CHAPTER III.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2036, 25 July 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER 111.

" what shall wk no?" Every difficulty was only too easily overcome. No one in that severely classical nnd moral mansion bad the least idea that its i ohief ornament and the doctor's niece had met. On the Thursday morning the handsome young lord bade farewell 10 bis tutor and companions. Soon after he had roup, the dootor, with his " young friends," went off to the ftte, the young friends feeling very much aggrieved at being compelled to lose a day. Dootor Wallis had said nothing to bis niece of the fete. " If I tell her, she will want to go," he argued, " and she cannot go. I would not have her seen for the world." The only servant left in charge of the houso saw Alioe Derwent leave it, and naturally thought she had gone with the rest of the world to Lady well Woods. The coast was quite clear — there was not an obstacle to be overcome. Still the girl's heart be&t high with excitement ; it was a terrible, almost an awful thing to do, yet she liked the exoitement, and enjoyed the danger, as the young and thoughtless always do. It wm suoh a day— so unutterably, bo en tirely, so surpassingly happy, that she could never forget it— so bright, so sunshiny. Lord Carsdale met her at the station with a carriage. There was no single thing that oould add to her happiness forgotten by him. He took her to a first-class hotel, and gave her a dinner suoh as she never dreamed of ; then they went down to the lovely, smiling, happy sea. He did not make love to her ; he was not exactly in love with her. He admired her greatly ; he had a kindly, compassionate, brotherly liking for her — not a pasbionate love. Sba was a beautiful, unhappy child, with heart and soul full of longing— a beautiful, graceful girl whom fortune and fate bad flung in his way ; and he had stepped aside, SB it were, to give her a little happiness. Of harm or wrong he had no thought ; the dancing-master's daughter was aaored to him as though she were a princess. Pie bad a reverence for all women. He would never never have dreamed even ever so faintly of behaving differently to her ; because she was young, beautiful, alone, beneath him in position, seemed to him all reasons why ho should treat her with greater respect, lie had not for one moment thought of harm when he offered her this one day of happiness. True, he would not have offered it to a daughter of the Duchess of Helyton ; but then every rank has its oustoms. In the class to which Alioe belonged, a day's holiday of that kind waa not entirely wrong. Ho showed his appreciation of her purity and singleness of heart in this fashion ; ho never offered to buy anything for her but flowers. Alice loved flowers with passionate love. He filled her hands with roies and lilies, with cape jessamine and clove carnations. He showed her everything that was worth seeing at Fernbay. Then he turned to her with a smile : "Alice, our happy day has almost ended; it is nearly seven— we must go the station soon. You shall have some tea first." She had some tea in a beautiful room overlooking the sea. " I shall never forget this day," she said to him. " I shall have to work bard all my life — very hard ; I do not look forward to any pleasure or any happiness. This will be the one day of my life — it holds brightness enough to brighten all my life." " I am very glad, Alioe," ho said, with unaffected kindness. "In the years to come, if I can help you in any way— you murst always remember that lam your friend — I shall bo so pleased to aeeiat you. We have been good friends — have we not, Alice ? " The beautiful face dropped and flushed a littlo. Yes, they were good friends tonight; King Cophetua, they oay, wus a fiioml of tlit beggar-girl. Oh 1 it she were but nearer to him — nearer iti portion nnd birth. Then Lord Caredale laughed.

" Only Hi tI.M-k how fnmon r ly va have c'ie.*t"a tl)',- doctor," ho twd. " Hg must have iiou^lr lnmipH very clever to imagine that he could keep a pretty girl like you from b"injj; peen. Wbr.t would he say if he l.nc-v ? " "Ho would kill me," she said, oalmly; " and do you know, Lord Carsdale, I think ray fn(h j r would kill me if he knew, though I have doio nothing wrong, you know. Still he in co particular and bo violent in his temper, ho would kill mo, I believe." She shuddered a little as she spoke, but pat quite still. Iler words had a strange effect on the young lord. " 1 am afraid I have bean selfish," he said ; " but I wfta bo deßirous of giving you & little pleasure — I thought you seemed so sad for a young girl." " You have not done wrong, Lord Garsdale. You will think what I am going to say htr&nge, but it is true. If anyone had told roe that my death was to be the price of this day's enjoyment, I should have been willing to die." The blue eyes were filled with a strange light ; the sweet soarlet lips quivered as she spoke, Lord Carsdale looked at her in amaze. " Willing to give all your life for this one day's pleasure ? " he repeated. " Yes," she said, gently, " since this one day holds in itself the happiness of a lifetime."' " Poor child 1 " thought the young lord, " how fair, sweet and loviug she is. I wish I could do more for her. I must talk to my mother about her ; she oan befriend her." Ho was very muoh struok with the words ; it did not occur to him that the girl had fallen in love with him, and loved him with a wild, deep, romantic passion — so deep that Bbc epoke truly when she said she would have purchased such a day's happiness with her life. " We raußfc not forget the time," he said. " See Alice, the sun is going down ; I had better order the carriage." While Lord Carsdale opoke to the servants, she went out on the balcony that overlooked the sea ; the sun wai setting, and a great crimson light fell over the water. "Good-bye, happy day 1 " she said; " good-bye, fair, smiling sea 1 You have chanted sweet music to me all day. Goodbye, bright, dear sun 1 You will never shine so brightly for me again. I feel as Eve must have felt when she left the sweet-scented Garden of Paradise. Good-bye 1 " Then they drove to the station. How it happened can never be told — whether Lord Caradale had mistaken the time for the train, whether Alice had lingered too long on the balcony, whether they had driven too slowly — for some cause or other they were too late ; the train had started, and there was no other that night for Ladywell. Lord Carsdale was shocked himself when he heard it ; his handsome face paled, his kindly heart ached. True, it was all his own fault, but it would not hurt him. She would have to suffer. For the first timo in his life he felt something like fear as ho went up to the young girl, whose very life lay, as it were in his hands. " Alice," he said gently. She turned to him a startled face. " Oh, Lord Caredale, what is it ? Why do you look like that ? What is the matter ? " I am Borry," he said, even more gently ; 11 but we are late-*the train has gone." Ho never forgot the deadly, awful despair that came over her face— the ghastly pallor — how the blue eyes darkened with awful fear. " Good heaven 1 " she said, in a hoarse whisper, " what shall we do ? " "Do not diatress yourself," he aaid. "It is se\ en now ; I will order a carriage and we will drive there. We shall be in time, do not fear." She clasped her trembling hand round his arm. "Do you think so?" she said ; "are you sure, Lord Carsdale ? " " Yes, I am euro. Do not tremble, Alice ; I will do all I can ; trust me." He vas distressed for her beoause he saw what ohe buffered. He did his host to obtain [ a carriage quickly, but the day waa unfortunate—.ho day of the regatta; till the carriages were out or hired — there was nothing to be had. When at last he succeeded it was balf-paut prven. Alice had no watch, and he carefully kept the time from her. Half-past seven, and it was quite thirty miles 1 Unless she was there by nine, it would all bo useless. Lord Carsdale went to the driver. " I will give you five pounds," he said, " if you will tako us to L&dywell, to reach there by nine." Tho driver laughed. " I should be plad enough, sir, of five pounds, but I could not no that if you ofrired me fifty — it is not possible." "Do the be3t you oan," paid Lord Carsdale hurriedly ; and the next moment they were going fast along the white ui;;h road. The shadows of night fell slowly, slowly, and slowly. Alice watched them with frightened eyes. "It is growing dark, Lord Carsdale," she would say. "So much tho hotter, Alice ; no one can recognise u«." Tho green fields and the corn-fields, the meadowe filled with rich grain, the tall, swaying trees, tho flowery b-inks, were all passed with uraazing rapidity. Tho rttirs began to ahine in the blue nky ; the night wind wa3 filled with sweet odors. More and more deadly grew the fear in the girl's heart. " What are you thinking about, Alice ! "he asked, seeing her whito compressed lips. " I am thinking," sho said, with that sime strange light in her eyes, " that I can only die." "Diol" he repeated ; "my dear Alice, you need not (out, See, we are almost flying along — we could not go moro quickly ;we shall be there in timo, do not fear." But fate was a»ainst them. The horse graw tired ; tbe driver bepan to apologise. " I thought he oould not keep up that speed," hf naid. " You see, sir, being the regatta day, the horpco, like the men, havo been busy all day. I should pay, this one has been to the station twenty limes and more." It was with a grrat effort that the horse stumbled along, while the darkncpß of night fell over the laud, and the girl's heart almost ceased to beat with feai. It wus quite dark at la 3t — there was no ljpht nave that of the stars, no pound save tho rustling of the swaying boußhs, and the heavy, labored action of tho tired horse. " Alice, are you crying ? " asked Lord Caradalp. She tried to fltoady her voico before she answered him. " No," buo replied ; " it would be of no uee." He tried to laugh, but it was tho Haddebt souud— a laugh without any music in it. "You aro a philosopher," he replied. " Whnt timo in it, Lord Caradnlo ? " naked Alice. He hid ltPoluHy refrainod from looking at lib watch himself, but when she asked the question ho was cnmiullrd to do bo. To his horror it wao after nine , he dare not tell her. " I nlmll Fee, b^H^r when we coma to Ladywell," he <uu'l, cvftMvnly ; " It is dark now." Morn and mor« '.lowly ; tho lint vrstigo of light had d toil from the pkie«, tho sound of luboreis coin^' home had rtVd away. " J could v 'ilk morr quickly than thi 1 ?, Lord On .dii'o ?" uui"l Al.uj, in n Hudden pain of " Patience," ho said, ppntly ; " there in tho spue of Ladywell church. Do not tremble,

Alice ; you will bo in time. We must not drive through the Btreets— the Bound would attract so much attention ; we 'will walk." And, when they reaohed the entrance to the town, he stopped the carriage, paid the driver amply, and sent him baok to Fernbty ; then they walked quickly up the street together.