CHAPTER LV,
DAME MAGEKY'S LODGER. Monday morning, and Dame Magery was 1 in her garden gathering a bouquet of golden and maroon nasturtiums, and blue larkspur, for Lady Leigh's breakfast table, when the latch of her little gate clicked, and turning, she saw the Lord of Leigh. The old woman hurried to him, and in her warm fealty to his race, seized and kissed his hand, crying: " My lord, my dear lord, welcome !" " I think you have a little stray countess l here, Magery?" " She's within," said Magery, in a low voice. Violet, hoping almost against hope, buoyed up by Edna's confident promises, 'had insisted upon rising early, and she was already sitting by the window, and arrayed in a pink cashmere morning robe. As her husband's step crossed the humble threshold, she rose and beseechingly held out her slender white hands. S weat enough she was, her pleading brown eyes full of tears, the flushes flying swiftly over her artlees, child-like face, tne dark rings of her shining; hair ruffled about her brow. Sho held her breath ; she dared not stir ; she could not spsak. The man was moved in spite of himself by this young, gentle, much-wronged creature, who, by the zno»t venial fault, was yet put in th 6 position of a criminal. He held out both hands and took hera in a kind clasp. " I am glad to find you safe and sound, child. Now you will come home with me?" "Oh, Norman! May I?" '» Yes, certainly ! What are you shaking co for, child ? Sib down again. Home as coon aa you like, of course." And stooping as he placed her in her chair, he kissed her forehead. " But, Norman, you will feel so embarrassed and ashamed of ma that I ran away, and how to explain." " Nonsense ! Of course, it was the silliest performance in the world, but no one knows of it. It is a dead secret, except to up two, Keith, Edna, and the two servants. Every one thinks you're taking a rest in Sussex. We'll go home and appear at a ball or two. And mind, you pay you have had a lovely rest, and feel quite fresh. " I will, indeed, Norman. I feel better, and rested, truly. Oh, how good you are ! I will try not to trouble you again." "I hope you will, lam sure. Such a thing is a hideous bore ; bat, however, we'll say no more about it. Eh, Kate, that you ? Turned cook, and butler, and all? I'm glad to see breukfast, and to find your lady ooking so well We'll start home this evening if Lady Leigh feels able to travel. You're not to hurt yourself, Violet, mind that. 1 our health is very important now, you know." Leigh thought he was behaving very well. Violet, in her deep humility and penitence.had no fault to find with him. Perhaps Keith and Edna would have made large discount on bis speechea, but happily no one heard but Kate, and she was too wiee to speak or even look any condemnation. " Edna toH you ?" faltered Violet. " Yes, she did. Jove ! It is the best news I've heard for a year. " We'll go back to London today, appear in public for a few time s*,5 *, or two or three weeks, and then we had better go down to the Towers. That will be the best place for you, Violet. You can take some quiet friends along with you ; yon won't object to Miss Ambrose this >ear, I suppose?" '* Indeed no, Norman. I am co ashamed I ever was co silly. She is the dearest, loveliest, bet?t. lam never so happy as when I am with her. "That's what I think," groaned the unhappy man to himself ; and, giving Violet his hand, he led her to the breakfaat-table. They were alone. Dame Magory had gone to the little paddock wh9re her pet cow was grazing. Kate was buttering toast in the kitchen. Lord Leigh wa» wholly intent on serving an omelette placed before him, when a swift step crossed the room, and someone noisily dropped into a I chair opposite the earl Leigh looked up, and saw before him, only the table between, the face which last he had seen framed against the red sunset in the open casement of the Earl's Folly — the face over which he thought the waters of the Black Pool bad closed for ever — the face that had haunted him aa hie victim, but now leered at him as his enemy. In hie intense amazement he leaped to his feet, bui Violet flung herself into his arms, crying : " Norman ! Save me from that terrible man !" At the same instant Dame Magery rushed in " See my head !" began the man, jerking off his cap ; but Dame Magery checked him by grasping his arm, crying : " Out on you ! Can I never keep you where you belong ?" and led him away unresisting. "There, there, child -no one will hurt you," said Leigh, releasing himself from Violet's claep. •• Some half wit of the neighbourhood. You will not be harmed." " But I saw nioi before. I was lying alone ; he came in and said he would kill me ! Magery tried to make me believe I had been dreaming. She said no oeo was here." ** Well, since it is pome neighbour man, I don't see but she said true enough. There, c calm or you will hurt youreelf. Drink your tea at once. You see, Violet, what comes of recklessly leaving your home. A woman is safe under her husband's roof, and there eho should stay unless he takes her elsewhere." "I know it, Norman," said Violet, humble and penitent. But when breakfast was ended Lord Leigh eaid he would have a cigar in the garden, and went out to Magery, who was weeding her lettuce. " Magery, who is that crazy creature ?" "Indeed, my lord, I don't know." " Where did he come lrom ? How came he here ?" " Well, my lord, it's no harm to tell you, though I did insist to my lady he was a dream. Adam brought him here." " Had he no luggage, no papers ?" "No, my lord, only a few new things I think Adam had bought in London for him." *' And when did he corao here ?" " The last day of November, my lord." *• I think if he does not improve, Adam mußt take him to Scotland to a good asylum. I fear for your safety, Mareery." "*' Thank you, my lord," On the third day after this, Mra A? nslie said to her governess at luncheon : " Mus Hope, my niece, the Countess, has come home. 1 called on her this morning. She had a trip to the Tower*, and is looking as fresh as a rose, and Leigh is so pleased •and proud you cannot think. There is to be aa beir there before the year is out— a future earl, Heaven send— and, by the way, the countess wants to see you to-morrow at ten Don't forget."
j After this thunderbolt of news, Helen Hope neither ate nor slept, and was in a fury of rage and despair. She * found Violet alone next morning, lying on the couch in the boudoir. A new dignity, a serenity, a self- poise, a certain strenpth of womanliness had come to the little countess through her late experiences. "Miss Hope," she said quietly, "you have acted to me a wicked, very wicked part,, but my trouble is much of my own making in seeing you when I was warned against you, and in listening to your crafty tales. You urged me to do a thing which you knew was wicked, and which you hoped would be fatal to me. You promised to meet me when you never meant to do so, and you sent me to seek a place which did not exist. God has taken c*re of me. God guarded all my foolish way, and sent me friend and safety. You need never see me again, for I am done with you ; and as I know you are not a fit guide for my cousins, you must leave my aunt. If you will give warning, and leave at once, I will help soothe her vexation, and will not cay a word against you. If you will not go, I shall tell her enough to secure your dismissal." " Ana then I will ruin yow.my fine coun: tess." '' At all risk, my cousin shall be saved. Anna was here yesterday, and I find you have advised her to elope with Gore." "And you consider it a decent act to turn me helpless into the street !" screamed Helen, wildly. "No. Here are one hundred pounds. Pray go and find a place in France, or where I will not know where you are. Don't hesitate. Take the money. You are welcome. Try and be good." j ** Try and be good !" cried Helen in wrath. "Listen — I will bring you to ruin and shame ! I will beggar that child which you are so proudly expecting ! I will show the world that Norman Leigh is a villain and an impostor, far down on the level of Helen Hope, the foundling. I will show that you are no true wife, only a befooled countess, of a sham Lord of Leieh, and » The door opened, and Edna entered, noble and queenly. "Silence, Helen Hope! These are idle threats, wicked falsehoods. Leave Lady Leigh's presence instantly." " You think I cannot do ifc ' Recall what his mother wa?, and think if it might not be shown that he is no lawful Lord of Leigh. Recall what he has been, and cay if I am not likely, when I dedicate my life to vengeance, to find a wife of his, married before she stood at the altar in St. George's." "Edna! Edna! what is phe saying?" screamed Violet. "Nothing that she can prove— nothing true, my darling." ' I will prove it !" cried Helen Hope, and rushed away.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TAN18870226.2.57.3
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 130, 26 February 1887, Page 7
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,666CHAPTER LV, Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 130, 26 February 1887, Page 7
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.