CHAPTER II. SPIRITED AWAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 276, 27 June 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER 11. SPIRITED AWAY.

Tjimu (.u tlic chiving sleet and rain a closed carnage Hew like the wind from the Roniney station ; within it sat a couple of London medical men of great celebrity and the young Earl of Strathspey, his face as white a-, float h, his hand.-- clenched, hi\W) t'joth .-et m the agony of his s.uspen-e and impatience. The daikne-3 w,t« impenetrable, the storm -strong and furious, and once or twice in rough places the driver slackened hi? -peed. The earl started to his feet like a madman. ■ Faster, fa.-tci, Thompson ; for Heaven** -tike, dine faster !' lie -houted. ' The hojses are at their utmost, my lord," returned the drivei ; 'we -hull leach the Towei n in ten minutes now.' Ten age- it teemed to the tortured bib band, but at last the} drew up before the 51 eat ,'iiched gateway, witii the glim old ea.-tle looming up in the daiknes?. The eatl sprang out, and the doctor.- followed him. 'Come,' he -aid, lioar-ely, ' tncie may nol be a moment to 10-e. ' The old building wa- as silent a- a tomb, and ahno-t a- daik, but for that glimmeiing light in the crimson state-chamber wheie the counter lay. The -toim was howling amid the turrets, and the mastiil- still howled dolefulh from their kennels, and a great owl, hidden -omewhcie amid the i\ie-, hooted a dismal accompaniment. Loid Htraths-pej paused on the steps, thiilied with oiipetstitious terror. ' Oh, Heaven !' he uttered, ' I dare not entei.' At that instant the gieat carved door swung open, letting out a Hood of blinding light and the hum of happy voices ; and simultaneously from all the surrounding steeples, clashed a joyous chime oi bells. 'Angus, mv boy,' o ied Doctor Renfrew, rushing down to meet him, ' 'tis all over — your ton i*; horn, and your daughtei, too !' ' And my wife '!' questioned the carl, just above his breath. ' Will lhe, through Heaven's meicy,' leplied the doctor. ' Thank Heaven,' murmured Lord Strath--pev, a- he removed hin hat and stood uncoveicd in the stormy midnight, listening to the bell-, that lang in honour of the birth of his babes. At that moment, a black, .shadowy figure 10-e up at his side. J ' Lord Stiathspey,' spoke a voice in his-. * ear, ' your heir it> born, and this is his horoscope. ' 'Horoscope?' echoed the eat 3, as a folded paper was thruofc into his hand ; then like 1 one in a dream, .so intense was. hid excitement, he followed Doctor Renfrew into the ha.ll, slipping the package into his pocket, and forgetting all about it the next j moment. ' I beg youi paidon, gentlemen,' laughed the old doctor, bowing to the two disciples of vEseulapius, as a footman conducted them to the drawing- room, ' bub you've had your run from London fo>- nobhin&r. I want all the credit. And now,' he continued, his eyes growing humid, as they rested on the carl, who had been like a son to him .since lih boyhood, ' 1 suppose you are anxious to see you i- wife? But,, Angus, my boy, you must promise me to be careful if you value her life. She's weak — so weak tho very air might blow the breath from her lips. 'Twas a hard struggle between life and death, and the danger's not pa&scd yet.' Lord Strathspey entered his wife's 1 chamber with noiseless tread and bated breath. She lay amid her pillows like a marble image, her golden hair streaming around her like a halo of sunlight. Wear the bedside sat a couple of nurses, each one with a tiny bundle of flannel and embroidery on her knee?. They rose eagerly as the earl entered, but he motioned them back. Not even the boy, for whose coming he had hoped so fondly, should come between him and the wife he idolieed. She unclosed her blue eyes, and a smile of ineffable tenderness lighted her pearl fair face at his approach.

'Oh, Angus,' she murmured, 'I'm so glad you'Ve come. I thought I should never see you again. It almcst cost mo my life, dear, but I'm so glad that Heaven has given us the boy you so desired. 1 He bent down and kissed her, on her lips, her cheeks, her hair. Then tiio nurses camo to the bodside and presented the two babes. Ho kissod them both, but a thrill of triumph stirred his hoartas ho looked down on the little red, wrinkled face of the infant boy. For centuries the Strathspoys had been peers, and this little mite was to boar the honoured old name and title when ho was gone. Divining hit thoughts, the countess, essayed to speak, but ho kissed her into silence. ' Not another word, my darling,' bo said ; 'your precious life mubt not bo risked. Shut your eyes now, and keep silent, and I'll sit beside you till you sleep.' She obeyed, and holding her hand in his, he sat at her side till sho fell into a quiet slumber ; then he stole out, and sought his own apartmonts. Left to themselves, the two nurses began to piepare for lhe night. ' Nice work, I call it,' remarked Mother Goodwin, who was head nurse, 'having young infants, winch is two of 'om, in a lady's chamber, an' they liable to bawl out at any hour o' the night. 1 wanted 'em taken into another room, which I suggustcd to the doctor, but he wouldn't mind a word 1 .said, and I'm not to be held liablo for the consequences, which 1 mean to make bold, and speak the same to his lordship in the morning. ' ' La, now, what's the use V returned .Judith. 'You'll only wasto your breath, Mother (Goodwin. The earl won't hear to it, you may take my word. Why, bless your soul, he'd think the baber* would come to ill-luck if they be taken from theeiim-on chamber, and the boy especially. Why, for a hundred years, and double that time, o\ery Strathspey hen has been bom and bred, as you may say, in this room.' Mother Goodwin glanced round the apai tment as she proceeded to deposit the tiny boy in his dainty crib. ' A good enough room,' she .-aid, 'and quite handsome, I don't deny, but no better than another. Fine stalls don't make fine horses, let me tell you. But they can ha\e it their own way, which I'm sure they will, only I'm not to be blamed for the conse- J quenees. ' ! .Judith tucked away her baby also, and then stood with her arms akimbo, looking clow n upon the pair of tiny facet1 Well, they're line babies,' she said, ' and dont look a bit like. I hope they'll live and thiive, for their poor mother suflered enough for 'cm ' 1 That she did,' echoed Mother Gooduin. ' I'd made up my mind atone time 'twas .ill over—l'd no hopes of her life. Ten to one, Judith,' -he continued, as she drew down the heavy curtains that s-uncundetl the countess's bed, 'if we get a.wink this blessed night — and such a night as it is. It makes my blood cold to hear them dogs a baying, and the wind a howlin' too. I hope it ain't no bad sign. Stir up the fire, and let's get warm ; and I tay, Judith, what if you run down and get a cup o' hot tea — we 'll need it 'fore the night's over.' Judith seemed nothing loth to obey the suggestion. She tripped away, returning in .i few moments with a pot of tea and a small tray of edibles ' Mrs J-llodget, the housekeeper, was up, and the pressed me to bring up a bite o' biead and meat,' she explained, as she deposited the articles on the table. .Mother (Joodwin nodded approvingly, and propping her portly feet upon the fender, she set to work on the edibles in a manner that indicated that her appetite was in good condition. They sat in a small dresfeing-room or antechamber, which opened in the great crimson stale chamber, in which the counters and her babies lay. Judith tiptoed thiough the loom, arranging the curtains, and taking a peep at the sleeping twin- ; then she threw the doors open, and joined Mother (!oodwin at the fireside. 'The babies be snug, I suppose, Judith V questioned the head nurse. * Judith nodded as she poured out her tea, and Mother Cioodwin settled back contentedly in her chair, and closed her eyes. In li\o minutes she was sound asleep, and Judith watching and sipping her tea. The old castle was as silent as. the gia\ c. The stoim had spent its fuiy, and only the wolf-mastiffs bayed at intervals and the great owl hooted amid tho ivies. Judith drank her tea, turning her head now and then to glance into the crimson chambei. It was silent also, and iillcd with a glow of .subdued splendour, lellected from its gorgeous tapestry. The countess and her babe- slept well. .Judith finished her diaught, and lolding her aitn.s acioss the table bowed her head upon them. She did not fall asleep, but she seemed to grow half-unconscious, hearing the soit nnumur of the tire and the deep breathing of Mother (Joodwin, like one in a dream. How long she remained thus she never knew : a wild and terrible shriek aroutcd her, a cry that chilled the very blood in Jicr veins. She bounded from her scat and rushed blindly into the crimson chamber: and there she stood transfixed with terror. The crimson velvet hangings that diapeel the bed of the countess were parted, and there sat the countess heiself, paralysed with terror, her face as white as her flowing robes her distended blue eyes fixed upon a figiue that stood before her. A woman's figure, a wild creature, with dishevelled hair, an evil lace and glittering eyes, who held in her hands out of the new-born babe*. For one brief instant Judith .stood \ stunned and powerless ; in the next she made a desperate rush towards the creature, but with a laugh of fiendish exultation the eluded her, and fled through the door which opened into the corridor, which, to Judith's consternation, stood wide open. By this time Mother Goodwin had got on her feet, and came panting and puffing to her patient's bedside. With her eyes on the door through which her babe had disappeared, the poor mother uttered a second piteous cry and then fell back upon her pillows in a death-like swoon. Judith followed through the open door, out into the chill gorridor, down the broad staircase, on and on, from one apartment to another, shrieking for help as she went. In five minutes the entire household was aroused. The old doctor came rushing to the crimson chamber, followed by tho affrighted earl, whore he found Mother Good win* speechless, and the countess apparently dead, and one infant in tho crib | where two had lain a few moments before. The servants collected in groups, too much frightened to afford any aid, and poor Judith continued her hopeless pursuit from one dim corridor to another, shrieking for the help which no one could give her. At the entrance of the western wing, a portion of the castle which had long been unused, she lost sight of the flying figure she pursued. It vanished fromher sight like a shadow, and the feeble wail of the one-hour-old babe grew indistinct. The girl returned to tne crimson chamber to find the countess still unconscious, and the earl half-mad in his perplexity. She told her tale, and then a mighty hue and cry followed. In two minute^ the Towers -was in a blaze. Lights flashed in every

turret, footsteps resound od in every apartment. Thoy searched in every recoss, every nook and corner, they scoured the park and grounds, but all in vain. The shadowy figuro was nowhere to bo found. The hoii* of Strathspey Tow era was <jonc.