CHAPTER XXVI.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1216, 23 January 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE WIFE'S TRUE GUARDIAN.

Lord Caßtlemaine wa? just a little puzzled; not suspioiocs, but puzzled. He had nothing to be suspicious over. He was in the readingroom of his olub, his face and head hidden by a copy of tbe Times, on which he was intent. Two members of the olub, both well known to him, came in and sat down close to him, without perceiving him. They had evidently been deeply engrossed in conversation, and they continued it now. 11 There is nothing in it," said one to the other. " I know her well. I am sure there there is nothing in it." " It is seldom you find smoke without fire," said the other. "I do not know. .1 feel sure this ia all smoke. How many such rumors are born and die in a day." This was spoken by Sir Harvey Hope, who always took a bright and ' hopeful view of things. Colonel Charters, who answered him, was a man who took a dark view of everything. " True," be replied, " bui I think there is generally some cause for them. I am sorry in this case, for I have a sincere liking for the lady, and the husband too." "I do not believe it," said Sir Harvey Hope. "I know them both, husband and wife, and I do not think there is a happier pair in London." " I must admit the came thing," said the dark-minded colonel ; " whenever I have seen them together they have seemed most united, most devoted to each other. I was utterly astonished." "But what did you hear," aßked Sir Harvey, " only foolish rumours ?" " I heard the same old story — that he had gone mad over her." " That is not her fault," interposed Sir Harvey. " She cannot be blamed for that." " Certainly not ; but knowing the character of the man, she should not give him the slightest encouragement. When he was in England before, there was always some scandal or other about him." " That is not her fault either," interrupted Sir Harvey. "True; but it should make her careful," said the colonel. " Probably, being young and unaooustomed to the world, she knows nothing whatever of the evil side of his reputation, and only knows him as one of the bravest officers in England." " Then her husband should look after her," grumbled the colonel. " I have no patience with the men of to-day ; they sit by, in silent inactivity, while their wives go straight to ruin. I cannot tell what they are made oi." " This is rather a sweeping assertion," 3aid Lord Castlemaine, laying down his paper, and looking both gentlemen in the face. They could not have been more horrified if they had suddenly seen a ghoßt. Sir Harvey's cuddy face suddenly turned pale, and Colonel Charters, in his agitation, almost dropped bis cigar ; but Lord Castlemaine was serenely unconscious; he had not' the most remote idea the conversation had been about him ; he would not have believed it if either ol them had sworn it. " That is a sweeping assertion, Charters," he said again ; " and, do you think, quite deserved?" " I am sorry to say I believe it to be perfectly true. lam amazed at the indifferent, callous fashion in whioh husbands see young and beautiful wives launched on the very sea of fashion, dissipation, and exoitement, and make no tffort whatever to help keep them safe. I say that it amazes me. A husband should be the guardian oihis wife." Sir Harvey Hope laughed ; but his life was not a bright one. " I do not think many wives would like that notion," he said. Lord Castlemaine remarked : " I am proud of the reputation the Castlemaines have always enjoyed, of being good husbands." The two gentlemen looked- at eaoh other. Their- eyes met, but they spoke no word. " It would be indiscreet," he continued, " to ask of tohovi you were speaking ?" Sir Harvey admitted that it would. The Colonel was silent. " I could not help overhearing/the conversation," he said, " and it is no matter of mine —no business whatever of mine; but if I understand you rightly, rumour is busy with the name of some young and beautiful young lady." The two friends looked at each other Strangely. " " That is it," replied Sir Harvey. " That same man describes himself as going mad about her, while she. is a married woman ? " " True," nodded the colonel. He wished himself far away, and evidently thought the less said the better. "If she is married, she has a husband to to take care of her, I suppose, and to keep all such men at a distance," said Lord Castlemaine.

Both gentlemen nodded, but did not answer. The situation, to say the least of it, was piquant and peculiar. " I should' ve*y quiokly decide what to do in his case, be he whom he may," continued Lord Castlemaine. "If be has dared to speak in that way of any married lady, let her husband take up her defence. 1 There is no need to whisper it in corners. Let her husband find a whip with a strong lash ; then let him seek out the coward who has so spoken of his wife and lash him in public One or two suoh examples would cure suoh scoundrels of trying to make love to other men 0 wives,"

Again the two gentlemen looked helplessly one at the other. "That is the right thing to do," added Lord Castlemaine. "To quarrel with suoh a man is to encourage him ; to fight with him would be to dignify him. The right thing is to horsewhip him." " How can you horsewhip a gentleman?" asked the colonel, helplessly. "A gentleman 1" repeated Lord Castlemaine, with infinite scorn. "We are not speaking of gentlemen; we are speaking of oowards and traitors, who have no respect for women, and no respect for the honour of their fellow-men. We do not call suoh persons ' gentlemen.' I would brand suoh men, I believe ; " and Lord Gastlenraine's face shone with a noble light as he spoke. " I believe in tbe sanctity of marriage and in the honour of women." 11 A noble fellow," thought the colonel; " but what a situation 1 " " Curious things will happen," he said, aloud. "The world is pretty muoh what it has always been. The sins of Adam and Eve, of Cain and Abel, of David and Solomon, are our sin's." " We may all be sinners," said Lord Castlemaine, " that lies between us and our God ; we may all be at the same time loyal and honest men, that lies between us and our fellow creatures." Colonel Charters rose from his seat and yawned as politely as possible. Sir Harvey imitated him as quiokly. Lord Casflemaine wondered why their interest in the subject died so soon, and why they seemed in such a hurry to leave. " I am going your way," said Sir Harvey to the colonel ; " shall we go together ? " The two gentlemen left the club together, arm in arm. " Of all the strange things," said Sir Harvey, solemnly, " That is the strangest. To think that we should have gone into the very room where he was, have taken seats near him, yet not have noticed it was he." "And to think that within sound of his own ears we should have discussed his wife and Colonel Lennox." "He has not the faintest idea of whom we were speaking," said Sir Harvey. " Not in the least," replied the colonel. " It would not have been a pleasant hour for us if he had done so, and it would have been harder still for Lennox." " Yes," said Sir Harvey, with a grim smile ; "even his victories in Zululand, the-Vic-toria cross, and all the honours he has reoeived would not have saved him from thai! terrible whip."