<" -' <"'CHAPTER1'V.1'" ! "

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11825, 23 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER V.

["!'!■! "i ! A 'sV3R'\v'6W''Wooi^q.' i i ' 'theiiy,., Lawrence WcyIville, that you! „'plj, q'eyer .. jrepent your i bargain ; that yoij will be bajpy with a jwom^n Mf horn, yon ',. ! b'ave J;afeeu as tbe {.rice o^' silence 4s to t .her _ mother's !sbamt|?; T0 j. oi ''^ ,„' „ "'.! j ' (GfadyjS,, nas ( eppa^ing, and she anJ ! Lawrence were standing in the. grouuds [at the reap of Heathcote Lodge, jost a.t ithe K^'j^', wher^.th'el tiny river rathed headlong to cast itself into, the sou at CliffseaFall. , ,k, k ! She ' Was. looking enchdntjng beautiful*. ; Her widow's v weed3 , had been cast aside, and ebe vraß attired in a clinging dress of gray, which showed off her maturtd beauty to perfection:

H^r own healthy constitution had' asserted itself, and the color had returned to her cheeks, the rouudaess and exqaiaite contour to her form. Looking at her, Lawrence Weyville thought that he could readily lose his sonl to possess her, and hor words only evoked a scornful laugb. 'Uepont my bargain ? No !' he ciieu. 'From the first moineat I saw yon I made a resolution that you Should bo my wife, if I had to fight tho powers of darkues? to obUju possession of you. And so why 9'lioald I repent?" 'I shall do ray utmoafc to mAc you do so,' she said, eyeing him stealiiy. Her cool words startled him 'W^hat do you mean ?' he criod, with an augry scowl. 'Exactly what I say,' repliel G'adys. ♦Oars is a shameful bargain — toot a love match. I a;?rae to ba your wife tohide a disgraceful secret which ?/6nld ruiti my cnothei'a lifp. But f shall be to yoj us a statue of sioae. The devotion of a wlioie existence on your part will nevrfr warm ma to respond toyour affection. I hate you~l loathe you eveu now ! What will ib be when lam yonr wife? Ob, how can you be a party to such an unnatural compact ? Taw are plenty of beautiful girls in tbe world who would make you kappy. Why fc^ke me with a heart of ice, which no man has it in his power to change.' ," 'Very prettily put— very tragic, anddo forrh,' 'said Lawrence ; 'but I regret tossy that, you are talking nonsense V 'Sach love as mine cannot fail id the cad to m<:et return. I can have patience, oiy darliaij ' Gladys uiado a gesture of eonU-mpt. 'Whj descend to such talk as that?' she said, with pale lips. 'Love I The wor J sickens me ! -There was only one whoae darling I was, and hi 9 I shall be, in heart and soul, to the world's end.' SHe moved away as she spoke, and: began in walk listlessly along th; river baair. Lrtf-rjiice at first started aa if ta follow b«°r. Then with a muttered imprecation he drew back. 'Let her go her own way,' he said. 'It is her tnrn now*to scoff aad sneer ;._ it wilt be mine aoc v to ba w« 3fe<M\ and the a rf> will find it pays to be civil.' A? <jlady9 rjassad along listlessly snJ turned a cn^ve in tbe bank of the btreani, where the trees concealed her t'ro'c her ««nraged betrothed, she saw two j^rsons hurrying toward her. At tbe same time afeo she becamecor^c;o\!^ of a strange light in tbe sky, which luoked like a brilliant sunset, but cou'.'i vi bp, since it was in the east. 'Gooci-fiveniog, Gladys,' sail the sofa, picaaaur voica of Lettie Howland, one- 'J. ber most favored companions, wboot? swoetheart, Norris Emmerson, svrts l»y Ijer side ; 'have* you heard tbe uew& V 'No,' said Gladys, listlessly. She had ! : fcflf interedfc in anything. It ?t:eiaed a? it there could be no goo] no ivs fur her unless that Colin had ii-?'<n from the dead. ♦IVnterdcn Church is bnrned down 1' Gla.Ty? glanced at her with wideopen eyr-s now.' What memories did not that evoke ! * Tho plica.. .where her marriage ' toCjlil imd been solemnised ; where 3he hr.i plighted the vo^a which she had \iria%vM would be tor all time. Thank Eoaven 1 she had the certificate. , , 1, The youug oo'iple were surprised at her emotion. But they had no idea'eff tbe cause, and Norris did not wait to leavu it. 'Yps,' he saH, .'the church is absolutp'ly lurned to tbe ground, ( arid all it 3 bi.c>Ls destroyfd. It will be afdr'eadtul thuig for cnuny , persons who pave be?u i':arried, there and jhavo upt,pre v - seVvi- * tliftir marriage certificates. The clergyman dieil, as you k-m)** some moftths ago m Africa; aiid the poor olti vergor, who wa9 witpess of most'of the mriwss, was killed in, trying, to save tit -a register.' , s , , i{ '"'Wu^u dil the news" come ?' askedGladys. " , ' 'A fr-w moments ago... A nao^nted- . wesfctrDyH" c»j>nf into the town to the ', ncvr^aj.n 1 office, and I I'earned it there. , ft ; ' : a vSa thiniir.' ; *:t i« isleeri/ ret ui nod Glady:», re^' I covering hor composure by "a su'pe'a(e > jt-ftort. "'Ami tire poor old' verger\f ! f ana so'^orry for him. But are you not, coming in ?' , j Letlsoolushea.' ' 1 'Wi'!!, 1 f.hfi '.'»;•), 'it is due to you; 1 'think, i:> to!! you why we invaded your 'domain.- The irath isj papa ' vras 'so 01 oss wiih ISJurpV' to-day, and with rrie/ 100, th*i< havo been out wandering abont »mi ovc r-stoppiDg oor time, and* jf * 'Yoo Dsriphty girl V cried Gladys^ with o^ arcfa a smile as she cou!d:conjarfl up in her wretched utate of mind, 'X ccc your meaning. You want to

e»y you bave been here. Come along; mamma will be very glad to see you, 1 know. Tell me— why is Mr Howland so cross V •Because Norris has refused that horrid appointment in Sonth Africa, and accepted a situation in England at less money/ rolled lett T e, 'and he declares tlat in consequence he refuses his consent to our marriage.* •That 13 right,' said Norris, flashing •lightly ; 'you see, the old gentleman bss no respect for my life, and I have. I prefer health and strength, and a loving wife with five hundred a year, to yellow jsnndice, premature old age, and two thousand.' 'I do not Uarae you,' said Gladys. *By the way, you have not been here since my cousin, Lawrence Woyville, has been staying with us, have you, Mr Emmerson V *No ; I have not visited here for a year, Miss Heathcote/ said Norris; 'but I hope to bave that .pleasure oitnnrr now, if I shnll not lv» intruding, as I am going to settle at Portsdown, as steward to Lord Featherstone.' •Indeed/ said Gladys, brightly ; 'and tVen.you, Lettie?' Noiris laughed. «I mean to ask her to be stewardess/ said he, 'aa soon as she is of age, which will be in two months.' *You are getting quite old/ cried Gladys ; 'bat here we are. Let me mn in and prepare mamma. I know she •will be delighted to see you.' She spoke these words and ran up the step? leading to the French windows of the drawing room in a qu'ck and imf.ulsive fray, quite out of keeping with her nsual behavior. Her Leart was, ia fact, beating to a ! atrange tune, . I She scarcely could tell herself what peril was threatening her through the burning of Tenterden Church. She had a vague i-Jea that soms day it would fee necessary to establish her son's identity, to prove his parentage, to produce indisputable doenmtn's to ahow that he was Colin Ramsey's child, and heir to what Mrs Heathcote had called a phantom coronet, Thack Beaven ! she bed her marriage certificate, and letter af;or letter from Colin, proving by his own words that she wag bis own beloved wife. Nevertheless, a vague n>ißtni<*t possessed her, and she found herself every now and again deaf to the words of her friends, and endeavoring to fathom the future, whict*, unknown to her, was co fall of startling surprises. Mrs Heafrcote wa3, aa Gladys had prophesied, delighted to see the young couple. Lawrence did not come in until they bad been iv the drawing-room some time and bad been persuaded to remain to dinner. He had, in fact, by some strange fatality been a listener to the scene which had occurred on the banks of the stream, r.hen Gladys bad heard of the burning of Tenterden Church. He had noted her behavior aDd her words, and bad been struck very much thereby. Not that lie could make anything ont of it ; bns it set him thinking, and when his crafty mind was once at work, if> was generally the forerunner of some evil. The room was in half darknes3 when lie entered, so that he did not observe the visitors, and be advanced toward ~ Gladys with some playful remaik. But as he did so the full fores of the gas-light was turned on, and he stood suddeoly face to faco with Norris EraBaereoTt, who bad men on bis approach. The two men stood gazing at each other a moment in dead silence ; Norrie with astonishment written on his brow, Lawrence white even to the lipw. 'Allow me, Mr Emmerson/ said Mrs Heathcote, trembling, she knew not Wby, 'to introduce you to my nephew, Ifr Lawrence Weyville— my brother's aon._ Lawrence, this is Mr Norm Emmerson, a great ft tend of mine.' *We bave met before/ said Lawrence, j with a cough, as he extended a flabby j hand, which the other ignored. | 'Yes, abroad/ said Norris, flurried j and uncomfortable ; 'bat I had no idea that you were Mrs Heathcote's nephew. 'Indeed, no/ said Lawrence, with cool tflVontery. *I did not think it just the thing at that time to go by nay own name, for the simple reason that I was up to my eyes in debt, and the fickle goddess Fortune had turned ber back upon me at the gaming tables. I used to call myself Leonard Smith in those days, aunt.' Mrs, Heathcote would have been intensely obliged if an earthquake hal at this moment conveniently ocenned to up her objectionable nephew. Hat as it was, she was compelled to {>nt ibe best face she could on matters. 'Ah I you were always a bad boy/ abe said, in ,tbe ,most cooing manner j bui he, has amended bis ways since

than, Norri3. He ought to have done so, at any rate, for his father, my dear brother, left him a large fortune.' 'What name did you say ?' asked Norris, m a singly. 'Weyville/ said Liwrence, insolently. ♦Weyville, of Leamington ?' 'Yea.' Norris sidled. 'Ah 1 1 know He name, well,* he said. 'That was the Wey viile whoso bank failed. I r^menub?r it well. I had no idea that your father was able to save enough out of the wreck of the banking business to leave you a fortune. I congratulate you, indeed.' The scene was a very unpleasant one, and the women felt intensely uncomfortable Mrs Heathcote saw the satire wb ; .ch nnderlay Norris Enimerson's words, and winced under it. But what could she do ? Sho had never heard of this Leamington Bank failure, and some* thing told her that some disgrace was a'tar'hpd <o i\ in whioh Laurence wn< involved. She was glad, therefore, when the first dinner bell rang. 'We hare to dispense with all ceremony to-day/ she said. 'Bun up to your rooms, you girle, and make yourselves presentable.. Don't indqlge jn any elaborate toilets, for Mr Emmerson is in walking attire, and you mast not put him in the shade." Lawrence and Norm quitted the room together, and the tatter was taken to the former's suite of rooms. But Weyville made an< excuse to leave him, and when presently the family a?s2tnbled in the dining-room be d d not put in aa appoaranx*. 'Mr Wryville is very Borry t madam/ said the servant,, 'bat he has just bad a telegram, and has had. to go. off to Cliffsea.' The women looked surprised ; Norris only smiled, and made no remark. The evening passed very pleasantly — more than nsnally so, in fact, in consequence of the arssnee of Lawrence — and at ten o'clock Mrs Heathcote's neat lict'e brougham conveyed the lovers to Newland Grange, where Norris bade adieu to Lettie, who, having a little perfumed note from Mrs Heathcote explaining the circumstances, was left oS with a qniet remonstrance abont staying out and frightening her parents out of their wits. Oonsidening the amount of wits which had to be alarmed, this would have been no difficult task, for both Mr and Mrs Howland were of the heavy type of huaian creatures, and — obstinate though they might be in regard to their daughter's engagement to a lover not of their own choosing — they were of, the kind who would have disinherited her and let her go her own way without an extra hesrt-tbrob or a tear, „ Meanwhile, -Gladys, , having said good-night to her mother, made her way to her own chamber, and, having locked the door, opened her private drawer to look at her treasures. The events of the evening had brought up all • the old memories ; she could see 'J'enterden Church as she had beheld it that Joly morning , when. she j bod quitted it handrin-hand with Colin, hoping that she was about tp enter the confines of a new and blinsful existence, She cou'd s.e his hanoVome . fao3 5 all its gravity gone, and replaced by 4 kind of boyish delight ; , she could , ; recall every incident of that day, „aud_ lived over again the joy and the pain of parting, r . ■ The memorials of that one day of wifebood were kept in a little ebony box in her bedroom. It had travelled with; her to Viljagio, and had been her companion, as, it were, in all her sorrow ;, .and now, , brought back, as it were, to; the borderland of that day long., ago, she, made up her mind to have a- qoiet^ hour, with the ghosts of. the past— ahe would;, read all Colin's letters, and kiss, his ,dear portrait, and go to, v bed with, jt, tightly clutched to her, bosoms .; • v > ( , „ . Key in hand, she crossed the room to where the little, ebony .casket >stciod on ehe bureau; ,j; . ,;j ' - [-..,*, »,<»• f One glance was enough to change a'l the current of her thoughts, to blanch her cheeks, £o < drive the sad smile from her lips, to mak.e / her limbs tremble and tottpr nndfr her, and cause ber to graso tiie'bureiu for 'aqpppii as a gasping cry escaped her,, , „ The caskiet was ojieb. ;/'' '/ l> ' It had been opened, and no effort bad been made to reclose it. ' For some time sue stood unable to ' move, her hi art thumping as if it 'would suffocate her. )•».'>-'• 'For Coliu's sake-for, Gabriel's!.? 1 she cried at las'. , 'I hiuit be brave and face the worat T ' '. ' , r ' .-,' - She seized. the casket, and lifted the inrifr lid, beoeath which the precious documents and her , wedding-ring Jbad been preserved. _ .. ( ; . - ... She drew back with a cry of horror

and dismay — a cry which echoed through the silent old house as of a lost sual in its utter despair. All were gone; the caolcet was empty. Oae moment more she stood glaring at the ebony box, as ;F; F nnable to realise the extent of ber inisforiune. Thpn, with a mom as of pain, abe fell prone on the fbor in a deathlike swoon. Mrs Heathcote and her maid found her thus as they rushed in breathless from their rooms, and so she remained during the morning. It was not until midday that she seemed properly to Vally, though Dr. Hainerton had been 3enk !<<»• afc once. 'Mother/ sho whispered, when sbe saw Mrs Heathcote's eager, questioning glance, 'you have a thief in the house — a wretched, miserable thief ! Air ray papers are gone, Colin's letters, my marriage certificate, ray diary, my wedding ring ! And Tenterden Church is burned down, the verger killed, the e'emvman dead ! My Gabriel has no