CHAPTER LXII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 238, 21 January 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER LXII.

THE OLD SPELL. So, at lungth, they raoct thus, and re-woave tho old charm. And She hangs on his voice and loans on his^ ami. Owkn Merbditu. We must now return to Colonel Fitzgerald •and Doctor Goodwin, and relate the unexipoeled and startling 1 events that hastened their voyage to America. Wo left, them seated in the parlour of their lodgings, in Holland-street, on the night previous to their intended departure on a tour through Cornwall and Wales, which was designed to fill up the weary time that must nave intervened before the sailing of their ship, and so to attract the thoughts of Gerald Fitzgerald from dwelling too fixedly on his recent and heavy affliction. Gerald Fitzgerald took tho evening papers that lay upon the centre table, and began to look over thorn. feilence fell upon the scene, that lasted until it was broken by the sound of the postman's single but decided knock, and Jubal shortly appeared with two letters, literally crossed and recrossed with direction", and half covered with foreign stamps. "Those letters seem to have circumnavigated the globe in search of their right owners ! Is there one for me !" inquired the doctor. "No," answered the colonel, as he took the two letters from the hands of his servant. ♦'One of the letters is from Dr. Peter Shawe, physician in charge of the Wilde Country Almshousd. The other trom Father Dubarry, the pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Wildeville !" As Gerald Fitzgerald read, his face grew very grave and troubled. When he had finished reading the letters he turned to the watching doctor, and upset his nerves by the following abrupt statement : " I must leave for America by the steamer that sails on Wednesday, if I have to take a steerage berth." If the doctor had not been a Christian and a clergyman he might have exploded in something like the name of his Satanic majesty ; but being a Christian and a clergyman, he mildly observed : " The mischief !" "Yes; and you must accompany me, if possible ; if not, then you must follow me by the first steamer,'* added Colonel Fitz* gerald, emphatically. uSo i I must take a eea voyage, in the steerage, on the spur of the moment, Gerald !" said the doctor, with just the slightest dash of sarcasm in the patient resignation of his manner. " Gerald, would it inconvenience you to explain f Colonel Fitzgerald handed the letters over to Dr. Goodwin, saying : " Read first Father Dubarry 's letter. Dr. Goodwin opened the priest's letter, and read as follows : " Office ok the ALManousK, I "Wildkville, Va., U.S.A.. Jan. 15. 18—. f *' Aly Be ovsd Son" in the Lord : I write, hoping this lettor may overtake you in .your wanderings and hasten your return homo. I write at tho earnest request of that poor wandering woman, Magdala, or rather, as I should say, too woman whom you have bo long known as Masdala, for, it seems, that is not her right nan\e." " How ? Not her right name ?" inquired the doctor, pausing in his perusal of the letter, and looking up over the top of his spectacles. "So it appears. Read on," said Colonel Fitzgerald. "But, then, if that is so, we have all been in the wrong in supposing this woman to be the lo3t daughter of Gabriel. Haddon," persisted the doctor, still staring wildly 'over the tops of his spectacles. "It disturbs our theory, certainly ; and that is one reason why you must either accompany me, or follow me, as soon as possible," replied Colonel Fitzgerald. "Well, I "declare we have lost the clue again ! Upon my word, this search for the loat daughter is like the game of * hunt the slipper.' We are now wannand then cool ; now hob and then cold ; now burning alive, and now freezing to death !" growled the doctor. " It is confusing, certainly, but read on," said Colonel Fitzgerald. "Dr. Goodwin took up the priest's letter, and resumed his reading : "This •woman, whose real name isCloa Pharo, and who is an English gipsy, was found on last .New Year's. Day, in an exhausted and unconscious condition, in the forest by some mon who were out hunting the deer. " When brought to the Almshouse Bhe was in a nearly dying condition, from the effects of cold, exposure and starvation. She has, however, a constitution of wonderful strength and elasticity. With the use of proper means, she yvaa saved from 'tumediate death. ! '• In a few days she recovered sufficiently to j sit up and taU a little. And then they discovered that she had regained her niontat faculties ; also, that she was conscious oC her approaching death. " She first a3kcd lo see the physician of the Almshou'C, and when he camo Bhe bluntly asked him how many daya she h»d to live. "With ths physician's policy, ho replied to her that she had as many days to live as she wanted to have. In other words, that it depended largely up in herself how lone she had to live, and if she would keep qniet and take care of herself, she might yet live to bo very old. '• To this flattering tale, however, the strange viman replied by one strong oil English word : •"'LIES!' ' . > • "Sho then asked lo see a Catholic prieat, adding that they were the only ministers who were bound to keep the secrets omßded to them." " Kow that is not so," said Dr. Goodwin, again pausing in the perusal of his letter and looking over the top of his spectacles — *' that is not at all so. I dare to say that in the course of my long ministry I have received as many confidences as any minister of any sect in "the world, and I have never ' betrayed one yet." " Never mind, never mind, my dear Dr. ] Goodwin ; read on," replied Fitzgerald. The worthy doctor recovered his place, and read : -" " I came at the w o nan's" call, and while sitting down by her bedside I saw that she had not long to live. Of mo also she asked tho momentous question : " * How many days shall I remain iv this life?' " I told her just as many as should please the Lord : that our days were in His hands, and no man knew the number thereof. " She made no comment but abruptly told mo that she had a secret to reveal before her death —a secret that vitally coacerned Colonel Gorald Fitzgerald and his family, and the inquired if I, knew where you could be found. "I replied that I knew where a letter could, fladyna. " She then requested me to write. - • , " I answered that I would do so. and asked whether I should write to her .dictation. , • \ , " She sairkno,; that «he>>uld notj dietetic., words*; but would glvcf xne.the.*ub*tajice of what lsfcoutd tell youi,-/, vV. > , ./ ; "Sho then mo. that- hor name vffta not, Magdata ; ihflt she had noversutted it to bo bo ; but the. people of <wMe (^ country, .with their usual sagacity, had thntotit upon her,, merely because when she wasiflrat fished up from' ther flood of Wildo river, a small ,moroocp ported mounaie ' was* found* in her pockety with the name of Magdala engraved ftpon the gilt claapjbut thatthis was riot her name ; but the name, of the jaaV who had given it to her. 1 ? t*- « "3s(qw;, bha{; iariactvjery simple expl&na-; tion ! I hope fchat Jitfcle*reUc has beent.prer/ served; for its existence, taken wifch. t it«

j ciroumsbances, would lead totthe^tfreWy that it muat.he.ve belonged, to ouivMagdala Haddon or Magdala LacfdaW, 1 " said Dr. Goodwin, once more looking up from his letter. . ' < . . r ' "Yes, but go on,, my d.ear sir. We can discuss these matters afterwards," replied Colonel Fitzgerald. Dr. Goodwin patiently resumed the reading of his of t-intemtpbod letter : "The woman thon told me that her name w a Clea Pharo. She was tho daughter of a gipsytribe in tho north of England, "Twenty years before, she had met with a young American tourist, who, for the love of her dark botiuty, abandoned homo, friends, and country, and bocame an, adopted son of her people. " Ho had married her by the r'tes of tho gipsy tribes, that were not considered binding in Christian communities, however binding they might bo among the gipsies. Therefore, though sho was bound, he was free. Though she was his wife by the lawa of her peoplo, ho was not her husband by tho lawa of any Christian country. "After three years' wanderings with the gipsies, ho had grown tired of her, and consequently of thepi, and their manner of life, and had disappeared from thoir mid it, "Sho also then left her tribe, and went in search of him. She wandorod over England, Wale 3 and Scotland, for thirteen months, be- ■ fore she found him, as tho husband of a fair < young girl and tho father of a lovely babo. and ( on tho cvo of sailing with them for the United I States. "She took passage in the steerage of the same ship. But steerage passengers are as effectually barred from all communication with tho cubin passengers as if a fow thousand miles divided thorn, instead of a few planks. " Stio could neither so© nor speak to tho man during the voyago ; nor could she do so even when they landed at Now York ; yot sho contrived to keep trace of his movements. "Sho followed him down to Virginia, and finally to WUdevilio, whore the great inundation of Wilde River separated them ; but not until she had lea nod his real history-a history fraught with dishonour and irretrievable ruin to the whole Fitzgerald family, but particularly to Uolonol Gerald Fiforgdrald of the Summit. Therefore sho must see Gerald Fitzgerald in person, for to him, and to him only, would she communicate the secret that she had told to his father on that father's death bed. "No argument or persuasion of mine could more her resolution to keep the secret until thon. •• She flatly and firmly refused even to toll mo the name oi! the man who had wronged her ; for Bho said the very name would give mo the key to the mystery. ' r So, mr dear son, I write to urge you to return at once. Ido not believe that the honour and prosperity of the Fitzgeraldacan be touched by anything this woman can rovoal, But you know, my good son, that there was one dark pago folded down in the fair history of your house, and that to this day no one ever has read what was recorded upon it, or hoard what ever really becanio of its hero. However, comeat , once and alt Avill be well, I send with tbn tho doctor's letter, thinking that hia , report ol the patient's condition may give satisfaction. And that tho blessing of Heaven may rest on you always, dear son, is the daily prayer of your poor Father in the Lord. " Francis Dubabry. " Weil, now, what do you think of that letter ?" inquired Colonel Fitzgerald, i « c I don't know. It requires time to think of it," replied the doctor. " You understand the writer's reference j to that l dark page in the- fair history » of our house t" t f " Oh, yes ; but as nothing is really known' about that folded-down page, we cannot tell how dark or even how fair it may have been. I agree with Mr Dubarry in believing that nothing the woman may have to reveal can bring reproach upon the Fifczgeralds," emphatically answered the doc- \ tor. "Thanks, sir. Read the other letter— Shawe*B letter— \f you please, and then we [ will decide at once on what is to be done. I Time is flying, you know," said Colonel Fitzgerald, earnestly. " Yes ; but nothing can be done until to- ! morrow morning, as far as I can see," I replied the doctor, as he took up and un- ! folded the second letter. . i " Except to consult and arrange. That | can be done." ! i The doctor unfolded and read : ! ''DISPfiNSARr, ALMSHOUSK. ) "WiLDEViLtK. Va. U.S.A., Jan. 15th, 18-. f "My Dear Sib: The Rev. Mr Dubarry* pastor of St. .Patriok's parish in this countryt requests mo to write to you and report the condition of one Magdala, a vagrant, recently pioked up in a half-dying condition and brought to this house. Sho has been under my charge for the last two weoki, <and her condition has temporarily Improved, although her ultimate recovery is impossible, ' She is ill with pulmonary consumption, brought on by long-con-tinued priration and exposure. But she naa a. very strong constitution, and may survive weeks, or oven months. If, however, as the P.ev. Mr Dubarry informs mo, you are sufficiently interested in this poor creature to wish to see her before she dies, I should advise you to lose no time in coming hither. I have only i to add,' that the woman Magdala has undoubtedly recovered her reason, and is in ■ full possession oi all her mental faculties, j Respectfully, , , j " Peter Sha we, M.D. ! Having finished reading this letter, Dr. \ Goodwin folded it and returned it with the other to Colonel Fitzgerald, who stowed them bnth in his breast pocket. "Now to business," said Gerald. "I repeat that I &hall sail for New York on the Europa, that goes on Wednesday, oven if I have to take * Bteerage passage, and that you, in the interest of the cause you have adopted, should go with me, if possible, or,' if not, that you should follow me as soon as possible." .Early the next morning, according to arrangement, Colonel Fitzgerald took a " hansom " and drove down to the office of the Cunard line of steamships, when he learnt to his surprise and satisfaction that a family of six persons, who had engaged to go over on the Europa, had been opliged fco postpone their voyage oh account of the sudden illness of one of their, party, and that the head of that family had just- been in the office and had givon up their staterooms in the' first cabin of the Europa. >■ " Then I will engage both at onoe," said Gerald Fitzgerald, with surprise and gratification, as he pulled out his pocket-book and counted down the price that was to secure the double prize. The agent received the money and returned the tickets. Colonel Fitzgerald took them, bowed, hurried from the office, sprang into his cab, and drove rapidly to his lodgings in Hollandstreet. " Well," exclaimed Dr. j Goodwin, as he met the colonel on the iirsb floor landing ; "well, have you secured a berth in the steerage among three hundred emigrant families, babies, piga, and chickens V : "I have, by the strangest stroke of good fortune for us, sectored two fine rooms in the first cabin amidships," replied Colonel Fitzgerald, as he drew off his gloves, threw them to his servant, and entered the parlour. - - "What? In the Europa f" exclaimed fche astonished doctor. "In the Europa^" replied the colonel, throwing himself into an armchair. f c That sails on next ' Wednesday," per-; sued Dr Goodwin. ■ v •'That sails on next Wednesday,, ! answered Colonel Fitzgerald. j ' "Then, w,e must leave" here to-morrow tnorniWg in order to'be'^h;,good,*time,' I .musit immediately go to tn© RbyaJ Cam-, bridge and anfpfcm . Kiss , Fitzgerkld that urgenV'tftidirieya ,caUs as," Instantly home, ;ttW thato $e\, feliVo, %on&Qti r "to-m'orrow t ? I'iYoU can .fcellper. also, tth^e;^ yipw ,0/ her wish ;#7 return home * wjtji ] you, two large' 'state-rooms have be 6n i( engage^^ one of\ which is at the ,servicedf,Mi9s" jFitz^ gewia; y " added Gerald: .;';' -\£ T , ( ,,V t '. The cat> fch;afc had b.roiCch^Colonel^iijz-j gerald from' the dity stiiirsfcooot jbefo^he^ door. ' Th£ L d6cfcor got into-itrfttid ordered the dabnWfc faiiW q>i 9 kiy 'o*jKe , Royal

-Tif less than an -hour -DrvGoodwurTeJ turned,, filtered , the. parlour,, .pub do^wn hia^ hat,' threw hij^elE, into, an .arnvchair, and, exclaimed:, „ \ \, i *,'., „».<.> "Sheas a 'fine, prompt girl,, after all.* She niade no difficulties at all, but gladly and gratefully accepted jny offer." " 1 thought she' would do'; so.' What, further arrangements have you 1 made for Miss Fitzgerald ?"' ' , ' " None. SJlie will give us no trouble at all. Monsieur and Madame^ de La Vallette will take her in their carriage to.Eus'ton, Square, <;o meet us on the nine a. m. express for Liverpool, that, being our train, of course." " Quite right. lam glad fchat her convenience is so well- provided for," said Colonel Fitzgerald, who then left the parlour to attend to the packing of some few articles of vortu that he had, picked up in London. With what feelings did Gerald Fitzgerald look forward to his meeting with Geraldine? With ropugnance— with nothing more nor less than simple repugnance. He looked up6n her as the immediate, though innocent, cause of Gertrude's death. He associated her now with tho great sorrow and remorse of his life. Atter his loss, and while circumstances had compelled him to endure the company of Geraldine, he had scarcely been able to look at her or speak to her with common courtesy. Since their separation on board the Mary Jane, when Goraldine had gone with her friends, the La Vallettes, to tho Royal Cambridge Hotel, and Gerald 'hud joined Dr. Goodwin in Holland-street, he had never seen her, or sought to her. He had even shrunk from the performance of his duty as a gentleman, in rendering her the common courtesy 'of calling at. her hotel to inquire about her health, after the terrible disaster they had suffered together. Yes, he shrank with something like horror from meeting her again.And yot he fell) some piby for her. Heiress and beauty as she waaj Gernldine was really alone 1 in the world. Death had deprived her of all near relatives, and her own temper estranged all true friends,, and banished even her oetrothed husband. Yes, beauty and heiress as she was, Geraldine was unhappy and alone in the world. Gerald, though he shrank from hor with pain and repugnance, yet pitied her,' and did what he could to serve ncr in securing comfortable accommodation for her on the steamer. „ , But now that it was settled' that she would certainly go with Dr. Goodwin and himself, his thoughts became busy with I the problem how— during the ten or twelvedays they must be on board « the same ship — fie should be able to escape from her, ! company and conversation without) seeming rudely arid cruelly to avoid her. ; He decided at length that' he must leaye it all to chance. They arrived at Buston Square next morning in good season, and saw the carriage aud liveried servants of tho French minister. Gerald bowed, and uttered some Commonplaco words of courtesy to Monsieur and Madame La Vallette, who responded to them in kind. Then he turned to Geraldine, and by way of saying something,' said : "I trust that the suddneness of our voyage and the shortness of our notice have not seriously inconvenienced you, Mias Fitzgerald?" "Oh, no. I never permit trifles to incohveniance me. I rather think it upset my maid more than me," replied Geraidine, with a light tone. But her, cheek was pale as marble, and the hand that she carelessly offered to her cousin trembled 1 in his clasp. ' He dropped her hand. He had looked forward to this meeting with her with the greatest repugnance. He had tried to devise means for avoiding, her. He was sure that he had outlived his fatal infatuation for her. And yet— that which he had told his young wife more than a year before he felt to be true on this day — he could not even yet meet Geraldine zvith unshaken nerves. He dropped her hand and burned towards the pretty little French lady, with some gay and graceful compliment that made her laugh and chatter. (joloriel Fitzgerald and Dr. Goodwin then bade farewell to Monsieur and Madame de La Vallette. Dr. Goodwin drow Geraldirie's arm within his own arid led her towards the train, followed by Jubal and Meta with their arms full of Bhawls, bags, umbrellas and other paraphernalia of travel. Colonel Fitzgerald walked on alone. A guard in attendance opened the door. Ther^ were no other passengers init. The guard closed and locked the carriage doors, touched his hat at the window, and withdrew. T^iese arrangements had scarcely been concluded, when the train began to move slowly out of the station, gathering speed every minute, until at length it whirled onward, with amazing velocity, toward its destination. The Europa sailed at eight o'clock on the following morning. Geraldine remained on deck until thoy lost sight of Liverpool, when she retired to her state-room, where she found bhaba port light commanded a full view of one shore of the river. . ' She,remaine,d jn her state-room all day long, appearing in public, only at dinner ana at tea, and then retiring again.' It "would almost seem as if she ; in tended to save Colonel Fitzgerald all embarrassment on her acoount py sedulously avoiding him. , ,- , She was awakened the next morning by two causes ; -the first was the stopping of the motion of 'the steamer > the second was the noise of running' to aud fro, and loud talking overhead. , In some alarm, she rosa hastily, dressed herself, and went up on deck.j " What is the. matter V she demanded i of Dr. Goodwin, who was standing at the I head of the stairs, reaching down his hand to help her up. "Nothing is the, matter. We are at Queenstown," said the doctor. He took her to a spot where Colonel Fitzgerald was standing.' He noticed, as Gerald lifted his, hat .and bade, her goodmorning, .how her, face flushed and paled ; how her frame trembled. , r . f ",Ahl-* jbhoua&b the doctor, "the old charn\ works. I ,wiH give, her .only ten or twelve days of, isolation with Fitzgerald! m this ship to. w r in tiinaback, and bring him to her feet."-. • • • ' , ' , "jHow long BhalLw,e stay here ?" inquired Geraldine, breaking into, his .conversation with hiniselfi, « ' „, ' : „ ",Oh, until the arrival of this day's >inail from London,, , which ..will be. thirty-six hours, later than the, mails we .brought from tM^lj\ ,:-■':•-'•; ..■•..-: i.''. <:'.■; . '/Why; ho,wj ? ia thafs'^ „. , * t . , li^cpme^jftjorpw, 'pquritry > from London tp Holybead, across tjho:lrish sea to Kfn^tolfi r an^i thence down t6 Quoenstown; to., meet i%& "\ steamer atd' , brinat the very latest from Lonai)n*"«aid 'the dootpr. J- : f-iyi-do ,noj;f<£sse .vndepsbandyefc," said f Geraldine^iyit>^ip|^ted>iry^ , : . : * '- " My^dearj $#»• jEUfjfc ;look ;afc your raap. - j Theee latest , lett«^ r papers, and .even pas- ! Uejigers, , pome f call » ihorfc; out itywojfe'^lfwfe fci\cb mtexu Tha

"rotttyM* Bflfc twelve fhoursi fromXondon» and is s caUe^jtbei 1 - jlrieh MaU f - !' , explained Dr^ replied J&eraldine; VI ' ' ' '•■ BM^yr^tMi^s *Fibzgerald ayl\,not ■ know —what ftp one thei'e knew,- or even* sugpeobedrrrWas.bhat Gertrude was Hying ; that Gertrude Was- even then hasbehirig>to the !Eustqn' Square railway statiori, in-JLondon, to. catch ithat.very Irish'..Mait train that was tp bring the latest passengers, and for which ,the Suropa waited. • ' To be Continued.