VICTOR'S TRIUMPH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 257, 3 November 1906, Page 15

VICTOR'S TRIUMPH.

SEQUEL TO "A BEAUTIFUL FIEND." By Mr;. Emma D. !•". N. >outhworth. < HAPTER XIX. VKTOR AND ELECTRA. Thp next mornimr at the appointer hour, tin* Rev. Mr. I.yle, and Victor Hart ' man left tli.-ir hnfpl together, and went to Mr-. Wh<»atfi» , l'l'"«. to p-scort the Indies . to the miivr-ify. wh*>n? Dr. -Tone* and Allen Lyttnn were to meet them and in j'troduee them to the president. Tup twr srentletnen found the ladies already ' : dre-;?. il and waiting. Mws Cavendish explained that her aunt did not i-arp about seeing more ol 1 . thp university than she 'had already ' seen, and prefprrpd to r-main in the hou>e with the widow anil rest chat day. And so, rcndpr thp circurastanee«, thpy ' —Mi?-' (.'avendish and h«r youns friend? — had decided not :n havo .1 carriage, hut ■ to takp advantage of the nni; morning ' and walk the =hort milp that lay be- ■ tween the village and its great seat of learning. ; Nothing could havp pleased their es- " ( eorts better than this plan. ' And soon the/ —thp part.y of five— ■ ?et out upon the pleasant country road • r that led out to the university. Emma Cavendish and Laura Lytfon led The way. and by Laura's -ide walked the lli-v. Mr. Lylc. Klectra dropped a little behind, and «a.s attericled by Victor Liartmau. 1 They talked of th« fine morning and 1 of the beautiful country, of the prand • tommenriTDPnt of thp preceding day and ' of the university they were jzoins to see. ' but they talked in an absent-minded man- ' as if indeed, they -were both thinking 1 of elsp. [ This lasted until they were half way •to the place, when a.r lensrth Electra • turned suddenjy upon \lctor. and said: » •'Do yon know. Mr. Brent, that your ' facp spurns a very familiar one to me?*' "Indeed!' , «aid Victor, bending hi.s head 1 r.ear r to her. ■ "Yes, indeed. Your face struck mc as being familiar the first moment I saw you. and thi~ impression ha.= grown deep- . Pr every moment we have been walkiuj

gether: and now I know of -whom you remind mc." answered Electra. And then she paused and looked at him. He made no remark. ''You do not care to know who that ■was. it seems.' , she said. "Oh. yes. I do. I assure you. Miss Coroni. if you pla.se to tell mc." '"Then you remind mc of a poor lad whom I once knew and liked very much in New York, when I wa- a<; poor a* himself." said Eleotra. meaningly. "It is very kind of you to remember the poor lad. after so many years and so j many replied Victor. ""I wonder it that poor I.id ever thinks i of mc. '"after so many year* and so many ■ chanpese ■.'" murmured Electra musingly. ""[ don"t know. Tell mc hi* name. j and then perhaps 1 can answer your I question. I have roamM around the j world a good deal and seen a jrreat many ] different sorts of people. \Vho knows I but I may have met your poor lad? Let I us have his name." said Victor, gravely. They were both, to use a household 1 phrase, "beatina about the bush."' 1 "Oh he was too poor to own a name. 1 But he was rook's hoy on board a merchantman, and they railed him 'Galley , Vick." I never knew him 'by any other I name. Did you ever see him at all?"' "Oh yes. I've .seen him! A good-for-notlnijir iitrio vagabond wsu*! No. I don't suppose he ev*r dares to think i about such a tint- \ounp la«ly an you are. Hut !v cherishes the memory of a poor little arirl he once knew in Rat ' Alley. New York. And only the day be- . tore yesterday, when I happened to be I with him, be was saying how much he i would give to know what had become of that poor little girl.' , "Yes. it was very nice of him to reI member her." said Electra. musingly. - ! "You say that yi.u knew the poor lad .' in New York. Perhaps, as they were sc ' : much together, you may have known tht poor little girl a 150. ," said Victor. ' i "'I rannot tell you unless you give ■! mc her name. There were so many pom

little girls in New York.'" answered EleeL tra. ?haking her hpn.i. "She. like the boy. was ton poor then ■ i to own a. name. Tbpv eallpd her 'Sal** i Kid.' I npvpr knew her by any other : . name." answered. Victor. And then their eye- met. and both ■ >. laughed and impulsively pur cur. their • j hands, which wore then clasped together I '"I knew you at the very first sight 1 ■ V'ifk." -aid Eleetra. giving full sway t.c i \ her feeling ,s rif ploa-urf in meeting her * ! old piaymatp again. i i "And :-o did I you. Heaven ble*« you i ' child! I am so happy and thankful tc : ; find you here, so healthy and prosperous i You were a sickly, poor little rhing whon i ■ 1 knew you." said Victor, with muct emotion. ■I "I was a famished poor li'tle thing ! ; you mran. Food h:i~ mail* all the d;f ■ fPTPncp. Victor." laughed Eleotra. "My n;im.- i- Jiwph Brent, my oVar.' -aid Hartuian. who «lmo-t. trembled tc •i hear the old name spokpn. ■Ah. Imt Sal* Ki-T knew rnu only a"'.alley Vick.' 1 f 1 : uijrht Vick was' th* : -hort for Vi.-tor. Bur it ym ' really had a name all this time a- v.-pl : :is I had. though neither nf us suspeeter I we possessed r-u'-h an appendage." Hartrnan bowpd in silpnep. "And now I suppose you likf to know how it happens that you fine poor. lirtJp. ragged- famislifd. sk-klj I 'Sal.- Ki'i.' who u*eil to liv in Ral a.l"v amonji the thieves and trampo. liort : — \\'f>]\ well dressetf, and in <rxx , ' company'" "Ye*, i rpally would." "Well, it was '.ill along of a sran<{ . : farhpr." I I "A grandfather." "Ye.-, a srrantifattier. I really had n , grandfather! And L have him still. Anr ! you have him. ami his name i« Dγ . i IVresford Jones. And. moreover. [ had ) greatgrandfather hark of him ! and al-i forefathers behind them, and anf-estor; . eNti-ndinir away bark, to antiquity. Iγ , :.iiT. 1 think they ran away back r<. Ail mi "L li.iri , -ay they difi." answered Vir . tor with a -mile: "but te , ,! m" aiiout that , ' grandfather.'' r, "Well, you mii't. know that he wa< wealthy. He ijwned Hereford Manorlie h.-.l it."' ihild. 'sole daughrpr of hi- • i hoii-e.' She married a \ r. vnung Ital I ian n\u-i<Tia-'-i'r again.-t Ler father"; ■ will. Her father cast her off Her husband took her to New York ■.vher , they fell by degrees into the deep ! e«t de-riuirinn. Tliey both died " cholera, leavins mc to th p fare of tin miserable brings who were their fpUow ' lodger- in the old tenement house. I was passed from the h.inds o ' one beggar to those of another, until rtn identity was lost and my real name for gotten. Bur [ no not clearly remembei j any of ruy owner- except Sal. And ! was ra!'""i '.Sal"s Fud.' " "It win then I knew you." said Victor ''So ir (vis. Well, you know all ahoui : rhat period. ft was ,-oon after yoi ! went fij sea that. Sal'- husband, beins i mad with drink and jpalou?y. struck hi; wife a fatal blow and killed her." "Horrible:" "Yf. hnrrible! f have heard that the man dipil of mania-a-potu it i the Tombs, before hi- trial came on." I " \n.i you , '" ! "I was taken by the Commissioners o I Charity and put into the Orphan A-ylun ', at Randall - * Island." "And how did your grnnilfather evei tind you there, where your very name I was lost.■ '"You may well a.-k that. My uam< ' «a.s 10-r. I suppose, hearing mc callei 'Sal's Kid." they mistook that for Sa Kidd. Anyway, they registered rm name "ii the book.- of the inland as Sara! Kidd. " V'ittor laus'rie I :i t this piece of in genuity nil the part of the authorities : and again expresseii wonder as to how ! her grandfather ever found her. "If I were a heathen. I should say hf i fouml w." by chance. It looked lik" ir You see. he had met with misfortune? i His wife, my grandmother, died. Ant ■ h2 was growing old. and his home was 1 locelv. and his life was dreary. And sc I he relented towards his poor daughter and even toward her husband." "But too late!" put in Victor. "Yes; too late. He relented too late/ sighed Electra. "He went to New York where they had been living when he had la-t heard of Them, and after making thf inns,, djligent. inquiries, he only learned lh v ttoev hud been dead several years and hail left an orphan girl in great destitution. Well, he advertised fot that child, ort'eriiig large rewards for hei dis< <.very.'".. "But in vain. I suppose?" said Victor. "All. y p s. in vain; for I was at Randall"? Island registered under another nu mc." "The ease seemed hfpcle«?.'" ;aid Victor. "Entirely hopele«. And then, partly froifi his disappointment, and partly from seems so much of suffering among rhilrlien. he became a sort of city mi?«ii nary. ft was in his character of missionary that he went one day to an examination of. the pupil? of the girls' schoo". on Randall's Island. There he saw mc. and recognised mc by my strik-

irg- likeness to mv mother. Indeed., be 1 i has siiree told mc that I am a- counter- ! p.ift ol what my mother was at my ] ajre. ' " , "And your lace i> «uch v very peculiar. and I may say unique face, that the " likeness could not hare been accidental. I suppose." observed Victor. ""That is what he thought. Well. I without sayinz a -word to vie then of his j recognition, he commenced with the slig-ht | clue that he had in his hands, and pur- j sued investigation" that in a few days j pmvpii rnp to be the child of Sebastian i anl Klfetni Coroni. Then he time to. the island and took mc away, and put mc 1 to school at Mount Ascension. There 1 j made the acquaintance, of the young lady friend that 1 am now staying with. Miss Cavendish j< my cousin. Last month I graduated from Mt. Ascension. And on the ! Erst of next month 1 am going to Beres- ! ford Manors, to commence my new life j there as my grandfather- housekeeper, i An i. \ irtor—l bea; your pardon—Mr. i Brf-nt, I hope that you will come and visit u< there."" concluded Eleetra. with a >mi I r>. "'Cut Low would your grandfather. Dr. ■ Beresford -Tones, of Beresford Manors, take a visit .from a poor adventurer like mc?" inquhrd Victor. "'He will take it very kindly: for he I also will ask you tn come." s-ii'd Eleetra. j Victor bowed, and walked on in ! silence. I Klenfr-i spoke again: "I have told you without reserve how j if. was that 1 was so suddenly raised ' from extreme poverty to wealth, and now " sbc pau=ed and looked at her' eoiipaii/on. "'- 1 ».l now you want to know how I came by my fortune?- smilinaly inquired \ irrtor. " " "Ye?, of course r do." answered Eleitra. "The explanation is shorr nnd simple enough. [ became suddenly ru-b. a* some few other poor vagabonds have, by a fortunate stroke of the pick—by a California .crold mine.'" nuietlv answered 1 Victor. "Ohl ,, exclaimed Eleetra. And «hp stopped and pu; him away . from her a «tep. an dstoex] and st-ared at ! him.

! Victor laughed. And then r.hov wpnt ! "n. for their companions vrpr-p at the eate* of tho university, waiting for them to come silons. They entered !h- beautiful srrounds ocupipd by the -\-on--ive Imildins- nf the university, am! where sevpral of the .->- wrlf v , a f ew of fhp sn ,. dents who had not ypt !fft for the vacation, were taking their morning walk". Thp visitors were ?oon mpt by Dr. Jonps and Alden Lytton. who camp np tosrpther to welforne them. After the usual ?reprinjr«. Alden introduced hi- party to several nf rV pn>- | fessor*. who retired them n-ith courtly, nn.l thfm tl.rousrh the various building--, pointing nut "to them Tho nio>r notable object of interr=t. :in<\ with ih« history, -t.uwtjrs and anerdoti's of the mii stitution. w-orr taken into the various libraries, whore they >aiv rn|]pi>tt>(j va*t numbers of the mn-t valiiiihle book*. i iimong which were a few very unique black letter and illuminated volumes, of irrpat antiquity. They wpre then led int., tiu» -e^eral ! hail-, where w Pr « i-ollei-ted cosrly a« : tronomical and i-hernical iippantus.' And tinaily rhoy the museum, filled with cabinets of minerals, shells. woo.ls. t-nssils. an.l -•. fnrth. An after an in*ere-rin<r. hut \»ry faj tipuinff four of in-pe.-tion tliat or-r-upipd I four hours they wpre invited to res* in I the honse «t nnp of the profe-pr.rg. i -.There they were rpfreshpij wir.li a dainjjv ! iinrb. after whii-h thfv returned to iitiH i illase. \nd the evening »a.- -0.-iaiiv in M :< Wheatfield's drawing room.

CHAPTER XX.

A SfRI-RISK. In !hp of thnt thei wprs surprised by a vi-h. Ir wjs frniin Mr Craven Krte. who came to call or Miss Cavendish. H«> wa.« invited into Hie drawing-ronm and introduced to rh.' whole |%irtv. Mr Kyti' ivn- in rbe dpepe-q ?tatf> ol de.-pon<i"p.<-\. He. told Miss Emma tiiat a feu- day previous h»» had received a letter iron Mrs <;n'v. paying that -ho was about t< leave Charlottesvillp fur a littlp whilp in order to civp up her nxjnis to Mi--Cavendish and her party; and that sh< did not know exactly where shoulc go. but that she would write and tp! ' him as pood a> she should get settled j "And since that, it is- Emma. I havi I not heard one word from her. nov d< 1 I know whpfp *he is. or ! w she U. c,j : how to find on* " concludpd Mr Krte. ii [ thp m<jst dejected tone. "How Ions; has it been, Mr Kvte." inquirpd Mis- Cavendish. "Five duvs." answered thp youns man as solemnly a- if he ha.d said five years "That is but a short time. I do no think yoii iiavp cause to be anxious tp a v.hilc." s:4id Knimn. with a smile. "But vnii hiven't heard from h n yourself even, have you. Mi.-<= Emma?' ' he anxiow-ir inquired, '"'CPrtflinly not. else [ should have toll ! you at one." rppiieil Miss Cavendirh. "'For mprcy"? sake, yon nevpr ramp al th* Nvny from VT*»ndovpr to Charlottps i v " .• to a~k that question, did you. ~SI . Kyte' , " in<H!irpd irrpprps?ible Elertra : ele%-atincr !:>°r eyebrows. i The IovPT, who h.id so uncon=oiousl; betrayed hini?elt. hln-hed violently, an J stammered forth : "Xu—not entirely. The fact is. to i more than ;i year past I have boen watch ■ ing and waitins for an opportunit; to change my busin-ss fruni \Vf>ndovp i to Charlottesvillp. And 1 came tip part , ly about that also. But a> a — a frion i of Mrs Grey. I do feel anxious about he ; mysterious a.bsen> p nud silence.'" "I assure you. Mr K.yt<=. that Mr Grey is quite capable of taking excellen care of herself."' added plain-?poke: Laura Ly':ton. i "Come. Mr Krte, cheer up! "Wp nr . going on a pilgrimage to Monticpllo to ! m«irroT7. and yon must join our party. j said Mi*s Cavendish kindly. But Mr Kyte ex<-used himself, savin, ! tha he could not leave his busitiej lonsc, and must start for Wendover th ! next iminiing. And soon after this he took leav<\ Thp next day was devoted by our pai ty to a p'ons pilgrimmage to the shrin I of classic Monticello. once the seat. uo\ the moßumi'nt of Tiiomas .fefferson. The whole party, young and old. gen I tlemen and ladies, went. The bishop's widow forgot her house keeping care? and took a holiday fo that day. And evpn ?.lr? Fanning, who did no care to sec the grpat university, couli not mi?s the opportunity of a pilgrim agp to that m<=cca. The party was a large one. consistin: of live, ladies and tour gentlemen. And so it required two capacious oar riages and two saddle horses to c-onve them. They formed quite a little proceesioi

i lea-ring: the village. In the first carriage ricde Sirs Faning. Emma Cavendish. Elexrcra. and Dr. one*. In the second carriage rods Mrs' rheatfield. Laura Lytton and Mr Lyle. I Atden Lytton and Victor Rartman ' ode on horseback, and brought up the j par. Their way lay through the most subline, and beautiful mountain and val--2v seen ?ry. MontVeilo i= built upon a mountain. . ome throe mile* south of the tillage. , Perhaps there in no private dwelling n the whole country occupying a more 'lpvatPd site, or lomaianduiy: a more xiagnificent panorama, of landscape. :han Monticello. If. i< a fine country hoo.se of great , trehiteotural l>ea.uty and strength, built | jpon a lofty iir-1 slightly inclined plain, formed by the tup of the tnoiin:ain. Ft i.iimmand'j a stupendous prospect. bounded only by the spherical forni of the earth. And standing there, with the earth beneath and thin he-.ivens all round, one t'uily reali.sps that we live upon a great planet rollrir in iti orbit througrh immense space. Our party spent a long summer"" day up there in the sunshine, and th<->n. after eating the luncheon they had brought with them, they sei out on their return to the viliajje. where they arrived in time for one of Mrs V\"heattiPld'* <i- I - --lc:ons i early teas. The remaining days of the week wen , parsed in walking, ridint'. or drivinfr. to the most interesting points ot thf nei^rhbourhood. On Saturday morning they took leave of the bishop's widow, and set out for Richmond, en route for Wendover and Blue Cliffs. They reached the city late on the same night, and took up their old quarter- at the H'nrico House. They stayed over the S-abbsth. sad ■went tn hear Mr Lyl° preach, morning and evpnhur. to his old '•onp:re<ration. Oα Monday raorninjr the whole pa.rty resumed their journey, and arrived at Wendover early in the afternoon oi the same day. Them the party was destined to divide. Thpre wi re rarriages from Bliif ( lift"- 1 waiting by ajipointment at the railway station, in meet M!>s Cavendish and her frieuiis. Ami thpre was the hack from tbe Reindeer Hotel, for tiie accomodation of any other tra\s j ll<rrs who nii'_ r !it require it. Mrs Fanning. Emma ('.■. vendiMi. Laura Lytton. and Kleitra. attended by Dr. •Jones .and Alden Lyttnn. entered their carriacrfs to sro to Blue ('lift Hall. Mr Lyle and Victor Hartman took leave of them at their carriage door*. -iisv til.' linr-rs -tiirt ;in.| then set out m walk tojjpThpr m tiip bachelor home of Mr Lytp. whfri? Hartman was To be a. Shiest. iTn be continued next Wednesday.)