CHAPTER V.—(Continued.)

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER V.—(Continued.)

The woe-begone look that epjcucu in the Hadji's face went to Horbert's hcai I. It was one of such utter despair, couple t vifh such a failure of au attempt to cover it u iti reckless gaiety, that one could haidlj tell 'Another to laugh or cry. * "Thank you, thank you," said the youth, with a tremor in his vovc thil phovs ul he had played his last card, r.u "I v ■; on the point of breaking down uiteilj. ' Jt doaan't matter at all. I had too much imp'i lenee to think you would come. It all com<_s of my cheek. 'Maik you,' said ray motb/r, 'it'll bring you to gaol yet.' Oh, it don't matter, sir. I'm very much obliged. Good ai tornoon." He was moving to the door, glad to get a chance to hide hia face — Herbert could swear the tears were flooding his eyes — when a voice, soft, musical, sympathetic, arrc3ted his steps, and a gentle hand was laid upon his shoulder. " Come here, my boy," said Herbert. §£ The Hadji turned round. " Until the day of my death I'll never forget that," the young man would frequently aay in after years. •• It was liko the voice of Heaven pardoning the sinner, the master's tones when he makes free his slave. But when I turned and saw that kind, noble face, beautiful as n. woman, but with the beauty of manhood, and met the kind brown eyes that seemed to penetrate into my heart, and bring to it the peace I had not known for a long time, I was oveipowered. I broke down, sir, I cried, and I'd do it again if the scene was played over. From that day I loved Herbert G.ifford as I will never love man or woman. I felt then that I would follow him over the world, if only as his dog." 0 1 wonderful power of kindness, of sympathy. "Sit down," said Herbert, gently. "I was only trying you— l knew you had arrived at a great crisis in your young life, something very desperate for you. Now tell me ireely what is the matter, and I will help you." For some time the Hadji could not speak. He was ashamed to cry. He thought he was too old for that; but the reaction was too great ; he could not help it. 11 I'm ashamed, sir," he^asped between the sobs, "to take on in— this— way, but I can't help it. I'm only a big boy, a soit of good-tor-nothing larrikin." " It is no dishonour to cry," said Herbert. " But you must have suffered greatly to be so affected. Come, bear up, and tell me your Bfcory." The Hadji stopped, and, looking in the mirror, was fo stiuck with his own comicpathetic appearance, that he burst into a laugh. " What a big cry-baby," he said. " Why, if a photographer had been here he'd ha' made his fortune if he'd took me when I was going on." Herbert looked too, and could not help laughing. So the clouds passed away, and the two young men sat down close to each other, and the Hadji began hia tale.