CHAPTER XXXII. OUTWITTED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 327, 22 December 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER XXXII. OUTWITTED.

Ir was a tew hours later on the same day of Nora's defiant return to Castle Kildare. Tim Fogarty sat alone in the little parlour of Yew Cottage, still dressed in 'his s ailor costume. He was awaiting a visit from Michael Kildare, whom he had not seen since the night on which they had made , their nefarious bargain for the destruction of the life of the young Lady of Kildare. Fogarty was contentedly smoking a pipe, There was visible on his face, in the dmi light of the guttering tallow candle, a satisfied, even exultant expression. The Lady Nora's purse and trinkets were in his pockets, and, better than these, he had the girl herself, he believed, safely in his keeping. He had arrived at Black , Rock on the previous evening. He had aroused his mother, listened philosophically to her vituperations and reproaches, learned that Michael Kildare had spent several hours of the night there in expectation of his return, and then retired to his room where he had spent most of the succeeding day. And now, since nightfall, he had been waiting for the lawyer's coming. Mrs Fogarby was in the basement, drowning her sorrows in a pint of Dublin porter. Suddenly, in, the midst of his meditations,, Jfogarty beard a stealthy step on the porch, succeeded by a cautious, use of the knocker. He arose, and' went to the door, admitting the little Dublin lawyer. The latter came in, anxious and nervous, but his brow lightened afc the sighb'of,the tranquil Fogarty. ' Back again, cli,?' he demanded, throw* ing aside his hat and overcoat,, ancl following his host into the dhn parlour. • I've been greatly troubled about you. You should have been back last, nigtib—' ( j f And so I was,' .answered Tim Fogarby, ' only I got back after you had gone. ;- Was you suffering with the fear ''that I was drowned along with* the Lady Nora ?' . *' The lawyer closed the* door quickly/ yefc gently. • Then -wiping his t web face with a large cambric, handkerchief; hecamo nearer Fogartyy ' asking, ima whisper,: . . : , ■ ' Well,.man/well? liHow^ids,your#business burntout *<'•? .O -.. --■ , '#""'>- •

c First- rabo. Jusb as I calculated !' * She— she is ,dead?' asked the lawyer, ' eagerly. , , > „ ",* Fogarty, nodded assent. '" e'sfe ''chair. His usually florid 'face' w*as ghastly in its pallor. A 'wild, v look glared from his eyejC '.',' !> ' t \\ ; ' * ,'Dead ! J prowried.!' he .said, in a hollow voice. ' Poor, lost, bealitif dl Nora ! Dead 1 Under the waves ,1 ( My God !' Fogarty laid down,his'pipeon* the hearth and looked ab 'his visitor sharply. Such emotion, after his recent interview with Ohe lawyer, struck him as maudlin. ' What's the' use of fooling this way, Mr | Kildare ?' he demanded. * You paid me to 1 drown the girl ?' ' The lawyer shuddered putting up, his shapely, white hand with a deprecating movement. 'I am regretting noih'irig,' he said, ' ' but the awfulhees of it comes home to me none the less. The girl loved me, 'and believed in me; and I , betrayed her to her death! It was necessary, she should die, but she Was young and tender and 'innocent — Poor lost Nora !' I iTou knew she was l young and Lender and innocent ' the other day, didn't you ? .sneered Fogarby. ' Blamed if I can under-, stand you, Mr Kildare. You wanted the girl drowned, and now you'i'e lament mg her death !' ' I am lamenting nothing,' said Kildare, wiping his forehead anew, and beginning to recover irom the first shock of seeing his ally. 'It is well done ! Here is your pay.' Be drew out a small roll of money, which Fogarty counted and put in his pocket. 'That settles matters between us,' said the lawyer. ' I owe you nothing, and you owe me nothing. Is it not so ?' ' You are right,' answered Fogarby. with an odd smile. I 1 want to ask you a few questions,' said Michael Kildare, in a low, shocked voice, 1 about Lady Nora. You had no assistant on board V 'None.' i ' You tossed her overboard while she f-lept?' ' No ; I waited for her to wake up.' 4 You did ? I should have thought it easier to drop her over while she was asleep. I could never have met her innocent eyes. But it was different with you — she never loved and trusted you. Did she know what was coming ?' Fogarty nodded. 'She did? You told her you weie going to kill her? You betrayed" to that poor, shrinking young; creature your h.deoiib plan ? She must have died twice— once in anticipation, once in reality.' ' £es, I told her,' said Fogarby, coolly. ' ' I told her the whole story — that I \va~ a villain and all that, whom you hired to kill her- ' Ten million furies ! You sent her into the other world with that knowledge in her soul ?' 1 1 told her everything. Imagine her horror ! Think of her terror ! I think that worse than all the rest was the knowledge that ' Michael ' could serve her so.' The cold sweat d lipped like rain from the high, benevolent-looking forehead of the lawyer. ' You did wrong to bell her,' he said, harshly. • And yet she had grow n to sus>pect me capable of oven such a crime. I read her knowledge of me in her eyes the last time 1 saw her. She sent me no last messaffe, Fogarby — no curse, nor anything ?' 'No word whatever.' The lawyer was. silent a little while. Whatever remorse might have been aroused within him was quelled now by the remembrance of his schemes and plans connected with the new Earl of Kildare. Presently he spoke again, in n hard, changed voice/ 'I am through with you, Fogarty, now and for ever. Our acquaintance ends here, to-night. From this point you go your, ways and Igo mine. And 1 give you a warning. The police of Dublin are on your track. You had better leave Clondalkin immediately, if you would avoid arrest.' ' I will do so,' answered Fogarty. •By the way,' he added, with assumed carelessness, 'is the new Earl of Kildare still in town ?' IHe is. He goes back bo Point Kildare in two days' time, taking all his new servants and his new steward with him.' ' indeed ! I suppose his lordship is rich. Would he make me his steward, do you think, Mr Kildare. at a good salary? The police wouldn't look for me up there,' ' You ! What presumption ! Of course he would not make you his steward. ' ' Better make me that than his enemy,' said Fogaity, smiling darkly. 'I've a word to eeb'yo thinking. The Lady Nora made a return for my confidences. She told me what she overheard in your library, about the 'flaw' in Redmond Kildare's | claims !' The lawyer looked stai tied. Then, with an uneasy gleam in his eyes, he forced a harsh laugh. * That's girl's talk, Fogarty.' he said. * Even if she heard any such nonsense, you know it only by hearsay. What does such testimony amount to? I warn you nob to meddle with edged tools. You had" better be thinking of your escape from the country. Whatever the Lady Nora told you,' he added, in an ugly voice, and with an ugly look, 'it won't force Lord Kildare or me to pay you one single penny ! I'll see you" hanged first !' Fogarty 's face was disfigured by a black scowl upon the hideous scar traversing his forehead. 1 Don't let your high horse carry you too far,' he observed, meaningly. 'I haven'b said the girl was dead yet !' The lawyer leaped to his feet, springing toward Fogarty like a panoher. ' Is she nob dead ?' he gasped. ' No, she isn't P cried Fogarty, defiantly. The lawyer staggered back, as under a blow. ' Not dead ! And you exchanged all those confidences with her?" ' Yes. She is not dead, but safely hidden among relations of mine, where neither you no\ Lord Kijdare can find her,' declared Foerarty, sullenly. Michael Kildare uttered a gasping cry. 'Lord O'Neil was here the' other night, 1 he said, in a hoarse whisper. 'He ' de f manded your whereabouts. Your mother, bo throw him off the right track, thinking you had gone to England, told him a cock : and -bull story to the effecb that you had gono to see some relations of yours, taking Noia with you ! - She-t old me all about it after Lord O'Neil went, and I laughed bo think of his being sent north on such a false trail. Do • you know, where your mother'senb the Lady Nora's )over ? It was to the;<cabin of one Rough . Fogarty, on the coast of County Down, between Dunraore Head and Dundrum Bay !' , , Fogarty uttered a' yell like that of some wildibeasb cheated of its prey. . I-[is yell; his looks, his fury, all told the astute and 'trembling 1 lawyer n that Mb Fogarby had inadvertently declared ~th actual hiding-place of the' young • Lady, ora. . « , ' ' i , The two men glared -ab each other. '•< { ' [tis all-up !' muttered Fogarty. "r" r ' Lord O'NeUisdead, or the girl' is free by '.j time II 1 ' 1 v ' " ' ! ' „'' Free with the knowledge youhaye given her. V-IfV -If she is free, 'she'mjiajb ; be captured j ajgain. Nahie your own, reward, Fpgavty, 1 |

bub see me through this business. That girl must bedisßosedjOf/; ,#, # ''Will Lord Kildare r make me his steward whence i&'dVadJ?',_v'\ >'< ' ■' $ The lawyer, /hastened to , reply in the 'affirmafive,''Mm'uk'ting-'Fogarty ? s zeal- by adding* ,that his , salary , would,, be the same as that of tlie present steward of Kildare. ; '" J ' '' u 1 What am I to do' first ?' asked Fogarty. • Where shall I look for the girl ?J -• , Ab this, juncture steps were heard without, and a low tapping sounded on the shutters of the,, wjndbw. r „ The two villains trembled and "looked at each other apprehensively, i : ' Who is there ?' .asked the lawyer, going to the windo ( w, and raising it softly, and sneaking in a low, distinct voice. * * Jt i&.I — Redmond Kildare !' answered the person without, in' "agitated 'tones. 'Let me in, Michael. I have important news !' ~ " , The lawyer, hastened, to the door, opened it, and gave admittance to the new e,ar,l M 1 Come in,' he whispered. ' Wftat js the matter? 1 He might well be alarmed considering the appearance of his , noble client. Redmond Kildare was pale and frightened, and his features were convulsed with a great agita.tion. He was breathing heavily, having it was evident ridden hard and fast. ' B;id new.- !' ho said, hoai.sely. 'It came soon after you l^ft. You blayed here some hours la-f night, and 1 was afraid you would do the same to-night, so I came to yon.' ' Noi a is not in Dublin ?' cried the lawyer, in alarm. ' Worse ! worse !' 'She is in England— at Sir Russel Ryans ?' ' Worse still ! She ha? gone back to Point Kildare and taken possession ! I have just received a telegram from my mother. She was out riding this afternoon, and returned to Point Kildare to find the draw-bridge up, and no way of getting on ! the island ! The old bridge- keeper told her her reign is over ! My mother is now at Dunloy, in a state of great excitement, and bids me come to her by the first train !' The lawyer was shocked at this news. * Nora at Kildare •!' he ejaculated. 'This is serious ! She /is likely to make us trouble. "What a cursed fatality ! Why was not the countess at home ? ' Possession is nine points ot the law,' says the old adage, and Nora is in possession ! More, she has won to her cause every tenant and servitor on the island ! She will hold possession, meaning to force you to appeal to the law. This business has taken a nasty turn.' 'Proceed to extiemities !' cried Michael Kildare, with a grim smile and blazing eyes. ' We must — all thtee of us — go fco Kildare by the early morning train. We should bo there to-morrow night. Once there,' and an awful blaze leaped up into his eyes, like the flaming of unholy tires — ' once there, we will use strategy atid force ! We will, as I said, proceed to extremities !' (To Jit Continued.)