CHAPTERLVIII.

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

CHAPTERLVIII.

" i niLD :,ox toi.or r." •'Will«you ropent what you said, Lady •Geriru^p?' cueii (^fi'jiji.ic^,, impaticn.ti(y ; aud the ean'fl dang'iter looking up proudly, said : , , , 11 I sngqe*t, mamma lhst y.ou should, ask, ber i{ tjjwcia.ftny pokbibk explanation qf the oircum^tßrj;*?- '• . ; The look of scorn on Lady, WaJdrove's face' deepened. " Auy poosiblecxplapation, Gertrude. Y^u avo a hily, a pcrfecl lady. What explanation can ihfcio \>.j?" " A' j !> h.r, lrnmnaa," ea-d Lady Gertrude, wwr.c~i.ly. And tho couniec, turning to AtJie, caM : » " You lickr what my daughter foolishly sup!gejt?. Is fchme— can joj £ive rue any ex _ plantation— can you cay anything that will le^on the odium of your fault ?" The white face was raised to hers, the pure, c'liar ryeM hM jnst then a shadow in them. They were filled with a slraiv alight. "I have cot odp word, Liay Waldrove," she replied, and thoro was ft strange sadqess in her voice, & strange sweetness that annoyed tlu in. 1 IhciC, you sec, Gfrtruda, tho (?ul is utterly shameless. Thoro is nothing to be said I further, not one excuse to be made. Some girls wouM hßve p^adpd some exouue or other She says nothing." "Mo," said Ailie; " 1 have nothing to say, Lid/ Waldrove." The counteaa looked very angry. / "It ib the first amp,' eho said, " that anythiuß hko djfiijrace ha 3 fallen on my house." Ailic phi;doered at the word, but eha let ib pa?p. SLo hnd gone ihrough the bitterness of death already ; what they ohose to call dis{^■•ftce mattoiefi little ; it could not hcrt her. Yot she Bhnddered and shivered under it, as ono keenly feels a severe blow. " Have you nothing to Bay?" asked tha oouutcsH, aDgiily. ." Ilave you neither excueo to urge, pardon to beg, wrong to atone for " " I dn bsg your pardon," said Ailie, quietly, "for every anxious moment that I have caused you." The countess was gradually working herself up into a fever of rage. " I buppoae," she eaid, " it will be the old story ; you will try to make vrhat you oan out of it. I know the whole uharneless routine. You will, perhaps, take legal measure p. You will cover nui ancient name with the blackest disgrace. You will briq^ all kinds of actions against ray eon. You will claim money. I know it all so well." ' I shr.ll do none of these things, Lady Waldrove," eaid tho girl, gently ; " not one." " f3o muvth the better. I would not htive such a disgrace as this come to Lady Ethel's | can for the whple world." " It wiH not be any fault of mine," flaid Ailie. " Whet guarantee have I of that? " asked the oountes3, with & sneer. " You have my word and my honour," Answered Ailie. " Unhss you keep the first better than you kept the last, it will be but a poor guarantee," aaidmy le.dy. And a rain the girl shrank as though aho had received a blow. " II iinrna," cried Lidy Gartrude, " do not ba too severe. I was cruel enough ; I eaid some hard thinga to her; but to me-*I cannot tell you why— but she does not look like n, cinuer." • l I do not know what you call a sinner," aiid Lidy Waldrove. " 1 know that she has by bomo bade arts or foul moan& inveigled my Ron ; she has diverted his attention from a boautiful, hi,;h-born, noble woman, who would moat gladly, I believe, have made him one of the best of wivf3B ;'Bhe has marred his life for a tioie. I say she ought to bo punished, Gertrude. It is the faßhion to cry out against the ruan who do wron^ ; I any it is the fault of the women — Buab women aa these, who lepd,nion asU'ay. What oan she ever do to atone for the ovil c he has done my eon ? " Ailio stood fac.ng the win-low, and the li^bt fell full on her face, 'and her faco riveted the attention of bo^h ladies. It was as white a i i d^ath— clear, c-ilm, and pure, with a strange lipbt that teemed to shine tbiough it — ono could liavo fancied vfc the liyht of a grand or, noble soul. There waa sorrowutmost despair; but the t'vo ladiea who watched her so anxiously and so keenly could Gee tbere no guilt, no confusion, no gin. "It is of po use prolonging tbia bccne," ar.id tho courrtestt. " I have learned my lesson ; no more companions Jor me. I hftve expre3sod my gieat disappointment in you, bo umse I bslieved so implioitly in you ; I havn expressod my gieat horror of your bin and folly ; my disgubt nt your daring ; my indiguution that you should uipiro evcu to look at

ray son !• Now, I have no more to Eny, except ,to di3mifis you." Trfej '•aw tbc fliyi I"'"hudiL?1 "' "hudiL? p-"r> through the trembling fraiae, but sho spokn no woid in extenuation, "if I did my duty," said the conntcsj. " I | should disniis? you beforo tho wbule house hold ; I sboulH mal>e you » warning ; I should 'load you with ignominy and dif grace t&M yoa de-erve ; and if I ociild, I would eond you to prison, Ihoro to expiato your sin. I cannot do that, and my daughter — I know not why— a3ks me to be mereifol In you. You have no olaiin to mercy ; still, because you itfi yc-ao I*,1 *, and I bava liked yon, I will be 1 merciful." A '{a mn'ip'Jred sora° few word ', and tlr* cojiutetß, thinking they wera to thank her, 100 l rA jnit'n trifle sb'ft'tr. •'Yqa ouj.ht to ba made an example and a warning of," *hr\ faid ; "but I ,vill thini. . batter of it. Yon mnit leave to-d&y, but it '^hftll b*B understood in the household {hat you <\re suddenly rent for— yon rip suddenly summoned; there 'need not bo any direct fp.l°*hood told, but in this case, it ia vonllj a sbtiity to cbnceal tha truth. Yon can pnok your Imea ; IoS LWy Gertrude know at what time y^n are' ftoing, and lire carriage shall takp you to thd Station. I know that I am goiHy'of greaS, "alftiosf bnpardoniibie weaknep?; bat ih exp'o«iog"f(0(l panisaing you, I i"tpo«a »nd pnnish m^ beloved son. Ido wfnt I do under prottst. alwiiyp remember that, hot to eava and fereen you, but to fif.vo and fcreen my belored hod." ' ' I qntte urfaefstaad," said AUio. lt I will r,6t fofget. ' " Yon ''"re my piprmirfplon to make it known in the hoireo that yon are going away co-day ia coOTcq o! new<s that jou hava fee-jived. I \Vish to Hiy alw, that romomber»if» it is I who Fend you away, arid I wiilgive you hulf ft year'i naiary ; you do uofc deserve it, Ailie D rvemt, but you shall never have it in your powar to any that poveity drove you (JO e tD." •' I fhould nt\yr pay that in any ca3P,L"\dy Waldrove, for I should never go to sin," she replied. ' I will un^erUko, in order to save my rfon — only to save my <*on, to give you, at Any iime you may write to me for help, to give it to you ; but it is on condition that yon sign fI.U p"»por.' r " W r "ifc paper, Lady Waldrove ? ", asked Ail ip, xvcinderingly. Tncn thp countcsa took a paper from the ae;k. ' I knew what I had to contend with," she gtfiri, " and I have prepared accordingly. I will read this paper to you." The counteaa unfolded it with great state <md biajesty ; Lady Gertrude listened with sympathy, of"which i»he was half afrftid, half imhauwd — Ailie with unmitigated wonder. Lady Waldrove begin : 11 I, Aih'p Dorwent, in the- presence of the Countessof Waldrove andLady Gertrflde Carqdab, state clearly and distmciy that I make no clftim whatever upon Lord Carsdale, and *hat I undertake never to make one." " Will you sign this paper, Miss Darwent ? " ashod the oounte3B. • " No, Lady Waldrove, I would rather die. To sign it, would be to Buppcaa myself capabla of making euah a claim, which, I am not." Lady Wnldi'ove looked, aa ahe lett, slightly snrprisou at the tone oi the meeting. "You hava proved yeureelf capable of ao ranch/ «he Laid, " I may be pardoned for presuming you capable of more. If you refuaa that, you will not perhaps refuse to promise •me that you will teek no communication whatever with my aon— that you will neither write to him, send messages to him, or ever see hiin-again ? " " That I will promise," said Ailic. " And haw do I know that you will keep yourpiomise?" asked the countess-. " Beoaneo I make it to you, Lady Waldrove, in the presence of Heaven. I swear to you that, from tho time I cross your threshold until my heart grows cold in death, I will, ceithdr by word or by action, seek your eon." "I su7>rose thftt I must bo satisfied with that," said Lady Waldrove. " I should have been much batter pleased if you had signed the paper." " Lady YValdrova," said Ailie, humbly, " I wish that I might dara to ask a favour of you?" " Y,ou may ask it," said the countea3, proudly, "I am not unjust. I am not crusl. If it bo anything tnat I can reasonably grant, I will do bo." (To be continued.)