CHAPTER LXXIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 200, 23 April 1887, Page 6

CHAPTER LXXIV.

" WHAT IS THE STRONGEST PART OF THE EVIDENCE ?" Sir Roger Parker, the most famous physician of his time, had summoned a competent nurse from London for the Earl of Leigh, and agreed that unless called back by a telegram, he would remain for some days afc the Towers. •'Your husband must have had some long • continued uneasiness and trouble, which has preyed on his strength, and has finally reached a crisis, which has induced tendency to brain fever," said the physician to Violet. " Lord T -eigh has been nervous and excitable for Bonie time, and at present there is some trouble with Colonel Harting.on

about the estafee,"said Violet, guardedly, "t cannot underettftitl all about it, but the bimae&e ie in the- hands of his lawyer*, and the other day, finding himself increasingly unwell, he authorised! me to act for him, or secure some friend to- take his place in the matter, and I have dona so.' y " Then it only remains for us to keep him entirely quiet, and, if you will pardon me, he must be kept from opium and brandy ; stimulants or narcotics are very dangerous to him. I wish to get him into a normal state " " I will try and carry out your orders," said Violet, faintly, "and so will Adam, if you will explain to him I thiuk Adam is, after all, the one who can do the most." Sir Roger regarded the young countess closely. He remembered her as a very young, fascinating bride ; and he had never forgotten the ominous occurrences ot her wedding-day, and her sudden exhibition of indignant aversion shown to Lord Leigh. He found her now, a woman gentle, quiet, grave, a wonderful pathoa in the lovely brown eyes, an earnestness for good ness and duty shining in all her words and actions ; a mother paesinnately devoted to her child, a wife faithfully ac curate in her duties ; and yet still so childlike, so winsome, so beseeching in look and toue, that ahe seemed rather one who should be carefully sheltered from the troubles of life than called on to endure or battle with them. It was evident to the shrewd physician that her married life had been a most unhappy one ; her oyes, when turned on L<aigh, h c id an anxious, troubled, timid look that pained Sir Roger's kindly nature The look was a revelation of the bitter sorrow of her heart. By the assiduous o.ire* of Sir lt'jger, Lord Leigh became mu *h better, and alter a week the famous mvii wont a<vay and left, the patient to the family phye.eian near the Towers. Violet uaa too frail and too much occu j pied with the needed attendance on h--r child to perform the active duties of a nur?e, or remain with the nick man at night, but she bat with him much during the day, reading to him, it ho would allow it, singing softly alike to him and the infant on her lap, talking of indifferent things, as sho embroidered a little dre«B for Rupert, or sometim- s cat silent beside him for hours as he lay in a half slumber. '• VVutm is Hartington crming to take possession ?" he asked, abruptly, one day alter one of these long intervals of quiet. " I don't think he io cooling at all," said Violet. " Why not? What hus happened?" " Nothing yet ; but your lawyers »ro doing their best, and Lord Keith, is, at cay request, ae'ing in your behalf, to defe-nd you and Kupert in your own. Lord Keith has gone to Ireland to investigate with Mr Storms ; they are there now." "Keith i 3 a good follow," said Leigh. "I wonder that you are always co offieh to him, Violet You always avoid Him, a<>d yet yuu absolutely went to himi for a favour." "Because J knew be could and would help us." '* He's a strong fellow. Keith Pity he was not here in my place, Vioiet ; he would do far better for you and t,be boy than ever I ahouid, child. Sometimes I feel very sorry tor you " " Get well, and be active and happy, and useful, and there will be no regret for any of us," said Violet, her face and throat crimsoned by Leigh's curious words about Keith. But thif quiet and penitent mood did not last, l eigh bocame restless and craving for brandy and opium Warned by Sir Roger Parker, che nuree, Violet, and' Adam refused his demands for these dangerous in dulgeocee. Poor Violet was even obliged to warn the servants that their lord- was not himself, and orders for dtimulants must i.ot be obeyed. Denials were followed by furious invectives, threat", or long lapses into eullenneps Violet hardly knew that summer suns were shining, and the long, gorgeous proceseion of the summer flowers was parsing by She measured her days only by her sorrows, and a cloud, dark and cold, lowered over the household at the Towers. Meanwhile Lord Keith had seen the firm of Storma and H >pston, and had' explained that he was to interest himself with, them in proving the validity of the title of his brother peer, He also called upon Colonel Hartington, '• I ahah epare no pains and- no money, by all legal means, to press and prove my right," aaid the colonel. "I feel that I have been defrauded of estate* and title by the son of a base adventuress " " I have not the least doubt," said Lady Clare, " that the late per? on, calling herself the Countess Leigh, knew all the time that her marriage was invalid." "If she uid, having a baronet at stoke, and her child** future to think of, she would have been legally remarried as soon as Kemp died," said Lord Keith. " She thought ifc would never bo found out," said Lady Clare. 11 For my part 1 believe all parties were ignorant of the invalidity of the coatr«ct," said the colonel "lam aorry for Leigh, I never liked him, but I £ droit thit will be very hard upon him, < specially as it forever barehiechild acdull bisdescendantafromthe earldom for ever. Stjll I must look to my eelf, and I shall hasten all action, and as poon as a decision is made in my favour, I shall take possession of the Towers." " I have already leased our house in Portman square, and we are looking for a tenant for this little box, for we ehall never come here after we receive our rights in the Leigh residences, " eaid Lady Clare. This change will be very hard on your cousin," said Keith. "Yes. Violet will find that it does not pay to marry a man for his title. Now I married anuntitled man, and he will aucceed to a peerage." "So virtue had its own reward,' said Keith, sarcastically. •• I suppose we are little likely io meet Violet in Society next season," said Lady Clare, with a toss of her haughty head. I No, not next season, nor for after seasons, did Lady Clare and Violet meet in the dazzling gayeties of London lite. Every day Lord Keith was at the office of the lawyers. " I know," he said, " that this is a false claim We must show it to be falee." " Let us try the effect of a high bribe on Kemp," said Storms. " Never 1" cried Lord Keith, indignantly. " What do you mean, Mr Storms ? Shall we compound a felony ? I feel &3sured in my soul that Lord Leigh'a title is a sound one. This thing must be thoroughly sifted. There shall be no bribes and no silence. That little child's fortune shall be fully assured." 11 My lord," said Mr Storma, " what I mean was to try the temper of these witnesses by an offer. If I saw the effect of a high offer upon them, I could read the motives of their present action ; and if I reached the inspiring motive, 1 should be more likely to bo able to trace up the steps by which they reached this remarkably well-planned attack on Lord Leigh." " You think there is a strong chain of evidence? " " Very strong, my lord." " And what is its strongest part ?" ** Undoubtedly the certificate of the physician, regarding the apparent death, and the months lived thereafter."

"And what is the weakest part of the evidence ?" " The grave-digger is a cc**pe, low fellow, who might have been bribed. Storms and Ep9ton keep him w ell ?* hand. If we once could convict hum of falsehood we might break down the rest of the oaso."