OHAPTEH LV.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2087, 21 November 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

OHAPTEH LV.

VAICIUAi. Ailig could almost have cried aloud, it seemed bo unfortunate, so bard to boar — that to-night, of all nights, she should not have one minute to oall her own— everything was against her. Lady Wftldrove had quito a, levee in her rogtn. Lady Ethel had fancied that Bbc Beamed out of spirits, and had come to see why it wan. Lady Gertrude thought that sho was not quito well. Lady Le^wd had fancied she looked tired. One after another they came in, staid some littlo timo, and went away again, while Ailio eat silent, longing to be away, if only for three minutes, yet unable to leave. Lady Waldrove turned to her at last with a aigh of relief. " They are all gone, Miss Derwent ; visitors generally come when one cares leant for them. Now, have you the thud volume 1 The worst of saying good-night to so many people is that it makes one feel bo wide awake." " A nice prospeot for me," thought Ailie. She began to read ; the cloak struok eleven, then tvrehe, before the countess dismissed

her; f\\p would, in aU nwjb'.b.h'v. 1 avo kr\ *• her I'nrxc mu hi r '. r l)u l . thai Ail " < \uu> tT tlie end i,f tho % .'jtk; then nhc K>'ik'il <, tireJ rind hei vo.'c* h?d grown ho w^k, tlri* Lady WaUirove tol.l her nho might £0. At last she was free, bat it was after mijniijht. She still had the little note conceded in } cr drc^s. Whe»e was Lev husband, and how wai elm to give it to him? Stb fctood for n. few mirufces on the Btafrs, late ri it wa=?. She kne; from tin round cf vo'eca tlist th" gcntl-Ticn wrro.eomcof t.em, in tho billiard room, soui" in the smolsi";,' room. Ho'V should she deliver that note? She had promised him her answer in twentyfour hour?, ; hi« eyes had fluted for it phinly as any eyea could speak. She must give it to him ; it wa^ u a eloss for her to try to r,o to her room and slrcp ; shfi could not Bleep agun unUl she had k"pt her promise to hiru, and had given him the noto. The part of theEtajr ca<?c and corridor wheie she Btood was all in dnrKnef". She waited there some timp. The great house was bo dark and bo silent, save for tho distant Hound of voices coming from the Bmoking-rootn. Ah she ntood there, shrouded in darkness, Bhe hfard tho quick sound of a horse's gallop outfl'do, followed by 6 lon! peal at the hall door-bell ; eho heard the hurried steps of the servants us they went to open it, then gome hasty words in a atrangrr'd voics ; phe heard some one say : " Lord Cstsdaln i=3 in the smoking-room." It seemed to her that they had fetched him. There was an interval of silence, then the door closed again. She heard tho sound of the horse's quick gallop, the lights disappeared, and dim, dead eilence followed. The part}' in the smoking room broko up. She heard the gentlemen go to their rooms; profound Bilonca and profound davkness reigned around. Then she saw Lord Carsdale at the other end oi the corridor ; he was passing along to his own room ; ho held a taper in his hand, and by its light bhe paw that he was pale and care-worn. S'ao had not time even to utter his name, he passed along bo quickly ; and, even had she time, she dared not raise her voice in that vast, Bilent house. " He is miserable because he ha^ not my answer," she said, and her gentle, generous heart ached for him. Sbe did not guess that the loud ring she had heard and the subsequent concussion was the consequence of tho arrival ot a telegraphic message for Lord Carsdele, requesting his immediate attendance at the Horse Guards ; and, owing to a violent thunder-storm which had tlesttoycd some of the electric wired, that me3Bagp had been delayed until late at ni^ht. Lord Cairsdale had not been very wdl pleaded at receiving it ; affairs were at suoh a crisis at Koseneath that ho did not care to leave them ; but it was a case of duty, and there vrni nothing for it but instant obedience " What do you suppose it is about?" the earl asked of his eon. " I cannot tell, sir. Perhaps thoie tiresomo Indmnß have mutinied again, and ray rfgi- , rjaent may be ordered to India ; or it is just poEMble that 1 have to return to Gibraltar, or it reay be of less consequenco than that. I shall leave here at live in the morning, sir, and take the cix o'clock train to town, then I oan bo at tho Horse Guards the first thing. I will ask yon to make my adieus to my mother and the ladies. The earl and his son ahook hands mor-t cordially — there was a warm, deep attachment between them ; but Lord Car<»dale'a face was clouded as ho passed through the long corridor — it did not suit him to l a ave homo just then— be was leaving everything co very unsettled ; he had not received Ailie'fl answer — ho did not know whether Lady Ethel intended to accept the duchess' invitation ; everything was in disorder. Ho passed on to his room, never oven dreaming of the anxious faoe and anxious heart co near him. Then Ailie said to herself there was but one resource — aho must follow him. She could not keep him in suspense any longer, the morrow might be just like today ; it was more than possible she might try again the next twenty-four hours aa she had tried the laat without succeaß. There could bo no barm, surely, in her going to his room door to give him that noto. In the first place it was quite certain that no one would sco her ; it was perfectly safe ; every one in the house waß asleep, or, at least, in their rooms. She know Lord Carsdale'B room, although she had never entered it ; it was close to Lady Waldrove's ; if she followed him now quickly she should have time to Rive him the note before he closed the door, and then — ah, well 1 then she knew that he would sleep all tho more soundly for reading what she had writton. That was all the thought that she gave to the matter. She went Bwiftly down the corridor, her li^ht footsteps made no mound ; she paßned Lady Waldrove's room— all there wan profound peace and Btillness. Then she went on ; she saw a tiny ray of light from beneath the door of Lord C&radale's room — it was fastened— she was too late I What should she do now ? She daro not rap— she could not call him ;it seemed to her that there was a malicious fate at work to prevent her from giving him the noto. Tho only resource was to turn the handle very gently ; this she did once or twice without attracting his attention. She did it again, more quickly, more hurriedly, and then Bhe heard him say : " Who is there ? ' She did not answer, bocnuse she dared not. She moved the handle cautiously again. Then Lord Carsdale quickly opened the door and looked out into tho darkness. At firat he did not see her, ho looked away; then, ag the darkness grew leas intense, ho saw the outline of the pale, beautiful, passionate face he knew so well. To do him justice, ho waa startled and half shocked. " Ailie," he eaid, " in Heaven'a name, what has brought you?" She raised her pure, fair f aco to his. "I have coma to bring you my answer," sho Baid. (l I have tried all day to give you this note, and I oould not." "My poor child," he said,' gently, "you should not have come here." "No ono has Been roc, no one known," she replied ; " and I would not have come, but that I knew you were so anxiom over thij answer ; your eyes asked mo for it thia evening; but 1 could not tell you, I had not one moment." She was standing in tho ehadow of tho door-way, and thoso word*! had passed in tho most hurried whisper. She took the little note from her dreßS and gavo it to him. He was so agitated at fleeing her, and ehc was so intently watching his face, that neither of them heard the ulow opening of tho door clobe to them and a cautious footstop. " Thin is my answer," said Ailio ; " and may Heaven bless you, my love— my love, I shall nevtr repent." He took tho paper from her hands. "Cood-night, Ailio," ho Baid, quicl.ly ; " thank you for bringing mo this. 13ut, child, it was a terrible risk. Hasten back to your room, and pray Heaven that no ono sees you." Ho wpuld not detain her even while he told her that ho waa going away in tho morning ; he was frightened and anxioue for her sake — it waa a terrible risk to have run ; it showed her utter innocence, her simple, child-hko faith, her simple guilelsßsnens ; but, all tho same, he wished that she had not done it. " Good-night," ho repeated. " Oh, haeten, Ailie, for your own sake, child." Ho stood at the door and watched her while she hastened away through the thick gloom. There iras no light, no sound, do ntir, no

m<..e 7 r,rr,t ; •x.'d, a, ;u frttt """'i-' I iii. doori ft "in, !io caii.l to hi'ii^ca tiiut it \v->i a rno^l JI-j v^cnt 1 j the lamp ai.d oj.pncd the folded pspor; be sftw on it marks of teaia— gieat blot-* whei'e ihe hot tr&rs had fallen. " Poor child I ' he caul arum lo Jiim3elf, " I wonder what hl.c bin u aid to rce?" He kept; tho htll i mts one or two minutes unopened in hi" h,\x\ 3. Did fihe consent, or did she no.? Pur Ai!ie ! what Horroy nil lovo imd bro'i?ht her. Tlioa ha read, written in a trembling hand : " It v,ou!d have b^en s vcet and o&3y to die for you—it u harder to live and give you up ; but, for your pako, and because I love you so well, I wi'l cvon do that. I consent to what you ask me ; but, if you winh me well, do not a^k me to ta 1 c your monfy when you refuse to give me yo jr love. Wiien we are parted it must be altogether, and I will wbrk~l will take nothing from you. So, Hoaven bkr<3 you, and good-by, my lost love— my own love, my dead love, good-by." Kg read the simple, loving word 3 through a milt of teais. " She is the noblest woman in all the world," he eaid ; " there ia no other so brave, so generous, so good." Then ho placed the little note aside— so far bis miad wa3 at rest. Oace more he opened tho door ana loc\ed through the thick Rloom ; there was no Ei'gn, no sound. Ailie had evidently reached her own room in Bifely, and neither ho nor she had the lenst idea that Lady Gertrude had watched the close of their interview. It was the sound of her brother's voico that had attracted her attention, and opening the door very gently, she was just in timp to see Ailia Binding at the door of her brother's room, and heard their last good-night. (to j.e contused )