"THE GAMBLER."

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 13144, 28 November 1906, Page 2

"THE GAMBLER."

CHAPTER lll.—(Continued.) The great man arrived attended by Gallagher, and was shown directly to the patient's room. There was a confused moment of introduction ;,. then Milbanke and •Clodagh slipped quietly into the passage, leaving the doctors and nurse to their work.

Durino- a, long interval of indescribable suspends Molyneaux made .his examination. Then, without a word, he and Gallagher emerged from the room and descended solemnly into the dining-room. While this final conference lasted Clodagh —who had returned to her vigil immediately the doctors had left the sick-room—-sat silent and motionless beside the bed; outside in the corridor, Mrts. Asshlin wandered to and fro, weakly tearful and agitated, while Nance stood beside her father's door, afraid to enter and yet reluctant to remain outside. Downstairs in the hall, Milbanke paced up and down in nervous perturbation, awaiting his summons to the conclave.

At last the door opened, and Gallagher looked out..

"Mr Milbanke," he said, " Doctor Molyneaux would like to see you." With a little start of agitation Milbamke went forward.

In the dining-room a great peat fire was burning as usual, lighting up the faces of Asshlin'ls ancestors; but the candles in the'silver sconces were unlighted and the window curtains • had not been drawn. In- the dull' ligit from the three long - windows the large, placid face of Moryheaux looked preternaturally long and solemn. Milbanke ielt his heart sink. ■ t .

In formjal silence 'the great man rose and - motioned hinf forwaond{ and ; down:';at jtfe? -. "Mi" -Milbanke,": : -he' iibegaiii.in..s©w-: ; iihd : unction- tones; : "T me to come to the point with as little delay as .pos;ible.T Professional • details' will hot interest you." " . ' :

Milbanke nodded mechanically. Molyneaux hesitated, studying his Wellkept hands; then he looked iip with the decorous reserve proper to the occasion. >" I regret, to inform you, Air Milbanke," he said softly, "that, my visit is of little —I might say of no—avail. Doctor—er — Gallagher's diagnosis of case ia satisfactory—perfectly satisfactory. Beyond mitigating his sufferings, I fear we can. do nothing for our poor friend." " Nothing!" Milbanke felt a sudden dryness in his throat.

Molyneaux shook his head with becoming gravity.

-" Nothing, Mr Milbanke. The injuries to the ribs and hips;;we might have coped with, but the seat' of the trouble lies deeper, The internal " But Milbanke held.up hi> h-aa:-d. "I beg you to give me no details,"'he said weakly. "Thi-—this is a great shock to me." x He covered his face with his hands and safc silent for a few seconds. Molyneaux. tapped lightly upon the table with his finger tips. "It was merely that your mind might be fully satisfied, Mr Milbanke——" he said a trifle pompously. Milbanke ntarted,. - ■ " Forgive me! I understand—l fully understand. It is only the thought that lies before ui:—the -thought of his children's grief—-" Molyneaux made a gesture of compre''hen siaii. "Ah, yes/' he murmured. "Yery distressing ! Most distressing!" ' He Hooked vaguely round, the room; and Gallagher, as if anticipating his thought, pulled out his watch. Milbanke quickly. "I thank you veiy much, Docror Moly-. neaux." he said. " for your—your valuable opinion.- I think Miss Asshlin wishes, to know if your tiain will permit of you to partake of i some dnner before you leave us?" Molyneaux smiled with the air of a man who has put a-a unpleasant duty aside. "Ah, thank you ■" he said sauvely. "Thank you! If Doctor—Gallagher gives me permission, I shall be charmed. He understands your local time-!tables, and, has promised.that I shall catch the night mail to Dublin."-. He smiled again and glanced genially round the firelit room. ""YSTiat interesting ; family portraits our poor" friend possesses!" he added■'-with pleasant affability. But Milbanke did not seem...to hear. "If you'll excuse me for a moment," he said hazily, "I will -see that you are caused no unnecessary delay. You can understand that we—that we are a somewhat demoralised household."

His voice wa,s agitated, His step uneven as he crossed the room and passed into the •hall. . ;

Mclyneaux followed liirn with a conventionail- glance of sympathy ; then his eyes turned again' to the pictures with the gratified • glance of a dilettante. "Do you happen to know if this is a Reynolds?" he said to Gallagher, rising and crossing iflie-loom.' CHAPTER IV. To the last day of his life, that evening, with its liords of harassing and unfamiliar sensations, remained stamped upon Milbanke'ts mind; and not least-, among tße unpleasant recollections -was the visit of Molyneaux, and the dinner "ait which he himself unwillingly played host. It may have been that his usually placid susceptibilities-had undergone a strain that rendered ;liirri over sensitive; but whatever, the cause, the atmosphere'diffused .by tfche great man jarred upon him. In his eyes it seemed little'•-hort *f callous; that one who had just pag-'sd sentence of 'death upon his patient cpuld so far Temain unmoved as to partake -with Relish! of. the dinr.er set before liim, and comment with affable appreciation upon the quality f -of the patient's wines. ;.: Milbanke spoke little during the .course of that meal. Try as (he might tlo enatfb the part entrusted to hinV his thoughts persistently wandered to the room upstair,?, with its .doomed offerer and its. anxious watchers, ES.-yet mtercifuifly ignorainib of the verdict that had. been -pronounced. 'But if the host was silent, the guests maae conversation. GaKagher was assiduous in his attention to the, man wflio, - m his eyes, I stood for the. attrnment of .all'ambiticia; j and Molyneaux—under the- unlooked ■;.for . cytimulus of good; if homely'food and Vines ,rh~at €vili ais an epicure he admitted,:to foe remarkable^was >;^ra'eiousljr"pl^aseyj' ta accept the: homage ijf Msyhumple'colleague, and .to display a sa.irw glimpse'of the polished wit 'for -which he' was: :i " rioted in ■societv.

His expressions of regret "were perfectly genuine when at last the sound of wheels m. the gravel of the drive broke in upcira his discourse, and Gallagher deprecatingly drew out h;i> watch. .. " The way of the world, Mr Milbaake!" he murmured as he rose. "Our pleasantest acquaintances end the soonest. I must .wish you good-bye—with many thanks for your delightful hospitality. So far as out poor friend is concerned," ihe added, in.,a correctly altered tone. " Dcctor .Gallagher may bs relied upon to do everything. In Is, ,csgs ".ike thiSj where physical paia is

recurrent -and "violent, we can only have recourse to narcotics. We have already allayed the suffering consequent on my examination and you may rely upon isoma hours'-of calm; for any 'subsequent contingency Doctor Gallagher has" my instructions. Of course, if you wish me to have one more glimpse at him before I g°

But Milbanke, who had also ri.-en, held out his hand mechanically. "Oh no," he said quickly. "No thank you! I don't think we will trouble you any further. It has been a great satisfaction to have obtained your—your opinion." Molyneaux waved hiV hand magnanimously. ' . . "Do not mention it!" he murmured. "My regret is deep that I have been of so little avail. Good-bye again,. Mr Milbanke ! It hais been an honour as well as a pleasure to meet you." He smiled blandly, and added the last remark as Gallagher solicitously helped lira into his furlined travelling coat. Then, still sauvely genial, he passed, out-of the dining-room towards the hail door. Gallagher hurried after himy but, in passing Milbanke, he paiwed. "I'll be back in an hour, Mr Milbanke,'' he said. " I'm just going as far as Canrigmore with Doctor Molyneaux to get an additional supply of morphia." ,' Milbanke nodded silently, and in his turn stepped into the [ball. When the two men had entered the waiting vehicle, when 'MoTynekux had waved a courtly farewell and the coachman had gathered up the reins, he turned and slowly began to mount the stairs, j Instantly his foot touched the Janding, Mrs. Asshlin darted from the shadowy corridor. . , .;'.<.. . Oh r ; r; 'The ;:sjuis-:; •■-'' ";:":■''* : , ."'/•'• f.T'iV \ Vtfr^:r^^^ attitude ; of mourning had heretofore' irri-. tated Milbanke ".'But now her''thin 'face and faded black garments came as a ; curiously welcome to the bland :affluence, the genfel, complacent? superiority of Molyneaux. |le turned to >iher with a feeling of warmth. "Forgive my delay, Mrs Ayshlin!" he said gently.••.' "One is never in a hurry to impart bad news . Doctor'Molyneaux holds out no hope—not a shadow of tope." There was a pause; then Mrs! 'Asshlin made a tragic gesture. '' - x "Oh, the children!" she murmured. "The poor, poor children! What will become iof them?" . --_, 1 "The children will be provided for," Milbanke said hastily. Then, ■vrithoult giving her time for question or astonishment, he went on again: " Don't say anything of this to Clodagh;" he enjoined. "She must have these last | hours in peace." j " Certainly—certainly! Poor Denis ! Pper Denis | I always said he would have an unfortunate end. But go in and see him, jMr Milbanke; Clodagh is in the room." Milbanke silently acquiesced, and moved slowly down the corridor. At the door of her father's room, he found Nance still, patiently watchful. He paused, arrested by his new sense of obligation, and looked down into the upturned wistful little face.

"What aire you doing here, Nance?" lie asked kindly. She made 1 a valiant attempt to conjure up her pretty winning smile, but her lips began: to tremble. "I don't know!'-' she . isaid shyly and asb-ftly; ,iin ;a; sudden<;4>ur,st ;pf confiV "dence shVys^ppejd,; close :sto him-; ;■', "Clo ;doesn'tilike; goi : iriy" ; she murmured;' '";-She;thiDks : itnTiakes:.me:sad to;see father; :.and v iv : .dbß^- , ' : 'kitb^w''''- : wnere''- , to' go. I'd be ■in Hannah's way ini the ; kitchen, • and I don't like /being with Aunt Pan, and— I'm frightened to be by myself. There's a horrid in the houe'e."

Her dark blue eyes searched Milbanke'e face appealingly; and with a sensation of pity and protection, he stooped and took one of her cold limp hands.

" You may, come in," he said gently. "It's v.ery lonely out here., f think we can make Clodagki understand." , . Without hesitation .: her fingers closed round his in a; movement of confidence and gratitude, and together they passed into the room where Asshlin lay peacefully under the influence. <of the narcotic administered by Molyneaux. By GallagherY.i orders the nun-e—who had been deprived' of her necessary rest in the morning—had retired to her room again in preparation for the night, and only Clodagh was in Attendance. Having quietly closed/the door, Milbanke halted hesitatingly, expecting a flood of questions. ; But to his; intense surprise she did not even glance in his direction. She sat motionless and pale, her eyes on her father's.face,: her.attitude ftitiff and almost'" defiant. He wondered for 4" moment whether, by the power of instinct, she had divined Molyneaux's verdict, or whether, through some source unknown him, the news of it had already reached her. With a sense of trepidation,: he tightened his round Nance's small hand, and drew her /silently into a corner of the loom. "

For more than, .an hour the three watchers sat regarding , their patient. No one attempted to speak—-up . one appeared to have anthing to say. Once or twice Mrs Asfihlin flitted, agitatedly,an and out of the room, but hone of them took heed of her presence. Occasionally a clock struck, in the silent house or a. cinder fell from the .-■fire, ca.using, the man to start nervously But except for these interruptions., the quiet was preternatural. :\ "'■'■'". It,was with a throb of relief that Milbanke at last caught the, sound if agher's horse trotting up the avenue, and knew by the shutting of the'hall 1 door that the doctor had entered the house. He walked into -the sick-rOom a few •minutes later, • and nod tp all present; moved at once ■ to f. the bed. Bending, over. Asshlin> he' felt' his pulse, then glanced significantly at Milbanke, who had risen on entrance. ■'

"I think .■.iw'&fJmust'- dn;ject* : a ; stimulant," he said. :,;'Mhe" r pulse <i: ds :! a-little weak."

"Oh, he's she said. Doc-tor-GaUagher^heV'hot Worie ?" Gallagher looked at her, and his expression changed; -The distress of a pretty girl is always'difficult-to resist. " No, Miss Asshlin," he said kindly. "No. "You see;.-Lie has gone through a lot. We must expect him to, -be 'weak." ; Clodagh lookel felieyed, though the alarm still lingered in'Heiveyes. "Of ."Yes, of course. Is there anytMn|^l'can do?" . Gallagher glanced at her again."Well," he said quietly, "perhapy you will call the nurse for me? There's no real need for her, but it is just as well we should have her orf the spot.' ' Again Clodagh's eyes darkened with apprehension, but she made no remark. Signalling to Nance to follow .Iher, she left the room. . .

As the two girls disappeared, Gallagher bent again over Assnlin, making another rapid examination; then once v more he glanced np at Milbanke. "He may not last .'the night," he said below his breath. "MolyEeaux expected that'it wouldn't be a long business, but

we didn't 'lcok for the change, so soon as this." Milbanke did net alter! his position. "You'll stay on, of course?" he said mechanically. " Yes. Oh yes, I'll stay on !" As he said the last word Clodagh reappeared. ' "The nurse will be here in a minute," she said 'in a steady voice. (To be continued. )