COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 38, 16 May 1889, Page 4

COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.

LITERATURE.

chapter viii. That was my dear father said the gnL her eves lining ; his name was Loins Charles. . ~ A goad old Royalist name, saui wine... I suppose yon dc«<:•♦*n ! from the oh; Tench House? Yes. from on- of these who came over in the Lain of King Charles’s Queen, wain (’oralie, and he nuvried a ward of the Crown, the heiress of Sax'.eby Clins-. i-„.. trr<-.fc n,y daughter mils me. said Mr Mortimer, ann b’en in India too? Oh, yes, I was tln-re only six montm , Lie second time of my going. cum" V, said the gentlanian. That’s where 1 made a good fortune, sir - 1 fortmr ami where Dit now —tin best part of it ? Oh. dear, my son u.m L Ahlylh’s husband. My love, wasn i 11, r> t after Louis Guises death cu hefoi it ? After it, father ; hut I don't think -w must trouble Mr Darrell with such sadden in’ matters, said Mrs Mortimer. su.-eJ). hut with a half-sigh. I am tliankfui a competence was -aved us—dice your own case, Mr Darrell ; only you sulf'er thrnnMi ro-Mjerv, and wc from that demon speemati’ n. . . T It is a demon indeed, answered Lince. in whatever form it comes ; whether betting, or cavils, <>r speculation, us all gamIding, isn’t it f (jnitK sc ; yon arc not a card play then ? added” Mrs Mortimer, as a quo--

lion. r Oh, he said, smiling, I am .up in »n rai „es of ca-ds, from the most, harmlesto ilm most cambling, hut, frankly, ,l never can get up any interest, any excuement over card o I suppose I haven auv't.ing of the gambeTs spirit in me. «o much the better for you, said Aldyth stromdy ; my husband bad you see, in tin speculative form, and a hauler lias stick opportunities if once he is bitten. Yes, put in All- Mortimer, Dials Lie way nowadays, the father makes money and tin- son spins it up. Vt el], well, never mind, what is done, is done, and I’ve grea' blessings left in these dear gills and the home they give. Have yon seen the boatyet ? Lmce to’d him his morning perarnbnla toms, omitting Ids mode <>f exit however. Airs Mortimer he saw was right, at am rate hi what she had s rid of her f ffher-in-Jaw ; possibly his reverse, of fortune and son’s death had aged him mentally even mo e than his actum yens might wairain; he w.ts garrulous and as evidently under the full persuasion—as further conversation showed—th?t he was mentally an physically as vigorous as he had been ten or liTeen years ago.

The fair widow's report of her beautiful wani war, in Lance’* present opinion, open to doubt on everv point save in so lar a> ho had himself been able to judge, an the discovery that Mrs Morti:nc;r was nr; wealthy was a keynote to the nnpleasan suspicion that had crossed the vomit; man’.mind ; but be wanted a further elucidation, and to that end he must write to Frank Heathc -to as soon as he could then, perhaps for the first time in his db almost, the free steed felt the touch of tie bit. Lance bad put himself into harnesshe was not perfectly free to say, No will 1 own, sir ; he was not his own master, ami it must lie coulees cl that the m->\e! sens. ii,,n was not very pleasant save for ih beautiful girl at his side. Mrs Mortimer, when breakfast was over, suggested that perhaps Mr Darrell woulr liktTto see the stables and choose a riding horse. With pleasure, he said ; perhaps you ladies might like a ride presently. Do you ri.h*. Mrs Mortimer ? Well, yes, only mi a very quiet horse, (■’oral, my love, you had better lie down meanwhile. Thank yon. I’m not an invalid, sum Coral, curtly, with that quick, passionate

frown’ My dear, I must appal unto Ucsar then, turning towards Darrell, with u took that asked for confirmation. (_)h, it won’t lire the child, Mrs Mortimer, said he, carelessly, she may as wed come if she likes.

Coral walked the window, throw it open ami stepped out with a movement of tin curly head that said plain. y . l me.in to do as I choose if I drop for it. Whi's! ALiyll j gave Lance a glance which said as plainly There, you .see what a dear, perverse child it is, to which Dir-ell’s aoswe: was merely a slight slung ; lie had no intention of commuting himself in any way till he had fathomed one or two liiti< things. The stab'es were away at the rear ol th * - mansion, and unquestionably AptmGuise had had good reason to be proud oi his horses, and his young daughter stood looking on with undisguised pride and pleasure, as Darrel I, evidently as thorough a judge of a good horse as lover of the noble animal, cat eased, and noticed each, talking about them to the Jtrad groom., as he proudly showed them, in his blight, winning manner, and with that giacefm familiality which comes only to thoiouJibred gentleman in his intercourse with hiinferiors. When they came to the tiding horses, Coral said :

Don’t Hiy a word, Aldyth, nor you, Dnton, please, 1 woml to see wnicli horse Mr Darrell will pick out—l think I know though. io do I, Miss Connie, I think, answeren the groom, as he led out first her own beautiful steed, a sphited young Arabian, which, scaring its mistress, woind he pettro by her, though also inky alive to theft ianger’s adnrration . You must sea all before von choose, Slid Mrs MuHim-r, nif-nily. or we s'o :n’i h-sa.isfn d. Ah, y-.u won't have eithci of those browns —<jui--c tor such a ri.it rn* yon are, when IIT -y sii.t Mr Morti iner. Lance laughed, ;.n i sdd, It'S, lm couU: that, ’cut lin yw- line ai.nna!s. (hi,- - r two niof:- were paraded ••u'. ami then Lut-ui :ed uig tn vetting and tossing iis b .nds-.;:;! 1 ' Im-d in ig.-di-vo.jng horse of Ang’. -Ai ,hj to. Ed, ..mi rich ha k-b;mwn cob-ur. _ , . \jl ,xe -n ’ at I<Ul ut de. l e 11! i a<; I! I!: .1.! oi, e.eapvd 1) n - :cl, but v! :yiu kd:iy shied Im k in a nr. id.,;,- caie ! Slib c:i'o. On*. nor. t c<l him whilst he dances mi, h--i; tr.uipm on vour feet ; horrid who creature : i.c n throw anybody.

j He is a 1 canty, Mrs Mortimer, and oni,' [ wiv bigh-si irited and young. Eatwe - j .'a: k eves v.-t-; e spa; k.mg. his bron/.-u check 'glowing, as In* turn-d towardCor.iHe, adding, May I emu.-se dtiMPC ? '..’ora! clapped her banns. Et-rlru ! ’l i:ii"W yen would take _c!n It lack Prince, she exclaimed, stepping forward to man and horse ; ho is li * e vc.'i.’s till! oil ; v now —my iat her hough' 7,iin finite as’a colt. moanin'; liim for his own rulin'; when he was old enough. A vo, sir, and the store the master set i.v Prince, added Luton, bless him ; tin last thine almost, sir, he says to liny _bcIm e In* tel! i!i three years ago, was, • lake care ol' P'itK."-, Luton. ’ Well, Luton, said his young mistress. L act- Pi nice, then lemember, is Mi Darrell's iicnse, and I lexpeeC yon won t imve to complain that he doesn’t get enough exercise.

Very well, Miss Coral. As They turned bade tmv.nds tho house Lance quietly offered her his arm, saying : duff a little tired, my deni- child, 1 . hi:,k. Won't you rest a little ; and, Mrs Mortimer, if your father does not wan’ me either for half an hour, I should like to write a letter or two tor the next posh

Of course, certain’y, Air Darrell ; am! after that, if you like, graciously, 1 will 'how you over such parts of the house as you are likely to bo in. Lance said, Thank you, and when they readied the house went up to Ids rooms, ■aniid his traveUin-dcsk to the writingiali!e, and sit down to write to Trank, It was a long letter, containing, as he had promised, a full, true, and pirticnhn iccount of his arrival, experiences, ami impressions'. The comedy, he wrote, looks, yon see. i,y all this, not nmike a tragic alfdr—-o-rtainly very queer —I can’t quite mak■lead or tail out of it yet, hut I can peii,aps get a clue if I knew what t lie squire’s wilt was. I expect that the slu -Dr Tell •umeliis by it under certain conditions. Dear oh! Trank, will yon go to iSonicrset lions-; amt sec for me the will of Louis- ■ diaries Gui-e, wfio died ihree years ago. Takes notes fully —or u copy, if mmuy m anything else can get it—(duff was Lanei ill over). Is it. not an extraordinary coincidence that there should be such ■■ startling likeness to th it. lay-figure? J' ook me all aback for a minute or two, J id 1 you. That the girl is very fragilelooking and delicate is, I I ear, tru 1 enough poor child ; hut where, or from whom the ■ause comes, is what I mean to discover, as soon a- 1 get a quite talk wi Ii Coral, die is so desperately anxious to repudiate being grown up, and to be treated by me. it any rale, as a child, that I ’suspect my i w'o predecessors have set their c >ps at the ueiress and frightened her ; I shall inimoiii uer limey as much as possible. Of course you will laugh at me, and think I am losi dreadv, and 1 suppose lam past praying for; but what matters ; every man’s lime must come, yon know, even to your Ever faithful, Madc.U’ Lancis. if ynit sec tho Kynastuns, give madam ny undying devotion and adoration, and ell her I will write ; but say nothing, Crank, of Ihe ‘ tragedy ’ part of my letter -dark’s the word ‘.hero may be nothin iflei all. Tell my dear old lie! 1 will write in a day or two. 1 shall wait anxiously for your reply, Vlasti r Trank, apostrophized Lance, as lie nclosed and addressed the letter. When be went back to the room when m had left the two ladies, only the eldw .v-.it, there, and at her renewed suggestion ,t a tour through tin; mansion, lie rosigip d liuiself to his fate with his usual pltilosoohical grace. Tiually, shortly before luncheon, she anded him, as it. were, in a large, hand--ome library, where old Mr Mortimer sa reading, and left them to improve acquaintance — which exactly suited Lance, for tin iarruUms old man was sure to chattel about the family, and -just now Darrel was anxious to Itaru as much as he fairly could about those with whose lot lie hat; so curious l )’ thrown m his own,

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