Honelist HARD TO WIN: THE STORY OF STRANGE LIVES

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2319, 21 May 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Honelist HARD TO WIN: THE STORY OF STRANGE LIVES

Author ok " Smi' Ahoy," " Dutch the ' DiVT.it," " The Foundry Belle," &c. The Story: IB6o.—Strange Lives. . [All Rights Reserved.] CHAPTER XLVI. ME ROBERT'S ADVICE.

CHAPTER XLVII,

ON PARTICULAR BUSINESS

BY GEORGE MANYILLE FENN,

Laeies were scarce at Dr. Stonor's dinner party, but Clare prevailed upon her sister to accept the invitation, and Lord Robert urged her as well, the doctor being a very old and dear friend. Miss Selina had invited a couple of her Highgate friends too—elderly maiden ladies of a very dignified nature, who spent their days in one of the old ivy-covered, redbrick houses, and looked upon Doctor Stonor as a man who stood in great peril as to his future ; and in consequence the doctor made a point of introducing semireligious subjects at the table whenever he had an opportunity. Lord Anthony was there, very animated, and ready in the 'most innocent of ways to shock all three of the Highgate spinsters by little anecdotes of former gallantries, and thoroughly enjoy the doctor's port. Tom Hetley was there, too, and the dinner passed off admirably. Certainly Captain Lawdor introduced his system of yacht-building, but he forgot it when the doctor turned his attention into a new line by duly relating how a very wicked old usurer had lately been buried in Highgate Cemetery, and his young widow had placed a magnificent marble tomb over his remains with her own effigy in flowing veil, scattering flowers as she leaned upon the top, above which was a large index hand, beautifully cut in marble, pointing upwards. 'And a most kindly and suitable thing for her to do, I'm sure,' said the most elderly of the spinsters. 'Indicative, dear, of the soul's flight heavenward,' she added to Ren6e, who bowed. ' Yes, madam,'said the Doctor, shutting one eye, as he held up a glass of wine, to gaze through it; and then winked at Tom. Miss Selina saw it, and shook her head at her brother; but he was hidden by the .flowers and epergn vand went on. 'But, unfortunately, his enemies—we all have enemies, Lawdor.' 'Specially in the admiralty,' said that gentleman, nodding.

' To be sure,' said the Doctor. ' Well, ladies, his enemies, bearing in mind the widows and orphans he had defrauded, and the ill he had done all through his life, actually had the audacity to doubt the flight of the soul heavenward, and what do you think they did ?' 'I cannot tell,' said the two spinsters in duet, and they coughed and looked pained, •I know,' said Rawlinson, the stubborn man, rubbing his hands. 'Rich usurer— plenty of money—young widow—one of them stole the marble widow and married her. I should.' 'No, no, Rawlinson,' said the Doctor, as Lord Anthony chuckled, and then glanced anxiously at the head of the table as if expecting to see her ladyship, but seemed relieved at finding only the gentle, bland face of Miss Stonor—"no, Rawlinsou, they got some plaster of Paris, and one night they knocked off the marble hand, and stuck it on again, making it point downwards.' The ladies looked terribly shocked, and Miss Selina hastily introduced the last new pattern in needlework as a topic; but this bored Mr, Rawlinson so on her left that he became uneasy, and his looks so evidently threatened that he was about to use his wine cooler as a footpan that Doctor Stonor gladly welcomed a chuckle from Lord Anthony. ' Talking of downwards, he—he, puts me in mind of a story, Doctor, if the ladies will excuse its being a little indelicate. ' ' I'm quite sure Lord Anthony would not say anything shocking,' said Miss Selina, sweetly, as her two friends uttered little dry coughs, suggestive of mittens, and muffins, and tea. ' Of course not—of course not, I—l—l would'nt say a word on any consideration,' said his lordship, chuckling. It— it—was about a friend.of mine who built a house by Primrose Hill, he—lie—he ! It's quite a medical story, Doctor.' Miss Stonor gasped and glanced imploringly at her friends, while Mr Rawlinson replaced his wine cooler and smiled at Clare. ' He—he—he ! ' chuckled Lord Anthony ; ' her ladyship never lets me tell this story, does she, my dears?' he continued, smiling at his daughters, 'but I assure you, ladies, it's very innocent. I used to go and see him when he had furnished the plaee, and every now and then there used to be such a rumble and quiver when the trains went through the tunnel! ' Why, Frank,'l said to him, one day—' why, Frank, my dear fellow, I—l—l' eh ?—eh ?—eh ? Bless my heart what was it I said to him, Tom ?' ' Pain, father,' said Tom, grinning, for he had noticed the look of relief that appeared upon the ladies' faces when the hope came that that dreadful old gentleman had forgotten the story. There would not have been much Tom left if their looks had been lightning, for his words set the old gentleman off again. 'He—he—he—yes, to be sure ; I said to him, 'Frank, my dear fellow'—just after one of these rumbling upises made by the train in the tunnel—' Frank, my dear boy, you must call in the Doctor, or lay in some more good sound port wine.' 'Why?'lie said. 'Because,' I replied, ' your house always sounds to ine as if it had got a pain in its cellar !' Eh ? he— he ! devilish good that, wasn't it?' No one enjoyed that joke as well as Lord Anthony, who used to recollect it about once a year, and try to fire it off ; but unless Tom was there to prompt him, it rarely made more than a flash in the pan. It did its duty though, this time, for Captain Lawdur kept thinking of it every time he felt disposed to throw a little roll at Daniel. Just as Lord Anthony had given warning by a chuckle of a fresh story, like a clock about to strike, one of the spinster ladies dashed in hastily with a question to Clare. ' Have you heard the Reverend Thomson) Limer, my dear ?' ' No,' said Clare, quietly, 'Ah,'said the other, with a pitying sigh, ' You should my dear—so clever— so full of oratory, though quite an uneducated man. He is one of the polished corners of our temple.' ' Don't agree with your taste, Miss Rindle,' said the Doctor. ' I'm afraid your friend is too much in the style of so many others of the uneducated preacher class. I've seen a good many of them. They take to preaching and say they have had a call—set up, you know, as soul doctors without passing collego or hall. I'm afraid that too often their religious feelings are composed of vanity, idleness, and a desire to get an easy living, while they go about boasting that all they do is from Christian love.' ' Oh, Doctor.' sighed both ladies. ' Can't help it, my dear madam,' he said ; ' there are too many of their class in tho world. I hare the same feeling towards them that I have for all quacks.' There was, a sigh here from Miss Selina, and rather an awkward pause ; but Lord Anthony's story was not told. On the whole tho dinner was a great success, for Mr Roberts, although he coughed once or twice, and tried a note or two of' She wore a wreath of roses,' had his attention so taken up by Clare that he went no farther, and at last the ladies left the room. Then the gentlomen adjourned to the Doctors's sanctum, where cigars were lit and more stories told. Tom quite-won the heart of Captain Lawdor by praising his action with the ship's biscuits. ' By Gad, I'd have given a sovereign to be there,' he said. ' Would you ?' cried the Captain. ' By Jove, sir, if the Doctor will give me leave I'll go down and do it again. Meanwhile Huish, who had been very quiet, had, as if fascinated, made his way to the mummy case, and found himself staring at it so intently that it seemed leering at him, and holding him there as if it were a nightmare. He wanted to get away, but he could not, and somehow it seemed to connect itself again with the troubles he had gone through and with those that were to come. ' Don't look at that,' said a voice close by him : and turning sharply, there stood Mr Roberts, the mild, quiet patient. ' Do you ever look over the bridges at a coal traiu ?' ' No,' suid Hush. 'You should,' said Mr Roberts. 'Black coals, in black sacks in black waggons, like a funeral procession of mummies going to be cremated. Bnt don't look at that. If you look at it much it draws you. I wouldn't for the world. The Doctor says it's an old Egyptian priest. I believe it is a sorcerer. If I looked at it much it would drive me mad. It would you in no time.' He drew the skin of the leopard over it, and passing his arm through liuish's drew him away to another part of the little museum. ' I knew a man who went mad,' he said, ' It was a curious case. It was about a lady. They wouldn't let him have her, and she died. Poor girl. She was very beautiful. Her husband died first—that is the man who was to have been her husband—he didn't quite die, you know, but ho was dead, for the lawyers said so, and ho went to stay somewhere —I knew him well—it was I — no, it wesn't I—but like as it was I. He died, you know, and I'm alive of course— but it was double like. You understand ?' Poor fellow, he little knew what a train of thought he was starting in John Hush's mind, ono of go bewildering a nature that

ho could not pay heed to the speaker as he went 011. ' I'll tell you about her. She was exactly like your wife. God bless her ! May she never be a widow and mourn for the poor dead fellow—who was alive'you know. It was like this. ' She wore a wreath of roses.' Ho began to sing, but was interrupted by the Doctor's cheery voice. ' Yes, I've been at work at it for long enough, and I've found out tho'secret of embalming and he went on to explain the process to those who were by him. 'Don't listen," said Mr Roberts ; 'it's too horrible. He'll tell them afterwards about his mad patient who swallowed a ring.' ' Swallowed a ring ?' said Huish. 'Yes, so that she should not; be married. He has mad patients you know somtimes, poor things!' The mild quiet man sighed in sympathy for the sufferers, and Huish watched him curiously as he asked himself whether it would bo very painful to be insane. ' I know one poor fellow;' continued Mr Roberts, ' who has a deal of difficulty with his shadow. It ought to follow him, you know, but it is always getting in front and trying to trip him up. Shocking, isn't it ?' ' Terrible,' said Huish, uneasily, but becomiug more and. more fascinated by the other's discourse. . ■ ' Yes, poor fellow,' continued Mr Roberts, 'he leads quite a double life. He's an angel sometimes, and sometimes he's a devil, and he can't help it. Very horrible for him. It was brought on by his teeth.' ' His teeth ?' ' Yes, he married a woman who could not cook, lost his teeth and his digestion too : now he's mad.' He began to sing then in a low voice. ' Music, eh, Roberts ?' cried the doctor. ' Come along my dear fellow : the ladies are going to give us some in the drawing- | room,' , The whole party went in, and a very pleasant evening was passed, till the carriages were announced, and the adieux said, when Mr Roberts took Clare down to the carriage. He seized his opportunity and whispered to Huish ;— ' Don't look at that mummy again— sucerer—for her sake—l shouldn't like the lawyers to say that you were dead.' John Huish tried hard not to think of the loathsome object ; but it was impressed upon his brain, and he was very silent all the way back, hardly bidding Ren6e goodnight when he left her in Wimpole-street, and making Tom say to himself on his way to the chambers where he slept— ' I can't make my beautiful brother-in-law out at all.'

It was on the evening following •Doctor Stonor's party that Clare was seated iu her little drawing-room at the piauo, singing oue of tho sad old melodies that pleased Lord Robert so well, and John Huish was leaning on the instrument gazing down in her sweet face as she looked up at him with her countenance . full of the calm joy she felt in the presence of her husband. He was a little strange at times, but that did not trouble her, for he was gentle and loving always, ready to humour her slightest whim, and kindness itself to the feeble old gentleman who loved to come and prattls and pose in their quiet little home. ' Sing it again, darling,' he whispered, bending down to kiss her forehead, but she preferred her lips, for Lord Anthony was nodding in an easy chair, with a cup of coffee by his side ; and as she withdrew them her eyes closed, and a sweet smile of happiness irradiated her gentle features. 'John,' she whispered, as her fingers strayed over the keys, aad her voice was rather sad. 'My darling,' he said softly. '.Do you kuow what it is to feci so happy that it seems as if it could not last ?' 'Yes,' he said, bending lower over her, ' I havo felt so ever since the day when you yielded to my prayers, and consented to be my little wife, and still it lasts.' 1 Yes, yes, yes, damme, her ladyship said she would—eh ?—dear me—bless my soul, I was nearly asleep my dears. Did I speak ?—Huish—ho—ha—hum said his lordship, settling himself once more, as Joby, who was ljing on a mat beneath the table, opened one eye, r'ose, stretched himself, and crossed the room to sniff gently at Lord Anthony's pocket before returning to lie down once more and settle himself to sleep. The piano was again going softly, and for the third time Clare sang in a tone of voice that lulled the old gentleman off to sleep, ' Love's young dream.' ' Let it be always ' Love's young dream,' darling,' whispered Huish, as he sank down on one knee beside the music-stool, ' Clare, darling, I am not sorry that it is like being in a dream, one from which we will never let the world wake us with its troubles.' She let her head rest upon his shoulder, and her arm was thrown tightly round her neck. 'Yes,' she whispered ; ' let us dream. 'Yes,' he replied, 'we two always. I can feel feel that here within these two arms I hold all the world—that heaven has been so bounteous to me that I can never be sufficiently grateful, and ' He rose quickly, for there was a step outside, and a servant entered. ' If yon please, sir, there are two gentlemen want to see you down stairs.' Huish turned pale, for a strange sense of coming trouble dashed upon him. ' Did they send up their names ?' said Huish, recovering himself. 'No, sir, only said would you be kind enough to step down, sir, without disturbing my mistress. It was something particular.' ' Is auything 1 wrong, John ?' said Clare, earnestly. ' Wrong ! No, my dear, I hope not. Some bit of business : people for a subscription. I shall be back directly. Go on playing, or we shall wake your father.' She nodded ond smiled as she resumed her seat at the piano : and as Huish was quickly out of the room, the sad strain of olden days his wife was playing seemed to grow more and more mournful as the notes were muflled by the closed door. ' Where are the gentlemen, Jane ?' he said quietly. 'In the dining-room sir,'said the girl with a strange look ; and as he entered she stood waiting on the mat. One of the gas burners was alight, and Huish started as, on entering the room, he found himself face to face with a dark, stern-looking man, and a policeman, who immediately placed his back against the door. 'Is anything the matter ?' said Huish, quietly. ' Well, yes, a little,' said the stern dark man. 'Mr Huish ?—John Huish.' ' Yes, I am John Huish.' ' Then you are my prisoner. Mr John Huish: here is the warrant. Smith— cuffs.' ' Stop ! One minute !' exclaimed Huish excitedly. ' What does this mean ?' 'Only the end of the little game, sir,' said the dark stern man. ' Long lane that has no turning. Turning's come at last.' 'I do not understand you. Some mistake,' exclaimed Huish. 'Yes, sir, these matters always are little mistakes. A ro yo« ready ?'

'No. Stop !'orird Huish. 'Send that man away. You need not secure me.: I will go with you.' . Tho stern man relaxed a little, and smiled. ' Won't do,' he said. ' We've had too much .trouble to run you down, sir. You educated ones are certainly very clever. We've got a cab waiting.' ' But my wife—my—we have company here.' 'There, come along sir, and getaway quietly without lotting them know. It's no use trying any dodges on because we've got you, and don't mean to let you slip.' 'Tell me at least what it means,' cried Huish. 'The big burglary last night, if you want to know for which little game it is ; but don't be uneasy.' ' My hat and coat,' said Huish, quickly. 'Get me away quietly, so thatthey.db not see upstairs. I tell you man that T' will not try to escape you. I have only to go to the station to explain that this} is some mistake.' > 'Get the gentleman's hat and coat,' said the plain-clothes officer; and the policeman opened the door so suddenly that the maid was entrapped. :• . 'Jane, here, quick,' said Huish. 'Tell your mistress after we are gone that I am suddenly called away on busimess. ' And won't be back to-night, my dear,' said the officer. 'Now, sir, are you ready ?' Huish nodded, feeling confused and prostrated by the suddenness of the seizure. For a moment he half felt disposed to resist, but he refrained, and stepping into the ball the girl opened the door just as Tom Hetley came up the steps. 'Why, Huish!' lie cried in astonishment. ' Hush ?' cried the other. ' Not a word upstairs. There is some mistake. Go up to your father, and bring him round to the station. It will be a question of bail, eh, constable?' ' ' Yes, sir, I should think it would,' said the officer, drily; and taking his prisoner's wrist, he hurried him into the cab, and it was driven ofl; ' Then it must be all true about him, ' and his game is up,' muttered Tom, whose throat felt dry and lips parched. My poor little Clare. What will her ladyship say? What is to be the end of it all ?' He stood thinking of what he should do as the cab rolled away, and then entered slowly, feeling that he must leave matters a good deal to chance. And so it was that the deepest-laid scheme for breaking the news would have been blown to the winds, for the maid had hurried up open-mouthed to blurt out to Clare that master had been took, and that they were going to handcuff him, and put him in prison for burglary. 'Is this girl, mad, Tom?' said Clare, who was trembling violently, while Lord Anthony stood up, hardly yet awake. ; 'Some eock and bull nonsense—a blunder, I suppose,' replied Tom, hastily. 'But she says the police—have taken my husband. Oh Tom, it can't be true,' she cried, with increasing excitement. ' They—they—they are always making these confounded blunders, !my dear,' exclaimed, the old man. 'There, there, be quiet, my dear. Torn and I will go and see.' ' Yes, father,' said Tom. ' I was going to propose it. John wishes us to go. There, Clare, don't be stupid. I've no doubt it's all right. 'Tom,' she cried, catching his arm and gazing in his face; 'you don't think so. There is some great trouble at hand. What is it?' ' I don't know ; ,1 can't tell, only that you are hindering us when we might be of service to John. Be a woman, Clare, and take all that comes as a wife should. There, there, don't cry. I'll come back as soon as I can.' 'I must go with you,' she cried. 'If my husband is in prison my place is by his side.' 'Yes, yes, my dear,' said the old man, querulously; ' that's what they say in books, but the law won't stand it. Come along, Tom. I say, my boy,' he said as they reached the hall, ' it's precious hard on me that my sons-in-law should get into such scrapes. What has John been doing ?' ' Heaven knows, father, but I fear the worst,' whispered Tom, and his words were heard upstairs by Clare, who was leaning over the balustrade, and the poor girl staggered back into the little drawing-room to sob as if her heart would break. ' But I must be a woman and act,' she said, drying her eyes hastily ; and, ringing, she despatched the girl with a short note to her sister, begging her to come back in the cab directly with the messenger. Then she sat down patiently to wait, after declining the cook's offer of help. Ten minutes afterwards there was a quick ring at the bell, and the remaining servant answered the door. Clare ran to the landing, and glanced down, to utter a cry of joy, for at that moment, a well-known voice exclaimed :— ' Where is your mistress ?' and she ran down to meet her husband in the hall.

CHAPTER XLVIII,

A HURRIED DEPARTURE

John fluish seemed to Clare greatly excited and harried. There was something strange, too, in his way which she could not understand, but set it down to that which he had gone through. ' Oh' John,' she began, clinging to him ; but he checked her. 'Hush !' he exclaimed. 'Not a word, Go down.' This to the servant, who tossed her head at the imperative order, and left the hall. 'Now,' he said, 'quick, your hat and jacket. I have a cab waiting.' ' Are we going out, dear ?' she said, enquiringly. ' I have just sent for Rene.' ' How foolish !' he cried. ' But waste no time.' ' Where are we going ?' she asked, wonderingly, at his strange impetuous manner. 1 Don't waste time, dear,' he cried, ' but get ready. You shall know all as we go.' Clare's tears began to flow, but she hurried away to prepare herself, while Huish walked quickly from room to room muttering impatiently. Not that there was much need, for Clare reappeared at the end of a minute or two, rapidly tying on her hat. 'I am ready, dear,' she said, laying her hand upon his arm. 'That's right,' he cried, smiling and looking more like himself. ' Come along !' ' Shall I tell cook how long we shall be ?' said Clare. ' No, no. Come along,' he cried, impatiently, and hurrying her out of the house, he helped her into a cab. 'Can-.non-street station,' he said to the driver, and jumping in beside her, the cab rattled off. ' Are we going to leave town, dear ?' said Clare. ' You'll soon see,' he cried. 'I can't talk to you now; the cab wheels make so much noise. Can't you trust me?' 'Oh yes,' she cried, laying her hand upon his arm, ' but ysu forget how anxious I am to know inore. : ' Well, well, be patient, he c^ied.

'There, if you must know, I have been short of money.' ' Yes, dear, of course. I knew. You forget,' she said, piteously. j 'Yes, of course,' he replied. ' Well, I was arrested for debt, and 1 have.got away. We must stay in private—tlijere, I'll speak plainly—in hiding for |the time.' ' Oh, John dear, this is very terrible,' she cried. Why not go to uncle Robert? He would help us I am sure ' ' Yes, perhaps so. We will settle that afterwards. The ffrst thing is to get to a place of safety.' 5 " Safety, John dear ?" 5 " Well, you don't want me to remain in prison," he said. ; ' "Oh no, dear," she cried, to "But Tom—myfather." " What about them ?" he said sharply. 5 " What did they say to you ?" "When ? How?" heasked.' " Oh, yes: they are busy with : the police of coursb. Clare dear, if you love me be patient and wait. Don't question me when I have so much to think of just how." ' She laid her hand in hia, feeling it cl ( asp. her fit)gen warmly, and troubled though she was, she felt that she had her hitisbaud's companionship, and she sat listening to the noise of the ca,b wheels it rattled along in the direction of the city. Nothing more was said till the vehicle drew up, When Huish leaped out and helped lier to alight. He then hancled the cabman a liberal fare and exclaimed, ' Come along darling, or we shallmiss the train.' He hurried her into the station along the platform and into the waiting-rooin. 'Sit down a minute," lie exclaimed, and he went to the door, while, and jas she sat down she started, for something touched her, and looking down, she saw the great head of Joby lying in her lap, his tongue out; and he was covered with mud and panting heavily, "as he stared up in her face ih his quiet stolid way. "Ah, my poor Joby," she said, laying her hand upon his head ; and he blinked his eyes, 'but there was no answering whine, no wag of the tail. Joby was not: a demonstrative dog, and he was glad to rest his head in his mistress's lap after the long run after the cab. Just then Huish came back. ' Hallo ?' he exclaimed ; ' that dog here ?" ■ • ' Yes, dear,' she cried, "he has run all the way.' 'It don't matter; Come along." He drew her arm quickly through his, and bidding her lower her veil, he led her hastily out of the station, across the road and into a narrow laue. ' Are we not going by train ?' she asked gently. ' No, it is too late. Just gone. Come along and don't talk, dear.' She hurried along by his side, for he was walking very fast and only noticed that they went through a perfect maze of narrow turnmgs, now up, now down, Huish stopping from time to time to look back to see if.they were followed. He kept this up for nearly an hour, and Clare was getting hot and exhausted, when he turned sharply into a darker and narrower lane where the peculiar scent of oranges saluted her nostrils, glanced rapidly up and down the deserted place with its two or three lamps and dimly lighted public house. The next moment he had thrust her into a heavy doorway, there was the rattle of a latchkey, and Clare felt herself drawn into a dark passage, and the door was closed. (To bo continued.)