A SHABBY NOTE-BOOK'S CONTENTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1816, 29 July 1891, Page 6

A SHABBY NOTE-BOOK'S CONTENTS.

Bt Tk Waiiine im thk Dckedin Star ]

The time was seventeen or eighteen years ago ; the place was the crowded wharf at S*ndridge, Melbourne. The favorite and well-known steamer Albion was shrieking her impatient summons to laggard passengers. My luggage was on board; my »diens were all said. I turned with • quiet mind to my favorite occupation of watching the crowd. A tell and slender girl with very fair hair, alone, save for the porter behind her wheeling her luggage. Attracted my attention. Tonng women did not in those days rash about alone, as is new the fashion. There* fore, to be travelling unescorted challenged observation. Fortune favored my cariosity. The tolitety figure paused just beside me to watch the safe disposal of her belongings. Strange woman ! No brown paper parcels, bo apoplectic shawl rolls, no bandboxes. Abont as surged and struggled the queer collection of human items who seem to exist only for the purpose of seeing trains and steamers off. In the confusion, jostling, and excitement this young girl was the only one of her sex who seemed quite indifferent. Ar last her face woke up, as it were, and she smiled as a tall grey-haired man and a young lad came hnrriedly past, and crushed to her side, evidently to »%y good-bye. Ah, well ! we were off at last, but not before I had seen the captain catch sight of her, and, leaving the friends he was with, harry to her side and take both her hands in his in Welcome. So here she had a friend, at any rate. My interest in the crowd seemed, as is not unfrequently the case, to have narrowed down to a thin point of personality— the personality of this quiet lonely figure. As the steamer slowly swung from the wharf, I looked to see what interest sho took in our departure. None. She wan lying listlessly back, reading. Evidently Melbourne' was not her home. Surely she was leaving behind her neither loves nor friendships. Among the number of passengers on board, j a few — only a few — presently stood out as pissessing sufficient individuality to interest one. A little group, and yet lacking nothing in variety. First c» me a female acrobat, one of the wonders of the sightseeing world. Young, good-looking ; a strange mixture of natural good breeding and the vulgarity inseparable from her surroundings ; an almost impossible compound of actual purity and apparent immodesty. Then a quaint little old lady with a youthful figure, keen dark eyes, carls of soft grey hair, fingers knuckledeep in rings, and an air of the cheeriest, most unquenchable juvenility. Next a young girl, who was certainly designed by fate or cirenmattnoe to be foil to that slender figure, whom I have chosen (her trne name being then and now unknown to me) to christen Dolores. Short, freckled, red haired, there was nothing, absolutely nothing bat youth and g^od-nature to save her from positive uglinea.. She was travelling with her father' aau <»->ther, this uninteresting yoang person, aua ae* p irents more than made up by their own excessive individuality for her shortcoming?. He was a shortish man, in the orthodox clerical garb of the Anglican Church ; his get-up was correct in the extreme, his diction and accent above su;picion, and yet there was a ludicrous and contemptible suggestion of " whisky hot" in his moistened eye and reddened feature?. An air of dissipation lurked in the faultless decorum of nil garments ; an odor of tobacco wafted towards you as he moved. One seemed to see his nimble hands cutting and * shuffling a pack of cards. A subtle suggestion of a dissipated vagabond warred with his excellent make-up his irreproachable title of Dean Blank. Mrs Blank was a woman of no particular style v complexion, or physique. A drab-colored woman, so to speak, noticeable only for the painful restlessness of her narrow eye?, which had a curious cat-like habit of contraction, quits in consonance with the gentle rapidity of her movements ; and an air of for ever being on her guard against the unknown, which told a tale, I fancied, of a harassed past, a dreaded future. For some unaccountable reason Dolores at once became the point of attraction to every man in her vicinity, from the captain, a well-known lovelace, to a fair beardless youth, whose great grievance seemed to be the impossibility of buying anything on board ship. What lam about to tell row will scarcely be believed, I know, and yet I pledge myself to its absolute accuracy. It waa our second evening from port, j perfectly calm, the sea like a vast mirror, across w'-jee polished surface the two arrow-like lines that marked our coarse shone like silver in the radiance of the ''strong moonlight. Djlores, wrapped in the I captain's costly rug, lay on the deck beside the old lady, with whom she seemed— in self-defence, I thought — to have struck up a friendship. I say self-defence in the Bense of an instinct. She seemed to me to want a refuge from the pressing gash of Miss Blank, who evidently, unable to attract .; 'mile society for herself, found some consolation in being at hand to pick np a share of " Dolores'a " leavings." A refuge from the sometimes too pronounced attentions oi the captain ; a refuge from the various attempts io be agreeable of men whom she knew nothing of, and cared less about. The expression of sadness I had first noticed in her face deepened on further acquaintance. At ' times its weariness was pathetic ; this even- j ing it was so. One handsome man we had on board— a 'man whose extraordinary graces of person, together with a charming manner, entitled him to a place among my group of interests. Thus far, however, his physical beauty and unarm of manner had been his sole claim to notice; from henceforward it was different. I had seen him speaking once or twice to Djlores daring the afternoon ; he was now pacing up and diwn the deck, passing and repaseing her. Deerstalkers and snoh small travelling head-gear were then unknown. Uruier the shade of his soft felt hat I saw bid eyr-a for ever watching Dolores's recu.nhent 6gure. Apparently the exceeding beauty of the night tempted her to closer admiration. The little old lady was deep in nuts <if her m<ift animated reminiscence?, MiliJ'i'ffifd tn tie fair youth. Dolores rose itrtd went slowly t.> the stern, where the v,vr!"i.i<« dfok obstructions hid her from the jif.ii t i xhe h*d left. LBtnonde was the name of **»« hw'l-ntiiw man. F leno Lvnonde then Continued his walk f>r » few wrn°, hut with » hesitating air ; hit feet s-^m^fl Ciir»ing him one w<*y, his w~.ll urging htm to tome other course. Then be to»» p'"-*"*rt fiwn view into the comparative solitnde of the stern. lam vt-ry cu/i -a . 1 felt sure that there w;n Kvnethin,' pi-sing which would in-tcr.-qf. inn. ,My »tHndy Wdlk np and down fo.iw* u^^« / •b^r^ <i^ve y I, t-»o, admired the moonlit: sea — the" wirle, trackless world *here tky »nd sea took rqml shares — froth tt.r, dm. ; oitt gentle remonstrance of the waters &h thfe steamer cleft her way through their stillness ; the throb of the busy engine : tlid iiiurinur of voices upon the deck, or occ«Bioual loud burst's of langhter from the Cird players in the saloon, made no fihatruotinn to one's hearing a conversation <-trri«,J „n »t hand, hot rather wore an " airy veil, which enveloped, without destroy- » •«. •»••■(» *< !>(!**«» voice tone. Not more than five minutes had passed, I am oertain, .wee LciiivuCe joined that slender figure,

leaning wistfully against the side. M Miss Dolores, I implort you to hear me. From the moment I saw you that first evening I loved you as I never thought to love any woman. I know how mad it is to tel you ; but for God's sake listen to me ! You don't know my life or my temptations $ but think of me as some drowning wretch, who tees before him a ohanoe of life. For yoor sake I could be a good man ; for your sake " "Sir, you are mad'! Let me pass. What unfortunate quality can there be in me to attraot such an insult ?" Let me pass, I say." ' " One moment," broke in the hurried, passionate tones, with all the rich sweetness of the man's persuasive pleading throbbing through them. " Only give me a little hope ; only toll me there is a chance. Ob, listen ! Let me tell you how little will satisfy me ; let tne toll you that I can give you everything that makes life pleaSaot— just lay it all at your feet for one smile." " Let me pass, sir," broke in the girl's dismayed tones. " Jast one word," he pleaded ; and the moon shone full upon the perfect beauty of his face, all beat to one pale pleading, that idealised and transformed it as though his { very soul, hungering and thirsting, shone through upon her. I saw her tarn and look at him. Her eyes were dark with pain and grief ; her face looked wan and old, as if with some terrible recolleotion. " Then hope," said the white lips. As she passed him I saw him stoop and press hislips to her dress. What a midsummer madness ! Awhile I watched Lemonde pacing up and down the deck ; awhile I waited until Dolores and the pretty old lady went below ; and the laat thing I saw as I tamed into my berth was Lemonde playing cards, with a bottle of champagne 1 beside him, and a flush on the handsome face, a sparkle in the eyes that had pleaded with Dolores that disgusted me. A fresh breeze was blowing when I made my way on deck next morning, fresh enough to make a landsman doubt his " sea legs " ; yet here was Dolores, proud and c adlooking, with dark rings about h6r eyes, and here too was the gallant old skipper beside her. As I passed close by, his light blue eyes glared angrily at me ; his tete-d-tete was not to be lightly disturbed. What an eye he had for a pretty girl ! what a tongue for a lubberly sailor ! His | sobriquet of " Hell-fire Jack " Buited but i one side of his character. I often wondered that he had no other nickname. I caught scraps of their conversation. " I saw you with him ever so many times, my dear girl. What were you doing flying round with the man like that ? I'm thinking they didn't look after you very well." The sweet face grew pale, and the wintry smile that answered him was sadder than tears. Her words I oould not hear ; bnt the rough, penetrating voice of the old sea-dog, gentle as he tried to make it, was easy to follow. " You had no business wandering through those Fitzroy Gardens with him. I walked behind you all tho way down the willow walk one night." ..." Bringing yon home from the theatre, was he ? Well, my dear, I'm afraid he was a bad lot." I was neat enough, hidden behind a friendly shelter, to see her eyes dim with pain raised reluctantly to her old friend's tace, and hear her voice as she said : " Don't tease me any more. Don't, it hurts me. Did you know he was married ?" " No, by thunder 1 The blackguard. I thought he was a widower. I wish I had him here ; I'd make him co his own mother wouldn't know him. Curse him ! So he cleared out?" "He has gone to travel abroad for six months, until the hearing of his divorce suit." « And he " " And he asked me to go with him," said the girl'a low tones, and her eyes, no longer dim, burned like fire in her rigid face. The captain smothered a savage curse, and taking one of her limp hands in his wrung it bard, saying : " Forgive me. I am, indeed, a blundering 61d fool." This conversation set me speculating afresh | —more than ever was my general interest narrowing down to the point of personality, : that point being represented by Djlores.. Evidently, the " he " referred to had been a f How-passenger of Dolores on the way over. What manner of man he was one could guess from the conversation I had overheard ; but what had been the nature of bis friendship with Dolores ? To me it seemed he might have been a scoundrel who permitted himself any latitude to win a girl'a heart, and, maybe, to smirch her soul itself with the shadow of his passions ; yet, since he stopped short of actual ruin, accounted himself blameless — perhaps even took credit for his virtue. " You think I had slight grounds for BUQh a conclusion ? You cannot tell. I saw and heard ; you do bat read. While on the one hand I could not associate Dolores with the idea of a common intrigue, yet in her pained eyes and over all her tace there had swept an unmistakeable expression of shame at the captain's blunt questioning. There was about her, too, a strange kind of proud humility which seemed unnatural. Persistently as her handsome lover hovered round her, I noticed that he hardly ever succeeded in being alone with her. I think she must at last ' have subsidised the red-haired Ally Blank to be a kind of buffer for her. A rapid friendship fprancj up between Lemonde and the Dean, 'fheir taste in beverages as well as in cards seemed to be identical, for they quenched their thirst together in season and out of it, and invariably played partners whenever cards were the order of the day or night. In the latter arrangement Lemonde showed a pretty taste, for in every game of cards, from " cut-throat " euchre to scientific whist, it would have been hard to beat the Dean's play. I soon saw that Miss Ally was but human — and easily booght human, too ; and friend Lemonde was cunning. It became apparent that the glasses of claret, bottles of lemonade, and unlimited sweets and fruit with which the handsome man appealed to her feelings converted her into a zialous though secret coadjutor of his. At this stage it came about that Dolores tacitly accepted me as a buffer instead of the faithless Alice. I discovered for the first time in my life that it is sometimes an advantage to be commonplace elderly,, and ohy. It gave me the cnance of seing agood i 1 etl of a singularly charming and attractive I girl, but in suoh a harmless capacity that few men would have cared to take my place. L*monde was most absurdly jealous. He conlj not bear to see another man near his id. l At table he used to amuse me exces-Mv«-ly. D ilores always sat at the captain's right hand, and the old man's devoted attention to her used to set Lemondt'd teeth on edgf . I have seen him actually unable to eat; filling up his time gnawing bis moustache, drinkipg champagne, and grinding his teeth. It may readily he Baid, if Dolores objected to the m »u'd devotion, why did she not in a few words dismiss him ? Ab, well ; I oanuot cay. tier part I ould only guess at; her fjture I could not form any idea of; or imagine what possible reasons she could have f >r contemplating a marriage with a man of whom she knew very little— for whom she cared lesp. L inonde, I may mention, in virtue of his excellent toilette, his costly rugs and travelling paraphernalia, his lavish expenditure in wines, etc., was assumed by all on board to be a rich man. We all knew by this time

that he was in the Engineers, at present quartered in India, and that he was on furlough. We all knew what his father's place in Cork was like, and what grand fun hunting in Ireland was. As to his uniform, we had Been him in it during some charades got up by the passengers one night, and confoundly handsome he looke-1 in it. Anew complication dawned upon me. I fancied that the pretty young acrobat had singled out this handsome pigeon for her own plucking. The girl was very pretty, with an exquisite figure, shown to the best advantage by her mode oi dress, which was quiet and ladylike. It was only when she laughed or spoke that one regretted sound should so destroy an illusion. She had a berth in Dolores's cabin. The other women on board treated her with a cold disdain, and the well-bred meanness which only women can show to women. It was evident they believed her to be as frail as their own too-candid conscience told them they would have been under like ciroumstancss. Dolores alone behaved to the girl with a grave and gentle courtesy, for which one conld not doubt she was grateful. The day hefore we were due at Port Chalmers — where the Melbourne steamers then berthed — was Sunday. The Rev. Dean read the service in an eminently fashionable manner, but his pleasantly glowing nose and moist eye, together with that air of disreputable Bohemianism which invested him, harmonised ill with the snowy surplice and the professional intoning. There was a difference in Dolores to-day. She no longer avoided Lemonde, but permitted him to walk the deck at her aide ; and a Bplendid pair they made. I saw the old skipper fidgeting in and out of his cabin, evidently in an exceedingly bad temper. A fine flow of expletives, subdued to a low growl, relieved his feelings. After the enormous Sunday dinner, which everyone dawdled over, as presenting the most attractive feature of the day, I saw him take Dolores on the bridge with him. I could not even guess their conversation, but he seemed to be angrily remonstrating with her, and she to be attempting an explanation, which he for ever interrupted. Later in the afternoon we Betted into a little group, basking in the calm sweet sunshine — Lemonde, Dolores, the Blanks, the pretty old lady, and myself. Lottie formed the centre of a group of men at some distance. Their peals of laughter proved how well she was entertaining them. Unobtrusively and delicately the Dean left us and joined them. Sitting idling there, the evening stole upon us. Our talk took a sentimental turn — whether hearts are caught at the rebound was the motif which called for our variations of opinion. " What do you say, dear ?" queried the gushing Ally, turning to Dolores. " I say * Yes. 1 A woman is surely never so grateful for a man's love as when she ia smarting from the wounds given to her selflove by a man who has deceived her." " Good gracious, how tragic ! just like a book," giggled Ally. " Do you mean a girl is ready to love any fellow who restores her vanity by loving her when some other fellow has jilted her?" said Lemonde. " No ; you totally misunderstand me," answered Dolores, with flashing eyes. " I said a woman is never so grateful for a man's love a 9 she then is.'* " But from gratitude she may come to love him ?" said Lemonde, interrogatively ; and it would have been a fool indeed who could not read in the fierce hunger of his eyes how he longed for the answer. "No doubt; in a fashion," was the chilly answer, " but only by the man having patience and self-control, and being unselfish enough to keep his love from revolting her." " And when he was done with all this," interrupted Ally, " I Buppose he is to be thankful for the crumbs that fall from the rich man'd table, aad think he has dined well on a hash made from the remains of the savory roast the rich man gluttonised ?" " All things come to him who waits," said the pretty old lady. "You young people think your love is eternal ; that love, to be true, must be the love of a lifetime. Some day you will learn that a life is long enough for many loves ; that until you bind your Cupid with a plain gold ring, he will stray here and there ; and what and whom he loved a year ago will not quicken one pulse to-day." " No, surely ; not quite that," pleaded Dolores, taking the little wrinkled, jewelled hand in hers. "A woman is never indifferent to a man who has loved her. She always thinks of him tenderly, and with kindness. In loving her he sho wed his taste and discrimination ; he paid her a man's highest compliment. Is it not so ?'' Though she addressed the old lady, her lovely eyes gazed deep into Lemonde's, and that look alone was worth a score of ills. Ally's coarse nature could not follow Djlore&'a finer definitions. She looked impertinently into Lemonde's face as the Baid : " Does Miss Djlores mean that it U the love, and not the lover, that women welcome and remember ?"' The handsome man turned away with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders. She was not worth answering. " Do you know a Bong of Heine's on this same subject?" he asked Djlores, who now stood apart with him. "it is something like this :— I sang trc love of another, And gladly she hea<d tne strain ; ' If, waa good,' she said, • like a brother, To tell of his passion and pain.' I sang my own lone, burning Through heart, at d soul, and brain. Shi turned away ia her Hcornintr, Unheeding my passion and pain. And now we sit c'a^ped together, Her hand in mine own again ; And around us blossoms the heather. And dead is our passion and pain." " Ah, yeß, it is beautiful ; but you are too young and gay to dream of such an ending. You must, indeed, give up all idea of me ; it is madness." " A madness that is sweeter than sanity. Dolores, be patient with me. Let me think that some day we may ' sit clasped together,' but to welcome our love — not bury it " Very few women would have cared to deny that handsome beggar. And as he spoke the moon rove from the level line of the far horizin, and lit a long path of silver across the restless wate r. " The moonlight makes you sentimental," she said, impatiently. "If you desire so much, surely you can wait. All things come to him who waits " And so she swept away alone, and I saw her soon after retire to her cabin. She told me she was " tired to death, and hated moonlight." Later on I was left alone upon the deck. Most people, unable to amuse themselves with cards, had turned in, grumbling at "old Hell-fire Jack," who allowed no cards on a Sunday. The white moonlight which flooded the deck was too bright for the spoony people. The oDly sound in the quiet night was the throbbing of the engines and the soft complaint of the tiny wavelets as we cleft our way along. <. 1 Presently the captain emerged from his little deck cabin, and, after pausing a moment to " cast his eye round," joined me. It wai evident that he was still annoyed. His bushy brows lowered over the' clear blue eyes, and the square jaw was set like a vyce. Unfortunately there had been no "lubberly long-shoreman " on whose delinquencies he might have vented Mb accumu-

lated wrath, and thus cleared the atmosphere. We paced up and down together. Our ta^— l cannot now recall how — fell upon D)lores. The old man relieved his feelings with a few thunderous and heavilyweighted expletives, and was silent again for a turn or two Then — " I think I can trust you," he said ; "I've watched you sometimes— l think you are fond of her, in a Btraight way," " I am interested in her more than I can say." " Well, Bee here— she must be saved from that man !*' " Bnt if she does not want to be saved ?" " Why, man alive, she does not know what she wants. She is too heart-broken, and proud, and lonely ; too wretched, I say, to know what she wants." " But to marry a man she does not " " Stuff and nonsense ! You don't know much about women, my friend ; and, what's more to the point, you don'c know much about her. To ray way of thinking, she's not accountable for what she does ; but, by heaven, she shan't marry that fellow, to rue it all her life, if I can help it." " What do you know about him, then ?" " 1 know thatin a few years' time he will be a drunkard. I know that he is a gambler ; and I know a little — only a little, but enough— abouc his exploits with women. He is not to marry her and take her away to India or Cork either, to do as he. likes with her ; no, him, not while I am here to get my hand on the tiller." " Well, of course, you may be right about what you think of his future, though it seems rather hard. Very few of us did not sow a few wild oats when we were young. But is it not very likely that, with the intense love he evidently feels for her, she might be the saving of him ?" " It's too risky, my friend ; that kind of thing succeeds once in a hundred times. He is awfully fond of her now, but that's because he is afraid he may never get her. You know that little Lottie girl ? " " Yes " " Well, did you ever notice some jewellery she wears — half-open golden pea shells, showing a row of great pearls infeide to represent the peas? Of course you have. Lemonde gave her those in Melbourne not three weeks ago. He was mad after her, and gave her no end of presents, which she took, of course. You Bee, I know all about her. She's cunning and greedy, but she is a good little soul for all that. You know that fellow, her • brother,' who always performs with her — her 'favorite brother' — well, he is her husband. Step along here." I followed him till we came to the secondclass passengers' portion of the deck, and there in a little angle aat Lottie, with her head on the shoulder, and holding the hand of " Victor, her favorite brother." ' ' Poor things, it's a hard life," said the old captain, as we turnsd away. " She travels first clasp, but the others can't afford it ; and, since the delusion of her * brother ' enables her to pluck the young fools who hang around her because she is a circus girl, I rely on your honor never to Eay otherwise." " But Lemonde. I've never seen him look at Lottie." " Like enough ; the fancy is dead as ■ Julius Oernr. She took his presents as she always does, and in return gave him — nothing. But this is not the sort of man to take Dolores away to the other side of the world, is it?"' " No ; but, my dear fellow, what can we do to prevent it? Ido feel most unusually interested in her, but it seems very like tilting at windmills to propose delivering a young lady who chooses to sacrifice herself, even if the mm is a blackguard, which we don't know. And then he is evidently rich. Perhap3 it is the money she cares for." What a brute I felt as I said it. I did not need the look of angry contempt I got from the captain. " Money ia a very good thing. Of course she would not be fool enough to take the man if he had not money ; but I tell you she scarcely knows, and certainly does not care, what she is doing. You see her now, pale, quiet, and very silent, with eyes do sad they make my heart ache. Why, man, you should have seen her when she went over with us a few months ago. Anything so fresh and sweet — anything so full of life and fun an 1 brilliance— l never met ; and that's saying a good deal. She was the very light of the ship, and yet in her ignorance of the world and quaint freshness just like a child. There was a fellow went over with vs — a big bug, with heaps of money and all that. And he had a tongue, too 1 He's made many a woman's heart ache before he got to be Buch a master devil among them, I know ! . . . Why, what am I saving ? Poor girl ! It's her story, not mine. What right have Ito tell it— even if I knew it all ? I saw her then — I see her now — and I know there must have been a blasted storm somewhere in the meantime. Curse him ! There's no stain of folly about her, I'd stake my eoul on it. The blackguard has only destroyed her faith and hope, and smirched her very soul with his falseness ; taken all the innocent joy out of her life at its very beginning —that's all !" " Has she no friends ?"' " Plenty, I think. I saw a lot seeing her off in Wellington. I suppose she does not want to go back to them, to hear them gabbing about her cad face, like women do if they belong to you. Yet she must ;' for go away with him she bhall not." " How can you prevent her ?" Then he told me ; and the plan was a good one — if it succeeded. It was late when we parted. Through the night or towards morning we steamed beside the wharf. We all went up to Dunedin by the early train, and I got to know that Lemonde had actually got Dolorea : s consent to a marriage by the Registrar in Dunedin ; and they were to rejoin the boat man and wife. This would spoil all our plan, nor could I consult the captain, who was, of course, away on his own business. Those detestable Blanks were the principal factors in Lemonde's programme, and they all went up to town together. Unless I could gee Lemonde away from them everything would be lost. I went up second-class, and Lottie secured a seat next Lemonde in a first-class carriage. She found time, however, to pass close to me on the crowded platform at Dunedin and whisper ; " It's all right, you bet ; he is going to lunch with me at the Good-bye ; leave it to me." The day was a long one to me ; nothing to do but to worry about Dol res and wonder if things would go as we wished ; and wonder again why I took all this interest in her. What did it matter to me ? Even now I cannot account for it, it was not her looks ; I have seen prettier women. It was not love— l was not in love with her ; it was a subtle magnetism which enwrapped her and made her charming alike to this man and to that. Excuse me ;my thoughts run away with me. I, too, made it my business to be at the for lunch, I had no difficulty in finding Lofrtte 5 she was not a per eon who hid her light under a bushel ! Pretty face, lovely figure, cost'y dress ; the voice, the accent, the laugh — Lottie in full glory ! And all the young fools in the room saying to one another : "By gad ! that's Lottie ; we must go and see her." Her brothers (the real oneB) and Victor were with her. Some one — was it Lemonde ? — had stood champagne, and the pirty were merry as a marriage bell I saw Lottie lean towards him and clink her glass with his. I saw the looks and smiles and pretty fooleries she played upon him.

Would they have-any effect ? " I'm going down to the place where we have the show to-night, to see that all'd right. You're not busy ; come with me," she said to him. "I can't; I have an appointment at the Octagon at three," be answered. " Well, we'll have a oigarette before we part," she answered. " Come to our rooms." I watched his splendid figure as he walked by her side down the long room. His face was a little flushed with the wine, but his voice and manner were as perfect and as courteous as though Lottie had been a duchess. I never saw him again. At three o'clock I wan in Bight of the Octagon. I saw Dolores and the two Blanks, mother and daughter, come slowly walking down George sirett. Long, loDg they waited for the recreant lover. He did not come. I knew that Lottie had "done the good turn" she had so willingly promised. We were to go down to the Port by the 430 train. Did I say before that the Blanks were to remain in Dunedin, where the Dean had come to fill a vacancy in one of the Anglican churches ? I may as well remark here that they turned out a bdid lot, and, though very little anent the matter reached the public ear, it was a piquant scindal to those who knew. Well, at the 4.30 train I met Dolores. The Blanks, in a state of great excitement, were endeavoring to persuade her to reman with them and forfeit her passage to Wellington. I was in agony lest Lemonde should appear — eaoh seond was an hour. At last we were off. Just as we moved slowly along be-irie the platform a note was thrust through my open window to me. Just a scribble in pencil : — A cigarette or two and a very stiff brandy on top of the champagne did the business. He is quite seife. lell her to keep out < t bia way ; he is a bid lot. No steamer again tor a week. —Lottie;. The old captain stood watching eagerly the crowd as they ctme down the wharf - from the train. ' Old passengers, new passengers ; but no Lemonde. He came to me, his faca alight with pleasure. I handed him the note, and he hurried away again. Aa for Dolores, How did she take it ? you ask. It was impossible to say what she felt ; it must have been a strange position for her. She could not bring herselt' to ask about Lemonde, but listened for the comments of the others. Sometimes I fancied she looked relieved, as though she had awakened from a heavy stupor, in which bad dreams had tormented her. As we neared the end of our journey — and all the time the kind-hearted captain compassed her with delicate attentions, and treated her as though she had been a princess royal — I was certain that she was thankful for her narrow escape. In Wellington we parted. She— never knowing all the interest she had been to me, oi how I had in my small way tried to help her— said good-bye with a pretty smile and a gentle hand-shake. What became of her ? The captain told me she had promised him to remain with her own people, and to positively refuse to see or hear Lemonde, should he find her out. Years afterwards, when I had travelled far by sea and laud, I met " Hell-fire Jack " once more. He still had the finest boat in the Union Company's fleet, but that boat was then the Ringarooma. After a long talk on other matters, he broke in : " You remember that pretty girl Dolores and thit sweep of a chap that broke her heart ? G.id, he's ruined ; stone broke and disgraced. I was as glad as if someone had given me LI, OOO down when I saw it in the English news. Once I tike a down on a man I never forget him or it." " And the other fellow, Lemonde?" The old man broke into a roar of laughter. " Oh, him ! Gone back to India long ago, I suppose, the fool ! He got into the papers ; got prowling round at Lottie's show, and — I suppose he wasn't sober— got robbed, made a row, and was nearly locked up ; then he went making a noise about losing his passage. However, he ultimately slipped off all right. Hope it was a lesson to him Any way, he never troubled Dolores again. I had a note from her about six months after, sending me her photo, and thanking me for saving her." "How didshe know?" "Lottie told her." " Poor little Lottie ! you know her Btory ?" " Not I ; I've been travelling ever since I Baw you." " Well, you remember her brother Victor; he who was ' less than kin and more than kind ? ' " "Yea, perfectly." " He was drowned in a water hole at while bathing, and Lottie has never been worth a cent as an acrobat since. All her confidence left her when he was no longer there to give her courage." " Ah ! my friend, I must run to catch my train. Adieu." " So long," came the answer.