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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 155, 5 July 1904, Page 4

OF DUDLEY HOLLA^ Dudiey Holland was ivy chum at Oxford. Neither o£ us hi d a brother of our own, ami I thii k t.ia'. two brothers, were never dea or to each other than we were. Two vears after we graduated i w'as in "town, partly for pleasure, partlv on business, when I rweiwd a letter irom Dudley, telling me that ■he had fallen in love. His letter was'full of adjectives and exclamation points. There never was a woman so enchanting as this Edith Champney. She was transcendently beautiful, but tiiat nasi her least charm. But there was one drawback. She was cold. Ice wan not so hopeless, for ice melts under a warm sun, and it seemed that all the sunshine of adulation and adoration tiiat surrounded Miss Champney could not melt her. lie could not tell whether he had been able to produce the slightest impression on her. She listened to him very sweetly, but she iistoncd just as patiently the ensuing five minutes to Ids next •neighbour There was a strange mystery in her bearing, and he meant to fathom it. It was three weeks before 1 heard from him again. This is what he wrote : I have .solved the mystery, Ralph, and 1 love her more than ever. She is so cold to all because she fears to love anyone, or let anyone love her. Her mother was insane for many years before her death ; died, in fact, in a lunatic asylum. Edith fears s'he may inherit this malady ; and is conscientiously resolved for that ceason against marriage. I believe now that she could love me ; nay, she is lalready beginning to. She must ! she shall ! I will reason her out of her scruples. 1 believe I should marry her if I knew she would Jbe mad in a year. She must be my wife. I long for you to see her, Ralph. I know you wip understand my heart's desire. 4 There was a page or two more of rhapsody about her charms, but I asarcely read it, so excited was I over the portion I have quoted. "Thinks he would marry her if toe knew!she would be insane in a year!" ,1 muttered. "Wny, he is as mad as apijarch hare himself ! I must go to

I did not answer his letter. I ~ any opposition of that kind j&* &*would only strengthen his purpose ; and I trusted to be with him in time • to prevent any serious* entanglement. I made all possible haste in settling up my affairs, and in two weeks I was in Bath. I went straight to his lodgings and found him putting the s,. . last, touches to his toilet, for, like

*':, most men, young, rich, and idle, he „, dressed with almost as much care . i a «ud taste as a woman. It was just dusk when I opened ~ .Mis door. He came towards me with extended hands! "Just in time, Ralph !" he cried joyously. "You shall go with me to see her to-niight. I have over-ruled all her scruples. She loves me ! We 1 - • • Rre engaged, and next month we shall be married. Tho day is fixed." ■••, •' My heartfailed me. I was too late after all. I listened to him in sad silence. At length he noticed my manner.

"You don't like it, Ralph ? I am sorry; but you will change your mind when you have seen her. She is the noblest, truest, tenderest woman—and she loves me so ! She never allowed herself to think of marri--Blge (before ;i and I hold her first love —the full, passionate overflowing of her rich nature—the fountain sealed so long. Come, I am impatient till you see her !" I 1 went out with Mm, amd he hurried me along the streets. We were

always so—I; cool, patient, slow; he, quiet, impulsive, passionate, hur- .,.* rying me onward. Soon we stopped 'before a nohle mansion. Dudley spoke v -. to the servant who admitted us with the familiar air of a frtyjiuent visitbr. ~. He conducted mo upstairs himself, and threw open the drawingvroom door.

At one end of the room, between two long windows, stood a harp, and, beside it, Miss Champney. A chandelier near her was fully lighted tod, standing 1 for an instant in comparative darkness at the door by .which we entered, while my friend _ , went forward to speak to her, I had [t& -space and opportunity to see what manner of woman she was. v Dudley had not overstated her at-

tractions. Of lofty, commanding fig■j.gre, . her proportions were perfect. =' Her carriage was dtatoly, as would •have befitted the descendant of a line of princes. Her face was niore nobly beautiful than any countenance I have ever seen. There was no trace

|;. .. of colour in it save in the lips, and jar' they were bright as a scarlet gerU~ allium flower. But no colour could , have rivalled the clear, -grand whito- '.,<,■■■ ness of her. complexion—marble, with Mm warm, palpitating softness of i.v *>'e. Her eyes were large, black,and p languid, with a peculiar expression ; .' Of passionate melancholy. I' She started forward when she saw «ny friend. Her eyes kindled. A sud- '..;. dso flush stained the clear whiteness \ ' Ol her cheek. She murmured a word or two of which I only caught the fond caressing intonation of her !>,, ' Wrice. I forgave him for loving her ; 'for the mad risk he was running. it: Ww was a woman worth living or ;;; <lyi»g for. Had I seen her before she fe' ■■*««, I believe, with my slow, */ parßißtent, intense nature, I should p hare- loved her better and longer :ft than he could. J Instantly; almost, he led her for- ;■ • ward to speak to me. She welcomed iS '■'"■■ ™ th gleeful cordiality as his friend. We passed a pleasant evening !' ' I! 006 which J c an never forget. Bey. wre it was over she sang to us Her snowy fingers flashed like a flock -',. Ol white birds accross the strings of |i ttte harp. Her voice was full and f «ch, and very sweet but sad with ' 22,, .? Cl ' y of a st ™gS"'n E soul. It twilled me to pain. rt"^ 1 ! 'to- vou think of her?" ■u. Oudly,asked me, walking home beads me in t,he moonlight "I understand all you wrote me ' now I said, meeting his eyes. p;, *l tell you honestly that I hurried . liere m the hope of preventing this ■ :.. hilt now that I have seen her I can F" -■:.'•

j only happiness ! It seems as if she were a creature too noble for a destiny of suffering,"- * * * z The next month, as had been planned, they were married. I When they had returned home, she I weni upstairs to change her bridal | dress. ! Half an hour afterwards, Dudley Holland went to seek his bride. •■ "She must be ready now," he said to me, as he went out; "perhaps she ■ is waiting for me." ; I don't think it was two minutes . ibefore I hoard a snriek—a wild, man- ; iacal shriek—which seemed to freeze ! the blood in my veins with icy ler- ! ror. 1 stepped into the hall, and ' slaw a white figure flying down the j stairs—Edith, in her bridal rotas still, except that her veil had been , torn off, and her long, black hair, with an orange blossom still clinging to it here and there, was floatI ing in heavy, dishevelled masses on liver shoulders. Down she came, holding in her band a dagger, its point stained with blood. Swifter than lightning she flashed by me into the empty drawinig-room. Sweeping her hand across the strings of her harp,till all its chords clashed together in one wild shriek of discord, she stood there, waving the dagger her head, like some beautiful fiend, torn with madness. Slowly, us one stricken in an unguarded hour with some terrible. Wow, her bridegroom came after her. I-rom a wound in his shoulder the blood was ozzing out. His eves were set m a stony gaze of horror. "Has she hurt you ?" I cried confronting him.

"Not much, I think, llut, Ralph, it has come—all you feared. Slie is mad !"

(To be continued.)