STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MAY G, 1882.

CAUGHT IN THE TRAP.

(by Jasper Jyvecotjb.)

CIUVTER T,

IT was upon an October Sunday in the year 1573 that a tall,handsome but blase-looking young man stood on the steps of the Wind sor Hotel, listlessly gazing on the great human tide that surged past after having touched high water mark at the various inlets afforded by the churches, chapels aud meeting houses with which Fifth Avsnuo, New York, is bounteously and righteously supplied.

An unlightcd cigar rolled between his thick, scarlet, aud sensual lips, aud as he lazily twisted the needle-like point of his straw coloured moustache, his black heavy lidded eyes seemed to say—'What an absurd idea is that institution called life !'

Horbcrt Holcroft was twenty-five, and had lived about fifty years. He had drained the pleasure cup of life to the very dregs. Left an orphan while yet an infant.his enor mous fortune was carefully nursed for him, so that when he took his Havarrt d grea he was on the borderland of millionairedom.

His yacht was the handsomest craft afloat; his c tinge at Newport the quaint est at Rhode Island; his bachelor estab lishment in New York a very marvel of sybaritic elegance. Such a butler !—a man who could whisper a dozen wines in the ear of a guest, tickling the palate no matter :how faded, or jaded, or mnsty ! At the club* he was toted and petted and caressed and spoiled, white haired men kotowiug and bowing to him.and regarding his ignorant utterances as law. Anxious mammas showered invitations Upon him, and experienced young ladies, with; powdered cheeks and picked out lashes 11 »d cherry pasted lips, and wiles acquired from constant friction with fierce flirtation, lay in.-wait for him to lure him into the treaclierous shoals and quicksands which encompass the harbour of matri. mony. Of course Holcroft became very tired of his life at this side of the poud.and resolved to find out what existence was like at the other.

Mr Herbert Holcroft, being well torn, full of money, and having a first-class man to introduce him—Lumsden,of the banking house of Lurasdea and "Walker, of Wall street, a member of the Union Club, and a qniet but effective swell—soon found him self in the whirl of London, and having been presented at Court by the United States Minister, was, by grace especial, invited to dinner at the Marlborough Club, when he had the honour of hobnobbing with the Prince of Wales, so far as a B. and S..weut.

In the smoking room of that palatial establishment, Holcroft's hoat was Lord Aubrey de Lisle, a captain of the Horse Guard's Blue, and one of the fastest of the very fast men by whom the heir to the throne was atfthat time surrounded.

He was a ' plunger' on the tnrf, and at ecarte would play for a cool ' thou.' a deal. By this rapid young nobleman. Herbert Holcroft was introduced to the Raleigh Club, of -whieb, in virtue of his being a bird of passage, he is elected an honorary mem ber, and as the play at this establishment is tbe 'hottest in England, the youthful American, albeit a cool hand, and not alto geher unskilful.met considerably more than Ms match, and thousands of poands went forth from his cheek to fatten the bank accounts of a set of gentlemen, oE whom it is but justice to say that they played fair; but whose skill was equal to a least a dozen points in their favour. Holcroft, as is usual in such cases, played for high stakes,in order more to rapidly re cruit his losses; but fortune was against him, and he left London for Paris, having dropped one hundred aud seventy thousand dollars. ■■'■<.

In the gay and glittering capital of France he soon forgot Ma reverses, and avoiding cards, indulged in little dinners at Brebant's, and little suppers at the Maison Doree.

He took an apartment in the Champs Elysees fit for an ambassador, and Bet up a establishment, before the splendour of which the ctablissernents of • the gilded youth of fair and frail Lutetia paled their ineffectual fires.

In the Bois de Boulogne his was the beßt turn-out,and his the best loge at the Grand -Opera; Ms the most gratin acquaintances otthe type frequenting the Folies Bergeres; in a word, Mr Herbert Holcroft went the, puce, distancing all competitors in that terrible race in which so few are left at the finish. ■

■Holcroft's bright, particular, male com panion was Monsieur Francois de Malmette, a young Frenchman of the Faubourg St Germain, and blue-blooded as a lineal descendant of Henry IV., even if left; handed, has a right and title to be. He was a dandy of a pronounced type,! a woman killer, and as handsome as a Greek god. These two men liked one another from ■the first.

i De .Malmette spoke English • with . a charming fluency, having been educated at the Roman Catholic College of Oscott.

■He was merry and clever, and au courant with evsrything % knew everybody worth knowing, the inventor of a new omelet as well as of an absinthe cocktail, which latter he dedicated tn his American friend ; piavcd the piano a ravir, and knew the best bits of Offenbach off by heart to a sympathetic tenor voice.'

• ■Not over-burdened with cash, he, how ever, honourably lived on his rouleau, and bestowed hi 3 company only upon the salt of the earth.

It was something new for Holcrof t to meet a man who drew rein when his financial horse was not fit to take the leap, and, being pretty well tired of companions who stopped at nothing, he courted De Malmette's society with a success that rendered them inseperable.

One lovely afternoon in July, just before ihe creme de la creme of Paris were thinking of hieing to ' Dieppe, or Trouville, or Biarritz, or. rhePyrenees, Herbert Holcroft tooled a mail phaeton in the Bois, De "Jalmette seated beside him, two servants, whose liveries fitted them like paper on the wall, cross-armed behind. They spun up to the restaurant at the Cascade, where De Malmette, with his own hands, mixed absinthe cocktails for two.-''-. '," - ; ■-,:-• !■ , Vfii ■■■ ■:■.'> '■■'-■'

•'Now lor a spin in one of the side drives,1 exclaimed Holci oft seizing the reins, 'where we'll have the track all.to ourselves.'

'By all means.'

' I haven't given the brutes their space yet. Hold on, young fellow,' he added, over hU shoulder, to the servant.

The horses started oil" at the unexpected loose rein and still more unexpected applica tion of the whip, and in a few seconds were galloping along- the turf-like road even as a billiard table, causing the mould to ily into the air, and the leaves of the over hanging boughs to move as though stirred by a breeze.

At the moment that Holcroft's mail-phao ton disappeared into the unfrequented alley, a hired ca»>, -which had hecn drawn up opposite the Cascade, drove away at a rattling pace, while an elderly lady, through the window in front eagerly cried— ' Can you cut them oft1? Get a bundled yards in front of them without being per ceived,'

'I'll do it,' siid tliu driver, as ho plied his wh'p with the most merciless vigour. ** # # ♦ *

The alleys in the Bois de Boulogne) fjre either very open and wide, or particularly narrow and sliady. Tile open drives are, of conr-e, more frequented and thronged with vehicles of all description, while tlie more retired roadways are used by elderly people, who prefer the retirement, or by lovers, who, for reusotU of their own, descend from their carriages in order to get away from tlie maddening crowd. Tlie cah driver, in common with most of the Parisian Jehus, was an expert, and seemed as much at home in the tortuom winding;! of the Bois de Boulogne ai if ho bad been in tlio Hue de Itivoli or the Boule vard de Sebastopol. By taking a short cut here, crossing a main road there, and dashing through the copse in another place, he succeeded in bringing his cab to a description of circus from which fine shaded • alleys gave in different directions.

' Jump out quicky, Fifino ! cried the elderly lady, as she bundled a daintily attired little girl of five years on to the sidewalk. ' Quickly, Marguerite. For heaven's sake adjust your hat, it's all on one side.'

Marguerite descended from the cab. : She was a tall,*exquisitley formed pfirl of ■eighteen or thereabouts. Her face was a perfect oval, her complexion ivory. He eyes were of dark grey, the black lashes sweeping her cheeks. If her nose was per haps;a trifle too short, a lovely mouth amply compensated for this defect, while the cum displayed a winning dimple, such as Coreggionever dreamed of for hisCberubim. She was attired from head to heel in blacky a broad cambric handkerchief adorn ing her shapely shoulders, fastened in front by a bunch of natural lavender hued pans'es, ' Quick, yon have not a second to lose I Fifine is to run across the road right there ! See that she starts so as to be sate from all harm. You start after her—stop short! — v rehearsed it to perfection this morning. You will appear to sprain your ankle. The American will pull up. You will use your eyes to the utmost, and the rest will come. I leave you—Ha ! here comes tbe break An revoir.'

And the elder lady, who was a sallow faced, beak nosed, glittering eyed woman, darted into the cab, the driver whipped his horse, and they|were gone as Marguerite, seizins' the child's arm, pushed her toward the roadway.

Chapter 11,

' Look out for the child !' cried De Malmette, as the curricle sprang out of the alley, the horses going at a topping pace. •Ha ! you little urchin !' growled Hol croft, as Filine ran across tbe road.

' Great heavens, the girl! 'shrieked De Malmette, springing to Bis feet, while the American lay back, pulling on the reins as though he would break the jaws of the horses.

It was not so close a shave after all, for Marguerite, having plunged about half-way across, suddenly halted, and, uttering a cry, turned and limped back—the limp indicating the uttermost agony, while the beautiful face was clothed with an ex pression of intense-distress. ' Hold the reins, De Mai!' said Holcroft, hurriedly, as he sprang to the earth, and removing Ms hat, approached the suffering girL ' Are you hurt, mademoiselle ? I trust not!' ■.

Marguerite lifted her long lashes,, gave ■him one prolonged glance, then allowed the lids to fall slowly;.but she said never a word.

'Oh, you are hurt!'

'Alargueritel'j cried Fifine, 'ma chere Marguerite—ma bien aimee 1' ■ 'De Mai !•'shouted Holcroft, 'drive to the Gate Avenue de.ta Grand Armee, and fetch a carriage, telegraph .for Surgeon Picardot, send '

'Do not, I implore you, monsieur,' mur mured Marguerite. I—l feel much better now.' .

She had seated herself on a grass border, and by accident, of course, reveaied a tiny foot, encased in a low shoe, such as French women alone know how to wear. A coquet tish rosette of black satin adorned the shoe, and her stockings were of black silk.striped with narrow stripes of white. 'Shall I get you some water?' asked Bolcrpft.

_• Could you ?' again raising her eyes to :his. ■:■-'-.'-.: ■':,".■ ■..•■■ .

1 De Mai, dash over to the Cascade and fetch some water, and champagne, ' and brandy.'

In a flash the curricle was off.

* Oh, Marguerite, ma chere Marguerite, ma Hen aimee, tv es malade!' cried the child in obedience to a whisper from her companion. • ■ ■ • 'Do not cry, mignonne—l am better. My foot is, I fear, sprained'—here she thought it prudent to draw it back. ' Oh, my God 1' she added, flinging her neatly gloved hands up to her face, as if to' shut' out the terrible sight, ' ' The horror of that moment—can I ever forget'it. I thought you were under the wheels.'• ■ Holcroft stood gazing at her in spellbound admiration

Her attitude was grace itself. She had studied for days, hence its perfection. 'Mademoiselle must permit me to offer her a carriage,' he said in a tone as pleading as it was earnest and respectful. . ' Monsieur is too good; but ' ' You cannot walk ?' he burst in.

• I-I will try.' 1 Oh, it were madness.'

'Will monsieur have the goodness to assist me to yonder benches' pointing to a rustic seat a little off the side-walk, embow ered in trees.;

Ip his eagerness to comply with the re quest, Holcroft flung-away his hat, and, with' the tenderness of a woman, assisted Marguerite to rise. • ■ > . :

She leaned upon him, not heavily by any mean*, hut with a pressure that thrilled him. It is a knack which some women posses 3, and a very pretty accomplishment. It seems to say—' Oh, you great big strong man, protect me, a weak, confiding girl - you see how I lean on j ou.'

She st"od, Holcroft supporting her. He did not see her bestow a kick on Fiflne, who instantly commenced—

' Oh, Marguerite, ma chere Marguerite, ma bien amice, tit cs malade!'

' Oh, lam ever so much better!' exclaimed the sufferer. ' D<> not let me incommode you with Fifine. I ' ' Good heaven,nwriemoisolle!' what do you take me for ?" interrupted Holcroft. ' In commode ! Why,you do not lean on mo at all. lam pretty strong, mademoiselle, aud just do you pull on me as much as you can.'

By slow degrees he led her to the seat-, and just as she sank upon it, De Mai met'o arrived with the wine aud water.

'No wino,' she pleaded, as Holcroft im petuously knocked the head oil' the chain pagno bottle. ' A little, mademoiselle—ever so Htile ! You are fniht.1

She allowi'd herself to take n few sips, knowing that the wme would colour her choeks.aud colour became her to perfection.

' De Ma1, go to the nearest railway station and telegraph to Brionne to send my brougham. Go, like a good fellow, as fast as yon can.'.

'0 monsieur, you are too good, too gene rous,' exclaimed Marguerite. ' Why, what on earth arc you talking about, mademoiselle ?' he cried. ' I am doing nothing. You will not let a fellow do anything. I was the cause of all this ; r >

' Do not blame yourself, monsieur ; that 1 will not permit. It was my fuolish anxiety for my dear H1 tie cousin here lias brought all this about. But,' she added, with a bright smile, ' it hns done ono thing — it ha 9 shown mo that there i-> at least one Good Samaritan left in the world.'

' Will you let me take a drive with thee ?' asked Fifine on taking a gentle reminder from her cousin's heel.

• Why, ray darling, of course,' cried Holcroft. 'Oh, Fifine!1

'Ple>ise allow her, mademoiselle.' 'Do,1 added Do Malmette, who dearly loved children. • I'll bo accountable for her, and be back in time,' The child fettled the question by climb ing into the box beside the Parisian dandy, who instantly fastened her with a strap.and touching the horses, aont them oir at a spanking trot. ' Can all this be real?' exclaimed Ma'gue rite. ' Has my little cousin been snatched away in a fairy chariot ? Am lin the Bois de Boulogne, or in Fairyland ?' 'I am in Fairyland, mademoiselle,' laughed Holcroft. ' I do believe my good fairy was at work to-day when sho was so gracious as to enable me to give pleasure to that exquisite little child.' ' She is delicious,'said Marguerite. ' Poor ohild! She ought to have carriages and horses of her own ; but—' here she stopped. ' I will not bore monsieur with a very sad story.' Holcroft was silent. * 4 Perhaps it is better to tell it. How is it, monsieur, that thtrc are some people very few—whom one meets in tha world that one is inclined to tell everything to f They must be good and honouraNe and true. I feel as it I should like to tell you all about this child—about myself: and yet ten short minutes ago 1 did not know of your oxisteDce,and your name may be royal, for aught I know to the contrary.' Ana she' opened her great eyes upon him. 'I come from a country, mademoiselle, where the royalty of brain and enterprise only is acknowledged—America.' ' Oh, how I do love that country, mon sieur !' cried Marguerite, clasping her hands enthusiastically. 'France and America have ever been allies—sisters. It is one of my dreams that I shall visit America before I die.' ' A dream singularly easy of fulfilment nowadays, mademoiselle. Twelve days from Havre lands you in our Paris, New York." Marguerite shook her head sadly. 'As regards my name,' continued Jtiol eroft, ' I am Herbert Holcroft, a man with nothing to do, who finds life every day be coming more and^ore of a bore.' 'Atyurage?' 'At my age. I leaped into its waves be fore I knew now to swim.' ' Poor fellow I'

This was said so naturally, yet so com paasionately, that it touched the man. ' Your pity may be the commencement of a new chapter in my life, he said, gallantly. • Who Knows ? —but your etory, made moiselle.'

'Am I to tell it?' • As it pleases you.' 1 But it seems to me that I must,' ' Then do not struggle against the inevi table. Mademoiselle ' 'D'Esterre de Moulinquerelle. That is my name, monsieur, A name that in the Reign of Tenor would have cost me my head.' 'And a-prettier one never fell to the dreaded Mere Guillotine,' langhed Holcroft. Without pretending to notice his gal lantry, Mademoiselle Moulinquerelle pro ceeded:

' Yes, it would have cost me my head; it cost my family their fortunes and estates. I am alone in this wide, wide world mon sieur, my little cousin and I, with the bluest blood in France in our veins ; we are alone; for all our near relations are dead and gone, or scattered, and I—oh, I am proud of it I —l teach for bread and coffee and cutlets, to support myself and that cherished infant.1

'Brave girl 1' saidHolcroft, his enthusi astic admiration displaying itself in his handsome eyes. She looked at him full into his eyes, and let her gaze remain in his -it's a way some women have.

' Bat courage,' she murmured. ' One must fight when one is put to the wall.' She then turned the subject aside, and entered into half a dozen others. She had read a good deal of that froth which is quite sufficient to delude in general con versation. Her experiences, too, had been real, vfrid, consequently the forty-five minutes preceding the1 arrival of the brougham and of DeMalmette passedfor the American like so many seconds. Up dashed the curricle,'followed by the double brougham, driven'by a coachman fit to ' tool' an emperor.

Fifine, who still sat beside De Malmette, held in her arms a gigantic bouquet. 'Oh, Marguerite,' she cried,' 'it is for you. We stopped at Bcrtrand'a, in the

Avenue de l'Opera, and cc cher monmior paid sixty francs ' 'Oh, you littla telltale!' laughed De Malmette, stopping her ro.sy lips with a kiss.

'And we stopped at Torlini's, cried the excited child, 'ami had, oh ! such ices aud such cakes. Men Dicu ! such cakes ! And here, Marguerite, behind me, i i a big, big — ever so big—box of bonbons that cc divine monsieur bought for you at Bignon's ; and nlso '

'Shut up your little rosebud mouth,' cried Do Malmette, lifting her gently in his arms. 'Jules, take the young lady.'

The gorgeous fhnikey deposited his pre> cious bundle on the side walk.

' I dare not enter so startling an equipage «s that,' cried Mademoiselle do Monlinque relle. Why my quiet street would never recover the shock if I roda home in it.'

Nevertheless, she did enter it, and be came it to perfection. She looked as though it w:n her every day equipage, and as she sank back in the luxurious cushions they seemed to caress her.

J'ilino kissed both the gentlemen, and frantically begged "f them to como and fetch her for another drive.

' With permission of mademoiselle, your cousin,' said Holcroft, gravely. ■ ' Sans permission,' laughed Do Malmette. Holcroft helped Mademoiselle d'EstOrra dc MonlinnHcreUe into the brougham, and much to her disappointment, closed the door upon her and Fifine. ' Where shall I direct my man to drive ?' he asked.

■' Are you not coming, Mr Holcrofi?' ' I shall do myself the honour of calling to inquire for Madein'oisello d'Estcrrc de jMouliinpierelle to-morrow.' 'A thousand thanks. You'll find a white washed room, ;i bare door, and any amount of hooks. And oh ! those lovely flowers. Come and sco the (lowers.1

As both vehicles drove oil', an elderly lady stepped from behind the trees. 'Well played, ma niiguonnc 1 Well played b>th,' she exclaimed, as they tinned in the direction of the city.

CIIAI'TER 111,

As the summer days passed, Herbert Hol croft became nvro and more intimate with Mndehioiaollo a'Esterro do Mouliiiqucrelle. Each afternoon found him in the coquettish little apartment of the fascinating cover ness. Filine, it is but right to siy, always being present, and to whom the American invariably brought some boubons, a toy, or a bouquet. Mademoiselle never consented to give him a rendezvous in the Hoi's or Boule vards, ami it was only by accident, prudently arranged by the young lady, that lie even encountered her outside of the four walls of the little room in the Rue Petit Jouvin.

' My mornings go to my pupils,' she Baid, 'my afternoons seem to go to you ; my evenings go to study.' ' But the theatre ?' * ' Too warm.'

1 A drive in the Bois ?'

' Can't afford ten francs.' ' Surely my carriages are all at your scr vice.' '

' Couldn't afford that either, you generous Monsieur Americaino?

Holcroft tried to leel offended, and ro mained away a day. ' She will write,' he said.

But she made no sign; mid when he came to visit her |upou the following day she did not refer to his absence.

But Fifino did. ' Oh, Uaolc Sam'—this is what ho taught the child to call him—' we were so awfully lonely yesterday,because you did not come, and Marguerite cried and ' Mademoisclle.d'EsterrcdeMouHnquerellc hastily caught up the child and almost tie'l led her to death.

Do Malmettc was panting to got off to the Engadine, and urgea Holcroft to ' hurry up,' bat the latter! pleaded excuse after excuse and delay after delay. At last, however, he consented to leave upon Satur day, f When he announced his intention, Fifine gave a great cry, »nd Marguerite, prosing her hand hard against- her heart as if to stop its tumultuous beating, wished him a pleasant trip. •De Mai,' said Holcroft,as late that even ing, his face radiant, he returned to his sumptuous apartments in the Cbamps Ely sees, ' I am not going, my boy.' 'No; I see you are not,' returned the other. 'But you are going i< to dp a much more foolish thing—to marry' a girl that— tres bien ?'

a nd theFrcncbman shrugged hi s shoulders Mr. and Mrs Holcroft, after doing the South of Europe, proposed to visit America. Mrs Holcroft became alarmingly seasick on. the trip from Liverpool to Queenstown, so much so that her husband decided tipon landing and proceeding on the voyagp a week or two later.

It was three weeks ere Marguerite sum moned courage to face the Atlantic, during which they visited Killarney, Dublin and the Giant's Causeway. They arrived at New York on a Sunday morning, and I now come back to the opening of my story. 1 Mrs Holcroft wishes to see you sir, at once,' said a waiter. Holcroft started. Could Marguerite be ill ? He darted up_ the stairs, three at a time, and found his wife standing in the middle of the sitting-room, weeping hysteri cally, and holding a paper pressed tightly to her heart, 'My heaven! What is the matter.?' cried Holcroft.

He loved his -wife to distraction. It was idolatry. He lived but in her presence. Every word rang from her like a peal of music in his heart. Her touch thrilled him. Her fond words intoxicated. It was a very delirium of love. 1 So, no, no—not ill darling, not ill, but oh, I have such news, co good, so true, so —so wonderful.'

I Be calm, my precious one.' I 1 can't, oh, I can't. I have so much to tell you, so much to confess."

She sank back on a sofa, ' The paper is a piece of God's providence, it is aid and help from Him. Oh, Herbert, you never osked me about the past. You never enquired who I was when you asked me to bs your wife. You trusted me always.' . ' •

: ' Always,' he passionately murmured. ' Herbert, that paper sets me right, It came by the mail from Paris, and was cross ing the Atlantic when we were in Ireland. You must have wondered why I required so much money, darling, and where it went to.? ' -

• Much! ■ Why you never wanted any. thing, pet'

'1 spent it on lawyers, on Madame La Farge.' 1 wanted to set myself right. Your love for me hits caused a white bud of devotion to you to b'ossom in my heart. I will have no canker in that bud. Better pluck it out ami crush it, see it wither leaf by leaf, than to have it wormeatcn by a foul secret.'

' Foul secret!' the words coming from his lips like an echo. 'Yes; a lie, a Iran, a (rick. Herbert, listen to mo and—promise to forgive me.'

1 Why, are you ill, Marguerite '!'

' No, no, no ! I am well—nevermore so ; more collected even if the tire of fever he banked up. Promise to foruivo me. Oh,' she aiidcd. with a wild cry, ' how can 1 tell you all '!' The agitation of the woman affected the man. He became deadly pale, while his chest heaved as if moved by groat tidal waves of emotion.

' That day in the Hois de Boulogne; the first day—that rush across the road by the cl.ild and my >pram -were all planned.' ' Planned '!'

' Yes. A trap set by a hideous old wretch-Mndamo Lii Purge—the wife of your concierge, •I do not understand.'

lie did not, and the words came from him in a strange uncertain way,

'I was not a governess—never a governess. I was too kusy, too indolent. 1 was living the life of a schemer.'

' Stop ! thundered Holcroft,clutching her by the wrist till his knuckles shone white. 1 "What, in the fiend's name, does all this mo mi? Are you mad?' ' lam not mad,' ic.p icd Marguerite, with il feverish'eagerness. ' I was mad to deceive you; I will do so no more. Nay, you must—you shall hear mo !' llolcroftroHc and staggered to a table, on which he restedb.v l>o»u hands, upsetting a jewal case, from out of which rolled a set of priceless pearls, a birthday gift on board the steamer to his wife, and with flaming and hungry eyes, and a face whose ex pression was that of a soul awaiting the dreadful judgment, stood silent—awfully, honibly silent. ' I am living the life of a schemer—l ara in the power of a villain. Oh, I have tho documents of tho mock marriage safe. I was living on my wits. The woman planned the trap, set it, and baited it with me. You were young, rich, romantic, impetuous —we studied yon. I plajed my game, Hltlo knowing that my heart, my happiness was the stake I was playing for, instead of your yellow gold. Your tenderness, your gentlemanly, honourable conduct taught me life at its best, honour at its best, tho chapter in the book which ought to be read by every pure and good woman. I became good. I grew out of yourself. Many a tirno did I resolve "to make you hate mo ; lnit the temptation; the utter sweetness of being loved proved too masterful, and I married you. From the instant I became your wife, I devoted tho money you so freely and unsuspectingly gave _me to tracing the man who dragged me into the mire through the mock marriage. Re member, Herbert Holcroft, I waaonlyan advcnturc>s—l was not vile.you understand me. I traced him, and here—here is tho document which releases me from his' power for ever.1 Marguerite advauced toward.her husband, extending the villain's written confession. With a hoarse dumb cry, Holcroft snatched the paper from her quivering hands, and Hung it on the blazing fire. Then came a gurgling sound in his throat, and as she stooped to pluck the precious document from the blaze, Herbert fell heavily to the floor, his heart blood dying the Aubussion carpet.

' Madame Holcroft resides at Passy, that charming suburb of Paris. Her charities are unbounded. She is known as 'La Veuve Americaine' — ' The American Widow.'

The Earthworm and "Design."

The earthworm lias got into the very place which suits it. It feeds underground, whero eyes arc useles?, therefore it has uo eyea and hence the relatively vast amount of matter which passes through it compared with the nourishment extracted therefrom. It does not develop into anything else, nor has it changed at ail since the oldest geo logical stratum in which it is found. Its labour supports itself; but it does much more; it nelps in an altogether unexpected way to support man: and this fact is surely altogether irreconcilable with the theory of blind forces working without purpose orde si Bn' '■ '■■

SELECTED POETRY.

LONG AGO.

When I sit at even alone. Thinking on tho past and gone. While the clock, with drowsy finger. Murks how long the minutes linger; And the ombors.dimly burning. Tell of life to dust returning: Then my lonely chair around, With a quiet mournful sound. With a murmur soft and low, Come the ghosts of long ago, Ono by one I oonnt them o'er. Voices that arp hoard no more , Tears that loving cheeks have wet,. Words whose mugio ling ers yet; Holy faces; pale and fair. Shadowy locks of waving hair; Happy sighs and whispers dear, Songs forgotten many a year, Lips of dewy fragrance: eyes Brighter, blner. than the Bkies, Odours breathed from Paradise, And the gentle shadows glide Softly murmuring at my side. Till the long -unfriendly day. All forgotten fadesaway. Ihus, whonl nmall alone. Dreaming o'er the past and gone. All around me sad and slow. Come the ghosts of long ago. ' .

SEEDS.

Broadcast over the world we bow Seeds of evil, seeds of good; Weak and powerful, high and low. Linked In human brotherhood. Never one we drop in vain, E'it'll. reoqrdeid, angels keep, Softly counting tho lobs or gain Men therefrom Trill sometira»r«api Drones or workers in life's great hive— • All we do or leave, Duties that for fulfilment strive, Seod-liko, after ua survive, ' Woe to careless hand or heart! Weeds and thistles swiftest thrive, Rarest buds are slow to start Noble action, word, or.'thought, Helps another to the light, : : Snider him to the path he eonght, . Teaches what is best and right, Work in secret, silence wrought, . Foolish words unthinking said. Each with blessings or oure.es frOTght, Influence eternal shed.