The Young Briton: Sam Sawbones — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- down on the trunk, and folded his arms quite coolly. aes ‘No, norin your name, efther, Sir Peter Dag- nell, and I don’t know which is the worse one! ”’ he exclaimed, determinedly. “Not an inch do I budge till I have money. I am sick of it—sick of if, and care not how it all ends; but I tell you one thing—if I fall, you fall with me?!’’ ‘*Fool!”’ hissed the other; ‘you'll spoil all!’’ In their passion they had raised the tones of their yoites to som loudness, the consequence being that Lidy Seaforth, whose bed-chamber was adjacent, was awoke out of the uneasy sleep into which ste had fallen. : | She had, indeed, been dreaming that her atch- enemy, Baverley, was persecuting her afresh, and On recOgnising his voice, she, in her intense alarm, shrieked out at the tap of her voice—. * Quick—quick ! Seize him—seiz3 Him!” In the silence of the night the words echoed through the noble mansion, so loudly that the whole household took the alarm. Immediately half-a-dozen of the constabulary rusted up the stairs, and one of them discerning Beverley as he was making for a window looking out upon the lawn, fired at him, with so true an aim that he shot him dead. With an swful curas the smuggler captain rolled over. } Another villain was the less in the land! Father and son thus peri hed within a few hours of one another. CHAPTER XXVII, LADY SEAFORTH OVERHBARS A DARK CONSPT- RACY AGAINST HERSELF,—THE BEGINNING OF THE END. A WEEK ‘has elapsed. So well has Sir Peter Dagnell played his cards that suspicion has not fallen upon him. At least, rather should I say that, though many eyed him with sugpicion, none had actual proof that he had done anything wrong. — This was not to last, however. ‘ Though he still remained at the Castlé; he” was treated coldly by all. In her own mind, Lady Seaforth felt convinced that he had endeavoured to effect the smuggler captain’s escape. Had not she recognised his voice bidding Beverley fly instantly, after she had given the alarm P Moreover, how was it likely that the smuggler captain should have himself been able to force up the trap-door from below, even supposing he had known of it. Tis trap-door, by the way, had been found wide open ; Sir Peter, in his hurry and flurry, to make it seem that he was in chase of B verley, having forgotten to close it. There was only one reason why her ladyship did not openly accuse the wily baronet. She was afraid of him. “ Beverley mut have told him my gecret,’’ she moaned. ‘ Miserable woman that I am, I am in his power!” That very evening eho overheard a conversa- tion between Sir Peter and Dennis O’Connor which sent many a thrill of horror to her heart. Not that she knew at the time who tle baronet’s confidant was, for she had never seen Dennis. Besides, he was in deep disguise. ‘ The two were in the little eitting-room which Sir Peter called his own. It was situated right at the top of the house, out of the way of eayesdroppers, as the baronei doubtless thought. Here he was often wont to got intoxicated, for to his many vices he added that of druskenness. Here he plotted and schemod. | Disgui-ed so completely that even Shadrach would not have known him had he seen hin, Dennis had come home with Sir Peter half an hour before, Her ladyship had seen them enter the mansion together, and for some reason or other her sus- picions were aroused. | So when they ascended to the sittizg-room, she stealthily followed them. _ For some little time her curiosity was sorely tried, for the mon, so far as she could make out, satin silence together, though every now and again she could hear their glasses clicking and A YOUNG GENTLEMAN'S JOURNAL; the smacking of their lips as they sipped their whisky toddy. Something had evidently pleased them mightily. *« Yes,’’ at length spoke Sir Peter, ia a thick, unsteady voice, that snowed the fiery spirif was getting the better of him ; **the more] think of it, the better I like the plan. We must entice the hrat to the lake by some means, and then make away with him, and manage so that sus- picion shall fall on Lady Seaforth herself. Ha! ha! That will be vengeanes indeed ! Cure her! that she ever stepped in Lord Seaforth’s way! If Beverley and I hadx’t pisyed our cards cutely, she would fave spoilt all. Little does she think Iam the nex} iit succession, sipposing they have no son.” : | ‘‘Sare, ye nivir teuld me ye waz before,” put in Dennis. ‘ No,” went on th baronet, with a chuckle; “nor would | now if yOu hadn’t known so much already. But listen, Dennis O’Connor—you are necessary tome. ‘I’his brat out of my way—and I have to curs2 your stupidity for his being in mv way !—we need have no fear. But there’s one thing puzzles me. How are we to make it appear that Lady Seaforth is his murderer ? ”’ As the question was asked, her ladyship with difficalty kept back the cry of mingled indigna- tion and fear that rose to her lips. She did restrain herself, however, tough she turned white as death. For a little time there was silence. The two copspirators were evidently thinking. ‘Raith, I have it,’ said Dennis O'Connor, at.length; “ haven’t I got a portrait ov her lady- ship, aud, sure, wouldn’t it look suspicious loike if ig woz found by the side of the spalpcen’s corpre? ”’ : ‘Capital !” exclaimed the baronet, ‘‘at least so far as it goes. But we must bave stronger evidence. Why should she want to make away with the brat?” ‘‘Bedad, I’il tell yez,” responded Dennis, hutkily, for the liquor wee getting into his head hy this time, as well as into his confederate’s. ‘* Bedad, I'll tell yez.’’ ‘“Well, be afther listening attiniively, Si Pater, dear,’’ continued the Irishman. ‘Sure, I’ve got some letters ov hers fo the dead: captain, that wud be enough to—to criminate her, I’m | 4 thiakin’. $00.” In vain now that the poor eavesdropping lady endeavoured fo keep silence. Trembling all over, she gave vent to a little cry of deepair, clutching, as sie did so, hold of the bannisters for support. She made certain that. thé two villainous con- spirators must have heard her, so there she s:ood helplessly, expecting to see them rush out. So interested, however, were they in their own conversation, and so satisfied in their Own security, they had not caught the sound. Finding this, Lady Seaforth gained courage. A look of determination came into her face. Approschivg the door again, she heard Sir Peter rubbing his hands, and exclaiming in high glee— ‘Why, you’re a trump, after all, O’Connor! Tne ides’s most excellent. She can’t escape us, and we can gét rid of the boy with impunity. We could put thim besoide the corpse, Who will suspect us, if we are at ali cute? Ha, | ha! Bothof them gone, the property’s mine for @ ceriainty—a certainty ; for I'll takevcare that the o'd fool never marries again.”’ In her excitement, scarc3 knowing what she did, her ladyship opened the door noiselessly, and stepped into the room. Even then Sir Peter and his confedorate neither heard nor saw ber. Both were completely obfuscated with drink, For a moment she stood looking at them de- fiantly and upb aidingly. : Then she made a3 though she would speak. Instead of doing #0, however, she seemed to think better of it; for. withdrawing as silent); as she had entered,.she shutths door and walke down-stairs. Once in the privacy of her own chamber, she threw herself on the bed, and gave Way to a pas- sionate flood of tears. ‘¢ Villains!’’ she murmured; ‘‘ now I begin to see why I have beon s0 cruelly persecuted. So you, Sir Peter, with your wiles and your} bo - s~ =~ * = 2 ne rw : 5 Ee 8 eee VEG TT & is 171 smiling face, have succesded in persuading my lord to. make you heir-st-law, im ease I have no male child. No wonder, thérefore, you are afraid of me—no wonder you would have me banged! ’”’ She paused, and then went on— “But why do they want to make away with Shadrach ? What has he done ?’”’ ; Suddenly @ light seemed to break in upon her. Drying her eyes, she went direct to the dining- room, obviously expecting to find the lad there. But he was not. 7 ‘* Where is Shadrach, darling?” she asked, of Lady Alice, who was sitting there se wing, _ * He has gones littic walk, mammnia,’’ was the reply. ** W here to, pot ?”’ Se ‘Oh, only about thé grounds, I think,” re- sponded the young lady, © And she added— : * Shall 1 go and look for him, mamma dear ? Do you want him?’”’ “Yes, but I will find him myself, darling,’ returned her Jadyship, in a voice full of sup- pressed emotion. ‘‘ A blow of fresh air will do me good.”’ Saying which, she turned away, and walked out on to the velvet-like lawn, A little distance off she saw our hero, boy-like, plsying with a large Newfoundland dog. Immediately she went up to him. ‘‘ Shadrach,”’ said she, tenderly, ‘‘I want to speak with you ia private. ‘‘Indade, yer Jadyship!”’ exclaimed our hero, touching his cap respectfully. ‘Come with me, my boy,’ her ladyship went on. So speaking, she took him by the hand quite lovingly, and led him towards a little bower at the far end of the lawn. ‘*Sit down, Shadrach,”’ said she, . The lad looked at her wonderingly, but obeyed in silence. Her Jadyship sat down beside him. “Now, [am going to question you about yous parentap “brave boy,” shoe went on. “* Answe me carefully, for much depends on your replies— far more than you can imagine.” “Sare I will, yer ladyship,” returned our hero, nick y. “Thea tell me, are you sure you cannot recall your mother to mind ? Wonld you know her if you saw her por'rait, do you think ?”’ The question was asked eagerly and tremu- lously. (Zo be coneluded in our next.) . SYMPATHY AND ANTIPATHY 1N Prants.— Various authors inform us that there is a strong aversion or antipathy between the vine and the cabbage. The vine is wont to catch hold of any- thing nearest, except the cabbage, from which it naturally turns, if a cabbage is planted near it. Tre cabbage also is so hated by the new sow- bread, that they cannot grow together. The male and female palm love each other so much, | that when their boughs intermix, they, as it were, embrace each other; neither will the female produce fruit, without she be properly placed by ihe male tree. pPD Laws OF Atrrep —The fell>wing extract from the Laws of Alfred, is prefixed as a motto, and may form a Useful lesson for the legislators even ot this enlightened age:—‘' Hence I, King Alfred, gathered these together, and commanded many of those to be written down which onr fore- fathers observed—those which I liked—and those which I did not like, by the advice of my Witan, I threw aside. For I durst not venture to set down in Writing Over many of my own, since I knew not what among them would please those who should come after us. But those which I. met with either of the days of me, my kinsman, or of Offa, King of Mercia, or of Aethelberht, who was the first of the English who received baptism— those which appeared to me the jastest—I have here collected, and abandoned the others. Then {, Alfred, King of the West Saxons, showed these to all my Witan, and they then said that they were all willing to observe them.” This week, inthe “Young Englishman,” begins “Young Frank’s Schooldays,” a splendid treat for our COMmicoooks. > ys. com