CHAPTER XXVIII.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1580, 19 August 1882, Page 5

CHAPTER XXVIII.

O, lio.iwn ' tli.it we should love .md liatc The de.ir ones of our soul, And hurry on a. haplcs f.itc Unto a dreary go.il. "Let not the world disdaining' Know grief w. is alltliy gaining, But ever uncomplaining, In silence sad heart go." It was a beautifnl day. The air was still aud calm, the mild rays of the winter sun, for it is in that season the beams of that great orb are beautvful in Australia, glistened dreamily on spire and roof, and danced npon the floating clouds. It was pleasant, too, to notice the bustle ana activity of the city, which superficially seemed all joyousness and business, hiding beneath its depths misery and crime. Little of this struck Jack ; he only felt that he was a stranger and an alien in this great city, and desired to get out of it as speedily as he could, and return to dear old Grit. Besides, he was too busy with his own tormenting throughts and oares to notice what was passing. Jumping into the first hansom that presented itself, he ordered the Jehu to drivo to Hesperus Villa, Toorak, as fast as his librae would go. How his heart beat as the hansom drove on toward the goal. His frame trembled, hi 9 tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and his heart died -within him as he entered the sacred suburb, where splendid mansions and 'beautiful gardens met his view. Pobr fellow ! he was going to hear his fate. The hansom drew up at the gates of a palatial building, in front of which there were grounds -such as Jack had never before seen. He looked in a halffrightened way at the bold outline of the mansion, which rose high and stately into the sky, and cut into the blue heavens with a sort of imperative air, just like that Mr iWhite had of late assumed. It disdained companionship, and stoed out peerless by itself amidst a host of other villas, which, 1 fine as they were, could not dream of approaching in grandeur to this." Of such had Jack in his young days dreamed, but never thought that he ■would actually enter into glories like these. As ho stood there the blood £» rushed back to his heart, his spirits fell 1 , .** and'he>»wbuld havo gladly 'sunk into' the gsorind. J'Washein a -dream?* Did this proud odinco bolong to >the man 'he remernbered^as a shepherd, at Grit years ago^dressod' in a blue shirt dnii moleskin trousers, 1 aid a' wearer of- eaboage-tree hats of his' own manufacture'?.'* Was this the f home Qf- ,the queer little girl with whom helha'dtrhunted^for.tflowers and "cherries" ,pn the hills of !6ritP=tlS^girl^ho:h"adSbeef" so 'glad of his cdrapany]%fl4 Wpo^oske&< ppon ,h|m D y one day, arid made a present, oft it to

But this Would not dd. \He must face the difficulty";' he mtist 1 see' her he ldved better than his : own ' life. Before he turned round >to the men who nwere thwarting him he muat have the love of this woman. She did love him, and she muBt be his. He hungered and thirsted for her; he felt that without her he would sink into the sea of ruin and death. Yes; to obtain her he would even humble himself to this purse-proud man who had insulted and hated him so deeply. What had he to fear ? Was he not wealthy, young, and handsome ; and would not love overcome all obstacles ? Lore is a wonderful reviver of courage. Jack felt as strong as a lion now, and the more thought of loving this priceless gem at once nerved him with courage that he would have faced a host of angry fathers. Vet he did not hope that Mr White would not be at home. A boy in buttons, quite a startling novelty "to Jack, opened the ponderous door. Jack inquired if Mr White was at home. No ; ho was not. What a sigh of relief he gave. Was Miss White at home ? Yes. Jack's heart gave a wild leap, the blood coursed through his veins, and hope, shut out long, again obtained admission. Let him only get face te face with Bertha, and Satan himself could not prevont a reconciliation. He gave a card to the boy, and stood there watching the golden sunlight as it brightened the beautiful scene. In the distance appeared the blue waters of the Bay on one hand, and the spires, towers, and smoke of the huge city on the other. Clote at hand were exquisite parterres blooming with flowers, Bylvan alleys, velvet lawns; and the gentle bxeeze floated over all, laden with the perfume of the woods and flowers that grew on the great mountains which rose in the far east. The harsh voice of Buttons disturbed his reverie. " Miss White says she can't see you today," said the urchin— maliciously Jack thought." He grew pale as death and grasped a pillar. The scene swam before his eyes ; the airy castles of joy he had been building faded away like summer clouds. But he struggled to regain the masteiy over himself. After a while he took out his pocketbook and wrote a few lines on a card hurriedly. They were : " Dear Bertha,— lf you ever loved poor Jack when we wand&red together on the billa of Grit in the happy old time?, see me, if only for a minnto. Don't refuse me, Bertha, unless you wish to hear of a rash act. Jack." " Give this to Miss White," said he, handing the card to the urchin. But the boy shook his head. " Couldn't do it," said he ; " She's in an awful way, and I'll lose my billet !" Jack thought a moment. He took out of his pocket a shining piece of gold. " I'll give you this- if you will," said ho. The boy looked sideways at the gold somewhat as a magpie does at a bone. After some cogitation he snatched at it and disappeared with the card. In a few minutes — what torture Jack suffered in the meantime — he appeared. " You can come in sir," said he — this time more clefferentially. What joy! Jack stepped into the rich-furnished hall with spriDgy steps. It was a beautiful hall with stained glass ceiling, through which the light came , mellowed and chastened, casting subdued hues around. The boy led the way into a magnificent reception room where the carpet was velvet pile, the furniture shining mahogany. Jack stared around him in a dazed kind of way. Rich as he was he had never seen such grandeur, such luxury and taste. And in this home Bertha lived; and to such a place he hoped to take his bride. Through the dreary .silence of the building echoed the tones of a piano played with exquisite skill, softly and feelingly, the notes of a fine contralto voice occasionally blending with the rippling melody. But another sound touched his heart ; the rustle of a silk dress, the serial tread of some one coming towards the room. Now the door opened up gently and Bertha stood before him in all hor matured and dazzling loveliness. "Fair as the first that fell of humankind." The blood in his frame beemed to stop, his brain to turn. How beautiful! It seemed to him as if he wore in dreamland, in some fairy palace, and that before him stood the princess whose apell was ca«t upon him. Yet Beitha did not look happy. Her face was clouded with care, and if Jack had had time to notice ho would have seen her lovely eyes were red with weeping. For some time neither spoke. " I have come at your request at last," said Bertha, in a deeply agitated voice. " What have you to say ?" She tried to speak this coldly and formall, but miserably failed. Sho noted the great change that had taken place in him. He had become a handsome, gentlemanly young man, and was attired in the dress of one of hor own class. What a jealous pang went through her heart when she gazed upon him. " Bertha ! Bertha !" said Jack, rising and coming to her as if he would clasp the beautiful being in his arms ; " Is this the way you meet me ? Throw off all the trammels of your present station and meet me as of old. Let us be boy and girl together, as in times gone by at Grit, when we played out in the wild bush. Bertha, don't look at me like that. I know you love me ; you know I am fonder of you than of any mortal being. 0!- Bertha, what has come over you f" " I am changed" said the girl, " and you have worked the change." " How P" cried Jack passionately ; " I have kept you in remembrance every day since we parted. When I was confined in the dark depths of the Hesperus mine I only regretted that death would come because I would lose you. And then, Bertha, how I worked to make a fortune, that I might aspire to your, hand. Everything I did was for you — I had no other end to gain. I wrote to you ; I sent you presents — you never , answered. Bertha, my thoughts were of .younight and day. : yet you never, noticed me. „ " It was not in my , power,' ' was ,the reply. "My father , opened my ( letters. But you might have, relied -upon my constancy and faith, although I was preclu^ ded fronvwriting, s My father ,has; been very severe., Hejha'q held, out a .threat that he, would disinherit m,e, and cast me fourth into the fltr>etp, if XjlpreQ. .think of you. Stftl I. ' could i; ;have ( ; stood firmly if — r!'' ,](; i t ■''!' ' ''j i-i" I' t' , , i',i <■ Here her voice bepame choked. , ' ','AYk^" '4?kiea J,ack eagerly. „ „, ' " If , yon, had, remained .true/ to me',' 1 re.-pliedßej-th^wijih-.a^b:; \-Jtf ■' •« Trn? , . to^,,3rou,jj ,iaid Jabk/^^hppe stirring hj^.b. l ear,t,;,' < and^have^,; J',lpYe you. S,4ho^a t n'd«"j;ini^ everj^ tf ,• f r wr, ar>i**,\ > tii%¥M % ; J»-y iLa&

• u " How dare you come/nere-wita sucn t •falpohood on your }ips-?" J she «aid f . " Hob flaro you say that', wtieriyou know— but ] will not sully my lips with Repeating what has been told to' me, and which has been confirmed." , Jack at once understood the whole thing. He stood rooted to the spot like a criminal. 0 ! why had he not resisted temptation, and given slander the powei to poison the ear of the only woman he ever loved f He felt as if he could haye 'shot himself there and then. - " Don't, Bertha," said Jack, despairingly.' To err is human ; to forgive divine. I have never faltered in the alliegiance of my heart to you ; but I have thoughtlessly played with one who lovee me as fondly as I love you. I have been so lonesome^ so heart-broken. But I have not wronged you. 0 ! forgive me, Bertha." " I have loved you,' 1 said Bertha, slowly and almost solemnly, " as no other woman loved a man. From the date of fny earliest recollection you were the hero of my life ; and, as I grew, so did my love. As I rose into womanhood, the dearest hope of my heart was to be your wife. It was my pride to think that I would be united to a man who was as pure and constant as myself. Oh ! what dream of future joy and happiness I indulged in when shut up in that dreary school at Sydney. But," here her voico became very sad and mournful, " they they only dreams. You have elected to seek the love of another before mine, and now I have only to accept the husband my father has chosen." Jack gave a great sob. His manliness was beginning to fail. " Bertha," said he pleadingly, " I am only human, and I have done as others have. Surely, when my heart remains true to you, and I renounce every one for you ; my future constancy will make up for the follies of the past." " It is needless to say any more," safd Bertha, in a voice broken, but firm. " Had you been as faithful as I havo been, I would have braved the anger of my father; chosen poverty with you rather than wealth with another, had it been necessary. All that now lemains is to bid* good-bye for over. Here Bertha was unable to continue the assumption of the part she had been acting. She burst into tears, and fell upon a couch. Jack rushed to her, but she waved him away. " Bertha," said Jack, bteeling his heart to the struggle, "at all events, promise me that you will not marry Hector Maoinnis. I know the men who have poisoned your mind about me. Hector Macinnis and Obadiah Sweetcomfort, whom I thrashed for your sake in the olden time, have kept you posted up in ray career, and have no doubt added to my enormities. But 1 want you to promise me thifl. Promise me that you will give me a year's trial, and if at the end of that time I am not worthy of your affection, then cast me off for ever. But do not marry Hector Macinnis, the wretch who ill-used my mother, who drove his own wife to death. _ By God," cried Jack, his face aflame with passion, " I would shoot him like a dog, and die on the pcaffold for it cheerily, before I allowed him to call you wife." Bertha looked terrified. She knew Jack's nature, and feared its outburst. "He is an honorable man," she said, falteringly; "a man who has worked himself up to a high position in Victoria, and who is an honor to the laftd. My father's ultimatum is that I accept him." " An honor to the land!" cried Jack ; •'rather a subject for the gallows, if my instinct is right. Mark mo, Bertha, if I live another year, that man will dio the death of a criminal." " You hate him," said Bertha. " And have I not reason ?" cried Jack ; " my enemies have had an innings lately, Bertha, but the time ha& come when I must take the bat in hand. Give me time. Bertha ; give me time !" "I cannot," sho replied, mournfully. " My word is pledged to my father." Jack staggered back. Bertha rose as if to g<>. He lushed to nrards her. " Bertha," said he, in a soft, pleading tone, deep with emotion, " give me one kiss before we part for ever— one kiss." Her eyes were full of tears ; her bosom rose and fell with agitation. Ho elapsed her to his heart, and snatched a long, passionate kiss. In a moment she was gone. As he went out he foamed with rage as he thought of the triumph of his enemies. He resolved in his own mind to humble them, and delay the marriage ; but no scheme with a reasonable chance of success appeared. Jack was little removed from a madman when he entered the hansom, and ho told the driver to hasten to Melbourne as if hell were behind him. On the road he passed a hansom bound for Toorak. It contained Hector and Obadiab. The cabman who drove Jack that day told his fellows on the stand that lie had had for a iare an inmate of the lunatic asylum. As Jack stepped out he was surrounded by boys who were vending the evening papers. " Great excitement, sir, "the little merchants cried ; "shares going up ; rush on Esperus Intended."