MARTIN DEVERIL'S DIAMOND

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2836, 16 September 1890, Page 4

MARTIN DEVERIL'S DIAMOND

[Anr. Rihiits Rkskkvkd ]

A NOVEL By ADELINE SKRGEANT, Author of "Jjcobi's Wife," Ac., CHAPTER XLVIir—AT Hkssley'S Hotkl. Hexsley's H'>TKL was not uninviting in appearance, although the street iu which it wns situated was a poor one. A motherly-looking woman, tie it, clean, and respectable, announced herself as Mrs Hensley, and seemed anxious to do all she could for tho new lodger. Ji soothed Eleanor to remember that she had heard of Heiiscley'" Hotel when ?he was living with Lady Vargrave; the wife of tho proprietor had once l-een Lady Vargrave's maid, and thequiet little boarding-house which tliis woman had opened since her husband's death had prospered under her management:. Clifford's choice of a place iu which to meet her was, so far, n very good one. Lady Eleanor hid some tea, nnd then settled herself down to wait as quietly as she could for her cousin's appearance. Tho hard lodging-hoiHO sofa proved more comfortable than it looked at first; she lay down upon it, and soon slumbered like a child. Weariness and sorrow had exhausted her strength ; she slept for an hour or two>, and would not even then have awaked but toe a movement in the room Opening her eyes suddenly, she saw that Clifford Vargrave stood before her. It was his entrance that had urotised her. " Clifford ! Clifford !" she cried. " Oh, I am so glad that you have coine !" Clifford did not answer graciously, nor did he attempt to take her hand. " I hope that you hive not made me take all tliis trouble for some mere woman's whim," he said, gloomily enough. " I have plenty on my shoulders without that." " What do you mean : turning a little pale, and sitting up. He meanwhile was standing still, or moving restlessly about the room. " Have I done wrong iu asking you to meet me she said, faltering. " That depends/' he answered, with a harsh sort of laugh. Then he catne and flang himself into a chair beside the sofa. " Come, Nell," he said, " I suppose you have not sought me out for nothing. What have you to tell tne about Caru forth ?"

With the docility of a child Eleanor repeated the story that she had heard from Philip of Carn forth's confession She did Dot glance at Clifford until she had finished her rccital, but she fully expectcd, at the conclusion of her story, to see some expression of indignation or anger upon his face. Instead of this she beheld nothing hut a look of sardonic scorn, and she shrank a little when she heard the bitter laugh with which he broke, the silence.

" Come, this is better than I expccted, ho said. "From your looks I that you we going to accuse me of the murder, Eleanor. Is that all ?" 11 All ?" " My dear girl, you need not use that tone of reproach. I could not help myself ; I was driven to do what I did. As for the diamond, I meant to restore it to old,Deveril, of course '' " But you took it, Cliff >rd ? you took it from Robert Le Brctuu ? Oh, I did hope," cried Eleanor, starting up and wring her hands together, " 1 did hope that that was not ti ue C ilTord did not speik for a minute or two. He was watching her face ; his eyebrows were contracted, and there was a strange, sinister light in his dark eyes. •• You thought I had come by it fairly, did yon Nell? Well, after a fashion, so I had. Le Bret.ni had sold it to me, so you see I w.n only taking back my own." " Then why did you say that, yon meant to give it back to Martin Deveril ?" demanded Eleanor. "Because Le Breton would not give it up unless I paid for it. Deveril had authorised me to buy it from Le Breton. Don't you see ?" " Why did you give it to me to keep, then? Why did you not give it back to Martin Deveril at once?'' "It was safe with you, Eleanor. And Deveril - Deveril—knew that I was taking e-irc of the stone for him." lie made this assertion hesitatingly, not knowing how far she would receive it or not. But she answered without any hesitation at all.

" You are iiuite mistaken, Clifford. Mr Dt vetil knew nothing of the kind." " A'ell, pel haps I made a mistake in thinking so, Nell. At any rate, ho need not know that it has ever been in your hands. I'll take all the responsibility. Give it tu me, and I'll engage that he shall have it safely. You've got it with you, I suppose So this had b?en his drift all the time ! Kleanor took a step backward, and looked at liiin with wide-open, horrorstricken eyes. " You did not think that I should bring it back to you ?'' she said ; " when I knew—when I km ir—that itwas not yours

" Of course T expected von would ti'u-,1 mi-," he said boldly. " [ expected you to tryst im\ and to believe that I e-mlil exp'ain tlie whole matter to everybody's >:iti.s':i':ti<iii. [ iliil not think that i/nn woul I f .il me. Nell !" Tin: reproach did not touch hi r. " I ■ lo not. sit. that you have explained the matter at all," .she S lid. " Where t< L the stone?'' he asked mgrily. " I ler answer came out eleir. " When t etme away [ left word with I'liilip where I had put it. I hail hidden it from him before.'' "Then I em't see why yon eamc to me at all,'' he said, sullenly. " I thought that vou had brought the diamond with you." "Is the diamond all you care about. Gilford." He looked at her, still sullenly. " I suppose von want ine to say that I care to see I/nit ; but I have no time for pretty speeches. I want to be out of England ; I want to be safe. Then I sh\ll have time to think of other things." " Tt is not that," said Kleanor, colourin". " 1 do not want any ' pretty speeches.' CliHord. But L came—l came " " Well, why did you come " Because I could nr.t think that my cousin bad been as guilty as that woman would have me believe. I wanted to liear from your own lips that you were innocent, riidbrd ; and I wanted to warn you of I he danger that you were in." "] know all aboi't the danger," he said, aveiting his face. tl !>ut---after all - what have 1 done '!' She did not answer. She turned away, with the tears rolling down her cheeks. There was a long silence. When Clifton.) spoke again it was in a different tone, lie seemed to lie fighting with some emotion which he did not wish to gain the mastery over him. '■ Y'iii wen: always a dear, kind. litUe sniil, X' II And I am a miserable beggar; ! here's no doubt o! tha l ". I never ex-jii-i-!.. d I Inl I hint's would ei»l so disas I urn.,l v I'H n:: all. I Intr I ..•<•11 half lll.id will, .'ill x i. I y and Mi- li.r week.-, and Hh'hlit--. And 11:■ Hi it < 'liristmas i '\" u Ihmi I s:m '."ii I ha 1 <• Millelei! moir than I em say. I at me and you will s.'e that 1 i»ir.'f|»-il»i:-:J I In- irntli." Klcanoi- glanerd al hi.::. Hi- uasivf. Iriiuly looking ill. lli< face was haggard, hi.-: •. yes hollow, " ( am sorry, ('li(l" j.<l, ' the said wistfully. I knew you would be sorry," he said, approaching her and taking her hand in his, "an.lyou must not mind, Nell, if 1 have seemed rough am', harsh to-night. I can't explain everything to yon ; but, b-'lieve me, Nell, I'm not so black as that husband of your:: painls mo to you. Why .to JON lake away your hand. I)'- 11't yon believe mi' " Yc.-:, CutTord, I believe sou,' si,e said,

giving him her soft little hand again. "Bud." she added, timidly, "you are sorry for what you have done, are you not, Clifford ? Do you know that if yon had spoken out at the beginning poor Mr Kinglake would never have been put in prison, and " " Oh, I see!" Clifford laughed, bitterly. " So you take a lady's intio's wordbefoie mine, do you ? I tell vim I taw Kinglake kill Le Breton. She ;t-lN you si e saw Joel Bray. Whose word is to be taken—hers or mine ?" Eleanor was silent. "Th»y may say what thay like," he continued, with increasing rage, "but. they will find it a hard matter to free Ivinglake from suspicion. Carnforth's word won't do it alone, I can tell you. Not. even when it is backed up by the influence of my consin Eleanor's husband and hip precious family. I shall keep to my story, you may be sure ; and the woman may keep to her.*. Let us see what, the court will say to it!" " But your having the diamond, Clifford," said she, hesitatingly," is so much against—against your story being believed " "And who is to prove that 1 had the diamond ?" ho asked, fiercely. " You ?" " Philip," she answered, in a low tone. '• fie knows." "Ah ! you betrayed me, then " Not knowingly, Clifford. I did not understand. I would never have said a word that could implicate you if I had known ! But I never thought that you would do what was wrong." His face changed. His voice lost its savage tone as he again addressed her. " You know it now. I don't pretend to be a saint, Eleanor. I have very often done what you call wrong, you see." " Yes." " And knowing that, you don't care for me any more !" " I think I care for you more than I did—now that you confess that you were wrong, Clifford," she said, simply. " You catne to find me because yoti cared for me, did tou not, Nell F" " Yes, Clifford." " A gainst your husband's wish f" " Yes." " He'll never forgive you for coming to seek me out."

" I know," she nnsweted, with a little sob.

" You are riot aorry for that, are yon, NpII ?"' he asked, softly. His looks and tones were now those of the Clifford of early days ; they were so much more familiar to her than his sterner manner that she was able to answer with new courasre and frankness. " Yes,'' she said, " I am very sorry." " Why should you be sorry. You had resolved to leave him." " Yes, but I resolved on th it before I knew him." " Before you knew him Hut yoti know him now, and you have left him." " I have left him," said Eleanor, sobbing, " because I cannot bear to be with him when he distrusts ine and despises tne. And it has all come about through the diamond, Clifford ! But for his finding us together, and seeing the stone in my hand—and then, my taking it away and hiding it for your sake, because you were my cousin, and I couldn't bear to thi■ k that you hacl do - ic wrong—hut for all this we might have been happy together. He was beginning to love me. Hut now he thinks I am deceitful an 1 wicked, and he will never care for mo again ! And it was not uutil I had forfeited his love that 1 fmiint out how much I loved him ! I could not stay with him when he was so angry witli me ; I could not bear his coldness ; and it is only now that I have left him t'nnt I know how miserable I shall be! And Philip will never know that I loved liini after all !"