"A BEGRET SORROW.'

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8621, 27 March 1897, Page 1

"A BEGRET SORROW.'

BY MRS MAY AGNES FLEMING.

Author of " A Mad Marriage," " Carried By Storm." '

CHAPTER XXIV.

(Continued.) A gleam of Inrid fire shot from her sharp, back eyes, as the stood gazing defiantly in Kate's face. The indignant blood throbbed and beat in Kate's heart and temples. At any other tims she might have forgiven her intrusion, but row, forcing herself into the sacred chamber of death, with such defiant insoence, roused her indignation aim at beyond endurance. A passionate tonent of anger arose to her lipe, and it I was only the recollection that she was , spa king to mi old woman that restrained her.

'Well, why do yo a not force me out,, most angelic young lady ?' said the hog with a mocking eneer. 4 Woman-leave the room,' said Kate etornly, speaking ca'mly by an effort, ' Sba 11, Madoline ?' said Mother Wail in the lame sneering lone, turning to the countess. Her only answer was an imperious gesture for Kate to leare the room. Surprised and anxious, she obeyed, and Lady Danemore and the Witch of the Moor were togetlier. - ' Your husband's friends don't seem to welcome your relations very warmly, Madoline, said Mother Wail with a sardonic sneer; 'wonder if Sir Walter Percys would not have i eated your i;randdam more kindly.' * ' What has brought;yon here?' laid the countess hoarsely, keeping fcer glittering eyes fixed, as if fascinated on the repulsive face of the old crone. 'A si lßular ques ion,' was the sarcastic answer. • Why should I not come to comfort my grand-daughter on the death of her lover p The face and f jrm are as faultless still, Madoline, as when he made a fool of yon. 1

Still the fixed, steady gaze of those glebming black eyes. Even the callous old witch grew uneasy under their fixed, unallering stare. ' Why ~ have you come here ?' she repeated, in the same low, hoarse tone, that gave !i' tie indication of the fierce passions rending her heart within, . 'You shall hea'.' exclaimed the old Woman, her who'e manner chaDginj to ■ one of exultant, passionatefieroeness. 'I have come 'o fulfil my vow. Com* to disclose the history to those you have so long deceived, come to let him see in her trne colours the viper he has cherished ho long. Your chid and his who now lies dead is without, and all shall be revealed tbis nigh/. What more fitting time than when at are assembled benea h the same reof P How li tie did you think M adoline, when you laughed at my warnin? and called me a ' doing old simpleton,' that it would come to this! How litle did you dream when you parted from him who deceived you that this would be our next meeting! Did I not tell you I would follow you to the uttermost bounds of the ea^h'o avenge the disgrace you brought on a before unstained nann ? Bave I not kept my vow ? f Have I not, pursued you P Have I not followed you like a shadow over the]

jvorld P Ha"c I not wrung your heart P H&v© I not heldjour child for,ye:vr«, and relnsed all your prayerV to let yod see her ? Have I not been aven^ei? Look up and tell me, Mado'ine!' She laughed a harsh, discordant laugh as she ceased speaking, bat in spite of herself her etc quailed before the Bteady gaze of those magnetic black eyes. Not once did they faker in their calm, fixed look while she spoke. As Mother VV ail ceaaed she i ose to her feet slowly and with calm dignity. ' And this is your errand ?' she said, slowly, ' I thank heaven that the time has coma at, last. Go, tell them all; once I feared it, but the time has passed. I fear you uo longer.. Come, I shall assist you.' ".-..- She pushed aside the curtain as she spoke, and passed out. Little Magdalei s'ood s ill where the old woman had left her, in the middle of the floor. The countess approached, parted the raven curls from her bread, white brow, and, gazing steadily into the deep dark eyes, fixed so wonderingly on her face, she jnurmured to herself— •How like! how like!' Then pvessiag a kiss on the fair brow, ■ she */used her eyes and calmly encoun- • tered <&c eaae of those around her. 'My lord,' she said, turning to tbe j a3tohishei earlt' 'his woman has a comI munication to male in private to you i .and your qiqec Believe all she tells you; it is al Vuue. I will watch by the dead unu'your return. Go in there." She pointed towards the inner room. fllot-oer Wail was about to object, bn th ere was a sudden flash in the eye of the counteso that .waraed.her she would not b« refused. , The earl was on the point of asking an I explanation, when XyV, who guessed I what Wb • coming, laid her hand op his i arm and him with her. Mother \7«W turned to tfojllojr, first itakinx Magdalen by the hand Jo bring her with her; but the ,inter- [ iposed, laying her hand pa t^e child s 1 head. ..-<«. -j ! •• She will stay w.tb. me,' A* sa,id. I Mother Wail did not abject. There ; was something in the face of the conn- •! feu she had never seen there baore. Muttering to fcersslf, she followed the earl and his recce. Kate drew the curtains, and,ia silence, seated herself to ■ listen-

CHAPTUH XXV. m

iUNITED AT LAST.

There was «ilence ; for a few«ftoment* within the room. The earl sat garinffio silence, first at the old woman and than. at Kale, awaiting impatiently the solving of this mystery. • What does all t&ia-mean P' demanded the earl, at last, tunuais to L iKate. 'Vhat bas this old woman to fcelLuaP What could my lady mean ?' • Old woman!' repeated If,other , Wail^. bitterly. 'You bad better speak more respec fully, my lord, of the^ gcapddam of the Countess of Danemore.' i;

i 'What!' exclaimed the eari, ini- < dagnaDtly ;' what means this insolencef,; i ;aud*cions old hag ? Yon. her nrandoam,| ; :for«ooth ! You ha i bßtter be more chary ,lc»f you* words, or you will presently find * I younetf telling to the outer walls of the 5 old Moor JM-anor.' ■■,■«..• P •My loift, calm yourself,' said Kate, (hurriedly, weing the angryfl ash of the Vohi woman's ejjie. I hare reason to know (Awhat she says is true.' . f -*Impossible!* eielaimed her uncle, in nmazemea < 'La% Danemore the granddiild of the old Witch cf the Moor. It I'tsuinot be!' .*lt is *yen s>, dear ainole, said Kate £ ttnthinsly ; Tem< mbe^jmy iady told you t • b-iie ea•t: is old woma > said, I asbi ire you it is true.' 'Go on -ko on,' said the earl, shading h" w «yes with his hand*. ' What strange e\ rents are taking plaoe to-night! he m mttered to himself. • If I cannot convince jh»u now I am he t crandmotber,' said the old woman, • p estops you will believe me before I ha wdone. , 'My name is Wail Sorreaux I am Ft each by birth, havinß be<;n bo>u, . br ought, up, and married in a iit c sunn> vil i»ge in the south of France. That part of oiy history, boworer, does not ooucerii yo a, so I will briefly pass orer it. •* I had one child—«a daughter—as fair a i Qaiden a« ever tripped to the music of

the cas'anet. At eighteen ike vat wedded to one above her in rank and station, who bed been brought to her f eetr by her exceeding beauty. They bad but one child—a daughter, called Madoline, now Countess of Danemore.'

She paused, and cast a triumphant science towards the e.rl, who siill sat with his face shaded by his hand. He made an impatient motion with hit h >nd for her to proceed, and, after a pause, she went on—

' As I sdd, her father was rich, and Ma lolme wad brought up ud educated like a lady. But before she reached the age of fourteen her father was suddenly ki led, and her mother did not long survive him.

' MadoHae wm thus left v orphan, with no one to take efaarce of her bat me. True, there were her father's relation*, but they won id not notie her, a* her father had grievously offended them ky marrying one so far in rank below then. So I took to love,almost p*asion~ • ately. But there it on'y a step between love and hatred, at I soon found oat.

* When Madoline was aboot eixtetn, there oame a gay young English noble* man to onr Tillage. He ca'led himself Sir Walter Percy ; but though his words and bearinir were those of a prince, still, from the fiisr, various little things— trifles in themselves—made me saspect he was not what be pretended.

* From the first, Madoline and he urew. attached to each other. Every diy saw him at our cotiage, reading to her, and telling her ta'es of far-off land; while sb* would sit, and listen and listen, as though th«r was no one else in the world save himself. Oh, heaven, how the girl loved him! She worshipped him; while he, tbe son of a cold-blooded race, seaght h«r society because she pleased him—becamae like a spoiled child, ke wan*eda new toy. 1 Some secret feel'ng 'old me, from tbe first, how it wou'd end. I scolded, I ihreatended, I pleaded, I coaxed; bat tit in vain—she was infatuated. She' oaly laughed at me, and called me an old aim* piston for my pains; yet I bore it all patiently, for I loved her. .

(To be Ccntn^cd.)