CHAPTER XXVII.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2021, 20 June 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXVII.

Beatino himself on a grassy knoll under a tree, Aranoah beckoned Herbert to tako hia place by his aide. Herbert flat down with very mixed feelings. Ho guessed what the interview would bo about, and he felt unable to decide what answer he would giva if he were pressed to marry Ounora, and to become a permanent settler on the island. He oould not but think what a strange and wayward fate bad been his. In his early youth, when starting life, be had fallen in love with a girl who appeared immeasurably beneath him, and had been compelled by his pfleotion to accept her as his future wife, to discover that she was bis equal. Then be bad been reft I from her, and had immediately come in Con-

tact with a aimplo and baautl l \il c^atur*', whoso love had become idolatiy, toui^i 'P'uul whom would be her death. And. no\V t'u alternative was placed before him— to give up all hopes of the dear bride ho had left bebiaJ, and the world iv which ho had hoped to make a mark, or to destroy this lovely flower. It was a hard Sate indeed. " Herbert," said Aranoah, " you hnvo probably concluded that I have naked you to come with me on an important matter. It' so, you are correct. It i 3 to rue a matter of life and death. We talked of it recently, and I did not press lor an answer then. I must do bo now, though it teara my heart. Ounora is the only link that conueois mo wish the world. To make her happy, to see her children around my kneea, io the only hope I have, which accomplished I oan say with Simon, mine dimittis t You must now understand her; yon must know what a kinder, fragile flower sho is, to whom en onkiud breath would be fatal; what a simple, childlike cteature. Before you came her boul, ,tho betuT, though more terrible part of it, w&R not born. Love for yon has caused the birth of a new gcul, new feelings, new hopes, and a vow intellect, With that love, with its ecstatic joy, has come, as it ever does, the shadow of the pain and agony of life, the Inevitable sufleiing. Lo\o has given hor an insight aho never before possessed. She aot only sees the huppinoes of being your lifelong companion, bat fho ia aware of ths tortnra3 your los?, your unfaithtulness would cause : the hideous darkness of her future without the man to whom she has given her soul. Oh, Herbert, your kmd heart, your just mind, cannot doom her to the darknesa? And it ia necessary to save her that she should be early assured of happiness by the only course that would bring her peace— marriage. After that I feel confident she need have nothing to fear ; for you are the soul of honor. Let the evont tako place as early as possible. Oar ceremony hore is simple ; it could be gone through this day," Herbert could not for some time reply to tho eager, almoßt suppliant lather. His feeling weio battling with each other. Hia love for Alice had been strengthened and vivified by tho shadowy promise of escape; his love for Orinora wa«i still powerful. To what refuse could he fly to esoape this fierce contest ? " I do not know what to reply," ho said at last, in a deeply agitated voice. " I still feel the old love strong in my heart; I fitill cherish tho hope of taking my place in the world. And I question gre&lly whether a traion with Orinora would result in happiness to her or I. Think how differently wo have been reared, how diffsrent our aspirations, how impatient and fretful I must become in time—" " Think not of it," said the old man eagerly. " Orinoia ia frail and fragile, but in tho light of your love she will grow strong, Bho will expand into all that you oould desire in a wife and companion. She possesses a powerful, though undeveloped intellect ; and could there bo a more pleasing task, one that should dissipate ennui and ohase away the vain phantoms of a life in the World of Sin and Shame, than the unfolding of so beautiful a mind 1 She has extraordinary beauty, extraordinary gifts, and oducated by you she would become to you what no other women ever could." " I acknowledge that," said Herbert ; " these reflections make me almost agree to your proposals. But I doubt my own ability to be uatißfied to make Orinora happy. I feel more like the caged biid, and long tobefre9 ; even, though, like the silly bird, I would be pounoed on by the hawk when I regained my freedom and destroyed." " But why indulge in suon dreams V asked Ar&noah. " You must surely know that escape from this island is impossible. I know it too well. jPoi 1 r long time after I came here I beat at the .bans, but eventually I became oonteut, and I am happier here that had I been in the great world. Bsflect upon thi3, and think, too, what a new interest life would have for you in jour ohildren." •'Perhaps," said Herbert, "eaoapo is not impossible. Ebby has had experienco and has studied in chemistry and mechanics, and he thinks there ia a chance. If bo, after a thorough trial, says there is none, then I will be content. But until then I feel I must not tako another step, for to do so would be to involve us all in misery." Aranoah did not reply ; he thought of what the delay would mean to Orinora. Other and painful thoughts ware ntruggling in his mind. He had never thought to have foil euch agonies again. " Herbert," ho said turning round, " you force me to a courHe I had intended never to have taken. I adopt it when other means have failed. Ido not know whether it will , succeed, but I can only try. The reasons that I weigh with me should with you." Herbert did not reply : he wondered what was the revelation. "Herbert," said Aranoah, "you asked me some time since about John Morden, that onhappy man. lam John Morden ? " Herbert sprang up, parfecHy electrified. Aranoah's face, Orinora'a face, h»d been puzzles to him : now all was explained. In the venerable .lineaments of thia man ho at once recognised the father of Alice ; in Oiin-t, oras face her sister was idealiued. Waat a terrible (denouement ; what a hopeless complication. It was something like the story of the tragic houses of Grcaoa. "I saw," said Johu Morden, "that you several times nearly guessed the truth, but I took means to blind yon, for I did not desire to confess myself, at least until you became Orinora's husband. You can now understand why I was agitated when I heard your namo, when you told your love story j what memories and regrets it laiaedin my mind ; what pangs and agonies 1 suffered." " Then," said Herbert, who was still dazed, " you are tho father of Alice, the husband of her mother — Orinora ia Alice's uistcr ? " " Yeg," replied John Morden, a spasm of anguish crossing his aged f aca ; "1 am that Unfortunate mau. One of tho reasons that led me to conceal from you my name was tha dread I had of confessing my unfaithfulness to Alioo'H mother, though I did in another form. But for that uofaitbfuine^s I tbink my story was tho best apglogy. I still loved, I atiil love, my Alice, but we weie separated for over. I accepted tha love and duty of Orinora's mother, and I do not think, oven from a Christian point of view, I wa3 wrong. In your oase there will be no_ breaking of vows, as in mine." "I look upon Alice] as my wife," said Herbert. "The wife of your soul," said Morden, J' but never to be the wife of your body. But sit down, Herbert, and let us talk this over calmly. It is a tangled bkein, but there is only one way of ravelling it." " I cannot ace my way," replied Herbert ; " it seems like some of those terrible stories of Euripidaa and TEsobylue." " Rather look upon it as a mysterious dispensation of the Great Power," said Morden. II You revenged my wrongs in the other world and you were brought here not only to let me know I had been avenged, but to make reparation, to unite the bouse of two enemies. It was your intention to have married Alioe and so to have restored to my house the property of wbioh it was defrauded. The intention will be fulfilled and more than fulfilled. You made a will leaving the bulk of your property to Alioe. Sbe will possess it, and the other daughter of tho man your father and his companions ruined will receive you as a husband, and you will raierj from hei a new race. The hand of the Giont Power m in it all." •• But," said Herbert, " cannot tho purpose

i'c worked oue In another way. Have I not ,'uu Bunt hem to enable you to escape from tliiri imprioonmont, to bring yoa to the arms o£ a loving wife, who will forget the past, and to give to Alice a sistor ? " The old man bbook his head. , i " I will nevor leave this island," he said &adly but firmly. " I could not snrvive the ,exciteniont of visiting the soenes of my youth, of meeting tha woman whom I bo greatly vrroiiged. Id^ <-iro to end nay days here and have only ono a\in% io want for— you 'know what it is. But even if I would be willing and if, more important still, I could leave tho island, I could ntver Bubjeot Orinora to the irial ; I would never oast that pearl before the 6v;iue of the world. But more than this, I know too well that in regaining my eldest daughter I would lose my youngest, my darling : for Orinora could never live to see you another*, even if that other were her sister. It is impossible, impossible." "We seem surrounded by a forest of difficulties and complications," aaid Herbert, v"out of which I see no safe way." {7'o hs Continued?!