CHAPTER LXVI.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 196, 26 March 1887, Page 7

CHAPTER LXVI.

".SCATTERED AT MY TOUCH. ' " Pay you your price !" eaid Helen, looking him steadily in the eyes, '• What ie your price ?" " You must be my wife." " Your wife ? You are a stranger to me " " But I love you." *' You may have ten wives for all that I know." *' I feweor I have never married." " But you have been ineane for months." " That is nothing j it will not happen again. 1 ' " But I — why, I do not care for you." " That is a pity ; but the love shall be on my eido. I love you, and I mean to have you," " No. Ask something other tba that." "Let me chow jou what might be. Leigh wants to be rid of you and of me. I am not co vicious that I prefer revenge to love. I'd rather take you than harm him. Leigh vtlll get me a good appointment. I am rich ; he will give you a sum that will get you a trousseau like an empress. Women like jewels, dresses, servants, carriages. You shall have all. You f-hall have town house and country house in Australia, and queen it there, and I will be your chief Bl<we. Speak the word; say you'll take me, and I'll go to Leigh for terms at once. " "Never! never! never! I will not marry you !" " Then you thall not have your revenge. I'll go back to Australia to-morrow. I'll only play iato your hands if you pay me my price " " And can you destroy Lord Leigh !" " I can. I have it laid out. It cannot fail." " And you will not carry out this plan unless — " 4< Unless you reward me with your hand. Listen to me. That November day, when 1 came here, my motives were, as I told you, curiosity— a desire to see how Lord Leigh would receive me, and a wish to secure his help in advancing me in Australia. But when I [saw you it was ac if a flame swept over me and lit my heart. The love that cold -blooded peer refuses you I can lavish on you a million fold, hitherto I have cared more for riches than for anything else. Now I shall value my riches as I pour them out on you." " Tell me your means of revenging me on Lord Leigh." •* Promise me, swear to me that you will marry me." "On condition that you eucceed, and ruin Lord Leigh." " Yea, on that condition." | " Then I awear to you." She held out her hand. He seized it, and would have kissed it, but Helen shrank from him with a strong avereion. *• No, no," she said, •» not until you have accomplished what you promise." " Let me tell you what I shall do. You will now be my ally. I will tell you my materials, you shall tell me how ] am to use them.' 5 He longed to be near her, to enjoy the strange spell of her presence He came closer to her, bent bis head near hers, and in low whispers detailed hie plan. " You can do all this ?' cried Helen. " Yes, I can, and will. ' " And you have these proofs ?" " I have ; lot a link is wanting." * 'Tell me is it true, is ifc real evidence ?" She fixed her eyes keenly upon him. a Bart Kemp was a shrewd man. He considered that to a woman of her nature, while love can change to hate, hate can swiftly veer to love again, and that at the first cry or submission of her victim her relentings might be kindled. She might herself destroy the fabric of their veDgeance. He said, firmly : I "Yes, it ib all true, and there are witnesses." She drew a deep breath. " You will tell me now what steps to take," said Kemp, 4> The first step will be to see Colonel Hartington." She mused a little, and said, "Let me do that. I will eeehiaa,

and he will lay the matter before hid lawyer?. Then they will communicate with Lord Ltigh's lawyers." " Unless he should be given opportunity to compromise." " I do not want compromise, but vengeance," said Helen. "Tili me, then, where I can call on you with papers and we will complete oar ' Maw'" ' Helen gave him a place of meeting, and they parted. The heart of Helen was in a . tumult, flevenge teemed near ; but tho rt venge was to fall destructively on the one b. ing whom she loved, and the price eh© niua». pay wav one which ehe regarded with loiihing. True, this stranger, seized with sudden passion for herself, offered her wealth, honourable marriage, a good social pi s;tiori in one of England's finest colonies, but to these things it was impossible to turn a hoart that was clinging madly to Lord J> igh. Too excited to rest she wandered about ihe secluded alleys of the magnificent domain that she had once wildly hoped to c.i 11 hers. While theee turious scenes of perverted humin passion had been enacted at tho " Karl's Folly," Violet, with the rosy Jenny carrying little Rupert, had gone out. to wander in the great sunny gardens, and th re a little lad had found her and given her a note. " Come to the Oak Knoll, dear Violet, who*© I can see you for a Jitr.e. Edna. 1 * Violet hastened to the pretty wooded riß©, her favourite retreat, the very place where, asleep in her hammock, she had won the tender love of her sister friend. As she reached there she saw, standing in the shade, a white-robed figure with golden hair and welcoming smile, and flung herself into the arms of Edna. " Oh, Edna ! You here, and you would not come to visit me, though I begged you bo earnestly. Oh, how good it is to sac you again. How lovely you look. You are * true harmony in «-hite and gol< ? . And eeo my boy, Edna, has he not growi, ? la he not beautif nl ?" Edna took the child in her arms, and seated herself by Violet on the green sward, while Jenny stood a little way off. "Dearest Violet," said Edna, "do not blame me for not coming to you. I really could not. But two days ago I was sent for to Rose Lodge, as my aunt is ill, and I have taken the first free moment to meet you " "I could never be vexed with you, or blame you a moment, dear," said Violet, caressing her friend's cheek, "especially when I see you sad and pale. What "' "I have watched all night by my aunt» n said Edna, hastily. "Can I not help you? Will she bttbetter soon ?" "I think I can take her to her sister itt two days more." " And, my darling, where is youi *uitox —where is Alwold ?" "In France now," said Edna, a tar-off look in her eyes. " But coming soon ?" " Violet, 1 was wrong and foolish to tett you anything of that, for- it is all ended." "Oh, Edna 1 Oh, I had hoped you, aft leaet, would be happy in love." "For my sake, Violet, say no more o£ it." " Could I not comfort you if we wore together ? Oh, if you only could come to me. lam sure my boy would solace you. Edna, my husband toH me that he offended you in your last visit, and— he'ie very sorry, and begs pardon." "I cherish no enmity, but I cannot come." There was a step among the last years scattered leaves, and Lord Leigh came near. He started as he saw Edna and Violet with their arms about each other, the child lying on Edna's lap, and Violet attracting its attention by a^ bunch of scarlet poppiee, which she took from her belt and held just beyond the eager grasp of the little fellow's dimpled hands. Leigh bowed courteously to both ladies, and sat down near them. He felt relieved and elate. He thought he bad finally shaken himself free of Helen Hope. He had been making some good resolutions, as he walked alone. Now suddenly he came upon this charming scene. He really loved his child, and he saw that child an embodiment of health, laughing in the face of hia lovely young met her. No picture could bo more charming, the sylvan nook, the fresh young nurse in the green background, the beautiful young women with en wreathed anne, the emiling little cherub at his play. But the boy made a spring, and scattered the petals of the poppies. "Oh," cried Violet, with a shudder, brushing them away, "it looks as if wo were all covered with spots of blood." " Do not speak so, Violet," said Leigh, extending to her a large cluster of white roses that he had picked while coming through the park. You remember, Burns say a : * But pleasures are like poppies sprrad — You Beiz j the fl twt r, Ita bioomis Bhed/ " L6t these ro«es be your omen— that after the bitter ceraeß the sweet." Violet, with a emile, accepted the roes j branch. She 3id not dream that at thatx instant the angry eyes of Helen Hope were watching them through the green screen cf i leaves, and she was whispering to herself: "Your doom is fixed ! You^will never again eit here in harmony. You will be scattered like the red petals of the poppy — scattered at my touch 1" {To be Continued.)