VICTOR MOREDANT;

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 15, 15 October 1874, Page 3

VIC TOR MOREDANT;

: OK, THE LOST SHIPS.

TALE OP FIFTY YE^RS AGO

CHAPTER VI. "May Blossom." " I am frozen, tihcle-r-iiterally frozen," tcried Julia, as "she ran forward and took the seat by the fire, which the moment %efore had been occupied by Olive, Mr. Moredant, following more Jetsurely, sat dVw-n by her side in the vchair which Jack Blosson had left. On their way across the. room they Jhad but glanced at the two forms in •the corner, but paid no special heed to thefn. "Oh, dear," added Julia, as she : crouched shiveringly forward to the .grate, "what a dreadful climate this is. I had often read of frost in India, hut_ had no idea of what it was. " My dear Olive, you'll get used to it -in time," returned her companion. You tare feeling it much just at first, but will not mind it by-and-by. And then •it is bracing and much healthier than the heat of India." " Yes, I suppose so. How my blood tingled and danced when we were on the 'ice. I felt quite warm then, and "how exciting it was to see the skaters -moving so rapidly and so gracefully . over the surface." " Ah, I knew you would like it ; it's glorious exercise. Nothing like it in India/ " I was frightened at first," said Julia, " when Victor whirled me away with him across the pond but when he held me so firmly with his strong arm, I -and kept me steady, I knew that I was: rsafe, and enjoyed it very much." "To be sure, to be sure, my dear," ' -rejoined Mr. Moredant, rubbing his .hands gleefully. "You may trust' yourself with Victor anywhere, end will • •always feel safe. . But of course you know that by this time. Eh.! Olive % Ah, I see you do. No need for blushing, ray dear, for it is very right and -proper that you should." " Why did Victor not coma in here with us T* asked Julia. "I am sure -the coachman could have seen the horses' feet made right, and my cousin could : have been with us in this warm room/* " Victor dosen't mind the cold ; and he is so anxious for your saifety that he ••durst not trust any one to see after. that on which it so greatly depends. But he'll be delighted to know that you have thought of him with such tender concern; -only I fear it would make him too vain." .*' Then don't tell him," said Julia, £• with a pretty little laugh, which sounded Wrery like an injunction to be sure to do ; so on the very first opportunity. As this conversation went forward, • we may be very sure that the two silent muffled figures in the shadowed corner listened to it with feelings of indescrib-. -able intensity. It gave them ample proof of the enormous and daring fraud which Julia was perpetrating, and. Jack was impatiently waiting for the signal from Olive to rush forw ard along with her and expose and denounce her. But, to nis unutterable amazement, • Olive gave no indication of any such intention. Muffled in her wrappings so closely that even he, though sitting . close beside her, could not distinguish her features, she sat motionless as a . statue, with her eyes bent on her deceitful cousin, and her ears catching each syllable ( of every word that w^s being uttered. This went on for nearly an hour, at the end of which time the landlord entered and informed them that the carriage was now ready to proceed. They rose at once, and Jack half : started from his seat likewise, fully . expecting that now Olive would present herself before the atrocious . deceiver, . and declare herself to her uncle. But, to his increased amazement, she, - with a silent gesture, pressed him back : into his , seat, and Mr. Moredant and ,- Julia passed unimpeded from the room. Then Olive rose -to her feet, and , -dumbly, but with keen altertness, watched- and followed by Jack on tip- - toe, she approached' the window, and, opening a, chink of the shutter, peeped -forth. The window commanded a view of the front of the. inn and of the carriage which -stood there, with its brilliant .lights and fine appointments. The' .coachman- sat on the box with the reins in his hand ; the-osflerheljl the horses by the head till the,carriage was ready •to start, and a young map was -in -the • act of assisting Julia into -the interior. ■Olive strained her ,eyes --with panting ,-eagerness to get a view, of this youth as ,the carriage lamp shone. upon pirn, hut .she saw only a straight, .manly -form, .■enveloped in a closely-fitting greatcoat, .with a fer cap drawn over his ears 'till .it met the .woollen muffler which .encircled bis neck. "Not a glimpse of (his ,'face or features could ! be obtained. The moment Julia disappeared Mr/ 'Moredant followed her into the carriage,, tthe youth sprang in after them, ►the; .door was shut with a bang, .some one; .called out, -" All right," and next mo*ment the vehicle rolled away into *'the t4arkness. « Well, T never," ejaculated Jack •Blossom; -« Lor' -sakes, Miss Olive, •why did ye Ist *em • go ?" "Hush, Jack, Don't speak to me •yet^-said the girl,- in a strangely altered "* voice. -" I will go* to my bedroom for a little, for -I want to think. Will you *riW the bell for the maid to /show me .thSWr

In silent wonder Jf^ck ooeyed, "and when Olive left the room whispering I that she 'would return by-and-by, he sat down before the fire in a state of indescribable perplexity. He could not conceive why, in his phraseology, the instant: the false, oraft hove in sight, Olive dW not. hoist sail, tear ; down on her, rake, her fore, and aft, and make her haul down her.false colours.: : That was the, only course which to his simple/ straightforward mind seemed possible ; hut instead of doing it Olive had ";Sheered off," and allowed '!" the unlicensed privateer" to 'prolong her dishonest voyage. . Why she had done til is was wholly "beyond his comprehension, and the more' lie thought of it the more inexplicable did it seem. He sat there, gazing into the fire for what' seetoed, . and really was, a. long time, when a light touch was laid on his shoulder, causing him to start and look tpiickly tip. It was Olive herself, standing close by his chair, with a face strangely pale, , and. an expression so singular as toi Kill him with awe. *} I have thought it all over, Jack," she said, " and have made up ray mind what to do/ " And in course you mean to make sail for Beechwood at once," he exclaimed, starting up as if ready to go. But she pressed him gently back into liis chair, and drawing forward the other chair seated herself, and calmly answered — " No, Jack; I do not mean to go to Beechwood at all." " Lor'-a-mercy, Hiss 01iv« " ejaculated the sailor, opening Ms eyes to their wildest j " but you aint serious, I knrow; you are only joking, when you say*that/ v • " lam perfectly serious. As Julia Hardinage has assumed my name and taken my place, let her continue to do so." "B — hut she will marry Mr. Victor," stammered Jack out of tfie depth of his amazement. " I know she will. And why should they not marry if — if they love each other r "But the property is yours, Miss Olive/ 1 "Only If I marry Victor; and as that is what I shall never do, it will be a thousand times better that my fefc-is-tence remain unknown." " He doesn't know he has got in tow with the wrong craft," pursued Jack. " He thinks she's you, Miss Olive ; but when he finds out the truth he'll soon tack towards you/ "" Oh, Jackj Jack, and do you think I could wed a man of his stamp ? This was what I feared from the first. My father's scheme was a terrible mistake, and could not in the very nature of things prosper. I bless God that I have escaped the danger of such an unsanetified union. But for the wreck of the 'Cynthia 1 would have reached Beechwood with Julia, in which case Victor would 'have paid -his court to me, for evidently he was ready to marry the woman who had been assigned to him, whatever disposition she possessed. Probably heiefair-tonguedandplausible, and I might have been deceived into •loving him, only to discover when too late 'how base and mercenary he is. But oh, thank Heaven, I have (discovered it "before it is too late/ " Well, Miss Olive," observed Jack, "It does strike me as how H&r. Victor aint worthy, of you, seeing as how he has taken -up with Miss Julia. Not that I knows anything of Miss Julia's character, 'cepffrom this here trick she is a practising. Only, I says, if she is •fit for that, she aint fit to win the love .of any man — that's a real man—and I cari't but think you are right, Miss Olive, ,riow that I thinks of it, tfore and .aft, 'larboard and starboard, not to go for to marry 'him. But, then, there's the .property, Miss Olive; you aint agoing rto give up thatt" " I must, Jack, if I decline to marry my cousin.- That is determined by my lather's will." Jack scratched his'head in hopeless dismay. He was at his wit's end--r---thrown completely oh his beam ends-, ; as he expressed it — and could only sit gazing at Olive in sheer inability to offer a- suggestion. Olive was silent also, and kept gazing, at Mm in retuip, though not -for the same reason. She had formed her plan,- and yearningly waited to see if Jack -would not divine- it ere -he spoke. From -the. blank expression of his face she saw there was no chance of this; and When at length he asked her in great bewilderment and distress What was to he done, she prepared to enlightea him, -though net without anxiety as to the manner in which ;he would receiveher project. " What is to be done, 'Jack !" .she slowly said, repeating his question. •*' Yes, Miss 'Olive, what is to be tione?" For -answer Olive took from her bosom a -well-filled purse and poured its contents on the table— quite ; ,ia heap • of silver and gold,rthe sight of ,whi-5h | dazzlingcto Jack's , eyes/ Then from another! receptacle she took a little-bag-full! of something also,; and, opening its-mouth and holding it upside down, out there , came from it a shower of glittering? trinkets and -jewel ->; ■ lery, > rings, ! bracelets,, brooches', /and; other . ornaments, - many of them of greater value than Jack had any idea, of, for there were rprecious stones among , them set in g01d... "You see all that, Jack ?" "Yes, Miss Olive; I sees 'era/

" How much money do you think it . all : amounts to V* '■ ' " Haven't no notion. Never saw* so much shot in the locker/' . , . - "Weil,; here, are thirty sovereigns, and above a pound in sHlver. Then the jewellery is worth Uaore than a hundred pounds- /«. My, eye !" said Jack, stricken with wonder, "Thig is wfcat I saved trom the Cynthia; and T have Julia to thank foi doing it "I had it iii a hankerchief in my bosom all -foe time we were in the water." - . . *'Yes, I know," responded Jack, with a nod. "Now, Jack," she went on, ".this will keep me in food and clothes for along time, and I want you to take me to Glasgow and allow me to stay with your wife, as a lodger, you know." " What !" exclaimed Jack; boundingto his feet; in . the extremity cf his astonishment. "You, Miss Olive— you live with* my Mary 3n Ship Row" !" " Oh, Jack," she pleaded-—" dear good Jack, don't refuse me this favour. I . am , a . poor friendless girl ; I am utterly alone in this strange country ; I know no one but you; and if you turn from me then I shall wish you had not plunged after me from the deck of the Cynthia." ' "Miss Olive, Miss Olive, don't say that; I — 1 — . Oh, Lord, there's a lump in my throat agoing to choke me." „ " I'll he very good," pleaded Olive. I shall love your wife very much, and help her to, make your shirts and knit your stockings, and. make myself useful to her and you all, l can.; and so long as this money lasts it shall. — ■*--" " Damn my eyes," roared Jack, in the vehemence of his desperation. Nothing short of his round sailors' oath could suffice to burst . the choking emotion under which he laboured; chaining him with a silence which made Olive misunderstand his, feelings in a manner that further aggravated- his distress, till, with a frenzied effort, he broke the spell with that booming oath. The girl started back, and gave vent to a low, amazed, frightened scream* "I axes yer pardon, Miss Olive," cried Jack, whoge. tongue was now unloosed. "1 couldn't help it, nothing else would heave the anchor ; and when I heard you saying them things and you believing that it was unwillingness as was holding ,in my jaw tackle, I out with the bad words as the only way to turn the windlass." " And — and, you will not refuse to take me to Glasgow !" cried Olive "Refuse ypu, Miss Olive ! .It was the thought o' you going into the poor humble crib as Mary and I lives in — you, Miss Olive, as has been used to grand houses and beautiful rooms and plenty servants. But, Lor' bless you, if you could stoop to :ifc, Mary and I will be proud ana happy of the honour, and do our very best to make you com*fortable." " Oh, . Jack, my own, dear, good, faithful Jack, I was sure you did not mean to forsake me," exclaimed Olive* and in the fulness of her gratitude she. seated him back in his chair, and stroked his head and patted his cheeks w^th undisguised fondness. " Forsake you, , M iss Olive ! If Jack Blossom could be sich a lubberly swab, he'd deserve to walk the plank : with a fifty pounder chained to his ancle. And ; to think a' you . saying as how you would help Mary to make my shirts and knit my stockings. Oh, I could ha' bitten my, tongue off for lettin' you I.get sich a notion. \ " But I mean it. Jack,, said Olive, earnestly. "I want to be a daughter to you. and her, to love you as a daughter, to serve you as a daughter ; and since my .name has been assumed by .another you shall .call me Olive Moredant no longer,' but May Blossom, and love me as if I was your child, which indeed I am, for you saved my life, and. now you are to give me a home." > "My eye. May. Blossom," .gasped Jack, catching back his/breath. . ." We are to call you May Blossom." "Yes — May /Blossom, and a very sweet name it is, too. S?ty you'll do it, dear Jack/, 1 ." Do it ! .' Lor' love you, of course TIL do it." ft And you'll flove me, /too ?" '. "■Love -you ? I have been loving you all along, Miss Olive I**--1 **--— 1 -" " No, riot Miss Oliye-^-r-.'* . " Lor* , sake*, I forgot— &£»-- May." : "Not Miss iMay—fjust May, plain •May.". " But you aint plain May. 'You are sweet, beautiful, lively May." . "Ah!' that's rigjit;' li.like.to hear you use those .endearing w.otfis. . ..Now* Jack, you must kiss me.'' " K— Kissyou?" echoed Jack, aghast. "Kiss such a beautiful young lady as " Yes,'l am your, daughter bow.;-, you must kiss me' like a father." •'" But I-r-lam only a. sailor, andyou ,: . ■ .. ..■ .'•♦>. - ■' ' l area---a' ■■ . „ .... " T am your daugh tier. Jack;, nothing more, and nothing le£s. And doesn't a loving Father vkiss his bjiild;?" " Only for a moment longer did Jack's sense of respect struggle wthttie. tender einotionsr wnich'circunistanc|(3s haoVproduced in both' their bosoms, than in !'an . instant be V was straining ! her beautiful --form to his heart, and kissing.her -with a trembljn^ - fondness; whidH' ! was/ as' pure apd holy as a . father's soul piDuld ' c ,knowy • (7b be continued.) '