!" murmured the Italian as lie' bent Bob's body across his own as a strong man might essay to bend a bar of iron. "I have no quarrel With' you, but Count Vilotti; must die. There lies beneath the roses in Sicily, my home,- a fair woman, on© of nature's buds, my twin sister, .■■- yilistti broke her heart. He wooed her. . They became a pair of lovebirds, inseparable as, hitherto, had been my twin sister and myself. The Wedding-day was fixed. But my sister was not. wealthy, and a week before the great day Vilotti remembered the Signorina Hope, anil slipped from his native land with a. lie on his lips. Signor, the Favatas never yet forgave a foulwrong. A curse upon myself if it be proved that lam the first degenerate of.my race!" Bob had ceased to struggle. His ears told him that some thing or person was approachin!*, and, / gathering himself' for., an effort, While Jennica, horrified at the Italian story, strove gamely to preserve li» reeling consciousness, "ne gave voice suddenly to a Vigorous yell. "Help!"' The cry that in the ordinary course Would have swelled from end to end of the bridge, and quickened the steps of half a dozen policemen, fell de.id against the foggy pall, and the ahsfrer ; that came astonished everybody; .■.•■ v . •■■■• ,■■• o" ' , Crash! A heavy vehicle had driven lido the waiting brougham with such .force of impact and volley of language that Fav&t,% momentarily relaxed i his grin, and Bob sprang free '-and towards the debris of collided vehicles. '".'■■-, .v, "Help!" reared Bob. "Help me, you fellows V' :''■■•:';'".' Sighdr Fatata took three rapid step towards the pftth, stumbled over the kerbstone, felt for the parapet, paused. Bob and a burly . drayman were already searching the road, but the fog had led them astray. With a quick breath the .Italian crept aloiig the path,, then took to his heels alia ran like the wind, reached the Surrey Side Of the bridge, and dived into the friendly roads.. . ''The monster's flown !" cried Bob. ■"Then let its go back as. quickly as possible l" begged the shivering Jennica, They ttelit back on fodfe. But they Were too late by more than an hour. Count Vilotti had succumbed, as the doctor who attended him—and for whom Mrs. Hope had despatched a messenger immediately Jennica had left—had predated from the first to be inevitable.. '■* , And Bob and Jetimoa, hand in hand, boWed their heads id the wondrous ways of Providence. .''; '"y'-