THE MYSTERY OF BLACK GRANGE

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume III, 1 October 1900, Page 17

THE MYSTERY OF BLACK GRANGE

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fF all my various experiences in this land of the Southern Cross T reckon the most nearly tragic was when my olrl chnm, Jim Ford, and I tried to revive Ihe ancient ways of chivalry while on a shooting expedition in the North some fifteen years ago. It was an autumn evening with a smoky atmosphere, coppery - red sunset, a mysterious feeling that something was going to happen abroad in the air, and all the concomitants of a never-to-be-forgotten night that one loves to brag about afterwards. Jim and I were standing by the wheel of a dirty little steamer that was trying to break a previous four-miles-an-hour record up one of the Kaipara rivers. We were yarning with the captain, and being shown where the beauty spots of the neighbourhood might have been, if only it had occurred to Providence to . put them there, when our whistle gave a pathetic squeal, and, slowing down round a high cliff, we ran in close to land in one of the deepest and darkest little bays I have ever seen. Huge pohutukawas fringed the beach and stretched their curious twisted trunks down over the deep water, which lay silent, black as ink, and suggestive

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of nameless horrors underneath. Above the native trees a wall of dark pities stood outlined against the sunset sky, and through them we caught occasional glimpses of a light from some habitation within the shades.

The sound of rough voices now foil upon our ears, there was a swish in the water, and a boat shot alongside us. A couple of islanders turned their ugiy faces up at us, and proceeded to catch the goods that were thrown to them from the stern of our boat. As they went back wo watched thora disappear in the gloom of the pohutukawaw, and all grew still for a moment, then suddenly from the blackness in the pine grove above, there came the sound of a voico singing. TUck, clear and quivering, it thrilled the silence of the night, then weird and witchlike, died away in sweetest echoes that merged into the whispering of the wind in the pine trees above.

I clutched Ford's arm in ecstasy, and we both looked enquiringly at the captain.

He smiled with the pride of superior knowledge which puts the hall mark upon a man's want of breeding, and remarked carelessly, " Oh, it's the young leddy as is kept up there !"

" Kept up there !" I exclaimed,

" Yaas," he replied. "Why, what place is this?" asked Ford. And we both thought of ill-treated women and kidnapped beauties, of something vague that most urgently needed jusfc two such men as we to unravel the mystery. "It's the Black Grange," replied the captain, as he gave the order to go ahead. "Black Grange!" I repeated. "What is it? Who lives there?" asked Ford. " 'Ard questions to answer, sir. I dunno wot it is, an' it's 'arder still to say who lives there, but the owner is a real haristocrat, son of a dook, and no 'aye, fer there's been papers an' advertisements as can't be contry verted." " But the girl, the singer ?" went on Ford. " Well, there be different opinions about 'er. Some say she's the owner's daughter, an' others reckon 'c's 'er guardian or something, but no one knows for certain." " But she can't be kept there a prisoner against her will !" I cried. " British law doesn't allow that." " British law !" The captain chuckled. " British law up 'ere knows better than to include the Black Grange. Look at the country, mister, British law 'ud get lost an' starved in it, an' it 'ud stand a poor chance against a desperate villian an' six niggers." We looked at the country around the Black Grange. For miles there was nothing but patches of gum land, clumps of native bush, brown hills and swampy gullies, with no sign of another human habitation, although the little township to which we were going was only three miles ahead, round a bend in the river. " And a girl is kept there a prisoner, in goodness knows what sui'roundings, and perhaps most brutally treated ! Why, it's monstrous!" cried Ford. "No 'arm's done to the leddy, accordin' to accounts," answered the captain. " She ain't allowed off the property, that's all." " Has she ever tried to escape ?" I asked. " She tried once, an' got to a settler's near the township, but the darkies was after 'er,

an' took 'er back, an' them as was shelterin' 'er lost their sheep, an' got their cows mauled, an' their 'osses lamed, but there was no evidence to show who done it, though there weren't wantin' suspicions." " Upon my honour," cried I, thoroughly roused. " 1 wouldn't mind having a try for her myself." " What's she like ?" asked Ford. " They say she's a rare beauty." Ford and I looked at one another, and our minds were made up. The captain understood and grunted contemptuously. " You ain't got no right to interfere. An' if yer had, yer couldn't do anything. Listen !" and he pointed towards the Black Grange, now some distance behind us. Up the river through the gathering darkness came the deep bark of big dogs mingled with the hoarse shouts of men. " What could you do agin that?" asked the captain with a convincing puff at his pipe. We smiled the grim smile of a fixed determination. " Any other women on the place ?" asked Ford abruptly. " Only one's been seen, an' she's worse than all the men put iogether, so they say. She's an awful old drunkard an' gets the D.T.s somethin' 'orrible. I've 'card 'er meself on still nights." " And the owner, this aristocrat, is he here too ?" I asked. " Oh, yes ! Knocks round. They do say the old woman's got a hold on 'im, an' that she knows why the girl's there." "By Jove ! it's a queer story," said Ford, "and I'll know more of it before I'm done !" And we repeated the words that night as we sat over our .cigars in the country hotel where we had taken rooms.

The next morning we went with our guns in the direction of the Black Grange. We crossed swamps, cut through tea-tree clumps, and scrambled over fences with a philosophical disregard of the fact that we were trespassing. We were walking slowly undercover of thick tea- tree scrub when Ford touched my arm and whispered, " Stop, I heard voices,"

We pulled up and listened. From the other side of the scrub came the sound of footsteps trudging heavily on the damp spongy ground. " You can go no farder, Missie, de raassa say so, often." It was a darky's voice, and

we strained our ears for the answer that was given in youthful, imperious tones.

" What nonsense ! Only a few yards. Just to that clump. I saw several birds there." "No matter, missie. You go no farder." Then came the sound of more footsteps.

Through a gap in tho scrub wo caught sight of a woman's dress. But tho darkios had evidently laid hands on her, for we hoard her order them off. It was too much for our British blood. Ford made for tho oponing, and I followod.

" Let that lady alone, you cursed niggers, or I'll shoot you dead !" shouted my gallant chum, and he cleared the opening and pointed his gun at the nearest darky, while I covered a second who Htill had hold of the girl. Both the blacks fell back in sheer

fright, bat the girl rose to her full height, and what a surprise was ours as we looked at her ! _ 1 There was nothing of the pining, delicate, ; ill-treated maiden about her ; she was tall i and strong, with the brilliant glow of health on her cheeks, and an independent light in : her eyes. Her proud, defiant beauty showed in the poise of her head and the curl of her lip and in her sweeping movements. No wonder our hearts went out to her on the spot with all the enthusiastic adoration of youth. While we gazed at her, we still covered the darkies with our guns, and I've often thought since what mock-heroic apes we must have looked. She alone was self possessed, and ordered the negroes to stand further back. They obeyed. " Gentlemen, are you aware that you are trespassing on private property ?" she asked, surveying us coolly. Ford's British bluntness was equal to the occasion. "Look here,' he blurted out, "are you a prisoner here ?" " I'm hero under the caro of my guardian, sir," -vas the cool answer. ''Yes," I chimed in, "but would you not like to get away and bu clear of him ?' For a moment a look of eager anticipation crossed her face as she scanned us closely. » Does a duck like water?" she answered. Ford was looking over the big paddocks in the direction of the Black Grange, and he seemed struck with a sudden idea. " How many men are there on the place ?" he asked. " Seven, all told." " And women ?" "Besides me, one, but she's drunk, to-day, and helpless." "And dogs?" •• ll;d! il 1k.7A.-n." " Are you locked up at night ?" " Yes." "Upstairs?" " You sing at night sometimes ?" .. "Yes."

"Look here," went on Ford, eagerly, " to-night, at nine, you retire. At a-quarter past nine, whatever happens, you stand by your window and sing. Be ready to ride to Auckland to-night. Will you do this ?" Her face was a series of studies. Hope, gratitude, distrust, and a look of injured dignity, all struggled for the mastery over the strong features. " Quick," said Ford, " there is a man riding over the paddocks." She turned a moment, then her glorious brown eyes fell enquiringly upon our faces. "On you do it?" she whispered. " We will," we answered together. " Then I'll be ready. Go !" We turned and were off in a twinkling through the tea-tree, and never stopped till we were a good two miles from the Black Grange. Then Ford revealed his plans. " Did you see some large haystacks about half-a-mile from the house ? Well, about nine to-night I'm going to fire those stacks. The fire's certain to be seen from the house, and there'll be a rush for it. We'll row down to the Blade Grange while the fire's burning. Settle any dogs left round the house, aye, and men, too, capture the lady, row like mad to the village, and start straight off f'»r Auckland. Once clear of this place they can do nothing." " By dad, you've got it all cut and dry !" cried I, quite jealous'that he had planned it so well. " I hope we'll be able to carry it through." " Well, the game's worth the candle, 1 reckon," he replied. And then we rhapsodized on the beauty of our new acquaintance, and speculated on her history and queer surroundings. It never occurred to us to wonder how we were going to make her future fit in harmoniously with our own lives, and little did we dream of the curious complications that would ensue. About eight that night we left the township and dropped down the river under cover of the darkness. A little way above the Black Grange we ran up a small creek,

where Ford lauded and started off up the paddocks, while I waited in feverish impatience for his return. Everything was so still that I felt certain he would be observed. Wild ducks started up out of the mangroves, and flew off across the river; the tide lapped round my boat, and along the mudbanks of the creek ; and I heard the fish jumping out in midstream. For some time I strained my ears for sounds, then 1 heard someone making his way rapidly down the bank. " Right there, Haynes ?" a voice whispered. " Right, old man," I replied. " Have you done it?" "Rather," he replied, pushing the boat off the mudbank, and flinging himself in. " I thought I'd never find my way though. Now we must row like mad. The lire was just beginning to show as I came down the bank." " I wouldn't give much for our remains if we're caught," I remarked grimly. "We won't get caught. Listen, there they go !" It was the barking of dogs, and then a rod glow in the sky on our left told us that the fire was doing its destructive work. " Pull like the devil !" cried Ford. And we did. We made for the point regardless of everything, and ran our boat up under cover of the big pohutukawas beneath it. As we sprang out on the beach, we suddenly stopped ; and our blood curdled at the awful sounds that came down from the Black Grange. " Must be the woman in the D.T.s," said Ford, courageously. "Of course, that's it," I replied. So we took up the small crowbar we had brought with us, and made for the bank. The horrible yells continued, and what with the barking of dogs and the shouting of men, there was such a pandemonium as I never want to hear again. But suddenly, as it lulled, the most glorious music I have ever heard rang out. It was the chorus of an old English song; and up that bank we went like men possessed. A light from a

barred window guided us, and it was tho work of a moment to get there and wrench off the bars, for tho noise was drowned by the sounds from tho drunken woman in tho next room. We caught a glimpse of a pair of shining eyes and a tall figuro in a heavy dark cloak, and the noxt minute there wero throe of us in the garden running as fast as wo could for the water below. A quartor-of-an-hour later we were woll upstream, with a rod glare glimmering over tho water behind us. Really I don't think any number of untoward experiences could ever put in tho shade tho sensations we struggled to keep to ourselves that night. At lirst old Ford and 1 thought most of the girl, and roekoned she must have been desperately anxious to got away before she trustod herself to a couple of fellows of whom she know nothing. It did not occur to us that tho risk was probably all on our side. But two hours later, when we were well on the way to Auckland, and our companion had shown no disposition to speak of her past, or enquire what we meant to do with her in the future, we began to have rather confused ideas as to how we were going to make her lit in with the ordinary course of things. If only she had been a hapless maiden', ready to faint, or do something womanlike, we should have immediately risen to the occasion, but this superbly self-possessed creature, who dashed along the lonely roads beside us quite took our breath away, and the strain was getting too much for us, when of her own accord

she grew communicative as we were going slowly up a long hill.

She told us her name was Rosa Montague ; that the owner of the Black Grange was her guardian ; that he had brought her out to New Zealand some three years before, and kept her a prisoner ; that she believed she was the heiress to a large amount of money over which her guardian had, so far, had control ; and finally that she was of age that very day, and meant to take steps to recover her wealth as soon as possible.

So far so good. The prospect of money is alwayß a pleasant ouoto con template, and

Ford and I were human enough to hope that it would turn out a payable business for us. " How on earth could you be kept a prisoner there against your will ?" asked Ford. " I tried to escape once, and the futility of such an attempt was shown me in my guardian's peculiarly grim and original manner," she answered, with a light laugh and a shrug of her shoulders. And that was all we could get out of her that night. What lay behind her story and her philosophical coolness we could not guess, and did not dream of asking.

We rode into Devonport in the early morning, took the boat over to Auckland, and saw Miss Montague settled for the day in a comfortable hotel. Then we turned in, being too tired even to think much of our strange adventure.

As time went on we knew little more of Miss Montague. No attempt had been made by anybody at the Black Grange to find out her whereabouts, and as she did not allude to this fact we did not either, for we had already experienced the looks that her wondrous eyes could flash upon idle curiosity. She simply told us that she had written to a firm of lawyers in London, and that she was waiting their reply. Would we add to our kindness by settling her bills in the meantime? We could not refuse, but it was decidedly awkward, as our finances were not in a flourishing condition. Weekly accounts for scent, hairpins, laces, handkerchiefs, veils, ties, hats, dresses, etc., came rolling in with the most refreshing impartiality to both Ford and myself, to say nothing of her board. In addition to this she developed a love of sightseeing, and on evenings and holidays we took it in turn to escort her to the show places of Auckland, and we were proud to do it, for she was a show in herself. But alas for us, her bills were as nothing to the notoriety we gained by her company ! We were well known about town, and when she began dropping into our offices, and taking a sisterly interest in us generally, it became embarrassing. We

found ourselves caricatured in the papers, and greeted farnilarly from back regions of theatres. Then our mothers and sisters got to hear (-he little rumours that were flying about free as air, and thei'e began a series of tableaux which would have made millionaires of any company on the stage. Our inspected fathers rose to eloquence when they appealed to us to consider the honour of our families and our good names, and our mothers and sisters felt a noble compassion when they thought of the awful depravity of ' that creature ' who had led us astray. In vain we assured them that we were acting on the highest code of honour ; and they turned from us in despair when we spoke of Miss Montague as a lady whom we were about to befriend. But all this Ford and I could have borne with fortitude had not Miss Montague unwittingly cast a spell upon us both, and made us rivals for her favours. Yet we could not blame her, for she treated us alike with amusement or indifference. Things rapidly went from bad to worse ; we broke up our " batching " establishment, and took to boarding at different places, then we cut each other in the street. At last I determined to know the worst. I went up one evening, and, finding Miss Montague alone in the drawingroom, I then and there declared my passion, and implored her to accept my life-long devotion. " Just what your friend said," was her only answer to my honest confession of love. "Who?" I demanded. " Why, Mr Ford, of course. He was here just before you came." "The devil," I cried, "and you accepted him ?" "If the devil had proposed to me, I should have probably jumped at the offer, but, pending that, I remain as I am. Now, look here, you and Mr. Ford both love me ? Very good. lam equally indebted to you, but I can't marry both of you ; and what's more I don't intend to marry either of you, for it needs more than I have to give." " Then you don't care for either of us ?" I gasped.

"Not a straw beyond deep gratitude."

Then my auger got the better of my good manners, and I said things better left unsaid.

" We won't quarrel mon cher" she replied lightly. " Gro home, and make it up with your friend."

Poor old Ford and I would have given a good deal to make it up ; but we were both too proud to be the first, so we continued to ignore each other's existence. How it was all to end we did not know, and there seemed no way of finding out. It was certainly annoying to have to escort about a girl who had shown us so plainly that she cared not a straw for either of us.

One night I took her to the theatre to see a new company, and noticed that she turned very white as the leading man came on the stage. Thinking it was the heat, I offered to take her out. With one of her swift changes of expression, she laughed, and said she was all right, so I thought no more about it. At last, for sheer want of sympathy and because of our mutual perplexity, I was on the point of going to make it up with Ford, when I received a letter from Miss Montague asking me to call and see her that night at eight o'clock. I went, and who should I meet outside her door but Ford, also there by appointment ! With one swift look we recovered our former friendship and gripped hands.

" I say old man, what the devil does she mean by hanging on to us like this ?" asked my poor chum, looking positively haggard.

"Perhaps we're to have the explanation now," I answered, but it must be confessed, with little hope.

We found Miss Montague seated beside a handsome fellow whom I recognised as the actor who had appeared at the theatre on the night of her indisposition. She saw at a glance that Ford and I were friends again.

" I am glad you two have recovered your reason," she began, " and now allow me to introduce to you Mr Steele, my husband."

Ford and I looked at one another as if we had been struck. Ford, as usual, recovered first. i

"This is an — or unexpected pleasure," ho said with a sickly smilo. "Isn't it?" she said gaily. " Now just sit down and lot mo toll you how it all camo about." We obeyed, scarcely knowing what wo did. " You must know thou," she began, " that my father was very wealthy. I was his only child, therefore his heiress. Ho made two wills; the first to the ulfout that, I should have his money on my wedding day. That will was given to his lawyers. Just

before he died, he made another, stilting that I should receive my fortune when 1 came of age. This second will was given into the keeping of my guardian. The lawyer, who drew it up, died soon after, and tho only other person who knew of its existence was my father's housekeeper, now the only woman at the Black Grange. My guardian destroyed the last will, for ho knew about the other, and then he began paying attention to me. I was in London then, having my voice trained, and I met Mr, Steole at an elocution class. We fell in love, but my guardian heard of it, and brought me out here. He, of course, wanted to marry me and secure my fortune ; ho kept tho old woman silent by bribing her with the interest

of my money which he was supposed to be devoting to my education. You know the rest. You rescued me on my twenty-first birthday ; after that my guardian could not compel me to return to him. The old woman once told me about the two wills, and gave me the lawyer's address. While I was corresponding with him this gentleman happened to arrive with a company, as you doubtless remember. We renewed our acquaintance where we left off, then we got married. I notified my lawyer of the event, and I have recovered my fortune, so I shall no longer be a burden to you. We leave for Sydney to-morrow, but before we go we wish to thank you both heartily for what you have done for me." Then Mr. Steele chimed in and said some nice things about our code of honour, etc., and assured us that we should be recouped for our outlay on his wife's behalf. After congratulating the happy couple, we prepared to take our leave with a gaiety which was assumed, for we mourned both the lady and the riches. " You must finish up the evening to-

gether," said Mrs. Steel e, as she shook hands for the last time. " You must both go back to Mr. Hayne's rooms and have a good smoke together. Promise me." We promised, and set out in silence. We had not yet worked up to that heroic standpoint from which it is possible to look cheerfully upon one's misfortunes, for we thought hard things of the world in general, and our luck in particular, until we arrived at my door. But we are somewhere told that the darkest cloud has a silver lining, and so it proved, for on my table lay half-a-dozen bottles of our favourite wine, a box of prime cigars, and a couple of envelopes addressed in Mrs. Steele's hand, respectively to Ford and to me. On opening them we found cheques for £1,000 each, and stared at each other in blank amazement. " Old man," I said, " we haven't come out of it so badly after all." Rosa is a prominent London singer now, but she has never forgetten us. Every Christmas she sends us something to remind us of the day we rescued her from the Black Grange.