CHAPTER XXIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 158, 26 June 1886, Page 7

CHAPTER XXIV.

Stop up the ncccss and passage to rpmorsi ; That no compunctions vl-mncn of n«mr»< •ihake my fv-il purpose, nor ke^p peace between The -fleorjand it!- Maoijk'ih. Being in tho confessional, I hove iiot fo borne to toll the worst of myself ; I will not, theroforo, hesitate to tell tho bo?!/ When on that very afternoon I otiteiei hire Pollard's) grounds, it was with a resolve to make her speak out, that had no element of weakneos in it. Not her severest frown, nor that diabolical look from (juy'h eyo, «hi«h had hitherto made mo quail, should «erve to turn me aeide from my purpose, or thwart those inLerests of right and justice which I felt wore so deeply at stake. If my own attempt, backed by the disclosures which had come to mo through the prayorbook I had received from Mr Pollard should fail, then tho law thould take hold of tho matter and wrench the truth from this seemingly respectable family, even at the risk of my own happiness, and the considumtion which 1 had always enjoyed in this town. Tho house, when I approached it, struck mo with an odd sen^e ot change. I did not stop at tho time to inquire why thi-» wan, hat I havo sinco concluded, in thmk'ng over the subject, that the parlour curtains must have been arawn up, something which 1 do not lemember over having boon thoro b fo\e or since. The front door a!«o was ajar, -uid whan I rang tho bull it wa* so -piedily answercl that I had hazily time to •uminon up tho expicsion of Hoturtnination \\ hich I felt would alono gain me admittance to the hou?e. But my presence, instead ot seeming unwelcome, seemed to be almost expected by the servant who opened to mo He bowed, smiled, a-id that, too, in almost a holiday ta-'hion ; and when 1 would havo asUcd for i\lr& Pollard, inten upted me by a r. qaestlo lay oil' my overcoat in a side room, uhu'h he couiteously pointed out, to inc. Tlieie was something in tins and in the u hole a-pcefc of the place which astonis-hud me gieatly. In this sombre dwelling with Its lich but dismally dark halls and inypionou-* iooomcs could be said to over wear an air of cheer, tho attempt; ccitainly had been mauo to effect this to-day. From tho hand of the bronco iigure that capp d th'j ncjiVol-j'OsL hung wreaths of i-milax and a b .gkoTj full cf the moat exquibi^o flow^is ; while horn a halt open door at my right enme a -tieal: of po-ili\e light, and tho found of fsveral voi"os animated with some sentiment that »viis< strangely out of accrnd wi h the so) nv\ -ceae to which this vo> y loom Ktd -o litely been a witno-s. (_\i » they bo hawng a reception? I a-ked in\M'lt"; and -ilm.-sr- ashamed of tho surmi.-e, e\o in the housuof one so little respected, I, neveithelc-^, luinedto tho civil servant before me, and remarked :—: — ''Theio is something going on here of which 1 via- ignorant. Is JSlrt> Pollard enteir uniug guest- to-day ?" " Did yon nob know, sir?" he inquired. ' 1 thought yoa had boon invitod, perhaps ; w'l-e- Poll ud is going to be married this afternoon '' Misj Poltard is going to be married ! Could an vi lung have been worse ? Shocked, I drov. ht-cit ; -Nlist, Pollard was a boautitul trnl ,md totally innocent, in as far aa 1 knew, fit any at the wrong which had certainty b< en weipetrated by some members of thoiimily. It would never do x,o mortify hoy oi to hit the pleasure of her wedding d.iv b, jt)/ =-uch hcene a3 my en and piobably iin'-'K, 1 Sl'o must be saved sorrow \_\ r .,n )f hi" mother . But at that in.-t.i ,b (he vaguo but pathetic form of ar.othf) joung girl ilitted in imaginaiinn bjtoru n,v 030,*, and I as- keel myself if I had nun I'le'dy done enougli injuiy to tho hc^plo-- md tho weak, without putting o'\ ♦o i.'iollui hoar ovrn that attempt at ref>cu». w 'ifch t iti possibly pcilous position of Mr Poll i.ti gTumichild so imperativclj' dem vi V(! A-3A -3 1 thought thii and lomemIjjred tit tho gentleman to whom Mi^ I'd'),; 1 !; »\.»- fi^agcd wo,* an Englishman of lo* fib ci>m< ctions and great wealth, 1 Jolt ur <pinr Jjarden and my purpo«o take definite ioim. Turning, th-irofoie, to the tcivau' boioro me 1 inquired if Mis Pollard vi- «jbovo or below ; and on learning that .-he h.'O not yet coma downstans, I tore a Jcitout, of my note-book and wrote on it tho lul'owing lines : " T Ivnoiv your daughter is on the point of descending to hermairiage. I know also thar^ou no not want to see me. But tho mle>e-N of Mi=s Merriam demand tiiafc you should do *v, and that immediately. If you do not' corny, [ ehall instantly enter tho p .i-lour t.'id tell a story to the a<-3ombled gue ts which wjll pomewhat shake your t<[u wiimily when you come to appear before them. My moral couiage is nor/ to be ].ioVc<l by my physical, madam, andl shall surely do this thing. " David B\r j rows." Tho sprvaul, who still lingered befoio me, tool- this note. "fuvc it to Mrs Pollaid," I requested. "Toll hoy it is upon a matter of pressing importance, but, do not mention my namo, if you jtlo'ieo ; ehe will find it in the note " And seoing bj r tho man's face that my wwies would be complied with, I took 'up my s-and in a certain half-curtained recess and waited with loudly beating heart for the i&sue. She came. I yaw her whon she fiist put foot on the staira, and notwithstanding my .stiong antipathy, 1 could not repreaa a certuin feeling of admiration from mixiug with the dread the least sight of her alway° occasioned me. Her form, winch was ot the finest, was clad in heavy black velvet, without a vestige of ornament to mar its fcombro liohne^^, and her hair, now verging towarda gre y, was pilod up in masses orTtho top of her haughty hea<^, adding inches to a height th-xt in itself was almo-c queenly, But- li 6f6 f face ! and her eruul eye and the smile of her terriblo lip. I grew cold a« I fviw her approach, but I did not movo from my p\»ce or meditate the least change in the plan I had laid for her subjection. She stopped just two feet from whore I stood, and without the least bend of her head or any gesture of groeting, looked at me. I bore it with quietudo, aifd oven anpweroti glance with glance, until I saw her turn pale with the first hint of dismay which she had possibly ever botrayed ; then Ib i wed and waited for her te speak. She did so with a hiss like a serpent. "Whvt does thia mean?" she cried. • 4 What do you hope to gain from me, that you prefumo to write me euch a letter on an occasion like this ?"

"Madam." I rejoined, "you are in baste, and so am J ; so, without expressing any opinion of the actions « hich have driven mo to thin step, 1 will merely say that I want but one thing of you, but that, immediately, without hesitation and without delay. I fiUudo to Mi?g Merrirtm's address, which you havr, and which you must; give me on tho wpofc." She shrank. This cold, confident, imperious woman shrank, and this expiession of omotion, while it "bowed she way not entirely without sensation awoko within me a strange fear, since how dark mudt be her «ecret, if fhe could tremble nfc the thought of its diKJOvory. She mtiht have seen that I was affected, for hei contidonco immediately returned. "I do not know,"— she began to say, But I mercilessly interrupted her. " But / know," j<aid 1, with an emphasi* on tho pronoun, "and know so much that I am duro tho company within would ha f/lad to hear whiti could tell thorn. Mr 1-Jorrington, for inHanoe, who I hear i? of a ivirv honourab'e fami y in England, would bo pleased to learn " " Hu.'-h !" Bho whispered, seizing 1 my wrist with a hand ol steol. "If J musi tell you I -nil!, but no more words from you, do you hear, no more words 1 " I took out my note-book and thrust it in U< her har.d. "Write," I commanded, " Uer full adurosa, mind you. that I may ilnd her before the day i-<over. 1 She gave mo a strange glance, but took the bu'ok :in I pencil without a uord. "Thoro !" she cried, hurriedly writing a line and parsing the book back to mo. "And now go; our time for fuithur conversation will como later." But t did not u tir. I read aloud the line pho had given me and then said : "Madam, this addross is either a true or a faUe one. "Winch, 1 shall soon know. For upon leaving hore, 1 shall proceed immediately to tht> telegraph-office, liom which I shall ta ograph te ihu pohco station ne;>r-es-t to this address, for the information I desire. I shall receive an Answer within the hour ; and if I find >ou have deceived me I ."hull not hesitate to return here, and ?o amiably accompanied that you will not only opjn to me, but icctif'y whatever mistake you m:v have made. Your quests wall not be gone in an hour," I ruthlessly added. Her iaco. whLh had been palo, turned ghastly. Gl.mcing up at :i cloi-k which stood a few foot from the recast in wir.ch we stood, ph© an involuntary shudder and looked about for Guy " Your son, icrtile as ho is in resources, cannot help you," [remarked. " There is no pit of daikne?fa heie; be.-ides I nave learned a 103-on, madam; arid not death itsolf would deter mo now from doing my duty by thid innocent child. So if you wish to change this .iddro?s " I stopped ; a strain of music had risen from th'i p;>rlour. It was Mondolsohn's W oddin^r M'ireh. Mrs, I'ollt.rd started, cast n hurrie i look above, and lore the notebook out of my hemds. " You a'e a fiend," she hissed, and hurriedly *c-arUiing out the words she had written, <*ho wrote another number and name. " \\>u will ti^d aho is tht^re," she cried, " t\v,d since I have complied with your desite, you will have no need to leturn heio till you bring tho young girl home " The emphasis flio placed on the last word startled mo. 1 looked at bar and wondered if Medea wore such a countciance when she stabbed he children to tho heart. But it fiiish"d uml was gone, and tho next moment she hod moved f.way from my side and I had stepped to the door. Al-:A 1 -: T opened ie ro p'isu out 1 caught one glimpse ot the brido h< f-he cmc dovn the htarr". She looked e\qui&ita m her sitnplo whito dress, and hor lace was a\ reathed. in smiles