The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-05-05 00:00:00

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THE
ARRIER BETWEEN;

REPENTED UNTO DEATH.

•-,-.4.0--•-
CHAPTER XXVIL

THE STRATAGEM.
kRS. PIERRE sat in her parlour with her new adorer.
liir• Chard had arrived at that period in life when a
,aseinating woman can "fool a man to the top of his
by a few adroit flatteries. At fifty-five the well.
the Preserved beau really considered himself irresistible to
beautiful widow, and she sat beside him with an
expression of sweet contentment upon her face, which
induced him fully to believe that she responded to the
filleatiment he had just uttered, to the effect that his
even vras there, that he asked of Fate nothing
b
erriegatere than the companionship of so charming a
as herself. He really made love like a
sophomore, and while she lifted her dark eyes to his
With a most bewildering expression, and said—
" How charmingly poetry and passion are blended
'4l Your nature, my dear friend," her internal thought
Was_

_ What an old dunce, to talk to a woman of the
world like a boy of eighteen. I wonder if he will
114°te BYron next."
AS if following her thought, he threw up his eyes,
knd exclaimed—

"Oh, for a lodge in some vast wilderness,
Where transport and security entwine l"
" That is just my own idea," said the Syren sweetly,
wand fortunately we can carry it into execution. The
M will cavil at our union so soon, you know, but
teat ean be evaded by a trip to my own beautiful
:In°. Consent, dear friend, to accompany me to
Y Plantation in Cuba, and I will there beztow upon
lI`T my hand."
Iy adorable Lenore, how shall I express the
h''''''acy that fills my overflowing heart at this pro-
rsal ? I had thought of this way to evade the
-arPing criticisms of those unimpassioned souls who
et:Janet comprehend such love as ours, but I hesitated
i„ProPose it. Since you think it feasible, my angel,
." 118 go without delay. lam at your command at
rtlY moment. Can we not make our preparations to
4eave on the next steamer for Havannah ?"
, She shook her head with a little laughthat sounded
'lke the chime of musical bells, and said—
, " Your ardour is positively delightful; to be loved
n this way is something to boast of in these days of
heartlessness and folly. But—l must make some
etiPulations before I consent to give up the balance
my days to love and retirement."
Name them; your wishes must be laws to me,

After a slight pause she
The interests of my placm compel me to return to
tzilba for a season, and I have already invited your
I lee° to become the companion of my voyage; some
nexplicable coolness has grown up toward me on the
part of Mrs. Chard, and Rose reluctantly declined my
invitation, for Cuba has a great attraction for her
Plagination. I am sure she would not have re-
me if her own inclinations alone had been
/3°n-suited."
The lover flushed, as he replied—
, " Mrs. Chard has heard of my devotion to you, ma
?elle, and hinted to me that it is rather early for me to
be seeking another soother of life's weary monotony,
14 if time, measured by the heart, is not lengthened
°lit to centuries, when ordinary people only count
tnonths or years."
Mrs. Pierre eagerly inquired:
'You think, then, that her coolness has no other
°4gie ? "

"I
-10 W should it, my fair houri? My sister-in-law
;;111St feel honoured and delighted when she learns
tnat you
elf will bestow your fair hand on my unworthy
s ?

"-Ah, dear sir, do not depreciate your own merits.
te name of Chard can only be an honour to her that
°ears it; when it becomes mine I shall wear it with
Pride, and seek by all means in my power to render
haPPy the noble-hearted man who will bestow it upon
rne..

Re gallantly kissed her hand, and said:
" What are your wishes with reference to Rose ? I
!In her guardian, and if I desire her to make a trip to
".ba under my protection, there can be no impro-
priety in her doing so."
" How charmingly you anticipate my wishes! That
the thought I have had, but dared not express.
Your presence will be sufficient sanction, but I would
t a advise open opposition to Mrs. Chard. Her in-
fluence with Rose is so great, that she never will con-
tent to take a step her mother disapproves. The
to Cuba will be a failure, if your rac*. knows
beforehand whither she is bound."
_

Then how can we take her with us ?" asked Mr.
Chard, with a perplexed air. "I am at a loss to
Understand your finesse."
"Yet it is 'Very simple. Mrs. Chard will never
consent that the presence of Rose at your marriage
shall seem to give the family sanction to it. Can you
ti9t invite your niece to go down to Gravesend to
visit the magnificent new steamer just finished for
the Havannah trade, bribe her maid to pack her
trunk, and get it quietly on board. When
once we are fairly at sea, we can explain and
excuse the ruse we resorted to, to afford her the
Pleasure of a trip she only felt bound to decline in
ompliance with her mother's wishes."
"Excellent! charming! I declare you are quite a
feminine Machiavel. But why should Mrs. Chard be
so violently opposed to our union as you seem to sup-
Pose? This extreme measure, after all, may be un-
Ilcessary, and I do not exactly like taking away my
CO without her own consent."

"Very well, you can act as you please," and Mrs.
Pierre withdrew her hand from his tender clasp, and
turned her head away.

CHAPTER XXVIII.
TIM FRAUD DETECTED.
PIERRE continued in an altered tone her reply
to the remark with which our last chapter concluded
I have only this to say, that protestations of at-
tachment have very little weight with me unless they
are sustained by actions."
"But, my angel, you are unreasonable. Explain to
e why Mrs. Chard should object to this trip for
and if I can see the necesaity of acting on your
t suggestion lam ready to do so."
'That is the very thing I cannot explain, for who
can account for the whims of a prudish woman like
Your sister? That her manner to me has changed--
that I am not as cordially welcomed as I once was, I
Can plainly see. There are two reasons for this : one
Ire have already referred to, the other is my friend-
ship for Albert Trevor, and my strong desire that ho
shall regain his inheritance only through a union with
'lose "

"Hum—really, I did not suppose Mrs. Chard has
any apprehensions on this last score. Rose seems
entirely indifferent to Mr. Trevor."
'But you can see, dear sir, that it is for the best
Interests of your niece to accept the hand of Trevor,
for if she refuses to do so, she must eventually be left
Penniless and dependent upon her stepmother. On the
Other hand she will gain a devoted husband, and retain
a brilliant position in society."
"And by lending myself to this deception I shall
be promoting Rose's best interests? Do I understand
this to be your conviction, Mrs. Pierre ?"
"If you love me, call me Lonore."
" Lonore ! sweet fascinating name! how I cherish
Lhe hope that the dearer one of wife will ere long be
tnine to bestow upon you."
"You seem to forget my condition; for you evade
the possibility of granting it. After what I have said
is it not clear that Rose will be charmed to be enabled
e spend the remainder of the winter in the tropics,
if she can do so without blame from her mother?
The feelings of the poor child will then have some
Chance to escape the polar atmosphere that now sur-
rounds them, and expand beneath more genial in-
fluences. I assure you that Rose will welcome the
freedom that enables her to make her own choice of a
imsband."

"What you tell me takes me quite by surprise. I
had an idea that she prefers young Ashton before any
Other admirer."
" What ! the lawyer's clerk !" she exclaimed, with
extreme contempt. "That would indeed be a fitting
clatch for Rose Chard! Ashton is a mere drudge,
Who has a mother dependent upon him, and may be
able to marry in a score of years. I havebeen surprised
that Mrs. Chard encourages him to visit her house,
but I believe she piques herself on her unworldliness,
and values people according to their personal merits.
nut you, dear sir, are a man of the world, and you
!uust see how fatal to Rose's prospects such an en-
':anglement would be. I have done all in my power
0 make such a misalliance odious to your niece, and
[ assure you that nothing is now wanting but your
co-operation in my plans to make her the wife of
Trevor."
"Tins assurance makes me very happy, belle
Lonore, and you may count on my aid to the utmost
limit that my position as guardian to my niece will
enable me to afford you."
"A thousand, thousand thanks! best, most adorable
of men! I shall be a fortunate and happy woman to
claim your generous heart always as my own. To feel
that I am daily growing up to a higher stature in such
noble companionship ! "
Mr. chard began to think himself much better than
be had hitherto imagined, p.nd wondered that the
world should so long have depreciated his true value.
Of course he hourly became more deeply infatuated
With the artful woman who had made this remark-
able discovery, and implicitly yielded to her slightest
Wish.
The plan to entrap Rose into their power was fully
discussed, its details arranged, and the deceived
guardian finally parted from his betrothed with the
conviction that his niece concealed her preference for
Trevor because she knew it would displease her mother;
that Rose's true wishes, as well as her interests, would
be best served by a union with him, either with or
Without Mrs. Chard's consent.
At the urgent solicitations of her ardent lover, Mrs.
Pierre promised to make arrangements for immediate
departure, as the steam-ship she had referred to would
start on her first trip in three days from that time.
After a most sentimental adieu, the elated lover
departed, but the satisfied smile would have died
from his lips, could he have seen the expression of
utter weariness and disgust with which his
fiancée threw herself upon the sofa, and scornfully
Illuttered--•

"I have triumphed over the old fogy, and I can
turn him around my finger. Oh what a verdant
antiquity it is, to believe that a creature so full of life
and passion as I am, can be enamoured of a well-kept
mummy like him! I almost wish I had never meddled
with this affair, for Jam paying too:dearly for its success.
His wife! faugh ! his angel, ha! ha! Many men have
called me that before his turn to be cozened came. I
wonder how many of them think me one now? Only
the last fish that come to the net are stupid enough to
share that delusion, I fancy.
"Well, it is amusing enough where one's only object
is to flirt, but when marriage is the question, it assumes
a more serious aspect. Retirement with him; love in
a cottage, or rather the lodge in some vast wilderness
of which he absurdly raves! A wigwam, I suppose;
at any rate, it would be as unbearable to me as the
meanest Indian hut, if we were to become its joint
tenants; yet I have promised to marry this man.
Fortune has come to a desperate strait when such a
marriage is imposed as a necessity upon me.
"Heigh ho Mr. Chard can assure 'me the enjoy'
ment without which I cannot live. He can screen
me from the whispers of malevolence, and give
security to the position my own cleverness has gained
for me. Alfred tyrannises over me—l must have a
protector, and I suppose Henry Chard, a man of wealth
and some importance in Society, is as suitable a one
as my waning beauty can hope to win."
A quick rap upon the door interrupted her reverie,
and she indolently raised her head, as she said—
" Come in, Albert; I know it is youby your imperious
knock."

Trevor entered, closed the door carefully, and sat
down in front of her. The gas-light fell full upon his
face, and she saw there the flush of wine and the reck-
less expression he always wore when successful. She
disdainfully said—
"In spite of all my warnings, you have been drinking
again. Where have you been, and how have you
been occupied since you left me this afternoon ?"
"And you," he retorted, "have recovered from
the spasms into which you threatened to fall when I
went away. We have been congenially employed;
for I have been fright&ing a coward into making my
fortune, and you have been deluding a fool into secur-
ing yours."
"I do not understand you," she frigidly replied.
"Ha! ha! you are duller of comprehension than
usual, my brilliant Lonore. Did I not meet your dupe
as I came hither, wearing the smile of a happy lover ?
How many falsehoods did it take to wheedle him into
the belief that he is a man of a thousand, who is
only appreciated at 1 11; just value by your adorable
self 2" _ _

_
"Pooh! don't make yourself disagreeable. Mr.
Chard is a good parti ; but you know that I have en-
deavoured to fascinate him mainly to advance your
interests." _ _

" Oh—yes—l comprehend. One eye to my affairs,
both wide open to your own; but I don't complain;
and things are now in such a fix that it becomes
doubly necessary to secure the fair Rose. What have
you done toward that ?"
Everything—the plan is settled in all its details.
Mr. Chard goes with me to Cuba in the next ship--
Rose accompanies us. When we are safe on the
plantation you can join us; by that time Mr. Chard
will have no will but mine, and that will give his
niece to you as your wife."
" Bravo ! magnificent! I honour the scheming
brain that can carry its plans into effect. You really
deserve entire confidence, madam, and I am going to
tell you something that will please you. I have dis-
covered Albert's retreat."

Mrs. Pierre started up, full of eagerness and anima-
tion.

"Where is he? What have you done? Ah ! now
I comprehend your expression of triumph. Tell me
all about it quick—quick! for I am thrilling with im-
patience."
Trevor took from his pocket-book two papers and
held them up before her. .

I frightened the poor craven into giving me this
note for fifty thousand, to be paid when he regains
his property; the other is more important still. It
was stolen from Latude's pocket by a trusty agent of
mine, when she was on her way with it to old Spring.
This agreement binds Albert to a compromise with
Miss Chard, by which she retains half the estate.
Thus you see I hold in my hand three-fourths of what
we have so deeply schemed to gain, if I can only
secure the hand of the girl."
Mrs. Pierre examined the papers, pondered a few
moments over them, and then gravely said—
"A fit of penitence has suddenly come over me,
Albert. You have gained the means of securing a
handsome sum. Rest satisfied with that, and let us
relinquish this nefarious scheme, which will only give
you a reluctant bride, and wed the poor girl to misery.
Since I promised to accept her uncle, I begin to feel
pity for Rose. Get this money from your cousin, and
let us go to some other place, where we can live hand-
somely on the spoil you have won. I have my jewels
which are worth a little fortune if I choose to sell them.
I believe I will do so, sooner than marry old Chard,
for the thought becomes more repulsive to me every
hour."

His heavy brows knit together, and lurid angez
flashed from his eyes, as he listened.
6' 'Tis well for you, who suggested the plan I have
carried out, to falter now, when I hold the prize almost
within my grasp. Your jewels! Worthless paste!
glittering with as false a lustre as their mistress. A
great resource would they be, indeed !"
"What can you mean ?" she asked, in alarm. "The
gems are real: my mother wore them, and there never
was a doubt as to their genuineness. Have you been
tampering with them ?"
"And if I have ?" he insolently asked. "What
then ?"
Mrs. Pierre grew extremely pale, and burst into
tears.
Oh, Albert! Albert!" she sobbed; false to
me—to everyone whoever trusted you! Why have
you defrauded me thus? You knew those jewels
were my last resource, and yet you have deprived me
of. them."
Tush ! I will pay you back again, Lonore. I
needed the money—was forced to have it, in fact—to
carry on our game; and I thought it best to say
nothing to you about it. Besides—l will be frank
with you—l thought that the time would come when
you must be made to feel your entire dependence on
the success of this enterprize. With that resource to
fall back on, you might shrink from the trial at the
most important moment. You see I was right. Now
you must go forward, or sink into poverty and
wretchedness. Look—here is Albert's note. I will
share its proceeds equally with you, and advance
your interests in every way in my power."
Mrs. Pierre wiped away her tears, and her eyes glit-
tered with contemptuous anger as she replied—
" What faith can I place in the promises of a man
so unprincipled as you? You will find means to con-
vert my share of the money to your own use, as you
have done everything else that belonged to me- yet I
blindly and wilfully follow your steps. Already
have I plunged into falsehood and infamy to rein-
state your fortunes, and this shameful fraud is my
reward."

Trevor coolly shrugged his shoulders.
"Relieve your mind by scolding, Lonore ; I am used
to it. But I think you are very unreasonable to break
bridle in this manner just as the reward of our clever-
ness is falling within our grasp. What have you
srivuned for, toiled for, these many months, but to
place me in the position I now occupy? You have
ensnared a rich and honourable man, who will be your
slave the balance of his life; and yet you cry over
the loss of a few glittering stones, that dandies and
foolish women set so much store by. Chard can give
you plenty more."
"I do not want him, or his jewels either," she.
passionately cried. "I am not yet lost to every true T
womanly feeling, and I cannot brook the thought of 1
marrying this poor old dupe. I fascinated him for
your advantage. I would have lured him even to
Cuba; but when Rose was secured to you, I intended
to disgust him with my caprices, and evade the last
sacrifice. But you have made me dependent on you,
and I feel that such a fate would be a worse bondage
than to become the wife of Mr. Chard."

He sneered—
"l thought your outbreak would lead to that con-
clusion before it ended. Believe me, you cannot do
better than to take this sentimental adorer, Lonore ;
for your beauty is not so brilliant as it was, and your
wit has wounded many who would gladly aid your
downfall. Once breathed upon in the set to which you
have gained admittance, your reputation can only
regain its lustre through the added polish of a patrician
name. You may leave England under a faint haze of
suspicion, but when you return as Mrs. George Chard,
and I bring Rose back in triumph as my bride, they
will float away as speedily and gracefully as a fog bank
before the morning sun. You see, I can be poetic as
well as old Baldy—beg your pardon; but I hope you
don't sing Uncle Ned to him—he might consider it
personal, you know, as he has a smooth spot whore
the hair ought to grow, and a mighty soft one under
it, eh?"
As Trevor thus rattled on, he watched his com-
panion's face keenly. The momentary outburst of
passion gave place to a moody stillness, and a stray
tear occasionally gathered on her long lashes and fell
unheeded on her clasped hands. It was not in his
nature to be deeply touched, but he felt some com-
punction for what he had done when he saw how
deeply it affected her. He drew nearer to her, and
attempted to take her hand, as he coaxingly said—
" Come now, Lonore, don't make a fool of yourself.
lam tired of this. It is something new for you to
come the sentimental over me. It isn't becoming to
you either; and I'll be hanged if old Chard wouldn't
fly from you in fear if he could only see how ugly
you are when you're in the dumps."
He had touched the right chord; she looked up at
him, dashed away her tears, and exclaimed with an
hysterical laugh:
"Albert, you are the most ridiculous creature on
earth, except myself. lam a fool to cry over what
cannot be helped, I know very well ; and, after all,
our prospects are by no means desperate. My
diamonds will pass for genuine as well as when I
thought them so; and it is better to become an old
man's darling ' than remain your slave."
"Now you're a girl after my own heart once more,"
he good-humouledly replied. "I never intended to
conceal from you the use I had made of your jewels
when the right time for telling it came. I regard
them only as a loan; and when I can lay a good grip
on some of the indispensible,' I will pay you fair and
square—'pon honour, I will."
"Do pr,..k, p!edge your honour, or I shall be sure tle

:6t,

debt will never be cancelled," was the sarcastic re-
joinder. "I shall find means to enct payment when
you are in a condition to make restitution. Now
we will be sensible, and discuss our plans for the
trip to Cuba, and see if no means can be found to in-
duce Rose to give you her hand without using com-
pulsion."
Trevor shook his head.

"That miracle will never happen ;I know the signs
too well. If Miss Chard ever becomes my wife, it
will not be with her own consent. But if you can
only get her safe across the Atlantic, and into such a
spot as Cuba, I will answer for the rest. Then the
game will be in my own hands."
Mrs. Pierre sighed heavily as she replied—
" And I am afraid you will be unscrupulous in play-
ing it out."
"What else can you expect? I have staked every-
thing in this affair; and when final success can be
gained by disregarding a girl's tears, do you think
I'm the man to hesitate? Pooh! kayo drivelling
to such precious spoonies as my cowardly cousin. I'm
not of that sort, as you ought to have known long
ago."
She reflected a few moments and then said:

"You must not go over with us; Rose would at
once suspect our object and on our arrival in Havana,
she might refuse to go with us to Mirandola."
"I can easily follow you. It is lucky that you
still retain control of the Cuba place. We must
make good use of the time left us, for the tide
that has so long set in our favour will soon be on the
ebb."

Mrs. Pierre sat with compressed lips and dreamy
eyes, until Trevor impatiently said:
"What has come over you, Lonore P Is this
the way to meet the crisis of our destiny? Shrink
back now—lose courage, and all is lost. Think
what we may attain by stifling this inconvenient
burst of penitence; and then look, if you dare,
on what we shall acLually become if we fail at
last."

She shivered and covered her face with her hands.

"I know it all, Albert; but this poor child loves
and trusts me. I feel more tenderness toward her
than I thought I could ever again cherish for any
human creature. It is a base and cruel conspiracy
that we have formed against her, and, if I could, I
would retrace my steps—would leave her to seek
happiness, for with you she must be miserable."
"How do you know that ? I shall be very devoted
to her for a few weeks. I shall bask in the sunshine
of her smiles, and make the little thing love me in
spite of herself. My adoration won't last long, per-
haps, but what does last? Faugh I really believe
I am getting sentimental myself; but one thing is
certain, Lonore, I am resolute to win in this venture,
and you shall not shrink back at the most important
moment. Rose Chard must go with you to Cuba, and
in a very short time she shall be Mrs. Trevor. Thenl
return here to take possession of what I have so hardly
earned.