CHAPTER VI.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1634, 23 December 1882, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHAPTER VI.

]?or days Henry Maitland lay in a semi-con-scious state. The charge had struck him in the temple and literally blown a piece of the skull away, exposing the biain. The gun, when it exploded, was within a few feet of him, and thus the charge had not 1 time to scatter. It was noted by the seivants, and commented upon by them in awestruck whispers, that the wound was in the same spot exactly as that which killed Walter Maitland. When, at length, he came to a state of consciousness, it was evident that his recovery was hopeless. But the feelings of the wi etched man weie stiangely, mixed with shame and lemorse, when he found that the constant and watchful attendants who ministered to him in his helplessness and agony, weie Lucy and her mother. Through all his delirium, visions of an angel face and soft pitying eyes had floated through his brain, mixed with some hoirible phantasmagoria of his past evil life. The one, the bright vision, was the i eality ef Lucy ; the other horrid spectres were the past impressions of his evil deeds which had left their indelible imprint upon his soul, and which were revivified by the approach of death. But in all his delirium he had never dropped a hint of the terrible tragedy sufficiently clear to enlighten Lucy or her mother. He babbled of bursting guns in a language that, to them, w^s incompiehensible. But when Victor Levison and Detective Smith heard him, there was a flood of ligh.t tin own upon, the dark past. If Henry Maitland had lived he would have been in danger o^tho gallows; but ho did not live, and, befoie he died, confessed ,his crimes— not to Lucy, lje couli} not do that— but to his neighbour Campbejl, wlp toqk his dying depositions. Befoie his death he wanted to make a will, leaving the whole of the property to Lucy and her mother; but this was considered unnecessary, as the identification of Walter Brown with Walter Maitland had established th.c status of wife and daughter, and tljo property of the late Walter Maitland of right belonged to them. Victor Levison and Lucy Maitland weie married m November. There were great rejoicings at Bargooma ; and the woolshed was turned into a ball-room, wljere all the shearers, and boundary-riders, and sma.rt young men for twenty miles around brought tljeir girls and danced till daylight. And tljen th,e smart young men put their pretty girl partners qn. horseback, or into ' buggies, or waggonettes, p,r. whatever mode of conveyance they preferred., and. took them home through the cool November morning, before the hot sun had time to dry up the sparkling dew-drops from the glass which waved so cool apd green all around them. The bride and bridegroom departed for Tasmania ; but they came ,back in time to eat their Christmas dinner at Yambaar, where the old lady had taken up her abode. Of course, the Campbells were there, and lots of other friends ; and, although it was too hot for dancing, they had lawn tennis and croquet in the evening. And it was not too hot to sit in the verandah and talk ; and listen to Lucy and other happy girls singing, in the intervals vt playing cards, or other indoor games. Ten years have rolled away since the events we have related took place ; but every year, after the shearing is finished, th 6 woolshed at Yambaar is cleared for a dance. The few remaining wool bales that have not gone to town serve as supports for long tables, where a gorgeous supper is set out; tbe rafters are hong with festoons of flowers and blossoms, and a band of music from the nearest township sets a hundred couples , in motion to its inspiring strains. The dancing is vigorous, flnd in good time, for the employis of Yambaar and surrounding stations are all devotees of Terpsichore. Mr. and Mrs. Levison are there for the first half -hour or so, and with them are a couple of sturdy boys, who look on with wonder and admiration, at the gorgeous vision of Jane and Mary* Ann, the housemaids; and Rose, the cook ; and Euphemia, the nurse ; flying round hi the arms of their respective lovers, to the ihtoxi- ! eating strains of the " Blue Danube," v * - . 1 ~~