THE DRIFT OF FATE.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2159, 11 July 1895, Page 39

THE DRIFT OF FATE.

By DORA RUSSELL,

Authorof "A Country Sweetheart," "Theßioken Seal," " His Will and Hers," " Hidden in My Heart," "On Golden Hinges," &c, Ac.

[All Rights Reserved.]

Chapter XXXV. The Sick Friend. R MacVITIB was sitting the next morning in his bandsome, well-furnished- office about 12 o'clock with a feeling of decided irritation in his mind. He had received a letter by the early post from his rich client, Mr Montgomery, of Ardschurn, which

he considered unjustifiable. In this letter Mr Montgomery had blamed his lawyer for his " supinenees " in not having yet traced bis (Mr Montgomery's) wife. Now MaoVitie felt this to be nnfair. He had gone up to London purposelj about the matter ; he had written to Mr SetoD, of Northesk, to try to cajole Major Seton's address from him ; and be had employed private inquiry offices to discover Mrs Montgomery's present habitation, and if he had failed it was from no fault of his. Still MacVitie felt that he could not afford to quarrel with Mr Montgomery. " He's an ill-tempered old brute," thought the lawyer, looking again at the open letter dated from Ardschurn lying on his writiDg table ; " and no one can wonder at that poor girl for giviDg him the slip. For my part, I sincerely pity her if. he ever finds her — but all the same, of course, we must try to do so." His reflections on the subject were, however, speedily interrupted. A clerk came into the office with a lady's card in his hand, and presented it to Mr MacVitie. " A lady is downstairs, eir, and wishes to see you," he said; " A lady 1 " repeated Mr MacVitie, raising his double eye glasses and reading tho name. "Mrs Fanshawe. What sort of a lany is she, Patterson ? " " She seems a youngish sort of lady, sir," replied Patterson, his yellow, rather blotched complezion colouring slightly. " Show her up at once," said MacVitie, for he was by no means averse to " youngish sort of ladies." Presently there was a rustle of silk outside the door, and then Patterson opened it. "Tho lady, sir," he said, and Mrs FflQ-

shawe, in a black silk costume trimmed with sable, entered, looking so fair and handsome the- while that MacVitie's breath nearly failed him. • He rose hastily, he bowed profoundly, and handed Mrs Fansbawe a chair. " Pray be seated, madam," he said. Mrs Fanhhawe sank languidly down on the chair offered to her, and fixed her large blue eyes as she did so on the eager little lawyer's face. Never before, Mr MioVitie frequently afterwards told himself, had he seen anyone so lovely as his present visitor. Her style was exactly to his taste. He was a widower, but his late wife had not been to his taste. He had, in fact, married prudently the only daughter of the head of the firm when he was then but a junior partner. Janet MacGu-U was thin, angular, and hardfeatured. But Janet brought her husband money, and when the bead of the firm died M&cVitie took his place. But MacVitie had never admired Mrs Mac Vi tie. ' His secret aspirations after female loveliness were not fulfilled, whatever bi-j pocket might be. But he had made | the best of it,.and Mrs MacVitie died believing that she bad had an excellent husband. .And this was true in a way. Bat all the same MacVitie had privately oherished bia ideals, and now one of them at least seemed to be realised before him. •• You are Mr MacVitie, I believe 1 " began Mrs Fanshawe, still with her blue eyes fixed on the lawyer's face. "Yes, madam, I am, at your servicequite at your service." " I have oslled on a very delicate affair, Mr MacVitie." ! " We are accustomed to delicate affaire, madam," replied Mr MacVitie with a delightful smile— "quite accustomed to them," he added, rubbing his brown hands together with glee. " I am Mrs Fanshawe " "So I see, madam, by your card. Well, Mrs Fftnshawe, all I can say is that if you j entrust any case to my hands my bsst abilitiep, my very best abilities will be bestowed on it." "It is a strange business that I wish to consult you about. SDOoe little while ago I was staying with a friend in the north of Northumbeiland — with Mrs Fenwicke, of Lilbank, in fact — and while I was with her we visited a certain Mr Saton, of Northe&k Hall." "Of Northesk Hall?" repeated MacVitie eagerly. "I have a strong reason to be interested at present in the family of Mr Seton, of Northesk Hall." " I am coming to that 'presently, and then you will understand why I came to consult yon to-diy. While, as I waa telling yon, I was with Mrs Fenwicke, we weut to Northesk Hall, and thero I saw a young lady called Miss Frater, who was companion to Miss Olive Seton " "My dear lady!" cried MacVitie with effusion, "if you can tell me what has become of Miss Fraser, as she called herself , I am in a position to offer you almost anything ; any remuneration for your information that you may require. " I do not want any remuneration," replied Mrs Fanshawe, casting down her white eyelids ; "my poor hußband left me well off. He was one of the judges of the Supreme Court at Calcutta." MacVitie gasped for breath. " This beautiful creature the widow of one of the judgeß of ths Supreme Court at Calcutta I " he was thinking. Ha did a little mental calculation at efais moment. He knew the income of Indian judges by repute ; levely as he had thought Mrs Fanshawe before, he thought her ten times lovelier now I "My dear madam — Mrs Fanshawe — of course not," he said eagerly. "Of course, to a lady of your position I—lI — I could offsr nothing except my deepest gratitude, which I wculd endeavour to show in — any "way most acceptable to you.-" Mrs Fanshawe smiled sweetly. "We ceed not talk of any such thing at present," she said ; " but let me go on with my story. After I left Northumberland, where I saw this Miss Fraser, I went abroad. When I was abroad I got a letter from my friend Mrs Fenwicke, and in this letter she told me the news of Miss Fraser's disappearance from Northesk. She wrote that tbhs young lady had been giving ovidencs in the courthouse at Oldcastle on some poacher's case, I think it was, and that while giving evidence she had been recognised by a Scottish lawyer there named MacVitie, who bad been present at her marriage. Is this true ? " " True, every word of it, my dear lady I I am the Scottish lawyer MacVifcie ; I waa | present at her marriage to Mr Montgomery, of Ardschurn ; I prepared and witnessed the transfer of the mortgage deed" on Gartb, her father's property, immediately after the marriage. lam the man 1 I know the whole story ; and here is a letter I had from her husband this very morning blaming me for not finding her yet. I suppose you know she ran away from him oa her wedding day 1 " 11 Yes, I heard that also." " And if you can give me a trace — even a trace, my dear madam— of this young lady's whereabouts, you will earn my eternal gratitude ! Have you seen her ? Do tell me anything you know." " Well, this story interested me, Mr MacVitie. For one thing I suppose this poor girl had probably married — well, aB I did, a man much older than herself. My poor husband was old 4 enough to be my father, indeed. Bub why speak of this? At all events I was interested, and one day, on my return from abroad, I was visiting an old Indian friend, and I am almost certain — nay, I am quite certain — I saw this Miss Fraser again. She was acting as governess to mj friend's ohildren, and I am almost sure it is the same girl." " And the name of your friend, my dear Mrs Fanshawe 2 lam all eagerness; do tell me every particular." " Well, this is where I hesitate, and why I came to consult you. Now I want you to tell me ezactly what this Mr Montgomery is like. Is he a man a woman could love or nottf " "Hum, hum," replied MacVitie, clearing his throat. " Well, to tell the truth, Montgomery is — well, not exactly attractive, I should suppose, to the ladies ; still, you see, there it is 1 This girl married him on the agreement that be was to give up the mort-

gage on her father's property, and on the very day he gave it up— her marriage day — she ran away from him. She cheated him, in fact, and there is no doubt that Mr Montgomery has the law on his side." " I thought that, and yet you see I hesitate. And another thing : could you be quite sure to recognise this girl if you saw her a?ain ? " "My dear lady, I could be quite sure ! For one thing she is an uncommon fine girl — not quite the style I admire though exactly, but still we may call her handsome, I think." "Yes, in a way. And you would know her again ? " 11 Mrs Fanßbawe, I would ! " Mrs Fanshawe did not speak for a moment ; then she asked pensively : "Do you ever come up to town, Mr MacVitie ? " " I do, my dear madam. I would run up to town 20 times to make sure of seeing this young lady — in fact, I was contemplating a trip to London this very month," added the artful MacVitie. " In that case, come and see me at my hotel, and I shall arrange that you see this young lady without being seen by her. What do you think of this plan ? Ido not wish to appear exactly in this matter myself ; but I would like you to see her before you communioate with the husband. It would be so much better if the whole thing could be arranged amicably, and' that she should go back to her husband of her own free will. She may have regretted her cooduct by this time, for I do not think where she is at present «he can be very comfortable. And Mr Montgomery is a rich man, isn't he?" I "He is, Mrs Fanshawe," answered MaoVitie, who was perfectly charmed with the prospect before him. " And as to this most kind invitation of yours to call upon you at your hotel ' in town, I nead scarcely say I shall be delighted to do so — most delighted." "Well, that is settled then?" smiled ths Indian widow. ' " Certainly ; and as regards communicating with Mr Montgomery until we are sure, quite sure, of her identity, I agree with you it would be unwise. Montgomery is a hottempered man and, I may add, vain. It was his vanity, I think, received the greatest blow when his young wife eloped." " I fear men are all vain," smiled Mrs Fansbawe. " Ha, ha, ha 1 " laughed MaoVitie. " Not all, I hope, my dear madam ; no, I hope not all." Again Mrs Fan&hawe smiled, and then she rose to leave. " Bfcf ore you go, Mrs Fanßbawe, j oat one question more," said the excited little man, rising also. " The name of your friend where you beliave this young lady now is ? " " Her name is Wilmot," answered Mrs Fanshawe, " and her husband is a retired army man. Her address this moment has slipped out of my haad, but if you will call this evening on me I will probably have remembered it." •« I shall only be too proud. May I ask where ? " Mrs Fanahawe named one of the largest and most expensive hotels in Edinburgh, and MacVitie . having escorted her down to the carriage she bad arrived in, returned to his office in a state of the highest elation. " Beautiful creature I " he muttered to himself. "■ Widow of one of the judges of the Supreme Court at Calcutta 1 No doubt a fine income — and Montgomery must* wait. I will not throw away such an opportunity of cultivating the acquaintance of this charming woman for all the Montgomerys in the world. I will visit her in town ; I will not be quite snre at first of Mrs Montgomery's identity ; this will ensure another visit, and so on. It . will throw us together. I don't care a rap for Montgomery in comparison to her ! "