CHAPTER XXIV.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 183, 10 July 1873, Page 2

CHAPTER XXIV.

For nothing can bo ill, ifbho bo well. Ernn Rowlands, too, at the stroke of three awoke from the henvy sleep in which he had been wrapped, for alter ho had bHt led with the men who were preying upon him, he had been too much exhausted to find his way to bed — awoke to find himself cold, and cramped, and miserable. But the misery of ago is not so poignant as the misery of youth : aj.;o possesses so much in the past, so little in the future ; youth has nil in hope, and nothing in possession, and so is barkrupt indeed, if hope bo taken away. Rowlands, only passively miserable, crept away to his bed, and then bethought him that ho had never said good night to Winny. lie had oven forgotten that in his distress — had forgotten his nightly visit to his daughter's bed-side. Ever since she had been a child of three or four, ho had been accustomed to go and giro her « good-night kms, to stop, perhaps, and gossip a few moments by her bed-side, to smooth the pillow, and tuck in the counterpane ; nrd tho custom had never been discontinued, though Winny was no longer a child. He made Ins way, therefore, along the silent deserted pns--nges towards the nortli wing of the house, in which his daughter slept. As he opened the folding doors which dirided the new wing from the older poition, he wns met by a grent wnft of hot smoky air and t.ipour. In sinoimod alarm he ran quickly forward towards the hall. The hall was of an ancient fashion, open to the roof-timbers of the house ; from it were entered all the rooms on the ground lloor ; whilst a bi-otid

oak staircase led up to a gallery running round three of its sides, from which opened the doors of the sleeping rooms. The staircase was still standing, but the gallery on the north side was on fire, the tongues of flame licking the side* ■/ of the walls, and darting eagerly up at the timbers of th« ,* roof But the most cruel sight of all to see was that the flames hail come from out of Winny's bedroom, which was a mass of white, blinding fire, glowing through the shattered, doorway. She might be still saved from the front. Giving a wid tug at the alarm bell as he passed, be opened thebull door, and lan out into the front. Bu^nu.erable man that he was, L» was too late ' The lire had shivered the glass of the window, nud thick black smoke wa9 rolling out, m which a tongue of j red (lame eveiy now and then leaped into life. No human being |could be alive in that chamber of fire. There was a wooden verandah outside of Winny's room, and ho might reach that by a little bridge which connected it with, a rocky knoll that abutted on tl'e eastern wing. If hecouldn't save her, he might at least die with her. In ft moment, the black smoke cloud from the window changed, to a glow of blinding ilame, and the wooden verandah shrivelled up before it. Evan thiew himself upon the ground, and beat hib forehead against the earth. Wliat happiness would have been to him the misery of a few moments ago ! Had his daughter only been spared to him, what joy the wretchedness ot ruin would seem! At the thought of her miserable, tortured death, his reason left, him. He leaped to his feet \% ith all the vigor of youth. ' 0 Winny, Winny, anwi/l bach, come back to me, or let mo go to you !' he cried, as lie stretched his arms to the ilames, and ran tottering towards them. ' Father !' said a voice close to his ear ; and then he turned, and fell upon his daughter's neck. As for Gerard, standing at b.iy by the wicket-gate, the■whole of the events of the next few moments Beemed to hun as a vision. He thought he saw the vision of the burly mate leaping out at him from the chasm — thought he saw him recoil, as a bell seemed to clang forth defiance into his very face, and a bright light shot out, and shouts and cries were heard ; he thought, too, he saw figures crawling down the rocks. But, for his part, he could do no more ; he could only lie upon the grass, clutching at, it with hishands, whilst the powers of earth and heaven fought their fight out ahove him.