THE MOTHER'S CURSE; OR THE UNNATURAL HATRED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2713, 8 December 1876, Page 3

THE MOTHER'S CURSE; OR THE UNNATURAL HATRED.

(Concluded) Walter at one timo imagined fchafc be might be the cause in aoa-> way or other; and having ineffectually endeavoured to recolleofc in what manner ho oould havo offended hor, ho frankly told her his doubts. But sho so earnestly, impofcuouHly denied any suoh probability, or that he wus in fcho remotest, degroo obnoxious fco her, that, bo oould nofc of courso disbelieve hor assertion* ; and ho began to feel an anxiety stealing aoross him when he saw fchafc Amy grew pale i»nd disheartened afc this romarkablo change in her mothor— a ohange apparonfc to most of fchoso in near connection wifch her— hub very evidently ono to whioh she herself was a total stranger. So for, she kept this «eoret to herself. She wafcohod tho unernbarriHwdoouMo of this truo love wifch furtive eyes and thero wore times when tho strength of ht r soul was like to give way beneath the avaUnoho that was hurrying her forward so unoonsoiously to her*elf. Since, however, the day was netyefc appointed, ifc was to her a respite, and sho endured her own heart-torture in flilonoo, Tho vulture preyed on her vitals — ao jefc, sho groaned not. The two, Waller and Amy, found sohoo in their mutual love, nnd wero thus thrown only the more into a drp,>iiri<«noo upon euoh. other, particularly Amy, who seemed to be shunned by her mothor win. nn unathy that wa» as unaoeouritab'o at it wa>i ir.fcoler*Me. Lite, fco this fair oroafcuro, w l.o seo'med born fco gladden all around, began to bu v very earnest; thing j and amid tho sweet water of whioh she drank thore began to bo taxied s mo of thoso drops of bitterness moro terrible than denth. It was a sweet evening, suoh on evoning as that in whioh he first ame in vi.iw at Dessart Manor, that keeling halt reverently— though wholly lovingly— »t the .foot of the superb, yet amiable Amy, hn pressed her to name tho day when their union should 4ak» place. Bending hor eyes upon hi'ti with* loving radinnao, the low and whispered, mum 0.-ossod ber lip* as she held down her hand for him to dovour it with kiß»oi, ;

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i i m r That same night ho told tho Lady Dessarl r what had ooourred,- and ho was startled tc i see the sullen gloom of a lurid firo burn uf . and brighten in hor eyes, whilo her pallid i brow grew stormy with tho wordless wrath i that left her dumb as a speotre, Weeks had flown by, and what took place 1 I'ofoll tho following afternoon. Meredith who happened to bo alono, mot Lady Dessarl orossing ono of tho ohambers overlooking the garden ; and, after some few words, thoy proooeded to walk together around tho gardon. Tho conversation turned, by a poouliar tondonoy on her part, to his approaohmg marriage with Amy j and as ho remembered tho thunderous brow of tho preooding yestor-ovo, ho quaked, and his stout heart quailed. Ho was almost glad of it, too, for it was nooossary to bo spoken of and to be dono with. Another timo it would havo been to him a delightful subjeot — now a vaguo fear weighed upon him, and ho spoke with hesitation, and used fow words ; but ho, saw that (as thoy advanoed to a moro impervious spot, where boxwood grew in absolute walls, and tho trim trees sheltered them, as in a ohamber) she grow rod and palo, was agitated and trembled, and her stop grow measured, hor air haughty and the fire in her flno eyes was alight. " Walter," said sho, suddenly, imperiously, sternly, " this marriago must noVor tako place. It will make rao mad — ifc will kill mo j tho vory thought of ifc destroys me daily. It cannot—it must not— ifc shall not take placo ;" and she turned on bis appalled oountonanco. hor now palo and ghastly faoe— pale with the flro burning her to ashes. "In the name of heaven, Lady Dessart ! " ho exolaimed, " what is tho meaning of this strange language — this violent outbreak ? You amaze mo— you alarm mo I I must surely have heard you wrongly, or else your words aro too wild to bo believed." •' Are you blind—cannot you sco P Aro you deaf— oannofc you heor P Are you a man with perceptions, or a human oroafcure with no moro emotions than yonder tree that bears storm ond calm alike P I love you ! You havo my oonfossion j and now you oan trample upon one who crouohes liko a "slavo at your foot!" And hiding hor faoe in hor bonds, with a deep sob, fcho proud figure— olad in whito silk, with jewels in hor hair, dospair in hor heart, and lovo in her eyes— -Bank, an inert mass at his feet. Sho had fainted. So overwhelming, in faot, was hor emotion, that, as ehe did nofc stir, Walter thought she was dead. He lifted hor up and boro her into tho houso, and her handmaidens oarried hor to her bed. Thafc nighfc she saw no one— spoke to no one. The nexfc she refused to soo Amy ; ond, on the third, desired that Walter should bo sent in to speak with her. He went ; and in less than half an hour came forth, palo and sad, as if ho had boheld a ghost ; and for tho remainder of that day ho did nofc seek oufc Amy. But, instead, tho mothor sent for Amy ; and she, in turn, camo forth oufc of tho room, blindly staggering, and looking herself up in her ohamber ; and thore was a depth of woo in her sunken eyes and palo oheeks that Walter dared not question why. Ho guessed ifc. On the othor hand, Lady Dossarfc had put fcho quostion to a deoisive issue, co far as regarded him. Sho had forbidden the marriage to take plaoo undor any conditions. Sho vowed thafc hor daughter should not inherit a blade of grass or a copper ooin. Sho said more than this, whioh mado fcho man's blood run cold ; but ho altered not his decision, nor shook his faith from Amy in tho least frao tion. On tho third day the young pooplo met in the woodlands, and hold a long convorao together, tbe result of whioh was that, Boeing all at onoo tho strango and fearful wrook of happiness that was hanging ovor her, sho resolved to trust horsolf for over to him, by at onoo becoming his wife, aooording to his own desiro, aod on his showing toner that thore was naught olso left for either of them to do, if, indeed, sho did not oheoso to subsoribe to her rt other's fearful conditions- a thing she drew baok from wifch shuddering ond awo. On the following morning, th refore, Walter, attended by a faithful servant, and Amy followed by a devoted attendant;, with a third person as ovidonoo, and friendly to both, they set forth whilo tho Lady Doasart remained in her ohamber. Having, in the meantime, oonflded tho wholo of the extraordinary case to fcho oonfidenco and judgmont of a revered clergyman who dwelt in a neighbouring village, and offioiatod at its ohuroh, and who sanofcioncd and approvod of tho conclusion to whioh they had oomo, thoy wero duly married, wifch" all tho proper forms of tho oorormny, with witnesses ond certificates and every aooossory thafc could tond to satisfy tho nervous fears of Amy, who was paler than a sheeted speotro, with tho horriblo shadow of some mighty fear still weighing upon her soul. When all was ovor, thoy roturnod baok to Dessart Manor, Waltor thinking that as tho irrevooablo dood was now dono and tho plightod troth redoemed by an oath of devotion, taken for lifo and death, still moro binding, that Amy's mother, sooing that there was no help for ifc, would listen to reason, and submit to tho necessity of tho oaso. Tumbling ond doubting, fearing and hoping, they thus roturnod— Walter leaving his palo brido alone in an adjoining ohamber, while he passed the threshold of that in whioh was tho woman, oonsumod heart and soul by her violent and ungovernable passions. She was seated in a great; ohair, and looked wan and brokon— a shattered wrook in co short a spaoo of timo. She was propared to sco Waltor j bufc he road, in fcho quiok and suspicious glanao of her eyes, thafc if hor hopos wero blighted, thero was thafc in hor naturo whioh might mako hor dangerous as a foo. Walter had more fear for Amy than himself, and he put on ihe iiosfc conciliatory look and manner. In tho meantime, unknot, fn bofch, Amy, trembling, but impelled t. ou irresistible power, followed to tho door, nnd stood without, looking in ber white garments liko a spirit waiting a summons to enter. , Sbo heard fcho storn, short; quostion pufc by her mothor. Sho hoard Walter mako a reply j she hoard his conoluding words — '• Wo are married." Sho heard tho suppressed shriek thafc followed—the broken exolamation— the moan of a heart trampled upon and despised j and then she heard her mother riso up from oufc her ohair, and swear an oath of suoh malign bitterness, that she drew back in horror. She hoard her mother ouree hor with a curse— herself, her husband, and, above all, her oft', spring, should she over havo any— a curso that the pen oannofc writo, nor tho tongue utter, bufc whioh was so tremendous as to show an infernal ingenuity in weaving together wither ing, blighting, blasting, and blasphemous words, whioh would havo thundered with a frightful strangeness oven in the arohos of the bottomless pit. Grovelling Jon the floor, insane with terror feeling herself transformed into something

b aotually unnamoable, Amy heard every distinct > and heavily artioulatod word, Waltor op- > poured to have beon sfcriokon into stono. I How Waltor broke the dreadful spoil, and i staggered forth ho knew not; but at tho doorway ho noarly stumbled over a flaooid mass of _ whiteness, whioh, when ho tenderly liftod it , up, ho soarooly know tho faoe from tho gar--5 mont savo by featuro j it was so deadly whito. . Ho oarriod his fainting brido away in his arms, ' and laying her upon a oouoh in her own oham- , ber, ho loffc her to the oaro of hor handmaidens, and then mado preparations f or' thoir dopari turo. And this same afternoon they left the . roof whioh was nOw to theso exiles a plaoo i full of tho darkest and hoavioßfc rominisoenoos, Thoy saw the Lady Dessart no moro. Sho oamo not forth whon fcheir doparturo was announoed, neither to bless nor to ourso. Tho latter had gono forth, and the air was laden with it, Walter provided a plain carriage for his wifo, and hor fomale attendant journeyed with her. Ho rodo in gloomy silence by its side, mounted on his good horse. In Walfcor's houso, howovor, all was different;. Thoro, to Amy, all was love and protection ; and the tender assiduities of her hueband, time, the genial ohango of fcho seasons, and all thafc could minister, was dono by willing hands, affeotionate hoartß, a noblo mansion, wooded parks, flno soonory, the luxury of wealth— but vainly. The arrow had spod— itß point wob in hor heart ! The frightful words oamo to hor waking and sloop- . ing. In her dreams they oreated ovil shapes, and things of unimaginable form hauntod hor sloop, othorwise thafc of innooenoo. It was with a deep, silent, and hopoloss anguish that Walter, as Bho now gavo promiso of boing a mothor, behold tho efcory writton in hor oountonanco. Sinoo departing from Dessart Manor, nought had boen seen or heard of Lady Dessart. Walter would nofc, Amy dared not ask ; ond the anxiety of tho formor was now oonoontrafced upon his wifo ; for ho fondly hoped— tho lasfc hopo loffc him— thafc whon sho was a mothor, new oarcs, new affootions, and tho oontinual duties of hor maternity, would oroate a new phaso of lifo to her. The babe was born— a hidoous abortion of nature! It had nothing of its father's oomeliness, nor any partiolo of the mother's beauty. The mother saw it but onoo, and then dosed her eyes in terror. Tho father looked upon it with affright, and bufc for tho oaro of the nurse, ib would havo porishod in the first hour of its oxistenoe. ******* It was evening. Tho light had vanished, and the long shadows fell in the ohamber, whioh was dimly lighted by a single taper. By tho bed was a oradlo, in whioh fcho baby lay ; but fche mothor, in profound agony, had turned hor faoo to tho wall. Walter was abroad, taming his maddenod soul in the depth of the woods, through whioh he tore like a maniac Suddenly a tall flguro darkened tho doorway, and crossed the threshold. Ifc behold tho oradlo, and approaohed. Taking up fche taper, tho haggard, spootral thing bent down, gazed long upon it, and then laughed a laugh of shrill, exulting joy. Amy turned round and saw the faoe— suoh a faoo!— of hor mother. It was like a stroko of lightning. She fell, with a ory upon the pillow as hor mother spoke:— "Tho ourso wos not vainly spoken! It has worked — ifc has worked P " She spoko to deaf ears ; poor Amy nover stirred moro. Enough had been dono to her, and her light and her life had been quenched together. When Walter returned, he found a dead ohild in tho oradle, a doad wife in her bed, and a babbling maniao gibbering on tho &oor. This was a combination of horrors too groat for his physioal strength to bear ; fever oamo, then a mental aberration, and for a long, long fcimo he was in a state of imbooility ; bub timo and a total ohango of econo wrought a ouro ; and ho shrinod Amy in his hoart of hearts, and in part forgot the terror of her lifeanddeath in the refleotion that she was now happy, and in a land of blessed peaoo and rest.