CHAPTER IX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1997, 25 April 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER IX.

Rest, sti angers, in this ref ago of reposo, And view what wonders tropic realms discloso, Wlulo accidents and incidents of fate — My " strange, eventful history " — I relate ; And when 1 end the story you can lay, If evoi tale was liko that told to-day, " Out »cts our angels are, for good or ill. Our fatal shadows that walk by us still. — FLLTC'ItFR. AxoTtrKß surpriso awaited the strangers when they emerged from the side door. They wore not in a verandah, but in an oval space covered with climbing plants of the moot beautiful kind, carefully trained, the flowers forming a roof over their heads of many and atrange colors, interspersed with green of every shade, the plants faintly, and not unpleasant perfuming the air. In thia living bower there waa an oval opening which permitted a magnificent view of tho lake, the islets, and the mountains or rim of the island. Rustic settees of cano, made to allow of the utmost comfort, wero disposed around, with little tables of similar workraanship.while rare plants, including magnificent orchids, the like of which they had never seen be fore, met the eye every where, so aa to add to tho effect. In the centre a fountain threw up a cloud of spray, which fell into a coral ba3in, in which beautiful water-hlliea grew, and where they could see the gleam of fißh as they darted through the water. While they were taking in this new delight, the girls Dorala and Aherno noiselessly entered and placed a perfect wealth of fruit and dainties on the the tables, disposing them in so tasteful and pretty a manner that it seemed a pity to disturb them. Long crystal glasses of cocoanut milk were placed on each table, tho milk being variously coloured by some substance, so as to look like wine— gold, purplo, ruby, amothyst, crimson. All the time Aianoah watched thorn keenly, and they appeared woll aware an eye was upon them that would not brook an error. Thia watchfulness waa another disenchantment. All waa not dono by magic; there was a very strong human will at work. Aranoah fixed ono of the settees ho that he would face his guests, and then taking a long drink, ho propared to begin hia narration motioning his companions to partake of the fruit. " It matters not what was my name or who I was in the world of tho past," he eaid, looking out through the oval opening with an abstracted gaze, as if it was calling to mind that paßt of which ho would not speak. " 1 am now Aranoah, tho sole owner of this island and ita islets, tho ruler of ita inhabitants, supreme in everything. " Years ago, raoro than I care to remorabcr, I fled frOUl What IS Called Civilisation a ruined man, and what waa worse, one with an indelible Btain ; a stain that would prevent mo ever holding up my head again ; ever taking a position in the land where I had been born. The etatute law had had mo in its hand, and when that inexorable fuiy had exaoted of me tho nttormost farthing of penalty, I became the victim of another law, which ia a thousandfold more vindictive and unmerciful, the unwritten law of society. As regards the statute law, you can in time escape its male-

v. Liio'i, : whfii y m Lave e^dui (1 us '> n't'io is power is gone. But society known no period of punishment ; its pliuts tho sinner lut for ever. It allows him to livo, that is all. But for him the world i° over. He may nib aspire to rcpect and position. Ho can accumulate money, and that to some degree a' ones for hi« error. Bat for all that he is a l'iriah, an ontoist. He may live tho most blameless of livoa; he may make every atonement moi'tal can, but society, composed often ii tho main of men worse than he, but whose jina have not been found out, haa no mercy. If he darea to show hiB head above the common herd, if he aspires to be what evpry man with soul and capacity and property desires to be, Bociety as ono man rises and flings it 3 stones at hia defenceless he*d. Ho haa sinned and he must suffer until the clods fall upon his coffin. Nature forgives when we have outraged her laws, if we conform to them ; God forgives when we are penitent and amend our livea ; society never forgets or forgives. The Fatea were never so inexorable, the Furies never so cruel aa thia same Society — hell, the hell of the Calvanists, alone resembles it. It matters not that the man ia aa good as gold, that he is full of tho capacity to hold the highest offices and to give the benefit of his talents to his fellow men. He must wear and fret out hia life in ignominy. And what""ie the reault ? Men who have, in moments when they were barely, if at all responsible for their actions, when they were tempted beyond the power of man to resiat, committed an error, despair of ever holding up their heads again, and they say, •'Evil be thou my good," and plunge into every sin and wickedness to defy Bociety. And, aa I think, the criminal classes are the outcome ; so that society prepares the whip for its own back, and ia scourged with many stripes. It cre&tea the Frankenstein, and it need not cry out when the bitter blows fall upon its back, when the monster turns and rends 1 But what is worse, the punishment falls not only on the guilty, but upon the wholly innocent. The parents who did all they could to prevent the loved ono's fall ; the wife who stood by ; the relatives who had no share in his guilt ; the poor babes he has begotten : all, all are branded with infamy. It is horrible ; it ia hellish ; but it is true. Such is the way of the world whence you havo come, which, thanks to the Great Power, I will never know again. When all was over with me in Australia, when the book of my life was closed, and my name was blotted out, I left its shores as a common seaman. I who bad ones held up my head among the first in the land ! How wonderfully true is the Biblical saying that the heart knoweth its own bitterness. To describe tho bitterness of my heart would be beyond ray power ; in fact, words are of no value in giving an idea of the deeper workings of the soul. I hated myself, I hated the world, I hated God, I hated everything seen and unseen. I waa filled with rage and malice unspeakable; heightened by the fact that I was impotent, that revenge was impossible. For how could Ibe revenged unless I had the old Roman Emperor's wish, and mankind had only one neck so that I could cut it off ? In that land I left everything that had once been dear to me ; now estranged for ever. I left my enemies there triumphant, in possession of all that had once been mine. I have heard eloquent preachers describe the torments of hell ; to my mind they were ohilds play to what I suffered. Why did I not commit suicide? Because, vain as seomed the hope, I cherished the idea that in other lands I might be able to make a gigantic fortune and to return to Australia bo changed that no one would know me, and then wreak a terrible vengeance. On my first voyage a fellow sailor lent me a book that I read and re read — Monte Christo. I gloated over that work, and day and night I dreamed of emulating tho hero. But, certainly, for a time the chances seemed poor. However, when we were paid off in London we heard the news of the marvellous find of gold in California. We wero soon in a fe\ er over it, and my Monte Christo viaion seemed likely to be realised. Neither I nor my mate had money enough to pay our passage to New York, and then walk across the then terrible west country of the United States. The competition for emplojment in vessels aailiag to San Francisco was very great. However, wo did get berths on board a splendid vessel that was Bailing to that port by the sheerest accident. We were hanging about juat as she was casting off, when it waa discovered that two of the engaged sailors had disappeared. They had in all probability got drunk in some of tho slums, bo that they could not be found. The captain knew us, as we had pestered him for some time, and he at once took us on, for we were strapping young fellow 3. I could well have dispensed with this mate of mine, for I cannot say I liked him. Blinded as I was with rage against the world, I could not in my calmer momenta conceal from myself that I was heavily to blame for my misfortunes, and that this man who was all evil had much to do with the ahipwreok, that I had permitted him to sway me to my destruction. He was still to prove my evil genius. The voyage passed without any particular adventure until we had passed Capß Horn. I kept to myself and read Monte Christo, so I knew nothing of the storm that was about to break. The vessel was not consigned to any regular agents, for we had the owner of the cargo him- ! self on board. It waa a speculation in which ! he had embarked his all, and he felt confident he would realise tenfold on it, and be enabled to rotire for life, as I have no doubt he would had the fates been propitious. He was quite a young man, free and generous, but very shrewd, having been brought up in one of the best commoroial houses in London. An uncle had died and left him a largo sum of money, which he had invested in this advonture. I heard all these details one night I was on duty through a conversation between the owner and the captain. The owner said when ho returned to London he would marry and settle down as a country gentleman, which, it appeared, was his ambition. In fact, the circumstances were no secret ; everyone knew them. At the time I thought nothing of tho matter. I was wholly occupied with bracing myself up for tho great ambition of my life. I mado tho most solemn reaolvea that I would never drink or play a curd again, that I would abjure all vices, that I would deny myself every ordinary pleasure, in order to achieve my end. And I would have kept those resolutions— for the iron had entered my soul, and I now saw clearly enough what had been ray shipwreck — had the opportunity presented. The loading of the vessel was of exceptional value, comprising merchandise of every possible kind, such as would meet the requirements of tho diggers. It would hard to mention anything that was not on board. Tho crew were a dashy, reckless hot of men. My mate was a man who had possessed an extraordinary power over hiß fellows everywhere — to their destruction. He was gifted with a fluent tongue, a fascinating style, and an exceptionally haudsome person. The devil, it is said, cau become nn angel of light, and if ever the power of evil assumed an irresistible human lorirj, he did in that of my mate, aa I will call him. No one could resiat him : I never could ; though hia power had to a great exteut ceased since my eyes wero opened. In fact, it was characteristic that his influence over men and women only lasted until they found him out, but that waa suihoieni foi hia purpose. It was aomo time before I knew, so much did I keep apart, that he was trying to persuade the sailors to mutiny. The temptation was very great. Tue young

/\\r.cr, though shrewd enough a3 a commercial man, had takan no steps to guard against such & contingency. No discrimination had been used in pioking the crew : thpy had been put on as they applied, and a number of thpm were adventurers who intended to desert for the goldtields the moment they reached San Francisco. The owner, the ciptain, the three raatea, and the steward formed the only real guardians of the ship. My mate began by pointing this out, and he showed the sailors how easy it was to maroon these persons, and then to proceed to San Francisco and sell the oargo. There was no want of educated persons who could impersonate the owner and officers, nor any lack of good seamen. The cargo, when sold, would realise in California an enormous sum, sufficient to keep those whose views were moderate, in comfort all their lives, and to give others a start in the new country and enable them to realise immense fortunes. No doubt the great temptation with most was that they would obtain wealth enough to have a tremendous fling in the new and lawless city. As for ultimata detection and punishment, it was demonstrated as impossible, even if the owner and his companions were rescued. (To be Continued.)