what th were is qnito another matter i paid a great dc bf money to tho horalds coiicgo after a succet ful st leger in search of a sportsman but y hit sb hard upon a respectable staflbrdshi brickmaker about the end of george tl that as fain to give up the search


the gart kingatarms tried hard to turn him into tl proprietor of some stone quarries but brol down utterly in the attempt in a word i ca establish no genealogical claim can found r hereditary excuse for my sporting propel sities


i think a picture did it


i remember nearie or reading of tho impression attempted to i produced upon tho infant mind by a daily wal in the family picturegallery how young fits jones was carried by his nurse with his exp rience of five summers between long rows mailed warriors or ermined politicians whili old fitzjones chuckled at tho idea of th economical lesson in all the ancestral virtues c his house there the young gentleman imbibe a taste for the robbery murder cruelty and ic solonceofhis mediasval forefathers whilst th milder bot less dangerous corruption dishonest and intrigue of latter times was insured by tb impression of the velvet coated members of th walpole and pulteney ministries


i believe this was my case


thero was no ox tensive range of family likenesses but if th lights were fower the impression was strongc for the photographic process


when my fathe roso to roputcd opulence and considerable crcdi with his butcher and baker he bought an an cestor or two and as bunting in those days gav an air of respectability to otherwise question able lineage ono of those pseudoprogenitors o mine was blessed with a scarlet coat and a short docked hunter


you may fill your rooms witt masters of hounds or with hounds themselves for what i care but i can assure you tho day i gone by when a scarlet coat will produce anj impression save upon ladies schools and blue coat schoolboys


now on the contrary when was a boy it was the badge of agricultural great ness


i knew tho old gentleman caressing his hound which looked like a pointer with one hand while tho other hung listlessly over thc neck of his snafflebridled steed was a gentle man in reality or intended for one and it en tered my mind in connection with barons ol beef a happy tenantry sir roger de coverley and as much port wino as would go under a clean whito waistcoat every day


it was the picture that did it i feel satisfied now


had this plaste confined itself to legitimate sport i never need have written these confes sions i should have had little to confess no thing to regret


unfortunately this has not been the case


i have lived in a world where every mans hand has been against his brother not unfrequently in his brothers pocket whore successful robbery or richly merited misfortune has brought peer and peasant and coats of arms and coats of legs into such proximity that the turf seemed the nearest road to a titlo


when rogues full out honest men come to their own


i have fallen out with myself honest men may make the most of the plunder


i had an earl opportunity of exhibiting my tastes through tho vigilance of my guardians i my talents were not allowed to slumber nor sleep


after such preparation as enabled mo to i write longs and shorts as fast and as ovidian ns till tho cribbed endings of tho short lines could make them i was sent to y at that time the school of the day


dr bpld b as we familiarly called him was the editor of a greek tragedian in erg and a bishop in pnss for this valuable contribution tn english literature of latin notes on a greek author was in those orthodox days the only true step to the episcopate he was short knock kneed


beetlebrowed obese and sensual but he was learned intelligent witty libera and cognizant of the ways of schoolboys three hundred and fifty of whom


he rilled now by his tuaviter in modo now by his uo titer ia rt


mr early inclination fostered by a constant perusal bf bell lifei found me tolerablyruso among roynew associates


no little betting list ipttory making or private arrangement of sweepstakes was perfect without the assistance of frank loveson


i had a cropped terrier at old mother smiths and a cheshire pil at jemmy facers draw in the school lottery and the oaks with tho first favorite whicht bought for a shilling of an unworthy sap in tho fifth furm who only regarded the st loger as it re flected its borrqwed light back upon tho roman circus


but i sighed for higher distinction


i said that personal vanity had something to dp with roy propensities


sawthatother boysmoro fortunate than mysolf in their domesticrelations talked with confidence of their ponies or thoir brothers or fathers hunters


to nie this was wormwood


i was at that time above a lie so hold my tongue


tho winter holidays and thc performances of those raaisports produced stich a sensation on our return to school amongst tho bodroom munchnusens that i felt my influence as a sportsman sensibly diminish


ainsi that i knew not then tho mischief and misery these youngsters causo an a coldeccnting day


how i should have cut them up root and branch


what a pitiless massacre i biiouij haye made of young fithcrbcrt who was closop tho hounds and of o gorman minor who wasbefore thom


and of that great longnosed and longwinded hornblow who treated us every half to tho run fiom our cover over mantrap hills through stapleton by tho gorse over the brook and killed him marley bown and i was thc only ono besides thc huntsman excopt another fellow ona donkey interposed the wit of tho roora always but it never recovered mo my


inst ground though it generally finished thc run


flow i say i should have cudgelled these fellows if hadonly known then what school musters and schoolbuys arc out


hunting in tbo holi days


something must bo dono that wns clear


runs j aro not difficult to invent as witness the after dinner oratory of our universities tand convivial huntingquarters throughout knuland


pagi nation is doubly fertile when tho first personal pronoun supposes itself to havo been present


but this was hardly sufficient


the battle must befoughton now ground arid i must not


bo simply victorious i was to bo facile priiicps


nobody yet had been out hunting from school nobody had yet been mtn in apair of breeches or topboots or anything approaching them these wore only holiday feats


it remained fur prank ioveson to surpass this and to astonish tho world and he did so to some purpose


there was a very pretty girl called kata a housemaid at myj dames


whon i think of the very unworthy purposes for which i lavished my pocketmoney in specie cap ribbons and bontions ns the external signs of a lacerated heart or i might say the very unworthy purposo to which i put the lovo which my fascinations and pocketmoney easily gained i feel quite ashamed of myself


virtuous and indignant reader


be not startled i was not so base as you imagine and your own vile suspici ns aro


so many witnesses against yourself in the same ac commodating circumstances


i say again i feel quite ashamed at this distance or time to think how very little i cared for one of the prettiest faces in existence compared with the object of my little ambition


kates brother was the uhlpperin to tho charliebury hounds and he hid a pony cither private property or at all events at his com nm nd


my pocketmoney prevailed and kate fell


she borrowed the pony nf her brother for a friend a supposed follower as she called himand sent rae out on him with tho opposition pack


this was adding insult to injury with a venge ance


but i had no compunctions of conscience and was roger so frequently thit even tho apothecarys honesty took tho alarm


he in clined to sign any more tickets for calomel pill and n black dose for at least a month to come


before tho arrival of that month an event oc curred which accelerated my paco ns a sports man and freedmo from much wholesome re straint


chapter ii


not in scorn do i reprove thee not in pride


thy vows i waive but believe i could not love thee wert thou a prince and i a slave


can i love


oh deeply truly warmly fondly but not thee


olave sought the drawingroom and the old lady stood at the top of the stairs and listened anxiously old ladies will do such things you know gentle reader


there was a lulling sound of voices a silence and a murmuring again and then the drawingroom door flew open and mr weston trod hastily through the hall mounted his horse and rode furiously homeward


then olave came out and the old lady retreated to her own room but not before she had seen that the girls cheek was flushed her eye tearful and her elastic step more tardy than usual


mrs glenstone figeted about for awhile but the true womans heart was working within her and pre


sently she sought olaves chamber


she entered and found her kneeling


long she stood there and watched the slight form trembling with emotion and heard the heaving sobs that burst from the purple lips but at last olave rose


poor lassie my poor lassie said the kind old lady for what do you grieve so bitterly


olave smiled through her tears


though i wept i did not kneel to grieve madam but to give thanks to my god


she blushed and hesitated for a moment and then enquired you know the purpose for which mr weston called madam i did and you accepted him


no oh no no no


for what then did you thank god that he had enabled me to withstand a strong temptation and refuse the hand of a man whom i never could love


why not i dont know


oh dont ask me


but im sure i never could


he is talented kind upright and with all wealthy and influential


he is


but i could not love him


he is goodlooking and pleasant


yes but i never could love him


reason like a woman but why


i dont know


he is about to purchase lystordale


i know it that was the great tempta tion he told me so he said it was for my sake he was doing so


and you answered that i was sorry he had thought to bribe me to love or that he could be content to marry one who did not love him


but my dear miss lystor in reality what is your reason for refusing so good an offer and if you do not regret doing so why are you weeping so bitterly even now i refused him because i never will marry a man unless i love him with my whole being unless he annihilates all thought of self in my heart and becomes the one only object of my earth ly existence unless in short he holds a position in reverence to me only inferior to that of my god


but i pity him oh mrs glenstone i pity him from my heart


if i were in his place if one i loved refused me i should die i think i think i should die


i could not act otherwise but i am grieved deeply grieved that i have caused him such a sorrow


mrs glenstone laid a kiss on the maidens burning brow and whispered be comforted dear child he will not feel it as you would he is of a colder less impulsive nature he will soon conquer down his feelings by his strong good sense


i hope he will murmured olave


i hope he will


but my dear miss lystor archly observed the old lady how do you know that you ever could feel such a love as you describe towards any human being unless you have done so already have you


olave blushed rosyred


oh mrs glenstone i i


i she stammered and drew in her breath then burst into a passiou of tears


i loved my father so she sobbed


mrs glenstone drew her caressingly towards her with a soothing hush darl ing hush and when she was again calm she gazed down into the lovely face reclining upon her bosom and whisper ed only your father


olave


olave started


ah come olave the old lady said with a smile you are com pletely caught come tell me who it is


olave started to her feet and called back with an effort her dignity to her aid and said i will not deny my dear madam that i have seen one for whom i could feel as i have said but most assuredly i will not reveal my own frailty by telling his name


therefore i entreat that you will not request what i never can concede


you are right dear lassie keep your secret and i will ask no more about it and with a caress and a blessing mrs glenstone left the room admiring with the earnestness of a loving heart the noble principles of her pretty governess but more than ever convinced that she loved somebody not far distant


i wonder who it is mused the old lady i wonder who it is


the streets of sydney with some account of the houses thereof and the people who dwell therein


br hooke


y walker


a very extensive traveller


chapter vii


shewing how i visited kingstreet and made divers reflections there upon law and law yers


and how i met an acquaintance who disserted upon the gastronomic establish ments therein and was considerably aston ished by his talk of these and other matters


a facetious friend of mine was once pleased to tell me that he had altered the name of king street into that of grub


sad remi niscences of starving rhymesters in narrow foul unwholesome dwellings suggested themselves


sorrowful pictures a long gallery full of worn weary wasted mothers pining in utter hopelessness over holloweyed and sickly child ren faminestruck and old before their time were conjured up by the imagination and stamped my features with a serious look


need i record how the gloom vanished when he more fully explained his meaning a harmless pleasantry


it was the very opposite to faminehe termed it grub street on account of its nume rous eating houses


it was enough for me to form a determination


a street which offers so much food for the body must needs have an abundant supply of aliment for the mind me thought i will study it well when opportunity offers


how i accomplished my scheme will be seen


king street which is divided into east and west runs through the heart of sydney


it has a church with a willowtree and wooden pave ment at one end and the other is graced by a wharf watermens wherries woodboats cockle shell crafts and other saline concomitants af fording ample proof of the maritime power of the city in the parramatta ocean and lane cove sea


the inhabitants of this extremity are dis tinguished by a decidedly nautical character their persons emit a strong scent of seaweed tobacco and rum their gait is rolling and antimilitary although they themselves are characterised by peculiar pugnacity


their patois is of a hybrid kind a mixed pickles sort of language principally made up of the seaman sawyer shellgatherer and woodcutter tongues


as it is difficult to be understood by strangers an alteration would be an improvement without causing any undue interference with the roots


i throw out this suggestion for the consideration of the nu merous schoolmasters of the day who pride themselves upon their wondrous doings abroad


until this revolution be perfectly effected a key to the wharf conversational style must be deemed a great social blessing


mr c h chambers in his police office educational lectures upon the lower orders has frequently had occasion to illustrate his subjects by reprehending the lingua or lingo of the frequenters of this locality


his sanguine and praiseworthy attempts have not hitherto been as successful as they deserve perhaps his reprehensions were too mild and paternal and he did not consider that breaking priscians head and a policemans were synony mous


there are people in the world who think the former enormity the greater


near the willowtree before mentioned rises a dull dingy frowning heavy building in which the law is administered in all its native purity


the supreme court is the fountain head of jus tice whose waters are clear as crystal but by some unhappy fatality the litigants who rush to quaff the sparkling draught discover that conti


guity dispels the illusion and destroys one of the pleasant fictions with which the law abounds


bills of cost delays and uncertainties are the lees of the cup


not that attorneys are to be blamed


a sixandeightpenny charge for a passing how dye do is cheaper and per haps quite as beneficial as a physicians guinea fee for a similar enquiry


professional men must be paid even for compliments those only who object to politeness could dream of taxing their bills


besides was it not or endeavoured to be shewn in the legislative assembly that lawyers are the most abused and illpaid mem bers of the community the victims rather than the victimizers of society the positive drudges of ungrateful clients


would a gentleman by act of parliament seek to obtain twentyfive per cent


more than he was equitably entitled to


it were the lowest state of barbarism to imagine he could or would


yet strange to say the world teems with barbarians who are unable to discover limits to the conscience of a gent one c and affirm that it can and will stretch to any possible length where the pocket is concerned


this is a stretcher indeed


the courts within are worthy this unsightly mass of bricks and mortar


they are formed upon the inconvenienttoeverybody principle and the original architect with a legion of others who have been called upon at divers times to subtract from add to or alter them is clearly entitled to a premium for ingeniously torturous constructure


they are intersected by numerous narrow alleys some of which are no thorough fares whilst others lead the adventurous travel ler into a witnessbox a jurybox a reporters box a barristersboxin fact into every place where he entertains neither inclination nor inten tion to go


the unhappy pioneer under these bewildering circumstances rushes madly hither and thither without compass or guide and con siders himself supremely fortunate if he can reach the street without having undergone that harrowing ordealcontempt of court


there are two directions painted upon the walls preg nant with wisdomdo not come near the fire and keep this place clear


suitors however are blind to the sage warnings and by neglect ing to keep clear of the place burn their fingers to a considerable extent


it is quite a treat for bystanders to listen to a case in which they are not involved


judicial playfulness and forensic repartee twinkle like little stars and affairs progress so pleasantly that were it not for the solemn visages of the bellige rents smith and jones or johnson and thompson as the case may be one would think the whole was a capital jokea petite comedy got up for the especial promotion of good humour


a vast deal of serious business is nevertheless


within these walls and bold hearted must be the juryman who can conjure up the ghost of a smile in the five days sitting upon ship wreck v insurance company or the twenty in flourishing funds v broken bank suffer ers


when that box door is entered hope is left behind


there is an order of the court but the real mourners are boxed up


people hurry ing in and out as business or inclination prompts appear to twit these melancholv fixtures lengthy documents elongate themselves alarmingly and the epigrammatic address of a manning or the fluid brevity of a terry seems dull droning and neverending


in such events the palladium of british liberty trial by jury loses caste and the do not receive a favorable verdict from the incarcerated twelve


the supreme court picture like all others has its light and shade it is for judges to declare whether they be fairly balanced or not


war and law are necessary evils and until the angry passions of mankind merge into universal love the sword and the judge will have little rest i thought as i left the court gazed for a moment on the willowtree bending near the house of prayer as if weeping for the strife of men and petitioning for its cessation then turned away in meditative mood


a smart tap on the shoulder startled me


walker


by all thats melancholymusing amongst the legal tombs


tumbled into chan cery old boy eh


i wish you joy youve got into a mess of which somebody half a century hence may find the clue


the speaker was mr thomas brick more familiarly known as tom brick a gentleman who affects the law but is considered to have a stronger penchant for amusements which belong to the sporting world


tom is a harmless fellow and excepting in cases of brag does everything in the small way


yet to hear him talk one would conceive he was the leviathan davis of the sydney turf a mar quis of hertford at cards a jonathan at billiards as crack a shot as kennedy or osbaldeston and as striking a pugilist as jem ward


his friends laugh at these peculiarities and at the conclu sion of each marvellous bit which he relates for their edification content themselves with ob servingthats another brick


an edifice raised from such bricks certainly cannot be constructed upon the true principles of moral architecture


mr brick i replied that perilous ocean is unknown to me save by name


may it ever be so


lawyers get fat on it clients dont thats all the difference


talk of chanceryi got a mans head there once and it was dead smashed before i let it go


just feel my muscle theres a deltoid for you big as an elephants and hard as iron bark


my hit is tremendous the upper cut particularly severe


some years ago i lifted big chalker over a stock yard fence with one chuck under the chin


just stand up before me a moment and ill show you how i did it


i smiled at the facility with which my learned friend shifted from his legal position into his favorite ground but declined to accept his chal lengeatarms


sorry for your want of taste walker


it is not every body id accommodate in that way


what do you say to a game at billiards hey


think im too much for you


ill easily settle that give you ninety points out of a hundred not enough heysay ninetynine and follow me to don johns the cossack hotel


fine fellow the don he gives capital spreads


his is no ordinary grub i assure you not like some of the chaps in the street


im rather particular about rack and manger its the only way to get into tiptop condition


i was picked up the other day nicely


i was in a hurry you see slipped into the nearest victualling officepro prietor sleek and oily ushered me into a dining room which looked as dingy as a vault and smelt confoundedly like a boilingdown esta blishment


very unpleasant in warm weather dulls the appetite amazingly


what can i have said i anything you like said he


im always suspicious of that answer because i have invariably found it result in not obtaining anything one does like


capital stew sir he suggested


afraid of stewscomposition the left bits of yesterday heated up and excruci atingly flavored with chillies and cayenne warranted to skin any throat not lined with double block tin as a precautionary measure


hashed calves head he resumed


im not partial to that dish walker it tastes too much of indiarubber garnished with glue


tried it once and did not get my teeth apart for a fort night


to cut the matter short i ordered mut ton chops loin of course done with the gravy in


i heard a deal of frizzing and spitting which sounded more like fryingpanning than gridiron izing and i prepared myself philosophically for the worst


the cook who fries a chop would in my opinion be guilty of any enormitysuch a man is a regular traitor to the constitution


the mutton appeared after a wait of thirty minutes with the accompaniment of a trio of particolored potatoes on a white plate


the chops were black enough anyhow as an addi tional incitement to my appetite the unfortu nates were severed from the neck of the original animal and transmogrified by the culinary pro cess into an excellent imitation of cinders


by the aid of a blunt knife and three potatoes hard and cold like iced snowballs you may fancy i made a bangup feast


however i washed down my disappointment with some capital porter and rose from the table as empty as a drum


as i was paying the trifling bill for these luxuries an old acquaintance entered


tom said he where are you hurrying now


im just going to get some luncheon at don johns


egad walker how the proprietor did stare it was only a rowland for his oliver


bad training ground for my muscles hey


at this point of the conversation tom made three or four hits at some imaginary enemy by way of illustrating his corporeal powers and this process appeared to relieve him from the oppressive weight occasioned by the memory of his gastonomic takein


he then resumed his rattle


do you see that short tubby man with a red face standing near the corner thats striver dicky striver of the orangetree


firstrate cricketer and politician


strange companions


i remarked


not at all


what are politics but a game of cricket


your only play is to bowl your ad versary out walk into his place and keep it as long as you can


look at the english govern ment when the whigs are stumped out the tories stump in


at one time the latter were capital hands at a long stop but the game has shifted lately


striver is no match for me


i played him at single wicket once on the hyde park ground knowing my power of muscle i conditioned that he should not cry lost ball


poor fellow


the first hit i made the leathern circle flew like wildfire over the sydney college


away went striver puffing and blowing like a whale in convulsions whilst i took my canters quite gently and by the time he returned the wind was clean out of his body


he gave up the match of course


next morning the iden tical ball was found near the victoria barracks


an astonishing feat wasnt it


i never heard of such a one previously i rejoined


in politics i was equally lucky with him


when he was oratorically inclined at public meetings i coughed him down


he tried to stop my speeches by the same method but could not for the life of him neck too short he might have coughed himself into an apoplectic fit and not been a morsel nearer the mark


im too strong for him anyhow


the real bricks are not born every day walker


bricks are very scarce at the present time i believe tom


yes seven pound ten a thousand but what do i care for that


im the richest man in the colony i take it


one hundred farms fifty thousand head of cattle half a million of sheep and three hundred brood maresall thorough bred and the best rams bulls and entires in the world


as for town property walker my houses i should say at a guess rough you mind bring me in ten thousand a year


a little more or less as the lawyers say


i enquired


precisely


im not particular to a shade you know


ones energies must be kept in ac tion


how are you crowwood


this question was addressed to a gentleman passing by


dye know crowwood


good chap ex cellent shot but i took the conceit out of him at cooks river


twenty birds thirty yards rise double shooting pull your own traps


it blew a hurricane and rained a deluge


no joke to keep your powder dry


i managed it though youd never guess how


i spread a large gig umbrella over my head strapped the handle to my body and blazed away from under it without any inconvenience


crowwood did his duty like a sportsman but it was no use i killed all my birds and one over


ill tell you how that oc curred he missed the identical bird and when it was my turn to pull it was at least two hun dred yards away in the line of my blue rock i covered them both and down they came


that was shooting extraordinary walker


with the long bow


i thought


i see you have an appetite for such tales


follow me to don johns and if i dont enter tain you liberally never call me a brick again


i accepted the invitation and was not disap pointed


toms imagination added piquancy to the feast of which i partook more moderately than appeared agreeable to his hospitality


at parting he promised to note down some of the most marvellous circumstances of his life for my perusal assuring me that he was convinced i should not believe them


it may turn out so


to be continued


marie antoinette or i the chevalier of the red house


i c continued from colonial times


may j chapter


xxtv


two hours had elapsed during tho occurrence of those events we have just recorded


lorin was pacing backwards and forwards in maurices chamber whilst agiselai was brushing his masters hoots in the nntechumbcr the door of communi cation being left open for the convenience of con versation


lorin paused before the door as he passed and rcpassed to address his questions to the domestic


did you say citizen agcsilas that your master went out this morning


yes mon dieu yes


at his usual hour i cannot say whether it was ten minutes sooner or ten minutes later


and you have not seen him since no citizen


lorin continued his exercise and mads two or three turns in silence after which he paused again


did he take his sabre with him asked he


he always does when he goes to the section


are you sure he is gone to the section


at least he said so


in that case i shall join bim said lorin if we happen to miss each other tell him that i have been here and will return again


stop said agcsilas


what is it


i hear his footsteps on the staircase


do you think so i am quite sure of it


at the same moment the outer door opened and maurice entered


lorin threw a rapid glance upon him but observing nothingunnsual he remarked ah


i so you have arrived at last i have waited two hours for you


so much the better replied maurice smiling you would have time enough to prepare some of your distiches and refrains


ah i my dear maurice said the rhymester i shall make no more


what


no more distiches and rhymes


no replied lorin somewhat sadly


the world is coming to an end


friend maurice i am very sad


you sad i am miserable


you miserable


yes i am filled with remorse


remorse


yes mon dieu said lorin between you and her there was no choice or if there had been i should never have hesitated but poor arthemise is plunged in despair because she was her friend


poor girl i and as she gave me the address it would have been infinitely better had you allowed matters to take their own course


and at this very hour you would have stood condemned in her place


it is well reasoned my dear friend


besides i came to ask your ad vice thinking to find you more firm than you seem i lo le


well never mind let us hear the question


well you must understand that i should like to do something to save the poor girl and if i cither gave or received some sound blows in her behalf i should ferl more at ease


you are a fool lorin replied maurice shrugging his shoulders


what suppose i sought some interest with the revolutionary tribunal it is too late she is condemned


but still it is truly frightful said lorin to see such a young creature perish


much more so since my safety led to her death


but after all lorin there is one consola tion for us she did conspire


good god do not nil the world in the present day conspire more or less she only followed the example of others poor thing


do not pity her too much my friend or nt least not too loudly


we ourselves bear a portion of her sentence for believe mc the stain of com plicity has not yet been washed away from our names


i was even today in the section termed a girondin by the captain of the chasscuis of st leu and was compelled to undeceive him by a sabre cut


that is what has kept you so late then precisely


and why did you not inform mc of this afiiir


because in such matters as those you cannot control yourself besides itvas necesary to settle the affair at once so as to prevent its being noised abroad


each took the first second he could put his hand upon


and that rascal called you a girondin


you maurice so pure eh


mon dieu


i interrupted maurice that ought to prove to you my dear friend the danger of our position such another adventure and we become unpopular you know lorin that to be unpopularinthcse times is to be suspected


there is no other synonyme for unpopularity


i know that well said lorin j such a word makes the bravest tremble


but nevertheless i felt great repugnance in thinking that the poor hcloisc will be guillotined without pardoning me


in short what do you wish


i wish you maurice who have nothing to re proach yourself with in respect to her to remain where you arc


with me it is another affair since i eau do nothing more for her i can at least place myself in her way


i shall go fiicnd mau rice and if i can merely procure a passing wave of her hand i will ia that case interrupted maurice accompany you


impossible


reflect my dear friend


you are the secretary of a section involved in the charge


you would be suspected


i on the other hand have only been your defender


remain then


i i can risk nothing by going


everything loi in had advanced seemed so just maurice had nothing to say


one single inter change of signs between maurice and tisons daughter whilst on her way to the scaffold would infallibly establish complicity between them


go then said he but act prudently


lorin smiled squeezed maurices hand and de parted


maurice ran to the window opened it and bade a sad adieu to his friend


but before lorin had turned the corner of the street he more than once returned to the window and the former as if from some magnetic sympathy also looked back and smiled


finally when lorin had entirely disap peared maurice closed the window threw himself into a chair and was soon plunged in one of those reveries peculiar to vigorous and strong organiza tions


he experienced a sad presentiment of evil that was felt like some dead calm before a tempest


he was aroused from his dreamy reflections by the return of his domestic from some commission he had been sent to execute out of doors


from the ex pression of his countenance it waa evident that he was burning with impatience to relate some news


perceiving the abstractedness of maurice he did not like to disturb him but obstinately passed arid repassed without any obvious motive


what is the matter asked maurice negli gently


speak if you have anything to s y ah i citizen there has been another famous conspiracy


maurice shrugged his shoulders ex pressively


a conspiracy continued agesilas that would make ones hair stand on an end


indeed replied maurice with the manner of one perfectly accustomed to the daily report of such oftrecurring events


yes citizen resumed agesilas it makes one shudder do you know only to think of it


it will make every good patriot feel gooseflesh all over


let us hear all about the conspiracy


the austrian has very nearly escaped


i bah exclaimed maurice paying however i more attention


it seems said agesilas that the austrian had intimate relations with the daughter of tison i whom they are going to guillotine today


i


and how could the queen possibly have any relations with the girl asked maurice feeling the perspiration burst upon his brow


would you credit it citizen


by a carnation through which the plan of the affair was to be for warded to the austrians


in a carnation and how so the chevalier ofstop a bit


the name is however well known but i have a bad memory for such things


the chevalier of the chftteau what a fool i am


there are no more chteaux


of the red house thats it


impossible how impossible since i tell you they have found a tiap door and a tunnel that is different but you never said a word about that


well i wn going to tell you


say nway


if it is a tale it is at least a good one no citizen it is not a talc and the proof is that i had it from our citizen porter


the aristo crats sank a minc beginning in the sheet la cor deric and ending in the canteen of citizen plumean


she has narrowly escaped being accused of compli city


i suppose you know her yes said maurice


what next


well the widow capet was to escape through this tunnel


she had her foot on the first step when tho citizen simon pulled her back by her dress


they nielicating the gniale throughout the town anil summoning all the sections


you may hear the drums


there


they say the prus sians arc at dainmnrtin and have pushed their ad vanced guard on to the frontiers


in the midst of this flow of words mingled with truth and falsehood with the possible and the im possible maurice had gradually caught the lending thread


it evidently began with the carnation purchased by himself from the unfortunate flower girl and presented under his own eyes to the queen this carnation must have contained the plan of the conspiracy which had just burst out in all its details whether true or falbe as just related by agesilas


at this moment the sound of a drum was heard in the street and the public crier proclaimed the great conspiracy discoerd in the temple by the citizen simon


the great conspiracy in behalf of the widow capet discovered in the temple


ay aye said maurice it is indeed as i thought


there is some truth in this and lorin in the middle of this popular excitement may pos sibly extend his hand to this girl and be cut in pieces


maurice seized his hat buckled on his sabre and was speedily in the streets


where can he be thought maurice on the road to the conciergerie no doubt


he hurried forthwith towards the quai mgis serie pikes and bayonets tossing above the crowd were exposed to his view


it seemed to him as if he could distinguish in the midst of the mass the uniform of a national guard about whom hostile movements were being made


with an oppressed heat he ran to the crowd clustering on the edge of the river


this national guard who seemed to be hard pressed by a cohort of the marseillais was lorin


he looked pale his lips were compressed his eyes menacing whilst his hand grasped his sword and he seemed calculating where he would strike


about two paces from lorin stood simon


the latter laughing ferociously pointed out lorin i to tho marseillais und the crowd exclaiming hold i hold t


you see that fellow


he is one i of those whom i caused to be driven from the temple yesterday as an aristocrat


he is one of those who aided the correspondence through the medium of a carnation


ile is the accomplice of tisons daughter who will shortly pass by


well do you see him


ho is coolly walking on the quay whilst his companion is aout to march to the guillotine


he was perhaps more than an accom plice


perhaps she was his mistress and he came here to btd her adieu or try to save her


lorin was not the man to listen to more


he drew his sabre


at that moment the crowd gave way before a man whose head towered above the crowd and whose brond shoulders overthrew three or four of the spcctatois who wero preparing to become actois


that man was maurice


having reached lorin he threw his left arm around his neck


you aie foitunate simon said maurice


you no doubt regretted my absence when in your character of chief denunciator you denounced my friend


denounce simon denounce


here am i my faith yes said simon with a hideous chuckling


you have just como in time this is the fine gentleman maurice lintlcy who was accused at the same time with tisons daughter but who got off because he was rich


to the lanterne lumppost then the most convenient gallows


to the lanterne j shouted the marseillais


ha


sbyou must try thatcried maurice and striding a pace forwards he made a pass at the forehead of one of the most furious cutthroats merely by way of trial


the fellow was instantly blinded with his blood


murder t murder roared he


the marseillais lowered their pikes raised their axes and handled their muskets


the crowd broke ami fled in alarm whilst the two friends remained isolntcd as marks for every blow


they looked at each other and smiled sadly hut proudly for they expected to be devoured by the whirlwind of steel and fire which menaced them


they stood with their backs against a house door


in an instant it opened and a swarm of young men fashionably dressed each of whom was armed with a sabre and a brace of pistols poured upon the marseillais when a terrible melue ensued


hurra cried maurice and lorin together both being reanimated by this unexpected succour and never reflecting that if they fought in the ranks of the new corners simuns neensations would be strengthened


hurra i cried they again


if they did not think of their safety another person seemed to do so for them


a young man of small stature about twentyfive or twentysix years of age having blue eyes and who unceasingly and with infinite vigour and address wielded a heavy sabre which one would have imagined his effeminatelooking hand could not raise perceiving maurice and loria fighting by his side instead of taking advantage of the open door turned round and said in a low voice fly through that door what we are doing here does not concern you and you compromiso your selves needlessly


then perceiving that the two friends hesitated he suddenly cried back with you no patriots here municipal lindey we are all aristocrats when the word was uttered the crowd uttered a furious cry at the audacity of a man who would an nounce a rank the possession of which at that period was equivalent to a sentence of death the young man assisted by three or four friends without being alarmed at the cry pushed maurice and lorin into the alley the gates of which they closed upon them


they then retuincd and threw themselves into the combat whichwas rendered till more furious by the approach of the execu tioners cart


maurice and loi in perceiving thombslves so miraculously saved looked at each other astonished and confounded


but they saw no time was to be lost in seeking another issue it seems to have been designed


they entered a court at the bottom of which they found a small marked door opening upon the street st germain lauxerrois at this moment a detachment of gensdarmes filed for the j bridge au change which must speedily sweep the quay although from the transverse street where the two friendswere they heard for a short space of time the uproar of a frightful struggle


these gensdarmes preceded the cart which conducted poor heloise to the guillotine


gallop i shouted a voice gallop and they set off full speed


lorin saw the unfortunate young girl standing up with a smile on her ups and a fire in her eye but he could not exchange even a gesture with her


she passed without seeing him in the midst of a perfect whirlwind of people who shouted to death to death with the aristocrat


the sound died away in the distance as it swel led near the tuileries about the same period the little door by which maurice and lorin had escaped opened and three or four of the gentlemen com batants


caine foi th their dresses torn and bloody


these were probably the remnants of their little troop


the faircomplcxioned young man came out last


alas said he this cause is accursed and he threw his notched and redstained sabre to wards the street lavandiers


to be continued


marie antoinette or the chevalier op


the red house


continued from colonial imes june j chapter xxx


the rays of the sun streamed through the green blinds gilding the rosetrees growing in wooden boxes on tho window of maurices chamber


the perfumo of these flowers moro precious on ac count of the lateness of the season filled the small breakfast parlour which shone with neatness and in which a tublo was laid out elegantly but with out profusion at which sat genevive and maurice


ho door was closed for the table contained everything which the guests rpquii ed


and any one might have understood by a glauco that it meant avo will help ourselves


the movement of the servant was hoard in tho neighbouring room


the sunshine of the last of the fine days of the season quivered in golden lines across tho room and upon the furniture


geneviovo allowed the golden fruit sho hold to fall upon her plate and smiled in a dreamy man ner


her eyes wore languishing with melancholy


she thus remained silent inert enraptured bask ing in the sun of love uko beautiful flowers in the sunshine


her eyes speedily sought thoso of maurice and she found them fixed upon her


he too gazed and dreamed


she placed her soft and fair hand on tho young mans shoulder


ile started


she then leant her head tliero with that confidence and freedom which argues moro than love


genevive looked at him without speaking and blushed as she gazed


maurice liad only to bend his bead a little to press the halfopened lips of his mistress


he bent down his head


genevive grew palo and her eyes closed uko tho petals of a flower in whose calics tho rays of light are concealed


thus they sat enraptured dreaming in the midst of unaccustomed felicity when the sharp sound of the bell made them start


they hastily scparatod


tho servant entered and mysteriously closed the door


it is citizen lorin paid ho ali


that dear lorin said maurice


pardon me genevive i must excuse myself


genevive stopped him


what show your friend the doormaurice said she


a friend who has assisted sustained and consoled you


no i will not dismiss such a friend from your house any more than from yonrhcart


let him come in maurice let him come in


avhat you will permit it said maurice


i not only do permit it but wish it said genevive


oh then it seems you have discovered that my love not sufficient for you exclaimed maurice ravished with her delicacy of tasto


it is idolatry from all you seek


genevive offered her burning brow to the young man to be kissed


the door was opened and lorin entered smart as possible in his dandy uniform


on perceiving genevive ho seemed astonished but immediately mudo a respectful low


como lorin come said maurice and look at madame


you aro dethroned lorin


there is another now whom i prefer


i should have given my life for youfor her lorin and to you that is no news


have given my honour


madame said lorin seriously and which for bim argued a profound emotion i shall en deavour to love maurice moro than you so that ho may not forget me altogether


take a seat sir said genevive smiling


yes sit down said maurice who having shaken ljands on his right with his friend and on his loft with his mistress felt his heart overflow ing withas much happiness os a man could feel upon earth


so said lorin youhavo no desire now to die


you dont want to kill yourself now


avhat is that asked genevive


oh


my god said lorin how versatile man is


philosophers have good reason to despise his weakness


hore is one will you believe it madame who yesterday wished to cast himself into the firo or throw himself into water and who declared there was no more happiness for him on earth j and now i find him in the morning ex tremely gay and happy with joyous smile upon his lips happiness shining in his face life in his heart and seated before a capital breakfast


it is true he does not eat but that is no proof that he is not happy


what


baid genevive ho wished to do all that ah that and much more


i will relato it all to you another timo but at present i am very hungry


itis maurices fault


he mado me search the whole neighbourhood of st jacques last night


allow me then to make freo willi your breakfast as i perceive neither of you have touched it


hold i ho is right exclaimed maurice with joy


let us breakfast have not oaten a morsel nor you neither genevive


he watched lorins eyes but it exhibited no impression


ali


so you said maurice cuesscd it was her


parbleu answered lorin cutting a largo slice of bacon


am hungry too said gencviovc holding out her plaie


lorin said maurice i was very ill last night


you were moroyou were a fool


well i believe youuffer most this morning said maurice


how so asked lorin


you have perpptrated no verses


i will think of that by and by


good said maurice


in the meantime remarked lorin wo will converse on matters much moro serious


avhat next asked maurice uneasily


simply that i am shortly to bo a guard at the conciergerie


at the conciergerie said genevive j near the queen believe so madame


gonevicve turned pale whilst maurice frowned and mado a sign to lorin who cut a slice of ham double the size of the former


the queen in fact had boon conducted to tho conclorgerio whero we shall now follow her


chapter xxxi


at tho junction of tho pont au chango and tho quai aux fleurs arose the ruins of tho old place of st louis which was called par excellence the palace as rome was called the forum and which still preserves tho name although the only monarch who now occupy it aro judges pleaders und law officers


tho palace of justice is a largo gloomylook ing building which oauses one to dread moro than love tho stern goddess


thoro one sees tho tap pings and attributes of human vengeance concen trated in one narrow spot


hero ivo have cells where tho accused aro confineda little further on tho court of justicelower down there aro tho condemned cellsat tho door there is a little squaro whero they mark them with the redhot iron as infamous


finally about ono hundred and fifty paces from tho last there is another larger square whero they kill themthat is to say the place do grve whero they finish what has been commenced at the palace justice accordingly has all under its rigid paw


all that mass of building one part leaning against the other sad solitary gray with age and pierced wkh small grated windows composes tho conciergerie


this prison has cells which tho waters of the seino moisten and where they leave their dark sludge


it possesses also mysterious passages which informer times conducted to tho silent wavo those victims whom it was necessary to remove


in the conciergerie was the jackall of tho scaffold


it was choked full of prisoners who in hour becamo condemned


at thin epoch the old prison of saint louis was in reality the hotel of death under the vaulted gate swung at night a lantern throwing out a red light tho sinister enbign of this place of horror


on the evening of that day when maurice lorin and genevive breakfasted together a rumbling noise was heard shuking the quay aud the window of the prison


the rolling ceaod opposite the gato


the gendarmes struck at tho door with the hilts of their sabres


the door opened and the carriage entered the court yard


when tho heavy hinges turned again tho folding doors closed the lock creaked and a woman descended from the conch


tile gaping wicket door swallowed her instantly


three or four curious heads were pushed forward into tho light of the torches to gaze at the prisoner


they wero instantly plunged in ob scurity but their vulgar laugh and gross abuso could be heard when no longer seen


the person who was thus oscoi tod to prison remained in the lodgo with the gendarmes behind the first wicket


she saw that there was a second one to be passed but she forgot that it was neces sary when passing theso wickets to raise the foot and lower tho head for thuro was a step below and a vault above


the prisoner doubtless little accustomed to tho architecture of prisons notwithstanding her long imprisonment forgot to bend her head aud struck it violently against the iron bar


have you injured yourself asked ono of the gendarmes


nothing can injure me more


answered she tranquilly


she passed on without uttering a single complaint although the dark trace of the iron could bo seen over the eyebrow


shortly the governors chair was seen a chair moro venerated by prisoners than the throne of a king by courtiers for the hoad of prison can dispense favours and every favour is important to a prisoner


very often tho least indulgence converts tile gloomy heaven of imprisonment into a luminous firmament


the gaoler richard installed in his armchair which in the majesty of his importance ho had not quitted notwithstanding the rattling of tho car riage and clanging of gates quietly took a pinch of snuff looked at the prisoner and opened his voluminous register


ho took a pen from tho black wooden inkstand


the ink incrustcd its edges merely preserving a muddy humidity in the centre like the lava still in a state of fusion in tho crater of some minature volcano


citizen gaoler said the leader of the escort make the entry quickly in your book for they await us with impatience at the commune


oh that will not occupy much time said the gaoler pouring into the inkstand several drops of wino still remaining in his glass


god be praised wo are always ready


your christian and surname citizen


he dropped his pen in the ready manufactured ink and prepared to make his entry at the bottom of the page which was already nearly filled


be hind his chair stood his wife who with a benevo lent look contemplated with almost respectful astonishment the woman who stood before her tims interrogated by her husband and whoso countenance was exprcssivo of sadness nobility and pride


alarie antoinette jeanne josepho do lor raine answered the prisoner archuuchess of austria and queen of frauco


queen of franco repeated tho gaoler rising with astonishment and supporting himself on the arms of the chair


i


queen of franco repeated the prisoner in the same tone


otherwise styled tho widow capet said tho leader ol the escort


under which of those names is she to be in scribed asked the gaoler


i under that which suits you host said the leader provided it bo dono quickly


tho gaoler reclined in his chair and with a slightly trembling hand wrote in tho register the names and title given by the prisoner


the in scription is of a reddish colour in tho present day but the rats of the revolutionary prison have nibbled it at the most interesting parts


the gaolers wife still stood behind hor hus bands chair whilst a sentiment of religious com miseration impelled her to clasp her hands


your ago asked the gaoler


thirtyseven j cars aud nine months an swered the queen


richard resumed his writing detailed the de scription and concluded with particular notes


good said he


it is done


where is the prisoner to be conducted asked the leader


richard the gaoler took a second pinch and looked nt his if ii


darnel said he wo ero not warned of this so wo dont know at all find some placo then


there is tho council chamber said the gaolers wife


hem


i


it is too large replied richard so much the better


it will bo more easy to p aco the guards there


let it be the council chamber then said richard but it is uninhabited at present


there is no bed


true replied his wife


i never onco thought of that


uah said one of tho gendarmes you can put ono there tomorrow


in fact the morning is near at hand


besides said richards wife tho prisoner may take our room tonight


will not that do my good man


well and what are wo to do


wo wont go to bed for as the citizen gen darme says the night is nearly spent


then said richard lead the prisoner to my chamber


during our absence you will mako out the re ceipt


is it not so


you will find it ready when you return


richards wife then took up a candle and led the way


marie antoinette followed her without saying a word looking calm and palo as usual


twp turnkeys followed close behind her


the queen was shown a bed on which bo gaolers wife hastened to put clean linen


the turnkeys posted themselves at tho entrance


the door was then doublelocked and marie antoinette found herself alone


how she passed that night no one knew sinco sho passed it face to face with god


the queen on tho following morning was led to tho council chamber


it was entered from a corridor in the prison and was of a quadrilateral form


it was intersected by a partition whicli however did not roach the ceiling


one com partment belonged to tho men onguard tho other was tho queens


a window protected with thick bars of iron lighted each one of ihcso apartments


a folding screen was substituted for a door and filled tho opening in the centro of the parti tion isolating the queon from the gaze of her guards


the wholo of the oamber was paved with briol


tho walis had been formerly decorated with borders of gilded wood from which now hung fragments of paper covered with tho fleurdelis


there was a bed in frout of tho window and a singlo chair forming tho entiro furniture of the royal prisoner


on entering the queen requested them to bring her books and work


they gave her the english revolution which she had begun reading at tho templo tho tra vols of young anarchnris and her embroidery


tho gendarmes established themselves in tho neighbouring division


history has preserved their namos as it records that of tho most infa mous beings whom fatality associates with great events and who thus have a portion of light re flected upon thom from tho thunderbolt of revolu tion which crushes kings and thrones


their names were duchosne and gilbert


tho commune had appointed these men whom it knew to bo good patriots and they woro to remain at their post until marie antoinette was judged


it was thus expected that tho irregularities inevitable in a service which changed many times a day would be avoided but it conferred a terrible re sponsibility on tho gendarmes


tho queen learned by tho conversation of these men which she could always overhear except when no motive induced thurn to whisperthut such was tho arrangement


she felt rejoiced and at the same time uneasy for whurlie on tho one hand imagined that theso men having been chosen from amongst so many must bo faithful on tho other hand she reflected that her friends would find moro opportunities to corrupt two men known and fixed at their post than a hundred unknown persons appointed by chance and re maining only for brief intervals near her


the first night previous to retiring to reat one of tho gendarmes according to his oustom began smoking


the fumes of the tobacco passed through the openings of tho partition and assailed tho unfortunate queen whose sufferings had irri tated instead of softening her delicacy


presently slio was seized with giddiness and sickness


she experienced in head all the horrors of asphyxia but true to hor indomitable pride she mado no complaint


whilst she maintained a painful watch amidst the silence of ho night she imagined she heard a howling without the prison


it was long and melancholy and carno through the deserted pas sages with ominous sadness like the sighing of the wind when tho tempest borrows a human ac cent to givo being to the passions of the clements


in a short time she discovered that the cry so doleful and persovering which at first made her start proceeded from a dog howling on the quay


she then thought of little black whom she had forgotten at tho moment she was being removed from the temple but whoso voices she believed she now recognised


in fact the poor animal had lost his mistress by being too vigilant


it fol lowed her unseen and kept beside tho carriage until they arrived at the gates of the prison and then only retired when it was about being cut in two by the double gates closing behind tho queen


tho dog however returned again and under standing that its mistress was entombed within that great stone coffin it called upon bcr by howling and awaited at ten paces distant from tho sentinel some responding caress


tho queen answered by a sigh that attracted the notice of the guards


but as it was the only ono and as no other noise succeeded they resumed their drowsy watch


the queen at daylight on the following morning was dressed


seated beside tho barred window tho suns rays fell upon her emaciated hands


she was apparently reading but her thoughts wandered far from hor book


the gendarme gilbert half opened the screen and looked at her in silence


marie antoinette heard the noise of the folding screen but did not raise her head


she was so seated as to allow tho gendarme to seo her head encircled with tho morning light


ho made a sign lo his comrade to approach


duchesno obeyed


do you seo said gilbert in a low voice how pale she is


it is frightful


her red eyes show she has suffered ono would say she had been weeping


you know well enough snid the other that widow capet never weeps


she is too proud for that


then she is indisposed said gilbert raising his voice ho continued citizen capet are you poorly


the queen slowly raised her eyes and turned a clear and interrogatory glance upon the two men


are you addressing me gentlemen hho asked in a voice full of sw etnoss for she imagined she had detected a slight accent of interest in bira w ho spoke


yes citizen said gilbert and wo wish to know if you aro indisposed


why so bocauso your eyes aro red


and added duchesno you aro also very pale


thank yon gentlemen i am not indisposed only i have suffered much during the night


ah


yesyour chagrin


no gentlemen that is always alike and re ligion having taught mo to put it at the footof the cross i suffer no more from it one day than ano ther


i am indisposed because i nave not slept


ah said duchesno the new lodging and tho chango of bed


besides added gilbert tholodging is not tho most pleasant


it is not that said the queon bowing her head pleasant or unpleasant my lodging is in different to mo


what is it then


it is


yes


i beg pardon for mentioning it but i have boen much annoyed with the fume of tobacco which that gentleman is still inhaling


in fact gilbert was smoking thatbeing his constant habit


ah my god exclaimed he much moved by the soft accents of tho queen


is it that


avhy did you not say so


because i did not eonceive i had any right to restrict you in your habits


well you shallnot be inconvenienced any more


rile turned round and closing the screen led away his companion


it is possible she may be beheadedthat is the nations business


but what good does it servo to make this woman miserable


wo aro soldiers and not executioners like simon


that is a little aristocratic comrodo said duchesno hanging his head


avhat do you call aristooratio


lot us hear explain it a little


lcall everything aristocratic which disturbs tho nation or gives pleasure to its enemies


so i disturb the nation because i do not per sist in smoking out the widow capet


come comedo you seo continued the good man i remember my oath to the country and tho watch word of my troop


that is alli know it by heart


do not permit the prisoner to escape allow no one to visit her prevent all corres pondence which sho may seek to establish and dio at your post


i havo promised that and i will keep it


flourish tho nation i avhat i havo said is not what i wished


quite the contrary j


but it would hurt me much to seo you compromise yourself


hush here is some one


tho queen did not loso a single word of this conversation although muttered in a low voice


captivity makes the hearing doubly acute


the noise which had attracted the attention of the two guards aroso from the sound of many feet approaching the door


it was oponed two municipals entered followed by tho gaoler and several turnkoys


avel said they what of tho prisoner


she is there answered the gendarmes


how is she accommodated


you can see


and gilbert pushed the screen aside


avhat do you want asked tho queen


it is the visit from the commune


this is a good man thought mario


an toinette and if my friends really desire it good good said tho municipal pushing past gilbert and entering the queens division there is no need of such ceremony


tho queen did not raise hor hoad and from her impassability one would havo supposed she neither heard nor saw what was passing but still believed herself alone


the delegates from tho commune curiously surveyed tho details of tho chamber sounded the wainscot the bed and thn bars of tho windows which looked upon the womens side of tho prison


having recom mended the utmost vigilance to the gendarmes they departed without saying a word to the queen and without her scorning to bo awaro of thoir presence


to be continued


missionary


a catholic story founded on facts


chapreit xii


v the conclusion


years passed


twice had the snows of winter fallen twice the blossoms of spring had bloomed summer was upon the land and the fields and waters laughed in glad sunshine


it was at the close of day that a group of idlers resting upon the quay at quebec gazed out listlessly upon the waters observing the motions of the boats passing to and from the few vessels lying in the liver


occasionally a canoe paddled by indians would hoot out from the shore and passgracefully along the waters as its occupants bent their course towards their settlements for the christian indians had formed themselves into communities and lived around their churches and their priests the flock around the shepherd within the borders of the province


the indians are returning to their homes said one of the group


i thought they would have re mained in town tonight tomorrow is the festival of the assumption


true said another but they are returning to celebrate it at their own villages


they are very pious and devout continued the first


their example is enough to shame the better instructed white


better instructed


said the second speaker with a laugh


but that depends upon the sense in which you use the phrase


they are unsophisticated it is true and their pastors the jesuits have succeeded in preserving them from the contamination which so often follows in the path of the white man in his contact with the indians


they are untaught in the worlds learning perhaps and undervalue it but i warrant tbee neighbor they will repeat the pater and the ave and the creed and the decalogue with thee and explain them too as well as thou canst and what is better still neighbour they practise what they have learned a thing which you ifthd i and many more of the better instructed sometimes do not consider as necessary as we ought


yes i admit that they are good and practical christians thanks to the zeal and energy and purity of life of their pastors


is itnotadmirable this courage and daring of the jesuits that led them into the forest to bring these wanderers to cod


they tell me said another that in france there are some who begin to rail against the order as proud intriguing as seeking after wealth and power


i


oh doubtless


yes i have heard so neighbor


they seek wealth in strange places here in the forest in china in england on the scaftbld


yes it is the wealth of heaven they are seeking


ah it would be a glorious thing to place one of these silkenrobed revilors by the side of an humble jesuit in the forest beyond the great lakes among the wild indians who have never yet seen the face of a whiteman


give them botli stall and scrip and a wooden cross aye or bind them both to the stake with the savage iroquois around them tearing their flesh and torturing them to death as i have seen the jesuit die with a prayer upon his lips said a voice abruptly and the speaker rose from a seat which he had occupied near the party hut concealed from them by some bales of goods and turned his step towards the town


a pause for a moment ensued


who is that man asked one of the group


ah that is iispion hardi


said the defender of tho jesuits whose name was paul


i have heard it said that he was out some years ago with a party of ilurons who endeavoured to rescue two missionaries from the mohawks


it is a sad tale but it so often happens thus in this wild land that one can scarcely recall all the facts to mind


yes one they saved father jean laval the other a novice was already dead at the torture fire when they became master of the village


tho daring scout is right bind the jesuit and his reviler to the stake and see who will die with the sweotest conscience and the most placid smile see whose soul will best befit a martyr


ah


it is the hour of death which proves the value of the past life which tries its motives and explains and illustrates them


that is the hour when cunning is of no avail when wrong will weigh


upon the conscience and wring out the cry of horror from the soul


the death of one jesuit is wortli the whole life of a thousand of their revilers


the dying of the one and the living of the other alike arc irresistible arguments in be half of the assailed and the reviled


the bloodprints of their martyrs have already rendered holy tho borders of new france and sancti fied and dedicated to god the great valley beyond the western lakes


tlioy have bought it with their toils and suflorings


and this lespion ildrtli i havo never seen him before does he often come to quebec


it is very plain that you are not long of new france


of late he comes frequently for ammu nition ns he says but he always calls at the house ot


mo jesuits ior uuring mat event no iorinca a reverential affection towards the patient and enduring priest which tho rude hunter cannot conquer


then father laval is still hero


yes said m paul he returned from the huron missions sonic mouths since andis recruiting his health which was much shattered by the in cessant toils and lubors of a two years mission among the wandering tribes added to the effects of the sufferings he endured while in captivity among the mohawks


but seo


yonder come two canoes down the river towards the city all that we have hitherto observed were leaving it


the rest of the group directed their eye up to the river upon the objects indicated


sweeping compnro the dying scene of tho jesultmartyr in china in jnpan amongst the mohawks or with ahcnakls uvtn upon tho scaflblil in the realm of jlrltnin suffering iirthu dlsseinlimtloim of religion in the teaching of morality with the lito of an enemy of theirs such ns sue spent in solving tiroailcast the seed of immorality and uceiitlouiness in spreading inftdoluy in assailing christianity nmi battening upon sin anil sorrow


ah it is glorious havo such enemies they arc their own refutation their own condemnation with all rational chlrstlans


majestically around that point from which father laval had bid adieu to quebec two years before came two canoes each urged by several rowers


aided by the current they rapidly ncared the town imtil it was possible to distinguish the faces of the occupants


in the first canoe stood a young indian of powerful frame


his head was ornamented with eagle feathers his dress was a rich robe of skins bound lound his waist with a finely worked belt his face was free from paint and he was totally un armed


behind him rowed another indian the cross around whose neck proclaimed him to be a christian


the second canoe contained a single male and two females one youthful and beautiful in whom the freshness of girlhood had ripened into fuller bloom


the other was older and the hand of time had already scattered a few white hairs among


her thick locks at the bow of each cartbesvas fastened a green branch the indian symbol of peace and amity


the young warrior paused for b moment to gaze upon the growing city and then bending again to his paddle sent the light bark on more fleetly


the evening sun was still casting his glory upon the waters when the bow of the first canoe grated on the sand of the quay below the


lookerson


the indian warrior leaped ashore and his companion drew the light bark upon th beach


in another moment the whole party stood together


then the christian indian taking the lead at a quick pace turned towards the town


it was too common a sight in quebec to attract any extraordi nary attention and the party passed on unheeded


the young brave of the eagle feathers trod on iii


silence scarce deigning to notice what to him must have been wondrous wealth and opulence but re gardless of all around he followed in the lead of his guide


at length the christian indian a huron paused before a house of some size and after looking about as if to recognise the landmarks of the place advanced to the door and knocked


in a few moments it was opened


a huron captive from the mohawks lie said to the junior would see his father of the black gown


the door was cast open and they entered after a little delay the superior came to them


my son what is it that yoii wish v hesaidto the huron


my father he replied pointing to the young brave a mohawk neophyte


long did the good old jesuit gaze upin the powerful young mohawk one of that terrible race of iroquois who had hitherto resisted the efforts of tho missionary and now heaven had sent one to his door demanding admission to the church


yes there is but one he said speaking half aloud who can speak the mohawk and huron tongue and though in ill health he is full of zeal


stay he continued aloud my children


i will send one to you who can speak ypurown language and left the room


j


the mohawk remained cold and imperturbable evincing no curiosity as to what had been said or anxiety for the result though he had closely watched the face of the speaker


the females of the party were not as impassive but examined with wonder the simple decorations of the receptionroom looking with astonishment upon the few plain pictures which adorned the walls


at length a step was heard without and through the opened door entered a jesuit


his face was averted when he came in hut when he had closed tho door he advanced towards them


it was father laval


his countenance was very pale and attenuated and his hair was gray for the toils of a few such years as his had been will touch the head with white as surely as the placid flowof many


suddenly tho impassive face of the mohawk warrior lit up with a bright smile alow exclamation of surprise broke from his lips and he stepped forward to a spot where from a window the light fell full upon his manly form and said blackgown kiskepila


morning flower


vin tnotiif nlicnml liis lmmls


nnrt lonktid tdwnrda heaven for the memory of sad scenes came over his soul but in a moment the cloud passed and joy ously he stretched out his hands


welcome young eaglet welcome gentle maiden


sad were the scenes in which we parted joyful is this hour in which you come back to me liko the fruit of my captivity


the indian maiden wept as she took the hand of the priest and she said in springtime and in summer morning flower has strewed fresh flowers over the grave of the young paleface and she has prayed there that the god of the paleface would hear her


she has said often often mary i mary


and heaven has heard your prayer exclaimed the pricbt


kiskopila has thought many times upon tho words of tho blackgown said the young mohawk and pointing to the huron captive


he continued kiskepila took tho huron captive and he told him over and over the teaching of the good father that he might not forget it


the mohawks are at war with the french but the mohawk brave has come hither to be baptized


kiodego has gone to the spiritland and kiskepila is a chief in his village


morning flower often talkedof tho teach


ing of thcblackgown and would seek tho father of tho pale face


she has come with tho mother of kis kepila


father laval learned that the indian maiden cherishing his instructions in her memory and gaining further knowledge from tho huron captivej had refused to become the wife of the chief except


through the christian bacraments and to be re ceived into the chnrch tho party had undertaken tho long journey to quebec


kiskcpilti informed tho priest that after tho surprise at the village and the departure of the victors the mohawks had not reas sembled until late the next day that then a strong party with reinforcemculs from the other villages had set out in pursuit but that after an inefleotual chase they liadreturnedhavinglost the trail upon tho banks of a btreain of water that flowed into tho st


lawenoo that lie had explained away to them tho


causo of their panic tnl had ever after maintained an ascendancy among them and led them on as their favourite war chief


father laval then began to question the two neophytes upon the subject of religion


lie found their dispi sitioiis good and their instruction so far j as it had gone solid and well understood


and consulting will liis superior determined tyint they should be baptized on lie morrow ns an offering to god tliroupli tlie virein


on die feast of assumption u


and as a dedication of the nation of the iroquois to christ under her invocation


accordingly he placed tlie to females under the protection of the nuns of tlie ursnline convent with directions that the maiden should lie further instructed and prepared liy means of an interpreter for the reception of baptism and the sacrament of penance


in tlieir own house tcifkepila and bis two companions were sheltered father laval that same veninjr attending the neces sary preparations on the part of the young chief


with the dawn of morning rang out the joyous jieals of the church bells for the festival of the


assumption


tlie city was thronged many of the colonists from the country had assembled to cele brntc


the festival in the capital


crowds of strangers and indians filled the streets


the mili tary in all pomp and circumstance of war were drawn out in long array preparatory to marching to the cathedral to assist at the holy sacrifice


at


length


the pealing bells rang out the solemn chant i arose in the holy temple the deeptoned organ swelled up the lengthened aisles


all qucbecbad gathered there for the rumour had gone forth that the interesting ceremony was to he performed at the conclusion of the bishops solemn mass


the hour canie


knreling at the baptistery before the sacred


ftont


were two figures an indian warrior and a female


over the head of the lntter was thrown a light veil of muslin through which her jet black liair showed its glossy hue


she was clothed in a neat dress of spotless white


beyond them knelt a crowd of mingled colonists and natives


beside the sacred font stood up the jesuit father laval en robed and holding bis missal in his bands


on cither side were acolytes with lighted tapers in their hands


the oereirouy proceeded it was finished and with extended hands the priest bestowed upon them his blessing


tlie neophytes arose


in solemn procession they moved towards the altar


thepriest enteeil within the sanctuary and they stood before him


he joined their bnnds he placed the sacred ring upon the finger of the maiden he utterf d the final blessing of the church upon lhbse wlio worthily enter into the holy bonds of matrimony and the affecting scone was ended


tears gathered in the eyes of father laval as he uttered the last prayer


two yeais ago that very day upon the feast of the assumption he had run the gauntlet in the villages of the mohawk


these two young girls were now before him the first fruits a


of his toils and sufferings through the merits of sg christ and be returned thanks to god for his good ness in aending him so abundant consolation


at


this moment a huron pressed through tlie kneeling crowd advaeced towards the mohawk and stretching out his hands exclaimed kiskepila


there has been war between thy people and my people


let the hatchet he buried


let the tree of pencespring up and the mohawk nnd the huron will rest together like brothers under its shade


it is the spirit of the religion which thou hast embraced


the words of the chief of the hurons are good


kiskppilaloveth peace


he has comennarmed into v


the fortress of his brothers


the blackgown has taught kiskepila that they are


the lovers of peace the metciful and the forgiving who are to be happy


and the young mohawk grasped the hand of ahasisari


the lion and the lamb shall lie down together it is true the mohawk and the huron are friends said a voice and the figure of lespion hard was seen passing down the aisle of the cathedral with a sad and pensive step


together the two chiefs knelt before the altar and with uplifted hands the priest besought blessings from heaven on the union and peace thus made and cemented by the solemnities of this holy church o


god


i thank thee for thy ineffable good ness to thy unworthy servant


exclaimed the jesuit ns he departed from the church with a happy heart


thou didst turn my steps from the beaten path to those who had already heard thy gospel to tread


n sorrow and captivity the way to the darkened heathen and thou did bt there make me plant in sadness and suffering the seed which has this day through thy grace borne fruit in joy


thou guidest our steps and directest our energies


truly out of evil thou dost bring forth good


in that year a solemn treaty of peace was formed between the french and the ijoqnois and a mission was founded in the mohawk valley and although interrupted by outbreaks of the savages and in terrupted by wars it constantly revived until


at a period tof ten years later there in the heart of new york the solemn services of the roman catholic church were chanted as securely as in any part of christendom


k uta ikefrltm


the dangerfield ghost from frasers magazine


irithe reign of george ii the head of the house


sir hugh horsinghara married a young wife and brought her home to dangerfield with the usual demonstrations and rejoicings peculiar to such an event


sir hugh was a dark morose man considerably older than hfe bride stern and forbidding in his manners but possessing deep feelings under a reserved exterior and a courage and determination not to be daunted or subdued


such a man was capetble ot great things tor good or for evil and such was the very nature on which a womans influence might have produce the mostbeneficialresults but unfortunately young lady horsingham had but one feeling for her lord and that was intense terror of his anger


she never sought to win bis confidence she never entered into his political schemes deeper studies or even his country amusements and pursuits all she thought of was how to avoid offending sir hugh and ere long this one idea grew to such a pitch that she quite trembled in his presence could scarcely answer distinctly when he spoke to her and seemed hardly to draw breath in freedom save when out of his sight


such a stale of things couldhave but one ending distrust and suspicion on one side unqualified aversion on the other


a marriage never of inclination as indeed in those days amongst great families few marriages were became an insupportable slavery


ere the first year of wedded life had elapsed f atid by the time an heir was born to the house of horsingham probably there was no unhappier couple within fifty miles of dangerfield than dark sir hugh and his pretty fairhaired gentle wife


no


i she ought never to have married him at all


it was but the night before her wedding that she walked in the garden of her fathers old manorhouse with a bright openhearted handsome youth whose brow wore that expression of acute agony which it is so pitiable to witness on a young countenance that looks almost as if physical pain were added to mental anguish which betokens how the iron has indeed entered into the sufferers soul ah you may plead cousin edward but we women are strange mixture and the


weakest of us may possess obstinacy such as no earthly consideration can overcome


lucy


for the last time think of it for the love of heaven do not drive me niad think of it once more it is the last last chance


the speaker was white as a sheet aud his hollow voice came in hoarse inarticulate whispers as he looked almost fiercely into that dear face to read his doom


too well he knew the set fixed expressions of her delicate profile


she did not dare turn towards him she could not have looked him in the face and persevered but she kept her eyes fastened on the horizon as though she saw her future in the fading sunset and whilst her heart seemed turn ing to very stone she kept her lips firmly closed she repressed the tears that would have choked her and so for that time she conquered


lucy had a great idea of duty hers was no highprincipled love of duty from the noblest motives but a morbid dread of selfreproach


she had not character enough to do anything out of her own notions of the beaten track


she had promised her father she would marry sir hugh horsiagham not that he had the slightest right to exact such a promise and she felt bound to fulfil it


she never remembered the in


jury she was doing cousin edward the right which such devotion as his ought to have given him


she knew she loved him better than anyone in the world she knew she was about to commit an act of the greatest injustice towards sir hugh but she had promised papa and though


she would have given worlds to avoid fulfilling her compact


she had not strength of mind to break the chain and be free


cousin edward


i cousin edward


f you should have carried her off then and there she would live been truly grateful for the rest of her life but she would have died sooner than open her lips


he was hurt reckless


almost savage


he thought her sullen once more lucy he said and his eye glared fiercely in the waning light once more will you give me one word or never sei eyes on me again


r her lips never moved


i give you tiil we pass that tree he looked dangerous now and then he swore a reat oath i leave you for ever


lucy thought the tree looked strange and ghastly in vhe rising moon she even remarked a knot upon its smooth white stem bat she held out whilst one might have counted tea and when she turned round poor girl


cousin edward was gone


so the bells rung merrily at dangerfield and the rustics huzzaed for their landlord and the comely village maidens envied the bride and lucy was lady horsingham now with new duties and a high position and a large fine gloomy house and jewels in her hair and an aching heart in her bosom


nevertheless she determined to do her duty as a wife and every hour of the day she resolved not to think of cousin edward


years elapsed and pretty lucy became a gentle hand some woman kindly courteous and beloved by all timid and shrinking only with sir hugh herr husbandj wearied and discontented mixed himself fiercely in all the intrigues of the day became a staunch partisan of the house of stewart and sought for excitement abroad in proportion as he missed congeniality of feeling at home


it was an unhappy household their one child was the mothers sole consolation she scarcely ever let it out of ker presence


they were a pretty sightr that loving couple as they basked iro the sun on a fine summers morning on the terrace in front of the manorhouse


the boy with his mothers blue eyes and his own golden curls and the arch merry smile that he never got from stern sir hugh and the fair graceful woman with her low white brow and her soft brown hair and her quiet gestures and gentle sorrowing face that face that haunts poor cousin edward still mamma says the urchin pouting his rosy lips why dont you play with me


what are you thinking of and a shade passes over that kind face and she blushes though there is no one with her but the child and catches him up and smothers him with kisses and says you my darlingr


but nevertheless i do not think at that moment she was thinking either of her boy or sir hugh


and


where was cousin edward all the time


why at that particular instant swordpoint to swordpoint with colonel bludyer of the dragoons slightly wounded in two places cold and wary and seeming to enjoy with a sort of fierce pleasure such a safetyvalve for excitement as a duel with one of the best fencers in europe


cousin edward was an altered man since he stood with the future lady horsingham in the moonlight


an evil councillor is dispair and he had hugged that grim ad viser to his heart


he had grown handsomer indeed than ever but the wild eye the haggard brow and the deep lines about his mouth spoke of days spent in fierce excitement nights passed in reckless dissipation


he had never forgotten lucy through it all but even her image only goaded him to fresh evtravagances anything to deaden the sting of remembrance anything to efface the maddening past


so cousin edward too became a jacob ite y and was there a daring scheme to be executed a fool hardy exploit to be performed life and limb to be risked without a question who so ready and so reckless as handsome ned meredith v in fhe course of their secret meetings and cabals he became slightly acquainted with sir hugh horsingham and with the inexplicable infatuation peculiar to man in love ho took a pleasure in even being near one so closely connected with lucy although that one was the very person who had deprived him of all he valued on earth


so it fell out that sir hugh horsingham and ned meredith were supping at the eose and thistle in close alliance the table adjoining them being occupied by those stanch hanoverians col bliidyer and mr thornton


heres the blackbird said cousin edward tossing off a huge goblet of bourdeaux


and looking round the room with an heir of defiance as he proposed so well known a toast sir hugh was a man of a certain grim humour and as he drained his goblet and nodded to his comprnion he added may the rats dance to his whistle and the devil thats you ned take the hindmost


colonel bludyer rose from his chair placed his cocked hat on his head and turned the buckle of his swordbelt in front


the king


he shouted raising his hat with one hand and filling a bumper with the other


he repeated scowling fiercely at his two neighbours


over the water roared ned meredith


and the colo nel turning rapidly round and mistaking his man flung his cockedhat riglit in sir hugh horsinghams face


swords were out in a second thrust parry and return passed like lightening but the bystanders separated the combatants and meiedithr determining for the sake of lucy that str hugh should encounter no unnecessary danger took the whole quarrel on himself and arranged a meeting for the following morning with


the redoubtable colonel bludyer


thus it was that while lucy and her boy were basking in the summer sunshine cousin edward was exhausting all his knowledge of swordraanship in ain endeavours to get within that iron colonels guard


the duel was fought on the ground now occupied by leicester square bir hugh and mr thornton officiating as seconds though the latter being disabled from the effects of a re cent encounter they did not as was usual in those days fight to the death merely lpoitr se desenmiyer


stripped to their shirts in breeches and silk stockings with no shoes the antagonist lunged and glared and panted and twice paused for breath by mutual consent with no further damage thati two slight wounds in neds swordann


very pretty practice said mr thornton cooly taking a pinch of snuff and offering his box to sir hugh


tm in dispair at not being able to oblige you this fine morn iug


some other time replied sir hugh with a grim smile d ation he added neds down


sure enough cousin edward was on the grass striving in vain to raise himself and gasping out that he wasnt ihe leasl hurt


he had got it just between the ribs and was trying to staunch


the blood with a delicate laced hand kerchief in a corner of which had he examined it eloselyj sir hugh would have found embroidered the well known mime of


lucy


poor cousin edward it was all hehad belonging to his lost love and he would have been unwill ing to die without that fragment of lace in


his hand


a very promising fencer remarked colonel bludyer as lie wiped his rapier on the grass if he ever gets over it he wont forget that pldngeant thnist in tiercev i never knew it fail thornton never with a man under thirty


so


the colonel put his coat on and drove off to


breakfast whilst sir hughtook charge of ned meredith andi as soon as he was recovered for his wound was not mortal carried him down with him toget thoroughly weli at dangerfield hall


it is an old old story


love outraged and set af defi ance bides his time ancltakes his ifevenge


dangerfield looked like a different place now so thought lucy and her spirits rose and the colour came back to her cheek


and she even summoned courage to speak without hesitat ing to sir hugh when cousin edward was strong enough to limp about the houseit seemed that glimpses of sunshine brightened those dark oak rooms and ere ha was able to take the air once more leaningon lucys arm alaa t alas he hadi become even dearer to the impassioned thoughtful womany than he even was to the timid vacillat ing girl


there was an addition now to the dinner partjr on the terrace in the bright autumn mornings but the little boy needed no longer to ask mamma


what she was thinking of and the three would have seemed to a careless observer a happy family party husband wifeyand child


oh t that it could have but have been sot in the mean time sir hugh was again as usual busied with his state intrigues and party politics and absented himself for weeks together from the hall j ridiug post to london night and dayr returning at all sorts of unexpected hours leaving again at a moments notice and otherwise comporting himself in his usual mysterious reserved man ner


yet those who knew him best opined there was something wrong about sir hugh


be was restless and preoccupied his temper less easily excited about trifles than was his wont but perfectly ungovernable when once he gave way to it


no man dared to question him


he had not a friend in the world who would have ventured to offer him a word of advice or consolation but it wa evident to his servants and his intimates that sir hughs was ill at ease


who can tell the struggles that rent that strong proud heart who could see beneath that cold surface and read the intense feelings of love hatred


jealousy or revenge that smouldered below stifled and kept down by the iron will the stubborn indomitable pride


there is a deep meaning in the legend of that spartan boy who suffered the stolen fox to gnaw his very vitals the while he covered him with his tunic and pre served on his brave face a calm smile of unconcern


most of us have a stolen fox somewhere but the weak nature writhes and moans and is delivered from its torment while the bold unflinching spirit preserves a gallant bearing before the world and scorns to be relieved from the fangs that are draining its very life away


whatever sir hugh saw or suspected he said not a word to lucy nor was it until surmise had become certaintyr that he forbade cousin edward the house


to him he would not condecend to explain his motives he simply wrote to him to say that on his return he should expect to find his guest had departed and that he had sufficient reasons for requesting his visits might not be repeated


with his wife he was if possible more austere and morose than ever so onee more the hall resumed its old aspect of cheerlessness and desolation and its mistress went moping about more than ever miserable and brokenhearted


such a state of things could not long go on


the visits forbidden openly took place by stealthy and the climax rapidly approached which was to result in the celebrated dangerfield tragedy


at this period there was set on foot another of those determined plots which


during the first two reigns of the house of hanover so constantly harassed that dynasty sir hugh of course was a prime mover of the conspiracy and was much in londonandelse where gathering intelli gencejraising funds


and malting converts to his opinions ned meredith having it is to be presumed all ms energies occupied in his own private intrigues had somewhat withdrawn of late froni the jacobite party j and sir hugh heard with his grimunmoved smile many a jest and in uendo levelled at the absentee


one stormy


winters daythe baronet well armedj


cloaked and bootedjleft his own house for the metropolis accom panied by one trusty servant


he was bearing papers of importance and was hurrying on to lay them with this greatest despatch before his fellow conspirators


as the evening was drawing on sir hughs horse shied away from a wild figure looming like some spectre in the fading light


and ere he had forced the animal back into the path his bridle was caught by a halfnaked lad whom the rider at once recognised as an emissary hehad often before em ployed to be the bearer of secret intelligence and who under an affection of being halfwitted concealed much


shrewdness of observation and unimpeachable fidelity to the cause whip and spur


sir hugh whip and spur said the lad who seemed flustered and confused with drink you may burst your best horse betwixt this and london and


all to get there before youre wanted


a dollar to drink


sir hugh like handsome ned gave me this morning a dollar to drink


and ill save you a journey for the sake of the bonny white eose and the bird with the yellow bill


sir hugli scrutinised the lad with a pierceing eye flung him a crown foohv his purse and bid liim out with what he had to say for that he himself was hurriejand mus push on to further the good cause


the lad was sobered in an instant


look ye here sir hugh ha said eagerly handsome ned went down the road at a gallop this morning


theres


something brewing in london you may trust me sir hugh and i tried to stop him to learn his errand


but he tossed me a crown and galloped on


he took the hill road sir hugh and you came up the vale but hes bound for dangerfield i know and mayhap hes got papers that will save your journey to london no offence sir hugh added the lad for the baronets face was black


as midnightu


none my good boy was the reply in a hoarse thick voice


hold theres another crown for you drink it every farthing


you villian


or i never give you a sixpence again and sir hugh rode on as though bound for london hut stopped a mile farther forward at a place where two roads met and entrusting his papers to his servant bade him hasten on with them whilst he had gal loped back through the darkneub in the direction of his home


home indeed had ifc ever been home to sir hugh


would it be home tonight


when he got back there and skulked into his own house like a midnight thief what would he do


why as he galloped back so fast


sir hugh aet his teeth tight and holding his powerful horse hard by the head urged him on faster than be fore


the lights are all ont in the little village of which he is bole master and his horses hoofs clattering through the street rouse the sleepy inmates for an instant ere they return to their peaceful rest


sir htigh is not sleepy he feels as if he never should want to sleep again


how dark it is in the park under those hnge old trees


he fastens his horae to one of them with drooping branches and after removing his pistols from their holsters spreads his cloak over the heaving flanks of the heated animal


habit is second nature and he does not forget the good horse


he strides through the shrub beries aud across lucys garden crushing with his heavy boot heel the last flower that had lingered on into the winter


there is a light streaming from one of the windows in the gallery


ha


rhe tnuy be right he may not have returned in vain for an in stant a feeling of sickness oomeb over him and he learns for the first time that he had cherished a hope he might be deceived


he oan let himself in by the garden gate wuh his own passkey ere he is aware he is tramping up the corridor in his heavy horse mans boots his hand is on the door there is a womans shriek and sir hughs tall dark figure fills the doorway of lucys sittingroom where alas


she is not alone for the stern angry husband is confronted by ned meredith


lucy cowers down in a corner of the room with her face buried in her hands