STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT.

AUCKLAND, N.Z, JANUARY C, 1883

THE HOUSE OF White Shadows.

By B. L. FARJEON.

AUTHOR OF

"Blades •o' • Grass" " Joshua Marvel"

"Bread and Cheese and Kisses," " Grif," " London's Heart"

,fee, <lc,, <te,

CHAPTER XII,

Continued,

You steal sometimes from habit, to keep yoar hand in as it were, and you experi ence ft certain sat: sfaction in having ac complished your theft iv a workmanlike manner. We are all of us but gross and earthy patches. It is simply a question of degree, and it is because I am in an idle mood—indeed, I am grateful to yen for this playful hoar—that I make a confession to you which would not elevato mo ia the eves of better nwn. You weie anxious to know whither I have been paid foi my services. I now acknowledge payment. I accept a» my fee the recreation you have af forded me.' '"I Shall be obliged to you, master, if you will leave your mysteries and como back to my trial." " I will oblige you. I read the particu lars of \he case for the first time ou my ar lival here, and .it appeared to me almost impossible you could escape conviction. I examined you, and saw the legal point which, villain as you are, proclaimed your i moc-nce ; bat 1 am beginning to he dan i»erou*ly shaken. I will do, I said, for tnis wretch, what I believe no other man can do, i will perform a miracle." " You have done it," cried Gautran, fall in* on his knee* in a paroxysm of fear, and kissing the advocate's hand, which wa* in stantly snatched away. " You are great. You are the greatest ! You know the "The truth I" exclaimed the Advocate, and had he not been standing in darkness a sudden paleness would have been seen in his thoughtful face. , ' " Aye, the truth ! You can read th» soul —nothing is hidden from you ! Finish your work-finish it-and I will be your slave to the last hour of my life 1 0 master, maater, finish your work, and save me en tirely 1" ~,i,i "Save you? From what? demanded the Advocate; he was compelled to exeicise Ereitself-coatrol, for a horror of the victory he bad gained was stealing upon him. Tne trembling wretch rose and pointed to the opposite roadside— "From shadows-fromdreams from the wild eyes of Madeline ! Look there- look there I"- , ~ . The Advocate turned in the direction of

Gauttan's hand. " Nothing ih visible but the shadows of the night," he said, in a suppressed tone. " What are fou aazing upon f / " Upon Madeline—upon Madeline ! S: ie dogs me lil« my shadow -1 cannot shake her off. I bavß'.threatened her, but she does not heed me Vho is waiting -there— there—to follow nic when I am alone—to put her artm aboat me —to breathe upoj my face, and turn my heart to ice 1 v ;>u mast have known her, you who can read what passes in a man's soul! She will not obey me, but she wIU you.. She came to me in prison, und kid down by my side— shn stood by me ia the Court-house, but only yon and I could-see her. Command her, compel her, to leave me, or ahe will drive me mad !" The wretch shook like a leaf in the wind as he male this appeal. With amazing strength the Advocate placed his hands on Gautran's shoulders, and twisted the man's face jio clofe to his own that not an inch of space divided them. Their cyea met, liuutran's wavering and dilating with feir, the Advocate's fixed and stern, aod with a cold fire in them 'erribie to behoH.

" tiecall," said iue Advocate, in. a voice so clear that it rang through the darkness like a bell, " what passed between you and Madeline on the la=t night of her life, (•peak i" " I sought her in tlio Qaartier St. Ger yais, and found her at eight o'clock in the company of another man. I watched them, and kept out of her sight. He was speak ing to her softly, and sama things he said to her made her smile, aad every time s!ie showed her white teeth I swore that no other man should have her but me. They kept tozether for aa hour; then they parted, he going one way, Madeline another I followed her along the banks of the river, and when I thought no one was near v? I spoke to her. She was not pleased with my company, and t >ld me to Jeave her, but I said I had something p« ticular to say to her, and that I did not intead to leave her until it was spoken. It was a dark night; there was no moon, I told her I had been watching her; tba> I knew she had another lover; and that I would lti'l him if she did not give him up. She laughed at me, and said I was always talking of killing,tind said the man I spoke of SGald take care of himself. I asked her who ha was, and she bade me find out for myself. 1 asked her if she intended to teaye me, and she said yea, and that after that night she would never see me again. 1 said it might happen, and that it might be the last night we should ever see each ather. She asked me if I was going away, and I said no, it might be her-vyho was «oiog away on the longest journey she had aver taken. What journey ? she aaked.aad 2 answered, a journey with dea;h for_ the 'coachman, lor 1 had sworn a dozen times ihat night that no man should have her but me, aad that H she would not swear upon the cross to be true and faithful to mo I would kill her. I said it twice, and some people passed, and turned to look at us, but there was not light enough to se,e us clearly, Madeline would have cried to ■ them for help, but I pressed my knife against her ?kin, but not bo as to draw blood, and whispered that iE she uttered a wor.l it would be her last; that she need aot be frightened, for I loyed her too well to do her any barm. But when we were alone aaain, and no sail was nc»r us, I told her again that, as sure as there was & sky above us I would kill her unless the swore to give up her other lnver and be true •to me. She .sM she would promise, and she put her little hand in mine and pressed it, and sdd,'' Gautran, I will be only v ours; now let us go back," But I eald it was not gncnghj'that she must kneel and swear upoMi the holy cross that she would have nothing to do with any man but e>,e. I forced iet upon her knees,and knelt by her side, and pat the cross to her lips; and: then she began to sob and tremble. 2she could not put her soul in peril, she said ; she did not love me—bow could she swear 10 be faithful to me ? I sa:d it waa that, or death, and that v would be the .blackest hour of my life to kill her, but that I meant to do it if she would not give in to me. ■ She threw her arms round my neck and kissed me, and said that she wcnld do any thing else in the world but that, cod that sue knew I was only trying to frighten her, and that I could not have the heart to kill ' hor. I asked her for tbe last time whether line would take the oath, and she said she daren't. Then I. told her to s«y a prayer, for she had not five minutes to live. She ftarted to her foot and ran alon» the bank. I ran aft?r her, and she stumbled and fell to the grounrl, and btfore she could rise *?!again I had her in mv arms to fling her into this river. She did not scratch or bite me, b'lt clung to me and kkscd me a hundred times, ki;sed my eves, and ray 'lips, g,nd my neck, and uiy hinris, while lipr.tei.va fell a'l about ray faca. I aaid to 4ier, "You jLpve me, kissing me an ; swear, *b*n .; it is riot too late !" But f>he cried, -"W0,.n0 I I kiss you so that you may not •W« ihe heart to "kill anil s'lU al?e kitsed and kissed me.) $oin she £)t weak, ■ tfnd her arms had no/pp>ver : i > them, fnd I lifted her nigh iiito tlif'flir and flung .her 'ironi me.intothe river, I waited a minute *t .two, jind thought, jßhe Jffas) "lead, but

then I heard o bubbliDg and a scratching, asd looking down I saw that by a miracle she had got back to the river's brink, aud that there was yet life in her. I pulled htr out, aud she clung to mo. in a weak way, and whispered, nearly choked the ■■while, that the Virgin Mary would not let me kill her. " Will ynn tike the na'h ?" I whispered, and she shook her hod from side to aide. " «o !No I fio ! " I took my handkerchief and tied it tight round her ueck, and she smiled in my face. Then I lilted her up, and threw her into thn river again. I paw her no more that night. The .Advocate removed his eyes, with a shudder, from tUo eyes of the wretch who had made this horriblo confession, and who now sank to the ground, quivering in every limb, ciying— " Save me, mastor, Pave mo !" "Mon-ter!" exclaimed iho Advocato, " live and die accursed !" Hut tho terror-striken man did not hoar the words, and the Advocate, upon whose features, during Gautran's confession, a deep gloom had settled, strode swiftly from him through the peaceful narrow lane, fragrant with the psrtumeof the limes, at the end of which tho limb's in the House of White Shadows were shining a welcome to v im, CHAPTER XIII. PRKPARATION3 FOR A VISITOR. At noon of the same day the old house keeper, Mother Devise, and her pretty graoddaughter, Dionettn, wcra busily em ployed setiiut! in. ordex and arranging the furniture in a suite of rooms icteuded for an expected visitor. There were but two floors io the House of White Shadows, aud the rooms in which Mother Ueniso and Dionet.a were employed wore situated on the upper floor. Three or four times in the course of the morning the Advocate's wife had entered the room to look round and give new directions as to the disposal of the " I think it will do," said Mother Deni^o, wiping imaginary dust away with a cloth. "All but the flowers," said Diouetta, " No, grandmother, that desk is wrong; It is my lady's own desk, and it is lo be plaoed oxactly in this corner, by the window. Tbero-itis light now." "My lady is very particular," said Mother Devise, in a voice far from amiable. "Yes «he Is, but she is good and kiud that it is a pleasure to obey her 'Bo suro that everything is in its proper place, and make the rooms sweet and bri^hc —bo suro —ha sure !' She his said that twenty times this week." " Ab," said Mother Denise, testily, " as if butterflies could teach beds how to moke honey. My lady i* turning your head, Dionetta, it is easy to stethat; she ba< be witched half the people in the village." " No obo can help loving hir, grand mother ; even you do when she talks to you in her soft pleasant voice-" " Yes. and when sho goes away I come to my sense.'. I've lived and learnt, and that soft pleasant voice of hers can bo set to another time, or I'm no woaiau, Here is father with the flowers. llaate, Martin, haste." "Easy to say, hard to do," grumbled Martin, euteiing slowly, with a basket of cut llowcm, which Oionutta to >k from him. " My bones get more obstinate every duy. Here's my lady been worrying me out of life. ' More ro;e?, more roses, more roses! And these, and these, aud these ! .-md that, and that ! She would have made the garden a wilderness, and have spoilt every bed, if I had let her; bat I wouldn't have it done—no, I wouldn't, .and so I told U r." " And what did she say ? " "Say! Smiled ns s*eet as hone}', and siowed all hoc white teeth at ouce. I never saw sucn te.uh in my joungday.-", nor such eyes, n r suc'i hair, nor such, hands— euough to d ive a young m in crazy." -"t an old on) foolish," interrupted Mother Denise. "She smiled as sweet as honey, did slu ? Well, sue can. You foolish old man, do you think she has fallen in love with you 1" " I don't say tuat, 1 don't say that," said Martin, his mouth twisted into a gratified smiik, "but she smiled at me and patted me on the sleeve" "Aad wheed'ed you, aod wheedled you," said Mother Denise, in a snappi h tone, " until she got what she wanted " "Pretty well, pret'y well. You are, Dionetta, there are two ways of getting a thing done, a soft way and a haid way— ' " There—there—there l" cried Mother Denise, impatiently. "Maudlins? and maudling, with your Eott ways aad your nord ways! Dj your work with a still tongue, aad let us do ours. Get back to the gardeo and repair the mischief. Wbat does a man want wi ha room full ol roses I" she muttered when Martio, quick to obey his domestic tyrant, bad gone. "It i* a welcome." said Dionetta plea santly. "II 1 were absent from my place for a long, long while' it would make me glad when I returned to see my place as bright as this." " You me youns»," said Mother Denise, "and your thoughts go the way of roses. I can't blame you, Diunetta." "It is ten years since Mr Balcombe was here, you have told me, gMudrnnthor " 11 Yes, Dionetta, yes ; ten ytars ago this very summer." "Didl see him then ? I don't remem ber." "I think not; you were quite a little child at the time. Mr Ualombe did not sleep in the house." "Howstrange! Where,then?" "At the inn of The Seven Liars. Pia netta,, I will tell you a secret; Mr BaL combe hates this house. He is the mister and the owner of it, and ho hates it. And of all the rooms in the villa this is the room he would be most anxious to avoid." "Why, grandmother?" asked Dionetta, her eyes glowing larger and rounder with wonder; " and does my lady know it ?" "My lady is a headstrong woman; she would not listen to the story of what took place in this room, and she declares in a lioht way, to be sure, but these are not things to be made light <>t -that she is very disappointed io find that the housa is not haunted. Haunted ! I have never seen anything, nor has Matin, nor you, Dio netta." "O, grandmother," said.the girl, in alow timid voice, " I don't know whether I have or I haven't. Sometimes I lure fancied—" "uf couse, of cunrseyo;! have fancied, and that is all; and yon hive woke up in the night, and been flighted >>y nothing, aud mark mo, Dio.n-.tta, if you do no wrong and think no wrona, you will never e«>e anything of the white shadows of this house." " But Fritz says - ' "Kri'z is a foil, a cunning, lazy fo d. li I were the master h-re [ would pack him off. What does he do but chatter lika a magpie and idle about the place from morn ing till night? And when there's work to >c done, as there has baen this week, carry ing furniture heio and moving heavy things about, he must run away to the city and hang about the courthouse where that murderer is being tried. Dionetta, I am not io love with the Advi cite or his lady ; there i* no Deed for me to tell them so, but lam not in loye wit'lji them. ! shall do my duty aud hold my tonsuib while they are here ; and when they go I 5113.1 lbo glad to see their backs. The Advocate is trying to get a murderer off; it may be the work of a clever man, but it is not the work of a good man. If I had a son ( would snoncfr have him "nod than clpycr ; aud I would sooner you manied a ««<m k>£" than a clever wo grniiflnnther, whoever thinikd oi marrying'?' i . " JNot you, of course—would you nave me believo that ? When I was your ago 1 thought rf nothing else, and when you are my age you will fea the folly of it. No, 1 am not in lovo ffih the Advocate, who could be, with a maa on whose faco you never see a smile?" . " Ah, you are mi-taken, grnnamo'ae>' 11 have seen him arr.ile at mv lady, aud then hi* face is quite handsome." . "Ho is performing unholy work Dio netla, down there ill Geneva. The priest says as much; and he is not doing it foi money, hb must be urged to it by the Evil One, If thiit murderer escapes from jus. tice, the guilt of b'ood will be on the Advo. cate's soul.'1 "O, grandmother !If my lady bearc yon, she would never forgive you." "I nm scying what the priest says, anc there is'no' fear of my aaying it to my lady

if sho hears it, which I don't doubt but she will, it will not bo from my tuiiguc. Dio noun, it wns a young gin who -A'as nuir dercl, about the same age as yourself. It tniybt have been yon— n\ you may well turn white ; that i- t»o way mothers iliiuk who lia^e jonng dunghtitra around tlieui; and you are my ilatig>ii>Vs daughter, doubly cleat te n-e, the only one; lift, This clever lawyer, tli>* straujjur it i», who come* among us to prevent jitsao.i being dune upon » murderous wre.eh. He will bo pni.ished for it, mark my words 1 sKali he happy when I see him and his beautiful wifo fairly oat cif the house." Dlanotta, who knew how useless it was to oppose her giandmuther's opinions, en deavoured to change the iubject by saying, "TcUine, giaudmother, why Mr Ba! ---combc! should be more anxious to avoid this ro 'in ihiiii any other in the house. I think it is the pettiest of all," Mother Denise did not reply immediately, She nuved about the apartment, and looked around with tha air of a woman ro« calling a picture of long ago, "Two story connected whh thi< put of tho house," she presently said, " gave to thu old villa the name of the Uouse of White Shadows There are few vho kaow the truth, and none so well is 1. on shall hear it, Dionutta, but I advise you not to speak of it to nnothor persoj, it ia a family mutter, ami should nof bo uiuie c.nninon. Let me see—let me sec ; Aitnui'fialcombo i* now thirty-one years of a'jo ; ye--, thirty-:ino on his last birthday. \ lemetnber well tho day he was born." " Hush, i>randmothtr |" said Pionetta, holding up her hund. 'My lady," The Advocate's wife had entered the room quietly, and wa\ regarding the arrangement of tha furi^ture and the llowers wi.hcyesof approval, " It is excollcntly done," .fao said, " pro cisoly as I wished. It was » O u, Dionetta, whj arranged tho llovvera ?" "Yes, my lady." "You ha/c exquisite taste, hally exqui site taste. Mother Denise, I o,ui really obliged to you." " I have dove aothing," saio. Mother Denise, " that it was not mv duty 9 do." 1 But there ia a way of doiag tbitja," "Just what grandfa'.hor said, " crieu Diouetta, uleefully, "a bard way u d a soft way." and then, becoming s«dt; a ]y aware of her rndeness in intßrruptinsi ler mistress, she dropped a curtsey, and witi a bright culour in he.- face, snid, " I beg yOf pardon, my lady." "'i hero's iio occa ion, child," snid th( Advocate's wife graciously. " Grandfather ia quite ri^Lt, and everything iv tlita roam has been dune very beautifully." She held v framed picture in hor hand, a coloured cabinet photograph of herself, and slic looked aronud t»e waits to linda place for it. " '*h, this will do," tha said, and she took down a picturo of a child which hung immediately above iier desk, and put her in its stead. "It is uico," sho romaikod to Mo her Denise, with a smile, " to see tha faces of old friends about us Mr Bal combo and I ure v^-ry old (liends." "The picture you Invo taken down," said Moth-r Detnse, "is of Mr Balcombe as a child " "Indeed I lloiv old was hn then ?" " Five years, my lady." "He was a handsome boy. Hi* hair is darker aow, and his cyca also. By-the-bye, Mother Denise, you were speakiug of him when I canio in. You worj raying he was thifty-one lait birthday, and that you re man her the d>iy ha was born." " Yes, my lady.1' "And you were about to toll Dione ta why t ii-i villa is called the House of Whi'.e Shadows, Give me the privilege ot hear ing it.'1 ' I would r.ither not tell it. my lady." Nonsense, nQosaaSJl Mr Bileoinbe would be quite angry it hs knew jou re fused me co simple a thing." " Well, my lady, it you insist " "Of course I insist, yoa dear old crea ture I I am sii'C tho:e ia no ono in tha villiigo who c m tell a story half as well as you,' Oomo and stuud by iuj, Dianettj." Sho seated herself by the desk, upon which she laid the picture of the lad, and Mother Ocnisc, who wa-s really not loth to recall reminiscence!, ami who, although she hesiUted at fist, sjoa bsgan to derive great enjoyinunt from her narration, thus proceeded: CHAPTL'U XIV. A. LOVE SrOß>" OF THK TAST, "I was born in this house, my ladj-," said Moher Uenis>;; "my mother was housekeeper here bef')io me. lam sixty eight y^ara old, and I have never elopt a night away* from the Villa; I hope to die heie. Until your arrival tho house has tut been regularly inhibited for more than twenty years. It hn boon lonely forme sometimes, and I have often wished for company; but 6u the whole I am con tented. I due say if Mr Balcombe—tho present Mr Biilcombe—had had the power wtelltlin estat:, he would have done so long ago, but re bound by his father'? will,not lo dispose of it while he lives. We has hit own reasons for not lotttup it; the.t: have iieon opportunities though, of course, in con3eqti.:ncc of its being said that it is haunt' a the pejple who would have been willing to take it would have wanted it for next to nothing. Mr BJ combe's agent, howover would never listen to any proposition ; tho villa was not to be let; it was to remain us it was; that was the one answer alwiiys returned ta those who made inquiries about it. So it has been left to our Giro all ihese years, and we have done our beit to p-event it falling into decay We have uxver been idle a day; in the hands of any othor persona it would have been in runs long ago. Arthur Balcombe's father lived here, and courted Mi yonng wifo here; a very bcauti lul lady; asking your ladyship 8 pardon, almost a-t beautiful as yourself. That is her portrait hanging on the wall. It was painted by M OJabriel, who could have b.-c;me a great painter I have heard say ; I duu't know how true that may be, but I know that the picture is very faithful; it h exactly like Arthur Baicorabc's mother. His father, perhapn he may havo (old you, was a distinguished author; there a^o books written by him on the library shelves 1 will f-peak of him, if jou please, as Mr Balcombe, and my present master I will call imistor Arthur; it will matte the story easier to till. "Who iMr Balcombe came iuto the pro perty, which consisted of this villa, and if many houses and nmcb land in o'her parts, all of which havo bc-n sold-thia ia tha only put'oti of the old estates wliich remains in the family — there were at leait twnty servants employed lere Al;hough Mr Bj!c mbe was fond <i passing d.iy^ and days shut up with his hooka and papers hi iiked to see company about i-i'n. tie had a gr.at number of friends and acquaintance, and money wna freely spent. Hu would inito a dozen twenty at a time, who used to come and go as they pleisd, living in the house as if it was their own, and parsing generally, I should say. a happy time ; for whatever the heart could wish tor was,theirs, if it could be obtained. "Mr tialcomba and his friends appeared to understand each other's ways, and the master was seldom intruded upon, When he tiok it into hi-i hond he came among them, and. then he was another being, In his solitude he wv very, very quiet, and he woiild walk up and flown the avenue of limes for Lours nijd hours together without uttering a word, looking fitj-aight before him i'nd seeing nothi'in that we saw. IL1 seemed to be looking far, tar away. He would do thn sumo iv hin study, and wo who worn not as 1-wned as he would wonder wlwt kind of thoughts pas-ed thioiigh bis1 mind sit th >»c times. Jiut whci ho came among his guests he laughed, he joked, aud was full of life and spirits. At those times he reminded one of a boy just escaped froro school,; he fcemel to forget his books nnd studies, and his lonely walks, and it was hardtojjelieveic was the same'gentleman who appeiwd to bo so1 hippy when ho was iv solitude, He was a good maste?, and he appeared to pay no attention "to what w«3 paEBJn? around him, there was very little that escaped his notice. At the time I speak of he was no?, a yoon'z m^u. be was forty-two years ni rtge, and eyervbody wondored why he did not marry. . H». smiled and shook his head when it was mentioned, and siid sometimes that he was too old, sometimes that ho was happy enough with his books, sometimes that if a man married without loving and being

loved lio deserved evory kind of raisfortuuo that could iiiippon to him ; and then ho would say that cold us ho might appear, he worshipped beauty, aud that it was pot possinle he eou'd marry any but a beautiful woman, I hiivi; beard the remark made to liiqj. ttiat the world was full of young and bcau'iful women, and liavo heard him reply ihat U wat not likely one would fall tv the lot ot n man of his ago. My mother and I woio privileged sorvuuta ; my mother was his uurs ■, and ho hat mv affection for her, so that we lia.»l opportunities of kuuwiug und hearing more than the other servants of the house. " One Hummer there came to the villa, among other visitors', an old gentleman and his wife and their daughter, Mulk. Bea trice. The young lady was one of the brightest beings 1 Imvo ever beheld, with tho happiest fuc : and tho happiest luugk, and a atop us light as a fairy's. I do not know how mauy people fell in love with her—l think all who saw her. My master, Mr c nlcombe, was one of theso, but unliku her other atlmirora lie avoided rutliur tlian followed her. Ho shut himself up with his b.uika, and for logger periods, and took loss part than ever la the gaieties and bxciusioiiH whicli were goin» on day after diiy. No one would have supposed that her be mty nud her winning ways had made any impression upon him, It ia not for mo to say whether tno youug lady, observing this, as sho could scarcely help doing, was nettled »t it, and whether she made up her mind that ho should show h's love for her. In youth we nut from impulse, and do not stop to consider coiiSri|r.eucos. It happened, now ever, and it is » fact tliaf. for one whole week Mr Balcotnbo gave up his books, mill mixed freely with his guesta. But there was n > love-making on his part, so far aa anybody could sec. His coudnct uave occasion for no remarks, but I remem ber it was spokeu of among the guests that tlu young lady \vs* ia luto with oar M<a:Ur, aud we all wonderel what would oiime of it. At the cud of the week thero was a dreadtul ucciduut. Tim gentlemen ' w^re out riding, ami were uot expected liouie till livening; but they had not been iiway two hoiiM before Mr Ualcombe gal loped hoiQD in a state of great ayitatiou. i lio suiaht Mdllc. Beutr ce'a mothor, and i lornrauuuntid tv Imr, as gently aa h: could the news of tbe accident, tier husband Had been thrown from his horse, and was bciug canied back in astute of insensi bility. Mr Bakombe's objiet was to keep ;tm intelligence from the daughter, but he I lid not succeed. She nulled into the room I a which her mother and Mr Balcombc wire ' josoted, nud she heard all. She was like < <\e districted, hhe flew out of the vilU I i< her white dress, and ran along th« i r°d the horsemen hnd taken. Her move mots were so quick that they could < uot si op her, but Mr lialcombe jumped i uPolhU horse, which was standing nt the I gate jjt d galloped a'tar hir. Uis anxiety wa< tijjreveut (he yoil'.g lady tcoini; her ( fathcr,v, r the old g^ntk'inai was dread i fully ci 7 ~ud tbe ell'ee upon suchasus- 1 cepiiblcyuiuig ona'uro ai Mdlle. Beitrioo j would l\va beeu tornhlo. fie overtook [ her, andrroiug ahead of uor tur twenty s yards or f* jumpo I oil h>s horse and stood ; in her wa\ she trial to got \n\tt him, and I there was tstrngulo, gentlo on his side, t despairing a her.-), aud the end ot it was 1 that sho fivl: c d in bis anna. In this c >n- ' dition he caf c( i aer (m,^ to tha villa, aud 1 gave her ititk the charge of hue mothor. 1 §oan afterwat, f [ li: o ld gentlemen was < brought in, aui>thc doctors came, aud the ' house wisaho «„£ ruournin :, No d me- i ing, nu icuic, u0 aiugiug — all tvas ! changed ;wo ",i- O j in whisper.-, anl f moved about sl->y£ " tt s if n funeral \ra f nb'Ut to take pla-' W e felt as much tor t the young luily ns ' for her father, t aud t'cc'f were atnany inquiries lifter her ns after him, \ | 10 old geutlemau's c life v-a- do-pared^ -md the doctors ' said he im.iht luigi^n kU helpless sate s for weeks, b'ltt'iit i\ya< n'most impos»i- t ble he eini>l recO'T. <,t course, this put s an end to all thu foatities, aud one after i another the gnpsts tot their dopaiiuro, c un'il, ii a little while, \q (,nly i-isuora re- s maiuing wore the f imil U p 01l whom such t a heavy blow had fallen. \i r Balcombu no f lon;»er locked himself in'. s atudy, bat oe- i voted the whole of bit imo to Millie, v Ikatriee and her parents; n e g llV e the 1 young lady into my cure, ai ni ked me to r be in cous'ant attund niee,p oU her, and t not illoff her sli^h'wst wi?l 0 roniaiu un- t gMtified. 1 found h;r very < jot O nd vo y t gentle ; s-he fpoke but little vn d the only g strength of miod sbe disp ay\ W as in in- i: sisting upon fitting by her fati r ' a bedside b a few lu'ura every day. t " Deni»e," said Mt Ba'combe mC) "the i doctors say that if Miille Beatri, ,i oea n,t ta'io tx«rci<i she will hers- becjiufi <\ seriously ill. v: ndeavour toprevaqpoa her 1 to enjoy the freeh nir j walk with , r j n the r, gti'deu an hour or ho a day, and a use her d with li^ht talk ; a na'.ure like hers,quires li sunshine." b " 1 did mv bast to plonsa Mr Baj ra |) C a and t succeeded ; tbe « c idler wa- fi^ at|l ; v not a day passoit that Mdllc. liciin t ] ,[ v not walic with me la the gronnda.^ n j n here, af era tin?, Mr Ba'combe was ltt, c 0 habit of joining us. wppearing at lii t 0 f. meet us acjidcutly; but I k'.ew b. er g than that; it was a deliberate intention Sl his pirt. When ha came 1 foil back, <i a he and Mdllc. Beatiice vv:>lked »ide by si. w sometiiues with hoi; hand on bis ar.n, nn» a a few yardd behind. I could not he j c noticing tho extiaoidiunry gentleness an C( kiudncss of his mauner towards her j ther^] was no gaiery oi jo>oastiess in it; it wa^} serious and wisfi.BUflh as a father would ex- c Mbit for a daughter he loved very dearly. ' Well, well,' 1 thought; I seemod to se.e how it would all cud, and I believed it would be a good ending, although there were such a number of ytara between them—he forty-two and she seventeen, A month p.issea in thu way, and the o'.d gentloman got so much worse that we expected every hour to hoar of hiadeith. The accident ha met with had deprived him of his senses, but Wo days before he diod his mind became clear, ' Lr.nj private interviews, with no other person in the room, took place between him and nil mester, and Mr Balcombe came from.tbcm more sedoiu and gr»\vr tliim ever. I was present when he died. He had lost the power of speech; i.i. wif; was sitting by his bedside, holding his hand; hi daughter was oa her knees, with her fac buried in the clothes ; Mr Biiloombu was standing near, looking down upon them. i was iv. the end of th; room, in the dark est part of it, waiting !o attend on Mdlle B°atr;cc, oud 1 saw nil thatfasaod. MfUlo. Beatrice vvas overwhelmed with grief, bat her moth-ir's -rouble, it aptnwed io me, waa purely fe'iUt\. Sbe Beeme'i to l> thinking what would become of her when her husband was gone. 1 may hnve doje her an injustice, but that whb the way 1 understo d her; ill* o d lady, I must say, was never a favouritu witn any of us. The dying gentleman sndtleuly looked uo at Mr Balcombe, and thuu dnwn at his daughter, and Mr Balcomb-;, very grav«!y, inclinod his head once or twioi, as tuough he was aa»weii g a questiou. - peaceful bxpres sion pame upon the old g-ntltsniau's face, and a few minutes afterwards he was dead," Here Mother Deniso paused, and brokn oil' in her story, saying, " I did cot know when I c^mmeaced tilt it would taka so long a felling. I havu wearied yon, ruy lady." " ladced not," said tho Advocate's wifu ; " I don't know when I have beeu so much interested. It is ]U9t like reading a novel I am sure there U something startling t» come. You must go on to tho end, Mother Denise, if you plca-e." " With your permisnion, my lady," said Mother Denisc, ad sm mthing dowu her apron sho continued her narrative, CHAPI'ErI XV. MOTHER AN:, DAUGHTER. " Tw> days r.ftor Mdlle. Beatrice's father was bluied, Mr B^lcnmbe s-iid tt mo : "'lJanisf, lamco'iip'll-i) t> go away on import nit businiss, anil I ehiill bo ansr-ct a fortnight at least; f ieave Mdlle. Beatrice in y- ur c» pe. As a mark of fiithful service to mo, bn sure that not'aii g is left undoso to comfort bodj her and her mother in thek grent trouble.' •'I understood, without hi'i telling mo, that it w.is realty Mdlle Bentrii-.e ho was anxious about; every one who had any ex perience of the old lady knew that she was very well able to take cai'e of horaelf.

"On tUc ssine day a long conversation took plane between my master and the widow, ami before sundown lie departed. " It got to be known that be had gone to look alter the alTai'S ofjjthe gentleman who d;ed heir:, and it got to be known also that the ladies, in-tctv.l of bejug rich, as we sup posed them to be, were iv reality very poor, and likely to be tin own upon the world in a state of poverty, unless they accepted as sistance from Mr Balcombe. They were much worsu oil than poor people, bavin" been brought up as ladies, they could do nothing to help themselves "While Mr Biilcombe was away Mrllle, Beatrice and I became almost f.-ieuds, I may say. tiho topk great notico of me, and appeared to be glad to have me with her. The poor young lady had no one else, fur it was easy tu. see there was not much love lost between her and her mo her, The sel fish old lddy tlid nothing but bewail her own hard fate, and spolcu to her daughter as if the young lady could have nothiug to griovo at in being deprived of a father's lovu, "But sorrow does not last for ever, my lady, even with the old, and the young ahike it off much more readily. So it was, to my mind, quite natural, when Mr JJal combo returned, which he did after an ab sence of fifteen dajs, that he should find Mdlln, Beatrice much more cheerful than when ho left. lie was pleased to say that it was my doing, uud that I should have no cause to regret it to the lait day of my life, i had done so little that the great store he set upon it. made mo think more and more of the ending of i: all, There conlcl be but one natural ending, a marriage, and yet never for one moment hud I s-jon him con duct him<elf towa'ds Mdlle. Beatrice as a lover. He brought b.ul ncw3 back with liim, and when ho communicated it to the nld lady she walked about the ground like i distracted person, moaning and wringing her hands. I got to know about it through my yonug lady. We were out walking in ihe L.nea when we overtook two wretched looking women, one old and onfe younj;. They were ia rags, and their whito facea md slow-panful sep., an they dragged ;homaelvea along, would have led anybody ;o suppose tbat they had not eaten a meal lordly*. They we:o truly misery's chil- Ircn. " Mdlle. Beßtrice asked iv a whisper, as ihey turned and looked pitifully at her. " Who are they, Denise ?" •'They are beggars," I answered, "She took out her purse, a.~.d spoke to hero, and guve them iome money, more bun they had had lor many a long day. They thanked her very srutofully, and xiiwled away, Mdlle. Beatucu '<ookiu£ after hem with an expres--ion "f thoughtfulness md curiusity iv her lovely face, " i)fiii«e," she said prcently, "Mrßal :ombo, who, before my father's death, pro nised to look alter his affairs, has told us hat we are beggar*." "I was very, very sorry to hear it, but I iould not recpneilo the appearanca of the jright young creature standing beforo mo vith that of the wrttihed biings who ha<l ust left us, and although she spoke ■ravely, and said tho news was shocking, 'he did not seem to feel it as much is her wo d* would have led one o believe, It was a singular thing, ay lady, that Mdlle. Batricc wore iliiclc for her father ..for only one day, There was quite a s:hu« b'.tweon her and icr mother on the subjoc.t, but ihc yount> a'ly had her way, and only wore her black Ire-s for a few hours. 'I hate it,' she said; it makes me fe*l a< if I were dead.' lam are it was not bociuse she did not lovelier at'ier that sh; rcfu-ed to put o:i mourning ir him. Never, exept on that one day, lid t 300 her wear any d-ess but whit-1, aid ho only b:tsoi colourehotrttign WJieso ne imns, a light pink or a HsSi bluo ribbon Phut is bow it got to bj si id, when -qjje was eon from adistapco walking io tho fl^rotfnU-', looks l.kef» white shadow.' >So, whin he told me she was a bogg.ir, and stood i.ofore mo, fair nnrL beautiful, dressed in off, whit", with ;i pink ribVin at her hri>at, »iiH long eiirviius la her ears, 1 ;«uhl DO. Understand how it was pigsiblo he-could he whit »hn said. It was true, hough; idn and her mither had not a ratio, atii Vlr 'Inlcoinbc, who brought the iewg, dd not su-m snrrv for it. Toe fidow c isd for my- n-tiLija did uothiiu: mt cry ft'id cry ; hot that of course, could iot go on f >r ever, anH in time .-ho becuno, o ail ttppnaraucij, oh soled. There w.is no ak of tiieirgiitigawiiy, .mil tilings seemed o stand Still f'>r a good mmv week^ No ;ueiU twit invited :o tha villa, and my iiastcr wai alone wWi vuille. lioi'rice and ier m thee It i-eeined to IU", after a lime, hat ho made in .n at'emp's to set back uto his old uroovi- ; hut h; sooa liiscovercd io was no', his own master, an-1 could not oas ho hl-nsed. >i>W it was Mrtile ?oatrici> who wa itid him, now is was her dothI', ".ml ih.y wet- io a nviuure opeu'le t upou liim hi c ml not deny im-clt them. He u.ight have do.ie »o ad they bcim rinh; ho couM not do n as t'lev wive ■ or. I s ".<n s;iw that i\\»\i Mdlle B'ltiico iHtrndud I ersclt pii-i him if. w.:s v' tho in-tigjtion <f her lother, and tbat had she consulted her wn inclinations, she wonld have retired as ir into ihe background as hims.lf he do ired to be. Tho old lady, however, hart nt her heart upon a scheme, and so left no tone unturned to bring it about, 0, she 'as cunuiug and clever, aod they wera not match for her, neither her daughter, who oew nothiDg of the world, nor Mr Bal- Dmbe, who deeply read as be was, aud lever, and wise ia many things, knew as ttle of worldly ways as the young lady he ived and was holding aloof from. For tis was clear to me, and to others, though dare ray our master had no idea that his Iret was known — but, indeed, it was 'amon talk! He and Mdlle. Beatrice «c like the hands of a watch, and the old 1* was the machinery which set them ft°», slow or fast, as she thought boat. ioc morning I hid occasion to go into 1 G°i»i to purchase things for the house, ! whiij wa3 to brin» b.iclc with mo in the aftelon. As I was stepping into the w«gft Mdlle. Bcatrico came out to tho gates,d ga id. ' D« B e, do yon p»qs the Pqst-oflice in Genev;" y "' f\ Madenioisello,11 replied, " ' H^ U a Jetfer,' she then said, 'I have ju wiittea.'-«nd I want it posted tbers lit 0(. 3 , vvill you do it for me ¥ ■"Cert^iyi will/ I said; and I took the letlet " There ma 0 harm in looking at the envelope ;it vi addressed to a M. Ga biiel. .' w>s uo\ a if a m i] o on tbe road to Geneva beforo t e a>d coming on behind me Very fast the \, e i s o f a cak-lagu. We drove r.aWc to let DilS3 . ;t was nne o f our ovn cairiages.an-^g^ ] a^y wa3 ; a "'Ah, I tmse, .eui^ ' aro yO ugoing to Geneva ? 11 'Yes, Madame. "'I shall bo tbei, n u( , ur bef ne you ; I am eoitig to the i, t -office to got sime letters., As she said xt> j CQXX i A not he i p glancing at tho_ letter loi ]3 eatr i co had given me, which Ih j n my n!l ,,d for safety. 'It is a let(ei, v daughter has s>ivcn you to pnst, she {To be cottfurf.)

UNKNOWN

(" Bnrlinyton Ha\ e ,») NO wnnder the mule is a lv ori \y ero 1 a mulo I, too, would kickj j cuow j us t uxantly what kind of a nni[ wou ia De . \h ly mule. One of thos^ e y OC | o i^ feilowH that loan back in *-\ x> r ceclaing nu.l ti.iu^. With stripad legsi, a zebra _ And a dartc-brown streak nov mjr tiack| and a paint-brush tail. And n\ lane cu j; short, aud my foretop banged, j a hea( j as long as a Hour barrel, aud I v wor th two hundred and a half in any m^ an( ] I'd wear a flat harness and no blin. 3 an( j some day when some man hitch^ o up to a dray and piled qh a ton and a ,j p f pig iron, a cord of wood, six bt| g o f flour and ' a steamboat boiler, Ipuid start off with it patiently, and f^ j, steadily until I KOt to the top of the^ e on tho nev/ road around North Hil_,j right about'therv aridihen a" falling c leaf, ilut»erin« down in a spark of golu crimson, would scite rre all but to djj and tho aixthorjues would have to drat ;^ Miss!s3ipi Kiver six weeks to find sol \j that load and and part of that driver, in three minntes I would be tranq'ly browsing on the grasiy heights that Bj e above tec silver fllowiug river. That il e kind of mule I would be.

A BRIGHTON ROMANCE.

Almost the first acquaintance Muudo and j Ethel Gfrangor came across at Urighton was Mr Gerard Ainslic, who hid paid such marked attention to both of them during the London season. He took off his hat a^ ho passed them on the Kiug's-road, and old Mr G anger, wlro was walking behind the «irls with fcboir mother, growled i.ut: - " Isn't that that fop, what's his name— .unslie?" 'Yen, pap i. Ho ia a friend of the Masons," lepliod Muudo over her shoulder, " Hum I I don't like the look of the man. I believe he it a .snub," returned Mr Granger- sulkily. " Why does papa hate him so ?" whispered Kthel tv her siaicr in an aggrieved tone. "I don't know, nil meu do-or, at least, many of th'-m," replied Maude thoughtfully. " How Ciuol and unjust !" exclaimed the younger si t>'t- indigi aully. "I am sure he is very pleasant and amiable. I believe other meu .-ire jealous of him boc.mse he is so good-looking." Miiudo G iuit!«r in vie no i-ilp'y> ;md glancod a iittlu uneasily »t her siH;er, wlitisi; faro wn« aufTiisoil >vith a veiy becnin ing blush. Maude's O.MI cliookx were not lion [rum an extm tirigo of cilunr, called forth, atwaren ly, by tiie siglit of Mr .\inslie. TIIO truth was that both the sisters had fulc ilaitered by Gerard Ainslie's alteuti ins last season, and \i'u prcauif.c, at IJrijjhtou aui-med to have a peculiar signi ficance. Mnu'Je and E'liol Granger were both pretty gii la. Maude was th; elder, but she wua baic.y twenty, while E:hel was only eight-en. Thr.y were very much ulike in face and figure; su much so that many people declared they could never distinguish die one from tha other. J his wa3 not dillicul', however, to a peisou of tha most ordiuary powers of observation, for while Maude's features denoted resolution, thoughtfuluess, and some depth of character, Ethel's m re childish Use and brighter eyes beamed with heedless mirth aud youthful enthusiasm, The effect which the meeting with Ainalie produced upou the nirls was characteristic of their different temperament*. Maude asked herself serioujiy what was the meaning of the sudden thri.l of emotion Mho experienced when Ainsiie came in tight, and sought to analyse bur fueliugi towards him. Ethel, oj the othor hand, was carried away by a glo.v ot rapturou> exci'eiueut, which made her ty> a sparkle and reudtied her iucap a'jle of Benous reflection. Ainsiie, meanwhile, was strolling along in tha I'pposKo directiou, iv rather a dis turbed fau»e of mind, Hiis meeting rtith the Granger girh had reminded him that nc had comu down' to Brighton for the de liberate purpose or proposing to one of them, To a aan of his supremely Bullish natme, the idea of marriage is sjrnouymuus with se.f sacrifice. lie was deeply im priSied with the conviction—as most, men aro iv some dcurec—Lhat the girl who manied him would thereby attain tho summuni boniim of earthly happiaess, With Geravd AinsLe, h iwevor, this idioaju ciasy was iuteus'liml ulmos: morbid vanity, which was partly ';i>llßUlutii>n-il and partly due to vis s cm i)iiCo3<sts ;u,d the adula tion ho rcce.vcd iruui indis*ost joung lady udmirerj. Added to this, Ains'i-3 had not jet gro vn w.tiy of .1 bachelor'a exist-oco. He fouud tlie life lii was lead ing—a frivolo-.if, selli-sh, elTeminatc lifij vcry much to hi-* taste j he was fond of per oouul comforis; aad lie was conscious of ttie facrttet"^^r^ve*w'iJTrlU nb'fanry"cur tail his social plea itroa, but would distipate til it halo ot ronilujtic; intorosc- which sur rounds a handsoino young hachtL'r,

T11093 disquieting reliections, howover, were not ttie main cause of Ain-lie's mental perturbation. Iltvi-g resolved to marry, he did not intend to 03 deterred by aDy of the weighty objections! above mcatioued. they troubled iiini a good deal, but he resolutely shut liis tyes :o them Hi|; pris-nt uneaiinosi arose from uncertaio^jr' as to which of tho^lissas Uranger ho slioud honour by an offer of marriigc. Ie was not that ho was unable lo tuako up his mind wiiich lie preferrcU,i for he was not des. pernUly in love with either, Pcrliaps he liked litlicl a shade better than her sister, oecatuu her admiration for him was more opcu and undisguised. But if it should •turn out that Mau.lo was the hoiress, he would bestow his pricelesi ulToctions upon her without the slimmest effort.

This was the secret of Gerard Ainslie's inatiitumial aspirations, Ho had ascer tain nl on trustworthy authority tli.it ono of tli! Granger girls bad inherited £50,000 Irom au old uncle, 'I his fact was uot L'i'iierally known ourside the family, for old Mr Graugor—from an odd sense of juatica and fairues-did nit anmunco his daughter should sufl'er in consequence. So well had the secret been kept that very few peop'o had even a suspicion of it, and Am-lic's informant believed that the two girls themselves at present knew uothingof the ruatter, and would remain iv happy ignorance unul the heiress came of age. Unfortunately fur i: irur elf, however, Ainslio was quite iv the dark as to which of the sisters had baeu so substantially favoured by her undo, and a'l his efforts to elucidate the myateiy'had hitherto proved unavail iug. He hoped duriug his stay at Brighton to gain tne confidence of Mrs Granger, and either by adroic cios-quostioniog or from circumstantial evidence' lo satisfy his mind upon this iinportmt point. Gerard Ainsiie iost no time in carrying out his plans, The next day he went up to Grangers on the pier, and was introduced in due form to papa and mamma. 'I he old gentleman gave him a very Burly greeting. The honest old City man felt a genuine con tuwpt for the handsome, effeminate well dressed dandy, with his drawl and his teati nunti.l way of looking at women. Heknew also tbat, iv spite of his haery and his fashionablo mode of life, young Atnslio bad nothing besides his pay as a junior clerk in a Government office; and he did not want him for a son-in-law. lie soon found, how ever, that Aiuslie was supremely indifferent to hia opinion, Ths youngr. man bad learnt from experience tbalyin Bine cases out ol icn, the head of a household can be treated with s-upercilious disregard so long as the sympathies of the female members vt thu family are so. ured. Ho was neither offended nor surprised at eld Mr Granger's abrupt ness, baing accustomed to be snubbed nnuVr similar circumstances. He shook the old gentleman's pisnve hand with easy familiarity, and devoted himself ;i*siduous'y to Mrs Ganger. She, good soul, could no more resist his hanrlsoniu face, his soit voice, aud his ag'ceaWo manners than her daughters ocmld. She felt almost young again when he paid her dexteious and subtle comp'.imeut', andabsolutely blushed at met ting his viokt eyes fixed with languid interest upon her face. Old Mr Granger found himself in a minority of one when he ventured afterwards to speak of Ainslie in disparaging twins. Like a wise man, he did not iusist too strongly npon his own prejudice agoinst him, but contented him self with administering certain impressive warning's to his wife, and growling omin ously whenever Ainclic's name was men tioned.

By degrees Gerard A inslie came to be a sort of time cat in the Granger household, for though thouf;h the old pentleman would not have him asked to the house while ho was at home, he went up to town every day, and 6cca-ionally stayed there a night or two, Ainslie spent all his time with the Grangers, flirting i;i a quiet, impressivo way with tho gir;s, and gaining tho golden opinions of their mother, §ut he was quite unable to decide which was the hehess; and as time went on, the position beca,ine a little strainrd iv consequence ot an altera tion iv Maude's manner towards him. Ishe began to manifest marked coolness oc casionally, and Ainslic fancied Bhe was get ting j'a'oiu of his attentions to her sister, li, would be awkward, he reflected, if ha should lose Miudo's good ot-inion, and she should turn him out, after fill, to be the litres s. He becarae rather desperate at last, and taking advantage of the girls being absent from tho room one day, he put a very leading question to Mrs Granger, Ihe answer to whioh must have solved all doubta. The old lady, quite innocently apparently, was about to reply, when, as Ainsiie waited with his heart in his mouth, jhc looked up, and saw Maude, who had [entered unobserved,

j The siaht of her daughter apparently re j minded Mrs Granger of the dictates of prudence, for she coughed uneasily while Ainsiie felt disconcerted, Maude must havo heard his question, and from the way aha looktdathim, for he was uncomfoitaby suspicious that she guessed his motive for asking. • insiie was tbe more vexed at this contretemps, because, on returning to his liote1, ho found a note which stited that tlie writer, though not absolutely cerlaiu, nad every reason to btliive that Maude was the heiress. It may be mentioned that this confidel;tial communication cauio from l one of Ainslie's Irad'.nueu, who had the iiiodt vital interest in bis matrimonial pro jects. resolved to set upon this intima tion without delay. His own impression was that the information contained in the letter was correct. Ho had nothin;; to guide him to tin* opinii-n except a soit of preeen timcjt. Tlih trifling incident of the morn ing, and 'Vlaudo's alter d manner of late, decided him to biii.s matttw to a avis. There was a ball that evening lit tbe Fa vilion, given by ncivalry regiment stationed at Pie-iton. The Gmngei-s went, and .-•>iu slie t-aizad au opportunity to rotire with Maiidu t> a »ccludeA corner of tlie bilcouy. But, ere be had time to declare himself, the girl said nervoußly— " Mr AiiiHlie," 1 heard you ask mamma a question tiiisinnruing. Are under the impression that I havo 11 large fortune ?" Aiiishe was so taken aback that he could only murmur a fflw unintelligible words in reply. Maude looked at him keeuly, and noticing his coufusien, said, rather con tempttioudly— "I have no desire tn wail under fulte co'ours, ojpecially with friends." Theu, after an awkward pause, .she added, '•I think, Mr Aioslie, if yon don't mind, we will return to tho daucim(-room. It is rather chilly hero." Ainsiie give her his arm without a word, and led her to a seat beside, her mother. Their eyes met as he did so, and iv her glance Aioslio "road mingled reproach and Ecoru. He plainly sa^ that she understood his conduct rightly, aud realised that he had been nbout to propose to her under the belief that ahe was an heiress. For once in liisi life Aiuslie fet a trifle ashamed of him self, and was conscious of bis own mean ness. But this remorseful sentiment was but evanescent. As soon an Maude's pale face was out of sight he began to congratu late himself iv his e»cipt».

" By Jove, tbat was devilish lucky," he murmured, tipping a glass of champagne in the refreshmeit room. "To think I should havo been on the wroug ecent. It must be the little one, of course. But what the deuce made her pull me up, I wonder ?"

tie lu*<]l an inward conviction that Maude's purpose wa« to test his siucerity, aud this made him feel a little uncomfor table. He p.-cferrerl to beht-.ve that she waa 'willing to sacrifice her own happiness for her sister's cake, and. had therefore endeavoured to evade his proposal. This supposition commended itself to Gerald Ainsli>: in bis present' mood, and he was willing to give Maude credit for the magnanimity it involved. It was evident that the poor girl was very much upset by their short tete-a tete.

>ho refused to dance any more d'iriug the evening, on tha plea of having a headache, aud sat pale and silent. She never even glanced at Gerard Ainelie again until he came up to shake hands with in r wheu she left. Sho look dup at liiin then, calmly aud without biterueas, and noticed tlnu hi 3 fp.co wore an air nf defiance which she afterwards unlerstood. During the drive homo :he nuv^r spoke a word, but when she felt Ethel's warm little hand thrust uudcr her cloak, she squeezed it ejißerly, iis-iho'aßrr^tingterf-ftirToiirJe^sympaESy. '??*

A. few mhiu es after she! had retired to her room ihwo. came a'knock at the door, uud Kthel gli-icd in, There was something in the girl's aspect which at once attracted her attention. Her Jaca wasitadiant with happiness, her eyes sparkled, and her lips wore a smi'e. Shn put her arm,round Maude's wais% k'ssed her atfcctiontiti ly, and then, with heightened colour, whi^p. red a few words io her em ,

" WhaS " ixcliimcd Maude, starting to her feet. "He lus proposed to you ? To night ! And you have accepted him ?" " I love-liim so," said Eth«l, tinning pale at her sister's agitation, '•' l)»n't ho an»ry, Maudo. I was afraid perhaps you — you - —" "My darling, he la not worthy of you. You must think no more of him," inter posed Maude, vehemently, " Why, only this evening "

She was about to tell how Gera;d Ainalie would havo proposed to her a few hours ngo, but checked herself from gsnorous for isearaiice. Seeing Etliel looked nale and frightened, she drew her towards lier and spoke more gently :—■

" My darling, I am afraid your idol is rag and f iistain, Do not be angry with me. God grant he may prove a true man ! 1 will congratulate you theo, love, from my heart of hcaitj. But you must test him, und 1 will tell you how." When Ainsiie met the Grangen the next ruornim» ha was greeted witn calmness by Maude, who hurried on ahead with her mother in rather a marked manner, leaving Ethel to walk behind with him Aiuslie was agreeably surprised by this manoeuvre, which seemed to indicate that ho had found a friend where he least expected. He did not notice that Ethel looked white and agitated till she spoke to hint. "Gerard," she said hurriedly, "I told Maude what passed last night, She thinks it right that I should explain >>o nelliiug to you."

11 Yrs. duarest," said Ainsiie, feeling vaguely uneasy. # . "Idou't know whether you ara rich or poor, Gerard," continued Etuel. "I hope you nre poor, became I am poor al 0. I am not an heiress, like Maude."

" Whtt! " exclaimed Ainsiie, sharply, " Maude feared something sb,e said yes terday may have misled you," continued Ethel, d< oppijg her voice to a terrified whisper, as the noticed tho expression on Ainslia's face.

Pooi little Ethel I It was a cruel awakening to a bitter reality. In the start her lover gave, in the frown which gathered on bii brow as he realised that he had overreached himself, and in his changed rone when he announced that he was uiiex-. pect (lly called lack to town, she read the verification of Maude's ominous prediction. Her idol va-i bur ran mid fustian after all, a sorry imitation of a true kuigkr. He saw her home, aud pressed her hand at parting with some semblance of tender solici tude. But Ethel drew away from him, and shuddtrtd at tiis touch, she flew to her room, and needless even of Maurie'a teader ministrations, mourned over ht-r shattered idol in paroxysms of passionate tears. By degrees she recovered herself sufficiently to read with compara <ive calmne33a note which came, addressed to her, a few hours later, couched in these terms :—

Deak Miss GKAN r-ER,— Your sensible reminder th,at we aro both poor-in my case, alas I f am worse than poor—recalled me to my sob^r senses. Your father has a prejudice a«ainst me which it would be hop: 10.-s to attempt to overcome, and as I havo no projjpfiot of being able, without material assi-tanco, to make a home worthy of you, I feel it to be my solemn duty to telease you from your promise. My hcrt is too lull to permit me to write more.—Your sincere friend,

GEBARD AINStIE.

Great Men's Thoughts on Man.

Man passes away; his name pcishes from record and recollection; his hisfory ia as a' tale that is told, and hi 3 very monament becomes a ruin,—Washington Irving, To understand mjn, however, we must look beyond the individual man, and liis actions or iuterests, and view him in corn biuMion with his fellows.—Carl.vlo. Man is his own star, and that toul tbat cau be honest is the only perfect man.— Beaumont and Fletcher. The scientific study of man ia the most difficult of alt branches of knowledge.— Oliver Wendell Uolmes. The man of wisdom ia the mau of years', —Young. Man, whose heaven-erected face The smiles of love adorn, Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands morn. —Burxs. Stood I, 0 Nature! man alone in thee, Then were it worth one's while a man to be. —Goethe, A man is the whole encyclopaedia ot f-»ct*. Tim creation of a ihousaud forests is iv ono acorn, and fgyut, Gie ci>, Komi:, Gaul, Britain, smirica lie folded alroidy in rhe lirst man. —Emerson. Such h\ man! In great'affliction, lip is elevated by the first minute; in went bap pines, tho most distaii', sad ono, even while >et beneath the horizon, cast; him do«vu.—Kichter. What a piece of woik is maul Uow noble iv reason I how infinite in faculty, in form, and moving, how cxprfs? and ad mirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to ms, what is trie quintessence of dust.—Shakespeare. When faith is lost, when honour dies, Then man ia dead. —WniTTIER. Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. - Bacon. A man that is temperate, generous, valiant, chaste, faithful, and honest may, at the same time, have wit, humour, good breeding, mirth, and gallantry; while he exerts these latter qualities, twen'y occa sions might be invented to show he is master of the other nobler virtues.—Steeie, God, when heaven and earth He did create, Formed man, who should of both participate. —Sib J. Denham. Men aro hut children of a larger growth; Our appetites are apt to change as tteira, And full as oravmg, too, and iull an vain. —Drydbk. Consider, man: weigh well thy frame; The King, the beggar, are the same. Dust formed us au. Each breathes his day, Then sinks into his native day. —Gay. Nobler birth Of creatures animate with gradual life Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man. —-MlLTOif. The proverbial wisdom of the populace at gates, on roads, and in markets, instructs the attentive ear of him who studies man more fully than a thousand rules ostenta tiously arranged.—Layater. Man, though individually confined to a narrow spot of this globe, and limited in his existence to a few cour.-es of the sun, has nevertheless an imagination which no despotism can control, and which un ceasingly seeks for the author of his des tiny through the immensity of space and the everrolliug current of ages. -Colton.

Women in Nebraska.

A yotjxg woman was one day riding with two little boys in the same c.a.r_witti me- Her .tired and discouraged manner moved my sympathy. At first I talked with her boys, and then to her, and said they would soon be men, and be a support and a com fort to her. To this she replied: " Yes, and I have two girls." " That is better yet," said I. " With your four children, it will not ba long before you will have all the help you need." With a half-sad assent she added, " I have five dead." She went on to say that she had married at 16, had come there and lived in a " dug out ever sines. She had had nine children, and was only 31 years old. She had worked out-of-doors and in the house, aud, as she said, "had an awful hard, time." She said her husband was a* good man and helped all he could, but he had to work hard, too. When the farm was fcr.eod they were to get a better house, With an evi dent desire to leave ix better impression on my nJnd, aha said, " We never suffer for anything. We always have all the milk and cream we want. We,raife a great many chickens, and wo nevor sell one, and chickens are good whether we roast 'em or stew 'em or boil em', and tho broth is good for children,1' to all of which 1 aspented so far as food was concerned. But the worn soul that looked out from the discouraged eyes of this woman, old before her time, told how greatly she needed the things which do not perish with the uaing She was a representative of many other*.

At one place we found a yovrag, comely woman, a college graduate, with two small children, cooking lor eighteen men, besides those who came as transient travellers She had but two rooms below and two above. She did the family sewiog, was County Superintendent of Schools, and with brave courage looked forward for better times, Another young woman, also a college graduate, was established in a sod house, seven miles away from any other dwelling. She lined the whole with white cotton cloth, put in her piano aud kept up her studies; and this year, seven years from the time she first took up her abode there, she attended the teachers' institute of the Bounty aud was the soul of it, She presided at the organ, mad) speeches—and good ones—and kept b,ey children with her, as she had, no one with whom to leave them. Nebraska is dotted all over with such women. In spite of drawbacks which those in older States cannot comprehend, these women are planting the finest civili sation in this far west.

There is a great deal oj wealth in Nebraa ka—farrm cattle, sheep, Horses and hogs. 1 here are line houses in tbe cities, but not a "Queen Anne "anywhere. The sod houses, in the Swede settlement-, have shingled roofs and brick chimneys. M-e ---where these bouses are of sod piled uw solid, and they are raid to be wa,rm in winter and cool in summer, Msst of the houses back on the prairie are small, with one or two rooms. You will pass a hun dred houses oi one story, with no possibi lity of chambers, to one with even attic rooms. In every settlement there is a schoolhouse and one or moro churches, with as fine intelligent wsa as you will find anywhere, 'lhey are trying to settle the question whether men shall continue to govern women without their consent. The motto of Nebraska is "Equality .Before Law." On November 7th we shall see whether the men of that State can make tbat motto a fact.

ODDS AND ENDS.

To the Italian Commendatore Sartini, bringing him the insigna of an honorary president of th<j Dante Academy, Victor Hugo uttered the memorable words, "The French are Italians and tlie Italians are French." Probably Victor Hugo arrives at this stranga assertion by the way of the axiom: "If two mar/nitudes are equal to a third, then they ate equal to each o,ther." Now, the French are human beinEja and tho Italians also, therefore, the French are Italians and the Italians arc French, The application of the same axiom leads alto to tha result, that the Hottentots »re French and the French are Hottentots, as well as that Victor Hu,ga is an old Swede. —Berlin " Klatteradatseh."



Remodelling Mother Hubbard. It has become an accepted idea among fashionable ladies in Hartford to copy aome of the quaint dresses of actresses. The "Times" o;f that city Bays: "The latest favourite is Jike the pink 'Mother Bub bard,' with isquare neck and antique lace iusertionp, worn by Miss Rehanin the play of 'Needles and Pins.' About a doz.en dresses of this description are being made in this city in different coloms—oardinal, blue, pink, aHve.green, and heliotrope. The style of dreai is better adapted to juyeniloa of seven, but it is so easy and comfortable that older ladies cannot resist the temptation of wearing it for a negligee costume, iviisj Ada Keliau adopted it to give a youthful appearance with the girlish character that she personated."



This is a Sutherland story, A com mander in H.M,R Navy went to a fancy dress ball in full uniform, and was duly re ported in the local paper as having appeared in a ''naval uniform resplendent with gold." Feeing this notice ia tho journal, ho wrote to say " that the uniform he ap peared ia was the uniform of a commander in H.M.K. Navy, the rankpf which he had the honour to hold." The editor wrote back to say that he was much obliged for. the correction, to which he wonl^l have much pleasure in giving rj.u'hjicity, as a creat many poople wea't away with the ide thas ha had appeared as Captain Cor iCbrati'in "H.M.S. Pinafore."



■"■■-■■ / ■ I ' ■'...,."..' ■";.• /~.lj- ■ ."■■■ ~m '■ ■ -.*-■, 'f i •■»-■ ; ■ -■'- ■. - '■:;■!•:.' ■■■.:■:i,....: ■■■' ■ ■ . . '■■■■,- TTITOHENS'S BLOOD RESTORER. FOR CLEANSING, PURIFYING, AND INVIGORATING XIIK BiV.OD. t Seven Years' Test in Auckland. rriniS Medicine riill'cU ftjpm ordinary pro* _i_ p'iciary pr<ip»(atiuiis, inasmnrh as'it was the product of ycais (>f ttii'ly and investigation by an eminent p?iy,sician r.f the Army Medical Stail',- with whom Mr Hitcheos ser^nil liurinc; Ilic (t'cw Zealand Wnr, as Assistant Dispenser to (lie Im peri;il Forces. ' ' On its introduction to the public as a specific for the cure of Rheumatism, .Hheumatic wout, Scrofula, Skiri Diseases, Blood Irapurilies, auiJ General Debility, it, qu'ckly »ttaine I treat celebrity, .and soon wa^i s-oouht after from ivery part of New Zealand. Its curati'e >md dapurative properties have been tmly testified by the numerous testimonials received by the proprietor from patients who had long Buffered from the above distressing maladies, who had ap plied in vain to physicians for relief, and in ■whose cases, Turkish Baths, Hot Springs, aud other popular remedies had been re« sorted to without effect. This celebrated medicine is compounded from products of the vegetable kingdom, ia palatable and easily taken, mild, but cffec« tual, in its action upon the .inimal econ omy. It is, in sooth, a veritable ISlood Restokbr, cleansing it, and thereby restor ing diminished vitality. It presents, un questionably, a purer, safer, better, and more reliable alterative medicine than nny that has hitheito been available to the people. MORS TESTIMONY I Notn SURPRISING. CURE To those -who know what H ITOHBNS" I>LOOD KeSIOUEK HAS 2MNL*. In the Auckland Evening star of the 27th April last, appeared the following local, which explains itself :— The brig Bella Mary, from Melbourne in ballast, bound for Kaipara, put into har bour yesterday morning to'obtain medical aid for Captaia Owens, master o5 the vessel, who has been .very unwell dining the latter part of the voyage, captain' O,wen.Vwho has followed the seafaring profession. fof many years, «n 3 had. never until leaving Melbouni3j3n piil 10th lstst, snffcred fern Illness" of'any .severe ri sture, was fiulacnfv seized on that <!ate ■with viojbni. pains iv (lie b ck. f;inefc tbniTho; bas been swung; up in a Jjiunlttbok^* in the cabin quite helpless, The vessel was off ifaifMra at noo% on Thdrailas last, but the weatlur buiug thick and i>gg.y,' it, wan deemed advisable to como on. to Attcii laad for medical a'swtanco; lhoV>arque arrived early yodre/day u>miiu-j, and j)r Moore having bren sent fnr,,visited Gapt. Owens, and gave in-irnctiona to the mate (<f tlie vc sol re^aniiu/ treaiuienr. The invalid is f.nff-:riu« from a specks of rhenmatiam o{ si "severe nature, and ilia doctor considers it atvis.-.b oto efFect a partial recovery before attnrnpting the re moval of his jviiioit t.j more suitable quatters cm shore. Capt. Ovrtns is well known ia Auckland, many residents will ba sorry to learn orhis affliction." Referring to above, Captain O\v~en-lutt this day (Ist December), stated: "After being treated for r.brat five weeks by two medical men successively, with very little alteration in my condition, except, that the pain in my hands and back was made somewhat easier through the effect of the galvanic battery, I felt a gradual sinking that told me.the diead end-was not far otF, and one of my. vi-ititig friQcds suggested thnt-I should try what Hitchen's Ulbod Restorer would do, as it was being so talked about far and wide. Without nrach faith in it, I' consented to try it, but did not noiice any good oti'ect until I had taken about the third or fourth bottle, when my appetite dpcidedly quickened, and I felt that my st/erigth was coming back to me. I tbei oeaafid to take, the medicine, aud allowed nature to take ils course,' but finding ray appetite going, I stimulated it by small doses of the Restorer, u»ing no other medicine, hut applying the ointment freely. By degrees my whole system seemed to hh invigorated; and now,'after a treatmcint of six months, I am akh to ie samepharse of my vessel, and ani only waiting her airival in port to do to. I can easily walk four tnilca a day withnnt ib«



slightest inconvenience. I consider my friend's suggestion saved my life, and that it is a duty that I should publicly testify to the extraordinary powerot Hitchcns's Blood Restorer oyej the severest cases of rheaa>at» ism," W. M. OWEN.' The agents will be happy to BhGW oiijinal manuscripts of the several pub* lished testimonials anent the Eemedy^with scores of others not vet published. 1. D. 3aTOAN & Vo._ y^?E HAVE Tulß, CELEBRATED AND FAVOOItECS B3AND BASS'S ALE & GUINNESS'S STOOT Always in Stock, L. D. NATHAN & CO! 1882-3 T K S> • 1882-S We have ruoolve.i onr Ss'C< i« ? > s: JilPiv'i SNVby ih« KURnroomn, from .-;?iincy, !.rß»t!i(s>p«l a ex Gangcu, 3148 PACKAGPS, :" roboJa'taS1 o KXTKA Gfrotcii KAISOWS & CHOICE, & MEDIUBT CONUODh Ofnn.it tpSfltcd ovnn leaf, nrrl vory Atrone * fiiiil rich ftivunr. Also, 125 BOXES OHOICKST MANDARIN SOkNTED "it.,\N(;!•:' VKKOE. sbnvo,wiih afcont 2000 PACKAHF^j .01' riiJEST QUALITIES ■ iijalanaa oi Jjlfßt I'arcciij, : 300 PACKAferS OF ASSAM AND DAKJEELIVSS, ■ Hnablo na to uiTsr h-....■ i.-.:■■; fji.isation Onr FocchOTT tjorrespetedssti' Infcrsa nt> &aj Beven-tentlis ol faßt.6iiipcioi>t tvbs Epouroct a" . KXCBPTIOKALti'K ;CHEA? KATES, And yrs aro deterinlr.ad to glvo par oli^r.tsrtb FULL JSZSZVfa OF 'I'IIIS, L. D. S^^~^ "^coeVarr. | 6**i,i iItEET (next Waiten r .■>«» AUCKLAND.;