A STRANGE COINCIDENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 108, 5 March 1870, Page 7

A STRANGE COINCIDENCE.

BY A NAVAL OFFICER. In Two Parts. — Part I. In the spring of 1863 Her Majesty's Ship Zebra, then stationed on the west coast of Africa, was ordered to proceeed to Saint Helena, there to recruit the health of her crew, among whom the coast fever had made fearful ravages. " A month at this beautifud island, the glorious garden of the sea, had quite renovated the whole of us, and it was with much regret that we prepared to depart once more for the arid, feverstricken coast of Loango. On the evening before we sailed I went on shore and dined at the hotel. After dinner I sat smoking under the verandah, and for two hours I listened with most exemplary patience to the interminable tales of naval officers' grievances. At length, fairly worn out by my messmates' old, old stories, I managed to give them the slip, and got out alone into the cool, star-lighted streets. I was naturally in a very prosaic humour, and so I sauntered on without noticing anything, until T found myself quite out of the town, on the main road leading into the middle of the island. My path now began to assume a somewhat picturesque aspect. On the right was a deep valley, along the side of which the i-oad was made. In the dark gloom of this valley tall, stately palms waved their crowns of leaves in the night wind, and along the bottom a little hill ton ent rattled and splashed amongst the pebbles of its stony bed. High up on the hill sides, amongst the great volcanic rocks that were thickly strewed around, the cactus plants and tall spike-leaved aloes flourished. Behind lay the town, and beyond that, to the northward, stretched out the vast expanse of the Atlantic, along the surface of which a brilliant planet was reflected in a glittering path of glory. My walk being all up hill, 1 determined to keep on, as it would be easy enough to return when tired. About a mile or so further I passed an old deserted house, with some fantastic Dutch carving about it. It struck me as beiug remarkably picturesque, and I resolved that should I ever revisit Saint Helena I would make a sketch of it. I had gone on some distance when I noticed that the road was here bounded on the left by a stone wall about three or four feet in height. Hitherto I had met no one ; but just at this moment I observed what had appeared to be a lady dressed in white coming up from among the rocks and jungle plants on my right. I had never seen any by-path about here, and it occurred to me that it was somewhat odd a lady should attempt to struggle through the prickly pear bushes and tangle ; I would not have done it myself, especially at night. However, I had not much time to think about this, for she had just got into the road about twenty paces ahe<ul. " Now, I thought, " I shall see who you are," for she must either come towards me or walk in the opposite direction, in which latter case I could soon overtake her. I was wrong ; she did neither. She crossed the road at right angles, and to my horror passed straight through the wall, as if it had not existed. The lower part of her dress seemed to merge into the wall, and I distinctly saw aoove it her head and shoulders as she passed quickly on out of sight. A shudder passed through me ; I seemed rooted to the ground, and I felt a cold perspiration start out in large drops on my forehead. I was so unprepared for this, not having had an idea of anything ghostly, until I saw that the wall across her path did not in the least effect her onward progress. For perhaps a minute I stood thus, thinking — or rather trying to think — what it could be. I could, of course, come to no other conclusion than that it was a visitant from the spirit-world. This opinion, you will see, was strengthened, if not confirmed, by subsequent events. For my part, I have now no doubt whatever of it. I went on and examined the wall. There was, as I well knew, no gap in it. I then ciossed the road, and looked for a path. At first I could find none, but presently I discovered traces of one that, through disuse, had now become thickly grown over with brush wood, and scarlet geraniums so common in the island. Thinking that I had seen enough for one night, I resolved to go no further, and so I quietly retraced my steps. As I returned I pondered over this strange adventure, and wondered what it foreboded. As I passed the clock of Saint James's church, I was surprised to find that it was half an hour past midnight. I hailed for my boat and was soon on board and fast asleep. At daylight the next morning we sailed for the coast. Two months afterwards we captured a slaver off San Paulo de Loando. I was sent with a party of men to take her to Saint Helena, with her captain, crew, and slaves, just as she stood. She was a long, low, rakish-looking craft of one hundred and ninety tons, called the Maraquita. The captain (whose name, for reasons that will presently be obvious, I forbear to mention) was a tall, handsome American, of about thirty-five years of age. Although still young, his hair was turning grey, and he seemed broken down with a weight of care. It was not about the loss of his ship and cargo — that he treated as a mere bagatelle ; there was some far heavier grief that was telling on him fearfully. He

was a man of education, and was extremely well read in all subjects. Besides this, he Avas a thorough gentleman ; and as he had travelled much, we found that Aye had many subjects in common, and, accordingly, became great friends. Thus our voyage across became pleasant enough ; and it was not until just at its close that an incident occurred which will be always recorded in the log-book of my memory. It happened in this way : — It was a beautiful starlight night, Avith a fine fresh breeze bloAving, and the schooner Avas slipping through the water very easily, making nine knots an hour — it Avas then eleven o'clock. Having determined to get a bearing of the laud before I turned in, I satl on the weather-rail smoking, and had not been there long before I was joined by my friend. He seemed more than usually low-spirited. I tried to rally him, but failed utterly. After a long silence, he said — " You have often asked me to tell you of my great sorrow, and now I will inform you Avhy I am so wretched, and yo;i may judge if there is a more miserable man on earth." "Do so, by all means," I replied ; "and perhap: I might be able to alleviate your misery in some way." c< Alleviate my misery ?" ho answered scornfully ; " there is only one man can do that, and that is myself. Something tells me that it isn't to last much longer. By the Avay, what time d'you guess you Avill make the land ?" "In an hour or so, by midnight, or thereabouts," I answered. "By midnight, eh ? Ah, that's just the time. Well, well, I see I have no time to lose ; so I must make a short story of a long one, and just tell you the bare fads as they occurred, and only just as many as are absolutely necessary. Listen, and don't interrupt me ; for my time is short." He then proceeded at first calmly and s'owly ; but gradually as passion gathered strength and way upon him, with flushed and impetuous eagerness to the close. " My father was a wealthy merchant, and was descended from the 'E. F. V.,' the First Families of Virginia, our aristocracy. I chose the sea for a profession, and joined the United States Navy. After ten years service, I greAV tired of that life, and the Secretary of tho Navy Avas reluctantly compelled to accept my resignation. I Avas then free, and Avith plenty of money to back me, I resolved, by my father's advice, to visit the principal cities of Europe. Furnished Avifch tho best letters of introduction, I Avas Avell received both at the courts and amongst the chief families of the great capitals. Three years of mj life Avero thus spent pleasantily enough, during which time I saw nearly everything iv Europe that Avas Avorth seeing. Of course I met Avith many adventures that I would dwell on Avith great pleasure, but they must remain untold; for I have no time to tell you moro than the circumstances Avhich indirectly brought me into your hands. " Strangely enough, the last country that I visited Avas England ; I think I liked it least of all. I had many introductions to the best families in London, and these soon led to rriore and more. In two months I was in a perfect whirl of balls, routs, kettledrums, and the usual gaieties aud fashionable dissipations of a London season. At one ball, to which I had a strange disinclination to go — would I never had gone ! — I met Agnes jSTorrington. She AA'as the belle of the season. I had heard of her long before ; her beauty, her charmingly unaffected manner, and her brilliant power of repartee, were the admiration of every one, and formed no small topic of conversation in every "West End draAviugroom. She Avas exceedingly fair ; her features had the regularity of the ■ finest of those Grecian statues, of Avhich I had lately seen and admired so many ; but her eyes, that generally shone so softly, and to me, latterly, so lovingly, would at times flash indignantly and contemptuously, showing the loving yet proud and fiery soul that lay hidden beneath a beautiful statuesque exterior. Add to this a majestic figure of more than ordinary height, conceive your highest ideal of feminine loveliness, and you have but a faint notion of what Agnes was. " "When I first saw her I shared in the general fascination, and subsequently I contrived to meet her frequently. How it happened that I was so fortunate as to obtain her affection, she being surrounded by young noblemen who were dying for her, has ever been a mystery to me. Suffice it to say that it was so. For six short Aveeks I enjoyed my triumph. I saw her constantly. "We loved each other with such an intensity as no others ever knew. Things were thus running very smoothly, when one day, with tears in her eyes, she told me that the colonel, her father, had accepted the post of commandant of the island of Saint Helena, and thither they were about to go. "It Avas useless for me to demand his daughter iv marriage, for I knew too Avell that he would never consent. He cherished a deadly hatred for Americans ; and besides, he had set his heart upon marrying her to a repulsive young sprig of nobility, whom he had determined on taking with him as his aide-de-camp. It was a satisfaction to me to know that she hated him*"