CHAPTER IV. TAKING TIME TO CONSIDER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 305, 6 October 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER IV. TAKING TIME TO CONSIDER.

\yniLK the singular events we.have na 11 rated were occurring Vo.fch'e* Lafify Kathlee Connor and her two suitors, the Lady Nora Kildare was face to face with the great question which had arisen in her own life. Th,e announcement of the identity of this rival claimant to the Kildare estates at first almost stupefied her. ' You Lord Redmond Kildare !' she exclaimed, incredulously. •Impossible! My uncle Redmond left no family. This story is incredible !' Redmond Kildare's face flushed. ' You accuse me of being an impostor, then ?' he demanded. ' I have not yet formed an opinion,' replied the young Lady Nora, haughtily, ' But I think it* not ,a little strange that you should come dire<jt to., me, instead. of going to my guardian .' 'Would you have preferred to hear, the story through Sir Russel Ryan V asked Redmond Kildare. ' Since you and I are of one blood, is it not better that you should hear the truth from my lips ? I fancied that you were juslenough to hear me, examinemy proofs, and make up your mind without recourse to others. Then the matter could bo submitted to Sir Russel Ryan and the lawyers. It is my wish, when I shall have established my case, ,to* effect a compromise with you. I do not w,ishto jr'ob you of your wealth, but rather to shgtre ifc with'you !' ' You are certainly modest ih~yo"ur demands, if you can pro^yq, yourself the heir !' said Lady Nora, her proud young face paling slightly. , ' I am willing, to examine your proofs, sir, buti'iny opinion as to 'their value can amount to little! ""They must be submitted to keen and experiencedr lawyers before your claims can be admitted !* Lord Redmond bowed assent, and displayed his formidable bundle of dncuments. He was in the very act of untying the red tape that bound them together, when his glances fell upon a large oil portrait, one of a pair, which hung over the low carved marble mantel-shelf. The portrait was that of the Lady Nora's grandfather, fche fifteenth Earl of Kildare. Lord Redmond stared at this picture a few moments in close scrutiny, and then walked up to it, and turning, deliberately faced tho Lady Nova. ' Compare my face wifch that of this portrait,' he said. ' He was my grandfather and yours. Have I, 'hot his blood in my veins ? Here is one of ray strongest proofs., and one I had not counted upon.' The Lady Nora complied with his request, comparing his features with those of the portrait. The resemblance was cer tainly most striking The rival claimant possessed the Kildare features most unmistakably, with, however, some deteriorations. He had the dark complexion, the brown eyes, the high forehead and dark hair that characterised the Kildares, but his forehead, unlike the late earl's, was narrow and repeating. He had the square chin and determined mouth that had belonged to generations of Kildares, but with him the latter feature lacked the frank, open, genial smile that the Lady Nora so well remembered as belonging to her kindred, and possessed, instead, an expression of secrefciveness and cunning which young girl instinctively disliked. - Yet the renslt of her scrutiny impressed her strongly with -the conviction that he was what -he claimed to be — a Kiidare. ' You certainly look 1 like any grandfather,' admitted the Lady Nord. 4 But the resemblance proves.nothing. ' ' It proves a groat deal,' declared Lord Redmond, ' ,when it is added to my other evidences. Be kind enough to examine them, Lady Nora.' Ho placed a chair for' her by the round centre-table, and turned up the light in the mellow globe of the grand chandelier. 'I have been a little awkward at this business, LadyiNora,' he said, 1 smiling, ' in my desire to break the news to y6u as gently as possible. Here is, a letter from your second cousin, the Hon. Michael Kildare, of Dublin. Perhaps I would have done well to present this letter at first.' 'You would, indeed!' said Lady Nora. ' Mr Michael Kildare is one of my truest and most trustworthj' friends. My father had every faith in him. Mr Michael Kildare was papa's lawyer, and is one of the most zealous upholders of our family name. You said, I think, that he had recognised your claims V she added, with a sudden remembrance. ' Read the letter for yourself, Lady Nora, 1 suggested Lord Red,mond. ' It will tell you more than I can dof' 1 ' He took the Jetter out of the packet, and placed it her hands. • It "was encased in a long envelope and heavily sealed with red wax. It was addressed to the Lady Nora Kildare, and had a very lawyer- like appearance. The young girl .broke .the seal and perused the inclosure. The letter ran as follows : ' Dublin; Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1869. •To the Lady Nora Kildark,— My dear young Lady Nora : This letter will be presented to you by one of whose existence you have never known, but yet who is closely related to. you by ties ot kindre'd. Before you read this lie will have told you his story. Pardon the cowardice which keeps me from you at such a moment. I shall visit you at Poiut Kildare tomorrow. This cowardice of mine, dear Lady Nora, has kept me silent all these years, but the time ha3 at last come when cowardice becomes criminality. ' j need not say that all my sympathies ai'e ■with you in- this matter. The daughter of Lord Fitzgerald Kildare should be the owner and mistress" bf Point Kildare, and to maintain her supremacy I have been so long criminally silent. 'But the time to speak has come. As your late father's lawyer, and as the associate guardian with Sir Russol Rvan of your fortune and person, and as -Sir Russet's Irish lawyer, my situation is most painful. ' Tho case is simply this : • 'Your grandfather, the late earV had two sons/, Redmond and Fitzgerald. Redmond was a wild and dissipated young follow, who married a player woman in London. He married her secretly, aud soon grew tired and ashamed of her, the more especially as she was illiterate and oc previous ill-repute. After the birth of her son, Lord Re'dlhonfl .consulted me in regard to the feasibility of, divorcing himself from hor, and ofsetting^a'sMe the'marriage. It was then I first learned the; story 1 ot his -worse than imprudent match. But as he. was of age at the time of the marriage, and was familiar with the woman's previous reputation, the law could give him no relief. ' It was then he abandoned his wife. ' She loved him, it appears, and went mad at his desertion. She was placed in a' lunatic asylum. The boy— Lord< Redmond's Jawful sonwas put into the care of some honest country people. Before Lord Redmond died, he sent for me, and told me of the Jad's whereabouts, and said that he could never all«w the child of his actress wife to claim the tule and- estates, thus robbiDg his own younger brother Fitzgerald, your father. He believed his boy had too much bad blood in him to do credit to 'he old name of Kildare. So he begged me to keep his secret until seorecy became impossible, and to have his son educated and "put to some profession. ' I obeyed him~ implicitly. The boy was educated, and is now a man. I never told him of his identity. He has always worn a humble name. But by some fatality his mother was discharged from the asylum a month" since, cured! He knew, of course, that she was his parent. On being notified of her recovery, ho took her to his lodgings, and she then told hinr' the whole story. He came to me. and forced'me to acknowledge the, truth. He .seems a welldisposed young man, and displays many of the nobler qualities otour family. •t. have advised Redmond to see you first of .all. I dread a -scandal as I dread death. I have written to Sir Russel Ryan already. You may expect him with me at Point Kildare in the course of a day or two. It would be well to keep Redmond at, the castle till we come. Do nothing rashly. ■<< ' < - r Jxoxir. affectionate cousin and guardian, ". ' '"MlOHAEJb KlItPARBi.'

This letter, so startling in its announcements, and, so confirmative of Lord, Redmond's stdry, impressed the Lady Nora • more thamrall that had. preceded it. Her sweet young face ' deepened in its pallor. , Hersunny brown eyes glowed with a starjbled expression. Her. small head 'dropped as under a heavy weight. The sudden shock seemed too much for her.' i Presently she looked up, forcing a faint and sickly 3imle. - " ■ ? This letter has greatly surprised me,' she said, her high, clear voice tremulous <with a deep emotion. ' Have you seen it ?' ' ' j have not,' replied Lord Redmond, respectfully. ' But Mr Kildare informed me that it was a statement confirming my claims.' The Lady Nora pub the letter in her pocket. Her bright, arch face, usually so gay and debonair, ; was very grave and thoughtful. * The' letter of her trusted guardian and kinsman had' produced a deepei* effect upon her than she would have cared to acknowledge. ' You have other proofs, I suppose V she asked. 'Certainly, Lady Nora;' and Lord Redmond tossed over his papers with a white and shapely hand. ' Here is the certificate of tlie marriage of Lord Redmond Kildare to Madeleine Bonhatn, spinster, in the parish church of St. Mary's,. Newington, Surroy.' ' The Lady Nora examined it. ' 1 can't tell /whether it is genuine or not,' she observed. ' I must leave its examination to Sir Russel. Of course, it will be necessary to look at the' church registers, a3 this is but a copy.' , Lord Redmontl*b6wedj flushing redly. 'It,, is well to be cautious,' he said, coldly. ' One does not relinquish a princely home like this foint Kildare until convinced that resistance is useless. Here is the certificate of my birth.' The Lady Nora looked at that also. 1 And here,' continued Lord Redmond, 1 are the certificates from the people in whose care I spent my earliest years. There are other less important papers. For the rest, I shall depend upon living witnesses. The clergyman and both the witnesses of Lord Redmond Kildare's marriage to Madeleine Bonham are still living. The doctor , who presided at my birth also lives : and last, but not least, as the phrase goes, Madeleine Kildare also lives, and is in her right mind.' Does not the case look plain ?' ' It looks plain enough,' said the Lady Nora. ' And you are convinced of the merit and justice of my claims?' asked Lord Redmond, fixing a keen glance upon her. 4 1 do not say that/ replied Lady Nora, half haughtily. * When I can say that in all sincerity, all that remains to me is to leave the castle, resigning everything to you. Eithei you are owner here or I am. You have made out a strong case, which I must leave to older and wi&er heads than mine to consider. ' ' Let me hope that my entrance into the castle as master will not be the signal for your leaving as mistress,' said Lord Redmond, gravely, half tenderly. 'I want to set myself right with the world, but I have no wish to despoil you. Can there not be some compromise ?' ' I do not feel able to discuss the matlei to-night,' said the Lady Nora. 'Let us defer this discussion until my guardians come. You will remain at the castle until then, will you not ?' Lord Redmond accepted the invitation without hesitation. He had evidently expected to be asked to remain. ' My luggage is over at Glenarm,' he said. ' It shall be sent for in the morning. Mr Kildare informs me that he will be here in a day or two with Sir Russel Ryan. I should like^ou to remain to meet them ' Lord Redmond expressed his thanks warmly, and declaied his readiness to The Lady Nora arose and touched the silken bell-pull, and then resumed her seat. A few minutes later an old servitor, greyhaired, and with .an honest, faithful countenance, made his appearance. ' Let the oak room be prepared immediately !' said the Lady of Kildare, in the gentle, kindly manner that endeared her so to all her retainers. ' This gentleman will remain a few days at the castle.' The servitor bowed and withdrew. ' I notice,' said Lord Redmond, with a constrained smile, ' that you have not yet addressed me by any name, Lady Nora. Am I to be nameless while I remainhere ?' The Lady JNora coloured. 'If I call you Lord Redmond,' she answered, ' 1 shall be tacitly acknowledging my belief in your claims. And that I can't do yet.' ' Call me Mr Kildare, then. That, at least, you can safely do without compromising yourself, most fair and most suspicious of ladies !' and Lord Redmond smiled again. ' > The Lady Nora was cruelly embarrassed. ' 1 am not too suspicious, I think,' she said, with an effort. ' You do not think how much 3 have at stake — ' ' t Ido think, Lady Nora,' he interposed "quickly. ' Forgive me. You have the finest place in Antrim, the grandest home, linked with a thousaud associations'. You have retainers and triends,' your family pride — ' ' More than these !' said the young girl, a spasm of pain eonvulsing her featui-es. ' More than you know or can dream ! A thousand cherished hopes and plans— But enough ! I shall lose my courage if I talk more on this subject.' ' She arose and walked to and fro with quick nervous movements. Lord Redmond's eyes followed her in a pitying gaze, in which, however, was a gleam of. deep satisfaction,- ' My dear Lady Nora.' he said, ' all this trouble and pain are uncalled for. I am willing to compromise the matter, and your castle. All your little plans can go on just the same — ' She put up her hand in a gesture commanding silence, and continued her walk. 'It will all come around in due time,' he thought, with a thrill of joy. l It will have to come ! I know bhe will consent to the ' compromise ' sooner or later. She won't be turned out of the castle when she can continue to rule here by becoming my wife. ' They kept up a desultory conversation for an hour or more longer, and then Lord Redmond, professing to be tired, was shown to his room. Left to herself, the young Lady Nora turned down the lights and opened the curtains, going out on the shaded balcony, which overhung the lonely, moonlit sea. 'I'm afraid it's only too plain !' she said to herself. * I'm afraid that he is the real heir of Kildare, and I am only a penniless usurper ! , And I wanted so to enrich poor Larry ! Larry is in debt, and can never extricate himself without assistance. And I had hoped and planned to be the good angel that was to redeem his estate, and enrich him and give him back his old position^ in the county 1 And , now I shall be as poor as- he, and we can never marry. I shall fight this • man's claims until fighting, is useless, for his • success will prove our desolation and ruin. Oh ! ,why was this trouble sent to us now, just when the world looked so bright, and I knew: that Larry loved, me ?' , " \ ' . (To be continued). • '