LITERATURE. THE BLACK CROSS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5990, 27 July 1887, Page 1

LITERATURE. THE BLACK CROSS.

« NEW STQRY.

[Bt Hamilton Sbymotos.] (Author of "The Scarlet Cord," "Newlyn," ' ■*■- "The Old Grange," &o.)

{Pityishei ly Arrangement xvith tha Author) (Continued.) Chapter XX.

EXPIATION. Poor Proufc waa totally unprepared for a defeat, and became almost paralysed with awe at the tragic turn affairs had assumed. Caleb, who had only a glimpse of the . conflict* saw Loyola gain possession of the L revolver, and, heating it go off, fairly con* that Prout was eaot'. , Trembling W Vith fear, he ran upstairs as best he could, r "Oh ! Maister Richard, Makter Richard «~Faither Prout ia killed." They too had heard the shot and wondered what it meant. Violet shrieked and ran down the stairs, followed by Bichard and the terror-stricken Cajeb. As they entered, Prout regained his looses, and bounding forward, took away the papers from Loyola's hand. Fabri indeed was dead, but the woman ffBB Btill painfully breathing. They conveyed Her to the parlour odfa,and immediately sent for the family physician. The dootor arrived, and after probing About the. wound for a considerable time, pronounced life to be in danger. ' "Ah l" said he, as the woman endeavoured to rise, "you must not do that, my good woman— now, lie down and be quiet/ "Oh ! sir.l— lcannotbequiet. I must— l *-0h I that look ! that look I how it haunts mej what it tells me! Laura! Laura! was his last cry, and in thy old, sweet voice- OhlmyPietro. Oh! what have I dorieP Methinks he could have loved me vet, if I had but tried some softer, more alluring means." She muttered a whole string of Italian words, then again vehemently breaking into English. '"No! no! that could never be—— " "If you go on talking thus," interrupted the doctor, you will kill yourself." • ** You must — — " " Oh', sir, I must speak why I stabbed him; bjltsis he dead?"

"Yes," answered the doctor. "AhJ poor, poor Pietro 1" The woman appeared extremely miserable, and- Buffering intense pain. Her breath grew weaker and weaker at each gasp. 'Around the sofa stood first tho doctor, then Violet, Prout, Eiohard, and old Caleb Fißher. She refused to comply with the aerator's orders, and with a great effort slightly raising herself began—

" I— • I know lam dying ; but never mind me. Listen i My name is Laura Degrandi. For the purpose of seeking and destroying Loyola Fabri, I and my brother Monotti arrived in England aB organ-grinders some three' years ago. Before that we had traversed all Italy, Hungary, and France, inquest of him 3 at each place we learned more and more of him until we came to England, and here my brother met him, and attempted to kill him; but he escaped, and Meriotti was taken prisoner. Fabri, not desiring his early history to be ripped up at the trial of Menotti, himself procured Menotti's escape.

"To avoid the search of justice we retired into Wales, from where I have just returned.

"M&ny, many years ago, Pietro Fabri clandestinely married me at Spoleto, and a year after ruthlessly ■ deserted »me in abject want and destitution, with a babe in my arms. ** * "But that was not all, as I learned shortly after) ho took a fancy to my younger sister, and taking her to Villetri, rained and destroyed her. Whereupon I swore to be revenged, regardless of time or place * * * " She fell back exhausted, and a few momenta later was dead. The police were communicated with, who had the bodies removed, and after many questions and explanations, and the sitting of the Coroner's Court, they were ' ultimately buried in a corner of the unconseorated ground, where darkness has thrown ita mantle over the earth, in the old village ohurobyard. By the pale light of the moon the two newly-made graves looked shadowy and vague in the far- distant corner, and seemed to whisper in a hushed voice an awful tale of human shame and passion ! There they lay sido by side at last ; whose courses in the troubled vale of life ran so ignobly at a tangent! What though it be within the grim and narrow limits of the grave ? There they mxiat lie side by side until tho trumpet of God awakes the world to tho great resurrection. And' then, when the hour of everlasting judgment draws nigh, not all the tears of the Angela of Mercy could wash away and purify their bouls ! In vain waited the August. Society of Jesus for tho highest nomination of him who had laboured go much for them ; he was now lower than their lowest. In vain waited Niccolo Caparra for the signal which would not come ; and alike useless now the diligence of Cola— he was dead $ and with all his unrepented sinaiipon his boul ! — — —

Chapter XXI.

' • . , THE FUBEYITES. kt. The fear and excitement in the minds of •.the prindpal parties interested at Fenthorpe and ' Woodball Manors gradually abated after the death of Loyola Fabri. Caleb recovered entirely from the influence exercised over him ' by the priest, and became an honoured servant. Job, too, turned up and told his tale, and one day a tramp came to the "Black Bull" Inn, Horncastle, and took ill there with fever, and before ho died confessed that on a certain night (the same date as Sir Ralph Elliot's funeral) he and a companion murdered and robbed a traveller in the neighbourhood of Fenthorpe, and afterwards tied the dead body ( on to the horse and Bet it galloping. This cleared up the case against Job, who no longer remained" a solitary reed-gatherer but a trusted servant. . Concerning the other croßB — it contained a portrait of the Monk Lazarus, who so mysteriously and accidentally turned out to be tho grandfather of Richard. Richard himself pot being subject to tho influence and companionship of Fabri, daily grew better in health, strength and spirits. The good-hearted, genial unassuming Prout often said that Fabri would have been a very great man indeed if hiß evil genius was not so prolific in placing him in false positions. 11 Why," he would murmur, as he enjoyed his afi^er dinner cigar, " What a nerve that fellow had— what a character— how firm and reßolute in danger — how dissimulating and false to the backbone. What a Bplrlt for everlasting intrigue. Oh !he would have been a great man if ho had been less wicked." Menotti'Degrandi did not remain long' in the country alter the death of his sinter, indeed, he scarcely made himself known, in case they should apprehend him for his former crime. Young Pietro, the son of Fubii, had, unfortunately, inherited his father's «vil propensities. In a moment of ragu he attempted to assassinate a more fortunate rival, and, being arrested, was committed for seven years' penal servitude. The Jesuit Older in England waa.attbis.time

.strong and confident of ultimate supremacy. I The, enthusiasm and genius of Loyola had done 'much to ratify, their expectations. Had he lived, the movement of 1841 .would have been more than a mere rival of Eomsn Catholicism. As it was, the conflict between the high dignitaries of the English Church and certain' gifted and enthusiastic young Oxford men grew to alarming proportions. History has recorded the names of Dr Pusey, John Henry (now Cardinal) Newman, Keble, Williams, and Richard Hurrell Frcradeas the great leaders of the "Traotarian Movements." They were of extremely High Church principlea. Dr Pusey's name was used to deaignatea new school of religious teaching i distinguishing those as " Puseyites " who sympathised, with Dr Pusey and maintained with him that it was quite consistent to be a member ctf the High Church party, and never entertain, the least idea of entering the Church iof Rome. At this time the influence of . Rationalism borrowed from the German theologians, and the deep connection between Church and State in England, which operated to the. disadvantage of the Church as a sacred institution, led to the publication of the "Tracts of the Times," vritix the object to revive the authority of ike Church. Of these Cardinal Newman wrote "the celebrated No. 90," and for which two years later he had to resign the incumbency of St Mary's, Oxford. Finally he seceded from the Established Ohurch to that of Rome in 1845.

A quarter of a century afterwards the late Lord Ifeaconsfield described his secession as hiring " dealt a blow to the Church of England under which ehe still reels."

Dr Pusey and the others maintained their position to the end. The Jesuit enthusiasm gradually dwindled away ; but the latest development of that Catholic revival is the ritualism of the present day.

(To Tbe continued.)