CHAPTER XXIV.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2018, 13 June 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXIV.

Tlig evening, as usual, was spent in enjoying the loveliness of the night in the verandah, from which the scene could be viewed and the rise of the moon watched in all its phases. Little conversation took place in the evenings, for they were devoted to rest and thought, and everyone went to bed early, to bo up as socn as the day broke, except Harry, who would lie until late. Orinora would sit at her piano and pity and sing in a manner that invited thought and discouraged conversation. Orinora had a natural genius for musio : it was the language in which she expressed the thoughts of her soul. Aranoah was a good musician, and ho had thoroughly grounded her in the art. But Orinora was so rare a genius that oho hardly required instruction. By instinct she understood the laws of harmony, and onoe she know tho notes on the keyboard she was proficient. Sho had an exquisite sense of melody and great power of construction. She could play the greatest compositions of the masters, and interpret their meaning ; superadding wild ideas of hy own that wonderfully diversified her playing. Her original compositions wore remarkable. Like the great musicians she, in many instances, took the winds, the waves, the elements, and the birds for her teachers, and reproduced their sounds in rhythmio harmony. In other pieces she struck tho chords of the human heart, and by means of combinations of notes, expreßsed the feelings and the passions— an they were known to her. She began this evening by playing a piece that was a great favorite with her father. He called it "A Day on the Island." There was to it a 6trange prelude, a melody the beauty of which entranced the ear while the meaning seemed to elude tho understanding. Perhaps it would be better to say that every listener interpreted it his own way, aooording to his mood. To Herbert it appeared to express a passionate longing, a desire for more light on the mystery of life, a wish for something unseen but known to exist. Throughout tho piece this mysterioni melody was heard in every key and every phase ; now almost inaudible, thai taling the lead, and newly undietinguishable

from the rich , harmonies and airs, but never lost. There was no need for an interpreter to tho composition itself ; musio could not speak plainer. Tho darkness before the dawn, the gradual increase of light, the sough of "the moving wind, tho ripple of the lake, tho unsertain notes of the early birds, tho glad chorus that hailed the sun, the poem of nature and living things as the great luminary roao above the mountains ; all these were marvellously brought before the mind by the player's art. Then followed the scenes and sounds of labor, the rise of tho cloud", the rest of noon, the rush of the fiorce tropical tempest, the calm of evening, the twilight, the rise of tho moon - an exquisite dreamlike harmony — and finally tho peace and calm of midnight when the world was still, save tho moan of the night breeze, and the murmur of the waves. And through all the composition $an the weird melody that sremed evon to ask* : "To what purpose is all this ; what is there beyond?" I'or some time after she had finished this piece there was a delicious silence. Herbert and Aranoah were in a sweet reverio. Harry was irritated : he knew the music was not for him. Ebby was in deep thought ; evidently something more than ordinarily grave engaged his mind. Paranoa, who had joined the party that evening and made himself agreeablo, was one moment in perdition, the next in paradise, as his mood lod him. They listened for a while as Orinora's fingera wandered over the instrument, as if seeking an answer to the never ceasing query of the dominant theme of the piece. " She is composing another one," whispsred Aranoah to Herbert. "It will como to her j like an inspiration." He had hardly spoken when her fingers swept the keys witk a firm and certain sound. Yes ; she had found the answer. Oat rolled a glorious flood of music, full oJE passionate joy and exultation, abounding in passages of marvellous rapidity and dilliculty, as if a thousand birds were singing in the dancing sunbeams. It seemed to Herbert as if she was chasing the questioning melody, wHich was heard here and there, and vanquishing it at every point. And when the remarkable composition closed, the giand flourish of many chords seemed to express the answer : " For what purpose is all this ? For love 1 What is there beyond ? Love I " This oloßed the evening. All prepared to retire. Orinora came and kissjed her father. After she disappeared Herbert was missed for a few minutes. Paranoa, too, was gone before the others were aware. " Herbert," said Ebby, when the young man reappeared, " this is a beautiful night, and Ido not foel sleepy. Will you take a walk with me by the lake ; I have something to say?" It was rare for Ebby now to ask Herbert to walk with him alone, for he had not obtruded himself in any way since they had come to the island. "Just what I would like," said Herbert, and the two walked away avm-inarm, leaving Harry standing alone in the Bhadow. " I wonder where Paranoa is "? " asked Harry of himself. •• He seemed strangely drstant and agitated this evening. I would like to take a row with him on the lake. I see the turtle-doves have at last come to nest. Well, why ehoald I let that trouble my mind? She ia not for me ; at least, at present. Perhaps I may yet poetess her and this island, if Paranoa suooeeds, which I now almo«t hopo he will not. What a life to lead 1 Well, I will retire and read something to drive away my thoughts : they are not the pleasantest." Herbert and Ebby wandered down to the shore and sat on a rustic seat. They did not notice that a female figure had preceded them and sat in a bower close by. For a time neither spoke, but looked out over tho calm lake ; eaoh occupied with his own thoughts. "Herbert," said Ebby at last, "you will not be angry if I ask a question ? " "Angry with you, Ebby?" said Herbert. " How could I be ? " " You are about to marry Orinora ? " Herbert did not reply for a moment ; he was overwhelmed with his contending emotions ; thus rudely called up by tho curt question. "Not exactly," he said, after a while; "I have made no promise. But, Ebby, it seems inevitable." " Then you have forgotten all your love for Alice, all your aspirations for tho future? " " No ; I have not, but I aja the slave of circumstances. I can never leave this island ; I can never become what I dreamed. Why then should I refuse to accept the blessings that remain, the love of this pure and beautiful crcaturo ? Further, even here I have duties, and I have a future : it will not be right to shirk them. I cannot be unfaithful, for the fulfilment of my vows is impossible." " Then you will sink into tho chief of a savage tribe and become blotted out of the other world ? " " The alternative does not rest in my power. Would you have me live an anchorite on this island, eating uiy heart away, of no value even to this little world ? Aro we not taught to do our duty wherever a Higher lower places us? " " Think, Herbert, of Alice ; of what she will suffer ; of the glorious fate you cast asidig." " I have thought, and it has nearly broken my heart, but lam powerless. God knows I love Ahca as dearly as ever, but a cruel fate has separated us for over. She will in time forgot her sorrows and take another companion." " Never, Herbert ; I know her too well for that — I who once thought she would be my wife." " True, old friend, true ; how I wish I never came between you." " I do not now wish it, for aho would never know the happineaß that would bo her\ as your wife. But do you love this pretty crea- J ture Orinora ? " " I do, Ebby, but not as I loved Alice. She is to mo like a dream, a vision from another world ; a creature of fancy. I do love her dearly, and if Alice were here I would still love Orinora, but as a sister, as a rare creature. But as things are I love her and see nothing but to make her my wife." " Have you counted the cost ? " " I have, and I am prepared to pay." " No, you have not, Herbert. Let me paint a picture for you. You will marry a woman who has nothing in common with you, who ia unable to be your companion. That she will be devoted to you, that her nature is angelic, that she may be taught— but not to any i extent— l will concede. These are but small matters after all, for if a man has occupation, woman after his marriage fills no great place. But consider the eternal monotony of your life ; it will end in making jou a misanthrope or a tyrant. But there are darker shadows than these. Reflect that thia girl was promised to that fiorco, revengeful sarage Paranoa. To what lengths his passions will force him I cannot say. This I can say, however, that if this island is volcanic, so is its people, and that they may break out at any moment. Your life must be one of discontont and ennui, of hopeless despair, why should you choose this life?" "Boeau^c thore is no other. I have no choice." " Are you su^e ? " i 1i 1 What do you nuan," asked llerbeit with a start, a change taking place hi his mind, as a rush of wild improbabilities came upon him. "I mean," said Ebby, resolutely, "that there may bo an escape from thia island; that there is another future." Herbert sprang up and grasped his companion's hand. He Beemed to hafe become another man.

" Ebby doea not raise hopes that cannot be revised," he said in humed, excited tonca. " Your words hwe transported me back into the world I Ibvo so dearly, into tho arms of Alice." " Don't be too fent," aaid IJfcby ; " I hive said there might be a means of escape" "But you argued a<J if I had an alternative ?" " Well," replied Ebby, " you muafc not jump at conclusions too quickly. This I can say, that since we came hore I hava been studying how to escape, though I have not spoken of it, because I feared to raise nopca I could not realise. You know I have had experience of tho sea ; that I have studied chemistry to aid me in my profession of magic, And I say that I believe means can be found to escape. It will require time to make certain. If I cannot find tho means to leave the island, then I will Bay nothing to your marrying Orinora and becoming tha chief of the island. But in the meantime let me beg you not to go too far. As it is I fear you have. I feel deeply for the poor girl ; she seems to have utterly given herself over to you. And it was to be expected. You came whea she was at the impresdive age ; you were the knight that she had pictured in her dreams. And you are made to be loved, Herbert ; no person can re3i9t you. But try, Herbert, to go no farther until we know our fate. I hope the means of escape will bo found." "You have agitated me as I never was agitated in my life," said Herbert. "I feel like a man torn to pieces by hostile spirits. I know not what to do." " Do nothing," said Ebby, rising, and Ultiug his arm. "But Aranoah has pressed me upon the subject," replied Herbert, " and my own inclinations go with his." "You can, however, remain neutral," said Ebby. "In a day or two 1 will know the worst or the best. Till then do not go further, else when I oome to you with the means of escape you will bo unable to accept them, or Aranoah may, for his daughter's Bake, put escape beyond our power." "He is too noble and generous for that," said Herbert. "He may be," said Ebby; "but I think when his daughter i 3 in the balance he will not consider us. It is a most unhappy complication. I feel, when I Btudy out the means of escape, as if I were an executioner with the axe raised over the neck of this sweet, simple, innocent child of nature. But duty is duty, even if death and misery are in tha way. And I feel that if wo can escape it ia our duty, to ourselves and to the world we left against our will. But you can remain passive till I find out whether the means exist or not." " I will do that," replied Herbert ; " but what a terrible strain it will be. If I left this island it would be as the murderer of the most innocent being that draws breath, and though no fault of mine. Fate ia unkind, merciful. Heaven help the poor child : may her own star shine upon her." " To-morrow," said Ebby, " I will propose a visit to the cliffs, for I wish to study the position from that point. You will accompany us." " And Orinora will go, poor thing, perhaps to her own destruction. Oh, Ebby ! you have brought a glorious light and a hideous darkness to my soul. 1 hope one moment that we may escape ; the next that wo may not. But I will go no further till you tell mo." And the young men passed away in the moonlight, never noticing the figure that grovelled in agony under the shadows of the flowering shrubs.