181 CHAPTER XXVI. DEUS EX MACHINA. O night and shades, How are ye joined with Hell in triple knot, We shall now proceed to explain Maurice's sudden appearance as a Deus ex machinâ. The newspaper account Norah had seen of his arrest when stepping on board the boat at Queenstown was perfectly correct, as would have been also its statement that he was to be sent to Kilmainham as a suspect, if the unexpected vacancy of a seat in a Munster borough had not altered the intention of the Castle authorities. To send any man of popular note to Kilmainham was to send him to Parliament, if the vacancy happened to occur at the time when the mind of the public was excited by his imprisonment. But to send to gaol such a man as Maurice Studdert-one of the very few representatives of the old families who were representatives also of the national cause-was to make his election for almost any county or borough outside the north and Dublin an absolute certainty. Therefore, the Castle authorities suddenly changed their minds about Maurice, and, instead of sending him to gaol arbitrarily and unheard, restored him his papers, apologised to him for his arrest, and repaid him the passage money to America which he had forfeited. Maurice, free and in Dublin, naturally went to Aunt Winny's, not without hope of hearing something about Norah. In this he was not disappointed. Aunt Winny, as we have said, was sorely exercised in her mind about the mysterious telegram which Norah had received from Father Mac, and which she had stoutly declined to explain-Gone to America.' She was still aflame with curiosity as to its mean ing when Maurice-whom she knew to be an old friend and near neighbour of Norah and of the priest-called upon her. Before, therefore, Maurice could question Aunt Winny about Norah, he was himself straitly questioned about her by Aunt Winny. But Aunt Winny, like Dogberry,' would go about with him,' and asked first such wild questions regarding Father Mac that Maurice was completely mystified. Finding that these wide and wild wheelings brought her no nearer her quarry, she suddenly produced the telegram and asked Maurice his opinion of it point-blank. I am quite ashamed, Mr. Studdert, to trouble you about a family matter, but the state of my poor brother's health must be my excuse. He's a wreck-a perfect wreck! And I'm convinced that nothing but some secret anxiety could so break him down at his age and with his constitution. Else, why all this mystery about that telegram? A priest-for all I know a Jesuit-telegraphing to Norah about someone she's ashamed to name! It's my belief she's got engaged to a Papist!' If she had said 'a Negro' her voice could not have expressed a deeper horror of such miscegenation. 'I know you have been always like brother and sister together, Mr. Studdert, or I shouldn't have ventured to ask your advice. But what was I to do? I believe, if this thing is allowed to go on, it will kill my poor brother!' Maurice, with his eyes fixed on the telegram, hardly heard half of what she said. He had no doubt at all that it referred to him, or that Norah had wished to see and say something to him. His hopes not only revived, but rose at a bound to fever heat. He took out his watch, and, finding he could catch the night mail he asked Aunt Winny abruptly for her brother's present address. The startling effect of the telegram upon him, of course, excited Aunt Winny's curiosity to frenzy. What is it? What's the matter? Don't keep it from me, Mr. Studdert. I can bear it. I can bear anything better than suspense. Oh, what is it?' At any other time Maurice might have been impatient of such an ado about nothing, but he was now in such high and happy spirits that he answered her with the most courteous consideration. : I assure you, Miss Wyndham, it's nothing nothing of the very least importance to anyone but myself. This telegram refers to me, and I protest solemnly that I am as sound a Protestant as yourself,' smiling pleasantly. But Aunt Winny couldn't see at all where the joke came in. She expected to hear something that would horrify her agreeably-and this was all! Besides, if Maurice was the heart of the mystery she had made an egregious mistake in consulting him about it. Therefore she was in deep dudgeon, and was at no pains to conceal it. Giving him Miles' address without a word, she received his adieux with freezing formality. |