Chapter V.

Otago Witness, Issue 1866, 26 August 1887, Page 30

Chapter V.

The Fates Against Him.

•One evening, worn out. and dispirited, after a briefer and more cheerless visit from the Doctor than usual, M;iydu, sat alone in the' old oak parlour. i>Yau Biber lay in a lethargic stale, Lr.mi which she might wake either to life or death. Oppressed by a trouble which she could hardly herself fathom Magd.i for the first time gave way, and, hiding her face in her hands, sobbed with despairing energy.

• Suddenly Louis was kneeling beside her, gently pressing her aching head against his breast. No word was spoken, but Magda felt that the nexc moment would decide her destiny. A rebellious desire to be happy in spite of everything and everybody filled her heart, and impelled her to lift her face to his — who knows with what intention ?

Decidedly Louis' star was not in the ascendant that night. ' A quick patter of steps overhead caused both to spring to their feet. No mistaking the sound of Aunt Bettina's high -heeled shoes.

Forgetting all save her responsibility as nurse, Magda rushed quickly up-stairs, to find Bettina with folded arms gazing fixedly on the bed and its unconscious occupant. With much difficulty and precaution she was drawn softly away, and then Magda could not refrain from reproaches. , " Tut ! tut 1 child," cried Bettina impatiently, "no harm is done. I heard of her illness, and could not remain in uncertainty. Be comforted — she will soon recover; but" (and here she lowered her voice to an awestruck whisper) " there was a corpse upon the bed!"

. Now Louis had often heard Bettina's infirmity jested upon in the village, and he was, moreover, just then very sore at her inopportune interruption. It was therefore with half-angry, half-mocking tones that he repeatad : " A corpse, really ! Not one of us, I hope ? " , Magda would have prevented the words, if possible, for Bettina was now thoroughly roused She spoke quickly, and like one who wishes to impress on her hearers the certainty of some impending catastrophe — all the while fixing her dark eyes on Louis' face.

, " It was a little, dark old man, all bruised and covered with mud, wearing -a foreign kind of dress. I have known someone like him somewhere — perhaps in the old days. He was lying there, with his t white hair and dark skin, all , crushed and bleeding, and I shall know him whenever and wherever I see his face again ! " . 'There was an evident effort to repress something further which struggled for utterance, and thsn Bettina abruptly left the room.

An awkward silence ensued.

Louis by this time sufficiently regretted his ill-timed hastiness, and Magda's face, in spite pf her professed Jnpredu.lity, wore an unwputed pallor, The spell of love was broken for that night, and, descending the hill, Louis bitterly bemoaned his unhappy fate. Nothing at first could ha ye appeared more propitious for his suit, and then this crack-brained spinster must needs come between and spoil all. And delay was so dangerous !