The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-05
THE~HALECASTE.
AN OLD G0VERNESS'S TALE
FOUNDED ON FACT.
BY MISS UNLOCK.
[Cmtinuedt r an
BY MISS UNLOCK.

did not think about Zillah as much as l
ought to have done. Often re-
preached myself for this afterward; but
as things have turned out, | now feel,
with quiet self-cOmpassion, that my
error was pardOnable.
mind one evening-that VI mind, is
not quite English, but learned it with
other phrases, in my young days, so let
e it stand!-I mind one evening, that, be-
ING not quite in a mood for solitude, l
went out walking with Zillah. Some
how the murmur Of the sea wearied me;
I turned through the village and along
the high road-almOst like an English
road, so beautiful with Overhanging
trees. did not talk much and Zillah
walked quite silently, which indeed was
nothing new. think l see her now,
floating along with her thin but 1.-the
figure and limp, clinging dress--the
very antipOdes Of fashion - nothing
about her that would really be called
beautiful except her great eyes, which
we're perfect oceans OF light. When we
came to a gateway-which, like most
things in poor Ireland, seemed either
broken down or left half finished-she
looked round rather anxiOusly.
"Do you know this place, my dearT'
''It is an old mansion-where often
like to stroll"
"What. have you been there alone?"
''Of course have" said she quickly
and slightly cOloring:. "You knew 1t;
or I thought you did"
She appeared apprehensive OF reproof,
which struck me as odd, in so inOffens-
i've matter as her adventuring soil
tary stroll; especially as was anything
h,,t IN n1HpGa and
r pas H,o'i her so'f' said: wei, never
mind, my dear, you shall show me your
pet paradise. 1t will be quite a
treat"
81 don't think so, Miss Pryor. It's
all weeds and disorder, and you can't
endure that And the ground is very
wet here and there. am sure you'll
not like it at all.
''Oh, but | will. if only to please you,
Zillah," said |, determined to be at
once firm and pacific; for | saw trace
Of her old sulen look troubling my pu-
pills face, as if she did not like her
haunts to be intruded upon even by me.
However she made no more open op.
position, and we entered the grounds.
which were almost English in their as
pect, except in one thing-their entire
desolatiOn. The house might not have
been inhabited, or the grounds culti-
yated. for twenty years. The rose-beds
. grew wild-great patches of white c,o-
yer overspread the lawn and Hover
garden, and all the underwood was one
mass of tall fern.
had not gone far in and ont of the
tangled walks of the shrubbery when |
f0undthat Zillah had slipped away. l
oa.xt har af III OF anpa CtanljnO 1nNpr q
tall Portugal laurel, seemingly doing
r nothing but nicditate-a new occupa-
ton for her; so left her to it, and pen
etrated deeper into what my old French
governess would have called the bOcage.
r My feet sunk deep in fern amidst which
Iplunged, trying to gather agreat arm
full of that and of wild flowers; for |
had, and have still the babyish propen-
sity of wishing to pluck everything |
see, and never can conquer the delight
feel in losing myself in wilderness
of vegetation. In that oblivion of
child-like content | was happy-hap-
pier than | had been for long time.
The ferns nearly hid me, when | heard
a stirring in the bushes behind, which |
took for some harmless animal which |
had disturbed. However, hares, foxes,
or even squirrels do not usually give a
loud "Ahem!" in the perfectly human
tone which followed. At first | had ter
rors of some stray keeper, who might
poss bly, shoot me for rabbit or a
poacher, till recollected that | was
not in England but in Ireland, where
unjust landlords are regarded as the
more convenient game.
"Ahem" reiterated the mysterious
voice" aheml Is it you, my angel?"
Never could any poor governess be
more thoroughly dumfOunded. or
course the adjective was not meant for
me. Impossiblel Still it was unpleas
ant to come into such near contact with
a case of philandering. Mere philan
dering it must be, for this was no hon
est village-tryste, the mans accent be-
ing refined and quite English. Besides,
little as | knew of lOve-making, it
struck me that in any serious attach
ment people would never address one
another by the silly title of my angel"
1t must be some idle Irritation going on
among the strolling visitants whom we
occasionally met on the beach, and who
had probably wandered up through the
gate which led to these grounds.
To put an end to any more confiden-
tial disclosures from this unseen gen
tlC..s.ll, i lIhtWlSe Sdlu AHtill. as
loudly as / could, and Immediately
called aloud for Zilah. WhereupOn
there was hasty rustling in the BUSH
ca, which, however soon subsidized, and
the place became quite still again,
without my ever having caught sight
of the very complimentary individual
who had in this extempore manner, ad-
dressed me as his angel Certain
ly," thought, II must have been as
Invisible to him as he TO me, or he never
would have done it,
Zillah joined me quickly. She looked
hall frightened, and said she feared
something was the matter-"had seen
anythingl"
At first was on the point of telling
her all, but somehow it now appeared
rather ridiculous position for gov
erneSs to be placed into have shouted
for assistance on being addressed by
mistake by an unknown admirer; and
bssldes did not wish to put any love-
notions into the girls head; they come
quite soon enough of their own accord.
So merely said had been startled by
hearing voices in the bushes-tbat per-
baps we were intruders on the domain,
and had better not stay longer.
"Yet the place seems retired and des-
olata - 5aid "a we walkpd down tho