Novelist HARD TO WIN: THE STORY OF STRANGE LIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2274, 5 February 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Novelist HARD TO WIN: THE STORY OF STRANGE LIVES.

BY GEOEGE MANVILLE FENN, Author of " Sin v Ahoy," " Dutch the Dlvkk," " Tub Foundky Belle," &c.

The Story: IB6o.—Strange Lives. CHAPTER VII. "A GOOD DAY'S WORK." For a few moments tho Midge's heart; failed her, unci *lio stopped short with tho door in her hand: then she turned to floe, for there was a strango noise below, but the next moment with a short, harsh laugh, she exclaimed : ' Why, if, is his dog. Here, here, here, good dog, then,' she cried, going down on her knees, as Joby came scampering up the stairs, uttering short, s-liaxp barks, bounded to her, licked her face and hands, and she threw her arms round him, aud held him to her bony breast. « I may love you,' she cried, patting- and caressing him, and then passionately kissing, bis great ugly forehead. "I may love you, dog, aod you are his, and you like me ; yen, yes, yes, ugly as I am, you like me,' she- cried, with tho hysterical tours streaming , from her eyes ; whil-; for his part, the "dog licked her hands and face again, but all in an excited way, a*s he struggled to free himself, barked sharply,' and then ran a few steps down the stairs, and stopped and looked buck. ' Yes, yes, I know.' said the Midge softly, as'sho rose. ' I know what you mean. He has shut you in, and you want me to let you out. . The dog looked as if lie understood her words, aud then ran down a few more stairs, and turned to look up at her as she followed him slowly dow,n to tho door, when he turned and stood looking at her.

To the Midge's surprise, however, instead of tearing at the door as if to be let out, he now run down the brond hall-like passage, his claws pattering on the oiluloth till he reached the top of the basement stairs, where he again stopped, began barking, and waited for her to follow. Midge "took three or four steps, and then she stopped. ' What does he want ?' she said hoarsely, and with her heart beginning to beat rapidly. ' Then there is some one—something,, she added, with a shudder ; and she felt as if she could go no farther. Meanwhile the dog grew excited, barked sharply, and evidently having an idea well inside his head seem determined to pursue it to the end, for he left the stairs, ran back to the girl excitedly, seized her dress in his teeth, and tugged at it to drag her with him, 1 It's very horrible," muttered tho girl, trembling,"' but I shall have to go, , and she took a step forward, but only to shudder and stoop clown to begin caressing the dog's ugly head. just at that moment a key rattled quickly in the latch, the door was thrown open, and the Gentleman appealed. ' Oh, here you are, , he cried, ' I thought I'd lost you. Come here, you brute. . The dog dropped his head and lowered his tail as he trotted slowly towards the new comer, who gave him an angry kick as he pas>ed out, when, with a short nod to the girl, he once more closed the door and followed the clog, leaving Midge standing pale aud excited by the staircase balustrade, upon the plinth of which, where it curled round, she stopped, leaning, eager to return upstairs, but burning with the intense curiosity of her nature, to know more of what was below.

She was terribly afraid, and fully believed now that the dog had been below and found something, but it was too hard to believe that it was what her imagination suggested; and at last she went slowly to the top of the stone basement stairs and, summoning up her courage, looked down.

It was gloomy in the passage, but there, below, the light hardly penetrated, and she dared not go down without fir«r fetching a candle, but stood shivering with dilated eyes, thinking , that the damp, early smell came up more strongly than ever.

And now she once more noticed the whife powder on the door, which seemed to have bpen left there by a hand covered with it. There was nothing , in it apparently ; it was a white powdery dust, but all the same it seemed to fai-cinate her and make her wonder why it was there.

At last she tore herself away, hurried up, and tiiking a candle and matches cutne slowly down again, listened for a, fewmoments at the top of the basement stairs, and then holding the candle high above her head she slowly descended into the gloom below.

Tho place had evidently been once used as kitchens, for there was a row of bells, covered with dust at the side of tho passage, and as she reached the foot of tho stairs tho light fell upon the open kitchpu door, through which she could see tho rusty iron of the range, a tall dresser covered with cobwebs, and tho mouldy flags that formed the floor. But these hnrdly took her attention, for she f-'an-just inside the door a good-sized round flat basket, such as fruit is sent in to market, and this had evidently been used to carry tho, white powder, some of which lay on the floor fallen from a bag, and she know now that it was lime.

A trifle perhaps to consider, for the ceilings and walls were filthy in the extreme, and the lime had probably been brought there to prepare the material for giving them a coat of whitewash. The girl did not enter the front door, but turned and peered into that at the back, where, plainly enough, as if escaped through the interstices of the basket, lay two or three patches of lime dust, one of which bore part of the impress of a foot, as if someone had walked that way since the lime had fallen. It was through there, then — the mystery she was eager to solve, and going cautiously in, she held up her candle and gazed around.

Nothing—nothing whatever to attract her attention. There was a bare, dirty, cobwebbed kitchen, that had not been used for years, save as a place to bestow lumber, old baskets, and packing cases. But beyond this kitchen was a large vault, from which on either side opened out cellars that had stored wins, for there were bins and low ranges of brickwork on which casks could rest, and it was from this vault that the strong clamp earthly smell arose. The Midge's curiosity was intense, but her courage failed here, The light spluttered, and the dread assailed her that it was about to go out. So hurrying back she ran up the stairs with the sensation strong upon her that she was followed The light spluttered more as she ran, and nearly went nut in the current of air she caused ; but she did not heed this, only ran on, nor paused until she had reached the first floor, where she sank down beside the fire, glancing timidly at the door.

By degrees the more poignant portion of her dread passed oil', and she summoned courage as the day wore on to descend once more and close and lock the door leading below.

Punctually to the minute, her father returned at four o'clock, heard the Gentleman's message, and softly rubbed his

hands before sitting down by the lireside, lighting a pipe, a nil beginning to smoke, watching the child the while as she- prepared the necessaries for his evening iiioal. Twice over the Midge gazed stealthily at him, but lowered her eyes on finding that lie was watching her. For the eyes of Balass of the blue bag were not pleasant, eyes, having a curious red ferrety look about them, and the Midge felt as if ho were seeking to read the thoughts that she was trying very hard to conceal. It; was nearly nine o'clock before the Geutleinau returned. Thickbroom arrived soon after seven, and had expressed his opinion in a whisper that the Gentleman had been takeu or else had made up his mind not to come. 'I should have heard in cither case,' said Balass. ' He'll be here presently.' And so it proved, for at the above time the gentlemim walked quietly in, this time without his dog, and striding slowly to the lire, turned his back to it, took out a ease, selected a cigar, and prepared to smoke. ' Perhaps we may go into my room to smoke, , said Balass, quietly. "Midge can hear my pipe, but when three cigars are going, it is too much for her.' The Gentleman nodded, and Thickbroom rose, and following Balass they left Midge to herself. 'Do they think that deceives me?' she muttered, with a bitter laugh. ' What a fool lie must think I am.' ' Perhaps you had better go to bed, my child,'said Balass thrusting in his head. ; I dare suy we shall he talking until quite late. Stocks, and shares, and bill discounting, Midge. All business, my child, business.' ' Yra, father,' said the girl, 'I'll go to bed ;' and taking the candle from the table she walked slowly into her room, hearing the key turned upon her once more. Half an hour later the Midge was down upon her knees, the floor was open, and she was watching the proceedings below. A little strongly-made table was just below her, and upon this, spread out and twinkling lustrously, were a bracelet, locket, and necklet. The Midge was not learned in precious stones, but she knew that most of these were diamonds, and she watched curiosly as she saw them placed in a glass vessel, a quantity of whitish liquid poured over them from a large bottle, and the whole

placed upon n iiu-;,.! tripod, beneath which a spirit lamp was lit, the contents of the glass beginning to bubble up as if the jewels were being cooked. It was a long process; but Midge watched the three men, until at last the spirit lamp was removed, the liquid pourt'd into a jar. and the jewels turned into a basin of water, where for the most part they proved to have been boiled out of their settings by the strong acid dissolving the thin points of silver which held them in their places. Those which still remained obdurate were treated again to the same process, when the stones were washed, while Balass collected all the remaining silver, placed it in a little crucible, and this in a small charcoal fire, standing by as the crucible heated, and then throwing in small pieces of saltpetre, which sparked aud glowed tiercelj', throwing up a peculiar white reflection on the faens of the three men.

At last Balass ceased to throw in more nitre, and took hold of the crucible with a pair of small tongs, pouring its contents into a mould, which he cooled, sending up a white steam towards the watcher; and at last turned out upon the table a little bar of silver the thickness of a square lead pencil, just as the Gentleman and Thickbroom had clone wiping and laying the stones upon some cotton wool. 'Ah,'said Balass "that would puzzle them now. It would take a clever one to swear to those stones and their setting,' he adfl, laying a thin yellow ringer upon the little bar of silver. Now, my lads,' 1 think one pipe and one glass, and then bed, after a good day's work.'

' By the way though,' said the Gentleman, " we snoulc? make hay while the sun shines. What about Madam's nicknacks and Brighton?'

' My dear young friend,' said Balass. rubbing his hands softly softly, ' that is all in train. I have been down twice, and the fruit is ripening. When it it fit yon shall go down and pick it while the major here holds the basket.'

The gentleman nodded ; Thickbroom said—"tho sooner the better,' and the Midge softly replaced the boards and carpet and crept ouee more to bed.

CHAPTER VIII. ECCENTRIC GUESTS.

' That's right : I adore punctuality,' said Doctor Stonor, as John liuish was ushered into the drawing-room of Laurel flail. For, having; mastered the repugnance which had made him feel disposed to send a message to put off his visit, he had chartered a hansom, and run down, or rather up, to the doctor's house.

There was nothing new about it externally, for it wus one of those old red brick buildings that our ancestors know so well how to contrive, and which they always surrounded with iron railings with great gates about double their height. This was evidently for protection, but why the gates were made so high, and the railings so low, has never yet been found out.

So John Huish rang and was admitted, starting slightly ou finding himself face to face with Daniel; but as that individual acted as if they had never met before, and asked him his name, the visitor felfc more composed, and entered, and was announced.

'My sister—Miss Stonor,' said the Doctor. ' Selina, my dear, this is one of my oldest patients. I prescribed for him for infantile cholic when he was a month old, and lanced his gums at six.'

John Huish found himself face to face with, a thin prim little lady, in tightlyfitting black silk with white collar and cuffs. She was rather pale, had perfectly grey hair in smooth bands, and looked rather wistful, but she saluted their guest with a quiet smile, and then he was led off to be introduced to the other guests.

'You know Sir Grautley Wilters,' said the doctor sharply. 'This is Captain Lavvdor, Mr Roberts,' he continued, 'my old friend John Huish. , And he introduced Huish in turn to a rather blufflooking florid man with grey whiskers ; a rather stern and stubborn-looking man with iron grey hair and a closely trimmed benrd ; and a slight, delicate-looking man with rather a sad expression, which, however, lit up with a genial smile.

John Huish was very soon engaged with Captain Lawdor on the question of yachting, and found his new acquaintance somewhat of an enthusiast upon the Imilfl and rig of sea-going boats, his preference being for the yawl. But at the same, ho found time to exchange a few words with the thin, pensive-looking Mr Roberts, who chatted about the politics of the hour, and with Mr Rawlinson, whose speech quite carried out the stubborn appearance of his knotted forehead, and short iron u't'oy hair. He was very indignant about a railway accident mentioned in the evening paper, and gave it as his opinion that there would be no safety until heavy penalties were inflicted upon the companies, or else until the lines were in the hands of the Government.

Then Daniel came in and announced dinner, and Sir Grantley taking down

Miss Stonor, Huish found himself with the doctor. ' Patients not well enough to show up, doctor ?' he said quietly as they went tovvards the dining-room. 'Eh?' "I said, patients not well enough to show up?' 'Hist ! Don't mention them,' said the doctor ; aud Huish gave a sigh of relief as he thought how much better the dinner would pass off without them. A minute later and they were seated at table. Johu Huish on the doctor's right aud the captain on his right again. The next guest was the stubborn-looking man who was upon Miss Stouor's left, Sir Grantlcy and the pensive-looking man facing them. Grace was said, the cover of the soup tureen was lifted with a flourish by Daniel, and Miss Stonor ladled out the clear brown julienne, half hidden herself behind the tureen, till all were helped but Mr Rawliuson aud the doctor. •Vlr Rawlinsou passed his hands through his iron grey hair, and smiled as he watched the ladle go down into the steaming fluid and come up attain to be emptied into the plate held by Daniel. 'And so, Rawlinson, you would heavily fine the companies?' said the Doctor.

'Indeed I would," was the reply. ' Would you mind, Miss Stonor,' he continued insinuatingly ; ' half a ladlcful more—delicious soup. Thanks.'

Miss Stouor smiled aud the soup was placed before him, when, to tho amusement of finish, and the horror of Sir Grantley, who stuck his glass into his eye, and became all concentric wrinkles, Mr Rawlinson sent his chair buck with a quick motion, deftly lilted the soup-plnte on to the Turkey carpet, and, as if it were a footpan, composedly placed his patent leather shoes therein. Miss Stonor did not move a muscle: she might have been a disciple of Daniel, while the Doctor s.'iid quietly—

1 Head hot, Rawlinson ?' ' Ver y, very,' was the reply, as the eccentic guest smiled and nodded. ' I'd go and lie down for an hour, , said the doctor quietly. ' Would you—would you?' said Mr Rawlinson smiling pleasantly. ' Well, I will"

"Come and join us presencly if you feel better, , said the Doctor. ' Certainly I will,' said Mr Rawlinson ' Miss Stouor, you'll excuse me?' Miss Stoner bowed, and Mr Kawlinson turned upon Daniel. 'A napkin, Daniel, he said, rather severely. ' I cannot leave the room with my ."hoes in this state.' He lifted his feet from the sor.p-pliite as he spoke, and aat with his legs at right angles to his body, while in the most matter-of-fact way, Daniel stooped down, wiped the patent leather shoes, mid sticking, his thums into his armholds, \Mr Rawlinson calmly left the room. ' Suppose you ease ofiE iv little to the right, Lawdor, , said the Doctor, as the soup-plate was removed. 'Rawlinson will not be back to dinner. , 'No,' said the Captain smiling as he half took the eccentric gentleman's place, 'Poor fellow, , he continued, turning to Huish, " You would nwtj have thought he was a little wrong, I suppose F ' Indeed I should not, , said Huish, eagerly. ' No, said the Captain ;' ho looks as sane as 1 am ; but he breaks out now and then poor fellow.' Just then Daniel was helping the guests to sherry, and Huish noticed that the Captain's glass was panned. It seemed strange, but the conversation took off his attention, and he thought no more of it till Daniel set down the decanter, when, picking up the little round roll that lay by Rawliuson's napkin, the captain threw it with so good an aim that he h ; t the solid servitor a smart crack on the back of the head. 1 Now, Captain Lawdor,' said Miss Stonor, in tones of bland reproof, ' have I not told you that if you will persist in doing , that, you must nor. dine with us.' ' Hush, hush, , he whispered, apologetically. ' Don't scold ine before the company. Poor fellow: they're new patients, and it might upset them. He always passes me with the sherry.' The aspect of Sir Grantley Wilters , face at being looked upon as a new patient was such that the Doator exchanged glances with Huish, and it was all they could do to keep form bursting into a hearty fit of laughter. The Doctor, however, suppressed his, and said quietly : ' My sister is quite right Lawdor, and you must get rid of that habit.' The Captain drew out his pocket-hand-kerchief, shed tears, wiped his eyes, and ended by taking , out a half-crown which he slipped iuto Daniel's hand as he removed his empty plate. Sir Grantley Wilters was horrified, but he plunged iuto conversation with Miss Stonor, not, however, before he had directed an uneasy glance or two at his quiet pensive companion on the right, who, however, was carrying ou a discussion with the Doctor. Hui.sh could not help thinking of the knives as the Captain turned to him with a pleasant smile lighting up his ruddy face from which all trace of sorrow had now passed. ' That's a nasty trick,' he said ; ' but I never knew a man without some bad habit or another, I could hit him, though, with a biscuit at fifty paces. That I could.' ' Indeed,' said Huish. ' Yes, that I could. If I've hit Daniel once, I've done it a hundred times. But wo were talking about yatohinsr. Now, I've got a plan for a ship which I have submitted to the Admiralty.' ' Oh,' said Huish to himself, ( hero then is the sore place. , Then aloud, 'Indeed !' ' Yes; a splendid idea. But by the way, you know how fond we sailors are of talking about pitching a biscuit ?' ' To be sure,' said Huish. 'Is he safe ?' asked Sir Grantley in a whisper to Miss Stonor. 'I beg - your pardon,'said that lady, looking at the eye-glass in a puzzled manner; for somehow or another, Sir Grantley Wilters' eye-glass seemed to be the distinguishing - feature of his face, and everyone gazed at that glistening expressionless disc, and at nothing else. 'I said, is he safe, don't you know?' said Sir Grantley, in the same low tone of voice ; because my nerves are a bit shattered, and if there's any danger I'd rather go. Rather bad joke of the Doctor to ask me here.' 1 You see I am not afraid,' said Miss Stonor with a grave smile. ' But then, you see, you're a woman, don't you knew,' said Sir Grantley nervously. 'And you a man,' said Miss Stonor, smiling. 'Yes, of sonrse, , said Sir Grantley, hastily. ' I thought—perhaps—might be a little danger, don't you know. , ' Would you oblige me, Sir Grantley, said the Captain blandly. 'This is a very good story. , 'I beg your pardon,' said Sir Grantley .; and his face looked quite ghastly as he brought his eye-glass to bear upon the Captain. 1 Well, you see,' began that gentleman, ' I had been communicating with the Admiralty for six years about my inventiou when—would you oblige me by taking that glass out of your eye?' said the Captain, breaking off short in his narrative. 'It irritates me, and makes me feel as if I must- throw something at it./ The concentric wrinkles iu Sir Grant-

ley's countenance relaxed on the instant, and the eye-glass dropped inside his vest, while, in spite of all his efforts_ to master his emotions, he glanced uneasily at the door.

' But you would not do anything so rude, Lawrlor,' said the Doctor, gravely, as he fixed his eye upon the Captain. ' Thank you, Doctor. No ; of course I would not. I should be extremely sorry to insult a patient of yours.' A spasm shot through Sir Grantley's countenance, aud he began to feel nervously for his glass, but remembered himself, aud listened eagerly to the Captain, while Mr Roberts seemed to have sunk into a pensive, thoughtful state, paying no heed to what was going on at the table.

'If I had danced attendance in Whitehall once, , said Captain ' La-wdor, 'I had hung about that entrance a thousand times, and it was' fill up forms, make minutes, present petitions to my lords, address this department and come back to that, till it nearly drove me—till' he added hastily, ' I was very wroth with them, and one day—let me see, I think I told you, , he continued, rolling up a piece of new bread into a marble, ' that J was an excellent shot with a biscuit?' and he stared hard at Sir Grantlcy.

' Yas, yas, , said that individual, nodding energetically. ' You did, I remember perfectly.'

' Well, sir, one day I went with, my pockets filled with the roundest, smallest, and hardest ships' biscuits I could procure, and—you arc not attending, Roberts,' he exclaimed, filliping the bread marble at Johu liuish's vis-a-vis who bowed and smiled.

' Well, air, as I told you, I went loaded with the biscuits, and marched straight into a board room or a committee room, or something of the kind, and there I stormed them for quite ten minutes before they got me out. Ha, ha, ha ! I emptied my pockets first, and the way J rattled the biscuits on one bald-headed fellow's pate was something to remember. I <lo not miss him once, Mr Kuisli,' he said, turning sharply round. ' Indeed ?' he said, smiling. ' in—deed, iu—deed, , said the Captain. 'It was such a head ! He was one of those youngish men whose heads are so aggravatingly white and smooth and shiny that they do not look bald, but perfectly naked. He was a Junior Lord of the Admir&lty, and I declare to you, sir, that his head was perfectly indecent till I coloured it a little with the biscuits.' ' Yes, an amusing story,' said the Doctor, as the dinner went on. ' Come, Roberts, you are very quiet. Have a glass of that dry champagne ?' ' And once again I see that brow,' sang Mr Roberts iu a low, soft, sweet voice ■;, ',no bridal wreath is there ; a widow's sombre cap conceals. Thank you, Doctor,' he said, sighing, as he altered the position of the glass. Sir Grantley Wilters stuck his glass in his eye again, grew wrinkled, and stared appealingly at John Huish, as if to say : ' They're all mad ; let's go.' The dinner passed off without any further incident save that Mr Rawlinsou returned looking very quiet and calm, and in time for the second course, of which he partook heartily, rising after the dessert to open the door for Miss Stonor to leave the room, and all in the most natural manner. ' Suppose we go into my room a bit now,' said the Doctor. 'We can have a cigar there ;' and Daniel entering at that moment with coffee, it was taken iuto the Doctor's sanctum, the patients following the coffee, Sir Grantley going next, and the Doctor hanging back with his principal guest. 'Well, my dear John, do you think you are going mad now ?' ' No,' was the quick reply. 'Of course not. You see now what even a mild form of mania is. , ' I do, , was the. reply. ' But look here. Doctor,' said Huish, earnestly; 'this feeling has troubled me terribly just lately.' ' And why ?' said the Doctor sharply, for Huish hesitated. "Well, the fact is, Doctor, it is possible that I may marry some day, and I felt"— "H" Ye- , , of course, I know," said the Doctor ; " you felt, and quite rightly, that it would be a crime to marry some sweet young girl, if you had the seeds ofinsanity waiting to develope themselves iu your brain.' ' Yes, Doctor, that was it. , ' Mr dear John Huish, you are a bit, of a favourite of mine, and Hike you much. , ' Thank you, Doctor, I—" ' Just hold your tongrue and listen to me, sir. You have, I am sure, chosen some sweet, gentle, good girl : nothing else would suit you. So all I have to say is this : your brain is as as that of any man living. Marry her, John, arid the sooner the better. I like these youn«r marriages, and hang all those musty old fogies who preach about improvidence, and so marry hundreds a year. Marry early, John, while you and the woman you love are in the first flush of your youth and vigour. It's nature—it's "holy '—and the good God smiles upon it. Confound it all, sir, it makes me savage to see «■ wretched, battered, dissipated rake of a fellow being chosen by a scheming mother of the present day as a husband for her child. Money and title will not compensate for youth. It's a wrong system, John Huish, a wrong system. I'm a doctor, and I ought to know. Marry then, my dear boy, as soon, as you like and God bless you !' ' Thank you, Doctor, thank you,' said Huish, sinilliug. 'But I say, Doctor, if it i* not impertinence, why didn't yo'i marry young ?' ' Because I was a fool, John,' said the Doctor, ' I wanted to make money and a name in my profession, and did not calculate what would be the cost. They cost me thirty years, Johu Huish, and now I am an old fogey, content to try and do some good among my poor patients. Poor fellows '. you thought they were guests." ' Indeed I did, , said Huish. ' What is it, Daniel P , said the Doctor, as his grave servitor entered the room. 'Did Sir Grantley Wilters; drop a locket here, sir ? Gold locket with monogram in diamonds ?' ' Not seen it. Daniel. Look round,' said the doctor.

The locket was sought for, hut not found in the dining room ; and then inquiries were made in the drawing-room.

' Must have left it at home, don't you know,' said tho baronet. ' Never mind, Doctor. Thought I had it,' and the visitor seemed to be so anxious that he should not again he left alone with the three patients that the Doctor stayed. (To he muti-i'tirrf.)