HUBERT BERESFORD'S TREACHERY.

Western Star, Issue 979, 5 September 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

HUBERT BERESFORD'S TREACHERY.

Our Novelettes.

Chapter V., and Last. Jack and his uncle were left alone now, for the Eibbonraeii had fled in all directions through the wood, and the constabulary had followed them. " Aro you hurt, uncle ?" Jack asked, anxiously. " No, thanks to you, my brave boy. But for you, tint fellow would have done for me. Butyour-elf ?" " Not a scratch, uncle ! Come—they must be very anxious within." "It is strange," he said, as they went towards the house. " The fellow's voice was famil'ar to me. Who could he be ?"

" Terry O'Brien probably," Jack replied. It was well, he thought, that his uncle should not know just yet that it was his nephew and heir that sought to kill him. They knocked loudly at the great oken door.

" Who's there ?" demanded some one from the inside, though no light yet appeared in the hall.

"It is I. All is sife. Open!" said Mr Beresford.

The door wag opened by old Melville, and he entered. As he did so a white figure ushied from the darkness of the hall towards him; two fair arms were thrown around his neck, and a young face nestled on his breast. "Maggie, my darling child!" the old man said in a tremulous voice as he kissed her forehead. She looked up suddenly. "And Jack!" she interrogated. You have eeen him ? Where is he ? Is he safe ?" " Here, _Maggie," said Jack, standing beside her.

She turned to him a low cry of joy, stretching out both her hands. He took them in his, and bent over them in silence; and then, in that moment of supreme happiness, she seemed to forget everything but the thought which was uppermost in her heart, for she said, in a low, tender voice "My darling! Then Heaven has heard my prayer, and spared you te me." Her father heard her, and watched her, a new light breaking in upon him. "Aud your mother, Maggie? Where is she ?" he asked. She entered at that moment, very pale, followed by her two other daughters and the servants witb lights; and then there were embraces, and glad, happy smiles, and not a fevr tears of joy, for Mr Beresford was beloved by all his household; and in the midst of it all the sergeant of police entered. Every eye was turned towards him. Jack and Maggie watched his face, and with an interest peculiar to themselves waited for his first word. A weight seemed lifted from both their minds when b.e said, in a disappointed tone—- " It's of no use, sir. We can't do anything until dawn." " Have you made no arrests ?"

" No, sir." " Then I'm glad of it—right glad of it," said Mr Beresford, to the surprise of all. "It will make the future easier for us all. Now, sergeant, put yourself and your men under the command of Melville here —that's the best thing that you can do. He will make you comfortable until daybreak." The consequence of this suggestion was that the night was wound up with mucn festivity below-stairs, and that Mr Beresford and his family, in their quiet sitting-room, heard such sounds as these as a door opened for a moment below—" Mr Jack Beresford for ever, boys ! Here's to hiui! Hip, hip, hurrah 1" Mr Beresford and his family had sat down to supper, but little was spoken at it, and little was eaten except by him and his nephew. Now they sat together, enjoying the pleasant, lulling sensation of security after a great danger. Mrs Beresford, sitting by her husband's side, broke the silence—- " Tell me the whole story from first to last, Capel. I know but little of it as it is, and I cannot sleep until I have heard it all." "It would pain you to hear it, Jane," her husband said, stroking her white hair tenderly. "It is better to wait until daylight." "Pooh!" she returned, smiling. "You ought to know mc better. Bemember what 1 did long agoj when my father's house was attacked by Whiteboys. Why, none of my brothers were braver! Come, begin." "Faith, you had better not ask me," he said, sipping his port with more than usual relish. " Ask Jaok here—he is the man that has sayed us all."

And then, Mrs Beresford insisting, Jack bgan, taking care to make no mention of Hubert, and in a very simple unpretending manner, as became a simple, unpretendiug gentleman, he told the story of as bright a piece of heroism as any young lady might like to cherish the memory of in connection with a handsome youth who was her lover. As he went on Mrs Beresford took her husband's hand and pressed it every now and then; and Maggie, seated on a low stool by her sister's chair, watched from the shadow him whom a few hours before she had seen face death for the sake of her and those dear to her. The kiss that he had given her at the wiudow was still tingling on her lips; his words of the previous evening -*" Everything will be dreary now, Maggie"—were still ringing in her ears. When tie had finished, Mrs Beresford got up, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him as she used to years aud years before. But no one spoke, and in the silence the old man rose up »nd rested his arm on the back of Jack's chair, and then it went round and rested on Jack's shoulder, and the old eyel.ds were pressed closely together two or three times, and the old voice said, tenderly—- " Jack, my boy, may Heaven bless you for this!"

Poor Jack began to feel that he was about to act like a baby, aud stood up, took out his watch, and contemplated it for an unreasonable length of time. " Hallo!" he said, in rather a high-pitched tone of voice. " Why, it's four o'cloott! I must go." They all Btared in amazement. Maggie looked beseechingly at him, but he would not notice her.

"Go!" said his uncle. "Why, what do you mean, Jack? Niay where you are, sir 5 i'll send a messenger oyer. .King, Lucy, and tell them to get Jack's room ready. Yes, Jack, my boy," he went on in a softer voice ; *' And If you like you need never go away again." He looked at Maggie as he spoke. •'Come here, Maggie," he said; "come and help me to ask Jack to stay." Maggie came to him, blushing furiously. "Now, Maggie, do you still care for this silly boy ?" " Oh, I 'like Jack I" she said, looking down, while Kate and Lucy tittered.

It was Jack's turn now to blush. There was a pleasant sparkle iu Mr Beresi'ord's eyes as he said —

" Why, Maggie, It's a whole year, I think, since I parted you two ! Yon don't mean to say that you still- " '• Oh, we've met a {evf times since," Maggie interposed. " Oh, Maggie, Maggie, you wicked girl I" said her father, with mook severity. ** Well, well, Jaok, you know the lore J. have always

had for you ; but you see that T had a foo'ish wish that Maggie should bo Hubert's wife. But I see things better now, than I did before to-night. I think you like her better than Hubert does, and I think she likes you a little better than she does him. By the way, Jack, would you like to take a trip abroad ?" Yes, Jack would decidedly like a trip abroad

" Well, then, [you'll como with us, Jack, and Hubeit—why, Hubeit may stay at home with his debt?. Now you may kiss each other."

And then the young lady, whose heart was bounding witli joy, turned up a coll cheek, which the young gentleman, who did not know whether he was standing on his head or his heels, kissed in the coldest and most ceremonious manner po sible. It so happened however that Jack was a smoker, and he protested that ho could not, s'eep unless he had his cigar. So, as a special favour, he was loft alone in the dining-room to enjoy it. And it happened, moreover, that, when the girls got to their common boud ir, Lucy became conscious that, she had left a ri: g on the mintel'piece in the sitting room, and with a sad attempt at a grave face, lequested Maggie to fetch it, which Maggie, like an obedie;.t sister, did. And then the long lo>k and the long kiss were Kivon, the sweet, tender words, to be treasured up and never to be forgotten, were spoken, and the two hearts ware again beating each for each, this time never to be torn asunder.

On the afternoon of that day Mr Beresford and his family, accompanied by Jack, quitted Liscarra for the Continent, all of them glad enough to be away from the fuss and the babble that ensued after the nightattack. Pour days afterwards news was brought to them in Paris that the dead body of Hubert Beresford was found floating on the lake, his right ami broken by a pistolshot, and in his bolt a revolver which had lately been discharged. He had been drowned, it Was conjectured, in trying to scull across the lake with his unwounded arm. No suggestion was offered as to how he received his wound, but there were strange whispers on the subject in Liscarra itself. The family of course was horror-stricken at the news; but no one mourned for him—no one except perhaps the poor woman he had wronged so cruelly. There were many reasons why Mr Beresford at hast should ieel little sorrow at his fute ; for his favourite Jack was now his heir, and would succeed to the broad lands of Ballymore. He wished however that inquiries should be instituted concerning his nephew's death. But, after a long consultation with Jack, to which Maggie was summoned as a witness, he wrote to his agent telling him to spare no pains or money in hushing up all inquiry on the subject or about the nightattack. And the agent was so far successful that they were allowed to remain abroad in peace. * # # # # Personal —Laßt summer I had the good fortune to be one of a distinguished party who were being entertained by Lord Manister during the grouse-shooting season at his castle on the banks of the Shannon, near Lough Derg. A few mornings after my arrival I found amongst my letters two envelopes bearing the same crest. In one of them was a card bearing the following legend—"Mr and Mrs Beresford. At home Thursday evening, 17th August. Danoing to commence at ten o'clock- Liscarra House, August 15th. " Mr Dash." In the other was a note from a person who signed himself " Jack," and who threatened extreme penalties if Mr Dash attempted to decline the accompanying invitation. The note wound up with a command that as soon as possible the said Mr Dash should repair to Liscarra House, and there take up his quarters lor an unlimited length of time, as the writer had such a lot of things to say to him about old college days. As I was turning over this threatening missive, looking lor the coffin and death's-head which ought properly to have accompanied it, I became conscious that my companions also had received cards of invitation, and that the conversation had turned on the senders. " Mr Beresford is our county member, you know," said Lady Manister, turning to me, the latest arrival at the housej "and his wife is the dearest woman in the world." "A rattling clever fellow," his lordship remarked, chiming in j "but too good a landlord. That's all the fault I have to find with him." "How's that?" I asked. " Why, you see he is too indulgent with his tenants —spoils them, in fact, and—puts the rest of us in rather an ugly position." * # * # #

" May I have many such dances as that!" was my dearest defined idea, as we drove home, five carriagefuls of u?, by shining Lough Derg from Mrs Beresford's ball. For the spirit of happiness seem id to be in the air breathed by this happy wife and mother j and, as for my old friend Jack, there he was as I used to know him years before, full of life and fun and gaiety. How happy he seemed! When we got to Manister, and wlien the ladies had di:appeared in a sleepy, ghostlike procession, we were summoned by our host to the smoking-room. (Classes were there filled with sparkling champagne and sparkling soda, not unmixed 5 and then his lordship said, in a solemn manner — " Take your glasses, gentlemen. For once I must propose a toast. Here's to one of ihe finest Irishwomen living, Mrs Beresford, and Heaven bless her I '

The health was drunk, as the newspnpers say, with the utmost enthusiasm, aud the married men then retired The bachelors remained however, and puffed their cigars in a moody, disconsolate manner. Perhaps they were thinking that the morning was too far gone to go to bed. Perhaps a passing thought occurred to soma that after all the state of single blessedness is not the ideally happy one. P. H. H.