COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 41, 23 May 1889, Page 4

COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.

LITERATURE.

CHAPTER X. Were his dark suspicions disarmed or allayed by the plain fact that by the squire’s will Coral's death, under agf (Lancs mentally put it straightjy) would be no pain at all to Mrs Mortimer, since the property then passed to Henry Guise ; nay, rather might she not reasonably hope that if the girl attained majority she would make a will in Aldyth’a favour, failing children of her own ? No, Lance’s strange deep-rooted distrust and suspicion were in nowise shaken ; he simply felt that, -whilst the will gave him one keynote it only deepened the maze of mystery, and made him more than ever resolved to keep watch, and in time fathom it to defeat the woman’s scheme whatever it ,va c .

And 1 don’t think it will turn out a mare’s-nest either, said Darrell to himself, an he locked up the paper. She is clover enough to have two or three strings to her bow, and I’ll warrant there is more than the reason given for her wanting a doctor resident in the house ; but I’ll seem to play into your hands, Dr Fell, never fear, and make you show your cards, ami mean while I must have a talk with the child about her health as soon as I can get her confidence and banish her mistrust and fiar of me enough to learn what I want to know. By Heaven, if that woman has been tampeiing with the girl’s strength. Ho rose up quickly, his dark eyes flashing, his whole face quivering with passion and emotion as he walked to and fro the room several tines; a face that would have startled those who only knew carejris, laughing Lance Darrell, and not saeiug bslow that surface, never dreamed the world of deep emotions and passion, ate force which lay in that rich and complex nature. Presently he went to (he secretaire, and sat down and began writing, first a letter then a long list, the most of which would have been as Sunskiit to non-medical eyes. So that will do, ho muttered, with a grim sort of little laugh, as he enclosed the whole. I’ll be, even with you, my fair foe, and prepared for any emergency. Being here as resident doctor to very delicate patient, it is only “ en regile ” to have a thorough good medicine chest of my own from Apothecaty’s Hall, and not be depend* nt on inferior country drugs for my prescriptions. I’M post this myself before breakfast. 1 wonder how much longer Coial moans to he scarce ?

For since v*s‘erday, after choosing the jhorss, the girl had hardly appeared, save at meals, and then treated him more in the fashion of her first reception of him ; and whether this was a genuine relapse into tle’ermined antagonism t« Aldyth, or something of each, Lance could not yet make up his mind. I’ll bide awce, he said to himself tinnext day f s he was overhauling the medi-cine-chest which had just arrived. {She’ll have to make friends sooner or later unreservedly. 1 can wait. But. soon fortune once more favoured Lance Darrell. CHAPTER XL Tlnnk Heaven that you are back at last Mr Darrell ! 1 thought j-ou would never come! was the startling exclamation with which Mrs Mortimer met Lancs one afternoon, as he gave the Black Prince to a groom, on his return from a long rid". "Why, what is tlm matter. Mrs Mortimei? he said, qaicklv. Is the child Coral taken ill ? No, no ; but I am so anxious abeut her ! She has been out for hours ; would go, though I told In r not, because it threataned thunder ; and she has not returned yet. She is so perverse and aelf-willed I Are v«n sure she is stiM out ? said Darrell. quietly ; but how his heart throbbed. Yes, quite. I’ve sent all over the grounds ; into the park, down to the boat-house, but th°re is no trace or answer to calls , she is hiding, perhaps, and wont answer ta the servants.

I will go at once and search for her, said Lance, in that quiet, assured manner of his, which pave alwa3's such a restful sense of strength and reliability. 1 wont return without her. I daresay the naughty little puss is safe enough, after all. Which way did she go ? Towards the river—the boat-house, as far as I saw, answered A'dyth, looking piteously np into his handsome face witli clapped hands.

But, ala* ! the effect was quite lost upon him, for he was wickedly sceptical of her sincerity, the false chord jarred on hie ■ensilive nature ; the “Sweet bells jangled ont of time ” on his line ear, and music for him there was none.

Ho sHd Tiiank you ; don’t be anxious, and went off at a swinging pace across the lawn, I’d like to take her bv the shoulders amt shake the life out of her! muttered Lance, savagely, as he went on. She drove Coral out somehow, I know—hang her I and some accident has happened, or the child would raver have stayed so long with a thunderstorm coming np like this. Ah, my darling, if you would only trust me entirely ! His darling ! Poor Lance ! Had it come to that already? Verily, yes, for the strong, impassioned heart waits not for time or tide to give out the richness of its love ; nnd Lance had met his kindred soul that t ne early hour in the sunshine mornirjoe, not a an** “ Wnat star it was I know not; 1 But certainly some star it was that attuned

me unto thee.” were the words he might have said. It had been gloomy and lowering all the Afternoon, but for the last hour the clouds had gathered up in heavy gray rnassss, flecked with fluffy whitish scud, aad here and there a lurid gleam along the lower hanks of cloud, that threw the ominous blackness out in strong relief, and told at once from whence came those as yet far oIV, hut not unfrcquent Hashes and portentous rolls of thunder ; the very river, too, a"emed to flow on in a dull, leaden kind of way, as if it knew that the comir g storm must follow its course and wreak its wrost above the waters.

Judging that, from her love of the water, Coral would have gone along the bank, which for more >haa a mile each way, east and west of the lawn, was her own park, Darrsll walked swiftly on, kreping up stream towards the lock ust bv fiie western boundary of the park. *Bbe was more likely to have gone that way than eastward, clown stream, as the Tillage lay in that dmction,

Keeping a sharp look-out, and sometimes calling her name, Lance went on, hi* fine face ssttled into lines of stern anxiety. He had covered fnil high the distance so the lock, when he saw a boat, rowed by a man, coining quickly down, as if its occupant were making good haste to shelter before the storm overtook him, Darrell slopped, and, as the boat came nearly abreast, sung out ; Boat ahoy ! Are you from the lock ? The man instantly pulled inshore a iitle, and lay on ids oars. Beg pardon, sir , did you want to cross the river ? Thank you, no ; but if you have come through the lock Yes, sir, I have, just now. He was a pleasant-spoken young fellow of the mechanic clars—probably down on ids holiday, Lance thought. He said at once; All, then would you kindly tell me if you have seen anything there, or along the banks, of a young lady. A young lady, sir ? What like ? Tull, slight, very pale, said Lance, with -hort, curly, golden hair, and very pretty ; wore a dark-blue dress, with red boatingcap, and a white wool wrap. Yes, yes, sir ; that’s her, exclaimed the man. Three hours back, when I went up that’s the young lady as wan talking to the ol i lockman, and I heard him say someihing about getting home quick ; but the water coming in through the s'lnces, I couldn’t only catch a bit here and there, .-ir ; but I heard the words from her 1 tired,’ .uni ‘ back by the Ravine,’ and she walked s owl}- away under the trees. You are sure she said “ the Ravine ?” -aid Darrell, quickly. Oh, yes, sir, quite sure ; she was standing on the lock-gate, leaning on vhe rail.

Thank you very much for your information, said Lance, earnestly. I am only sorrow to nave detained you. Don’t mention it, sir, you’re most welcome. Good day. Good day —and thank you again.

The boat shot oil once more, and Lance Darrell, with a deep drawn breath between Ids teeth, turned sharply inland, striking ..hliqnely under the trees almost ‘at rigid ; ngles with the river. Either on foot er horseback he had already scoured the park and irnmedia'e country, and knew the geography of it pretty well, and what direction to take.

The Ravine was one of the prettiest parts of the park, lying at its western extremity, where it vas most hilly ; it was in fact a long, rather deep tiully between two wooded heights, and had doubtless in the past times been the bod of a tributary stream. Some parts were steep, but from the winding of the river, the way back by I lie Ravine was a shorter cut from the lock to the Hall than following the path o i the bank. That Coral had gone that way, and that some accident or mishap had happened thereabouts, Lance felt -ml) 7 100 s'ne, and headed straight for the Ravine, now under the old forest trees, niw in the open, through biackcn and unde-wood with the giootn deepening and the roll of the thunder coming nearer each time. More than once the rich tenor voice, hrowing the sound into a full musical note, made the woods ring with the name ofCuralie, hut without any response. Me came out on Hie top of the Ravine md looked along, across, down, blit onlv M-ees above, bushes and grass below, met Ids straining gaze ; not a glimpse of the white wrap he looked for with now sickening anxiety. To be continued )