NOBELLIST MR. MONTFORD'S ROOM

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1550, 10 June 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

NOBELLIST

MR. MONTFORD'S ROOM-

By Waif Wander (W. W.).

It was a strange experience altogether, and I have for yeare been very chary ot relating it. The sight of Colonel Ard■well's name in a late paper, however, has recalled the whole affair so vividly to me, that I may interest you in recording it. I came out to these colonies fully determined on settling, and, -when I heard that Bungarra Station was in the market, i immediately put myself in communication with the owner, Colonel Ardwell. I found him a jolly, agreeable man of the ■world, 4»nd we arranged at once that he should accompany me on a visit of inspection to the property. " I own to you that I shall be glad to get rid of the place/ ho said, as, during the nileinoon or" the Becond day of our journey, we wero getting near Bungavra. "I mistook my vocation when I tried to make a country gentleinnn of niyßelf. You see what a lonely country it is, and I do believe; another six months of it would have killed me." "Have you owned the Btation long?" I inquired. •' About two yoars, and I haven't lived the fourth of the liuio on it. If yon find the plaoo suis you, I ?huuid strongly advise you to keep on M'L-iOd ; he's a pattern sttanager, and hiß htnr* ia m his work. Oh, Jay-ihe-w&y, 1 forgot to tell you that there is •a sort of moainbranoa tacked to £augarra £a the shape of an old womao." ♦•An oldwomaa?" " Yob ; the late owner willed tho sale of this property only on oondition that it should •fiord &oi shelter and sabsiatenoe daring her ltie. Afc aunaity is also provided, and a oertiin room allotted to her daring the remainder of net' existence." « How BtraDge .1" I obßeryed. " Oh, she's some favourite old oervau^, . Bappoae, and she's a qwer old ooul, bat I novf r foatid her the least trouble." "Bai, sorely, Mr. Montfo*<2 might b«v« provided fo; the old woman wi&hons taoking uer on to '*he estate ?" 1 aaitl. " Weil, yea, it does se«m odd^ I (Hdn't mind, as 1 have s»id, bat, if the old oreatate iatertered with my sate of Bungarra, 1 mast . tiy and bay her ofi somehow. 11 I was euohanied with Bungarra anu all W* «nrroundingß. Is lay in a splendid country, « broad and magnificent view of vtiMi waft «£Corded from nearly every window of the house. And the unuiual style of the said boose formed not the least of ill attractions to me ; it was bo unlike anything I had oonuoived of colonial arobitccture. JThe building lay o'» the slope o£ vgr'&aa hflL', and was o£ blua-Btoue, and one Story oily. Already scarcely * stone ww visible, fo* a thick Bcreen o«< English' jLvyl p* flouriabing around ib and up to the yarar mouldings of the chimneys. The windows were email! and wero of dia>mond-jpan|d^ old-fashioned cashes, and the deep verul4»hß were heavily piliaped, an^ eveo in

broad daylight oniy>,held as much light &b j thai afforded by a ihiok forest. " Fortunately the sitting rooms face the part of the house a stranger might set down as the back, or there would be no light at all in the place,' 1 the colonel said, as we alighted from the vehicle, a*bd introduced me to the capable-looking man M f Leod, who was manager of the eßtate. " M'Leod will show you over the place, for, to tell you the truth, I know very little more of it than my own three rooms and the stables. You will find it an oddlyplanned house." It was an oddly-planned house, yet one built, I could quite believe, with the one view of suiting it to the requirements of the climate. It was built in the shape of the letter E, with the wing of the house that corresponded with the bottom of the E lying right against the hill. In the centre of the square formed by the three angles of the building, a fountain, supplied, as M'Leod told me, by the drainage from the hill, scattered its radiating spray refreshingly in the sun, and the stone portico, that completed the letter-resem-blance, as it were, was covered with a climbing rose-tree, heavy with blossoms. I need not, however, deity my story by any unnecessary deioription of Bungarra. I inspected it olosely, approved of, and bought the property. I saw the old woman enoumbianoc, and pitied her trembling hand and white, worn xaoe, quite enough to pat any idea of her being in the way oat of my head, but that she was quite unaware that the property had ohanged hands until I went to live on it I discovered within an hour of my arrival. I had taken up my own man, one I had brought from England with me, and as soon as M'Leocl, who had been making some arrangements with me, had gone out, Linton told me that the old woman was very anxious to speak to me. " She's in an awful to-do about lometbing, sir," he added. " I think I never saw a woman's face so white in my life." My permission ushered her into the room almost instantly, and as she stood by the door, hesitatingly holding it in her hand, I had an opportunity of notioing her agitation as extreme. She w&b so thin and frail-look-ing, too, and her deep blaok dress bo suggestive of trouble and death, that I felt for thepoor old oreatnre, and rose to place her a ohair. " Sit down, Mrs. Tone. If you have anything to say to me, you can say it more at your ease thus." She tat down and lifted her dim eyes to my f aoe as she nervously fingered the ooruers of her black apron. It seemed to me as if Bhewere anxiously scanning and trying to read my obaraoter in my face. 11 1 didn't know that Colonel Ardwell had sold Bungarra until to-day, sir," she began, " and I'm anxious about it." <( Oh, yoi| may set your mind at rest," I hastened to answer. "I am quite aware of the life claim you have on the property, that will be all right." " But the olosed room, sir ? Did the Colonel tell you about that ?" The question was so anxiously put, and such a strange one, that I looked hard into the woman's face as I returned. "The olosed room ? what oloHed room ?" "The room where Mr. Montford died," she replied, in a low voice, as her eyes fell to the floor, and her lips trembled. "Oh, l remember now! Colonel Ardwell did say something about a room being shut np at the baok — something about an absurd talk of its being haunted, wasn't it ? Bat the colonel never visited it, did he ?" "No, sir, no foot hao crossed the threshold sinoo the moater died, und he wouldn't rest in his grave if any foot did." II My good woman/ I B&id, with a firm' ness that I have no doubt gave her some insight into my determination of oharaoter, " if there is one thing more utterly abominable «nd disgusting to me than another it is superstitious nonsense of any sort. I will take care there are no ghosts about this house while I am its owner. Which of these keys is that of this haunted room ?" and I laid the bunch of keys on the table before her. She pointed to one, rusted and discoloured. u That is it. but for God's cake, sir, be warned, for there is no luck in crossing the wishes of the dead,' 1 " When the wishes of the dead interfere with the comfort of the living, they shall I not be considered at Bungarra," I replied, " Mr. Montford's wishes as to yourself he has make lawful and binding ou good parchment, but there is no mention of a reserved room." "He had not time, or he would have done it," she murmured. "No time?" "No sir. I don't think that Colonel Ardweli ever knew how Mr. Montford died, for he never tried to deseorate the room he cut ofi from the living by his expressed dying wishes, but as you sir, are determined to let light into a spot daylight should never penetrate, I tell you that Mr. Montford waa murdered ia that chamber." As she spoke, the old woman rose and curtsied to mo, and then went out of the door with a tottering step, yet without another word. I waa angry, and my curiosity was excited. I put out my hand, and touched the bell for my man. ' "Linton," I said, when he appeared, " there's a room in this house, that has been shut up for years k it seems — I want to vißifc it — do you know in what part of the building it is ?" " I can Iguess, sir, for I was wondering at the state of a door at the end of the hiU. wing, as Mr. M'Leod calls it. It does nob seem to have been opened or dusted for ageB> and the cobwebs are in every corner of it." "Here's the key of it. I am going to visit that room." A3 we passed along the hall that ran right through the building, and round its every wing, I looked, but saw nothing of Mrs. Tone. I thought, perhaps, ehe might wish to look once more into the room that evidently held a deep interest for her—but it was not so,' Somehow or other, as I followed Linton along the dim passage that led to the closed room, I felt for the first time in my life some idea of the sensations encountered by the superstitious when they approach the dread scene of a murder or a tragedy. The door was the very last in the corridor, and as Linton, with some difficulty, turned the rusty key in the lock and opened Mie door, nothing was visible but a ' darkness wonderful to exist in the broad light of day. The one window opened into the quadrangle formed by the arms of the building, but it was so overgrown by the interlaced ivy that the few rays it admitted were easily caught by the olosed Venetian /blind inside. Linton at onoe drew up the blind and opened the 'window, while I eagerly.. waited to see what; appearance was -presented by this chamber of death. ! , ' It waa a tolerably large ' room, furnished with every convenience as the bedchamber of 7 a gentleman accustomed to be surropMted with the luxuries as well as the comforts pi Jifp. The large half-tester bed was hung ana 'draped with a handscme i f cr#onne> tn'e .couph'at -the root' pf the pad;

covered with tbe came. A large mirror occupied a piominent place on the carved toilet-table, on which yet remained the combs, brushes, and other toilet requisites, probably as the last owner had lett them, and directly opposite the bed and toilet were the double doora of a large closet, in which still hung many garments tbat gave out a damp, mildewed smell as the doors were opened. The strangest thing of all was, however, the fact that from one side of the floor, close to the bed. the rich carpet was tossed back, and the boards, whereon were great, dark stains, lay quite exposed. I use the word toßsed advisedly, for the carpet was not toldefl back, but lay aB if it had been thrown back by a strong and hurried hand. My man raised his eyes from contemplating these dark Btains, and meeting mine said, seriously : •'This must be the room where Mr, Montford was murdered, sir." " Oh, you're heard that story, then ?" I asked. •' Yes, sir j the waiter at the hotel where we baited told me, and seemed to wonder that I did not already know." "Ah i and he doubtless hinted a little about a ghost, and all that sort of thing, ehP" "Well, yes, sir; he did say that this room was said to be haunted." " Exactly so. Now, Linton, you have known me long enough to believe that I won't have any such nonsensical tales about a place that has become my property. I don't believe in ghosts o£ any shape or form, and, to settle the matter, I shall take this room as a sleeping-chamber for myself. See that it is put in order; have a good fire made j throw open the door and window; have that ivy pruned that keeps out air and light, and to-night I'll see what sort of ghosts haunt Bungarra." " All right, sir." I was going away, leaving the arrangement entirely to Linton, when a curiosity that I felt growing on me urged me to ask a question : "By-the-way, did you hear any particulars of this murder, Linton ?" "I suspect the man told me all he knew himself, sir. It seems Mr. Montford was a very odd character, and was known to keep all his money under his own hand. One morning when this old woman, Mrs. Tone, came to bring his hot water aB usual, she found him lying there on the floor in his own blood, and bo badly wounded that, although he Jived for two days, he scarcely spoke, save to the lawyer that made his will. Mrs. Tone and her son were with him when he died, and no one else." II Her son? whore is he now ?" » I don't know, sir. The old woman must have been very fond of her master, for they say she has never held np her head since, and has aged a good twenty years einoe he died." I went away to the sitting-room, and sat down to try »nd puzzle a meaning out of the stiaDge story I had heard in connection with the old woman's name. That Home mystery nurrounded both her and the memory of her Into master, I was oertain, yet I was somewhat uneaiy as to the effect my decision to ooonpy the room myself might have upon her, ao I determined to communicate it myself, and see if any expreieion she might let fall would be any guide to me. It was a lovely afternoon, the sun as it drooped to the west falling fully on the playing waters of the fountain io the oentre of what I may term the oorirt-yaxd, formed by the angles of the bnilding. X went out, and, stan ding in the porob, looked toward the room wtiere my valet was bnay, it was on my right, ai the extreme end of tue wing of tue hcuae, as I have already stated, and then for the first time I observed, at a little distance from the room, and lying right against the hill itself, a small tenement with a oaimney and a patch of flowers in front. It Btmok me that it was the habitation of old Mrs. Tone. Impnleiyely I strolled across the yard, and approached the open door of the small oottage. If I had any doubts ai to its being the old woman's plaoe of abode, the sight of her sealed inside, with her head bowed on the , table, and her withered hands olaoped above it, was Buffioient to set them at rest. The poor oreature was apparently in great agitation— great Bobs shaking her frail body from head to foot. I oould not help wondering if this awful < grief had anything to do with the opening of the room in which her unfortunate master had died, but I do not think I should have ventured to make my presence known under the oirottmstanoes. I had, however, hardly drawn baok to go, when she lifted her white, tear-stained face, and saw me. The thoughts of my mind sprang to my lips ere I had time to think. " I hope it is not anything oonneoted with the dosed room that is troubling you thus," I said. " You are old enough to know that euoh foolish superstitions should not be oarried to tbe edge of the grave." " I do not blame you—you kuow no better, and it iB the will of God," she replied, shortly, as sha wiped her dim eyea. "You lead too lonely a life, my poor woman," I continued, "yon have brooded over the dad loss of a doubtless good master until your brain has beoome weakened. At you* ago it is not right for you to live by yourself. Where is your son, who was here at Mr. Montford's death ?" It I had struok the woman with a etoue she could not have more visibly Biaggered ;' ihe drew baok suddenly, as if from a heavy blow, and stared at me with ft terror that almost conimuaioated itself to me. What had I said or done to ooubo eaoh an awful exhibition of fear and horror as lay stark in in that old woman's faoe ? I began to think, as the most simple elucidation of all the mystery tbat seemed to surround her, tb,at her brain was really giving way uudtr her trouble and loneliness. " Son did not understand me, I fear, Mrs. Tone, I only asked you if you knew where your son was. He would be oompany for you and, if you thought fit, I have no doubt employment oould be found for him on the station. Do you know where he is ?" "He is. dead I dead! dead I" she oried, wildly, " dead'to life, dead to hope, dead to God, and dead to me I" and tossing her thin arms above her head, she tottered into an inner chamber and left me"to go baok even move bewildered "than when I had left the parlour. As I passed the open window of the room I had deoided on oooupying, I paused and looked in; Linton had got M'Leod's houtrakeeper at Work with him, the carpet was lifttd and shaken, and the hangings removed from the bed for the purpose of airing and dusting, doubtless. The mattrassei and bedding had. also disappeared and the floor had been scrubbed. , A bright fire blazed on the low Hearth, and the most superstitious would' have found Jittle, of the haunted r P& m I? t** appearance W ' sented by the rejMJvated chamber. I i aid as-much to my 1 man while the 'woman had gone but to bring the carpet oft the grass. "TesVeir, it begins to look more habitablei but it is too 'lurried; the dayjia wearing so fast. ' I have not* been able, to oleiur'out the oloset, which, you knoV, is full of the dead gentleman's clothes, and I have put -ffig&ffii&SFfcA beddjngjin there v matil toVmowovr *^-but ' thtot ! will not Oonw puV' ' WWl 1w fitytfl 'to vtfco <%tf

stains on the floor by the bed, which were beginning to creep boldly to view again from the drying moisture of thesorubbrogbruah. " Never mind ; the carpet will cover it," was my reply, as I went away. Well, night came, and bedtime, when, escorted by my attendant, I went to spend my first night in the mysterious chamber. Nothing could look more comfortable. My own easy-ohair and slippers stood by the clear fire; all my toilet requisites were spread out on the snowily-draped toilet, the silver tops and stoppers reflecting themselves brightly in the tall, dark mirror behind them. The lamp burned clearly, and the bed, folded down ready for occupation, looked soft and white, and enticing enough to tempt a man less fatigued than I found myself to the soundest of slumbers. "Would it not be as well for me to sleep on this couch to-night, sir, so as to be handy in case you want me?" Linton hesitatingly asked as he -**s about to retire, and was lowering the light with the evident intention of leaving it burning. "What!" I almost roared, "am I to have you turning superstitious on my hands, too Linton P Well, I give you notice, that if I ever see suoh another symptom of it, you leave my service, if you had been twenty instead of ten years in it. What should I want you for ? or if I should, there is a bell close to the bed. Put out i that light, and go," Before complying, the man took the bellpull which waa the old-fashioned cord and tassel, and twined it lightly round the bed j post, so as to be within reach of my hand, then he blew out the light, and went out on tip-toe, and without another word. , It would bt fall* to nay that I did not experience any unuiual sensations as I lay there in the semi-darkneie, and in the room where a dmd tragedy httd bets performed, for I did. Not that I tras afraid, or had the leant anticipation* of any spiritual visitation, but I got to picturing that last night of Mr. Montford, and fancying his sensation* m he awoke with the murderer'" knife at his breast. A struggle for dear lite had been onaoted on the very bed I oooupieA; ruddy blood had ponred so deeply iuto the boards by my side that the stains yet bore witness agalmt the murderer and refused to be obliterated. Who was the murderer? I knew nothing of the affair save what I had q ithsred that day, aad I was ignorant of a fact th«t I af itf wavds diioovered, vis., that Mr. Montford wai suppoiM to have recognised the ■piller of blood, but sealed his llpt ai to hii identity, that remained to that very day unknown. The glow of the red embers alone gave a faint light around the hearth, »ud the silence, save by the ticking of my watch above my head, was unbroken. The ilnaocuttomed air, extrclse, and exoitetaent of the day had fatigued me, and gradually my thoughts began to wander and grow confuted. I fell Mleep, and knew no more until I was suddenly awakened by a strange concussion that I could not comprehend, and which seemed to have shaken the bed as though some heavy body had violently struck against it. I sat up in bed and listened. For a moment I oould have fancied that some one was in the room, and that I heard ft door creak) but, feeling angry with myself for being so impressed by what must have been a dream, I took the matches from the night stand, struck one, and lit the re-idy wax light. A« soon as it fairly threw its iUamlu*tlon round the chamber I saw lying &t the foob of the bed the beddim? and mftttresaea removed by Linton from tht bedstead I lay upon. I was very angry, for I felt considerably shaken by the ►sadden start 1 had been awakened with, and I took advantage of my man's arrangement of the bell-rope to pull it lustily. Linton made his appearance bo quickly that it was evident he had not retired, and he presented himself with a frightenedlooking face that still farther aggravated me. " What is the matter, air? Oh !" and he stared at the bedding on the floor in such undisguised astonishment that I oould have struak him. " The matter 1 You see it well enough. How dare you, sir — how dan yon arrange that bedding so carelessly in the closet that it must come tumbling oat in the dead of night ? At my time of life it might be of vety eerious consequence to me to be awakened by a shook like thia." 11 1 begyour pardoo, sir ; I packed the heap up with my own hands, and it seamed to me an impossibility for it to tumble down/ •'There's your impossibility l" I said, pointing to the annoying matter. " Take it out of this, to the ;passage, the yard, anywhere, so that I am ensured from a repetition of this annoyance." "Bat the closet door is sbat, sir. Hive yog, bean up ?" No, I had not been up ; yet there was the oloset door dosed to a osrtainty. " Bah ! it has a tendency to olose itself like many other doors," I remarked. " Got that rabbish out and take yonrseli of!, Linton." The man passed round to take up some of the blankets, etc , for removal, and, all at onoe, I saw him stop and droop the otndle he carried in his hand toward the floor. II You haven't been oat of bed, sir," h» said, lookiug at me with a puzzled and rather frightened expression — " yon haven't noticed the oarpet ?" " The carpet ?" , : I leaned over the bad to see what was the matter with the carpet^snd was more than astonished, for the floor was bare where the stains, were and the carpet flang baok, jast as : had observed it to bo on my first visit to the room. I knew it oould not have been so when I had retired, at I entered the bed from the carpeted spot where Mr. Montford'a blood had been spilled. " There's some trickery going on here," I declared, "and that old woman's in it. Tako ont ihat heap o( rabbish, and, when you have done so, I will look the doorjbehind you !» I oould perceive from Lmton's manner ihat he was far from being at ease, and oast furtive looks toward the oloset as he passed it. He did not, however, offer to open or search it, but, when Ht had onoe , more retired, I rose, looked the door, and opened that of the oloset, whioh had no look, but simply ft latch, lifted by means of a brass handle on the outside. It was not even latched, and, though hung round with clothes, could by no means have afforded concealment to a human beiag. Again I returned to b«d, having assuredly latched the doof of the oloiet I had closely examined, and drawn np the blind, against whloh tht moonlit shadows of ivy leavts wtrt flickering m the soft bmse moved 4hem to. and fro, It wts some time ere I sltpt again. la spftt of my reason I felt somewhat' nervous and ill at tase. I forgot to say that felnton had re-spread tht tarpet over the unholy •tains, and it wig the-faot of the carpet being rtmqved that pu«led mt most. Bat at 1m», with the fall determination of throwing, some light on tht mystery by a full search on the morrow, I dropped off asleep onoemoity >* -' " , ; ' * It mmt have btta initlnot that awoke mo next, for, as I suddenly opened my eves.not a souid fill upon 1 my tars. With an uiacknowledgtd dislike to'fcurn my back toward the slde^from which the caidtt had bftn so my^rlou|ly CTmQTWji &sMfo

asleep with my face toward it and toward the window. Imw the shadows of the ivy leaves, and the moon'a rays ■troaming between them, and, aa I mora fully aroused myielf, I became conscious of a dark object lower down, and between me and the lower part of the window — some being was doubtless j in the room with m* I I did nob move. I watched it io closely that, even in the darkness below the window, I began to f*ncy I could trace the outlined •hade of a kneeling human form. *The bowed head, that alone roae to intervene between me and the brightness of the droonlit window, seemed to oioillate slowly to and f to, and a aomething bright certainly gleamed in what appeared to ba olaaped hands over which long voluminous sleeves draped themselves darkly* So near aeamed thak figur* to me that, reaching out my hand, I could have touched it, yet, coward that I was after all, I dated L not stretch it oat. Oa« movement I made. It waa to seize th« matches for the purpose of striking a ligh . As I did ao, and the growing bla*« grew, flickered, and caught the wick of the wax light, I eagerly looked toward the window. There waa nothing there — nob the shadow of a shadow, but the carpet was again thrown back fiom the stains of blood. I slept no more that night, and wa* rejoiced ko see ths daylight appear after the longest hours of darkness I had ever experienced. While yet in the silence and depth of night I had to own to myself that I experienced a sort of uuacoouutable awe at the apparently unearthly visitations I had experienced; but a« the day beams broke sunnily into the weird room I began to fancy I muit have dreamed of that kueallng form, or pictured it to myseU by the force of an excited imagination. Ik required only the sight of the disarranged carpal to assure me that some kind of unknown power had really been at work in »he looked room. I rang the bell, roie and unlocked the door to admit Llnton, whose very first look waa one of horror at the again disturbed carpet ; knowing I should require his assistance in the thorough examination I Intended m aking, I told him my experiences of the night while I wai droning. ''We aro the subjects of some trick, thn objeob of which is to keep us out of this room," I concluded. " The trick lam bsnfc upon discovering for the purpoie of puauh ing its author. The object, I daresay, will be found out also ; but lam certain that old I woman has something to do with both." First I caused every article of attire to be turned out of the cloiek, and made a close ie«oh of it for some surreptitious nwans of entrance, but 1 could find none. Then, while Linfcoa was disposing of the labe Mr. Monti ord's garments, over hedges and fences, far the purpose of being thoroughly aired, I went to old Mrs. Tone's cottage, intending plainly to accuse her of having annoyed me during the night, but I was fated to be disappointed at every step. Th* collage was locked up and silent, and the very key had disappeared from the key-hole. " Someone there must be residing in the neighbourhood who is acquainted with the circumstances of Mr. Montford's death," I aaid to my man, after breakfast. " I shall ride over to the township and see if I cannot find out the medical man who attended him at his death. "That will be useless, sir," Linton replied. "I have been inquiring of Mr. M'Laod, the manager, and he say* the doctor here is « new man, oom« since he did himself , which was oDly when Colonel Ardwcll bought; thu property. Do you think, sir, *hat it wouH ba any g"O? w eoqiira ot the Catholic eler^Tmvi ? Ttt-y s*y »h<s dead gentleman w*« a very strict R iiaan Catholic, and so is Mm. Ford." "Id can, at loast, do no harm to end get seme advice in the afUr," I snid ; " bat you Jmay be sute if the clergyman knows anything he has been bound to secrecy, or more of the aflMr would be known in the neighbourhood. However, I shtll call on the clergyman." And in an honr I h»d ridden from Bungarra, leaving Llatoa strict orders to keep the mysterious chamber close fastened until my return. I was fortunate in finding Father O'Connor at home— and an intelligent and friendly man-of-the-world. He listened to my relation of my troubles a nd mysteries with a face that grew more and more serious as I prooeeded. When I related the faois of Mrs. Fone's disappearance ha rose suddenly, and with some excitement. "I must return to Bungwra with you, lir," he said. " You are quite right in supposing that I know much o! the f Rcbs of Mr. Mont(ord\murder that are unknown to th« police; these facts were confided to me under seal of confession— a seal which deat h must soon break if it h*B nod already done so. Excuse me while I order my horse," We returned together to the station, and nearly in silence, as the priest seemed anxiously brooding, and in haste to reach our destination. As aoon as we dismounted in the oourt, ha walked straight to Mrs. Tone's door, and: knocked and called loudly, II Mary I Mary Tone 1 open, it is I, Father O'Connor," but there w*a neither reply or Bound, and, without further parley, being a tall, powerful man, he pat his Bhonlder to the (l"or and burst it open. Tuore waß no one in the little room, and no sign of l*te habitation. As the priest was about to enter^ihe back apartment, he turned to me and said, hurriedly : " Oblige me by going to Mr. Montfotd'a room, sir, I will join you there shortly, and explain all this, 1 ' and he disappeared, closing the door behind him. "These extraordinary proceedings eertainly.reqnire some explication," I observed, with some annoyanoe, io Linton, who was standing at the door, " but open the door and let ns await hie vsvsrenoe aa he has indicated.." ' „ , The haunted room being, ax I have before said, the last of the wing against the hill, it Svas bnt a few steps from Mrs. Tone's place, yet to gain it we had to go round by the pottioo and so along tbe hall to it. Linton placed the key in the door, turned it in the look, and drew back to allow me to enter, I did until I had passed the threshold, and then, with an exolamation half of fear and half of amazement, I stood still for a moment to realise the awful picture before my eyes. On the bate floor by the bedside, for the replaced carpet bad again been drawn baok, a figure in a long, dark and coarse garment was lying still and motionlais. The figure was that of a man, and the portion ol the countenance unhidden by the tangled grey beard was ghastly white and emaciated to extremity. The sunken eyes wire open pwfclally, and the thin hands clasped to the scarcely heaving breast a silver crucifix. from the position in which the body lay it would item as if tk'e man had fallen over from his knees, and it was but;t«o : evident that he was dying— even in that >»«ment' of pulnful surprise it flashed upon ma that I was looking upon the murderer of Mr. Montford! ' •. „ J : . At this moment, to my greater surprise, Father O\Ooanor altered the' room by the. door of the closet, and, kneeling by the dying man, raised his head on hi* knee. Jgrldentlj; he was '«°ognlied rf(^|pi' *ja,d amlle {passed, over his lips as henHwHabu i rmur,«d. . : ">l,t ii f" " f^ 8 -" "r* -*"-T x i T a^ cheek onlh^fflßgjflnoijge V~: ~

I cannot even yet recall without pain tta fiellag* I experienced during the next fan houxa »t my new purchase. The clergyman had found Mrs. Tone in a dying state in the cellar that had served as her son's voluntary hiding place from the world since the murder of her master. It was impouiblt and Impolitic to attempt further concealment, and a ; magisterial inquiry held on the bottle* brought to light moab of the particular* related to me privately by Father O'Connor. , "John Tone had always been a wild oharaoter," he said, "and the tame life at Bangarra did not suit him, 10 he made ap hiu mind to rob hit master of the gold he knew was kept in a small vaalt oommunioating with Mr. Montfoxd'fl zoom by, a wellconcealed spring door in the oloset. He did not oalonlate on his master's waking and, reoognuing him, however, and in hio terror i of discovery and punishment stabbed him to ,' the death,, as he hoped. He did not imme- j diaSely die, however, and the moihexV pleadiDgg for her son's Ufa aetod co upon She dying gentleman that he helped to oonoeal the orime, entrusting the truth to none but me. I ten less responsibility in keeping the seoret as the wretched man was so overcome with repentanoe and remorse as to be unwilling to look in the face of dayi and has spent those years in penances and prayers and fasting that would have worn out a stronger frame than his. It was his praotioe to pray nightly on the ipot ha had! spilled blood— ms crime wai great, hie atonement was heavy— may God rest his BOUl." I have spent many happy days at Bangarra sinoe these evenio. My only. rugl widowed sister haa joined ma from home, and her happy children make the nae old house gay with lively voices. The ivy on the stoua waits is green and clustering, the rotes 00 ihe potoh, blushing and sweetscented. Tho fonaiain plays and Bparklee its diamond spray iv the son, and there are noghoatshauueing the long halls, yet, I mast confess to tue weakness of haviog razed Mrs. Tone's cottage to the ground and reolosed Mr. Montford's room.