The Storyteller.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 48, 26 March 1897, Page 21

The Storyteller.

JOHN HALLAM'S WIFE.

IN FOUR CHAPTERS.

(By Rosa Mulhollan t d, in Aye Maria.')

CHAPTER 11.

During the next few days I lived in hourly expectation of a summons from Hallam ; and in the meantime applied myself with repeated energy to my favourite study of Eastern character, manners, and belief. Mrs. Hallam's statement that her mother was a native princess had been to me a startling feature of our conversation, and the knowledge of the fact added greatly to the general interest with which she inspired me. I had always been, to a great extent, a believer in heredity ; and the idea suggested itself to me that her strange trait of deceitfulness might be looked on as a kind of disease inherited from her mother's people. I found myself dwelling on striking characteristics of Eastern races, general and individual ; and jotted down notes with I scarcely knew what purpose. After some time I quite lost myself following the vagaries of the fantastic doctrines of transmigration and re-incarnation ; and when Jack Hallam's message arrived I had to shake myself out of my old selfish way of life in order to respond to it. His brief note ran as follows :

" Come ! I cannot promise you pleasure, but I know you are ■willing to sacrifice yourself for your unhappy friend."

It was a delightful midsummer's day when I arrived for the second time at Hallam's house. I left my vehicle to proceed by the long avenue, and walked across the park, coming toward the house by way of a small pleasure-ground, where I found Mrs. Hallam in a comfortable muslin gown of the colour of a primrose, a bunch of purple pansies in the bosom, and a wide black hat. She was working away with a light rake as energetically as if gardening were the only thing in the world worth living for. " I am extravagantly fond of flowers," she said. "It is not alone that I like them as decorations of a room, but I love to tend them as they grow — to do something with my own hands toward making them more happy or more beautiful ; giving them at the same time liberty to live their own life. I have the same feeling about birds. It seems to me a sin to take a bird out of the trees and put it in a cage to sing. The song of a caged bird makes me melanchxPy. These tastes must come to me from my father's side ; for I think Eastern women are fonder of jewels than of flowers and birds, and do not care much about liberty."

Having got her on the subject which interested me, I seized my advange ; and presently she put away her rake, saying that my conversation was so fascinating she must beg for a little more of it — if it did not tire me. When Hallam appeared she left me, losing her sprightliness rather suddenly at his approach.

Two days and a night went past before anything worthy of notice occurred. Hallam and I spent a good deal of time together — walking, smoking, looking over his curiosities, and never alluding to the painful subject present to both our minds. The lady came and went, in and out of the house, all the doors lying open in the brilliant summer weather. When I found her alone in her rooms or her garden, she seemed happy like a child ; but in her husband's presence she appeared more or less under restraint, especially when he fixed that pained, ohservant glance on her, which always told me he was doubting her and watching her.

The first night after my arrival we retired early, and I spent an hour before sleeping thinking over the occurrences of the preceding hours, and adding the day's experiences to my former knowledge ot my hostess. On the second night Jack and I sat late in the diningroom, where I left him at about twelve o'clock. Scarcely had I reached my chamber when I lelt an urgent desire to return and persuade him to retire. Nothing could be worse for his case, 1 thought, than long hours of solitary brooding, dtiring which his wife's peculiarities became exaggerated in his mind.

My room was about the middle of a long corridor, with a staircase at each end, — one leading to the principal apartments of the house, another to the inferior ones. A lamp hung over the back staircase ; and just as I stood in my doorway about to come forth, I saw a woman's figure running quickly up the staircase. I stepped back involuntarily while the figure came on toward me ; and, with a feeling of dismay, I perceived that the woman was Mrs. Hallam, and that she was dressed in her out-door garments. She wore a dark bonnet with a veil, and a dark mantle which covered her all over. As she came quickly and noiselessly along the passage she threw back her veil, and I saw her face distinctly, though in shadow, as she passed me. A change which I saw in the expression of her countenance startled me. It was not alone that the face was dark and troubled, but there was something in it that was positively evil. The impression was gathered in a moment, but it was strong enough to destroy for the time the feeling of compassion which I had entertained for her up to this hour. I followed her quickly, and saw her pass up another corridor and into her bedroom — the chamber I knew to be hers, — the door of which she now cautiously and noiselessly closed behind her.

I felt that I had got a distressing shock ; and, with a sinking heart, remembered Hallam sitting alone in the dining-room, broodingover his care. I could not bring myself to go to him, as I had intended ; and went back to my room, where I sat stupidly in my chair trying to think the matter out ; while the har&h cry of the corn-crake came up from the deep grass through the open window, and the roses of a dawn in June began to glow in the eastern sky, beyond the lime trees. When ai last I flung myself into bed, I was still uncertain as to whether I should inform Hallam of what I had

seen ; bat before I met my host and hostess at breakfast I had made up my mind that I would venture to speak to Mrs. Hallam herself at onoe, without saying anything to her husband on the matter.

It was understood between Hallam and myself that I was to take every opportunity of conversing with his wife, in order to form some judgment of her case ; and as soon as I saw her go out to the gardening operations, which were her favourite morning pastime, I followed her.

After a bright little talk about the flowers and the birds, I said to her :

" I wonder you are not afraid of catching cold when you stay out so late at night. The dews of a midsummer night are dangerous, and after India — "

I spoke slowly and with deliberation, glancing at her face that I might see exactly how she received the remark. She looked up at me with a puzzled expression, which gradually changed to one of fear.

" What do you mean ? We do not usually stay out so very late." "I am glad to hear it is not usual," I said. " Are you sure your husband would approve if he knew of such an exception to your rule as that of last night ? Your health is precious to him." She looked at first as if she did not quite take in my meaning ; and then said, quickly and tremulously : " Last night I was not out at all." I paused a moment, uncertain how to proceed ; then added : " Pardon me ! You must forget. I saw you coming in last night five minutes after the stable clock struck twelve.

" That is impossible," she said, in a terrified tone. "It was not I."

I felt less consideration for her after this falsehood ; and replied, looking at her steadily :

'• Mrs. Hallam, I am sorry to contradict a lady, but I saw you come up the back staircase in walking-dress and pass me close in the corridor. I was too near you to make a mistake."

A grey look had been creeping over her face, and she shivered as if with cold. " I beg you will not tell my husband," she observed, piteously, " I was not there ; but if you tell him that I was he will believe you "

" I do not intend to tell him," I said ; " but I have offered you my counsel as a friend."

1 I did not do it," she repeated again and again. "My husband has communicated his strange ideas to you, and you imagine you saw me where I was not, I was asleep last night before eleven ' ' I said, to try her in another way : " Mrs. Hallam, may I ask if you are a somnambulist 1 " She answered promptly : '• No ; I have never known it, — have never been told of it."

I had thought she might have grasped at the suggestion, but she persisted in declaring that she knew of absolutely nothing to account for the unhappy position in which she found herself. Finally she walked away from me abruptly, leaving me as much in the dark as ever with regard to the mystery that surrounded her. I was standing looking at her rake and gardening gloves on the grass, when Hallam joined me, saying : " You have some opportunities for observation. Do you see any light ? " J

'• I frankly confess that I have got none as yet," I answered. I was resolved to follow up my own observations without giving unnecessary increase of pain to my friend.

We went for a walk, and conversed all the time on subjects far from that which had become so deeply interesting to me. I reserved for the night hours the thinking out of my future part in this delicate affair. The result of such reflection was. naturally, a strengthening of my first idea that some unknown person or persons possessed an influence over Mrs. Hallam ; and I decided that my next step must be to discover the present dwelling of such individuals in the neighbourhood. I spent the greater part of two or three days riding and walking about the country ; but these hours of cautious search resulted in nothing. I could find no trace of the temporary residence, within a day's journey of Hallam"s hou^e, of any person who might be supposed to play a secret part in our drama. This, of course, proved nothing, as such a person might arrive from a greater distance and depart again without delay. The more I saw of Mrs. Hallam, the less tolerable did I find it to dwell on any such probability. And, besides, I never forgot that if the probability were a certainty, it would not account for all the peculiarities of the case.

Her frequent reference to Eastern matters kept suggesting to me that in this fact of her origin on one side lay the cue to tht secret ; yet when I tried to reason on the suggestion it faded into absurdity. She never spontaneously alluded to her mother's people, as such, except on one occasion, which I have mentioned ; and I suppose it was my declared interest in everything connected with the East that induced her to return so often to a subject which seemed as fascinating to her as to me. However, I led her on several occasions to speak of her mother, and those of her mothers relatives with whom she had associated as a child ; and to repeat sayings of an ancient Indian nurse who had remained with her up to the date of her marriage. Evidently, her English father, unlike her husband, had been very tolerant of connection with the coloured races. It suddenly occurred to me that this faithful Indian nurse might be at the bottom of the mystery ; but, on inquiring, I learned that she was dead.

The week had come to an end, and no further strange conduct on the part of Mrs. Hallam had come under my observation, bhe had apparently forgotten the distress I had caused her by cautioning her against going out too late. She had grown accustomed to converse with me on a variety of subjects. In fact, we had become excellent friends, when one day she said to me :

"I wonder whether you would like to see my collection of Indian jewels ? They are heirlooms belonging to my mother, and some of them have very curious associations."

I said I would greatly desire to see them ; and she went away, and returned carrying a large Indian casket, which she deposited on the table before me, proceeding to take from it one curious trinket after another, which she put into my hands. Each had some peculiar superstition or legend attached to it. That which impressed me most was an amulet of stones of various colours, carved in cameo, linked together with dull gold settings. The clasp was a square of gold covered with a very minute inscription in Sanskrit, to the effect that the trinket was an amulet, to be worn by the owner not only as protection against certain evil spirits, but as giving the wearer power over them. She laughed when I asked her why she did not were it ; saying that her old Indian nurse had many times strongly urged her to do so, as the evil spirits cherished an especial hatred of those of her race who intermarried with whites and so became lost to the family of their forefathers. She had never worn it, she said ; because, being a Christian, she had conBidered all such superstitions sinful ; while at the same time she treasured the trinket, as having poetic and artistic attractions of its own. I asked her to lend me the amulet, that I might examine its inscriptions and workmanship ; and as she willingly consented, I laid it aside while she displayed the remaining contents of the casket. " This," she said, taking up a magnificent moonstone, " belonged to my ancestress, Rhemba, the Queen cf Aurungzoba. If all tales I have have been told of her are true, she was a very wicked woman. My old nurse had at once the deepest awe and the most absolute horror of her memory, and was never tired of telling me stories of her crimes, her magic powers, her great beauty ; for there are dark-Bkinned beauties as well as fair ones, I can assure you. She believed that she administered the sweetest flattery when she told me I resembled the terrible Queen of Aurungzoba. " ' Take care of her, she would say, take care my darling 1 You have the gold hair and clear eyes that will make her jealous and angry.' You see I have not had the ordinary bringing up of an Englishman's daughter," Mrs. Hallam added playfully. Hallam had all this week been living much by himself, except at meal times. He i spent a good many hours of each day in his study, sometimes rode out alone, and paid short visits to the draw-ing-room. My friend certainly afforded me full opportunity of making the acquaintance of his wi'e, and I concluded he desired no further conversation on the subject until such time as I might declare myself able to give him help or consolation. Late one afternoon, as I was going along the corridor, I saw him close the door of his wife's apartment and come toward me. "My wife is tired and has a headache," he said — •• so she tells me. Come in here with me. I have something to show you." We entered a room where he had stored a number of things which he had brought from abroad — strange weapons, skins of animals, idols of precious metals, fantastic garments and vestments of satin and embroidery, extraordinary shoes of many colours, and a hundred other oddities which it is useless to mention. We had not been long engaged in examining the article to which he had wished to call my special attention when a sound I had not noticed caught his ear. He let full the interesting object. went hastily to the door and instantly beckoned me to follow, saying : "It is quite as I thought. She is gone. You can see her."' She had just turned the corner of the passage and was on the stair. We saw her in her usual light cloak and wide hat. The side of her cheek was presented to us as she descended the stair and disappeared. '• By heaven I will follow her ' cried Hallam. "I will make one more effort to discover where she goes." I followed him quickly down to the hall-door, but there ; feeling that were he to overtake his wife, I ought not to be witness of what might pass between. 1 returned upstairs immediately ; and as I "lanced at the closed door at the end of the passage an idea occurred to me. I walked straight up to the door, knocked on it softly; and, hearing no sound iiom within, opened it and glanced into the chamber. It was a handsome old-fashioned apartment, looking on the garden. The blinds were halt drawn o\er the open windows; on a couch, well placed within my view. Mrs. Hallam lay sleeping. She was wrapped in a long white shawl, her face turned toward me. I closed the door and made a liasty retreat. feeling scarcely more relieved than bewildered. When I met husband and wile m the drawing-room before dinner, Hallam Avas looking haggard and stern. The lady, who had a shadow of pain on her face, retired early ; and as soon as she was gone I exclaimed : "I have made a discovery ! We rmc been doing your wife an inconceivable injury. Some one is personating her." He smiled bitterly. " I have thought of all that. Ha\e you nothing more original to suggest .'" " Listen to me !'' I persisted. " When you went out of the door in pursuit of your wife, 1 walked straight up to her room and saw her sleeping on the sola where you had left her. Do you siippo-e she got in through an open window, put off her hat and cloak, and wrapped herself up on her couch, all in the space of about two minutes and three-quarters, at the utmost .' Hallam (stared at me silently, then shook his head. " You are trying to shield her by persuading me of an impossibility. You are attracted by her and ha\e gi\ en her your sympathy. lam not going to blame you, for no man could help it. No one knows better than I that she irresistible. But remember that lam a sane man, and must believe in the evidence of my senses." "So must I believe in the e\ ulencc of my senses, and I also am a sane man," I protested. " How do you account for it. then .' lie a--ked. '• It must bo our business to account tor it. At present I can only insist upon the iact. Is there a servant in the hou-e who might get hersull up in imitation oi her mistress .'"'

'• Do you think it likely ? Do you know of any woman in the world who resembles her / Any evening after prayers, which are attended by all the household, according to her wish, you can review the batch of country maidens who serve us, and can judge for yourself whether any of them, under any circumstances could be mistaken for Virginia. Besides, I saw her myself this evening come out of her own room, having just left the room myself, where she was alone."

" I own," I replied, " that we are not much less perplexed than we were before ; yet I feel that an all-important point has been gained. It remains to be seen what may result from it."

(To be rontinuid.)