CHAPTER XI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1848, 10 May 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XI.

It is impossible to bo behind two high spirited horses in a good vehiole on a fine day, and not feel one's spirits raised. It was 80 with Herbert and Ebby. "We are free now," said Herbert, as they swept down the broad street, beautified by fine buildings and gardens. " I will not go into Melbourne until Thursday next. I tell you what we will do this afternoon ; we will go to Mordialloo and have a pic-nic by the sea. The horses are fresh and won't feel the journey. Just tell the driver the directions to your place — we have driven out of the way." The panting horses were soon drawn up on their flanks in front of the Mostyn's cottage, to the intense excitement of the neighborhood, which was unaccustomed to such sights. But an inkling of last night's adventure had got about, and the neighbors' wives tossed their heads and elevated their noses. No good could come of such work, they said. And the girl a mere play- actress ! How Herbert's heart beat as he went in, and when he took Alice's hand. She looked bo pretty and so housewifely. There was ■omething curious in his reception by Mrs. Mostyn, who looked very thin and pale. It seemed to Herbert this woman was troubled in his presence and ill at ease. But he paid her little attention ; he had no eyes but for Alice. The giad light in her charming eyes did not esoape his when he proposed the drive along the pleasant Mordialloc road, fringed with villas and gardens, in which latter the tints of autumn lent an English grace to the landscape. Mrs. Mostyn also looked pleased ; many a day had passed since she had had a drive in a carriage. Bo that bright sunshiny autumn afternoon, with the autumn ripeness in the air, they drove down to Mordialloo, past the beautiful gardens, the picturesque villas, the scenery here and there varied with wild stretohes of unreolaimed sandy moor, covered with sedge or fern, and now and then obtaining glimpses of the broad, placid, blue basin of Port Phillip, dotted with yachts and fishing boats, with an occasional steamtr, trailing behind her, a black banner of smoke, and distant views of the low shores. Melbourne could be descried by its cloud of smoke. Very little was said en the road, all were too happy with the exhilaration of the drive and the loveliness of the day. The carriage was a vis-a-vis, and Ebby and Herbert faced the two ladies. Herbert hardly ever took his eyes off Alice, whose face was a picture, ao full of quiet joy and contentment it was. Ebby, too, looked at her when her eyes were turned but if she only caught him he would blush like a woman, and look into the distance for some time afterwards. There was only one thing that destroyed his enjoyment — before another week had passed away he would have to face the music and ask to be his wife. He felt himself grow limp and helpless when he thought of that eventuality. As for Herbert, his mind was still in a whirl ; he could decide upon nothing except that he had never felt so happy, and yet so miserable, in hia life, yet he endeavored to fling away all thoughts" of the future and to seize the present. At a certain point the coachman drove down to the beach, and for some time the carriage was driven on the Band, the blue waters ourling up to the horse's feet, the wheels making no sound. It was delightful to gaze out upon the blue bay, flecked with a hundred tints, occasionally darkened as a small cloud crossed the other sea ol blue, the sky. Aliced looked out at the bay, and so did her mother, but the two men only looked at her, Herbert guiltily, Ebby in great fear of discovery. At last Herbert ordered the carriage to stop, and helped the ladies out. It was & pretty apot where they halted, a semi-circular beach of white Band washed by the blue water and backed by red bluffs, on which grew shrubs and ferns. It was low tide, and a ledge of rocks usually covered with water was high and dry, save the silver pools that had been left by the tide, and which were full of sea anemones, small shellfish, marine plant?, and all kinds of ourious things. Mrs. Mostyn sat upon a soft bank of turf, and looked out over the sea while the young people clambered along the ledge, skipping from rock to rook, laughing and jesting like children, Herbert searching for all kinds of curiosities mostly of the ugly kind, at sight of which Alice would scream in the usual feminine way, and then proceed to examine. Ebby, on more practical thoughts intent, tuoked up his trousers and shirt sleeves ". ; ,, and ventured far out, to gather the tooth - &t& t some- periwinkle and cockles, of which he was fy" very fond, and a fine dish of whioh he ;■_ , thought would add to the little tea-table that fets» evening. ip 1 ' Herbert and Alice were debating whether W they would take home in a tin of sea water 1* "some of the queer creatures they had pioked Ll-rout of the crevices when a shout from Ebby rp attracted 1 their attention. He was up to his |k.knees in the water at the outermost part of lygfa Wdge, and was looking atf Something that fcffrjobbed up anil down in the water.

" A bottle, 1 ' phoute'l Ebby ; " a m«s-;igc from the sea." It was an event to him. He had often read of men finding such things. He had indeed launched such " messages" when on the sea, but though he wandered upon many a beech he had never picked up one. Herbert >\nd Alice could hardly keep from laughing at the figure he cut with his long arms waving. Presently he suddenly disappeared. Ho had stepped on a treacherous rock and had pone down as if a shark had seized him. Alice gave a shriek, which was echoed by Mrs. Mostyn, but Herbert was so struck with the ridiculousness of the situation that he laughed till the tears came, in which amusement he was joined by the coachman, who was at a discreet distance gathering periwinkles to bring home to the housemaid, who was his affianced. "He will be drowned, he will be drowned ;" cried Alice ; " save him." 11 Oh, there's no danger," said Herbert ; " he can swim and there's no swell." j And in confirmation of this, they saw two long arms thrust out of the water and grasp the rock, after which a head enieiged and then gradually the whole figure, wringing wet clambered up on the ledge. Ebby's hat and the bottle were floating in side by side, towards where Herbert and Alice stood. With his cane, Herbert, by standing on an advanced rock, managed to get them near enough to catch hold of ; and when Ebby came up, dripping like a sea-god, and looking so laughable that even Alice could not help tittering, he presented him with his hat, which Ebby put on, completing an ensemble that Hogarth would have blessed his stais to see. Herbert secured the bottle and the trio proceeded, Ebby keeping well back for fear he would wet Alice's dress, to where Mrs. Mostyn was standing. A consultation was held as to what should be done to the new sea deity, and it was decided, on the recommendation of the coachman, that he should proceed under that person's guidance to an hotel near at hand, there to procure a change of raiment so as to be, as Herbert put it, " carriageable." While these two were away, Herbert made the ladies sit down, brought out a bottle of champagne and. glasses from the carriage, and persuaded them to have a little with some biscuits. In the meantime all kept their eyes upon the bottle which stood bolt upright in front of them on the sand, in a very independent and knowing manner, jusl as if it meant to say, " You don't «know what I've got ininside." It was tightly corked. " I suspect," said Herbert, looking at the squat black thing, " that it's not a mesdage from the sea after all. Some fellows on the steamer tferew it overboard when they finished the contents." "Oh, do open it, and let us see," said Alice. " I've read of the3e bottles being found long after the ships from which they had been flung had gone down." To open the bottle did not occupy Heibert long, seeing he was armed with a splendid corkscrew. A glance into its black depth showed that it contained some papeis. " It is then a message from the sea," cried Alice, greatly excited. There was some difficulty in getting the papers out. Herbert laid the bottle clown, and its curious saucy look amused him. " We must smash the messenger," said he, with a smile; "the old tyrants utscd to kill those who brought messages." And before the ladies could interpose the bottle lay broken at their feet, and Herbert had picked up the two pieces of paper it contained. One wa3 a simple scrap, the other an envelope, addressed. An exclamation of surprise burst from Herbert when he read the address. " A message from the sea, a real message," said Alice ; "do read it to us, Mr. Gifford." He complied, though in a strangely abstracted manner that contrasted with his previous reckless gaiety. "This scrap," said Herbert, "has no signature, and reads : ' Should this reach the hands of a civilised man, let him, I entreat deliver it, or post it, to the person whose address is up»n the envelope. Written from he Enchanted Isle in the Pacific Ocean, this ninth day of January, 18—.' That is all. It's been two years on its voyage, and how it got here from the Pacific Islands is a curious thing." He handed the papers to Mrs. Mostyn. She looked at the handwriting attentively, and to Herbert's surprise grew deadly pale. After looking eagerly at the writing for a while, her lips quivering, she threw up her hands and fainted. It was some time before they could bring her to, and Alice's distress and anxiety was piteous to see. When Mrs. Mostyn recovered she eagerly sought for the papers, which had dropped from her hand, and again looked at the writing. "It was nothing," she said. " I thought I recognised the writing as that of one long lost to us. The letter is for William Whinstun, the man you are now fighting. Depend upon it, this communication comes from one that he has deeplj wronged. Take my advice and post it to him on Wednesday evening next. It will reach him on the day that decides his fate. There is the hand of Heaven in this. The frail messenger was guided here by an implacable Nemesis. It is ever so with the wicked ; they have their day, and then come the gloom and the storm and the lightning, and their frail foundations are swept away." This woman was an enigma to Herbert. She had evidently once moved in higher circles than that in which he found her, and there was some mystery, of which he formed a part. It was a relief to all that Ebby and the coachman should arrive at this moment, to divert their thoughts. Ebby was attired in the garments of the landlord, and was a marvellous spectacle. The hotelkeeper being of a Dutch build, hia clothes fitted upon Ebby about as well as they would upon a broomstick. His long legs and arms stuck out at least a foot, and the back of the inexpressibles had a balloon-like appearance. Even Mrs. Moßtyn, deeply moved by emotions at which none of them could guess, smiled feebly at his appearance, while Herbert and Alice laughed immoderately. The coachman had exhausted himself, and had a stitch in hi 3 side, which made assume him a lugubrious look the moment he tried to laugh. Ebby and the coachman had been escorted out of the little seaside village by a whooping train of larrikins, whose remarks were of a peculiarly exasperating character. Poor Ebby 1 What chance had he with Alice, he thought, when he was ever presenting himself to her in such ridiculous lights ? It only wanted for him to kneel down as he I was and propose to bring things to a fitting climax. " There, there," said Herbert, " it's too bad of us. Take a glass ef champagne Eb, and then we'll drive home." And home they went, through the same scenery only changed by the light. The sea was purple and the land was golden. And as they neared Melbourne the sunset came with all its magic of color and tint, gold, and purple, and crimson, and all the shades that chased -each other as the sun sank lower, changing the blue bay into flame and gold, and violet, and ending just as they reached home in a cold gray blue, telling that the great source of life and color was gone. How like a sunset is many an episode of life, when, after a succession of the gold and scarlet and emerald and purple of the heart's emotions, there comes the cold, dull grey of ordinary everyday existence I Herbert felt that if he lost this lovely girl who aft opposite h^ if she vanished from his life 1 , the fading, oolors

and the givv omiirgcf fso '.ui^twupM be an emblem of his lot.