Kaituna

“ At last the young men took their departure, and when left alone with Kaituna, Mrs. Belswin drew her caressingly to her breast.
"I like your prince, my dear."
"I don't."
"Oh, Kaituna, you've been quarrelling."
"I haven't! He has! He doesn't understand me."
"Does a man ever understand a woman?"
"Of course! If he loves her." ”

“ When all the smiling future seems serene,
God; frowning, stretches out His mighty arm,
And lo! the hungry grave gapes at their feet.
So Mrs. Belswin was delivered from her great peril, and was taken home by Kaituna and her lover with great rejoicing. Maxwell, indeed, after hearing the story of this woman, had hesitated for a moment as to whether he ought to let her be with her daughter, seeing that she had forfeited her maternal rights by her own act, but when he hinted this to Kaituna she rebuked him with one sentence--
"She is my mother." ”

“ Belswin. It is not a sight for women."
But it was too late; they were both in the room, and Kaituna with a cry of horror fell on her knees beside the dead body of her father, while Mrs. Belswin stood looking down at the corpse with an impassive expression on her strongly-marked features.
The servants had left the room in order to send for the police, and only three persons were left with the dead man--Kaituna, convulsed with grief, kneeling by the body, and Mrs. Belswin standing beside Dombrain, both silently looking--at the dead man? No. At the weeping daughter? No. At one another? Yes. ”

“ Belswin; "the servant has gone for one. Ferrari, help me to place her on the sofa!"
But Ferrari could do nothing but tear his hair, and cry endearing words in Italian to the woman he loved; so Kaituna, pale as marble, but wonderfully brave, helped Archie to place Mrs. Belswin on the sofa. She was breathing heavily, and Maxwell, tearing open her dress, strove to staunch the blood with his handkerchief, while Ferrari remained on his knees, and Kaituna stood beside him with clasped hands. ”

“ He's not a man; he's a medicine bottle. Hark! I hear footmarks approaching on horseback. It is the man. Now, will you take Mr. Clendon and I Mr. Maxwell, or will you take Mr. Maxwell and I Mr. Clendon?"
"I don't want either," said Kaituna hastily.
"Now that's ungrateful, especially when Mr. Maxwell is such a dear. 'Oh, that heaven would send me such a man!'--Shakespeare, Kaituna, so don't look indignant. You can take Archie, and I'll satisfy myself with Toby." ”

“ Valpy?"
"The same. They think Sir Rupert is an old brute,"
"So he is," muttered Mrs. Belswin, angrily.
"Well, Mr. Maxwell," she said aloud, "I also am on your side. It's a shame that your lives should be spoilt for a caprice. But remember one thing, Sir Rupert will cut his daughter off with a shilling."
"Let him. Kaituna and I can face poverty together."
"Poor innocents," said Mrs. Belswin, with a jeering laugh, "you don't know what poverty is."
"You needn't speak so unkindly," replied Archie, rather hurt at her tone, "I thought you wished me to marry Kaituna." ”

“ Belswin, looking at Archie; then, without waiting for a reply, she made him follow her, and walked towards the house.
Toby followed with Kaituna, and surely never were maid or man more unsuited to each other. He was bold, she was shy. He talked, she remained silent, till they were in the drawing-room, and then the feminine element broke forth.
"Mr. Clendon," she said, in a whisper.
"Yes! speak low if you speak love." ”

“ Yes, dying; for although the doctor did all in his power to save her life, there was no hope that she would live through the night. She was still lying on the sofa, from which she was unable to be removed; and when she recovered consciousness, after the shock she had sustained, she opened her eyes to see Kaituna kneeling fondly by her side, and Maxwell, Belk, Ferrari, and the doctor, in the background. ”

“ Kaituna said nothing, but looked reproachfully at her friend, whereupon Mrs. Belswin kissed her with a gay laugh.
"Don't look so scared, my child. I shall only be away for a few days."
"You will like Sir Rupert, I'm sure," said Mrs. Valpy, who had been slowly following out a train of thought. "He is a most delightful man."
"So I have always heard," replied the chaperon coldly.
"Perhaps he'll marry again," said Tommy, idly, more for the sake of saying something than from any idea of Sir Rupert's matrimonial intentions. ”

“ But then if he, though keeping the terrible affair secret from the outside world, told Kaituna all about her mother's disgrace, thus destroying the love which the girl had for the memory of one whom she thought was dead--it would be too terrible, as she could urge nothing in extenuation of her sin, and would be forced to blush before her own child. No, nothing could be done in that way. Should she throw herself on the mercy of the man she had wronged? ”

“ Lay aside your coquetry, your hesitations, your fears. Speak boldly to me as I do to you. Let no false modesty--no false pride--no maidenly dread come between us. I love you, Kaituna. Will you be my wife?"
There was something in this akin to the fierce wooing of primeval man. All the artificial restraints of civilisation were laid aside. The doubts, the fears, the looks, the shrinkings, all these safeguards and shields of nervous natures had vanished before this whirlwind of passion, which bore down such feeble barriers set between man and woman. ”

“ Belswin, in despair. "I will not go, I tell you."
Sir Rupert advanced towards the bell rope.
"Then I will order my servants to turn you out."
"But, Rupert, think. Kaituna will learn who I am."
"Better that than she should be contaminated by your presence."
The woman clasped her hands together, and then in a frenzy of rage dashed across the room to pull him away from the bell-rope.
"You shall not! you shall not!" she shrieked, her fierce eyes flashing with mad anger. "I will stay! I am a reckless woman! I love my child! I will not go!" ”

“ Rosemary dark and sombre, old man, with its thin leaves like grey-green seaweed, form beds of reposeful tint, overlaid by brilliant coloured flowers, scarlet and blue and yellow; but the prevailing tint is white. Foxgloves with delicate white bells round which hum the noisy bees--scattered clusters of pale flushed roses, other flowers with white petals all streaked and dappled and spotted with innumerable tints. A beautiful garden, truly, and the thievish wind stealing odours from the profusion of sweets carried them on languid wings to Mrs. Belswin and Kaituna, sitting on the terrace. ”

“ Dombrain had she succeeded in reaching him. The detective, however, was on the watch, and throwing himself on the wretched woman, had the handcuffs on her wrists in a moment.
"I cannot believe it! I cannot believe it!" moaned Kaituna, hiding her face on Maxwell's breast.--"Mrs. Belswin, my kind good friend----"
"Your friend," scoffed Dombrain, with an ugly glitter in his ferret-like eyes. "Yes, you don't know who your friend is!"
"For God's sake, silence!" shrieked Mrs. Belswin, pale to the lips.
"No, I will not keep silence, you fiend, who have ruined me. I will tell all. ”

“ You must dwell in the outer darkness now
For ever and ever more.'"
Through the warm summer night, her heart filled with rage, humiliation, and despair, fled the unhappy woman, whither she knew not. All she wanted was to escape from Thornstream, lest her husband, seeing her by chance, should break his word and tell Kaituna what she was. If he did so--oh, the horror of it for her daughter to know that the mother whose memory she reverenced was alive, and an unhappy, fallen creature! ”

“ The paleness of his face, the abruptness of his speech, the agitation of his manner, at once put Mrs. Belswin on her guard, and a thrill of fear shot through her heart--fear lest he should have discovered anything about her past life which would be fatal to her living with Kaituna. Her iron stoicism, however, prevailed, and she awaited with outward calm, but inward perturbation, his next words.
"Mrs. Belswin," he said, slowly bending towards her, "do you know this diamond pin?" ”

“ Oh, why does God permits such things?"
"God permits many things," said Mrs. Belswin, bitterly, putting her arm round the shrinking form of her daughter. "Come away, dear. All that can be done will be done. The English police are clever, and may perhaps capture the murderer."
Dombrain smiled, and Mrs. Belswin noticed the smile.
"Perhaps the murderer may escape," he said with emphasis, giving a stealthy glance at Mrs. Belswin's coldly impassive face.
"He may escape man; but he will not escape God," cried Kaituna, fervently. "Oh, come away, Mrs. Belswin, come away. I shall die if I stay here." ”

“ Maxwell has behaved very badly----"
"No! No!"
"I say he has," replied Pethram, with emphasis; "no gentleman would have acted as he has done. I will write him at once, and if he seeks an interview he shall have it, so that I can tell him to his face my opinion of his conduct."
"Father!"
"Not another word, Kaituna. Rise from your knees, for all your tears won't alter my decision. I won't ask you to dismiss this gentleman; I will do it myself."
His daughter, stung by his cold irony, sprang to her feet with a cry of anger.
"Papa! Papa! Don't do that. I love him! I want to marry him!" ”

“ We shall not be rich; but we should be happy. No, my dearest, I should indeed be unworthy of your love did I look at the future from your point of view. I love you! You are mine; and rich or poor, we will always be together."
"But----"
"But me no buts," said Maxwell, in a peremptory tone, putting his arm round her neck. "You know what I say is right. You love me, do you not?"
"Yes."
"And you will never leave me?"
Kaituna kissed him, with tears in her eyes.
"No; I will never leave you."
Archie pressed her to his heart with a cry of joy, and at this moment Mrs. Belswin entered. ”

“ His scheme was to effect the destruction of the great {27} canoe which had brought the hated rivals of his tribe to New Zealand. Once decided upon, his plan was put into execution with a promptness worthy of a better cause. Travelling along the coast from Tauranga to Maketu, he and his followers arrived at the latter place when all its inhabitants were absent in quest of food. But his trouble was that the Arawa had been berthed on the opposite side of the Kaituna River, where she had been housed under a covering of reeds and grass to protect her from the ravages of the weather. ”

“ My child, never give your love to any one. They will betray you."
"Isn't that rather severe?"
"Not from my experience," answered Pethram, with emphasis. "But there, there! do not look so sad, child. You are young yet, and all geese are swans in your eyes. But about Mrs. Belswin. I am very much annoyed that she should have gone away at this time. It is not courteous to me, nor in keeping with her position as your companion."
"But she had to go about some business, papa," said Kaituna, rather afraid at the frown she saw on her father's face.
"Business! business! Her business is here, child. ”

“ Rupert, Stephano, Dombrain--they are all against me. Three against one, but I'll try my hardest to conquer them. It's a woman's wit against men's brutality; but I'll fight--I'll fight and win. If I win, I gain all. If I lose--oh, God! if I lose!--I surrender everything."
The morning was very chilly, in spite of its being summer, and Mrs. Belswin, having all the love for warmth inherent in those born in the tropics, shivered at the cold east wind, but feeling too upset to return direct to the house and face Kaituna's inquiring gaze, made up her mind to take a brisk walk. ”

“ Not even his residence in New Zealand, where, as a rule, humanity is much more sociable than in England, had eradicated the inherent exclusiveness of his nature. True, in his young days he had been more friendly with his fellow-creatures, but the episode of his wife's divorce had destroyed his feelings of sociability entirely; and although, being an upright, honourable gentleman, he was respected throughout the colony, he was certainly not loved. He was a man who lived entirely alone, and, except his daughter Kaituna, there was no one on whom he bestowed a thought. ”

“ Belswin, what curious things you say," she replied evasively. "I have not seen any one in New Zealand I cared about, and since my arrival in England I have lived so quietly that I can hardly have met the fairy prince you speak of."
"When the hour arrives the fairy prince comes with it," said Mrs. Belswin, oracularly. "My dear, you are too charming to remain with your father all your life, as I am sure he must acknowledge himself. Have the young men of to-day no eyes or no hearts that they can see my Kaituna without falling in love with her?" ”

“ Belswin took her by the wrist.
"For a magical ceremony! There! Now tell me. Is Mr. Clendon the prince?"
"No! No! No!"
"That's very emphatic. I mistrust emphasis in a girl. Well, we will dismiss Mr. Clendon, though he is very delightful. What about Mr. Maxwell? Ah! Now I know! Your pulse leaped at the name. Your face is rosy, your eyes are bright. By the white witchcraft I practise I interpret these signs. You are in love, my dear."
"No!"
"And with Mr. Maxwell."
Kaituna snatched away her hands with a little laugh and covered her burning face. ”

“ If you can't sing something refined, don't sing at all."
"I must collect my ideas first," replied Toby, running his fingers over the piano. "Wait till the spirit moves me."
Mrs. Belswin had resumed her seat near the sleeping form of Mrs. Valpy, and was thinking deeply, though her thoughts, judging from the savage expression in her fierce eyes, did not seem to be very agreeable ones, while Tommy leaned over the piano watching Toby's face as he tried to seek inspiration from her smiles.
Outside on the short dry grass of the lawn, Kaituna was strolling, accompanied by Archie Maxwell. ”