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her new little sister Maude yet; for though the Colonel's wife very much wished to see her, she never would go up-it was her father's love she wanted. Ralph, thoughtless as ever, pressed her, however, and Haini, casting one glance towards him, and meeting his gaze so like that fiery look of old-consented.

'I'm sure Miss Jay is working you too hard; the "out" will do you good, Haini; and Playfair, she will be capital up those mountain gorges through the rapids, and if we should have a spill, you cling to her if you can't swim, for she can, like a―little duck-and then

'Oh, does she? returned the other; but Haini was disconcerted, and Ralph felt sorry, for his ought to have been grateful silence. Never but once had he seen her bewitching form in the water. The canoe having capsized on a rocky island spit, with the tide rising, she had plunged in, and stemming the mountain torrent had gained the opposite shore of a big river, and thus procuring assistance had rescued him from certain destruction.

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Ah, I was only nine then, Lord Alfred!' said Beauty, with a heavenly blush. 'I'm grown up now; I'm growing-so old.' 'Isn't she learning to speak prettily? said Ralph. 'Thanks to Ralph I am, Lord Alfred,' interposed she. Why Ralph, and not Alfred?' asked the young lord, addressing his fair cousin. Oh, I've known him so long-so very long!' replied the girl dreamily.

6 Because you are so old-so very old?' asked he gaily. 'Well, my pretty cousin, all things take time; I'll give you yours with the sweetest pleasure in life,' added he, looking into her wondrous eyes with earnest curiosity.

'Thank you, Alfred,' added she naïvely, her large lustrous eyes glittering, and her frame trembling at the effort.

'My pretty pet, my pretty cousin, come, come along, and let

us take little Maude by storm,' said he in rapture.

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Oh, no-no-not up there!' cried Haini passionately, her face flushing scarlet. 'Bring my little sister down here. I long to see and to love her-but not up there; I know Miss Jay will let me go with her; they all so want me to love her.'

D

CHAPTER XIV.

'The memory of the just is blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot.'

CAPTAIN OSWALD SLASHER, late of the 19th Blazers, popularly known as Blazes Slasher, was a client of Walter Maxwell's, as was the Honourable Frederick Stanley, his cousin. With Harry Somers, late Captain in a Bungaland or Hot Countree Regiment, they formed as noisy and larky a trio as could well be imagined. As long as Somers confined his libations to the within side of moderation he was pleasant and entertaining; having had a sun-stroke he became very excitable when giving an account of his losses. Fred Stanley was diminutive as contrasted with either Somers or Slasher-a free and joyous spirit, with a pleasant face and engaging manner; he had a charming lisp, and was always ready for any amount of fun and mischief. Though a younger son he rolled in money, and was possessed of but one fatal hallucination, in which he was greatly encouraged by Maxwell-that he could whenever he liked make a 'pot' of money on the Undone Vortex. In this, like so many others, he was entirely mistaken, for he nearly always lost, and yet could never leave it alone. As a consequence he was voted a great bore by his friends, for to make up his fortnightly differences' he was forced to apply to them; thus forestalling his very considerable fortune, and throwing it in the dirt, which was in their eyes the same thing as spending it upon the Undone Vortex, its Brokers and Parasites.

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Slasher was of very old family, and heir to a very old baronetcy. He differed from Sir Watt Scroughem, Bart., another of Maxwell's clients, also of exceedingly old family, in that, while Sir Watt possessed but little besides his name-an exceedingly valuable commodity in connection with the 'floating' of many of Walter's 'concerns'-he was also heir to a heavy rent-roll.

Slasher had tried broker after broker with one almost invariable result-he lost! and old Sir Oswald was much grieved thereat, for he had to supply the funds. Fred Stanley never appeared much discomposed at his losses; at the approach of the 'account' he would stroll into his banker's at the West-end of Undone, and ask in a delightfully innocent way:

'I thay-got any money o' mine?' It would have been the same to him if they had not. A clerk who knew the lad well invariably replied:

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'Oh, coth I thought you might have.'

And if they had not it was amusing to see the shifts he was put to to meet his engagements punctually.

All was now excitement with the trio. The great banking house of Grab Brothers had brought out a succession of gigantic swindles; but they were fast becoming matters of history. Almost simultaneously, however, Todigrab on the one hand, and Catzpore and Fleasum ostensibly on the other, were engaged in 'floating' the then notorious Beloved Silver Mine and Backaway' Loans. Both were well supported' in the 'House,' But it remains to be seen what became of them.

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is needless to say that the trio became enormous bulls' of both if Maxwell were an interested party, and Maxwell was interested. Sir Watt Scroughem would gladly have 'lent his name' for a consideration to either undertaking had it been possible; but he was too late for the one and the other did not require any, for it had the names of a firm of merchants to father it, a name which at one time was second to none in the City of Undone, but which was soon destined to be for ever associated with broken hearts, desolate hearths, and corpses rotting on a foreign strand! And on their tombs were writ in blood the dreadful words

BACKAWAY DELUDED VICTIMS !!

CHAPTER XV.

'-Alone that worn-out word,

So idly spoken, and so coldly heard ;

Yet all that poets sing, and grief hath known

Of hopes laid waste, knells in that word ALONE.'-LYTTON.

Ir wanted but a few days to Lord Alfred's departure. Maude was back again with her father, after having visited with her sister and two friends nearly every part of the rugged coast of Fernland, the natives making them welcome, without one thought of recompense. The young lord treated them as his friends, and welcomed them on board the Sybil wherever she went, for he found he was amongst Nature's gentlemen! When the men

went ashore, leaving the yacht to meet them at a given spot, the Fernese cooked, and trilled the while their gentle note of sympathy for the white man. All they had was theirs, and all they looked for in return was- -friendliness! too glad to serve them, and too rejoiced to think they'd helped-the stranger!

Haini and her two companions were engaged talking in the room where Lord Alfred had first made his cousin's acquaintance. Ralph was discussing old times with Haini, and inwardly rejoicing, notwithstanding Walter's sneers, in having had the good fortune to secure for her the advantages to which she was entitled.

Lord Alfred had just complimented her on what he called her good sea-going qualities. Before the blush had quite died from her thoughtful pensive face he exclaimed:

'Why, here comes yourself, Ralph !-yes, up the avenue, I do declare! Haini, look! Why, isn't it Ralph ?' said he excitedly. He had only just turned towards the window, which commanded a splendid prospect of the beautiful harbour. Ralph thought-could it be? No-yes; it must be he!

In a moment more Walter Maxwell's card was handed in, and in another he appeared.

The likeness between the half-brothers was exact in reposeit was fatal-yet, when animated, all traces passed away. Lord Alfred was fairly taken aback, and, after the few brief words of salutation, lapsed into silence. Haini was equally reserved.

But Walter was altogether unlike his former self. His manner was easy and well-bred. Explanations were made. He had come over, he said, on pressing affairs in connection with Fernland: Land, Railways, Steamers, Mills; in a word-Great Companies !'

Are you a Speculator?' asked Ralph eagerly.

'They call me so,' said the other, with reserve; and when "the New Act" comes into operation Fernland is made-a fact !'

'I think it is making pretty fast without,' quietly interposed Lord Alfred.

'Opinions differ, my lord. Fernland is yet in its infancy. Wait until I get my New Companies under weigh: then we shall see if Fernland will not stand more "making" with advantage. Fernland is only beginning a grand, a magnificent career, my lord,' said Walter, with all the empressement of a Financier, and then asked in an easy manner:

‘Do you make a long stay, Lord Alfred?

Under a week, I think, at present,' replied he.

'The Sybil's a smart vessel,' remarked Walter.

'Well enough. Do you stay long? from his Lordship.

We passed her the other day in the Whangahine, just off Smooth Island. You were on a wind, and were going a great pace, and—what a model! Oh-me? Well, I've a few contracts

to sign--business, my lord,—and then I'm off,' said he, tapping his foot with his cane.

Haini felt reassured by Walter's nonchalant, easy manner; indeed his arrival was quite an event to the little party.

What, thought Ralph, had not City life and manners done for Walter! Why, the man was transformed-metamorphosed! Seeing the effect he had produced, Walter became brilliant, sparkling, and witty, yet at times maintained a quiet, grave reserve. A thorough man of the world, thought Ralph, and so important too!

Little wonder that Ralph inwardly resolved that very moment to leave the backwoods, turn Christian,—he didn't know one bit what he was,-go to the Old Countree, get into Undone City somewhere, and-ah, but then poor, dear Haini! It was all too sad. What was life indeed? So full of what? Changes?that's not the word; vicissitudes ?-sounds foolish. Hearts enlarging almost to bursting, embracing all they loved so dearly; yet they had no sooner got them well inside than one by one they began to go out—one one way, another another; and Ralph was, or very soon would be-quite alone! And poor little Hainiwhat about her?

CHAPTER XVI.

So lonely 'twas, that God Himself

Scarce seemed there to be.'-COLERIDGE.

LORD ALFRED PLAYFAIR was gone! And Ralph Osborne— smoked the more! Unsentimental Ralph! And was he so? Ah, would to the God of Heaven he had been—and yet he smoked the more! Smoked till the deep, pungent fumes, impregnating his brain, nigh lulled to stupor! Why? Lord Alfred was handsome, truly; indeed Ralph could hardly ever take his eyes off him. No doubt these two men felt a charm in each other's society. Ralph asked himself, What constitutes a charm? and what continues it? Is it a sense of power in one which the other lacks, of virtue which the other does not inherit, or some manner almost divine of exercising both? or is it an appreciation merely of faculties which are in the one developed and in the other latent still? Why did he like Lord Alfred? he asked himself. It was not because-God forbid ! it was not that! Besides, he did not care one fig for lords in name who were not lords in character. And then, who knows but he might have been sailing his own yacht round the world as Lord Ralph Osborne, had not

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