CHAPTER XX.—(Continued.)

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 3, 17 October 1890, Page 25

CHAPTER XX.—(Continued.)

'■ Who speaks of wedded wife to Lady Ellen, with the noosra weaving for the head of her house, her brother?" asked a voice loudly and Raymond Mordaunt, looking up, saw the form of Friar Tully standing at the opened door, a dark frown mantling on his pale aBCe The^sudden start was too much for Ellen's over-wrought feelings; it needed but this incident to complete the tension on her nerves ; and she fell backwards on the sofa in a swoon her bead against the wall ana her face covered and hidden with her tumbled tresses Raymond leaped to his feet in surprise and anger. He was as much taken aback by this unexpected apparition as K»«° herself, but his anger the next moment mastered his surprise and he sternly conbrings you kerel" were the only words he coolly, as he glanced without stirring from the fainting girl to hiß accoster " for you see I am here. As to the second, I came to ice my Tady.-S came in fortunate time, as I could see and hear.Elße^Me'ddler and mischief-maker 1 Will you never cease tempting the gallows ? But it is for the last time. You escaped the other niKht. You shall not escape now. You are my prisoner, and— "I shall willingly becoma your prisoner and enjoy all tne pleasures you are about to acquaint me with," said the Friar calmly, without stirring, his hands clasped behind his back, " for the chance, chance, of saving her from you. Better that she should all intone clutches of a hungry wolf than that she should accede to your request. Wolf, did I Bay ? Wolf never had heart so savage and" bo unmeet' for her's, as you. Nay, man seek not for weapon there " Raymond Mordaunt's right hand had slipped to his Scabbard where the hilt of his sword shonld have been "defter bands than yours have drawn it whilst you sped through the streets, BDd I?wm a'sTe X' Mordaunt's hand vainly felt for the hilt of bis sword and glandng downward, he saw that it had been, as the "^Th^'S™ S^a? secret work-more of your stealthy tricks -but even this shall cot serve you," cried Mordaunt, in a.fury, ] rushing over and seizing him. " You are my prisoner, aad shalli not escape until you see the inside of tha prison you escaped the other eVea '' D J. g am a man of peace-my frock proclaims it," said the Friar, grasping the hand that clutched him, •• else surely never had hellbound got his deserts so truly. But even so the Church forbids not my self-defence ; and this poor girt needs assistance, though you, m "ur sacrilegious love, seem to forget it." And with a Budd en motion, s? quick as to leave no room for defence, he broke Mordaunt s ho d, and flung him with sudden effort on the soft carpet. He then, without further heeding him, walked over to the bell-pull that depended from th€"waif, and in a moment two of the female domestics came ia answer to mm o™°°^ r mißtre ßs—seeBs—see ! she is swooning," he said, addressing them and nodding with his bead towards the unconscious form "As for you, sir, it is well that my calling preaches peace and forbids bloodshed, els« there were a different story to tell to-night. But the blood of the murdered cries to Heaven, and not in vamand I, if only for the sake of her love so madly given you, would have yy °U So sa nyinTwin"a nod of his cold, pale face, he closed the dOOr Raym W ond g Mo;daunt, having recovered his legs and the shock rushed to the door, anxioue that he should not escape, but he was not to be seen He searched all the corridors and rooms within reach, but vainly ; he was not tv be found. There was no use m remaining longer. Ellen had been borne by her attendants to her roorc and there was no probability of getting further talk with her ; and further search for the Friar being, at the least, but a violation of hospitality under the circumstances, even if it bad the least chance of success, Rayrw d ar;ith air^^^^^ ** * -* T. He was so near winning the beautiful girl-he knew instinctively that she was within a hair's breadth of yie ding her consent to the proposed hurried marriage-that his disappointment knew no bounds Hw sense of vengeance against the intruding Friar was great. At first he meditated sending troops to search the house, but, rememberfng the condition in which Ellen Maguire was, he abandoned.the idea, and merely intended warning the authorities that he was still within The cny gLs and to keep watch for him in the event of his seeking to escape. Raymond Mordaunt cursed the moment when he had volunteered to accept the command of the relieving force. If he had but a few days more to Bpend ia Dublin he should probably be able to win the famous heiress for his bride ; now a thousand perils interTened, a hundred obstacles would interpose themselves in his absence all working against his wishes. But there was no help for it, and with dlippomted love and anger raging in his heart, he marched when the Low. of night had fallen, out through the city gates at tbe htad of his men, to the relief of beleaguered Droghela.