A GOLDEN SORROW.

Waikato Times, 20 January 1874, Page 3

A GOLDEN SORROW.

I wear, 'tis better to be lowly born, £nd range with humble livers in content, Than to be perked up in a glittering grief, And near a golden sorrow. Shakspeabb.

CHAPTER XXVIII.— 'FOB KSGLAND, HO3IE, AND BEAT7TT.' Tiik arrangements for their sailing to Panama by tbe first ship were speedily completed, and then Lawrence carried out another project. There was resident at that time in the chief city of the Golden State a certain Dr Drewitt, famous for Ins treatment of nervous disease. His practice was very extensive, for the nerve* »fo sorely tried by the toila and the pleasures of life in that glorious country, which ought to be the easiest in tbe world to live in, as it is incomparably the most delightful. But drink and excitement, the mad murderous violation of the laws of health, aad ill-treatment of the machines by their unruly tenants, are too common there, and Dr Drewitt's hands were full. Lawrence called on thu gentleman, and told him all the circumstances connected with Walter's sudden and extraordinary loss of memory. Dr Drewitt listened to the narrative with attention and interest to the end, when he asked Lawrence whether lie had been quite over tbe fever at the time it attacked Walter, and whether any intimation of danger to tbe dust they had on the premises bad besn conveyed to him at a time when his mind was under the influence of the illness ? At these questions Lawrence smiled; be perceived the drift of the doctor's speculations. ' You think, i erhapj,' be- said, ' that the screw loose in this matter may bo m my brain, and not in that of my friend— that I may bo under a delusion, and not be the victim of a sudden interruption of memory. But it is not to. lam quite aware that if such were the case, I slnuld assert the contrary as cilmly an.l as strenuously as I am asserting it now, nnd tl erefore I will Eay no more on that point ; but, if you will allow me, I will afc some future time inform you of the result of the search I am bent upon making for Deenng and tne pocket-book.' Dr Drewitt kept a steady ga?e fixed upon. Lawrence, whom, it by no means disconcerted. ' There are two sides to every story, wise people say,' remarked the doctor ; ' and I may perhaps wish to learn both sides of this one Tell, me as precisely as you can what was the latest impression, to your knowledge, on your friend's mind before he received tbe ahock which brought on delirium ; and what was the length of time intervening between, his telling you about the. concealment of the nugget and the commission of the murder.' Daly .nformed Dr Drewitt precisely on these two points, and told him that he had reason to believe Walter had felt the approach of illness bofore the night on which the murder was committed. Then the doctor, having taken a short time to consider his replies, told him that in certain cases of fever this p&rtial and special loss of memory on the subject of the latest strong impression made upon the mind was, though not frequent, of occasional occurrence. It was an unaccountable phenomenon, n,nd might be removed, as it had come, suddenly, at any time— perhaps years hence j or it im^ht never be removed, *nd there was no help for it. It did not necessarily imply any further injury to the brain, and was consistent with sound general health. When Daly had taken his leave, Dr Drewitt remained for some minutes leaning against the mantel-piece in his con-sulting-room, in an attitude of cogitation. Then he took out of a press underneath cf a row of book-shelves an armful of newspapers, and selecting a few, after examination of their datee, searched carefully through their coluinm. He soon found what be was looking for, and began to read steadily. When he had done reading, be put away the newspapers, and proceeded to make some notes in a book which he took from a locked drawer. ' Mr Daly is in the right,' he said to himself, at he dipped his pen in the ink ; ' the other evidently knew nothing about tbe murder. The newspaper accounts of it entirely confirm that part of Mr Daly's story ; and that being positively, the remainder 19 presumptively, truo. Very hard on him if he does not rind this other man ! And certainly one of the oddest of the many odd things which have come in my way. When Mr Clint called on me this morning, and explained that he had come to consult me, in all possible privacy, about tho mental condition of a friend -whom he bad reason to belie\ c the victim of a delusion, a fixed idea— and I told him, as I have just told Mr Daly, that there wai nothing to be done, I never doubted tho truth of the story for a moment. I wish I could see more of this case ! It only proves once more what I see every day — how much less wise I am than people take me for. JSo doubt, I shall hear more of it, for, though he behaved most admirably, Mr Duly w inced under my suspicion, and will be so anxious to convince me that it woi unfounded, that he is certain to let me know the result of his search. A very strange and valuable addition this to my collection of puzzles.' The advice which Dr Drewitt had given to each of tho friends tallied so eaactly, that it prod uced porfect harmony of action. Each was watching the other, in ilnsnoken hope of a possible result, and the subject most frequently in the thoughts of both was never alluded to by eiJier. During their tedious voyage, Lawrence enlightened Walter respecting hit own intentions. At first, Walter wat both angry and hurt ; but by degrees Daly inado him nee and acknowledge tbe unreasonableness of his expectation that thoir life could be any longer in common, and he tubraittod. Daly then proposed that Walter should intrust to him hi* shure of the proceed* of the ' dust ' they had foUL-d, for lmestment in some of the American enterprises which he bad been studying of late, and to this Walter gladly assented. 1 He bad great reliance on Daly'a ju< gment, winch was not lessened or injured by his perception of that »trange delulion which had grown up in Lawrence's mind since the fever, of whose persistence he »vas perfectly aware, though Lawrence was so careful never to allude (o it, and from any hint of which Walter shrunk with an uneasy nervousness. Indeed, be had the same sort ot nervous feeling, though not to anything like so great an extent, about all reference to their life at the gold-fields. It had become, not only indistinct, but distasteful to hun ; and as it was inevitable that he and Lawrence should talk about it, he began to think ho cculd be reconciled to a separation from his friend which would leaseu tbo vividness of their association! with a life which had become t>o budd«nly and unaccountably painful to him. to recall, lnd then Lawrence had promised to come to England after three johth at the outside. The voyage was irksome to them both, but especially to Daly. Walter slept a great deal ; he bad acquired the habit pf much §leep since hia illnes*, mid had pleaaant )lan« and pleaeant prospects during the v uLing uours ; but thing* were dreary with Ltwrunuc