CHAPTER XLVIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 292, 22 August 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER XLVIII.

TIIK EARL'S REMOKSE. The earl and hi& family were comfortably established at Ravenswold, amid the Scottish highlands, and Lady Neville and the dowager countess were wholly engrossed with plans and preparations for the approaching maniajre. The irou^mu had been ordered, ami was progressing in Paris, on the erandest imaginable scale ; and the earl, true to his promise, had purcha&ed for Marguerite a set of diamonds oven rarer and more costly than the ones bhe had lost, and Marguerite received them, kissing her father in silence, and uttering no word of themiseiy3he felt. For her father's face was wan and sorrowful beyond all description, and the Scottish breezes rather seemed to increase than to cure his malady. ' You see, my love,' said Lady Neville, with tears on her well-pressed cheeks, as she admired the costly stones, ' you see how your dear father dotes on you and tries to please you ; and do, my child, if you have any love or gratitude for him, try to get over your silly repugnance to Sir Bayard. Your father regards him as a son, and has set his heart on seeing you his wife. You see how his strength is failing day by day ; and, Marguerite, I entreat you do not disappoint his hopes, do not shorten his life, by this folly of yours. You will love Sir Bayard well enough when you are once his wife ; there's never any fear of a woman lacking in love for her husband.' And Lady Marguerite, with the costly caskefc in her hands, wont slowly to her own chamber ; and there, awaiting her

coming, she found her old maid and companion, Janet Burns. Her hopeless young eyes brightened at sight of her. ' Why, Janefc !' she cried, joyously, oxtonding her hand in welcome, ' have you come back at last ? lam so glad, so glad to see you !' Janet took tho slender little hand and kissod it respectfully, her eyes running over with tears at sight of Pearl's pale, sad face. 'Yes, Lady Marguerite,' sho replied, 'I have como^bafck, and to stay for good now, if you want me. ' 'If I want you ? Oh, Janet, you know I want you !' cried Marguerite. ' I'vo had a cross, awkward girl ever since you left me, and I liked you so much — indeed, I'm as glad to see you as if you woro my sister. I'll take you back this very minute !' Janet smilod kindly at her childish impetuosity It gratifies me very much, she said, in her grave, refined manner, ' to know that you lileo me ; lam a true friend to you, Lady Marguerite. Do you know,' she added, hesitatingly, ' that 1 used to servo your mother once ?' ' Oh, Janet!' cried the girl, crossing the room and seating herself by the maid's side ; ' and yon never told mo boforc ? I have always longed so to hear somothing of my mother. Janet, toll me how she looked.' ' Exactly like you, my lady — two twin roses arc not moro alike ; and she was the best, the sweetest woman in the wide world. Pearl's tears were falling like rain. ' If I could only have seen her- if she had only lived !' she moaned. ' Aunt Neville says she died when I was a babe — did sho Janet ?' ' Well—yes ; you lost her when you were little more than a babe, my lady.' ' Poor mamma ! Oh, why couldn't she have been spared to mo ! It will be a great comfort, Janet, to have you with me, now that I know that you used to know and love my mother.' 4 1 did love her, Lady Marguerito ; and I promised her faithfully that I would always kcop my eye on you, and help you whenever I could. That is why I have come back to you.' • But, Janet, why did you not toll me all this before ?' asked Pearl, in astonishment. 'Becauso I had reasons, my dear lady, for keeping silont. I was afraid if I made myself known to Lady Neville she would refuse to employ me : and evon now I'm pretty sure she'll object when she finds out who 1 am.' ' Why, Janet, what can you mean ?' ' I mean, Lady Marguerite,' she replied, 'that I am not Janot Burns, but Judith Ford, or Judith Dixon, now, for I have boen manied since I went away. And this hair,' she went on, removing her flaxen wig and revealing her own glossy, brown braids, cis not mine any more than the name.' Lady Marguerite stared in amazement. ' Well, she said, at last, ' I like you even better without the flaxen locks ; but really you overwhelm me with surpi ise. I can'tsee what it all means, or why Aunt Neville should object to you.' • There are circumstances, Lady Marguerite, that I am not at liberty to explain, and in regard to which you must not question me. I was your dear mother's maid and companion for years, and I promised her to look after you, and I ■will. Your father, the earl, has engaged me, and my husband, too. He wants Hendrick for eramekeeper when ho goes back to the Towers, and I am to be with you, and he has promised to make it all straight with Lady Neville. So, if you want me. I'm at your service at once.' The earl did make it right with Lady Neville, after a painful and stormy discussion, in which the old dead and gone griefs were resurrected, and the bitter hcartwounds torn open. He reproached his sister in the severest tones for her action in regard to his wife, and avowed his intention to go down to Lancaster Moor, and have her body exhumed and brought to the Towers for decent burial. Lady Neville remonstrated with all her eloquence, but Lord Strathspey was a resolute man, when his mind was once made up, and she failed to move him. 'Let me alone,' he said, bitterly; 'we have done enough — it is needful that we make what reparation we may. Don't you sec that Lady Strathspey was i iyltf — the boy who bears my name i 3 not my soh — he wa& ri</h(, and recalled it insanity and mprisoned her in a mad-house. Camilla, you cannot understand how I fool about it, so let me alono — let me have my way in peaco. ' 'But, Angus, for Heaven's sake,' implored his proud sister, 'think of the disgrace, the shame — let the affair rest — don't make it public again ! For Marguerite's sake, let it rest.' ' Marguerite is no dearer to me than her mother was,' replied the earl, an angry flubh rihinjx to his death-white checks ; ' and I shall do her mother justice, no matter what the cost may be. I've enough on my soul now. If I can assure myself that my poor wifo was true to me — that I accused her falsely, I'll make it known throughout the length and breadth of England, and s .and before tho wholo world in my true character, as a jealous brute, a murderer !' Lady Neville knew too well that further remor.atrance would be a waste of words, and bho groaned in agony, half wishing that her brother's malady might interpose, and lay him in the grave that must soon receive him, rather than her proud name should be so tarni&hed and scandalised. But the earl's life seemed like his will, a something indomitablo and unconquerable Lord Angus did not accompany the family to llavenswold ; he remained behind, not at the Towers, tor the carl had forbidden him ever again to darken his doors ; but at The Cedars, tho invited guest of Lady Cecilia Drummond. Her ladyship and the young earl were getting to be fast friends. A day or two after their departure the young man mounted his roan mare and started for the cottage of Doctor Renfrew. The result of his last visit had by no moans dampened the ardour of his passion, or weakened his determination to make pretty Maggie his own. On the contrary, he was moro in love, more desperately in earnest, than i ever. 'Sihe shall be mine,' he swore, as ho galloped across the downs, 'she shall be mime if it costs me my life to win her.' VV hat was his surpriso and disappointment to find the cottage locked up, and his prebiby bird flown. ' is the doctor ?' he demanded of the iold servant-man. 'Clone this week an' more, yer lordship, to w isit his sister as lives in the Scottish 'lghJ lands.' Ax id the angry young peer resolved, with a bit ter oath, that to the Scottish Highlands he w ould follow.

. {To he Continued. )

It is again reported from London that Lord Carrington is anxious to retire from the O overnorship of New South Wales, and that hie will return to England etwly next year. Ens tfish wheat crop this year the worst since, '1879.