CHAPTER LXVIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 242, 18 February 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER LXVIII.

GiJKALD AXD GERALPIXE. j There is a wound within him; 'Us a wound That lies too deep for tears : and many a while, While all around him seem to smile. Within his heart of hearts a knoll doth toll. Not of this world. Isaac Willi \ms. Now the scornful lady felt The agonising sense Of seeing loyo from passion melt Into indifference : The fearful shame that day by day Burns onward, still to burnTo have thrown a precious heart awny. Which never will roturn. Milnkb. "I shall win him back to me— yes 1 My Gerald, who was mine, as I was his, from our childhood ; long years before ho ever saw this girl whom he married and lost— this girl, for whom he mourns with a morbid persistency that must end in insanity or death, if ifc continues ! Oh ! tho madnes3 and.the blindness of thatprido and passion which parted us on that fatal night of our quarrel— our last bitter quarrol. But I will win him back again— l will ! He cannot live a single life. He has no lady relative to order his household, to sit at fche head of his table, to do the honours of the old Summib Manor House. So, of course, he must marry. Besides, he is the last Fitzgerald of the Summit, therefore, of a certainty, he id II marry ! And who so lit to be his wife, the mistress of tho house, the lady of the manor, as lam ? In birth, wealth and position we are peers ; in youth, beauty and accomplishments we are well matched. In disposition, tastes and pursuits we are sympathetic. Even in temper we are alike — too much alike — for ho is just as proud, jealous and exacting as people charge me with being. Bub no woman in the world would suit him as I should suit him, and therefore I must win him back. Yes, for his own sake— poor, unhappy Gerald— for his own sake as much as for mine." Such wero the thoughts that kept Geraldine awake for the greatest part of the night She had just fallen into the deep sleep of weariness, when she was awakened by the Tesounding raps of the porter who had been charged with the duty of calling the travellers in time for the early train. Geraldine opened her eyes, collected her scattered senses, and rang for her own maid. Meta answered the summons, and Miss Fitzgerald arose and commenced her travelling toilet. When she was ready she passed out into the sitting-room, where their breakfast table was already laid, and where Colonel Fitzgerald and Dr. Goodwin awaited her. Dr. Goodwin, with the stately courtesy of the olden time, advanced with a bow, led her into the room, and placed her in the easiest chair. Colonel Fitzgerald bado her good morning* and then rang for the breakfast to be brought in. One of Geraldine's greatest trials at this time was the unfailing politeness of Gerald's demeanour towards her— a politeness as provokingly free from coldness as it was from warmth. "If he were only coldly courteous to me, 1 should think that he cherished some resentment ngainst me for having discarded him once too often on that fatal night. But it would seem by his manner that he even thanks me for that night's work in setting him free from his engagement. 1 1 know that when he took me at my word, left me, and married that low-born girl, his whole action was inspired by rage against me — not love for her. Yet he seems to have loved her afterwards. Yes, to have loved her much more than ho ever loved me. For he mourns her deeply- By what charm, I do wonder, did that poor, simple, humble child win the whole heart of the handsome, haughty Fitzgerald ? By what magic spell does she, tho dead, hold him, the living, bound to her in everlasting bonds that he does not even wish to break ? To break ? No ! It would seem that he rather looks forward to riveting those bonds in another life, than to loosening them in this. To think that this humble and despised bride, who gave herself away to him at his first word, .should ha-ve become the adored wife, for whose death he mourns as man never mourned yet ! It is wonderful— most wonderful ! I am sure he does nob even dream of ever marrying again. He does not think of it enough even to resolve never to do it. But he must many, for all that, and he must marry me." While Geraldine's mind was absorbed by these thoughts her face grew so care-worn and haggard that Dr. Goodwin, silently contemplating it, and knowing all her past relations with Gerald, easily read her thoughts, felt moved with compassion for her, and resolved to do all thai in him lay to re-unite her to her old lover, so that they might marry when the proper time should come. Meanwhile the waiter brought in the breakfast, arranged it on the table, and announced that the carriages were at the door. Colonel Fitzgerald consulted his watch, and eaid : " We have bub fifteen minutes for breakfast, and must then drive fast to reach our tiain in time." Dr. Goodwin placed a chair for Geraldine and led her to the table. Immediately after- breakfast, the travellers left the hotel foi; the railway station — the two gentlemen and the young lady going in one carriage, and the two servants, with the luggage, in the other. They reached the station only in time to secure good seats on the train — Miss Fitzgerald with her maid, Meta, and her escort, Dr. Goodwin, on the " Ladies' Car," and Colonel Fitzgerald, with his man, Jubal, on another car. This arrangement was so disappoirftifig and provoking to Geraldine that she could nob forbear finding fault with it to Dr. Goodwin. " Why cannot our whole party travel tof ether ? It is not so large that it need be ivided," she said. " Well, my dear/ you know that this is the Ladies' Car, and none but ladies and their attendants are allowed in it," answered the good doctor. "Oh ! and Colonel Fitzgerald does nob consider himself as one of my attendants," sajd Geraldine, bitterly. /'.My dear young lady, you yourself appointed me as your solo escort ; therefore, oLcouree, the .colonel does nob assume the hqnour and privileges attached to _thab»' office," said Dr. / Goodwin, soothingly, {' Jf <i- does not tcish to asbumelhem," Paid GeraMhie to herself, in great bitter ncsa of spirit But the train" was starting, and "the noise atbepding the -movement,' stopped all con* vei^ajbion f or, the Lime. Geraldine .fell intp a deep reverie over Jber,, one ' idea/l the^one, ruling,, desire of, *art— to be re-united with' GeralcK

. _ - £—, - "When I reach home," she said to hefself, " I will tako Father Dubarry into my counsels. He has great influence over Gerald Fitzgerald, and he cannot now refuse to use it in my service. The girl who stood between us is dead, and it is in the interest of the Church, as well as of Gerald and myself, that wo should bo married. Long betrothed as wo were until this girl divided us ; suited to each other as wo aro in every respect of birth, wealth, age, religion ; of the same grand old historical stock, and our great landed estates joining— it is the most obvious fact in the world that we must marry. Fathor Dubarry must see that as I sco it, and must work with me to that end. The girl whose existence was his stumbling-block is gone, and now his path and mine are clear. The girl is gone, and it really seems like a judgment on her for her presumption in accepting Colonel Fitzgerald that she should so soon after have ! met with such a horrible death ; for if she : had not been so daring; ns to become his wife, she would not havo been with him on the Mossenger that awful night at sea. I It seems to me quite plain that her dreadful doom was a retribution for her audacious! imprudence in taking a gentleman at his word whon in a moment of moial insanity ho offered to marry her. But now she is dead ; the barrier between Gerald and myself thrown down ; the stumbling stone in tho path of the priest rolled away, aid he must help me to biing about a full and complete reconcilation with Gerald. And, whether ho does or not," she mentally added, " I will have my beloved again, if the price is my poul !" Dr. Goodwin did nob break in upon her reverie j lie partly road her thoughts, that they were of Gerald and of re-union with him, and ho steadfastly resolved to do all in his power to aid her : for he said, as he glanced nt her pale, worn face t i " However Fitzgerald may mourn for his angel wife, he must marry again, all the j same. He is the last of his hoa^e, and he j is childless. He must marry again, and since he must marry again, he must marry GoraJdine, his old sweetheart. None so fit for him as she is, in all worllly circumstances. What is of more importance than that, she loves him. And what is the most important of oil, she is a chained woman since her trials," added the sonewhat mistaken doctor. Meanwhile the train whirled on its headlong course southward, They saw no more of Colonel Fitzgerald until the train stopped at Wilmington for refreshments, when the colonel entered the ladies' car, followed by Jubal, bearing a large tray laden with an excellent lunch of oysters, ham, tongue, chicken,- pastry and coffee. I He turned over and reversed the seat juet in front of Dr. Goodwin an<| Geraldine, and then eat down facing the doctor, saying : 11 We must make a table of o«r knees, sir, to receive the luncheon tray, and must not loiter over our repast. ' Twecty minutes for refreshments.' Miss Fitzgerald, what shall I help you to ?" he inquire!, as Jubal set down tho tray between hm and Dr. Goodwin. , 11 Oysters, if you please," sh* answered, only because she was obliged tf say something, and not because she had tiny choice, for she was too heart-sick to pc hungry, much less to care how bungei should be satisfied. , Dr. however, had t a fine appetite, and made the best use of bis twenty minutea' grace to appropriate a very generous portion of the edibles before him. When the meal was over, they h;ul hardly time to send out the tray of piled dishes and broken victuals before the whistle shrieked ard the train was off again. Gerald arose and bowed, and retired to the car, where his seat had been taken. The good doctor endeavored to keep awake to entertain Geraldino, but finding that she continued to be abstracted ana taciturn, and to answer him only by monosyllables, often spoken at random, he ceased to trouble her, and he gradually succumbed to d/owsiness, closed his eyes, and slept the sweet, infantile Bleep of innocence tnd repletion. Geraldine had leisure to relapse into her reverie, over her "one idea" — nor "master passion." She saw no more of Gerald until they arrived at the depot in Washington. Then he 'met them on the platform and put the question in a general way, ''Shall we go directly onto Virginia, by the night-coach, or shall we remain in Washington and rest until morning 1" " Oh, on to Virginia by the night-cqach !" hurriedly answered Geraldine, who thought in her secret heart that in the stage-coach, at least, she would have Gerald's company for two days and nights. Since the only lady of tho party had tie dared for going on, no one else raised the least objection. "Then we must take a carriage to ' Fuller's ' direct, where we shall just have time to get our supper before taking the stage-coach,'' he said. "Quite right; wo will do so," assented Dr Goodwin. Jubal was despatched in haste to engage two carriages for tho party, who followed at their leisure to the sidewalk, where, when they arrived, they found the vehicles awaiting them. Dr. Goodwin, Colonel Fitzgerald, and Miss Fitzgerald took one carriage, and left two servents to get the luggage and come after them with the other. When they arrived at Fuller's, Colonel Fitzgerald's first case was to book three inside and two outside places for his party. Dr. Goodwin meanwhile engaged rooms and ordered supper. - Our party then separated and retired to their chambers, to refresh their toilets. After supper 'they took their places in the stage-coach f to start on their rough night journey to West Virginia. But again Geraldine was disappointed. She did not travel inimmediate companionship with Gerald. Colonel Fitzgerald mounted to the top of the coach with his man, Jubal, and left the three inside places to tho old doctor, the younh lady, and her maid. " It will be a bitter cold night. I wonder Gerald prefers to ride on top of the coach," she observed, in discontented tone to Dr. Goodwin. i "My deav young' lady, Fitzgerald fells me tlmt he could get but three places inside the coach ; the others are engaged by members of Congress returning home to Virginia after the adjournment, which took ; place, you know, on the fourth." I " Well, but , three places. YoiVand I fill two* Could not 'Gerald occupy the third V*' "My dear, you ,said 'just now that this would be a bitter 'cold' night. So .ifc will. The wind is blowing" \ great gun/3 ' now," and is rising, Gerald is an old campaigner, and can kee.p,his exposed position .on the top of the coach much better tjhah poor little Mela could." ■ \ t : t . ',-■„ „ ,. t ;, t ,, Geraldjnjßjsltfugged^lier shoulders .with a gesture. of; disgusts. She, made no, reply'' toDr. Goodwin,. but to>e^self she sai4:'« / • " Gerald seizes every, opportunity tp avoidme. What doe? .thfttxproyb ?, That, he dislikes my society?,^Not,, at alL.!.^lt,, s only .proves tjmt he dikes <4t ,too.much fo^ ( the. peace of his ojv^cqnsoiepce.; ,that < adores the xneiso¥y.,ao4 jao^rpflf t^e,loss .of;, his young wife with morbid intensity aha

persietcnce, he finds it necessdry, in order to preserve his fidelity to her, to avoid the sight of me, his once betrothed bride ! But I will win him yet I I .will win him from his morbid worship of a memory, from his sorrow, and his remorse, and I will restoro him to himself, to his friends, and to his country," she said, as she wrapped her fur cloak -around her and settled herself back in her seat. ' , The stage-coach went on its rounds, collecting its passengers, until every inside seat was filled, and then it took its way cowards the long bridge crossing the Potamac to Virginia. Dr. Goodwin, ns was his comfortable custom after meals, when travelling, fell into a sound sleep, and virtually left Geraldine alone in the crowded stage-coach ; for she knew no one there except her own maid Meta, who, like the doctor, had already gone far into " the land of Nod." Tho other passengers — all men — talked together of the last important bill that had been up before the House, of Henry Clay's great speech in favour of it, of the nextautumn's elections, and other dry political matteip. Geraldine heard without heeding them. Her whole mind was absorbed by thoughts of Gerald and plans for his recapture. By the time the coach reached Alexandria, which was the first stage of that journey, the wind was blowing a gale. After leaving Alexandria, gradually ono after the other of the talking politicians dropped out of the discussion and into sleep, until at length all slumbered. As for the Rev. Dr. Goodwin and tho girl Meta, their sleep had lasted from the moment they had left Washington, and waß scarcely even disturbed by the brief stoppage to change tho horses at Alexandria. Geraldine alone remained awake ; but she sat still and silent, with closed eyes, brooding over her ono idea. At length sleep overcame even her, and she slumbered with tho rest. Ateirible wind-storm followed, beating and shaking the old stage-coach ub if it would havo blown it over and laid it prostrate. But the effect upon the inside passengers was only to rock them into a deeper sleep. As for the outside passengers, they did not dare to slumber, lest they should break their necks. Not only had they to keep their eyes wide open, Jwt they had to keep every sense on the alert to maintain their places on the top of the coach. In this way they kept their positions until sunrise, when tho coach reached tho picturesque village of Drainsville, which is situated in a green vale, surrounded on all sides by undulating green hills, as fresh now in March as they would be in June. Here the coach stopped for tho passengers to havo breakfast, and to change horses. The sleepy passengers in the inside awoke half refreshed, half cramped. Colonel Fitzgerald and his servant got down from their roost on the top, and presented themselves at the door — Colonel Fitzgerald to hand Geraldino out, and Jubal to take charge of bags, umbrellas, shawls, and so forth. Here, all who desired to do so had an opportunity of making their toilets before breakfast — an excellent breakfast, by the way, of trout, venison, ham and chicken, home-made bread and cakes, coffee, tea, rich cream, fresh butter and new-laid «ggs. After breakfast the passengers resumed their places in the stage coach in the order in which they had left them. The politicians recommenced their tiresome discussion, and even drew Dr. Goodwin into it. Meta stared out of the window beside her, bent on seeing all that could be seen on the journey. Geraldine closed her eyes to shut out the world, and delivered herself up to the contemplation of her future life with Gerald Fitzgerald. The wind, which had lowered at sunrise, as if bowing before the majesty of morning, now sprang up* again, and blew a gale from the north-west that so increased in violence, while tho stage-coach gradually ascended the first rise of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as to endanger the lives of the passengers. But the coach went on as it always went, through all weathers, until it descended the last down of the hills and about noon it reached Winchester, the City of the Valley, where it stopped for its passengers to take dinner. Here the Congressmen loft the party, to attend a grand political meeting and " barbecue," to bo held in that neighbourhood. No new passengers joined the travellers, so that, when, after an hour's rest and a change of horses, our coach was ready to resume its journey, Dr. Goodwin, Miss Fitzgerald, and her maid were found to be tho only occupants for the inside. "Oh, surely now," thought Geraldine, as Dr. Goodwin handed her in her place on the back cushions, ''surely, now, Gerald will join us inside, where there is such ample room — six empty places ! If he docs not, then I shall know, for a certainty, that it is from want of inclination, not for want of opportunity." But Colonel Fitzgerald only stood, hat in hand, until she was seated, and then climbed to his seat on the top of the coach. Dr. Goodwin entered and took his place beside Geraldine,and the horn blew and the horses started. Geraldine, wounded to the soul by such evident avoidance of her on the part of Gerald, made no comment to her companions, but thought bitterly within herself: "He purposely keeps out of my way. It is hard, it is humiliating. And yet I know he avoids me because he dares not trust himself with me, lest his fidelity to that dead girl should be shaken. Oh ! what was the secret of the power that simple, humble country maiden had over the heart of this proud man, that living, fehc had his love, and that dead, she holds his adoration ? She was a low-born fsrry-girl. Ho married her in a momenu of insanity to revenge himself upon me, whom he loved and worshipped, and with whom he was for that moment furiously angry. He married hor in wrath, and not in love. And everyone predicted thatas]soon as he came to his senses he would despise her for taking advantage of his insane ofler, and hale her for being the obstacle to his reconciliation and marriage with mo. But nothing of the &ort happened. She, the. simplo, humble country girl, so won the, heart of this haughty, man, as to make himifovget his first love—forget mis ! w.on.his whole heart that he loved and honoured he.r , Jiving, , ancl adores and worships her .dead. Now, ; though a young and childless widower » and, the -last of an .old line,-, hej will not think of, ( anothor - marriage, \yjll not eveji Ippjc upon , another ; woman. OJU ;what { was thojinagic spell-by ■which thiBsertrud<?,,ZmHo, won Fitzgerald., , ondtifeM, stfljl holds, hiua? But I will haye t Kirn yet I jcXes, so surely as we both shall ilive, I w,ill haye-m$ old .betrothed to >Btand • /vn&k mq'.pefoxid :th# piarringe, altar ! ; J will jsq,,, because. I ,wJLll..pay. t doiyrn the }driqe,;. 4 VfhateY t es>it,W be, M Whbs(ie^ i pr^eja,tji,aii}S; ( the end. . Therein ig, Hnes Iseci;ft 1 seci;ftt t of ( Bup9eBft; 1 , ,)Grey/ildHFitzg^eral|[ I , will have for my bridegroom, because Twill |

pay the price, even though the price should be my soul's salvation ! I nave sworn it!" On this resolution, and the confidence inspired by it, Geraldine rested for some time. Will sho have the desire of her heart? Will she win Gerald Fitzgerald for her bridegroom, as she has sworn to do ? Perhaps sho wiU. And what will be the price ? - . Something, it may be, that Miss Fitzgorald values far more than even the salvation of her soul. Time, that tries all t.hings, will show. In the meanwhile, Gerald Fitzgerald has a heart single to the memory of his littlo dove-eyed Gertrude. The only other woman ho thinks of is that wretched, wandering lunatic, who claims to possess an important secret, which ho is hastening to hear from her dying lips. Of her he often thinks much.