THE NOVELIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2004, 21 July 1892, Page 37

THE NOVELIST.

I Now Fibst Published. | HE AND SHE. ♦ ■ A COLONIAL STOItY. By FABIAN BELL. Author of "Stella," " After Long Years," "The Letter in Cypher," &c, &c. Chapter IV. The Dark Horse.

'N due course Mrs Webster's overdraft at the bank was paid without any further demur. And whether the disputed cheques were really forgeries or not was known to two persons only. This payment was not managed without a considerable '13 Q f*fifi t\ A f\Y\ nlln€k fl Y"\Q ft". A a arl A

monetary sacrmce on Aline s pare, as sne had told Tom, her money was well invested on a first mortgage at 7 per cent. This had been effected at a time when money was scarce and heavy per centages were ruling. Every business man thought that if he had cash to work with, and take advantage of the markets, he could easily realise a fortune, and he was willing to pay highly for the accommodation, this demand had the usual result. When, however, she wanted to realise values had undergone a shrinkage, though nothing to compare with the disastrous depreciation of later jears ; and when the balance of her money was re-invested, she found her income reduced by nearly one-half. There had been a time when this would have been a source of great trouble to hei, but now it seemed to affect her very little. A change was slowly taking place in her nature, of which she herself was completely unconscious. She had known from the day of her marriage that Tom was a bad man, but the knowledge had never seemed to touch her very closely. Although he vote her husband the tie between them had never been really intimate. She had never idealized and worshipped him, she had never thought him better or wiser then other men, so that she did not experience the bitter disillusionizing which is the death-in-life of some women. She had not formed any great expectations, therefore she was not greatly disappointed ; at the same time she was disappointed both in his character and conduct, but it was in an impersonal kind of way as of something that did not greatly concern her. When, however, the manager of the bank said to her, " Most of the cheques were presented for payment by Mr Webster." She experienced a sudden and complete revulsion of feeling. Who was this man of whom he spoke with ill-concealed contempt ? her husband — flesh of her flesh — bone of her bone. The hot blood surged up in her face at the thought. For the first time sh^realised the indisputable fact, that though his sin might not be exactly her sin, yet his punishment would mest certainly be hers. That, as — " when one member of the body suffers all the others suffer with it," so, in the close bond o! marriage, one cannot be smitten with any disease, mental or physical, without infecting the other. When she first perceived this truth, the* effect was appalling. She seemed to stand on the brink of a precipice where one false step would precipitate her to destruction. The indissoluble union which had been so lightly entered upon struck her with horror. Surely it was not just to link two human beings together in such a manner, it was like the old barbarous punishment of chaining a living man to a corpse. Could it be right to join any two persons in such a bond?— strong as life itself. " Until death you do part." Five years before Dick Campbell had cogitated the same problem and in his despair prepared to give his life as the sacrifice. " Until death," then, " welcome death, and so an end." But Aline was made of different stuff, to her cat-like sensuous nature the thought of death was terrible ; and death, self-inflicted, would have been simply impossible. Through the long hours of that interminable day thoughts such as these surged through her brain with what result we already know, though how that result was obtained is not quite so easily traced. Tom Webster was her husband, and she could not now repudiate him. Having sown the wind she must reap the whirlwind. Say he bad committed forgery could she proceed against him or suffer any one else to do so ;

his bharne would be berii, his disgrace would I be hers ; there was no escape from this con- ! elusion. And though the crime had been committed agaiust her, it was none the less a crime which rendered him amenable to the laws of his country. And she must condone it, and not only condone it, but hide it and protect him from the consequences as much for her own sake as for his. Being a woma"n of common sense and social experience she recognised this fact in a moment, and acted upon it; even though, in a sudden flash of short-lived repentance, he bad refused to give the promise she asked. " Too late, too late," he said. And she dumbly acquiesced knowing certainly that if he had promised he would not have kept his word. Fal6e in everything be could not have been true in this, and she knew it. Though she had asked him for his promise as a. drowning man catshes at a straw. "Too late, too late," the words echoed throug'i the chambers of her brain. Living or dyh g his shame would still be hers, and from that position there was no escape Prudence, worldly wisdom alike pointed in one direction — " what was done could not be undone, she must make the best of it." So she paid the money, an 1 did not reproach him. " What would havo been the use ? " Easy, very easy, is the downward path. A body set rolling down the hill gathers impetus with every yard. So it was with him. Nevr r from that day wa3 there any perceptible pause in his downward career. While she, with infinite suffering, toiling always over thorns and stones, had begun at the same moment to climb upward towards the Light, for her dormant soul had begun to stir and flutter like a newly-fledged bird. She, who had never cared where he wont or what he did, but had held herself proudly aloof from his baser pursuits and amasaments, now began to watch over him anxiously as a mother watchos over her fiiatborn, striving to keep him in the paths of honour and honesty. To question where he had been and what he had done, and to beg him not to go here or there. Of cours3 he resented such espionage, as he called it, and told her " to go to the devil and leave him alone." " I shall get there soon enough, if you continue as you are doing," she would answer bitteily. And he would bid her " Hold her d d tongue, and not interfere with him." So he went downwards at a great pace, and there was none to help or to save, or rather he would not be helped or saved. They still kept up outward appearances for the unwritten laws of society demand such sacrifice, and no doubt it is wise to hide our sorrow and make the best of things " afore folk." The tale of the Spartan boy and the fox is one applicable for all time. Tom went to his office with fair regularity. Aline received her afternoon visitor?, dispensed tea and cake, and listened to a good deal of scandal, muoh as they had done before. And yet there was a difference. There is an indescribable look about a man who is losing his self-respect which is hard to put into words, but which makes itself felt nevertheless. He miy be just as careful with hie dress and in fulfilling all the requirements of society, no one may see or suspect his shortcomings, and yet the consciousness of sin is there, in the man's own mind ; and the reflex of that consciousness communicates itself to others. Alines life was a protracted terror. She feared ; she scarcely knew what. It did not seem likely that Tom's only crime 3to obtain money would be against her. Of course she knew that there were many men who rob their wives, and yet are fairly honest in their general dealing, solving their conscience with the aphorism, " What is hers is mine." It might be so in Tom's case, but 3omehow she doubted it. If he would rob her, he would rob others, and why not his employers 1 and then She lived in perpetual fear. When she heard a sudden, unexpected noise, when Tom was late returning from the office, she experienced a thrill of apprehension, a nameless terror, which she strove in vain to conquer. When he was away from her she knew no rest ; when he was with her, it was no batter. In the former case she was anxious about him concerning the mischief he might get into; in the latter she was troubled by an involuntary shrinking from him which she could not help, but which she was anxious that he should not see lest it should drive him even faster down hill. This fear had taken a, strong hold upon her. As the Soul in her woke to life, a sense of responsibility awoke also. No longer did she scornfully cry, "Am I my brothers' keeper ? " She knew that she was responsible to the limits of her nature. " That no man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." It was in vain that sh« told herself she could do nothing to keep him Btraight, that he would not listen to her, or be warned or guided by her in any way. She had an inner consciousness that, if she had loved him, she might have saved him ; and it troubled her to think that she could not love him, that his sin was always before her so that she could never really forget it, and tbat, however much she might pity, love was a thing impossible. Could this be the woman who had wantonly goaded Dick Campbell to his death 1 Who had declared that she hated the man whom she loved, and who would now have given a^l that 3he had to love the man whom she hated. Tom being a psrson of little observation detected nothing of all this, and was | supremely indifferent as t:> his wife's feelings towards him, so long as she did not openly show her aversion, and, after a little bullying, was willing to bay his forbearance from some grosser vices with her purse ; her love or hate was a matter of profound indifference' to him. The time might come when deserted by all the world he would cling desperately to her, as to his last hope in life ; but it had not come yet, and so long as he could enjoy his base pleasures, could drink and gamble with his friends, and find relief from the irksome propriety of his wife's presence in the Bociety of certain persons less ; scrupulous and exacting, Aline was quite at liberty to say what she liked and go where she pleased — perfect liberty, not to say license, being the chief item in Tom's creed, bat always with a mental reservation

to the effect that the liberty of others should not interfere with his own comfort or convenience. When Aline found that her income was diminished by one half, and shrewdly suspected that that half would not long remain intact, she proposed that they should take a cheaper house. Tom would not listen to the suggestion for a moment. " It would be ruin— simply ruin," he said. "How so? I don't see that at all. We could easily get a bouse large enough for us at half the rent, and then we need not entertain quite so much, and thus we could greatly reduce our expenses." " Rubbish," said Tom rudely. " You don't understand the position at all. Women never do. Save in some of your fallals and Bmart dresses if you like, but don't go into a pokey little house where no one will oare to visit us, and so advertise our poverty. It would bring all my duns upon me in a brace of shakes, and then where should I be ? In tho bankruptcy court — or perhaps a prison." She turned a little pale. " Tom," she said persuasively, " I wish you would tell me how much you owe 1 " " The deuce you do ? I can assure you tho knowledge would not be very edifying. Sorry I can't oblige ycu." " I don't believe you kuow yourself." " Perhaps I don'c. Well what then ? " "But you ought to kneyv." "Thank yon. I think I'd rather not. It leaves more scope to the imagination." " But we ought not to live beyond our income." " Ob, lor 1 ' he cried, throwing himself back upon his chair, and appealing to enjoy the joke immensely. " Did ever any one hear the like. Our income indeed I If we tried to live on that you'd find it pretty tight work I can assure you, my lady." " I could co it, though. If you'd only tell me." » " I shau'c then. That's flat. It is no concern of yours." " But it is my concern. I have to live on it as well as you, and I am not at all anxious to figure in the bankruptcy court if you are I believe in cutting onu's coat according to one's cloth." " Well, I don't. I believo in cutting it according to the latest fashion. And you'Jl find my way the best way. Make a poor face, and everyone thinks you're poor ; keep up a good appearance and everyone thinks you are well off." " I don't believe it," said Aline decidedly. " I hear a good deal of what is said about other people and their struggles to keen up app-arances, and it seems to me that they do not deceive anybody." Tom whistled. " That is all you know," he said roughly. " Let me tell you that if all the people in Danedin were obliged to live within their incomes there would be very few big parties." " Do you mean to say that and and are not solvent ? " He laughedTsignificantly. " Vow see I am not worse than other people. Bad as you think me." She was silenced for the time, but not convinoed. He continued in a somewhat more amiable tone. "Your retrenchment policy would not answer. Like the colony itself we must go on borrowing or we are lost." " I can't see the good of it." " Perhaps not ; but I can. You may trust me." Trust him ! A bitter sneer rose to her lip, but she restrained it. Further altercation would be worse than useless, the crash would csrtainly come before long, and in the meantime she might as well enjoy herself if she could. And bo strange and complex a thing is human nature, that there were many days and hours even at this time when she did thoroughly enjoy herself in spite of the Damoclean sword which she felt to be for ever hanging over her hea3. It was near tho time of the Spring races, and Tom had betted pretty heavily on the favourite, and more heavily still on an outsider, whose true merits were, ho believed, known only to himself and two others. 41 Don't go in too deep, my boy," remonstrated Jack White, who considered himself an authority on turf matters. " Those dark horses are risky customers. I don't think there is much in it. You'd better hedge a bit." " Not a penny. It is the straight tip this time and no mistake. And I stand to win a cool thou." "Andtolo3e?" "I can't lose, I tell you. One of the two must win." And they fell to discussing the odds, trainers' reports, and totalisator statistics, in a manner that would not perhaps be i interesting to tho general reader. The Cup day camp. Aline went with a gay party, and was attired in a mott I bewitching dres9, for she had not found it advisable to adopt Tom's suggestion, and economise in that way. She looked her best, and was greatly admired. The group around her included several of our leading citizens, who did not hesitate to risk a few pounds on the totalisator, thus setting a bad example to those younger and weaker than themselves, who may not perhaps be content with such moderate riskc, Tt)£ ladiea gut up a few sweepstakes among themselvo?, and enjoyed the excitement and spice of naughtiness immensely. "It makes it so real," they said, c> and there can't be any harm in it, for see— there goes the itev. Mr Blank, of St. 's." Some young girls from tho country, who had been strictly brought up, declined to take part in the sweep, but were soon laughed out of thoir scruples. "It i 3 not really betting, you know. It is no worse than a raffle or an art union, and we had lots of those at our chuich bazaar last week." " Yes, that's true," said one of the country girls, and very soon her flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and tightly-drawa breath, showed that she had taken her first lesson in that fatal passion. " Oh, Mr M., how delightful it is," as she pocketed her first winnings. "I never got so much money with so little trouble before. I shall certainly put into the next sweep." Which she did, and lost, and then tried again and again, hoping to retrieve her losses. It had been so easy to win the first stakes, and suoh a shame to lose afterward?, she could

not leave off. until she had won another; and the feverish excitement grew until it became almost unbearable, and the little hands rhook and trembled like tho hands of a drunkard. It was a sight at which cods and men might have wept, instead of which tho bystauders laughed, and called her " a little brick." Just before the great event of the day Tom stood by his wife's elbow. " Wish me luck, Aline," he said, with the curious superstition of the gambler. " Which is your horse, Tom ? " she asked carelessly. " L'lnconnue." " Why, that name is not entered here " " Never mind, it is a dark horse, and we call him by another name. It i& that bright bay with black points and one white ' stocking.' •'Oh, I see. I shall keep my eye on him, and I hope he may win." " Thank you," he said, with somßthing like real gratitude. " Keep your eye upon him. He has grand action. You have never seen a horse such as that oa the Forbury courtc before " " Is not ho rather long in tho body," she said, critically, a^ the beautiful creature was walked past them. " Not a bit for a racer, He's fit, I can Ml you " Look at his eyes, they have a strange look ; he seems sleepy and stupid, and as if he could hardly walk." "By jove! you're right. There is something wrong there." And Tom darted off to investigate matters, a sudden sharp iVar tugging at his heart strings. No one* but himself knew how heavily he had betted on this dark horse that he thought so sure to wiu, and if for any reason it should be beaten he knew that he dare not face the comequences. He hastily followed to the saddling paddock ; but now he could see nothing wrong with the horse— the dullness of the ejo must have been all imagination, or it had already passed off. He stoed near while the weighing and saddling went forward, and exchanged a few words with the jockey All was right the man declared; tho horse had never been in better condition. Completely reassured, Tom returned to the course. He could see Aline at a distance, the centre of a gr,.up of lively younr people who were getting up a sweep for the Cup and urging her to join, which B he resolutely refused to do. "Why? You did last year, why not now ? " " Oh, I have seen the error of my ways," shu said, lightly, but it was one of the many true words spoken in jest. She felPthat sho ftould not reasonably object to his gambling if sho did the same herself. She was not however, prepared to dofend her chance of opinion by a loud voiced crusade, and so took refuge in a jeat. The race began. Tue elite took their places in the grand stand ; the rest of the onlookers crowded to the ropes, and strained their eyes to follow the flying steeds. At first all was a kind of orderly confusion, the men and horses were in a ruck, and no prominent places were taken, After a time four horses began to draw away from the others ; one was the favourite, one was the bright bay which Tom had called L'lnconnue, but which was entered by another name, and the third was an iron grey that no ono thought anything of, who was ridden by a local I jockey and had not half a dozen backers; the fourth had always been supposed to have an excellent chanco for tho second place. As these — in the order given —drew away from the fie."d, the excitement became great. Ladies stood on tiptoe and ' ruthlessly elbowed each other, and strong men pushed and swore and seemsd half mad. The excit-jment was intense. Gradually tho bay horae drew up to tho favourite and thay were nearly neck and neck, They seemed about equal, but the knowing one 3 declared that the favourite was doing all he knew, and that he could not keep up the pace, while the jockey on L'lnconnuo kept him woll in hand, and ho appeared quite fre3h and capable. The iron grey having done his best fell back into the ruck and was seen no more, and the fourth horse took third place. " The favourite wins." ; " No, the bay— three cheers for the bay." These and such like cries burst from the i excited crowd. Suddenly, no one saw exactly how it happened and the jockeyg themselves scarcely understood it, tke bay horse stumbled and j fell, throwing hit rider against the fence, the i favourite swerved and lost his stride, and the third horse shot past them both and was at the winning po3t. It was all over. The hopes and fears of months in five minutes' wild excitement. The people broke up into groups and began to talk over the event. The many who had lost, tried to control any outward sign of disappointment ; the few who had won were extremely jabilaut. Fsw had any feeling to spare for the bay horse who staggered to his feet and was led, all trembling and cowed and bathed with sweat, to his stable ; or for the jockey who had narrowly escaped a broken head, and who looked nearly as much confused and upset as his mount. Tom elbowed his way to the jockey. " Curse you," he cried beljw his breath. "It was a planned thing. I saw it all. You have sold me to the Philistines." " Mr Websttr, I sv/ear to you that I have not. I did my best, and the horse is just as good as he can be. He missed his footing i and fell in a heap. I oould not held him up. It was a near shave for me too ; my head's precious bad, I can tell you." ; "■ Who cares for you or your head," muttered Tom savagely as he turned away. When Aline saw the bay horse fall she felfe as if cold water were suddenly poured down her back, a dimness passed over her sight, and she sank back in her seat. From what Tom had said she knew that much hung on the issue of this event, and now that it was decided against him she did not know of what folly or madness he might be capable. &he desired to go to him, feeling that her presence would act as a check, and perhaps Save him from himself, but in the excitement and confusion he had disappeareJ, and she did not see him again before she left the course. It bad been arranged that she should dine

with some friends and afterwards accompany them to the theatre, but she excused herself on the plea of feeling ill, and when they noticed her pale face and agitated manner this excuse was willingly accepted, and she herself overpowered with inquiries and suggestions. " Oh," she said, smiling faintly, " it is nothing of any consequence. lam tired and overdone, that v all, and I want a good rest." " Well, be sure you get it, then. Where is Mr Webster ? " " Oh, he will go home by himself. I daresay I shall find him there when I get back," she answered with assumed indifference. And even as she spoke, so strong a feeling of coming evil overpowered her, that she could scarcely restrain her emotion. Of course Tom was not at home, and as they had not been expected no dinner was prepared. Aline took tea in her own room, and having exchanged her elegant costume for a white dressing gown lay down on the sofa to rest. The hours crept on, but she did not go to bed. Although her body was tired her brain seemed to be unuEually active, and it would not permit her a moment's oblivion. A desperate fear and prescience of evil took possession ot her. Where was Tom 7 What was he doing ? She could not rest, but began to pace the room softly from end to end. The anxiety was overwhelming, she felt as if she must go out into the streets to look for him. On that other night when Dick Campbell had died at her bidding she had slept, but now she could not sleep. A nameless fear oppressed her. Where was Tom 1 what was'he doing. And again, why should she trouble herself about him. True, he was her husband, but it was a vicious bond which united them, he did not love her, nor she him, and yet — because of that vow which she bad carelessly taken, and because in some sense his life had been given into her hands, she felt that she could not desert her trust. That feeling of responsibility, which was the first effort of her waking soul, assumed larger proportions ; and besides that", a pity which was Divine, because it was impersonal, awoke to life in her hard selfish heart. She could not understand it at all. " Why should I care," she said to herself, "he is nothing to me." Yet she knew that she couli not help caring, that she could not go back mentally any more than she could go back physically to the standpoint of the past. Very few people understand the workings of their own nature, and she was no exception to - the rule, yet she felt dimly conscious of some change, and wondered as to its cause. She was not accustomed to sit up for her husband when he was late. The two were perfectly independent one of the other, and as often as not he passed the night in his dressing room, and did not enter her apartment at all. Bat to-night she could not go to bed. The hours crept on. She heard the servants move quietly about, arranging and tidying, and preparing for the morning. Letty came to know whether she could do anything, and whether they should go to bed. "By all means," said Aline, "I want nothing. Mr Webster has his key." Then the noise died away into silence, and save for the rattle of an occasional cab all was so still that she could hear the beat of the waves on the St. Clair beach, and the drowsy drum of a belated moth or " a fly i' the pane." Then just as the day was dawning she heard a halting hesitating footstep come along the street, nearer and nearer it came ; with an exaggerated effort at quietness a key was put into the door, it opened and closed again very softly, so softly that for a moment she thought her senses must have deceived her, but no, there was the footstep again inside the house, but this time with a muffled sound as if the new comer had removed bis boots. She thought to herself "he is late, and does not wish to disturb me." But such consideration on Tom's part was anusual, and argued that something was greatly amiss. She listened with quickening senses hearing every movement. How he went into the dining room and stayed there for a few moments, the faint clink of glasses revealing his occupation, then into his dressing room, closing the door softly. But he did not go to bed; generally when be earae homo late he would undress hastily and be snoring in ten minutes. Not so on this occasion, he kept moving about, opening and shutting drawers, and pushing the furniture about. What could he be doing 1 Then there was a lull. She listened intently. Had he gone to bed ? The iron bedstead gave a little " click " when he got into it, and it had not done that yet. Then she distinguished a faint scratching sound, as of a pen upon paper. He was writing. This was strangest of all, for like most •men Tom hated the manual labour of correspondence, and never wrote a letter if he -could help it. Now he is moving about the room again. Surely that is his portmanteau •which he has just pnlled out from under the •bed. Ah 1 she knows now what he is doing. 'Packing. \ The dawn was now quite strong, she could see every object in the room with perfect distinctness, and the light of the lamp waxed sickly and faint before it. The town clock chimed the hour. She held her breath to listen. Five. Then in a flash she remembered having seen in the paper that a steamer would leave the Port that morning at 7 o'clock, to connect with the Frisco service, " Passengers by the 6 15 train." She did not hesitate a moment longer, but crossing the passage turned the handle of his door and entered. Tom was on his knees, an open portmanteau before him, his back towaids her. He did not hear her entrance. She glided round and commanded a view of his face. The clear light of dawn revealed the haggard lines and bloodshot eyes ; bis dress was in confusion ; his shirt soiled and stained, as if he had boen fighting ; and his whole appearance shabby and unkempt — as unlike as possible to his usual trim exterior. A3 her shadow fell upon him he looked up. A great terror crept over his face. " Aline I " he faltered . " What are you doing, Tom ? " " Nothing. Just — just — arranging my things a little," and he hastily closed his portmanteau, which was about half full.

" No," she said quietly, " that is not what you are doing, You are going away — running away." " Well, what if I am ? " he said defiantly, in something more like his usual manner. " I can't stay here— l am ruined. If I wait till settling day I shall be posted as a defaulter. That d — d business to-day has done the job. Of course the horse was hocussed. Some one got at him or his trainer. I wish I could get at him, whoever he was," he added with savage energy. " I'd make him smart for it. It is jusb like my infernal luck — everything that I touch goes wrong. Horses and men, it is all the same. It is of no use standing there and looking at me like that, Aline. The game is played out and I'm off." "You had better stop and meet your creditors like a man." " Like a fool, rather," he said sullenly, reopening the portmaneau and pushing in two or three more articles. " Tom, you must not go." " What is that you say 1 " and he started to his feet and confronted her. " You must not go. Call a meeting of your creditors and pay them so much in the pound. I will help you." " You 1 " " Yes. You shall have all my money if necessary. But perhaps we can save a little. I thought once that I ought not to give it you— that Dick would not have wished it ; but I have changed my mine). The money would be no good to me if my husband were in hiding, a disgraced criminal Remember your shame is mine ; your dishonour i» mine ; I cannot escape from it." He looked at her for a moment speechless, her proposition having taken him so completely by surprise. " Yes," she continued. " Take it; Tom. Pay everyone so far as it will go. I know that debts of honour — so "called — must be paid in full. And perhaps there are others — things that you would not like me to know about. Well pay them, pay all, and let us go to another place, and start life again. Poor but free. " Would you do that." " Certainly 1 would." "Wbatl leave Dunedin and all your friends, your good position— everything for me." " Yes." " And the conditions ? " " I make none. But porhapa in another place, when you were removed from temptation, you would do better." "My God ! you are an angel 1 " he cried, falling on his knees and hiding his face against the bed. bhe laid her hand on his shoulder. " Will you do as I say ? " 11 How can I ? — you make me feel a perfect brute." She smiled a little, and the sun just risen caught her golden hair, like the aureole round the head of some saint. He was fairly dazzled, confused, carried off bis head. " I am not worlb it," he said, looking up. And she knew in her heart that he spoke the truth. "Better let me go, and leave you free. People will soon forget it all, or only pity you, and you can live your own life." " No," she said quietly. "It shall be as I say." (To be continued.)