CHAPTER XX.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 282, 18 July 1888, Page 3

CHAPTER XX.

PAKTEI), For the space of a moment they stood &iiont, looking into each other's eyes ; the earl's hair dishevelled, his garments boiled, and his face so white and emaciated that his eyes looked out from their sunken sockets like balls of fiie. ' Oh, Angus, my darling,' gasped the poor wife at last, putting out her tiembling aims to embrace him, '■what is thik ? What has changed you so V The sound of her voice seemed to ronso him into an insane fury. He hulled her back, when she would have clasped his neck, with a force that sent her reeling to the other side of the room. ' Don't com© near mo again, don't touch me,' he burst out, panting tor breath in his anger and weakness, ' or I shall forget that you are a woman, and the mother of my children. "What has changed me? Don'b you know, can't you guess, false, fair-faced deceiver ? Whao could make a man what I am to-day, but the shameful deceit and treachery of his wife ?' The poor countess shivered with terror, believing that her husband was utterly insane. She retreated into a corner of the room, and put forth her hand to grasp the bell-rope. But he darted upon her like a wild beast, and seizing her by the shoulders forced her down into a scat. 4 Don't shiver aud tremble, poor, guilty coward,' he cried, standing over her with his white, awful face, ' I'll not harm you — I couldn't do that — I couldn't harm a hair of your head, although you have dragged me and my proud name down into the dust, and made mo an alien and an outcast for all time to come' ' Angus !' ' Silence ! I won't hear one word from your false lips ! Listen to what 1 havo to say, for after this hour 1 never mean to look upon your face again — you have broken my heait — the heart that loved you,' he continued, with a sudden outburst of tenderness, ' Oh, Marguerite, how could you, how could you play mo false V He sunk into a scat, and burying his face in his hands, shook and sobbed like a child in his weakness. His wife arose, and creeping to his side, stole her arms about his neck ; but their soft touch .seemed to madden him. * No, no !' he cried, hurling her off again ; ' I'm not to be caiolcd and deceived any longer. That time's pabt. You deceived me in the very hour ] made you my wife. You belonged to him then ! You were the mother of his child ! And now, the moment; he comes bick from India, you fly to his arms. liaise, abandoned, shameless woman !' Some little comprehension o£ the true cause of her husband's apparent insanity began to dawn upon the bewildered mind of the countess. She arose, hor lithe, slender figure seeming at least a foob taller, a fiery spot kindling on each waxen cheek, and her blue eyes beginning to blaze and glittei*. ' Lord Strathspey,' bhe paid, her voice icily calm. ' you are my husband, but you shall nob insult me !' The earl broke into a mocking laugh. 'Insult you? he cried, bitterly. • Ton, who, taking advantage of your husband's absence, go strolling out of England with your old lover. You didn't know I followed you, madam 1 I did though. I saw you sitting under the oak crying over your illegitimate son. I know noio why you have always treated my son with such unwomanly indifference. I was within a stone's throw of you all the while, and saw your gallant colonel awaiting you in the coppice. False, false woman ! I believe now that you were cognisant of the disappearance of my babe on the night of his birth. You wanted no other son beside your pet in the Tyrol.' Lady Strathspey stood like marble, never answering a word. ' I can understand now,' continued the earl, tho whole thing seeming to grow clear and indisputable, ' why you were so anxious to travel, and why you sent so many packages to your brother in India. Bi other, indeed ! What a blind fool I have been ! But my eyes are open now. For two weeks and over I have been lying at death's door in the Tyrol. I should have died, I think, but for my children. I could nob leave them to their shameless mother,' he went on. ' I am hero now to make my final arrangements. I shall give them, my boy and girl, I mean, to Lady Neville, my sister, with the understanding that you are never to set eyes on them again. Day after to-morroio 1 shall meet your gallant colonel, 1 and put a bullet through his heart ; and then I shall leave England for ever. I shall leave you an annuity sufficient to keep you from want,' lie added, turning back in tho doorway ; 'and from this hour I hope never to hear your name, or look upon your face again, neithor in this world, nor in the world to como!'

He strode out, with ene backward glance, and' that glance beheld her, still standing; erect and statue-like, her face all aglow with ou foraged innocence, her clear, sinless eves full ot fiery indignation, yet melting with tendernoss for the husband who had so foully wronged her. And in after years of his wanderings — and bitter, remorseful years they were — the remembrance of her iace as, he last saw it haunted tho carl like an avenging Nemesis.