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‘HARRY ASHTON,
. 99°
chained a demon in my heart, a cunning spirit
in.my brain! My rival has not triumphed yet!”
» * Boaster!” exclaimed Henry Ashton, scorn:
fully;.‘£ vain, empty boaster! .. Psot against my
life—as you plotted. with those—whom, from
respect for some I love, I will not name—against
my pride and honor, I shall not fear you! Iam
of that race before which, wherever they tread
the soil, the cunning Asiatic and the ferocious
African alike recede! We meet, at last,” be
added, ‘upon equal ground. The nephew of
Matthew Ashton is at least the peer of. the
» grandson of the steward Musgrove!”
f
‘
» shall. diel
‘We shall mect again!” muttered Meeran,
through his clinched teeth, ,
> Whea and where you please, sir!”
“Tl tell you where and.when!” ): oo
‘+ * This is not to be endured!” said Sir William,
alartned by the deadly paleness which. spread
itself over the checks. of his niece. ‘* Retire,
‘sir, at once!” he added, addressing himself
direet]y to the young Indian. '
»* Pardon, me, uncle!” said Walter Mowbray ;
“but this ismy duty!” — .., os :
Ruffian!” exclaimed the baronet, still: more
and more excited,:as Ellen, the. instaut her
cousin quitted her arm, sunk senseless upon the
path; ‘* your violence has terrified her! Would
you kill her? cc. ot
With a look at the senseless girl, such as a
despairing angel might have given, wheu driven
from its native paradise in punishment for, its
‘erimes, Meeran: darted into the shrubbery, his
heart and brain on fire, and made his way with
rapid -strides toward the, lodge, .where the
grooms were waiting with the horses, -_ .
--; Mounting, without.a word of direction to his
servant, he drove his spurs into the flanks of his
‘thorough bred Arabian. steed—whicb- be had
-brought .with bim from., India—and dashed
madly over the common, :
Poor Ellen, who: still remained insensible,
-was conveyed, in. the arms.of her Jover, and
cousin, to the house, and committed to the care
of the ayah and Mrs. Jarmy, a
No sooner had Meeran Iafaz left the pre-
‘eincts of. the park and ‘gained the common,
thun he gave/the rein.to his impatient steed,
permitting bim to gallop. at random. over the
uneven, gravelly svil, through which the granu-
lated rock pierced at every turn. . None but an
accomplished horseman could. have. kept his
seat Guripg the mad career of the high-spirited
-auimal, which appeared to revel in its compara-
.tive freedom from control. .
The blood of the young Indian was on fire:
he had been wounded in the tenderest point—
his pride humbled by the being he hated—in
the. presence of the only-one he Joved.. The
-recollection of Henry Ashton’s look of triumph,
and the balf-suppressed, supercilious smile of
his companions, goaded him to madness, . The
rapid pace at which he dashed. over. the.com-
mun appeared slow as the laggard foot of time
‘to his impatience. He was like a man, seeking
to fly from himself; but the effect was impos
sible. Hissing words seemed brought, by the
whispering winds upon.his.ear; and the rust-
ling of the leaves from the stunted pollards |,
which he ‘occasionally. passed, appeared to bis
excited -imagination like.the echo of distant
‘laughter. eo -
“TL will see,” be muttered between his clinch-
ed teeth, ‘if heis as brave with his arms as his
words, or merely one of those scornful braggarts
skilled only in. woman's weapon—tongue! . He
The blush,” he added, .‘* will, not
fade from my cheek. till his.is pale in death!
‘The earth which drinks his blood will cover my
shame!” ran :
For. more than an- hour, the unhappy youth—
tormented by the double stings of jealuusy and
mortified pride—continued to pursue his, head-
Jong career, regardless alike of the path he was
” .traveling or,its danger,:.,Ouce or twice the. no-
“ble. steed. would have flagged; but the sharp
spurs of the rider, plunged deep into its foam-
ing flanks, caused him to bound forward with
increased speed. The loose soil rose’ beneath
its iron hoofs, as if, struck, by a thunderbolt,
scattering the pebbles and sand in the air.
In this excited state, Meeran passed the wold
—the marshy swamp which skirted the common |:
till he reached Carrow, Poiit, whose high,
shelving bank overlooked the. river, . Placing
- dts fore-feet in the ground, the horse hesitated
to take the Jeap; but the remorseless spur again
urged it forward.. There was a splash—and the
-next minute both. horse, and rider were scen
Dreasting the current... at . a
-‘» The sudden plunge into the river produced
the effect of an electrix shock upon Meeran,
whose blood was already at fever heat, driving
the life-streum to his brain. Ile contrived, how-
ever, to maintain his seat; till he reached the
opposite bank, when he reeled, and would bave
fullen from the saddle, had not the strong arm
of Will Sideler, the warrener, who happened to
be prowling near, sustained him.
“What Eas bappencd, sir?” he demanded, in
a respectful tone—for the bounty of the rider
had created ‘a strong interest in the old man’s
mercenary heart. We imagined that more gold
was to be won. :
‘Nothing — nothing!” replied the youth,
faintly. : .
“Nothing!” repeated the warrener, patting
the flanks of the still trembling horse. “*‘ Men
do not’risk their lives in sugh mad leaps for
nothing! Are you pursued?” | : “
“ee No. , . v
“ Pursuing any one?”
“Nolo
‘“You may trust me,” continued ‘the man;
‘‘T am one of those who would risk body and
soul to serve a friend, or to be revenged upon
anenemy!” eet
- The‘ idea suddenly struck Meeran’ that the
fellow might be useful. His thoughts ’at’ the
mouient were crude aud unformed as, the first
resolves of guilt) ‘ ne
“Guide me,” he said, ‘to Sir Jasper’s.” *
_ Willingly, sir. “And snall we spéak again
upon the subject?” Sy
‘* Perhaps.”
ere? “ena Bee
his pocket, he. threw the coin into the hat. of
Vill; who mentally thought that the bird which
dropped such feathers must be worth the pluck-
ing, tos ,
Wits a‘steady pace, he' preceded the young
man to the high road leading to Bungalore fall;
and’ only left -him when the lodge appeared in
5 , von re
8
hit.
‘Thanks, my friend!” exclaimed the rival of
our hero, ‘‘In a day or two I may have o¢ca-
sion for your services.”’ : :
Setting spurs to his horse, he ‘rode forward,
and reached the hall—exhausted: more ‘by the
‘strife of bis evil passions, than the fatigue he
had undergone.
CHAPTER XXIIL
Such joy the savage tigress feels,
When tate to her glad sight reveals,
Prostrate before her fury flung, :-
The spoiler of her ravaged young,
Wun the Khan entered the room of Mecran
ing, he found, the young man, evidently suffer-
ing under an access of fever, which he subdued
by the indomitable energy of his will. . He was
calm as the pause which. precedes the, breaking
of the storm, or the eruption of the. volcano’s
long pent-up fires; so uunaturally,calm, that to
those who knew him, it was more terrible than
the flercest outbreak of passion: aa
‘You have heard it all?” he said: oo
‘‘ AML!” replied the renegade, who came pre-
pared for the explanation which he’ saw must
ensue. : ce .
‘| And knew. it?” added Meeran, fixing his
eye upon him, : Co.
“Everything,” (continued the ‘renegade;
“your father had no secrets from me: if I kept
it from you, it was to spare your, pridé a pang
— your haughty “spirit ‘a wound — which T
thought it useless to inflict!” a ;
“Would it had come from. any hand save
his!” muttered the youth; ‘I could have borne
it, then! and in her presence, too!) ‘
‘‘Wliat do you intend to do?” demanded his
confidant. * , a eee) a
‘* Kill him!” answered Meeran, in a voice ‘so
soft, that. it sounded more like the echo of his
thought, than the expression of his resolution;
“and yet, what will it avail? his mocking’ eyes
will follow. me in the glances of others—his
taunting words in the whispers of the world! I
shall feel the blow, after the hand that struck it
is iu the'grave! Send Colonel Mowbray to me,”
he added. : . oo
“Ts he,” demanded the Khan,’ with a shud-
der, ‘* to be your second?” ‘ , .
“Yes!” *
“You will meet him in a duel,
“Such is my intention.”
““What if he should refuse?” observed the
Khan,
oy
then?” :
him like a cur beneath my feet!” rapidly ejacu;
Drawing a handful of gold and silver from |
Hafaz, at an early hour on the following morn. |"
. “PN hunt him like a coward through the:
world!—spit on him in her presence—trample.
lated Mecran, , ‘* But, no, no!” he added, after
u pause, during which he struggled successfull
to recover the wondrous self-cotmmaud which
had been shaken for an instant by his question.
‘* He will meet me! I sliall not have the satis-
faction of despising him, even.in the grave!” °_.
' The renegade was about to speak aguin, but,
with un impatient gesture, his master waved
him from the room, to summon Mowbray, as
lie had directed, : we
As soon-as he ‘was alone, Meeran Hafaz ’
clapped his hands thrice, to summon the Hindvo
boy, who had the care of his hookah, :
* Not that,” he said, as the youth began to
prepare the burning charcoal for the stand,
“the opium one.” . :
Without a word, the youth sought amongst
the pipes which were ranged against the wall
of the drawing-room, for one with a slender
stem, and small metallic bowl, composed of
platina and gold. Charging ‘it with the dele-
terious drug, he presented it to bis master, and
immediately retired: the opium pipe, unlike
the hookah, did not require the constunt’pres-
ence of un‘attendant, : pe ss
**S8o,” said Colonel Mowbray, who entered
the room shortly ‘afterward, vpn have re-
turned! your friends began to feel uneasy. at
your absence!” 8 7 es
““ Amongst whom J am doubtless 'to count
Jolonel Mowbray,” observed the young Indian,
with a bitter smile. oe Bar dan
“* Even sol” © ee ‘ Lod
“You will not object, then, to take a message
from me to—to this Henry Aehton—the beiag
who has crossed my path, and stuog me like a
serpent?” - ° . : . go ui
‘© Tf you mean a challenge——") ee
““What else. should’ I mean?” exclaimed
Meerau, interrupting him; “think you we can.
bréathe the same air, after the bitter insults he—
has heaped upon my head ?--and in her ‘pres-
euce, too! ’ No, I have’ more of my mother’s
nawire than the cold, passionless blood of Eu-
rope in my veins: as I love, I hate! fervently—
flercely!" °° : a
“Reflect.”
“T hiave reflected: he, or I, must fall!”
“Tt fs not that I mean,” replied ‘the colonel;
“it is the prudence of employing my agency in
the affair.” °
_The young man
comprehend him. -
« “If I appear in this,” continued the speaker,
“the breach between mysclf and brother,
which is already wide enough, becomes irre-
parable.” 7 Tee fe .
“Like enough; but what is that to’ me?” -
“Everything,” answered his confederate; ‘at
present you have at least one friend in the
family—a friend who,-on one event taking
place, would be of the greatest service to your
ovet a4
1” demanded
looked up, as if he did not
“‘And what event may that be
Meeran, fixiny his eyes upon him. |.
‘“My brother’s death!” replied the colonel.
“Tshould then not only drop in for the title, .
but most ‘probably the estates;‘ and, unless he
provided otherwise in his-'will, ‘become the
guardian of Ellen.” vs as
For some time the. two men,’so dissimilar in
age and character, sat silently gazing upon each
other.” The’ opium which Meeran had been
smoking, to subdue the fever in his veins, bad
left him in that half-dreamy state which blunts
the moral perceptions as well as the intellectual
ones, . oe :
. ** We will talk further of this,” he said.
“Ttisan event,” observed the colonel, ‘* with~
in the limits ‘of possibility; and as such only,
of course, did I allude to it, | My brother,” he
added, with ‘an’ affected laugh, ‘tis in bette
health than I have seen him for years!”
Again the, young Indian’ made no reply to
him; he’ seemed either communing ‘with his
own thoughts, or watching the slender thread
of blue smok¢ which issued from the pipe, and
impregnated the air with the’ rich odor of the
various perfumes with .which the opium was
mixed.
‘© You shall not be my second,” he observed at
last; ‘as you say, it would increase the breach
between you.” ; nts
“<Trreparably!” exclaimed Colonel Mowbray,
with a sigh of relief—for he feared, if hedid not
love, the baronet. ‘* Whom think you of asking
—General Bouchier?” ,
Meeran shook his bead.
‘<Ilis nephew?” -
“A silken thing, without courage or nerve!”
vbserved the young man, as if talking to him -
self; “pono! 7) :