The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-02-13 00:00:00

CHAPTER IT.

"ron have done that yO-1;-;1-Tould be sorry for. —SrrkirEsPEAnN.
inE summer sun shone brightly over hill and valley
aS the remains of the barcn were borne to their last
resting-place in the family vault beneath the aisle of
the old church of Ravenside. Lord Glanville was
znuch respected and beloved in his neighbourhood, for
he had been through life a kind landlord and generous
master to his inferiors; and to his equals, a hospitable
host and a sincere friend, His death, too, had been
- attended with such painful circumstances that the
Sympathy was universal; and carriages belonging to
the gentry for miles round swelled the funeral caval-
cade. Among the number was a plain travelling
chariot, in which were seated two elderly gentlemen,
Who returned to the castle, and remained there after
the departure of the other guests. They were the
solicitors of the late baron, and had travelled from
London to attend the funeral, and make the necessary
arrangements afterwards. The ycunger of them, Mr.
Rawthorne, had been an old college companion and
Personal friend of Lord Glanville's, and seemed much
distressed at his untimely end.
"Now that we are left to ourselves, dear madam,"
said the lawyer to Lady Marion, "will it not be better
to proceed with the reading of my lamented friend's
Will? You will most likely know where it is
deposited."
Thus appealed to, Lady Glanville made a strong
effort to overcome her agitation, and replied coldly,
'That her husband had never mentioned such a
document to her, but Maurice might be better in-
formed."
"My father," said Maurice, "showed me a roll of
Parchment a few weeks ago, which he informed me
Was his will, and I can point out the place where he
deposited it.'
Rising as he spoke, young Glanville led the way to
the apartment with which the reader is already ac-
quainted. Touching the secret spring at the back of
the drawers, he handed the keys to the lawyers, telling
them they would find the will in the escritoire. Mr.
Rawthorne smiled sadly as lie examined the secret
drawer.
"Your father," he said to Maurice, "was ever fond
Of mysterious mechanical contrivances, and delighted
in puzzling his friends with hidden springs and secret
traps, and things put away in most improbable places.
I hope, however, we shall have no difficulty in finding
Ins will."
We need not say this hope was doomed to end in
disappointment; no vestige of a will could be found,
and Mr. Rawthorne and his partner were obliged to
return to the apartment (where they had left the
mistress of the mansion) without the object of their
search.
"I made Lord Glanville's will,"said Mr. Rawthorne,
after acquainting the lady with their failure, "two
Years ago. I have brought a copy with me, which I
Will read over; if I judge the present Lord Glanville
rightly, he will (when he comes of age) fulfil the
Wishes of his father, should the missing document
never be found.'
Maurice was about to reply, when Lady Glanville
interrupted him—
"Gentlemen," she said, "it is time to end this
mockery. Maurice Archer --for such is the proper
name of this young man—is not the Lord of Raven-
Side; that title belongs to my son alone. In deference
to the wishes of my husband, I have allowed this
usurpation to continue too long—a short explanation
put you in possession of the facts."
"Indeed, madam !" said Rawthorne, fixing his eagle
glance on her agitated countenance. "We shall be
glad to hear this extraordinary explanation."
"You, sir, may remember," began Lady Glanville,
" that I was ten years younger than my husband,—
indeed, I was only a girl of seventeen when our mar-
riage took place. During the first five years we spent
a part of each winter in town, and whilst there my
husband invariably crossod to the Continent, and
stayed a few days; his excuse was that he went to
'visit a friend in ill-health; and when I expressed a
Wish to accompany him. he dissuaded me, on account
Dt the season, proms ng t, take me a long excursion
it some future time.
"As years passed over without any appearance or
an heir to the barony, the old lord grew morose and
irritable; but my husband never seemed uneasy, and
I, Young and happy, gave myself no concern. In the
sixth year of our marriage, Hugh, by the death of his
father, became Baron of Ravenside ; and, in the en-
suing summer, we set out on a Continental tour.
"In passing through Geneva, on our route to Italy,
my husband left me at the inn till he made a call upon
his friend who resided in that city. He returned in a.
couple of hours, bringing with him Maurice Archer,
then a fine boy about seven years of (we. Hugh in-
formed me that his friend Mr. Ellis had died two days
before, bequeathing the boy to his care, in a letter
with the child, would have been forwarded to
Lngland, had he not so opportunely made his appear-
ance.
Of course he must go with us; you will have no
objection to another travelling compaion, Marion?'
said my lord.
I shall be delighted,' was my answer; and, in-
`iti7ed, I soon became warmly attached to the child.
spent the summer in Italy; and one day, after
..._4laurice had been with us some months, Hugh asked
'ilF!'e if I had never suspected a relationship between
(I's Young ward and himself. I said, truly, that I had
(te SO; for there was a strong resemblance.
a lam about to repose that confidence in you, my
r Marion,' said my husband. which I feel you
thave a right to demand. If I have delayed it longer
n
I ought, it has been because I wished you to b -
c°me aeuuainted with and attached to Maurice.'

"I cannot recall the precise words my lord used,"
said Lads Glanville, hesitatingly (for she became some-
what confused at this portion of her narration), "but
he gave me to understand that he became acquainted
with Miss Archer five years before he knew me, and
would certainly have married her had he not feared
his father's anger; that after much entreaty she con-
sented to elope with him to the Continent till he could
win the baron's consent to their maniage. They
managed the affair so well that no one suspected their
intimacy; a-nd when Miss Archer disappeared all clue
to her retreat was lost. Hugh remained with her for
some time in Germany; and when he returned to
England, he found a new difficulty awaiting him, his
father and mine having agreed to unite their families
as soon as I arrived at marriageable age. Moping that
something might occur to prevent this, Hugh procras-
tinated, visiting the Continent at intervals, and cheer..
lug the unfortunate Ellen with promises, which I
believe he would faithfully have performed had she
lived; but anxiety and remorse had done their work
upon a frame naturally delicate. A slight cold, caught
in an evening excursion, brought on rapid consumption,
and the unhappy Ellen Archer died in a foreign land,
uncheered even by the presence of Hugh, for he was in
England at the time.
" ' When I received intelligence of Ellen's illness,'
continued my husband, 'I left home immediately, and
travelled night and day; but, alas! I arrived too late,
and could only fulfil her last written injunctions to do
a father's duty to Maurice, then a child about twelve
months old. My college friend, Mr. Ellis, was residing
in Geneva at the lime; he hastened to me, and to his
care I confided Maurice till I could claim him myself.
He became much attached to the child and has left him a
small legacy. And now, Marion, can you forgive me
this concealment?'

"Whatever my feelings might have been on finding
that my husband had married merely to please his
father, reproaching him with the past would have
answered no good end; so I assured him truly that, as
far as I was concerned, he was forgiven, and that I
sincerely pitied the fate of the unfortunate lady, who,
whether his conduct proceeded from weakness or
wickedness, had been his victim; promising willingly
to act a mother's part to Maurice. But I confess I
was startled when Lord Ravenside said—

•
"Oh, that you would indeed be his mother, Marion!
Providence has denied us children ; the estates belong-
ing to our family will, at my decease, become the
property of a distant branch of it, whose representa-
tive I have never even seen; Ellen was my wife in all
save the name ; whom, then, should I wrong if I
declared Maurice my heir, and introduced him to the
world as my son by a former marriage? What say
you, Marion? shall it be so?'
"I negatived the proposal at once, urging the
possibitity of our having children—the cruelty to
Maurice in bringing him up with expectations which
might end in disappointment. But my husband
would not be denied; and,at last, he wrung from me a
reluctant consent, with the understanding that should
an heir be born to the house of Glanville, the truth
was to be disclosed at once. After the birth of Alfred,
I insisted upon Maurice being made acquainted with
his real position, and even threatened to inform my
family of the whole affair; but Maurice was twined
round his father's heartstrings, and my lord deferred
the disclosure from time to time, causing much un-
happiness. I shall now, however, do justice to my
son ; and for this purpose I have already written to my
brother, who has engaged Mr. Pulsford, a lawyer in
London, to take the management of my affairs. I
expect him hourly. 'When he arrives, you can make
what arrangements you see fitting. I shall authorise
him to deal liberally with Maurice, whom I pity
sincerely, and who is certainly the greatest sufferer in
this affair."

As the baroness concluded, she rose with stately
gesture to retire; but Mr. Rawthorne laid his hand on
her arm.

"Permit me," he said, "a moment. Mr. Charlton,
you and Maurice will perhaps retire. I would speak
with Lady Glanville alone. And now, madam," con-
tinued Rawthorne, as the door closed, "allow me to
compliment you upon your story. It was admirably
concocted, and well told. It, however, lacks one
important ingredient, and that is truth."
"Have you detained me here, sir, to insult me?"
And the lady turned an eye of fire upon the lawyer;
but in spite of herself she quailed before the stern
though sorrowful glance that met her own.
"Not so," he said. "Lady Marion, I detained you
in hopes that I might induce you to pause ere you
plunge further into falsehood and crime. In this copy
of your husband's will he name his eldest son as the
legitimate heir of Ravenside; and though my friend's
character was in some respects weak and yielding, he
never would have palmed a spurious heir upon his
ancient house, to the exclusion of his legitimate off-
spring, nor would the Lady Marion Glendower have
permitted such an imposition for a single hour. Come,
lady, think better of it. We will leave you for a short
time, aud then resume our search. We have not ex-
amined this room; we may yet be successful."
But Lady Glanville had gone too far to recede,
"Let us end this, sir," she replied. "If you are
determined to uphold the pretentions of young Archer,
you must prove his mother's marriage, and his bap-
tism, in a court of justice; till then, farewell !"
"Woman !" said Rawthorne, "have you no fear of
Sapphira's fate? I have given you every chance to
return to the path of truth and justice, and you refuse.
We may have some difficulty in proving the legitimacy
of Maurice, for your husband was fond of shrouding
the most trifling affairs in mystery; but be assured
that, in the end, Maurice Glanville will be declares
Lord of Ravenside, and you will be overwhelmed with
disgrace and ruin."
Mr. Rawthorne left the room as he concluded, and
Lady Glanville was alone with her guilt and misery.

CHAPTER 111.
"Alas ! my son," the hermit said,
"Why do I live to say
The rightful lord of these domains
Is banished far away?"
HERMIT OF WARKIVOR R.
Wnvx Mr. Hawthorne returned to the apartment of
the late baron, he found Mr. Charlton engaged in
ransacking the desks and closets again, whilst Maurice
was pacing the floor with folded arms and clouded
brow.

"You may save your labour, my friend," said the
lawyer. "I have no doubt the will is destroyed; and
now, Maurice, what say you to this ?"

"It is a fearful blow, sir; but the loss of wealth and
title is nothing compared to the reflection that my
father was a villain, and that my hapless mother has
left a stigma on the name of her child which nothing
can wash away."
" Phsaw, boy !" said Rawthorne. "I deserve pity
most of any one in this matter. I have always hated
mystery and devices, and here I am plunged into the
middle of them; for Lady Glanville is quite a tragedy
queen. But mind, Maurice, her tale is all a forgery."
"Do you think_ so, sir ?"

"I ain sure of it. Independently of all other con-
siderations, there is a family feud between the Glen-
dowers and Archers, owing to a duel. That your
father eloped with your mother is true; but it is
equally true that he married her, either before they
left England or immediately afterwards. ,4the family
of Sir Thomas Archer was Roman Catholic, and your
grandfather, the old baron, had such a horror of
Popery, that your father dare not avow his marriage;
hence the residence on the Continent. Lady Glanville
has mixed truth and falsehood so cunningly, that we
shall have some difficulty in winnowing the &ail
from the wheat."

"You give me great comfort, Mr. Rawthorne ; but
what makes you so confident of this?"
_
"Your father's own words, Maurice. I only wish
he had been more explicit : as it is, we shall have to
seek the certificate of the marriage and baptism on the
Continent—and )et they may both be found nearer
home." _ _

Mr. Rawthorne paused, and lifting the bunch of
keys, examined them carefully.
"The last time I visited Ravenside," lie continued,
"about six months ago, your father and I were seated
in the drawing-room. After discussing some business
topics, Lord Glanville said, Rawthorne, I am about
to entrust you with a secret, happen what may, I
shall feel easier when it is disclosed to some one in
whom I have perfect confidence. Come with me, and
I will show you what I mean." Rising as he spoke,
the baron took from his pocket these keys, and select-
ing a very small one from the bunch, he held it in his
hand whilst we proceeded to the door of the room. As
I opened it, however, we were met by an influx of
visitors, and your father, returning the keys to their
receptacle, said, Another time will do.' I never saw
him in life again; but, since I feel certain, Maurice,
that wherever the documents concerning your mother
and yourself are deposited, this key will one day solve
the mystery, we-will venture to impound it;" and the
lawyer handed it to Maurice. "We may foil her
cunning ladyship yet."
Maurice smiled sadly as he fastened the key to his
watch chain.
"You forget," he said, "I am leaving Ravenside,
and this can be of no use."
"You may return; and now the question is, shall
we await Mr. Pulsford's arrival? I have on doubt
Lady Marion will be liberal as far as you are concerned,
Maurice."
"Do not think so meanly of me, Mr. Rawthorne.
If I am the heir of Ravenside, nothing less than the
full acknowledgment of my rights will content me;
if not, I have already received as much as I can
reasonably expect. I suppose I can claim. the legacy
left me by Mr. Ellis; but I never heard of it before."
"It is L'soo,and is deposited in a London bank;
with interest it will now amount to £700: that and
your own industry is all you have to look forward to
for some time to come. I foresee that we may ex-
perience great difficulty in proving your claim to your
father's property."
"With the assistance of Heaven, sir, and your
advice, Ido not fear for the future. My wardrobe and
my mother's portrait are all I will take from Ravenside;
but I would like to bid farewell to Alfred: poor boy,
he loves me. He has none of his mother's haughtiness:
he is too gentle, and easily led. I would have tried
to guard him carefully had I been permitted; but we
waste time. I suppose I may accompany you when
you return to London?"
Mr. Charlton's answer was a warm pressure of the
hand; and Mr. Rawthorne, speaking cheerfully though
his voice was somewhat husky, desired him to prepare
for the journey as quickly as possible.
As Maurice entered his room to fulfil the
lawyer's injunctions, his eye fell upon the portraits of
his father and mother. He viewed them with
saddened and humbled feelings.

"I could not have believed," he soliloquised, "that
the day which consigned my father to the tomb could
have been spent in aught save solitude and regret; and
yet what varied emotions have I experienced since the
morning. My poor mother, whether Lady Glanville's
story be false or true, thy fate was a sad one
Taking down the portrait., Maurice summoned to
his assistance a young man who had attended him as
valet since his return from college. The lad looked
surprised as Maurice desired him to pack his trunks.
Answering his look, his master told him he was about
to leave Ravenside, and should not require his services
again, adding that he hoped Lady Glanville would
retain him, as Alfred would shortly need an attendant."
"I hope, sir--my lord, I mean "—said William, "I
have not offended you."
"No, no, my good lad ;but circumstances almpel me
to dispense with a servant at present, and we must
separate for a time at least."
g My lord," said William, firmly but respectfully,
"I heard something o' this, but I didn't believe in't
till noo ; but forsake ye whae will, Wullie Musgrove
wunnot. My service shall cost ye nought; but I'll
never leave yer father's son in trouble—he was a kin'
man to my auld mother."
Moved by the youth's fidelity, Maurice decided upon
consulting Mr. Rawthorne concerning him, and was
taking a last lingering look at the old familiar objects
around him, when the door was burst open suddenly,
and his brother Alfred ran wildly into the room, clasp-
ing Maurice round the neck. The excited boy burst
into tears. _ _ _

"Where are you going, brother ?" he exclaimed.
"Will you kill me? Am I to lose papa and you in one
day? Oh, Maurice! you will notleave me ?"
Scarcely less agitated than the child, Maurice en-
deavoured to soothe him by promising to come back
speedily.
"You know, Alfred, you are returning to school
shortly, and will have to be separated from me at any
rate."
"They told me, Maurice," sobbed the boy, "that
you were going away, never to return. I love you
now better than anyone else. Promise me you will
not forsake your brother."
"Never !" said Maurice, solemnly. "Listen, Alfred.
You are old enough to understand me. In after life,
should we be long separated, if you are in difficulty or
danger, appeal to me, and I will fill to you the place
of him who has this day been carried forth to his last
resting place. And now, my dear boy, farewell!
Obey your mother in all lawful things, but never for-
get that you have in me a friend and brother.°
Tenderly embracing the weeping boy, and dismiss-
ing him, Maurice penned a few lines to Lady Glan-
ville, which he left on his dressing-table. They were
short. _ _

"Whatever unkindness I may have experienced of
late years from your ladyship, I have not forgotten
that in my childhood you seemed to love me; and for
the affection then bestowed, accept my sincere thanks.
If the story you have told is true, I am to be pitied—
not for the loss of fortune or title, but for the stigma
attached to my birth; but if the tale be false, lady,
you are truly to be pitied, for a fearful curse has been
pronounced upon those who wrong the orphan; and I
pray that it may be averted from the head of my dear
and innocent brother, towards whom I would, had
your ladyship allowed me, gladly have fulfilled a
father's duty. I take nothing from Ravenside but my
mother's portn it: that, I think, you would scarcely
wish to retain. I shall return to the mansion of my
fathers as its master; or retarn no more.
" MAURICE GLANVILLE, BARON RAVENSIDE."

By the tim€, all this was accomplished the lawyers
were impatient to be off; and William, approaching
hat in hand, preferred his request to be allowed to
accompany his master.
"Foolish fellow 1" said Rawthorne, with a smile;
"it is long since fidelity went out of fashion; and you
are leaving the flesh-pots of Egypt. What say you,
Maurice?"
"I have remonstrated with him in cain, sir."
"Jump up beside the coachman, William" said Mr.
Charlton. "We will find you employment some-
where." And this preliminary settled, the lord of
Ravenside left the mansion of his fathers without
another word of farewell, for few of the servants sus-
pected the real state of affairs.
It was a summer evening, and the sun was setting
gloriously, whilst its tints of purple and gold threw a
rich radiance on the leaves of the old oaks and elms
that lined the avenue leading to the stately castle of
Ravenside ; and Maurice wondered, as he looked on
each well-remembered object, if he were, indeed,
bidding them a last adieu. His companions, either
sharing his fee!ings, or respecting them, did not in-
terrupt his painful reverie, which was only broken by
the stopping of the chariot in the courtyard of the old-
fashioned hostelry where they proposed spending the
night, and in whose somewhat grim-looking chambers
they sought the repose so much needed after a day o
painful excitement.
(To be continued.)