CHAPTER LX.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 194, 12 March 1887, Page 6 (Supplement)

CHAPTER LX.

** YOU BEAU YOUR SORROWS LIKE AN AKCBL !'' The closing of the door loffc Violet in utter darkness. She had by her swift motion taken her lifo in her hands, and could hardly realise that she was safe and Helon waa a prisoner in the strong clofefc. Either her motion to the easily moving door had been too quick and vigorous, or Helen had not been able to resolve to fire upon b6r. She had made her a prisoner ; what should she do with her ? Leigh was in London. Instinctively Violet desired to avoid publicity. She stood cold and trembling for a few minutes, and then, regaining self control^ went up to the servants' gallery, and tapped at Adam Moreland's door. The old man was w&koful, and he wag in hie dressing-gown and beside her in the hall in an instant. "Dear lady, what is it?" •' Adam, did you over see a woman named Helen Hope?" te Yep, I know of hflr, my lady." *' She is Lord Leigh's enemy, ia she not ?" " I fear she has much cause. Sha it a dangerous woman. " J " Adam, she has been heie in disguise, a3 as Mrs Daw3on." "Oh, my lad\ ! has sho poisonod the child ?" ** Hush, Adam ! your little lord is safe ; bo am I." Then she brieSy told tho story of her midnight fright, and of her prisoner. 41 My lady, be sure eho was looking among my late lord's papers for something to injure Lord Leigh I mako no dor.bt ahe has, for revenge, gone over to Colonel Hart : ngton's party, to try and harm my lord and his son. She has come for that. She had keys ?" "I saw a email bunch of bright, new keya by her." 41 Well, my lad} 3 we must got her out, and search her for papers. She muet get none away. Then what?" <k I can tell better after that. Come with me, Adam," Violet returned to the library, and called, through the closed door : "Helen! I am here, with Adam Moreland, and you are my prisoner." " Understand," said Hebn, in a clear voice, "if you open that door, to givo me tip for a felony, I shall put this bullet through my heart when you touch the handle of the doer," "Adam," said Violet, "I cannot have this woman's death on my hands. Renisniber she has been vvonged." "Will you promise not to harm yourself, if we agree to let you go, Holeu ?" she asked, through the door, "Yea." " You will put that ~eapon in the drawer, and shut the drawer before we open this door— on your oath ?" " Yes, on my oath." " But you muat be searched for papers, Helen, and, take your oath, that you hare no papers, and no ccpic?." Helen was silent. " Consider, if you refuse, lam compelled to send for the officer?, and give you choica between arrest for a felony, or death by your own hand, if 3 r cu insist on preferring it" "I promise," said Helen, "There are n3 papers that 1 care for. I did not fiad what I wanted." " Can I trust } :u to keep your word ? ' aaked Violet. " Yes. Tf I don't Adam is there, and he is strong." "Now, then, I open the door." Violet opened the door, and she and Helen stood facing each other. ••Victory is jeui'3, Lady Leigh," said Helen, scornfully. "Helen, I hava never been unkind to you ; why are you mj enemy ?'' said Violet, earnestly. " You aro his i'"fe.*' Violet sighed, sho would not say, " Yep, to my sorrow." " Your husband has deceived, wronged, mocked, scorned mo,' 1 said Helen, hotly, ** and you know the words, 'Hell lna no fury like a woman scorned." Violet could not prevent the rising of <\ heavenly pity in her innocent heart as she looked at the pa^, contorted, and paseiouate face before her, she herself knew po we'l the pain of wounded love. " Helen," she said, gently, "to be wronged and fiocrccd need not make cne j wicked." "It makes me wicked. What hive I left in the world ?" True, Helen had no sweet 'ittle one to be j her comfort. " Helen, I know y dv have been w.-oigcd ; from ray soul I pity you. But no t" you know none of us em right this wrong. It is too Into. I pray you, Helen, lay a^ide passion and revaiurs :*nd f Jigivs my husband." "Nevor! till 1 die— till we both die!' 1 cried Helen. * | "I remember," eiid Violet, urging her' gentle plea, " that you said you bated me, and would bring woe on me, my hu-bavi, and my child. For tf.at end I know you have come here. Di^. you deceive my aunfc, Helen ? She did not know ?" "No," said Helen, with a hard laugh, "I merely recommended to her a nurse of my acquaintance." " You deceived me, I did not know you." Again the hard laugh. *' A man in Paris whoso trade it i<3 to aid roguef, made me u^ in this way, for tho aum of aix pounds. But Iso hated the apoiHng of my beauty that I took liberty at night to be myflelf." "Did you come here just to seek papers that you hoped would harm Lord Leigh ?" " I can hardly tell what I wanted," burat forth Helen. " Yep, I wanted to pearch for papers, when I picked up from servants' gossip where things were kept. But I wanted to be near him to watch him.— to hear hie voice. Oh, strange infatuation for him that I acorn myself for, and cannot conquer ! I thought, perhaps, I might find evidence to put Mm in my power, and perhaps then I migl t be tempted by Satan to kill you or tbe child. Who knows? Such things happen and human beings have become demons. Oh, where did. I get this cruel, fierce, hideous, volcano heart ? And you and Edna are so differcut; like angola m companion with me." She flung herself on the floor, and wept and sobbed, bringing, 1 tears to tho eyes of the countess and Adam. What a pitiful, psrverted, stormy soul this waa? Violet knelt by her, and touched her hand. "Helen, do let ma help and save you., If yoa tell me truly that you have taken no papers belonging to Lord Leigh, all this ■hall be as if it oad not been. You shall leave here at once. Adam shall get out a carriage, and take you to the station to

catch the four o'clock morning train, He will go with you to London, and buy you a ticket to Boulogno. I will give you a hundred pounds, so you will nob want until you find employment. Oh, do go away, and try and be better ! 3po not hate me and my littio child, - nor injure Leigh." " Why pray for Leigh ? He does not love you." "1 know he dees not," said Violet, meekly, " but he is my husband, and my child's father." •' Aud why should I go, and leave you to enjoy everything ?" cried Helen, fiercely. ** I enjoy ? Oh, Helen, I, too, suffer ! My heart ia broken ! but I am trying to be good." Some better spirit moved, for the moment, the wild, turbulent nature of this woman, She checked her moaning soba, sat up, kissed Violet's hand. " Yes, I will go. You have your sorrow, and you bear it like an angei, and 1 beat* mine like a fiend. Adam, take me away !" Adam book tho lamp, and the throe went up to the room which had been occupied by Helen, under tha name of Mrs Dawson. " Is it cafe for me to leave my lady with you while I get a chase ?" said Adam. '• Yea, now it is safe. The demon has for the hour gone out of me. 1 don't know as I ever would have come to tho point of hurting her or her child personally." For Violet, she ee'incd to have no fear of Helen. She waited while she packed her ono moderate trunk, and went down to tho rear door with them, whon Adam carried the box down on his shoulder, and drove away with Helen. He took her to London, and saw hex start in the Boulogne boat. Then ho went to seek his lord. He must go home to know what had happened, and to Jook over hia papers. It was in the library, in Adam's pre-ence that Violet told her husband, simply and earnestly, the history of that period, Adam 3 'a filed with tears as if ho was membered whore ho had found her husband, whon ha looked for him— at tho gaming table. •'I do not know as I did right," said Violet, " but I could not give the poor creature in charge, and I thought you would not like a public ec.ndal." " You did quite right," said Leigh. " For the time she has gone ; but, Violet. I know that woman will bring on us, on our boy, some fatal trouble." "And if it must be to, Norman,' said Violet, gently, "how better can we meet trouble than by trying to do our bBBt, and help each other ?'' Leigh was overcome. He sank on his knees, and clasped and kissed her hands. " Oh. Viole% good, kind, little Violet, I am unworthy of you ! I, in my sins, am always dcs roying our home. While you, brave and gentle, are trying to defend it."