CHAPTER XIX.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1733, 25 October 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XIX.

A MIDXIGIIT MEETING. Dhara bad plunged the knife whioh had taken the life of Madame Myrrha into his own heart, A wave of horror swept over the people who were assemble! in the court-room. All had heard the story a3 Dhara had told it, and all had alike witnessed the Hindoo's hsroic exp:ation of his crime. The judge, the jury, the people who were gathered there, sat for an instant, after the first shuddering exclamation of alarm, as though suddenly turned into stone. Every one but myself. Upon the instant! when Dhara raised the deadly knife over hia head I saw and understood his intent, and with the thought I leaped to my feet and started towards him. I was too late, however, to prevent the fulfilment of his design, although I reached his side just a3 he sank to .the floor. I was not overwhelmed by the horror of the circumstance as were the others there, but its sorrow touched me much too deeply for words to tell. " Dhara— Dhara !" I cried, and my voice was filled with agony as I leaned over him and raised his head from the floor until it rested upon my knee. For one brief instant he opened his eyes and gazed into mine ; his lips moved, and I saw, rather than heard the words which they framed. " Dhara has paid his debt of gratitude, and now he bequeaths Nadja to you. This ia not death, but liberty — freedom for us all. Later you will know all the truth— to-day it was impossible. Good-bye, sahib." His lips moved no more ; his eyes dosed again ; Dhara was dead. For the next hour I was scaroely con* soioua of anything more that happened. Vaguely I remember that I was again called to the bar of justice; that my oounsel said something about being oontent to leave the case with the jury as it then BtOOd, and that presently I was burned, away from the courtroom, entirely freed from the faintess suspicion of oomplioity of crime with which I had been oharged. It was not until 1 found myself in Jules' studio that a full comprehension of the circumstances with which! was surrounded came back to me. Then my first thought was for Dhara, I besought Jules to see that his body was properly cared for. By Bonio strange perverajty of inward reasoning I did not yet believe that Dhara was the murderer of Madame Myrrba; I felt that behind it all there was yet another mystery which would one day be made clear to me, but of the nature of it I had no idea. " Jules," I Baid to my friend that same evening, " tell me now all that has happened since my imprisonment. I know absolutely nothing about those things regarding which if; waa most natural for me to inquire, bound and helpless es I was I falfc that it was best for me to remain in ignorance also." ' There is but little to tell," replied Jules. "The body of Madame Myrrha was buried almost immediately, and that of Nadja two days later. It was said that she waa afflicted with disease of tbe heart, and it was supposed that her death wa3 caused by suddenly and unexpectedly discovering the dead body, or by Borne shock of which they knew nothing." 11 Then there waa no — no " "Autopsy? No, they did not deem it necessary ; the cause of her death was held to be too apparent." " Thank goodness 1" We remained s ; lent for several moments. " Where is Dr. Ernani ?" 1 aekod. Jules frowned, for h8 could not forgive the doctor for absenting himself at the very time when I needed him moet. "I do not know," he replied, tersely, " and what is more, Ido not care. He " I held up my hand to stop him. "Wait," I said. "Do not judge too quickly or too barahly. The doctor has not deserted me, Jules, for I believe that he is even now engaged upon a work whioh I besought him to undertake. You say that Nadja's body was buried, but I am equally obtain th&t the grave wherein she was placed is at this moment tenantless. As he brought me back to life, so he has, or will one day, restore her to us." Presently I left Jules, and went to the house of the doctor. He was not there, but the cool half-light of hia office gave ma a pleasing sensation, and 1 threw myself into his operating cbair to rest and think. The servant had told me that ho had no idea when the doctor would return, and I fell to wondering whether or not I could patiently await the time when he should come to me, or if my own anxiety would compel roe to searoh for some clue by whioh I might discover him. Suddenly I became conscious of i strange sensation in my head. It buzzed and whirred, and at the same Instant I seemed to see the face of 12137 friend before me. It became with every moment plainer and plainer, and then I thought I heard his voice speaking to me. ' Dimly I recalled the course of instruction I had taken of the doctor. I remembered how I was to bring him into my presence when I stood in need of his services, and I realised that he was at that very instant performing the same strange feat in order to impress upon my mind something that he wished me to know. Without further hesitation I then threw my own will into the effort, so that we were presently in as perfect communication as though we had been seated there together in

Yo who read will feel much incredulity regarding this statement, but I who write have experienced this strange faot; but the apostles of Theosopby will certify that it is j not only possible, but that perfect communion between adepts in their faith, no matter how distantly separated they are from each other, is a common practice. "Tell me of the trial," was the first thought of whioh I was conscious, as coming from him over the invisible wire that our wills had stretohed between us. " It is past, and I am free," I replied without speaking. " Dhara is dead by his own hand ;" and then I recounted the incidents with whioh we are already familiar. "I am near you, Blak'ely," went on the drift of thought, whioh, although no sound oould be heard within that silent room, was nevertheless voiced plainly upon my senses. " I have rescued Nadja from the grave, but I oannot call her back to life. It may be that my own lack of faith in her personality has much to do with my want of success, in that it has very probably stolen away much of the power I couid otherwise have swayed over her unconscious form. But to mo the very continuance of her condition is only a confirmation of my belief that it is Madame Myrrha who sleeps t here in this beautiful clay, and not the one to whom your heart of love has gone out. " Whoever she is, she lives, Although the physicians who pronounced her dead would even now reassert the verdict which they gave then. She lives, yet I cannot restore her to life ; she lives, yet my powers have failed to work that magic upon her which [ would make her yours again, or restore your enemy to the possibility of continuing the warfare of existence againat you. " Blakely, you muss come to me. Where I havo failed, you may perhaps be successful. The faith which you have in the matter may give you the necessary strength which I lack, and thus united we may succeed. I havo reported to every expedient but one, and that one I bave not the courage to attempt. It succeeded in your own case, but it might' fail in a thousand others ; and in what regard would you hold me if I, even unintentionally, took the life of her for whose sake you would give up your own without question ? I "Again, the loss of my arm has, for a time, grently weakened me. The physical ia the pedestal of the mental, and the intense ! suffering which has been mine has sapped rnuoh of the vigor which I formerly possessed. Come to me, then, as soon as possible." "Ay, at onco," I said aloud. And my voice sounded like the clanging of a bell in that silent room. j " But where— where shall I find you ?" I continued. j "Here," ha replied, "in the very house where you have felt so many emotions. In the house whore yon first saw Na^ji — tbe house which w.aa Madame Myrrha's. It is deseited now, so people tbinlt, and I believe tha idea has gone abroad that it is haunted. 'Every known entrance to the house is locked and barred, while across eaoh is placed the lookseal of the Public Administrator. " Nevertheless, there remains a manner of entrance and egress. At midnight this very night I will meet you at the corner where I left you after I had received my wound. Then we will return hera together." The strange communication oeased, and his face faded from my view. I I sprang from my chair and quickly examined the dial of my watch. It was just nine o'clock, bo that it lacked but three hours of the time appointed. I hurried back to Jules'a studio, and finding that he was not there, left a note for him, in which I said that I expected to be absent from the neighborhood for several days ; that as soon as I returned again I would come directly to him, ■ » • i i It was exactly midnight when I paused at the corner where the doctor had requested me to meet him, and at the same instant I saw a figure approaching, which I at once recognised as his. Ho qama silently to me, and without a word linked his arm in mine and led me away, Ws did not go directly towards the house, but around it, by another Btreet, so that we finally approached it from the other side. Tbo great iron fence which enclosed the grounds stood grim and sombre, as though frowning upon our approach. Pausing as Boon as we oaraa to it, the doctor gazed caref ally up and down the street ; but there was no one in sight, and the n. xi instant I was astonished to see him easily remove one of the tall iron pickets and motion for me to pass through. I obeyed with all haste, and he quickly followed me, carefully replacing the iron tube in its place. "Dhara revealed it all tome," he said, briefly. " Poor Dhara, he had a noble heart, Blakely, as you will realiee more fully when you know all."— (To br cnvttmicd.)