The Northern News. — 1898-01-29 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

CHAPTER V.-" NOT ALTOGETHER LOST."  Beguiled by the beauty of the morning, or it might be desirous of a little quiet thought, Power sauntered down PieratLilly and entered the Park, intendins/ to pass through the Gardens to his own lodgings  -Kens-tUgton. Indifferent or unconscious, he walked down Rotten Row, now indeed deserted, nor did he slacken in his career until having passed the stizji iron gates and turned to the right along the b gravelled path which, shaded by mighty elms, leads down to the Serpentine he, coming suddenly upon a strange and unexpected group, paused in astonishment Kneeling on one knee, with his back towards Power, was a young man, whose close-cut chestnut hair and slim figure clad in evening costume—linw, indeed, disordered and incongruous, as a festiveboard seen in the daylight—struck the beholder as familiar • while prone upon the earth, with her head supported by her companion's knee, lay a woman, the inert fall of whose limbs bespoke unconsciousness  or death. Finding himself still unperceived, Power strode rapidly forward, and, laying his hand on the young man's shoulder, exclaimed— "Rex Armine, by all that is absurd!" " Archy! Thank heaven somebody is come at last! Look here." The girl—for she was scarcely seventeen—lay against his knee, and Archibald Power looked curiously down upon her. It was a pretty, simple face, such as you may see the pride of many a country village, the sunshine of many a country home. Round cheeks, bright eyes, fresh colour, should have, and doubtless once had, been its characteristics. Now the cheeks were pale and sunken with poverty and tears, and long sweep ing lashes, looking as if they might never more be uplifted, veiled her bright eyes; her very hair seemed faded and lustreless; while her shabby and in dress scarcely concealed her attenuated and apparently lifeless limbs. Her history lay in a nutshell,..and the two men read it as plainly as if it had been a printed volume. " Why do you meddle with such trash as that, Rex? Lay her down, and come with me; we can send the police to look after her. What brought you here at all at this unheard-of hour'" " I don't know—Fate, I suppose," was the dreamy answer. " Archy, do you know when I saw this girl last? " "By George, no! How should I? N'erhaps she is an obi Saute of yours?" "She's my father's steward's daughter—Beesie Grey—' pretty Bessie,' we used to call her, my cousin and I. I remember the last time I was at St. Mildred's they were in trouble about her. She had left her home to be married to some' great gentleman who would make her a lady,' so ran her simple ni tP but we all suspected that she had been deceived, and so it is proved now. By heaven! I would I had the man here who has done this thing; I would strike him dead where he stood—the villain! the shameless. heartless, lying villain!" and Rex Armine clenched his disengaged hand, and glared furiously around. "Oh, Archy, if you had seen her as she was but ne ehort year ago—so pretty, so simple, the pride, the sunshine of her home; and now—" Something very like a tear rose to the clear blue eye of the young Marquis. "Ten to one but she was a willing victim," sneered Sir Archibald, scowling upon the pretty senseless face. "I suppose you want a scene, that you remain here with her in your arms, otherwise I would strongly advise you to move on. You can do no good. you know. The woman has fainted. Lay her under thoee trees, and leave her. She will soon recover, and when she does, trust me, she will not thank you for this interference." Rex shook his head. "I shall not leave her. She is not altogether lost yet, or she would not be here and in this mean attire. She has left the villain who seduced her." Or he her?" "No matter. Her eyes are opened now, and she mac be saved." "Rex, have you ever heard of city missionaries? That, it strikes me, is a berth for which you are eminently suited." The younger man bit his lip. The sneers, the ridicule, of his companion were harder to bear than blows would have been, and unlike the blows, they eouldt not be resented. Then, too, his own hands were not quite clean, and he knew it. The fault', the follies, even the vices of youth had each laid a finger upon him, but for all that he was as incapable of an act of deliberate falsehood and wrong, such as that of which poor Bessie had been the victim, as he would have been of committing murder or suicide. Then, too, he had known the girl from a child—her mother and been his nurse; and some of his earliest a.nd brightest recollections were of the tiny, toddling birdie who now lay worse than dead at his feet. "Laugh away if you will, Power—l cannot expect you to feel in this matter as I do; but if my countenance and help can save the girl she shall have them. And woe betide the fellow who has ruined her! If ever his path and mine should cross he shall rue that day, if no other, of his wretched existence. Ali! I do believe she is recovering at last." Sir Archibald bit his lip. In the clear morning air a strange grey shade stole over his face. " Leave the girl tuid come on, Montferrst. She will not thank you for this interference, I tell you. "I have told you I shall not desert her. And see, the colour is returning to her lips. Bessie— Bessie Grey!" A slight but distinct quiver moved the girl's lashes. Archibald Power made one more effort to change his friend's determination, but without effect: and then, muttering something about fetching help, he started to cross the Serpentine at a brisk pace. Scarcely had he disappeared than Bessie Grey awoke from her swoon. " Oh, Arthur!" she cried, " I knew you would forgive me—T knew you would come hack!" Then, as her eye fell upon Lord Montferrat, she uttered a :ow and bitter cry, and covered her pale, thin face with her paler thinner fingers.