CHAPTER LXXXIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 254, 11 April 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

THE *»TORY OI V rVKIAH. Deadly fear can time outu;o And blanch at once the luur : Hard toil can rou^hon torm and lace, And wa it cm quench the eyes bright grace : Nor does old a.,0 a u nnklo trace More deeply than desp ur. Happy whom none o. thes, 1 befall. 13 tit this poor wanderer Knew mem nil. ctu \V vi-ri'K Scorr "'Arthur Lloyd FtTA.nivxn i' Groat Heaven '. Can this be possible".'" muttered Colonel Fitzgerald. a-, with suspended breath and in a state ol almost stupefaction, | he gazed upon the d > ing man wli had just made tins incredible utinouaeemcnt. "Gi\o me that cordial, so 1 may have rensrth to tell sou mv s r oiy while time serves. ' said the latter m a taint voice. Colonel Fit/gei aid tilled a small jjlass with spiced biandy, and admin l-teied it tv the patient, who, h nmj; diunk it, re\i\ed, and continued his statement, -a\ ing : '"Ye", Auhur Lloyd L'n/geiald, the one black slieep in the snow} tlock- the one spot on the spotless scuteiieu.i — the one stain on the stainless, plume or Fit/gerald — the prodigal child come home, not to be feasted with the tatted calt, but to be s.aiu for his sins. ' The sinking man paused in weiuness Colonel Fitzgeiald took hi- hand and pres-ed tkmdu, but sad nothing, toi indeed there was nothing to be >aul. Arthui Fit 'ge; aid le-umed "1 ira changed, no le ? - In yeau- than by sutienng. vet 1 know 1 can bo ea-ily identified, as it it- neee— aiy tint 1 -hould be. Hetty, nn ancient nurse, and Hamu bal, once nn gioom. will both know tht face they loved so well, alteted as it i-, for that ot their sometime ' Younu Master Arthur. Hett», moieo\er. will know me by the scar ot a bum on my toot, whuh he d ressed until it wa-cuied, and Hannibal by the *hip th it I sketelied dnd compelled him to tatoo in blue ink upon nn wn-t. But their te-timony, though it might satisfy you and otheis, would be no leg il e\idence. ' '• M\ deal Aithui. -ail t-eiald Fit/ gerald, kindly, gmng hun hi- tiuc name, as though it weie a <_n-tomai\ Ai.t "my dear Artlnu. Iha\e no doubt a- to your identity, and no w i-n to di-pute it Indeed, cn eum-tanee- that ha\e come tv my knowledge eoi > oboiare \ our -tatunenr, and m ike it most agiteable to ny, techni:to accept u a- ttuth. >>e\enhele— , legal evidence of \om identity l- m )-t desirable: lot, a- \ou oi it,.dl) Aitlmi Lloyd Fit/i>eiald, the only sur\i\mg son of my tathu'- eldei brothei, it tollow- ihat you aie the only lawlul lieu 1 ot the old Summit Manoi, now hdd by me."' "lam not likely to deprive you ot it, Gerald. ' said the dyina: man, with a gentle smile. '• But you may ha\e hen- whom we mu-t *cc righted. ' lephed Fit/gerald. "Only 'one pooi one. One ' -ole daughter of nij house.' '' And she ' an\iou-ly exclaimed GeiaM. '• Is }oav w ife — Ueitiude. \ e-. Geiaid, though yon aie not the nghtful lit.ii ot the Summit Mcinot. >ou have uikoii-cioi'-In done the \ei\ wi-e-t thing nndei the en cumstances r hat tiie mo-t woil<ll\ w l-e triend would lia\e coun-elltil \uu t') (io. You ha\e mained it- c!e h-'iie-- I>o 1 surprise you, GeiaM ' " not much. " What .' ' "1 say that \oa do not siupii-L" me much, for while J -till knew \ou only aLackland, circum-t inces etine Co the knowledge ot Ui. Goolwin and m\ -eh that led to an in\ e-tigation. v* huh iL-ultevl 1.1 the certain comielion that oui htrle tiea-me tro\e. Geitiudc. thed uiir'uei ot Adam Lackland and hi- wire, Maudala Haddon ; but I ne\Li iia'.l a su-picion liiat \i-iii n inw was othei tna;i \ou mm. i r out to bu , certainly I ne\Li, in th leuiot' -t d-_'_ r tee, connee ed it with tiuit o r tn i . ).) u :ni-- r i)_ Arthiu Llo\ d Fitz^eiald. m\ own mate-t relative. '• Ko ; „md \t j l, Geiald. it w.i- that \c\ ot kiii-lnp on m\ pail that iiie-ted my -tcp? at !■ vi t T. hoi, and L.i-i-ed tue tv leave in} Mini divl a Mi'e with vuu. In fflatoneoi m\ own ia<e, and -<i^h a <im'a\ou. Geiaul, wa- a- lelie-.nni: to nn uani-hed. . oiiib -lck -oul i-a-p i.^uttie-'i *acei i= to tiiu tin st., tiavci.d in tht de^et t." ■ Yet yoa nevei made joui?eli knoui to me. Ai tain. '* Win 1 did not. yon -ha 1 know lat^i I wish now to -[j<3ak oi in) daughtei, bu he%ed for -ev nt''t.Mi }Uh to bt numbticd with the dead, and only within the la-t thirteen months di-co^ued to be living in the pci-jn ot >oiu w ite. (Jciald, m that poor, namele-- child you took to wife, veil uiicon-aou-lj m.aueU t.iy wc.il'Jne-t .icitr--in all the houth. For h^fiii Geitiude. Fitzgeial'i, btj-ide-. being m \iu.ht of het father heuea- oi tho summit Manoi 1-, m right of her mothei. heues- ot the Mutmtiin Manor and of oil other niiiioi- now held by Mi-- Geialdine Fit/ueiald. and vi Hill Top Hall, held b\ Mi- Ma\una Rowley, ond la^tl\,in light ot hei <rianrlf ither, of HaddonV Feny, wliieii, when the new lailroad e-tabh-he- a depot tlieie, and founds a town, will be a mammoth foittme of itself. You did not expect thi- when you manied the humble tciiy girl, did you, Gerald?"' inquned the dying man, a& a wan smile lighted up his [jalhd iace. "No, Arthur, of course not. I never thought of such a contingency : and, to tell you the truth, I do not think much of it now. As for my vvitc, thedeep sorrow with which I mourned her suppo-ed 10-s for the last twelve month-, and the joy I feel in her recoveiy, have taught me tin- — that is more to me than all the wealth and gloiy of the world. No riches, no honour, can add to Gertrudes woith. As to myself, had another and not Gei trude inherited all thi3 good fortune, and -tiipped me of my manors, why, I -till have my commi—ion and military career befoie me, and J would have taken my wife to a frontier ioit, or camp, or field — wheiever duty called— and have been a^ happy with her llieie a- in the hallo of the Summi; Manor. For J should take her with me where%er I might be called to go. Nothing but death -hall ever snatch her from me, even if death '-hall be permitted to do it. "It fills me with joy and with sorrow to hear you say all this, Gerald — with joy that you have found in my child htich a peai 1 of price, and with .sorrow that, in all thee eighteen years of her life, I have never known her, except for the few days we spent together on the ill-fated Zanzibar. ' aaid the dying man, with a wan hmile and a faint sigh. " And yet you never made yourself known to her on the fohip, ' .said Colonel Fitzgerald. *' Why I did not you shall know later, if there be time to tell you. The mo 4 important things must be »aid first, for I have much to say, and ufteiwaid J want my daughter to come to me and remain with c to the lafet. "

" My dear Arthur, I have told you that while still knowing you only by the name of Lackland, 1 had riU-coveied the .secret relationship you boar to (Jortiudo. So, soon aftor wo brought, you, wounded, to the house, 1 willingly yielded to her earnest desire and led her to your bedside, where bhc lias been your eon-tant attendant, by day and night, tinough all your fevei and | delirium." <l lle.wen blc-s hei ' BuL does she I noii' ' "She does not > et. To ha\e t.old her would have disturbed her >o much ;us to have unlit ted her tor her duties as nm-e. where eaimne-s and selt-pos>-ossiou are^o neees-arv No, »^he ///o' 1^ noilnnu . but she 1 /■(,/«,— something, toi she ha-do\oted herself to >ou with all a daughter .s lownu duty." " Heaven bless her ! " She i? ab-ent trom your bed-ido now only because \ou sent lor me to a pin ate mteiwew. ' j '" Yes, I understand: and u lieu this , lntemew shall be o\er, Cerald, ,\ou w ill toll hoi who lam M\d who >>//' 1-. and .send her i tome, to sta\ with me nil the last '' " Must wilhnuh , Ait Inn." "And. (.iciald, without fuithei 10-.~ ot time, \ou should -end Joi three \ho will be j able to nleutit\ me, dnd w ho-e le-timoin j ill be leijal evulenee -tiist, .Mis- Maxima Ro\vle\ , who will leeollert me, because hate ha* a uood momon, anil -lie hat id n,e toi a wild, lebelboiis. unmanaoe ible bo\ ulio-ebad esamnle, she always sud. had been the iam ol hei nephew, I'atuck Fit/ I'oiald . old lUnjamin Howei-. w lio will alwa\- lemembet tm as hi- ta\ount< \ i^.iboiul ooinp iniou • and li-ily, Ko\al Cieen leaf, wh.i w.i- ni\ -chouhna 1 c, and who ah\a\s hoi-ted t >at ho no\ei toi^ot. m cou'ni nor toi ;Lt, a human taio lh.it lit had e\ei soon Nad a ( niu tor the-e thee pel son-, in', lid, n \on wi-h to hi\e nil ideutivd. anil tie mheiilaine ot m\ ilau_r!iit') s i uted (. oloiit 1 l'l' uei dd noddo I 4ia\o'\,an. lott 'in loom io do thi- c i, mil. lie oideud .Imvil t' l -add'e thoia te-t or tintwo i,u iki .o Ihh-.'- thu liipp. ued to bo m the -la.-le. and to m ike hun-olt ieut\ tor a lapul tide While me ma'i \\,ieaminuout tln-eoulii-, ihomaMU wio'e thiee ui^vMit note-, and in ton mote minute- the me— en_;'_i wa-lUm'4 o*ci iho turnpike toad on lv- eiiand ,h loi lite oi death. Colonel Fit/jtiald letuined to the bedside ot his cousin "■m me a ii'lie moie iv the -iimu lant, (.etald. and let me •j.n on with m\ inti u upti d sun \. Colonel I u/m'iald adnu:u-li led a ti w sp'Hiim.N cv !'< 1 1 iiuee anda halt aw i m ul.itul ot -pi( e>i i)i.md\ , and then i< -nine I !ni at bv .in -lii in Im> p.n '.. lit. " i dale -a\. now. deia'd. tliat \cit ha\» ne\oi head .i l;ooi! ui'i I spoken ot nn i-i .dl >om lite, -.ud the 1 itlei "On th Lonliii\, Aithui, a- Adam Lackland Lneui lieaid an\ ihinj; but aovd w uid- spoken ot \ on. " liut as Ai thm Llo\d I'lt/^eialtf "Inevei heaid .in ill woid -pol.en oi mhi b\ rhat name, kmdh icphed (. oloiu 1 Tit/uerald ; but he Uid not think it n< . t —ai\ to e\[)lam that the name ot the " hl,i< k -lie* p \\a- tabooed amonu hi- ie!ati\e- "■ Ho Null kiunv what the iinne wathat matk me in outcast Hum in 1 ;uinl\. m\ eountiv, and ni\ name ' l'upmed the eldei L"it/2f'-iald, with .\n \n \pu -sibli moan ot di-tie--, and a look of in < n in \iet\ on In* pallid i, u c. ' I know what sou duaiiud oi d,iiii'_. but it l- a hill -'i w,m d to i all t li.v a i i >iv u hn h wa- bin the \« ud tieak o! a i onun: k bo\ , who -lioiild liasc- bee.i iln< k> d bv i tm.oK ii-ti.iint. aui In iiuin-i I, not ju o-l( lit- 1 1 Uk'i .1 \ ilidlt I l\ . se\eut\ th.U came out ot onli i ami iliei pi me. l)iu t on Id on! \ ha\ o piu. • • <k d iiom theba-t-sr ( viw auiie*- and th' 1 Mio-t ,ib]i<! teiiot on the pait ot \oui pu-ceutoi- - ud Colonel I'li/'jei, dd. caiii> > -t!\ " ( ii\c nit \oui lianci. ('Lia'l \on ait the tv ~t ii it_'ul wlu ha- u\ ci dune me notice m this iciiilde bu-no-s lllimii nle-s\ouroi it' n,ui UiiiM d the eld- i lit/ ueiahl with much emotion "But \on ,iv Him h nustaki a, \iiiiui. 1!) -Upp')-lll^ t'l.lt Uo 0,, i h i- du'ie >OU piLice I ha\e he.id t'nat the tuc-- o' tae umiiti\ deh nil' d \ou d the inn i >m'ii< 'iti.i'i - \ei cl , o i tie .ictiou or tin i mil Oil t h e othci lurid i « t i l "u 1 1 v t ] u-t i< c so m- to ' a\e o\ei taken till th< olhi i-who sat t her , and dt nion-iiated the < i a, i ,i.] : - ke o. t'lcii -tnteiie'. '.\ei\ cm- ot lin.u, | in ,i -Li.iM^-. J,iti,it\, hi- }) I l-hi'd b\ a -Liddi u and \ 'olcnt death '' Ye- ' llili; i.iul l'i-l eidt l llt/jeiald ' Oiie .'ell m a due 1 tv o w ci"c 10-l ,it -< i , olle \\. - -r.toi.ed IP a _.t ill >I • '1 _i hull i b'aul : one \\ a- di owned while liitinnu : on ■ pt'ii-hed in a Iniinur/ hoii- . ,u\ i ou» i Ii 11 h\ ih» hand ot a w loured woman. \ black death b-i. dei.dd ' " c- , but let ..'- ihink no mi.i > i<i it Ait mi Tell i,n lathei wh\ \ou m\< i let unit '1 to \ uui hoim to -, tl. a i< i out ibu iiv»n m ith \oui lat h< i . " 1 mu-t tt 11 )on tlk w hole -to, \ . < ■ i .dd Ih.iv'j aln id\ toldjou that, ii> tlic oul\ -on ot in) ,'aLiH i I '.Mew ii[» a -pviil<<!. w,t\ waid, uninaiia'_ r oal)le no\ M) vi' ttt-t mi-toitune. liouevei. u,i- thu ios- ot up lndul'_( nt niotln l , win n J ua- abo:i( loiuteeii \eai- or a^e Attt l th it, m\ tatlui, .ihs.i\- a -t',in man, a- liio phia-e '_T(jc1 tuok me in hand ' to -übjeet nit to a eoui-eot di-eiplme, not at .ill tv m > ta-te. and to ahuli J n,h not inclined to -übmi! . The end ot ii wa- that tnc eontio\<i-\ between u- \va- eompiomi-e.d b} lus -ending me to the Xa\al Academy. 11< ft home then, and that wa- thnty je.u - n^o, (ieiald. and J have nevct -et toot m the Summit Manoi House- -nice " \nd you the heir ! -aid Colonel Fjt/gerald, sadly. " u>, and 1 its heii — it- c\patt iated lieir ' Vmi wuiu too jonng to le-nninbei that depaituio, d'erdd! "^'ou could not, ha\e boon moie than two jeai- old, yd 1 lemember you perfectly."' Colonel .Fit/^eiald hhook his head and smiled. "Well, (ieiald, I parked four >cais at the Naval Academy, but was rievei peunitted to come home for the holidays, noi, indeed, had f any desiic to do At the end ot the fourth year, I ijr.uiuatud creditably, anrt was appointed midshipman on boaid the United States innate J^e\iathan, Captain Clyde -MeKuulrie, bound to the we-t coast of Afiica. It was dm ing this, my lii.st voyage, that I became the .subject of a species of insanity that can only find itpaiallel in the fictitious histoiy ot Don Quixote, an insanity, too, -o powerful and contagious that i infected some ol my cumtades with it. To explain: Fiom my childhood up J had been an aident leader, or, lathei, a lavenou.s de\omoi ot a ceitain mental poison, vciy dangerous, often fatal to the morals of the young: theli\e^ and adventures ot notorious pnate- and buccaneeifc, brigands and outlaws. These had for me the most absorbing intciest, the most potent fascination, and, ah ! the most fatal influence ! Do you uuderstand me, ( lei aid?" "in a measure, I do ; for J know a case in point. Jt is well proved that Schiller's wonderful play of the Robbers, so enchanted and demoralised the- youth of Germany, for a whole generation, that many a young man of noble bit th and gentle blood longed to lca\c society and ' Would bo a robbor bold ' And dwell in a dreary wood

8o thai- if war had not broken out and given the young heroes a legitimate) out et for their j boiling blood, no one can toll what elrfe might have happened," added Colonel Fitzgerald, with a pcculijir .smile. "Then, Herald, you can comprehend tho deadly spell such j-tudio* worked upon my boyish mind during the long \oyago of tho " Le\ iathan.' 1 " Yes, with your peculiar temperament and tunning.'' " L read and dreamed and brooded until 1 \\a» mad as (he Kni<_dit ot the Ructiil Countenance hiiii.self. i longed foi a lite ot wild adventure, ot dashing exploits. 1 lonueil to be the captain ol a pirate ship tli.it should Ik come Iheteiror ot tho sea. I buined to be known a.s the ' tumble,' tho k invmeible ' so and so." "Box, i^h ('i wins," murmured Herald Fil/gcrald. " Ye«, boyish dream 6 -, but sci to what they led to what, a homblo awakeuin,!; they led ' 'L'he glamoui ol imagination with vs lueh I h,sd in\e-ted t-h( diabolu-il such a n.Uiie anil i une dazzled and blinded me to tho cost ot ei ime and o\ blood lor which it, must be pmch.ised. 1 nc\ or once thouyhtot that —no, not lleixen knows did 1 on ci think soiioiisl^ ut sm-li an utteily impossible enteipiise <is tin t lkiny nt the t;ie.it man o'-\\ n Leviathan and eonvoi tin i _! her liito that Seoul ne oi llie Sea, \\\c pn.it>> ship <tf ui> th ea ins. c( , m>v ci t Ik>1( -~, 'nut ot the .round, nice ot the heaii the mouth speaketh.' 1 could not ieiil. drcun. Inood tot evei without -nuu tune I'Utinu ni) tongue i n ii JUt-hlt-. uuhappdv toi me. the i.ipt.iiu .mil li' ui en, mi! s ol the ship \\cie, v\i(h om t \c ( pitou, t \ceo<liiivl\ unpopul u vvithtl" 1 i; , \\ and tin \ kne \ l! I had hi ud -oiik low ■_•,! iiml'liii 1 :. like nuiUouiiLL ihundii p'Oi'cduiu ,u -loiin, and I laid it io In. aiti t