THE PRIDE OF THE MORAYS

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 226, 19 January 1910, Page 4

THE PRIDE OF THE MORAYS

ti • IUG UTS RESERVED.

By MAURICE SCOTT, Author of "Th 3 Mark of the Broai Arrow, etc. etc.

PART 18. "And now, Sir Talbot, how nra.l to obtain possession of mj; patient?" "That, T fear, will no£ be plainsailing. Unluckily, >.li3 has been warned that by persevering in her stateimii's her liberty might bo jeopardized." ' "Who on earth could have boon so injudicious as to have done that?" "Who but a woman?" replied the baronet, gloomily. ".Does she know TJarker?"

"She might. He was with me at the time of my marriage—l mean he ndmitted her on the morning she called at my rooms recently." , While the baronet mentally cursed himself for the slip Dr. Detmold smiled i' meaningly, though affecting not to notice it.

"Very well, Sir Talbot," he said. "Leave it to me. Harker has been exceedingly useful throughout .this a Hair, and no doubt, with his assistant, I can effect what we desiro I shall leave you to recompense him for- his trouble; he richly deserves his reward."

Barbara, since Hermann s visit, hi eh left her richer by twelve pounds, anxiously longed lor liberty that should set her free to travel to Edinburgh and once there, surely some of her girlhood's friends would remember the little lassie whose playground, since her earliest recollections had been the sweet heatlier-clad meadows lying around l-Jolyrood and King Arthur's seat. Very timidly she approached Lady, 131 air ■ on the subject of a few days' leave of absence in order to visit some friends, and then she turned scarlet, anticipating" Lady Blair s surprised reply. "By all means, dear. But Alison, T understood you had no friends in j- England?" "No. I—l They are In Scotland. I mean, may 1 go? I will return as ! quickly as possible." "J. have no wish to interfere with your move-mints, my dear girl, except that I. hardly think Keith [ would approve of your travelling alone."

"Oh, yes, lie would! He would! I£ he only knew for what reason I want to go he would urge it. He would indeed.

••.If you would only be more explicit, Aliscn."

"But I can't—l can't. I beg of you to let me go, and ask nothing at present. By-and-by I will tell j oti everything—everything. But don't stop me now I implore of you. I believe my brain would turn, and that my reason would leave me if prevented from doing something on which my own future depends."•

Lady Blair's private opinion was that "the girl's brain was on the verge of turning even now, and she by no means approved of a journey under such conditions. But she saw that to argue against it was only, to throw poor Alison into an even greater pitch of excitement, and never for a moment imagining it was to be undertaken immediately, she changed the subject, privately resolving to despatch a lengthy ex-r planation to Keith early next day by wire. But she reckoned without hep host. Barbara took the permissionreluctant though it was—as final. Then, deciding to travel by the earliest available train. from King's! Cross next morning, and finding that started at five a.m., and not desiring to disturb the household she desr patched one of the lnejiservants to tv neighbouring livery stables to order a cab to convey her to the Great Northern terminus at four o'clock, The groom looked into the Re-r gent's Arpis on his way, and there he met Ilarker who liad managed to become very friendly with Lady Plair's servants, and who was lurking about Jfl. search Qf An'l to him the grppm "wondered where my lady's companion, Miss Alison, was off to, wanting a cab at this unearthly hour in the morning" And he wondered whether, ntj-' lady knew and approved such on> or whether Miss Alison was up to a "little spree of her own." And the groom drank several glasses at I-larker's expense and then forgot all about the errand on which he had been sent until after ihe livpry stables liad been closed for {fta night.

But his nnv acquaintance, ]Vfr. Smith, a "gentleman's gentleman " temporarily out of a situation —so had Harkcr described himself—promisee! faithfully to remedy the cutty, and as lie .-passed a mews which kept open all night, he undertook to see an oreler booked for a cab to be insaddendance at the house of Lady Blair at 4 a.m. next day. The groom believed his friend—they had reached the hand-shaking stage—to be man of his word, aijd at the same, time salved bis own conscience for the neglect by thinking that in case the order did go wrong, the cab was only for "the L-o npanion " He had had no O r ders concerning it from my Ijidy. \ Barbara passed a sleepless night, a prey to nerves and cxciteel imagination in an aggravated degree, Vet as she tossed from side tq sidu she asked h&rself why. she shflulel fee} apprehensive. She .wag." travelling to ih; land of her birth, to the dear i<d city, every stone of which was hallowed by historic remembrance. Wquld not her troubles vanish when. brought in sight pf Paiipn .I 1 ! 11 and the! "grim but beloved old castle still rearing its' head proudly and srdeliantly as in the days of yore? Who would harm her in dear old Midlothian ?■■■'Why, sm-oly tHo very cobblestones in tho Cannongate would a= rise and shout out 3, "welcome to the last of the Morays! Yet she was bufdened with an oppression, a nameless, unaccountable dread. And then she told herself it was easily accounted fpr. Miss Vangittart's cruel treat was alarming, to say the least. But now, dressing in the dark, grey dawn, she once more asked her-, self whether in view of this mena9t?

to her liberty, it would not be wiser* to consult Keith; to place her interests in the hands of the man to whom they meant so much? For Keith loved her; as she loved Keith, and whether or not she could ever obtain release from the hateful tie "."binding her to Sir Talbot, thatfact was indisputable.; By reason of his Move tlvn, would he not protect her if assailed? ,

He would protect Alison Stannifortli, he would: Listen pityingly to the story of the false identity thrust upon her, lie, would attribute her "delusion " as the result of the injury to her head. She need expect no credence until she could furnish proof in support of her statement. And once more the pride of the Morays rebelled at the suggestion of again facing the humiliation of unbelief. She must go to Edinburgh; she must dree h>r weird alone. When "ho proofs are in jur own hands she could face the world. She barely tasted the breakfast provided for her by the enj maid who had risen for her at that early hour, and who appeared still half asleep, and tlvn, learning the cab was at the door, Barbara went out., to -lino her portmanteau being placed on the front seat.

"A motor?" rlid said, surprised, as th; driver held open the door for her to enter. "I—l diet ■ not expect " "Xo, miss," ;replied the man—

"perhaps not, miss. The—her ladyship's gi'ooin left orders fur a keb, miss, but 'tis .rather soon to git the 'osses ready, 'acl, instructions to take out the motors fur early jobs." Without further hesitation Barbara entered the viliiclf. starting -.nervously at the "click " of the catch, as the driver slammed home the, door

Nonsense! She was li-rvy, tin strung. The conveyance had been ordered from a livery stables well known to the Blair family. Even now the maid was smiling to the driver as sin waited on the steps of the mansion to see the vehicle move away.

And then, with slow, motionless—at first—ever-increasing speed, the motor-cab seemed to glide along the road, and Barbara's spirits rose involuntarily. She was moving towards the north. London had been very cruel to her, and she was glad to leave it.

Yet it had brought affection and good friends. Hermann, Selina—though Barbara had always been a little undecided about the reality of Selina's friendship for herself —Lady Blair—dear, kind Lady Blair—and Sir John Temple-combe, and, not least of all—Keith! Yes, if London had been productive of sorrow, at least it had dealt out joy, if not in equal proportions. But, for all that, Barbara's sore heart cried out for the North, for the scent "of the heather, the "cauld blast" of bracing air that would strengthen and reinvigorate her enfeebled body— that would sweep away the cobwebs 'from her brain, would enable her to succeed in her quest, and Si lid her back to London, strong in body and mind, able to confront her enemies, and perhaps obtain a legal release from her cruel, heartless husband, oiiee she should be in a position to pro'yp positively she was his wile. And th n, Keith — The narrow limits pf the cab bocame expanded into vast areas of space, whereon arose ' 1 qty castles—in the air—which- Keith and Barbara occupied as husband and wife! Luxurious gardens were there too —rosegardens where the sweet fragrance of the blossoms filled the air, where larks sang high in the blue canopy overhead, and all was peace; where the World was shut out, save for herself and Keith. Keith and Barbara, none, else! And then the scene . changed and band in hand they climbed Arthur's Scat, and wandered ground the precincts of ITolyrood. And this vision buought her back to the pres'ii 1 :. She was on her way tp Midlothian now. SII3 could almost sniff J. ho i-harp, bracing air, feel the whiff of the heather in her dilated nostrils. In a few days, perhaps less, she would be able to write tp Keith, to tell him her story, and to say to him: "T am the 'poor little Barbara Moray ' whom you pitied. But the 5V- ls banc! to whom you declared I owed duty and obedience has insulted mc grossly, has denied my identity, has disclaimed me his wife. Let tho Iftw release mc frqm. such .aft unhallowed bond- As you love mo, I charge j-qu champion my cause, Deeply . engrossed ,ir. her cas*lcbuilding, Barbara became oblivious of the present. How fast the train was going! Would they wait long at Carlisle? -

TnjJiy? O^rlislp'3 She had been dreaming—elay-eu-eaming. She had not even started or. her iouin \v yet—not even reached King's Cross—though; surely ft mqtor should have cQvered the distance quicker than an" ordinary cab. And what a curious route the driver was taking! Slv -had an idea that the Great Norlh-rn terminus lay in the heart of a densely-crowded district, but , though it was now broad daylight, she saw nothing bytt trees and telegraph poles whirling through space as the motor w'hizzeel along the road. Was it possible the, driver had lost his way. and ''was still "tearing round and round Regent's Park at breakneck speed in fa i'rani ic el.'Hireto recover it? S]ic looked at tip tiny watch on her wrist—a present fro 111. Lady Blair—and cried out in horror. ,

- Twenty minutes to six! Ar.el :Intra in started at eight minutes to iive>. . - ' - *

Ciearly, -the driver had- 10.-it- his way—or hael the man gone sueleknly mad? Mad? .

A terrible fear took possession o( her, too pregnant with horror to .be. giviji expression even Ml thoughtShe b:>at bo.h lianels on the glass beii'nd the elnver s seat as th? mail sat th ro, bolt upright;, in the semidarkness as m'ght some ghoulish demon, driving'his deadly Juggernaut, all unheeding the shrieks of the victims relentlessly crushed beneath the whirring wheels. And he took no heed of Barbara's cries, nov of her strenuous efforts to attract his attention', Shj tried tho door of the cab, which was now rocking under the speed put upon the motor. Both doors were locked—she remembered click—though .-illj tried to get white the vehicle appeared to

morally Jiy iiuu space, were to court certain d aih—though death were preferable to the'fate that awaited her. And, now she realized that she was entrapped, that she had fallen into the power of her villainous* husband; and was being whirled a way to durance" vile, where in time she-might become as mad as the unhappy creatures by whom she might be surrounded. Frantic with the bare possibility, she renewed her "efforts to pull open one or other, of Uic doors, but they resisted her efforts and remained as. immovable as a rocic. • Again she turned her attention lo the glass behind the driver's seat, and for a moment appeared to have attracted his attention, as he looked round, and she thought' he was about to lift up the window.

And then all at once the cab was full of a sweet, faint, sickly odour, filling Barbara's mouth and nostrils, and inducing a drowsiness which h • fought hard to overcome. Tlvn everything turned black. The live.and the telegraph poles became first blurred and indistinct, and presently faded altogether from her view, and above the whizzing, hooting motor strange singing noises sounded in her cars. Was she dying? Had h;i' husband entrapped her in order to remove her from his path? Was she inhaling some noxious drug, let into the cab by that demon driver on the box' —a drug that would presently drive out the breath of life? She was sorry—she was young to die—and lveith—Keith—dear, dear, Keith!

After covering another mile or two during which no sound proceeded from the interior of the cab, the driver looked cautiously round and appeared quite satisfied to see his "fare " lying back on the cushions in a state of complete unconsciousness.

CHAPTER XXV. r A" SEEMING DISILLUSIONMENT. Barbara next open eel her eyes with a very vague and indistinct, remeinbrance of what had taken place on the previous day. Something had happened, leaving a confused jumble in her mind, but what ? She was iD bed, and. oh so tired, though she could not recollect lying awaue through the night. Vet her limbs were as though a Heavy weight held them down, and her head ached violently. At first she lay still, well content that nothing should recur to her memory requiring h-r to rise. But presently her faculties became clearer; she was in a strange room, well and substantially furnished and appointed. She did not remember such a room at Lady Blair's, and she missed the distant nimble of London, audible even at Regent's Park. And then she remembered' she had been travelling to Edinburgh. Was this her room in the Midlothian Hotel, at which i-he intend-d to put up until she found some old friends Qf tho Marays ? Yos, she supposed she had been too tired after her journey from London to notice. She dozed off contentedly. Better sleep her 1111. Anxious thoughts and moments lay before her, and she would need all her stre-ngfh.. She slept on for some time, and when next she awakened, it was to sec a woman in tho room, moving Silently about the .-dressing-tablo and preparing a bath. One of the hotel chamber-maitls, she supposed, though she was really performing the duties pf fv personal maid. Barbara wondered why—she did not remember having requested special attendance.

She looked at the woman attentively. She appeared . about forty years til' j\ge, tall and active, even muscular for a woman- She was dressed in a kind of uniform, including a n.-at cap and apron, while a huge bunch of bright keys hanging at her waist, Clanked unpleasantly as she moved about the room. Barbara felt curious, and raised herself on her elbow*. As she did so, the woman came to her bedside, disclosing a hard, forbidding face. And something in her manner flashed into Barbara's mind the events of the pluvious day—her intended juunvy, its frustration, how she had been carried off in" that motorcab, and thp vUc means resorted,to tq render her unconscious. Where was she? This was no Edinburgh Hotel; this woman no hole' Chambermaid! Was she— No, no, it could not be! Heaven help her to retain her reason in face of the threatened horror which now would appear to have become an EvccQmplished fact. '-You must not excite yourself," spoke the woman in an authoritative tone, putting Barbara —who had struggled into & sitting position—back into bed with a grasp of iron "Unless you keep very calm end collected, Miss Stannifortli, 1 cinnot ftllQW you to rise.'-

"Allow J" And all Barbara's pride revolted at the dictation . "How dare you speak to me in such a manner ! Release me instantly, I conv mand you !"- .' Vqvi will find it of little use to <ssue commands here," .replied tlu woman. "They will meet .with scant attention, and-if you are wise you'll acej-uiesce quietly in that which you have not llie power to control." "One moment. Tftke your h.uul sway please. lam not accustomed tp personal restraint, anil—and"—

"Restraint! That was what Miss Vausittarfc- had threatened. It. had been done .then- Was she in a madhouse? This w r omani .by her manner ,ukl appearanoo might'; be one of the keepers. "Will you tell me where I am!" she asked, trying very hard to control her agitation. . " Where yew may make you rsel I Very l\appy and comfortable if you choose, Miss Stannifortli," was th.' reply. "That is not my name," replieel Barbara. She had begun to'see she had been wrong" ever allowing herself tq be" called by a name that was not her own. During her lapse of memory she was not to blamo, but directly recollection roturned to her, and she knew herself to be Bar* bara Moray she should have pro' claimed her let the eonsc' quences have been what they may. And now it might he little use to protest but sho would be Alison Stanuiforth no longer. "That is not name," sho repeated. To be Continued.