CHAPTER LVI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2090, 28 November 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER LVI.

A'-r jruvf. accu-ATIos. Lord Cirndalo conkl not pay for certain whether }c bl<= pt the better for that little note or not. 1U found himself once or twice, daring the night, wondering what ha shquld have dana b,'d Ailie decided otherwise; ho often found biiyisr-lf thinking of her, dwelling on the pale, passionate beauty of her face, recalling her passionate words, ber great and wonderful love for himself ; recalling every tender phrase, &n<l he always finished his reverie by thinking » i 3 only oncoin a life-time that a man is loved alter that fashion ; he did not know whether no wished for this separation, as h<i had orca wished for it— with all bi3 heart ; he did not know whether he should be ever*. helmed with j,rief ifhefound out that uo such ecparalion could legally be. But the morning sun was ihiujnginhis room ; he had to go. there wa3 no more time for thought just now— thcio was not even time for him to write one word to Ailie. Strange to say, it was of Lev that oo thought the most. Lady Ethel v ouicl receive bia courteous message of adieu* 'iucough the earl, but Ailie would nod have one word ; it would seem hard and nnkind after her loving little letter to him, yet he' could not think of any way in which ho could possibly e«nd her a note or a message. " I must explain it to her when I return." he «-aid. The 1 ! it Btrue's five ; the valet and groom were both iv attendance ; there waH not another moment to be lost if ho intended going by the six o'clock train. " Poor Ailie 1" were his k«t words as he quitted the house. " I wish I had time to write one word to her." Toor Aijie! was his last thought as ha looked up at 'i;o grand old walla of the grand house, and thrn he galloped away in the morning sunshine, without one thought of what waa to happen later on, while 'Ailie slept, through exhaustion — it was so late when she reached her room, and and had suffered go much anxiety. fJiie slept until ltfce in the morning, i When at la^t »ho woke, and caw from her watch it was nearly nine, eha waa frightened, i How v, is it th*t no ono had been to oall her ? Hhe did not remember that such a thing had ever happened before. .Why had the oountesa not «nt for her? She waa perplexed. When »he opened the door of her room Lady Gertrude'a maid was there. " Just going to rap," rfhe said, and themessage that eho bad brought was : " Lady Waldrove wonld flofc require Misa Dervrcnt that morning." Ailie was more" perplexed itill. It might be that the d&untoiA, seeing how tired she was last ni.'hfr, had taken compassion on her. " Does Lady WftWrove think that I am ill?"' ehe aiked. And the ocly answer was a very indifferent " j do not know." 14 13 Lady Waldrovo ill herself ?" she asked, ogam. " Not at all," replied tho maid ; " but she wi shed you to wait until she sent for you." It waa very strange ; but Ailie was not difltte^Fed over it. Tho countess bid all kinds of whims and caprices. True, she had never eeemed to take ft fantastic aversion to her, as ehe had done to' many others ; but it was like- j ]y she might do bo. There waa nothing for it but to wait patiently. i She soon forgot all about the countess and her cupricei in thinking about ber husband and what he would say about her letter, " He will not be my husband much longor," she eaid to hercelf. Then one of the maids to whom she bad been very kind came in to ask her to write a letter for hnr. From this maid she heard that Lord Carsdale bad toft the Abbay at live that morning, li tako the cix o'clock train to London. v « " There was nothing said of his going to London lasl ni^ht, waa there?" asked Aills in much startled to reflect that she had no right to discusi hi« movtmoatii. , " None, ' was the answer ; neither the grooms nor the valet knew anything of ill until they were called in the morning. Ailie could put but one interpretation on it; iho believed that be wao so delighted oyer

her letter tbnt ho hod no patience to wait another hour— that the very moment he had re ceived her coosent he had made np his mind to hurry to town and get the opinion he waf so anxious to have. Sbe said to herself that che was foolish to feel aggrieved— that she might have known it Wonld be so. But that did not prevent her from feeling most in tensely grieved. It pained her keenly to think thak he 3honld have been in such a hurry to be freed from her— that, after receiving-tier answer, he had not waited above three or four houra. In her simple ignorance of all law, she never thought it poesible that the separation could not take placa. She was thinking what she would do when he had fr«ed himself from hor, and «he was left alone ; she would never live en money of his— never, let coma what might, nor rf she died of hunger; nor would she ever go back home. She would go to Germany— to Hefaengen ; they had liked her very well there, and she might teach Engliih and French. She would nevlr touch his money ; never look in his face or listen to his voice again. She oould live out the little that remained of her life in Germany just ns wejl aa in England, and there would ba no one there to trouble her while sbe faded away and died. Her reverie- was interrupted. Lady Gertrade opened tbe door of her room and stood suddenly before her. She entered 'without tho preliminary of rapping, and that surprised Ailie. She was more startled ititl when sho looked at the face of the earl's daughter ; all th« scorn, the contempt, the dislike, the loathing that oould be expressed in a human countenance, was expressed in hers. Her blaok morning dreps swept the ground; jswela shone on her whita fiDgers; her dark, haughty head was ci owned with mffssea of her dark, shining hair. She. stood tall and stately, looking down on Ailie, very much as a queen might have looked on a slave. • 11 It is against my own will that I am here , Miss Derwent,' s"he said. " I would not have como but for my mother's sake. You will not be surprised to hear that your atrocious conduct has made her very ill indeed." •• My what ?" said Ailie, looking np in wonder, and Lady Gertrude saw that the wonder was not feigned. "I repeat it," she said, "your atroolons conduct ! — conduot which has brought disgrace on Bosensath such as was never known before 1 " "Perhaps," said Ailie, gently, " yon will be kind enough to explain, Lady Gertrude. I declare to yon that I do not understand yon." 11 You will not undentand t " was the angry retort. " You know well enough what I mean. Why do you stand there trying to look innocent and surpjised? You ought rather to fall on your knees and beg my pardon— mint and my mother's 1 " "Lady Gertrudo, what have I done?" asked Ailie. "What, id deed! yon— you whited sepulcher 1 You have never imposed upon me, Ailis Dsrwent, never! When I see ono of your type— dov« eyes, meek, fair-hcired, and geutle, I cay to myself thera is a whited sepuloher I " "It seems to me very unjust. I diet not make the color of my hair or my eyes, Lady Gertrude, nor do I know what I have done to annoy yon." She turned away, bewildered; but Lady Gertrude epoke eyed more angrily. "You need not add insolence to your wickedness," phe said. " I was quite unwilling to speak to you. I think that any good and mddest woman would be disgraced by any association with you. I told my mother that it wa3 for her sake, and her sake alone, that I would consent to exchange oae word with you, and after thig once— never again." " Once more, Lady Gsrtrude, will you tell me what I have done ? " She had forgotten her little excursion of tho night bafore ; it never once occurred to her ; and sho tried in vain td think what Lady Gertrude oould mean. " You know what yon have done," said the earl's daughter, angrily. " I do not," replied Ailio, calmly. " You nre quite shameless. I do not convict you on any testimony except my own. I believe that which my cvn oyps have spen, and my own ears have heard — nothing else. I take no one's word." " If you will but tell ma," said Ailio. "I blush to repeat it," said Lady Gartrnde. %l You force the words from me. If you had any good tasts, any sense of honor left, you would not ask me to utter words from which my whole soul revolts." And Ailie, looking at the haughty faoo, e.iw that Bhe was npeaking the truth. "I would save you tho clfagraco, Lady Gortrude, if I could," she said. "I would tell my crime to you, instead of you to rue, if I knew it." " You are hardened," said Lady Gertrudo. " So hardened that if ever I had felc the least pity for you, I feel none now. I will tell you your orime. I grw you with my own oyes oome from my brother's room aflor midnight last nipht. I saw you, and heard you speak. Do you deny thst ? " Slowly enough she uttered the words, ard each word had gone like the pain of a sharp sword through Ailie's heart. Her face had grown white as the face of a dead woman ; her white hp 3 trembling. She tried to speak, but no eound came from them ; her voice died away on them. Good heaven 1 that so torriblo a thing had happened. What could she say? "Do you deny it ? " asked Lady (rartrude, and it was pitiful to see how the white lips opened without* a sound. 11 Once more," oontinned the clear, pitiless voice, " I saw you wandering about the houso after midnight — after every one else bad gone to rest — then I suspected you. I have made inquiries since, and I find that twice my mother's maid has gone to your room and has found it empty after every one had believed that you, like the rest, had gone to bed. I find that twice you have been sec-n in the 'grounds at night, and each time with a gentleman ; you have been observed to creep basic into tho houso when everyone el*3 was asleep. I ask you can you deny theae things ? You do not apeak. You do nob answer. I am gltd, at least, that you have the gruc" to remain silent. I should not have troubled Lady Waldrove with the atory of your folly, but .that I had no power to dismiss you myself. I will Bee if it Be convenient for Lady Waldrove to receive you now. Have you anything to say to me before I go ?" Nothing. Tho white face dropped and the white lips closed; from them came no sound 1