CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.)

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 27, 2 November 1883, Page 7

CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.)

" Never." "Never?" " Never, certainly, to Mr. Dalrytaple, and never, I think, to any one else." Mrs. Craig became agitated. "My dear child, have you rightly considered this matter? It is quite evident that Mr, Dalrymple is, devoted to you. He is a man of property and a gentleman. He has told me all about bis affairs and family connections, and 1 must say it seems to me that he is in every way desirable as a husband for you." " Especially as I am an utterly p nniless lass," said Priscilla, gayly. All her depression seemed to have vanished now that she could tell what was in her mind. " Dear Mrs. Craig, it may be very ungrateful of me, bat I cannot like Mr. Dalrymple ; I cannot even keep myself from disliking him. There is something about him — well I must not be ungenerous, perhaps uniust " Mrs. Craig picked up her knitting, but her hands trembled so that the needles only clattered together, and succeeded in forming no stitches. "At all events," continued Prissilla, "I will never marry- him, not though I starve. Dear Mrs. Craig, I want so much to ask you to do me a little more to help me. This storm, surely, cannot last much longer ; aud when it is over I shall want to go. Will you, can you, help me to find a situation as companion to a lady, or as governess to very young children ? I can get a good character from my old schoolmistress, and can also give a reference to my lawyer in America." Mrs. Craig leaned her head on her hand, and looked long and earnestly into the youog girl's earnest face. " You have a right spirit, my dear," she said, "and I will do all I can to help you. So, lam sure, will my son. I think he is writing to-day to some friends of ours in Edinburgh, so that the letter may be ready to go at the first clearing of the storm. He will, lam sure, be glad to mention your case. I am rather tired, or I should go to him now and tell him what yon have said. Perhaps you would not mind going into the study and telling him yourself what yon desire." Priscilla turned a little pale. She could not forget that she fancied ten days ago— ten days which seemed like ten mouths— -that she was becoming dear to Kenneth, and she still grew rather cold and .sick when she allowed herself to think of what a silly mistake she had made. But she wa* brave enough to take any step which she had made up her mind ought to be taken. " You think that is what I must do ?" sbe said, looking straight at Mrs. Caig. " I think it is the only thing to be done, seeing that there is no time to be lost," replied the elder lady, in the most matter-of-fact manner possible. Priscilla folded up her work carefully, perhaps with more care and deliberation than usual, and then walked slowly and thoughtfully out of the room. It was but a step across the hall to Kenueth's s'udy, and sbe stopped a moment on the mat and piessed her hands together ; then knocked lightly on the door. " Come in," cried the voice of tbema-ster, and Priscilla opened the door a little way and stood in the opening, like a child noi snre of its welcome. Kenneth spraner to bis feet. Miss Erm-rson, pray come in. Is there anything I can do for you ?" Priscill-t closed the door, and sat down on the chair nearest to her ; while Kenneth remained standing looking towards her expectantly. " Dr. Craig," she said, " I have come at your mother's suggestion, to ask a favour of you. She tells me you are writing to Edinburgh . Kenneth had evidently been writing letters, bat to what part of the world they were to be addressed he did notdeclare. " Can Ibe of any use to you ?"he inquired, politely. " I hope — I hope you can, 1 ' said Priscilla. "As soon as the storm is over I shall want a situation as governess, or companion, and if you would kindly mention me to your friends in Edinburgh, something might be found for me. My leferpnees will be satisfactory, and lam of a cheerful temper. I think I could do best with little children." Dr. Craig regarded her with a look of extreme surprise. " This is astnrtling request," he said, "and one lam quite uaprepared for. I thought, in fact, I was sure— "he stopped, and seemed embairassed ; and though Priscilla gues-ed readily what he meant she would not appear to understand him. What lightorreason had they to conclude that she would be so willing to accept any stranger's sudden offer of marriage ? " You think I ought to wait to see whether any of my jewels can be found?" she said, demurely. " But I have quite made up my mind that Duncan is innocent, and that my jewels will never reappear. They belong entirely to the past ; and it is of the future I have now got to think." *' May I ask what has led you to mike ap your mind so completely as to the jewels ?" said Dr. Craig, a faint flush rising on his face. " Must I tell you, Dr. Craig ?" asked Priscilla, looking at him with clear, anxious eyes. '•Itbiuk you ought to do so," said Kenneth, gravel y. "The matter is a serious one, and anything that can throw light on it must not be kept to one's self." 1 " Even if it be but a thought that has arisen in one's mind ?" "It will be better for everyone that you should be perfectly frank with me." Priecilla sat silent and reflecting. " Dr. Craig," she said, looking up suddenly, "do men often go about in ulsters that are very much too long for them — which would trail behind them like an untidy lady's gown ?" Dr. Craig laughed outright. The sudden transition from the very serious to the absurd was too much for him. "I , don't think

they do," lie eaid ; '• I have never observed them, to do it," '. - " Mr. Dalrymple must have done it, if he- wore that ulster which is hanging in my room." ■ Kenneth started. Now he saw the" connection of ideas in hei naina. " You think it was not his ulster that you wore ?" " You have bit the point at which I had arrived, the' thought that has been troubling me for some weeks past. The ulster is too long, too large to be his. I have been fir some days 'making up my mind to this belief. I su?gesti.d the idea to him to-day, and he a Imitted that it might have been the ulster of his tall companion, which he put on in mistake for bis own." * 'i „ ' • "A natural enough explanation," said Kenneth, whose eyes were now fixed earnestly on the girl's fair, intelligent face. " Yes ; it had occurred to me before," said Priscilla ; " bat then," she added, slowly,, " why should a pocket-book marked ' G. Dalrymple ' be found in the pocket of the ulster, which never did belong to the H. Dalr^mple whom we know?" " Ah," said Kenneth ; " why, indeed 1 Unless his companion had been his brother or his namesake." " He has told me several times that he has no near relatives, no family ties — that he never had a sister or a brother. Besides, when I suggested that; ia case he had taken another man's ulster, nothing of his could be expected to lie iathe pocket—" 11 Well ?" "He looked strangely ; aad r a short time afterward I found him in my room, searching the pocket of that ulster— that extremely lengthy ulster, which I am sure he never could have worn." " The scoundrel ! " exclaimed Kenneth Craig. Priscilla sat silent, her eyes fixed questioningly on Kenneth, noting the changing expressions of his face. "And what conclusion have you come to upon all this ? " asked he, after a few moments of silence. " I dare not come to any, 1 ' said Priscilla ; " I give" you the facts as I know them. You are more fit to pronounce upon them than I am. Only I have learned utterly to distrust Mr. Dalrymple." A light flashed over Kenneth's face ; but be controlled himself as he said : " And in what way does this influence you towards a conclusion that'yo'nr jewels aTe irrevocably lost ?*' ' ' " Only this : that suspicion, was fixed upon Duncan by Mr? Dalrymple. We were persuaded by him that the sea could not have robbed me of them. His opinion has now no weight with me 1 whatever, and I prefer to believe in Duncan." " Seasoned like a true woman,." said Dr. Craig, smiling. " However, I feel that your instincts may have led you to the truth. " I think they have," said Priscilla ; " and I will tell you a secret, Dr. Craig." She put her finger to her lip, and Kenneth drew nearer to her. " If," she said in a lowered voice," "it were possible that Mr, Dalrymple could have found me before Duncan found 1 me, I should suspect he had taken the jewels himself." " Now you go too far," said Kenneth ; " for one thing it is not possible ;he did not ar live on. the islan-1 till you had been some hours in this hou?e " " I am glad it is not possible " said Prfccilla, with a sigh of relief ; " I would rather rest in the ctrtainty that the sea had swallowed up my fortune." " Would to God thatl_were sure that irt had," said Kenneth, vehemently, "for then I would venture to ask you — "his face, turned on her, full of tenderutes told her all that hi m -ant. But Ma words stopped short. She was still in his eyes au heiress so long sfl property uf hers worth fifty thousand pounds might, possibly, at any moment reappear. " And you cannot bring yourself Jo ask questions of a woman upon whom the suspicion rests of being the owner of jewels ? " said Priscilla, wistfully ; an'i then, with a suddfn change of manner,- she rose and said gaily : " Well, I thank you, Dr. Craigi for giving me so much of your time," and then^vith a mocking curtesy she disappeared abruptly from the room. That evening Kenneth joined the group in the drawing-room after supper, a thing he bad not done for a week. ' He "wore a look which perfectly satisfied his mother, and which was noticeable eveu to Dalrymple. His good spirits were accounted for by his announcement that he believed the storm was coming to a conclusion at last. He bad been out studying the heavens, and thought he saw signs of mending in the weather. " These long storms sometimes come to a curiously sudden ending." he said ; " and, if to-movrow prove fine, we must be All on the alert. I shall be jjlad to see the coastguard and the police coming into the island, to clear up, if possible, the mystery of these jewels." " What if Duncan should be before you, and get out of the island with his booty 7 " soggesttd Dalrymple. " Duncan will not stir," Baid Kenneth. " Even a stupid rogue would know that to run away like that, would b<s to proclaim hia gailr." " True, true 1 " said Dalrymple, feeling Dr. Craig's eyes fixed on him with a look he did not like, and could not quite understand. " But there is no knowing what unaccustomed rogues, new to the situation, will do under the influence of panic." " Duncan's beat plan, whether he be innocent or guilty, will be to stand his ground like a man, and, whatever his motive may be, it is the line he will tak<\" " You have seen him lately ? " said Mte. Craig 1 . " I have had one or Wo interviews with him," said Kenneth. " He knows I am resolvei to *ift the matter to tha bottom." '• Ie has occurred to me oace or twice," said Dalrymple*, "to ihink of how Duncan could expect to get Hi of the jewels (if he haa them), without attracting attention and inquiry. Jewels such afl Miss Emerson's would be easily tracked." '• He might break them up and sell them, stone by stone, might he not? " said Mis. Craig. " A todious way," laughed Dalrymple, a man clever enough to capture the jewels ought to be able to invent a better plan of Retting rid of them than that."

(7*o fa continued.)