Brownebrook.

Otago Witness, Issue 1189, 12 September 1874, Page 19

Brownebrook.

A STORY OF COLONIAL LIFE.*

Chapter V.

I had risen from my seat at the close of the foregoing conversation, and was about to step out of the recess, on my way back to the house, when John laid his hand on my arm. '" A minute longer," said' he ;

*C«pyr%ht Ql tbfo Stoiy ia rtserveO,

" I have still something to tell you, something with which I have to reproach myself, and about which I feel rather uneasy. Miss Wyle, who, as you know, is my mother's reader and factotum, and upon whose appearance you made some rather severe remarks at breakfast time, has been pleased to show . me by her manner, that — that she has a high opinion of nle, and I am afraid that I have encouraged this good opinion of hers, by showing her more attention, and talking to her rather of tener than I might have done. She has been here with us for nearly six months, and during the long winter evenings (while Emmeline was in London), when there was really nothing for a fellow to do but to read and smoke alternately, I used to go nearly every evening into my mother's sitting-room, and 1 either got into conversation with Miss Wyle as she sat at work, or smoked my cigar on the balcony while she played the piano ; but you may be sure the old lady never saw or suspected anything of a tender kind on Miss Wyle's part. She was too clever for that, bhe is really very clever ; talks remarkably well, and plays beautifully. We got on capitally together, and in time, I did not think so much about her ugliness as I used to do at first, whenever 1 looked at her. Indeed I should never have thought about her looks, she made herself so agreeable, were it not for an occasional gleam of the devil from these little eyes of hers, and whioh Bometim.es made her appear perfectly diabolical. I know you will think me terribly conceited, but I must out with it— l am sure she cares for me— l wish she didn't—and I think she suspects the state of matters between me and Mary. After Mary came, our friendship gradually languished — I fear that was my doing too ; but how was a fellow to help it 'I— and for the last six weeks or so, we have hardly exchanged a word with each other. But if she doesn't speak, she can look, and I must say that 1 don't like her looks."

" Howdreadfullyfoolish !" I exclaimed, unconsciously raising my voice. "How could you be so imprudent ? How could you even speak to that woman with any show of interest? You, who are so immeasurably her superior in everything ! Her very look is repulsive ; and to me she is the embodiment of a mysterious aversion, which seized hold of me from the moment I saw her. Depend upon it, I am not wrong, when I say that, for the sake of the gratification of a passing moment, you have made an enemy of this woman, who possesses a furious and jealous temper. In your thoughtlessness you have trifled with her feelings, and if she can, she will be revenged upon you. If, as you say, she suspects your engagement with Mary Raynor-—-"Hush," said John quickly, in alow but vehement tone ; "I am sure some one went past just now." I heard nothing, but I am almost certain 1 saw a flitting shadow through the branches.

"Let us standperfectlystill. If any one has passed, we must hear a rustling through the paths— they are all so narrow here."

We stood breathless, and listened. Not a sound in our vicinity disturbed the stillness, excepting the soft breeze which played amongst the leaves with the faintest possible motion, and in the far off distance the harsh discordant cry of a peacock, which broke at intervals somewhat startlingly upon our ears. John bent forward, and, parting the branches, looked all round in every direction. Not a thing was to be seen. " It could only have been, the shadow of some bird flying past," said I ; "had it been any person, we must have seen or heard some movement amongst the shrubs. At any rate, I must now go into the house ; we have been here longer than I imagined. It is just two o'clock by my watch, and there goes the luncheon bell ; poor old Tansy will wonder what has become of us. But before we part, John dear, I must enjoin you to be on your guard against that woman Wyle. If possible, avoid speaking to her at all ; and do not let her see anything in your manner towards Mary Raynor which would tend to rouse her jealous spirit. Emmeline's marriage will, you know, take place next week ; and when it is over, and I return to Dalesbury, I shall take Mary Raynor with me. She shall be well cared for at Dalesbury, and perhaps, in time, things may turn out better than I anticipate." Hardly were the words out of my mouth, when the spreading branches in front of us were torn violently aside, and Agnes Wyle, her face deadly pale, and her small eyes glaring with fury, stood before us. A sardonic smile curled her lips, and she addressed me thus :—: —

" I thank you, Lady Dale, for your good opinion of me ; and, " turning to John, with alow bow, "I am also very much obliged to you, Mr. John Lane Talbot, for the condescending notice you took of me some little time ago ; I ought to feel humbly grateful for any attentions bestowed upon mo by a gentleman of such exalted tastes, and of course I ought not to feel in the least hurt or angry now that he spurns me as a creature not fit to look' upon by the side of that yellow-haired chit, Miss Mary Raynor ; but "—with sudden fury, and raising her clenched hand — " I will be even with you yet ! I have been even with you all along ! Not once have you and your piece of perfection wandered through these paths together, without my knowing it and watching you ! Not a turn or winding in these mazes that I have not mastered for my own purposes ; and not a word have you and your lady sister spoken to each other to-day that I have not heard. She was quite right when she

said that you had trifled with my feelings, and that, if I could, I would be revenged, Take care of your beauty !"

With these words, uttered with all the rapidity of rage, and with a scornful laugh, she released her hold of the branches, and was gone before we could recover from the shock of surprise her sudden appearance had given us. John would have darted after her, but I clung to him with all my mi^ht.

" No, no," 1 cried ; " all you could say would only make matters worse ; leave her alone ; do not breathe a word of her insolence to any one, and before many days are over we shall be beyond its reaoh !"

I trembled with agitation from head to foot ; and, with Jolin's arm round me, we emerged from the shady recess, and stood in the centre of the Round Walk, and in the bright sunlight. John's face was dark with anger.

" What a demon that woman is !" said he ; " and what a depth of hatred in those eyes of hers ! I believe she would have struck me, if she could !"

His anger gradually faded, and, laughing, he added—

"Never mind her, Laura; she may threaten as she likes ; she can't do anything. That is a capital plan of yours for taking Mary away with you when you go back to Dalesbury ; it is the beat thing possible, darling, and so truly kind." He stooped and kissed me, and then we both walked in silence towards the house.

We approaohed by a long winding path, which brought us out at the west side, and exactly opposite a door which gave admittance, by a small staircase on the left hand, to the rooms occupied by Mrs. Tansy, the housekeeper ; while on the right, a long passage, with several windows in it, led to the kitchen and other servants' apartments. No vehicle could be driven close up to the back of the house, any near approach being prevented by a large stone-paved courtyard which stretched along its whole length, and which was surrounded by high iron railings, pierced only by a narrow gate. Consequently, the side door was much used by the Landbourne tradesmen and others in delivering their parcels at the house ; and when we emerged, therefore, from the shrubbery at this point, and saw a spring-cart with a jaded-looking horse standing there, neither of us felt any surprise, such an arrival being an almost every-day occurrence. It was only on coming nearer that I recognised the tall, lanky youth with the round, chubby red face, who stood by the side of the cart, and who threw alternate glances between us and the open door, from whence he evidently expected some one to appear. "Why, that is Sam Green, "I exclaimed. "He has come, I suppose, to see his sisters ; but dear me, how he must have driven that poor horse ; it looks ready to drop. What a shame, Sam, to gallop the poor creature as you have been doing,— he will not be able to take you back again at the same rate."

Sam touched his oap. "He will have to do it, my lady. My father is very ill, not expected to live; and I was sent to fetch Kate and Betsy as soon as they could come — that is, if Mrs. Talbot will allow them, my lady ; but if they don't come quiok, they may be too late."

The boy's lips quivered as he jerked the words out, and his eyes rol ed about in every direction, but never looked at us ; he was doing all he could, poor lad, to keep down his tears.

"I am very sorry to hear that," said John, "but your father's illness mu3fc have been very sudden ; it was only yesterday that I exchanged a good-day with him as I rode past his farm-yard, and then he seemed quite hearty." ' "'Tis an accident," said the boy, his face getting quite pale, and his eyes dilating ; "he was caught in some of the new machinery up at the mill this morning, and terribly hurt ; the doctor says he may get over it, but father thinks not himself. He is very wishful to see the girls " with another glance at the door. " They shall go directly," I said, and I entered by the side door, meeting Catherine Green, the elder of the two sisters, at the end of the long passage. "Oh, Catherine, there you are — get ready immediately to go with your brother, I need not tell you how very sorry 1 am. Catherine, but it may not be so bad, and your brother says the doctor has hopes ? Where is Betsy 1 " She's in the pantry, crying, my lady," said poor Catherine, the expression and colour of her usually big, round, rosy face quite changed by the sudden trouble, while she wrung her hands in grief and perplexity. " Oh, my lady, we ought to g6, and yet I don't see how we can go ; Mrs. Talbot away from home, and so much to think of, and see after just now, of all times !"

1 l Never mind that, " I said, " I will explain everything to mamma when she returns, and you must both go to your father at once ; to-morrow, perhaps, if he is better, one of you may be able to return; but in the meantime we shall manage quite nicely without you. Send Mrs. Tansy to me in the dining-room, and let your brother feed the horse, and get something for himself, while you are making ready." In another half hour, and while John and I were sitting at luncheon, the springcart and the jaded horse, driven by Sam Green, and conveying the sisters to their father's sick-bed, passed quickly down the avenue, and was soon lost to our view.

Thus was raised the hand of fate, destined swiftly to sweep aside every obstacle which might intervene betw the

wretched woman and her too, too fatal opportunity !

(To be continued,)