THE STORY-TELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 969, 7 September 1878, Page 2

THE STORY-TELLER.

WIFE IN NAME ONLY. By the author of " Dora. Thobne," "On Heb Wedding Morn," " Redeemed by Love," "A Woman's Wab," &c. &n. (Continued from last Saturday's issue). CHAPTER XXVII. ' It must be as I have said,' declared the unhappy man. ' I have been deceived, and so have you. We have to suffer now for another's sin.' 'We may suffer,' she said, dully, ' but we cannot part. You cannot send me away from you/ ' I must,' he persisted. * Darling, I speak with deepest love and pity, yet with unwavering firmness. You cannot think that, with that terrible stain resting on you, you can take your place here.' .'. But I am your wife,' she cried, in wild terror. ' You are my wife,' he returned, with quivering lips, ' but you must remain so in name only.' He paused abruptly, for it seemed to him that the words burned his lips as they passed them: -■ With a deep sob she stretched out her arms. ' But I love you, Norman; you must not send me away. I shall die if I have to leave you !' * My darling,' he said, gently, 'it is even harder for me than it is for you.' ' No, no,' she cried, ' for I love you dearlyy'Norman —better than my life ! Darling, my whole heart went out to you long ago—you cannot give it back to me.'

'lf'it kills you and myself,' he said, hoarsely, ' I must send you away.' •Oh, no, Norman, do not send me away. Let me stay with yeu, husband darling. We were ma~iied only this morning, My place is by ypur side ; I cannot go.' s Lo'ktng at her, with those passionate accents still ringing in. his ears, his only answer was, ■ Family honor demands it.'

' Norman'.' she implored, ' listen to me. dearest! Do not send me away jFrpm.'you. I will be so good, so de« voted., : . I will fulfil my duties so well. I will bear myself so worthily that no one shall remember anything against ■me. Oh, Norman, be merciful to me ! Leaving you would be a living death.' ' You cannot suffer more-than I do.' lie sa'd. ' and I would uivemy life to save you pain ; but, my darling, I cannot be so false to the traditions of my lace, so fals3 <o the honor of my house, as to ask you to stay here. There has never been a blot oh our name. The •mnals of our family and stainless. I would not ask you to remain here, and treat you as my wife, even to save my life.' * I have no wrong, Norman, and why should you treat me so cruelly ?' ' No. my darling, you have done no wong, and the punishment is more mine than yours. I lo f e fcllc wife whom T love most dearly. ' And What do I lose? she moaned. 'Not so much as I do, because you ire the fairest, and sweetest of women. You shall live in honor. Madalme. You shall rievet suffer social degradation, darling; the whole world shall hold you blameless, but you can be my wife in name only.' # She was silent for a few minutes, and then she held out her arms to him again. 'Oh my love, relent 1' she cried. Do not be so hard on me—indeed I have done no wrong. Be merciful 1 I am your wife ; your name is so mighty, so noble, it will overshadow me. Who notices the weel that grows under the shadow of the kingly oak. Oh, husband, let me stay ! I love you so dearly-let me stay!' , . ~ . The trial was so hard and cruel that great diops fell from his brow and his limbs trembled. . * !\fy darling, it is u'terly impossible. We have been deceived. The consequences of that deceit must be met. I owe duties to the dead as to the living, r cannot transgress the rules of my race. Within these time honoured walls n. woman can remain who is"not of staino less lineaee and stainless repute. Do not urge me further.' 'Norman,' she said, in a trembling voice, 'you are doing wrong in sending me away. You cannot outrage Heaven's laws with impunity. It is Heaven's law that husband and wife should cleave together. You cannot break it.' 'I have no'wfah to break it. I Bay simply that I shall love you until I die, but that you must be my wife in name only.' 'lt is bitterly hard,' she observed, and then she looked / up at him suddenly. ' Norman,' she said, ' let me.tiaake one last appoal to you. -J know the stigma ,is terrible -I know. Jhat the love-story must be hateful to you— I know that the vague sense of disgrace which clings to you even now is almost more than you bear ; but, my dariing, since you say you love me so dearly, can yon not bear, this trial for my sake, if in everything else I please you—if I ever prove myself a loving, trustful, truthful wife, if I fulfil all my duties so as to reflect honour on you, if I prove a worthy mislress/ojfyonr household V „' ~•' 'I oaanot,' he replied, hoarsely; but there must have been something in his f'ce from which she gathered hope, for she went on, with a ring of passionate love In her voice.

If, after we hai been uiairied, I had foupd, outj ;hat you had coucealed some-

thing from mo, do you think that I should have loved you less ?' •; , .. • I do not think yon would, Madaline : bujthe present case is different— entirely different; it is not for my own sake, but for ths henonr of my rac- fetter a thousand times that my name should die out than that upon it there should be the stain of crime !' • But. Norman—this is a weak argument, I know-a woman's argument—still, listen to it, love-who would know my secret if it were well kept? •None; but I should know It,' he replied, and that would be more than suffioient. Better for all the world to know than f-r me. I would not keep such a seoret, lognldnot. It would hang over my heaff<Pif)tthdrawn Bword, and some day tie sword'would fall. My children, should Heaven send any to me, might grow up, and then, in the height of some sooial or political struggle, when man often repeats against his fellow-man all that he knows of the vilest and the worst, there might be thi own into their faces the fact tha they were descended from a felon. It must not be ; a broken heart is bard to bear—iujured honour is perhaps harder.' She drew up her slender figure to its full height, her lovely face glowed with a light he did not understand. 'You may be quite right, Bhe said. ' I cannot dispute what you say. Your honour may be a suffioient reason for throwing aside the wife of less than twelve hours, but I cannot see it.. I cannot refute what you have said, bmt my heart tell me you are wrong.' * Would to Heaven that I thought the aame I' he rejoined quickly. ' Bnt I understand the difficulties of the case, my poor Madaline, and you do not,' She turned away with a low, dreary sigh, and the light died from her face. •Madaline,' said Lord Arieigh, quietly, 'do not think, my darling, that you suffer most—indeed it is not so. Think how I love you—think how precious you are to me—and then ask yourself if it is no pain to give you up.' •I know it is painful, she returned, sadly, ' but Norman, if the decision and choice rested with me aa they do with you, I should act differently.' •I would, Heaven knows, if 1 could/ he said, slowly. ■ 'Such conduct is not just to me,'she continued, her face flushing with the eagerness of her words. ' I have done no wrong, no harm, yet I am to be driven from your houee and home—l am to be sent away from you, divorced in alt but name, 1 Bay it is not fair, Norman—not just, ill my womanhood rises in rebellion against such a decree. What will the world say of me?' That I was weighed in the balanoe and found wanting- that 1 was found to be false or light, due doubtless to my being lowly born. Do you think 1 have no sense of honour —no wish to keep my name and fame stainless ? Could you do me a greater wrong, do you think, than to put me away, not twelve hours after our marriage, like one utterly unworthy ?' He made no-answer. She went on in her low, passionate, musical voice. ' When I read in history the atory of Anne of Cleves, I thought it cruel to be sought in marriage, brought over from another land, looked at, sneered at, and dismissed j but, Norman, it seems to me her fate was not bo cruel as mine.' 'You are wrong,' he cried. 'I hold you in all reverence, in all honour, in deepest'respect. You are untouched by the disgrace attaching to those nearest to you. It is not that. You know that, even while I say we must part, I love you from the very depths of my heart.' 'I can say no more,' she moaned, wringing her hands. *My own haart, my woman's instinct, tells me you are wrong. I cannot arguejgMth you jnor can I urge anything mwef* r' She turned from hiro. He would have given much to take her into his arms an 1, kissing her, bid her stay. ' Yon remember the old song, Madaline?— * I cntilr' not love thee, dear, so much, Loved I not honour more.' If I could be fale to the dead, Madaline, I should be untrue to the living. That I am not so is your security for my faith. If I could be false to the traditions of my race, I could be false to my vows of Jove.' '1 can. Bay no more-1 can urge no more. You are a man—wise, strong brave. I submit.' .It was a cruel fate. He looked around on his pictured ancestors. Would they have suffered, h»ve sacrificed as much .for the honour of their house as he was about to sacrifice now ? Yes, he 1= new they would, for love of race »nd pride of name .had always been unspeakably dear to them. \ T» be Continued. ..... The*withdrawal of Mr Potter as candidate for re-election to the Hamilton Borough Council at the election to take place on Thursday next, announced in a lettey in to-day's publication of the Waikato Times, will be learned with deep regret by the burghers. That Mr Potter would have been returned at the head of the poll, there is not the slightest doubt, and we trust, that it may be still possible for him to reconsider this matter, and to vaive private personal feelings for the sake of the public benefit. When you wish to Furnish your Rouse obtain a Book Catalogue from the City Hall Arcade, which contains valuable Information, not only enumerating what can be obtained there but showing the cost of Furnishing a Three, Four, Five, and Six-roomed House; also, Drawingroom separately, and Bachelors' Booms, Just received, some magnificent all-wool Kidderminster Carpets, for Dining and Bedrooms; very cheap Tapestry, Brussels and Felt Carpets : the largest stock io Auckland. All kinds of House Furniture, and an immense assortment of Bedsteads in Iron, Brass, Kauri, Cedar, Rimv, Mottled Kauri; with Wardrobes, Drawers, Washstands, and Tables to match. Dining and Drawingroon: Suites to suit all classes. Several new designs in Linoleum ; Oilcloths, all widths, for Booms, Halls, Stairs, &c. Any kind of Furniture made to order. Hotels anil Public Buildings Furnished throughout. Catalogues sent Post Free. Ladies and Gentlemen about to Furnish are invited to stroll through the • Arcade,' where, in" addition to House-Furnishina Goods, will beseen Drapery, Clothing, Millinery, and Fancy Goods. Hollow ay, Garlick, and Cranwell, Proprietors, City Hall Arcade, Queen-street, Auckland.