The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-08-19

In a frenzy of rage and despair he
looked around at the persons in the
room. 81 take you all to Witness" ne
cried, "this Is an act of madness I"
."You yourself declared just now"
said the lawyer, "that Mr.. Romayne
was in perfect possession of his facul-
ties"
The bafficd Jesuit turned furiously
on the dying man. They looked at
each other.
For one awful moment Romayne's
eyes frightened, Romayne's voice raj
lied its power, as IL life was returning
to him. Frowning darkly, the priest
put his question:
| "What did you do 1t for?"
Qnietly and firmly the answer came:
"Wife and child"
| The last long drawn sigh rose and
fell. With those sacred words on his
lips Romayne died.
London, 9Th Mdy.-At SteIia's re-
quest have returned to Penrose, with
but one fellow-traveler. My dear old
companion, the dog, is coiled MP fast
asleep at my feet while l write these
lines. Penrose has gained strength
enough to keep me company in the sit
tng-room. In o few days more he will
see Stella again.
What instructions reached the en-
bassy from Rome, whether Romayne
received the last sacrament at an earlier
period Of illness-we never heard. No
objection was made when Lord Lorinp
proposed to remove the body to Eng.
land to be buried in the family vault
at Vange Abbey.
had undertaken to give the necessa-
ry directions for the funeral on INV ar
rival in London. Returning to the
hotel l met Father Benwell in the
street. Itried to pass on. He deliber-
ately stopped me.
"How ID Mrs. Romayne?' he asked.
with that horrid, provoking suayity
which ne seems always at command.
"Fairly we'll, hopep Aud the boy?
All, he little thought how he was chang
ing his prospects for the better when
he made that blaze in the fire! Pardon
mo, Mr.. Winterfield, You don't seem 10
be quite so cordial as usual. Perhaps Won
are thinking of your inconsiderate
assault on my throat? Let us forgive
and forget. Or, perhaps, you object to
my having converted poor Romayne,
and to my being ready to accept from
the restoration of the properly of the
Church. In both cases l only did nv
duty as priest. You are q liberal
minded man. Surely l deserve favor.
able construction of my conductW
really could not endure this.
II have my own opinion of what Won
Deserve" answered. "Don't provoke
me to mention it,"
lie eyed me with a sinister smile.
81 am not so old as l look" he said
81 may live another twenty yearsi"
"Well~ L asked.
"Well," he answered, "much may
happen in twenty years."
with that he left me. II he means
any further mischief, l can tell him
thls-he will find me in his way.
10 turn to moro pleasant subject,
Refiecting OH all that had passed at nv
memorable interview with Romsyne,
feit some surprise that one of the
persons present had made no effort TO
prevent the burning of the will. 1t
was not to be expected of Stella-or of
the doctors, who had no interest in the |
matter-but l was unable 10 UNDER |
stand the passive position maintained |
by the lawyer. He enlightened my
ignorance in two words.
"The Vange property and the Ber.
rick property were both absolutely at |
the disposal of Mr.. Romayne," he said. |
''1f he died without leaving a will, he |
knew enough of the law to foresee that
houses, lands and money would 90 to |
his nearest of kim In palmer words,
his wiCOw and his son."
When Penrose can travel, he accom-. |
panies me to Beaupark. Stella and
her little son and Mrs. Eyrecourt will
be the only other guests in my house.
Time must pass, and the boy win be |
older, before l may remind Stella Of
lsomayne's last wishes on that sad
morning when we two knclt on either
side of him. In the meanwhile, It is
almost happiness enough for me to look
forward TO the day
NoTE--The next leaf of the diary Is
missing. BY some accident, a manu-.
script page has got into its place, q later
date, and containing elaborate instruc-
tions for executing q design for we'd
ding dress. The handwriting has
since been acknowledged as her own,
by no less person than-Mrs. Eyre.
court.
THE RND.