Chapter XIV.

Otago Witness, Issue 2289, 13 January 1898, Page 41

Chapter XIV.

T will be remembered that ,Sebastian Lopez had confined Lady Faiif&x in her cabin.on the sloop ficm the moment of their arrival in the broad mouth of the river. It need hardly be said that his object was twofold. First, he wished her to remain in ignorance of her whereabouts ;

secondly, he felt the necessity of preventing her from communicating with her husband

or other friends by any of the chances which the hurry of arrival might afford.

Now, Lady Fairfax had lived during most of her life in Spain in the beautiful old house which Faval had more or less accurately sketched from her description, and which was quite close to a seaport. It had been an oroiaary incident of each morning and evening for her to join her companions in watching the arrival cf the mail steamer. How often had she seen from one to six or seven yawls or smacks being towed back to harbour after having gone some miles out on the track of the mail steamers, so as to bring newspapers, fruit, and fish for sale before the passengers could otherwise get them.

It occurred to her that something of the same kind might be amongst the local practices in the harbour (whichever it was) whereat they had arrived now.

And so it was that whilst Sebastian Loptz, leaning by moonlight over the stern of bis sloop, recalled to mind the grim incidents of the fratricide, Isabel was clearly but hastily writing a report of her situation to Sir George.

" Alas 1 " she wrote, " only too late have I come to know the error I made in leaving my home, with its shelter and safety under your protection. lam full of penitence for all the anxiety that I know I must have caused you. But I have no more than a chance moment in which to tell you, dear husband, that I have been in the power of Sebastian Lopez, a bad and unscrupulous man, who has held me for a ransom. H3 has, for the most part, treated me with respect ; but now, returning to England, I have no doubt he will seek to extract a heavy payment from yon. . "lam quite helpless to oppose him, dear George. On the occasion of lais seizing me he actually gagged me, so that I was unable to speak. He will do so again presently when we come to leave the sloop. He has carefully .calculated the time of arrival in the early morning, so that I may not attract attention by moans or calls.

"But I have made a friend of the cabin boy here, and I shall entrust this letter to him in the hope of its getting to you by post, or by the hand of someone on one of the boats which came out to meet us. I have cot been able to learn the name of the harbour into which we are now being slowly drawn by two rowing boats. But if this letter should ever reach you, you will know that I tried all I could to communicate with you, my dear George. And, indeed, I think of you always. My time with you was the happiest of my life. I absolutely faint with longing to be with you again. . . . This is a sloop of no particular characteristic. If it have the cutter rig and the single mast of its class there are hundreds of the same description all round, and daily plying between Spain and "

Here Isabel perceived that some new movement was taking place on the deck. Deeming it better that so much as she had written should reach her loving husband than that he should be left in ignorance of it because she had waited to finish her letter, she

hastily closed the envelope which she had prepared as soon as she had slipped the unfinished epistle within it.

Exactly as she did thia the door of the cabin waa partially opened, and Villiano'a shock of heavy black hair was thrust in.

Sneaking eageily and rapidly in Spanish, he told her that he had taken the opportunity of buying some fresh lettuce 3 for Sebastian and some spring onions for hims&lf from a buca-boat woman alongside. Wiiilsfc doing so, he had whispered that she should have a golden half sovereign if she would herself go ashore and post a letter which he would presently bring her.

Wick a sisile of gratitude and a present of a sovereign to himself, Isabel gave him the letter and a half sovereign for the boatwomin.

Villiano, with very expressive gestures, indicated that the matter had not been concluded one minute too soon 1 And he was quite right. Just as Villiano disappeared out of one door of the state cabin (as it was called) which had been assigned to Lady Fairfax Sebastian Lopez entered by the other 1

Ifc has - often been asked: "What is a trifle?" It is hardly too much to say that upon the question of which side Ssbastian happened to taka in striding along the tiny saloon room depended Isabel's release in safety and ViiliaEo'g life !

Had he taken the port side, he would have met Villiano ! Already suspected, the boy would have been searched, the letter would have been found, and both Isabel and he would have been so placed in future that letter-despatching would have been at an end.

As things luckily were, Sebastian took the other side, and never knew that Vjlliano had just left as he himself entered. In his eagerness to assure himself that he had Isabel at his mercy, he never again lost sight of her unf-1 he had her safely under lock and key ashore. But even whilst he insolently taunted her with her helplessness, with her inability to tell "her Sir George" of her situation, the clever and romance-loving Villiano bad made a perfect arrangement with the shrewd bnm-boat woman. She only too gladly r greed to post the letter, and that, too, within the next 20 minufces.

Lady Fairfax knew far too much of the mental peculiarities of the raoe amongst which she had iivad at the most receptive portion of her life to allow any of the hope and joy which were really thrilling her whole being to appear.

Within a second of Sebastian's entrance she had altered the entire expression of her face and the attitude in which she sat. Ho found her sitting dejectedly, her head wearily supported by her hand, her eyes half closed, and her face turned towards the window in the stern. Concluding from all this that his prisoner had abandoned all hope of being able to communicate with her friends, ib pleased the heartless man to play with her sorrow.

" Well, fair baroness and baloved sister," sneered he, " how do I find you on return to the home of your people 1 "

Acting her part, Isabel took no notice^of this address. A heavy sigb, followed by a sob, argued of despondency in her mind. Kejoicing in his power to inflict pangs, be proceeded :

"I suppose your ladyship has not been without some idea of making a bolt for it when you touch land ? "

A thorough actress, Isabel started visibly and looked half round at the speaker.

"Hal ha!— l thought as much 1" he exclaimed.

" I did not say so," said Lady Fairfax in an angry tone.

" Nevertheless, I think there is necessity for looking a£ber you ; so will you be so gracious as to make preparation for coming ashore at a moment's notics 1 I have every wish thaß you should be able to reporc well of your treatment when you are allowed to write to your S : r Gsorge."

WiHi admirably-acted eagarness Isabel sprang towards bJra.

" Oh ! " she exclaimed with clasped handa, " do, do let me write to my husband. Ido not know where we sre ; I do not know what name you have chosen for the ship ; I cannot guide anyone to my rescue. I only want to assure Sir George that I am well. Dj have mercy and let ma«eod one line of roy hend writing."

Isabel kuew as well as we do that mercy was a quality left out in the composition of Sebastian Lopez. She knew that tha best way to prevent his consent being given to any request was to appear eag-r that it should be granted. But her tearful, anxious eyes, her clasped hand*, her quivering voice, all told of such a desire for the privilege (which she had taken for be r self) that her gaoler was completely thrown off the scent.

" The time for you to write to the sir baronet is not yeb, fair sister," he said with a cruel glee. "No doubt, if you will be reasonable, it may suit my purpose to use your pen. Bat in the meantims I cannot "

" Oh, believe me I " Isabel exclaimed with a passionate tone of longing in her voice. " Believe my parole. If you will swear to let me write within the next week to my husband a letter which you shall peruse atd post, I pledge myself not either to give you any trouble at the landing or to write to him before."

Had Isabel plainly prayed him not to use force, not to apply the gag, or not to pass her oil to cabmen and others as a lunatic — all of which possibilities she dreaded intensely — it is absolutely certain that her every wish would have been disregarded. But by putting the permission to write to her husband forward as the one dominant desire of her heart she gained point after point. Be&ides, Sebastian knew the difference between the probabilities in an English port and those in a remote part of the Spanish coast. To have secured Isabel's own assistance in her debarkation was, he thought, a master stroke.

None so warmly appreciate strict regard for the truth as those who have no scraples of their own about the practice of its opposite. And Sebastian knew that the word of an English lady was a bond that was never broken.

" I have told you, signora," s&id the fellow, with an unwonted pomposity, if Lot even dignity, in his voice — " I hava told you that if you will be reasonable, I, who am ever weak where your adorable sex is 20i3C3rned, propose to let you have your way in the desire most near your heart,"

He narrowly watched her face. Isab© had brought her?, eager, and even smiling, near to his, her hands tightly clasped justf under it.

"Yes, yes, anything, anything at all, if only you will let me send a few lines to my husband."

Sebastian bowed, to conceal the satisfaction with which he heard that she would not make a scene at the landing. " You pass me, then, your parole that you will not need the 'use of force, or precautions, for your unobserved landing in consideration of my allowing you to writs such a letter as I shall suggest to Baronet George within the next four days 1 " " Ah, ji s1 " eagerly replied Isabel. " Gag me, bind me, silence me with shawls, anything, or accept my parole as a lady, but only let me write to Sir Gaorge." And the clever woman burst into a flood of tears.

" Dry your tears, milady," gaid the dupe. "Your parole I accept. You shall have » longer time on board and go ashore under more comfortable arrangements by this consent of mine. But, mind, no attempt to signal or communicate with anyone."

Between sobs Isabel gave her parole, and, looking up as Ssbastian turned to go, she recaived a look of intelligence and assurance over his shoulder from Villiano, who then coolly reported the sloop about to fasten the hawper.

With great tact Villiano turned away with Ssbastian, and appeared to take no notice of her ladyship, whereupon Sebastian, now in high good humour, pattad him upon the shoulder and cheerily said :

"No 1 ??-, my good fellow, bestir yourself [ The signora is so overjoyed to get home ! She is so touched by my goodness ! Hurry ashore and see if the fine coach for her use ba within hail. It was left to Martino Alvarez to arrange the matter. You will find him at the Trattoria Italiano in tha narrow street round the corner of yonder church. Speed ! spaed 1 "

Well within a quarter of an hour Lady Fairfax, soberly clad in a heavy shawl, as old-fashioned bonnet, and a thick veil doubled, was seated quietly in the lumbering old coach which Alvarez had provided ; and, at a signal from Sebastian — who preferred & seat bt-aide the driver, both for smoking and other reasons — all quickly moved away.

Sebastian was in high good humour during a long drive. He had dreaded that Isabel, even gagged, might succeed in attracting the-attention of the unbribable Eogli'-h policeman, or in collecting a crowd which would know the reason why if an Esglishspeaking or any other lady were found g.*ggsd and under forcible removal without a proper authority.

" And all effected by the offer o£ permission to do just what I wished her to do in any case 1 "

If Lady Fairfax, who had all a woman's dread of such an initrument as the g»g v word a smile on her beautiful face we kaosv what brought it there ! She had escaped indignities and even tortures by appearing gratefully to accept Sebastian's permission to do what, with good VUliswio's assistance, waa already an accomplished fact. Ifc was a case of " diamond cab diamond. 1 "