A SENSATIONAL CASE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10417, 20 July 1895, Page 3

A SENSATIONAL CASE.

By FLOEENOE WABDESI, AUTfIOK OP "A WITCII OF THE HjLLS," "Ralph Ryder op Bkent," "A Passagb Tueouqh Bohemia," "The House on the Marsh," &c. ■ "...

ALL EIGHTS RESERVED.

SYNOPSIS OV PERVIOUS CHAPTERS.

Chapters I and ll.—At the Liverpool Autumn Assizes, a distinguished prisoner named Linley Dax .is being tried for murder and arson. The court ia crowded with fashionable notables, and amongst them is a good-looking, -well-dressed woman, the prisoner's wife. Harrington Moseley,. a Jewish money-lender, watches the case, and takes an interest in both prisoner and his wife. Dax is acquitted, and he and his wife are driven away, the execrations of the crowd following Mra Dax, whom they, in their bliud jumping at conclusions, accuse of the murder. '

Chapters 111 and IV.—Linley Dax and his wife drive away together. At the request of Mr Moseley, the Jewish money-lander, they agree to occupy a house of his at Wimbledon.

Cjiawers V and Vl.—Netelka, or Mrs Hilliaid—the name her husband lias adopted—discovers from. a ueighbour, Mrs Collingham, that the house at Wimbledon has the reputation of being a gambling hell, and from Miss Collingham, Jemima as she is called, she learns that she is in love with a Mr Waller, a rich gentlrman who< is in the hands of a gambling clique who used to attend the house.

Chapters VII am> VllL—Netelka soon discovers that hnr house is intended to be converted into a gambling saloon. A number of friends of her husband's come down, including Gerrard Waller. On their appearance she discovers that a baccarat table is prepar-d and she protests that she will not allow gambling in the houi-e. Her husband orders her bock to the drawing room and pushes her. Waller threatens that if he speaks to her again like thai he will knock him down.

CHAPTER JX.-MR BIOSELEY'S GRATITUDE. Netelka, completely unhinged by the Ecene she bad gone through in tb^ dining room, ran upstairs to her own room, and, throwing herself upon the sofa which stood at the foot of the bed before the fire, sat, without tears, in an agony o£ dull despair. She was fall of faults, this woman whom Linley Dax had married for her beautyand the charm of her abundant vitality. Passionate, vain, extravagant, easily cowed yet, easily led, she was not strong enough to act upon all the good impulses of her heart, and above all to be the helpmeet of such a man as her husband. TPot she could neither conceal her misgivings about him nor ignore them; or, rather, she could follow neither of these courses consistently. At one moment, she • would be sincerely affectionate,\ refusing to believe any of her own fears; at another, she would let her doubts look-through her eyes. Now with Linley thi? coaduct was' fatal: he hardly knew whether he was the more irritated by her unquestioning, demon-, -strative affection, or by the opea'suspicion which was its' only alternative. She was now suffering from a fit of suspicion, the moat pfofonnd she had yet known. Judging her husband, woman-like, rather by his treatment of her than by any more rational standard, his brutal rudeness-to her before the other men seemed a-more:con-clusive proof of the suspicious nature of his connection with Harrington Moseley than any o£ his other actions. The young wife felt as if her heart was broken. She was losing, in spite of herself, both hnr love for/her husband'and her hold upon his heart.' And the ' one person to whom she had turned in her dispair, instead of holdiag out arms of welcome, had thrown her back upon herself witha calm recommendation to do her duty!, Duty I Theword was a mockery. Would even Aunt Mary tell her that it was her duty to obey her husband when he demanded that she should preside over a gambling hell ? The small party assembled this evening was only the tbin end of the wedge,.Netelka felt sure. She asked herself what she ought to do, and could find no answer. She was not a specially aolf-reliant woman, but had always, until now, had some adviser at hand ' to whom she could appeal in a difficulty. Two yea'rs,before, her mother had been alive; and since then, until now, she had had Aunt -Mary. Bat now Lady Kenslow seemed unaccountably to have failed her, and she was indeed alone. - Suddenly- she started up, alarmed by a knpek at her door. It was only the house- ■ maid, with a request from Mr Moseley that -Mrs Hilliard would be kind enough to see "htm.for a few'iriinutes. ' Ne'feika walked across .the room to her glass. Sbe saw a pale, almost?! haggard face, out of which a pair of hungry black'eyes stared' at her curiously.s She snatched up a handkerchief and rubbed her white cheekß until the .friction brought .back some of the hue of life to them. Sbe then went downstairs. In the hall, reclining against the oaken balustrade, stood Mr Moseley. The light from the coloured lantern above him fell upon him, making a grotesque pattern upon his white shirt-front. Netelka thought that his face, with its long hooked nose, looked like a hideous gargoyle. ' She was quite sure of it as soon as ho Broiled. "Ah, Mrs Hilliard," he exclaimed with effusive 'amiability, throwing away his . cigarette as Boon as she was within a few steps of him, " this is kind. I do hope I have not disturbed yon. You look tired. I am rery' angry with Linley, very angry," he went on in the same breath. Netelka could not bear this man, and commiseration from him seemed to her an insult. She answered coldly: "He was right; my husband was quite right; I have no business to interfere with the amusements of your guests, Mr Moseley." "My guests 1 Oh, no. Not mine. You and Linley are my tenants," he answered, hastily. " I ,am only here as a guest, like the rest. - If I thought yon looked upon me as anything else; I would not come here at ail." Netelka scarcely repressed a contemptuous smile.

"Very well, Mr Hoseley. We will say my guests, if you like. I have no right to interfere with, the amusements of my husband's guests, who are mine also. If I disapprove of them, my only course i 3 to go away." Then she saw that the Jew's face could wear an expression ranch uglier than his smile. , . " You would go away—turn your husband out of his home 1" Netelka shrugged her shoulders. "He hasn't shown much appreciation of the home as yet. He has been here four days in three weeks !" " That was not his fault. You know that, Mrs Hilliard. He ha 3 had bnßiness to attend to ia town—with the insurance companies for one thing. Bat we need not argue about that. Ask him whether he wisheß you to co away."

ifce words were a menace, Netelka knew, i Before she oouU make any reply, however. Mr Moscle/s tone suddenly chaDged, and i became almost servile in its obsequiousness • "Now, my dear Mrs Hilliard, why are we talking as if we were on the verge of a quarrel, when what I wanted to see you for was to thank you very heartily for having jast got me out of a most unpleasant position ?' . Netelka could not forbear a glance of astonishment as he went on • '■It was that young Waller who insisted on playing baccarat to-night. I could easily have dissuaded the other two lads, but WaUer is pigheaded, and is not got over so easily. If you hadn't put your foot down he would never have lefc the card table until some time on Monday morning. You see I know him." ; "Then you might have known better than to bring him down hers," retorted Netelka quickly. . •■ > " That was Linley's doing- it was, I give you my word. , He took a fancy to the young i fellow and invited him down, and then the Invitation to Waller's two chums followed as a matter of course. That's the whole story I knew what woald happen, but I could do nothing. I hadn't even time to warn you But if I'd only known what a courageous Btaad you would make I should have°done my best to get Linley to invite Waller down here before to-day." Perhaps Netelka looked rather incredulous. At any rate, Mr Mosaley weat on with more emphasis than bafora : " I toll you I should have done my best to'get Waller to come down here before," he repeated, gently moving his hand to catch the effect of the lamplight on his diamond ring. " I must tell- you that I am greatly interested in him in more way 3 than ons. Now he is ruining himself by bis passion for gambling, and nobody has yet bean able to check him in it. He is losing hia health besides his money over the card table. You can see for yourself that he looks as if he was ia consumption already. A few more years of the same pace would finish him. If yoa can keep him away from the cards—and 2?m stira that a lady of your fascinations can do so if she chooses—why, yoail be the gyration of him, body and soul."

Natelka listened attentively.: She'I.was' rather touched by Mr Mcreeley'e story, but at the same time she doubted whether he was disinterested enough for her to-believe his statements implicitly." Heseemed iaearnest csrtainly, but she was too sceptical to answer him in the same tonß. " You should.get his friends, his relations, to look affcar him," she said, father shortly. "You can scarcely have brought him down hero in the expectation that I should do so." • Mr Moseley was not quite sure whether be had offended, her or not. At any rate, he feU that extreme humility was his bast plan. "Don't be angry, pray.- ■ Don't let mo turn you against the poor fellow. I. thought you would like to knew that you might use your feminine influence for good upon a fellow creature, that was all. If I have seemed obtrusive or presumptuous, I bsg you to i forgive me and to forgat what I have said!" > He took a step back, with an obsequious bow, as if unwilling to detain her any longer. But after a iittla hesitation Netelka detaiaed ■ him by a gesture. | " I want to ask you a question, Mr I Moseley." i He had rushed to her sida with grnat ' niinbleness, and was leering at her affiec- > tionately over the banisters. *• A thousand if you like., To obey you is an honour. Mis Billiard." i " I won't teat your patienca so far. I have ' heard of the reputation this house had eighteen months ago, Mr Moseloy. "'ls jfc to have the same again ?" For just the third part of a second Mr Moseley looked as if in a better light ho ' might have blushed. Then he said, serenely: j " My dear Mrs Hilliard, it was just to avoid j such a danger that I asked you' and your | husband to do ma tba favour to stay here. : That is the truth, I give you my word. I j was glad, very glad, to oe able to oblige him, j mind, by offering, him a. homo when he did not know where to go. But I won't deny that I had that other selfish motive. You see a house without a lady in it is not a home. Now, I'm a bachelor, and I have no intention of marrying. I fiud that all the nicest ladies," and he looked at her with an expression which was meant to be very eloquent, " are married already. When I used to come down here, ~ therefore, it was always just a bachelor party, and there was no one to keep the boyr, in order, so they gofa little out or hand. Don't you see? Your presence has changed all that. The refining influence of your sex " ' Netelka took up his speech, and finished it for him. " Did not prevent your servant from putting out' the baccarat table in the drawing' room,?'she said drily. "He will know better another time," retnrned Mr Moseley imperturbably. /" Of course, if you really mean what you say, since my husband is satisfied for us to stay here, I am ready to remain with him," said Netelka, slowly and thoughtfully, and I makiDg no pretence of being grateful to Mr ! Moseley's hospitality. " Bat I tell you frankly i that if your friends want to Ecake this a ' gamiDg. house, or if Licley's friends do, for that matter, I shall go back to town and Btay ■ with my own relations." j Ilarrington Moseley listened in an attitnde ; of deeply respectful attention. Bat Netelka : could not help thinking that he bent his I head so very low, not out of pure civility, I but with the wish to hide from her the malicious smile on his face. "When she finished speaking there was a flight pause, during which he kept his head still bane as if waiting for further speech on ! her part. At lsst ho said : ' ! " You are very suspicious, Mrs Hilliardi I I see. But you will soon see that you do me, I and your husband too, the cruellest in- [ justice." ' ■ j " I hope so," said Netolka curtly, as she turned and went upstairs again. 5 She heard no voices in the drawing i room, and she was afraid that if -she |

went straight into the apartment Harrington Moseley would follow her, and that ■ ghe1 would have to endure his society for an indefinite time. But 'as soon as she "reached the top of the staircase she began to wonder what had become of the rest of the party; whether they had yet left the dining room, and if so where they had gone to. She had heard Moseley return to the dining room ; go, knowing herself to be now safe from a further tete-a-tete with him, aha went down the stairs again, and stole very softly into the drawing room. The baccarat table had been removed. She stood still, staring at the place it had occupied,"with doubtin her eyes. ; Where was the table now? Where were the cards 1 ' Aa she,asked hsraelf these questions, and aa thoughts of the scene in. the dining room and of her still more recent talk wirh Harrington Moseley crowded into her mind,.an overwhelming sense of her ntter powerlessness, of the ease with which they could laugh at her little outbursts of pretended authority and go their own way in spite of ncr, rushed into her mind. She drew a long qnivering sigh; her lips began to tremble, and crossing the room quickly to a low" chair that stood beside a revolving bookcase, she laid her head uncomfortably down upon it ana began to cry. CHAPTER X.~ A "WOLF IN SHEEFS CLOTHING. " Oh, don't, don't. "Now leavo off, leave off at once, I say. I should never have thought it of yon, and you a queen too. For shame, for shame." Netelka started violently, and instead of looking round at the disturber of her peace turned her head hastilyaway from him, and began to dry her eyes hastily on the flimsiest noihiog of a pocket handkerchief, a piece of finest cambric four inches square with an imposing border of old Mechlin. She knew that the voice was Gerard Waller's, and her first thought was meanly to escape from him. But there was a kindly tone of warm humanity in the words, and au indescribably comforting cheeriness in the voice, which made her .pause. She was awkward in her confusion, for it is undoubtedly confusing to be caught, not red-handad, but red-eyed; and the flimsiest of pockethandkerchiefs slipped ont of her fingers and fell on the floor. She put down her hand to pick it up, but Gerard was too quick for her. He was down on his knees in a moment, and before her fingers touched the carpet he had snatched up the pocket handkerchief, and was regarding it with bewilderment and admiration. Netelka held her other hand over her eyes; but she. peeped through her fingers, and could watch him at her ■■ease "Do you often cry 1" asked he, still on his knees. "No. Why?" .':■.,' ■;. "Because, if you do, you ought to provide youraeif with some thicker pocket handkerchiefs," said Gerard, gravely.. "I don't believe you'va shed more than two tears— there's always so much more fuss than real cry aboiit a woman's crying,— and yet this handkerchief—i£ you call it a handkerchief is wet through." Netelka put out her hand. " WelJ, at any rate you can give it me back." Gerard walked away on his kneea until he was about a foot further.from her. Then he sat back on his heels atid went on gravely with his lecture. " I think," said he, very deliberately, "that I will keep the handkerchief for the present as a pledge for your good behaviour."" " Bali- yon have no righfcito; it's mine." "How do I know;that?" asked Gerard, solemnly. "I've only yoor word for it; and I've not known you long enough to be able to estimate tho exact value to be attached to your assertions. Mind, I'm not saying- you are telling an untruth; far from. it. I merely; say that I have no proof of the contrary." "Whose do you think it is, if it's not mine ?" asked Netelka, rather amused. " That also I am not in a position to determine. Ooa thing I'll swear, though," he went on more cheerfully, as he held tba pocket handkerchief up to the light, "that it isn'c a man's. No member of my sex would be so insane as to use a pocket handercbief with so many holes in it." " Holes in it! Where ?" " All over the edge." " Those are not holes. They are in the pattern of the lace." " They are boles all fcbe sama. Just look at the situation you place yourself in by having such a ridiculous thing for a pockethandkerchief. If you wanted to cry any mere you would have to borrow mine— almost a stranger's./ Fancy that!" " Bat I'm not going to cry any more," said Netdka. - "Then why don't you take your band away from ycur face 1 I know you were not cryiag. You've been watchiDg me through your fiugersi, to see that I didn't hurt the pocket-handkerchief by breathing on it too hard. But why pretend? It's no use, I've given you all the sympathy I bad to spare, and bow I've used'it all up. I aay again, why pretend ?" " I'm not pretending. I'm keeping my hand np because my eyes are red."

Garard chuckled. " I knew that," said he softly. "If I were a fellow who paid compliments, Jf I were Major CoUingham nozt door there, or anyona ■but my own manly and honest self, in fact, I might bo tempted to remark that you could afford to be seen even with your eyes red. Boi never mind. I promise faithfully to turn ray head away, while you go over to the glass and sea if you're all right." Bat Neteika eat up, uncovered her eyes, and turned to>faco him with an expressioain which there was a little digaifled astonishment at his presumption. . "Do you know," Bhe said, "that you are taking a very great Jibeity in talking to me lifcethi3?" • Gerard's face changed, and he got up quickly from his kne©3. "I hbpa you don't mean that—really 2" said he. There was a moment's silence, and he went on: "I don't think you do. Bat if so, then I can only beg your pardon, and— and taka myself off." . Hs backed a few steps on his way to the door, and Netelka looked up. If there was ia her mind one lingering doubt as to the sort of reply she should make to hiss, this gjaace deoided her. \ y. ' . She'saw" a baardleos young face, not a handsome' one cortaialy, but atfxactiva beyond measure to eyes able to read the indications given there; of the mind within. Gerard's light blue eyes were shrewd as well as Mncliy, aad the expression in them as he waited for the lady's aaswer was one of pity mingled with respsct, Netelka■ shivered, .and turned her head sharply away. Then, as she heard him take another step towards the door, she raised her hand to detain him, . "That's a threat, .1 suppose," said she, trying: to keep up the light krae of their previous talk. : , Bat there was an unmistakable tremor in her voice,- Gerard came back again. "Ne," said he, with affected gravity. "I'm not so conceited as jou; think. lean conceive the possibility of your finding me an insufferable 'nuisance, I assure you." Netelka. looked at him frankly, and laughed. . . ' ■■~ "Well, I can't." ; Hs heaved" a preposterous sigh of relief. "That' 3 all right." . '•■■'•- Netelka got up, and crossed the room to a great square looking1 glass which filled an immense space of the wall opposite to one of the latticed windows. ■ V You seeyoa were right after all. It is really no disgrace to be found ont by a person of ao much penetration. lam going to see how I look" Gerard watched her from the middle of the room with great interest, as,she rearranged the hair on her forehead with a few deft touches and unfastened a diamond crescent, brooch in the front of her dress to replace it more eSoctively. - "That does look better,";said he, reflectively, with his head on ''one side. " I thought it was just right before, but it is decidedly better soi Here is your fan. You dropped it near the door when you came in." He took it out of one of his pockets as he spoke. Netelka looked at the fan and then at him, with a blush. ' " Were you in the room then when I came in, watching me 1 " I must confess that I was." Netelka frowned a little. "What did I do? I don't like to be watched when I think I'm alone." "" Of course not Nobody does. Nobody's consciecce is clear enough. I will show you what you did; I will copy you exactly. You stand there, in that window recess, just np^the one step, and peep through the cartain. That's what I did. I hava no sense of honour. I watch and I listen there's anything interesting to see or to hear; so I wain you to be on the look-out. Now, are you ready ?" ' ■ ' ' '

i "Quite," said >Nefcelka, taking her place -, behind the curtain. | _ Gerard went out of the room, and returned iin a moment, entering the room with a ; tragedy stride, and an expression of ] exaggerated anxiety. He stopped short ■ just where Netelka had stopped, dropped the j fan, clasped his hands, and looked up at the I ceiling. Netelka came forward, shaking her I head. . j"I didn't do that," she said decidedly, j "You have road in book 3 that women do that, i bat they don't, you know." _ " Well, the action is expressive, if conventional; and I didn't Bee my way to getting enough intensity of expression into my face to make the clasped hands and the upturned eyes unnecessary. Netelka suddenly grew serious. " Yorfought not to laugh however ridiculous I looked," she said gravely. " For what I felt was on your account more than on anyj body else's." j Gerard raised his eyebrows, looked on the j ground, and gave a lir.vle mocking bow. j " You're very kind, I am sure," said he. j "Ah," sighed Netelka, as she seated heri self on a low settee and looked at the fire, " it is I who am insufferable now.'/ Gerard did not immediately reply. When he did it was to murmur in a conventional Jtone, " Not at all, I assure you." "It is I," went on Netelka, "who am taking a liberty now." " Are you ? I shouldn't have found it out jby myself." j Already there was a little constraint in his j tone, as if he knew what was in her heart to < say to him, and resented her interference in j advance. Netelka suddenly turned upon i him a very different loofe from any that he I bad yet seen in her eyes. It was a pleading, < earnest expression, almost passionate in its i intensity. " But you will find it out if you stay here jso much as a minute longer. For I shall i take a real liberty, a great liberty. I want |to lecture you; I want to preach to you ; I want to make you ashamed of yourself. Now you are warned. And you needn't stay unless you like. ■■■> For a few moments Gerald looked as if he would not stay. He glanced at the door, with a very definite expression of defiance on his mouth. Then he. glanced again at the lady, and changed his mind. He began by heaving a deep sigh. " I'll stay," said he, " and I'll listen. But that's as far as I will undertake to go, and I hope you will consider 'that is enough of a concession. Not only will 1 not promise to give up anything I like, but I promise to start with that I won't give up." Neteika sighed in her turn, but cheerfully • for if the woman who hesitates is lost' surely the man who liEtens is lost too. ' " Sit there," said Netelka, indicating a chair at a short distance. But Gerard began to be refractory at once "No," said he. "I don't like that chair] It's a woman's ohair, made for showing off a ladj's dresa. I shouldn't look at all graceful in it. You would never get me to repent while I sat in a ohair like that." " Choose your own chair, then." Gerard went all round the room, ilowly, sitting down on all the chairs ia succession* throwing back his head and settling his arms' :in each, as if determined to find one which should be perfectly comfortable in all respects. " Never saw such a lot of chairs," ha murmured, despondently, in the course of his tour. "This one's a nice height, but tha back's too short. And this one," aa he tried the next, " would be perfect if it only had arms." ; He wanted to tiro out Netelka's patience, to make her laugh, and to restore the conversation to the lavel of frivolity ha preferred. ~ Bat she tired him out. Sitting quietly on the settee, with her eyes fixed upon ths fire, she would not turn her head to notice his antics, but waited tranquilly until he stood before her once mars. " I ■ think. I'll esttle upon this," he sai«3 as he dragged forward a little light Algerian seat, made of. two cross pieces of wood with a »kin slung between, " because it looks so jolly uncomfortable. Even if what you say to me shouldn't make me feel sorry, I think I can manage to look sorry if I sit on this long enough." Again the humorous blue eyes sought hers, but found no answering expression of amusement in Neteika'a blaok ones. On the contrary, when she smiled, it was with a look of infinite sadness. " I don't want to make you sorry," said she. "To begin with, I don't know whether you have anything to be sorry for. But I want to persuade you to give ud baccarat." " why 1" " Bseanse it's a thing that can do no Rood to anybody, and that may do a great deal of harm." " To me in particular ?" " Ye- -es, I think so." " Again—why ? " Net6lka looked rather taken aback. She had spoken upon an impulse, a not inesplic- ■, able impulse; but she was not prepared with j a aetailed explanation of her motives. She opened her tan, and shut it again. ' R n^» Cf np~"l" she began > and stopped. Suddenly Gerard came to her aid. She found

The nature of the new departure is concisely but plainly set forth in the following memorandum which has just reached me: "Mr Henry Reynolds has arranged to open an auction mart for the sale of colonial produce. He is convinced that the publicity of an open market is the only guarantee that producers will secure highest ruling prices, also the only true test of value. In this movement he has secured the hearty approval and co-operation of most of the importing financial institutions. He leaves by the next San Francisco mail for. New Zealand, and will explain to .exporters personally the intended working of the system."

At a meeting of the Colonial Institute Mr Hotson, of Melbourne, read an able and instructive paper on " Australian Stock, Pasture, and British Consumers." Among tha New Zealandets present were—Sir George Bowen, Messrs E. M. Nelson, H. Reynolds, G. Beetham, T. Russell, C. Pharazya, C. R. Valentine, H. Steele, and H. M. Paul. The paper set forth in concise and concrete form a great deal, of information on the subjects treated, but offered no novel facts or views. In the discussion which followed Messrs H. Reynolds and C. Pharaayn took part. In the course of his speech Mr Beynoldß said: —" lam satisfied that with our climate, which gives us pasture for the whole year nearly, we can compete successfully and put butter on the market cheaper than the Danes and Swedeß' possibly can. It is a well-known fact that in Sweden and Denmark the farmers have a great struggle to make ends meet. They hope it is merely a matter of Eqaeezing out the colonists at present rates, but the reverse will be tha fact, for the colonists are in a position to supply miik at a much lower rate thau the Danes and Swedes."

Mr Pharazyn gave rather a discouraging account of colonial meat shops in England. He said when he went anywhera in the different districts of EDgland and saw frozen colonial meat he. noticed, almost without exception, a dirty, disreputable shop, and there was sure to be some nasty stale meat hanging by, which gave the impression that it was all inferior sort of ctufE.

That is not a good way of advertising New Zealand meat. With meat especi»lly it is essential to make it look nice and fittractivolcoking, and they ought to have nice, tidylooking butchers to deal with it. Here Mr Pharazyn thought there was a great opening, which he proceeded to set forth as follows:— " Women hm seeking employment every whsre. Why should not a number of women turn butchers — nic?, tidy-looking women, who would cut up the meat and make the shop attractive ? It is woman's natural sphere. She cuts up the meat in tha kitchen. I am quite, ufitisfied that if I had to advise an enterprising young wortimi who had £50 whst to do with ir, I should tell her to start a little shop and buy a sew sheep, make the placo losk smart, handle the meat nicely, and she would be sure to do well."

It appears now to be definitely agreed among the London representatives of the New Zealand

now is bringing 23s to 25a 3d per cwt. for finest, best beef being worth 21s 6d to 22s 6d. Hides are active and advancing, the improvement being fully fd per lb. Preserved meats are in good request, the tendency being in sellers' favour. Stocks are relatively light, and it is expected that the market will continue firmer for some little time. Rabbits are in particularly short supply, and are much asked for.

The latest news with' regard to wool continues to be of a somewhat unsatisfactory character. The partial recovery in prices that took nlaco during the late salts was not maintained to the close, except in the case of the coarser lustrous wools. Here there was, if anything, slight improvement, but all other classes suffered a decline. There was, however, at the end, a general steadying of prices owing to the active operation on the part of. German buyers. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. Mr G. Eiiot Elliot, of Dunedin, is at present on a visit to London. " The Colonial Bankof Now Zealand, which it was proposed some time ago to amalgamate with the Bank of New Zealand, appears," says the Westminster Gazette, "to occupy a strong position, jadging by the balance sheet to February 28, which has jugt been issued. Apart from the Government securities, &c, amounting to £170,407, the bank appeara to hold cash or its equivalents to the sum of £1,160,354-, assuming, of course, that the term l Remittances in transitu anfl awaiting maturity' includes only sums that will naturally turn into cash at early dates, being almost as liquid iv fact as the money lent in London at call." Shall we ever hear the last of the old New Zealaud Loan and Mercantile scandal and those persons concerned in it ? Attention wascalled in the House of Commons yesterday to the question of Sir George Russell's pension. Sir.Georgo Ru*seH, is seems, finds the question so difficult that he is going to leave its solution in the hands of the Lord Chancellor. Yet the Westminster Gazette thinks that to most people it seems simplicity itself. The fasts as stated by the Wesfcmiss&ter Gazette are as follows :— " He retired from a County Gourtjudgeship on a life peosion of £1000 a-year upon a certificate of the then Lord Chancellor (the late Lord Selbome) that hs was afflicted with ' a permanent infirmity disubliug him from tbe due execution of his office.' This 'infirmity ' turned out, however, not to be permanent or disabling after all. He was quite well enough to content the Wokiogham division the same year, and alao to attend to the director s duties of a number of public companies, includiug the notorioua New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, and the chairmanship of tbe South-eastern railway! If Sir George Rusßell is ' permanently disabled,' why has be drawn pay from all these directorates ? If he has earned his pa.y from them, why is he drawing a pension for disablement ? Tha only evidence in support of his disablement that we can fiud is that he should bs unable to solve

sentsd on the Privy Council they will have to pay for it themselves. The Times regards this ks an unworthy and parsimonious msthed of desliug with' so important a reform in our Imperisljudicial procedure. ■ ■ .

For a long time past the New Zealand local musical examinations, under the auspices of Trinity College, London, have, proved a very valuable aid in the development of musical study in the colony.. A further new departure has now been decided upon, and the Trinity College authorities' wSI send to New Zealand this'year a special examiner, who will conduct examinations in the chief colonial centres in practical music, pianoforte, organ, snd violin playibg, and in sold sinking. Certificates of proficiency will be awarded by the college to those who pass satisfactorily. The examinations will be held privately, only the examiner and can^ didate' being present. A celebrated obucoh musician has undertaken the duties of examiner—namely, Miles B. Foster, the eminent organist arid composer, whose beautiful setting as an anthem' of Cowper's poem, " Oh, for a closer walk, with God," has long en joyed widespread popularity in New Zealand.

At the lecet bsld by the Prince of Wales last Monday on behalf of the Queen, Mr Ward was presented ,to his Royal Tfighuess by Lord Ripon, Secretary of State for the Colonies.

At the meeting of the Council of' the Royal Imperial Instituta, held last Tuesday,' Kr George Jameson .and Mr G. E. Eliott, both o£ New Zealand, wers elected fellows of the institute.

Much surprise and a good deal of dissatisfaction was expressed in tha City at the apparent determination of the New Zealand Government to fight matters out to the bitter end with the New Zealand Midlaud Railway Company. Apparently the co'dapse of the proposed arbitration and the subsequent seemingly high-handed action on the, part of the Government have created, ' pendiog explanation, a distinctly unfavourable impression in London.

— Lack of physical exercise has a tendency to roaka sthool children short-sighted. Epps's Cocoa.—Grateful and Comfokting.— "By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected Cocoa, Mr Epps has provided for our breakfast and supper a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctor's bills."—Civil Service Gazette.— Made simply with boiling water or milk. Sold only in ilb packets, by Grocers &nd Storekeepers labelled—'" James Epps & Co., Homoeopathic Chemißts, London, England." —At a Babflocish wedding ceremony tbe piriest took a thread from the garment of the bride and another from the garment of the bridegroom and tied them into a knot, which he gave to tho bride. This is probably the origin of the modern saying about tjing the knot in regard to marriage.

.'. Perfection has bsan attained in the manufacture of Ascot tobacco.

Then was it not possible, although this was the prsmier education district in the colony, if they adopted the scheme proposed, that it. would breed -dissatisfaction amongst the ablest of their staff, and that what happened in Victoria when this very scheme was introduced might happen here.

ESr Cohen : What happened ? ' Mr Fbases .- They lost some of their ablest teachers. . .

Mr Cohen : You got them because you offered fehera higher salaries.

Mr Ebasek : If we block our best men at a certain stage, and every other provincial district opened their doors to them, we will lose them, and oar staff will, suffer in consequence. Tbat is another possibility in connection with the scheme. Then it appears to me, too, that we may make, a mistake if we remove too much responsibility from committees. He proceeded to say that if this scheme was adopted that the duties of committees would simply consist of looking after the sweeping out of schools and such duties. Mr Cohen : That is as much as they have got to do now. . . . •

Mr Fkaßer went on to say that he would rather widen the duties of committees than contrast them, because he thought if greater responsibility -was cast upon committees the probability was that better men would be elected. Then the question was, Do we or do we not; work an injustice to the present staff by this scheme ? In a matter of this kind he was receptiva. He read what appeared in the papers and he listened to what he was told.

Mr Cokest :By whom are you told ? That is the question.

Mr Phased said he was speaking from a first assistant point of view. They said they were very unjustly treated. The great ohjection to Mr Cohen's scheme was to make a cast iron classification.

Mr Cohen: Classification cannot be cast iron.

Mr Peases said the difference between an able first assistant in a city school and a bead teacher was practically ml, and it was by no means an uncommon thing to find that tise whole sclioiil depsnded upon tbe first assistant, and that he carried on duties that a head master could not discharge., Mr Cohen: State the'school where you know it, and I will give you an answer to the matter quickly.

Mr Fhaske said they all knew it. Kr Cohen observod that they should let tfce public know it, then.

Mr Fjbasise asked how long »go wss it that they filled a most responsible position in the board's eervioo by placing a first assistant in it. His memory served him in two cases—in the case of Me While, and in the case of a teacher at the Kaikoiai School. Mr Fraser, after quoting a number of objections to tha scheme proposed from a first assistant"s point of viowr, wmt on to bay that he did uoi know wbat to do in connection with the matter, and he did not know what-to suggest). He felt that fee

classification shoulflbs a national classification ; and he thought that wss really the whola difficulty in connection with the tnattar. There should be one classification throughout the colony. If the board led the way they might be bled to death in the process. He could not sea what the end of the scheme would be. IS would be an excellent scheme for 2000 schools^ bat an unworkable scheme with only 200. He did not wish to be ungracious, bus ha dared not, and would not, accept th.B responsibility of voting for. the scheme as it stood; bat in any fcveat he shonld insist upon the amendment that Mr Borrie suggested. If Mr Cohen and Mr Habeas could only be brought in contaeo over the matter the Eelieine might be made a colonial one. He should move as ona amendment the deletion cf clause 32. '

After some further discussion, it was.decided to consider the clauses of the scheme seriatim. In regulation 2 BSr Cohen proposed to give a pupil teacher to all schools from 101 to 150 instead of-110-to 150, saying that only one salary of soeh ta&oker woiHd be involved at present, while it would bring our staffing of sqbools in line with Wellington and North Canterbury. But it was pointed out, on the ether hend, that there would shortly ba more schools brought within that group, and the extra cost might swallow up proßsnt savings. The proposal was negatived on the voices, and the regulation passed as printed. Regulations 3 to 9 inclusive were passed as printed. In regulation 10 tne words " working average" were inserted. In regulation 15 Sue salsrr of the rector of a district high school was fixed, at £350, and No. 10 of Mr MacGregor's regulations adopted. There was a long discussion on the clause which set 3up a selection committee, and Sir Cohen's re*ulatioa rejected in favour of that proposed by Mr MacGregor, which makes the committee consist of the chairman aad two othar members of the board, who are to take the advice of the inspectors. Regaiation27 of Mr Cohen's scheme was accdrdiQgly sfcrunk out. Mr Cohen moved to substitute regulation 15 of Mr MaoGregor's (which defines the-manner in which committees Bhall"be consulted ":) for .his own 23. Regulation 29 was sdtered.by the addition of the words " but possess the necessary qualification," and the teale of minimum qualification (regulation 34-) had added to it El m Class IV and E3 in CJass 111. Anew regulation (36) was addedia these terms: " Only teachers holding the minimum qualification for Class 111 shall be eligible for theposition of head master in a school where'a pupil teacher is employed." Regulation 37 was altered to read that only the holders of'Dl certificates, granted up to July 1888, should got the benefit of exemption. All the other regulations of Mr Cohen's passed unamended materially. There was a long discussion over regulation 32, for the deletion of which Messrs Borrie, M'Kerrow. and Fraser voted, while the chairman 'supported its retention, Mr Cohen refraining from voting in compliance with h;s promise to pair, with Mr MacGregor. He, however, claimed to have with him the votes of- two of the Wellington members, because Mr Mackenzie was anxious to see the proposal modified, and therefore could not be said to be wholly, opposed to it. Mr Borrie said' he did not think that that was the understanding come to at last meeting! Members must be in their places to record their votes. The Chairman supported, Mr Cohen's view that the members away in Wellington were to have an opportunity of considering Mr Cohen's criticism of the alternate scheme; and intimate to tha board which scheme they , would support,. and: that their votes would ba reckoned as if .recorded here. If, however, .there was not anything approaching a reasonable agreement by the board on either scheme, the whole matter should be hung up until the return of the three members from. Wellington. ,There was some prospect of a deadlock at this stage, but after some discussion it was agreed to adopt Mr Cohen's scheme as now amended, on the understanding that his regulations 25 and 32 should be open for further review at a full meeting of the board. .The scale of salary in Mr Cohen's scheme, was also adopted, except that the salary of headteachers in the 76-110 grade was reduced t0.£200 and in the 111-150 grade reduced:to £^10. ' - - .