Produced by Susan Skinner, Chris Curnow, Pamela Patten and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: THE GIRLâS OWN PAPER VOL. XX.âNO. 1002.] MARCH 11, 1899. [PRICE ONE PENNY.] [Illustration: A YOUTHFUL PIANIST.] _All rights reserved._] âOUR HERO.â A TALE OF THE FRANCO-ENGLISH WAR NINETY YEARS AGO. BY AGNES GIBERNE, Author of âSun, Moon and Stars,â âThe Girl at the Dower House,â etc. CHAPTER XXIV. A BARRED WINDOW. How the next fortnight passed, Roy never afterwards could recall. He was sick and dazed with the shock he had had, grieving for Will Peirce, and all but hopeless. He had ceased to care for food, and, though he slept much, passing hours at a time in heavy doze, it was not the kind of sleep to rest him. Life at this time seemed awfully hard to live. Sometimes he envied little Will. The Colonel, who had spoken to him that day, spoke to him again often when they met in the yard; and Roy was grateful, but he could not rouse himself. He had lost all interest in what went on around him. He hated the yard, and he always kept as far as possible from the spot where that terrible exposure had taken place. His one longing was to know how the other poor boys in the hospital were; but accounts in that direction were uncertain and not to be relied upon. About a fortnight later, one cold afternoon, he was leaning against the wall at the further end, hardly thinking, only drearily enduring. He became aware of a man coming across the yard, carrying a large basket, or _hotte_, piled up with loose woodânot a gendarme, but evidently one employed in the fortress on manual work. Something about the fellow arrested Royâs attention, though why it should be so Roy had no idea. He was of medium height, broad-shouldered and long-limbed, and he walked in a slouching manner. As he drew near the basket tilted over, raining the whole mass of wood at Royâs feet. âHallo!â exclaimed Roy. The man muttered something, and went slowly down upon his knees to pick up the wood. No one else was near. A body of prisoners had been that morning removed elsewhere, and the yard was not so full as usual. Roy, after a momentâs hesitation, good-naturedly bent to help; and as he did so, their faces came close together. âHist!â was whispered cautiously. Roy started. âHist!ââagain. âDoes monsieur know me? But not a wordâhist!â Roy drew one quick breath. Then he picked up more pieces of wood, tossing them into the _hotte_. He cast another glance at the man, his whole being on the alert. In an instant he saw again the small French town, the crowd in front of the _hÃ´tel de ville_, the released conscript, the old mother clinging to Denhamâs hands, and Denhamâs compassionate face. All was clear. âJean Paulet,â he breathed. âHist!ââsoftly. âButâyou are he?â âOui, Mâsieu.â Jean piled some of the wood together, with unnecessary fuss and noise. âWill Mâsieu not betray that he has seen me before? It is important.â âOui.â Roy tossed two more bits of wood into the _hotte_. Then he stood up, yawned, and stared listlessly in another direction. After which he hung lazily over the _hotte_, as if to play with the wood, and under cover of it a touch of cold steel came against his left hand. âHist!ââat the same instant. Roy grasped and slipped the something securely out of reach and out of sight, without a momentâs hesitation. His right hand still turned over the wood. âBon!â Jean murmured, making a considerable clatter. Then, low and clearlyââListen! If Mâsieu will file away the bar of his windowâready to be removedâI will be there outside, to-morrow night after dark. When Mâsieu hears a whistleâhist! But truly this weight is considerableâoui, Mâsieuâand a poor man like me may not complain.â Jean hitched up the big _hotte_, now full, and passed on, grumbling audibly, while Roy strolled back to his former position. His heart was beating like a hammer, and he dreaded lest he might betray his change of mood in his face. To return to his former dejected attitude was not easy when new life was stirring in every vein; but he managed to shirk observation, and when two oâclock came it was a relief to be alone in his cell. He could safely there fling his arms aloft in a frenzy of delight. If only little Will might have escaped with him! That thought lay as a weight of sorrow in his joy. But there was little leisure for regrets. He had a task to accomplish in a given time, and it might not be an easy task. Many a time he had examined the stout iron bar wedged firmly in across the small window. If that could be taken out, he would be able to squeeze himself through; but to take out the bar, or at least to move it on one side, meant first to file nearly through itâquite through, indeed, for the noise of breaking it might not be risked. What might lie on the other side, down below, he could only guess, since the deep embrasure within, and the thickness of the wall without, prevented him from seeing. The gendarmes visited him at stated intervals, and he could pretty well reckon upon their visits; yet he knew well that he was never secure against a sudden interruption at any moment. He had to work at the bar in a difficult and cramped position, supporting himself in a corner of the slanting embrasure and filing lightly, so that no sound should reach the ears of any passer-by outside, while his own hearing had to be incessantly strained towards the cell-door to catch the faintest intimation of anybody entering. One narrow escape of detection he had. Absorbed in his toil, he failed to hear the first preliminary click of the lock, and the door began to open. Roy flung himself to the ground, reckless of bruises, and the noise of his fall was happily drowned in the creak of the door. When the gendarme entered, he found a sleepy prisoner, lying with head on folded arms. Roy wondered that the thumping of his heart did not betray him. Thoughtful Jean had provided him with three files; and but for this the plan would have proved a failure. Two of them broke. The third held out to the end. A good part of the night he worked, growing terrified lest the task should not be done in time. In the dark, by feeling instead of sight, silently and persistently, despite aching muscles, he kept on at it. His hands were strained and bleeding, and next day he had carefully to guard them from notice. In the morning he was again up in the embrasureâafter the usual visit from a gendarmeâfiling, filing, softly and steadily. By mid-day he had worked his way through the heavy bar. Roy stirred it cautiously. Yes, it yielded. The other end alone would not hold it firm. One good wrench, and it could be forced aside. That was all he had now to do. The bar would have to remain in position till the last moment. He cleared away every speck of iron filing, and then he had to go into the yard. What if the gendarmes should examine the cell during his absence and find out what he had done? What if, any hour before night, they should take it into their heads to test the bar? What if, before Jean came, Roy himself should be removed elsewhere? Then came another question. What if his motherâs prayers were being answered? And by-and-by the afternoon had waned away without any mischance, and the gendarmeâs evening visit had been safely paid. Royâs allowance of food lay upon the floor, the window had not been examined, and Roy was left alone for the night. He wisely disposed of the food, knowing that he would need all his strength. Then he waited, minute after minute, in a suspense hardly to be imagined, not to be described. A slight faint whistle, close to the window. In a moment Roy was up in the slanting embrasure, where for hours he had clung, getting through his task. Jeanâs hand met his, and together, noiselessly, they wrenched the bar aside. âHist! Be still as death!â whispered Jean. Roy squeezed himself through the opening, Jeanâs grasp steadying him. He found his feet to be resting on the topmost rung of a ladder. Jean whispered one or two directions, then himself went down and held it firm below while Roy followed. Little need was there to bid the boy be quiet in his movements. The slightest sound might betray them, destroying every hope of escape. The moment Roy reached the bottom, Jeanâs hand grasped his wrist and led him away. The ladder had to remain where it was. Its removal would have meant too great a risk. Roy could not see where they were, for pitch darkness surrounded them; but Jean moved with confidence, though with extreme care. Soon they had to pass near a sentry, and a sharp challenge rang out. Royâs heart leaped into his mouth, and Jean promptly replied with the password for the night. Veiled by the darkness, which was increased by a drizzling rain, they went by in safety. The outer wall at length was gainedâthat same wall which the middies had reached in their attempted escape, though at a different part of it. Jean had chosen this mode of escape, not daring to take Roy under the eyes of sentries at the gates, where, despite his command of the password, the prisoner must almost inevitably have been found out. In a quiet corner, where nobody was or seemed to be near, Jean drew down the end of a stout rope, already secured at the top of the wall, the loose end having been knotted up out of easy reach. This had been his doing after dark, before he went to Royâs cell. With the help of the rope they made their way to the top, Roy first, Jean next, pulling it up after them, and lowering it on the other side. Then, together, they trusted their weight to it once more. As they hung over the depth, Roy could not but recall the cold-blooded act of two or three weeks earlier and its dire consequences. If any man had obtained an inkling of Jeanâs intentions, or had discovered the rope placed in readiness, the same tragedy might now be repeated on a smaller scale. One clear cut would do the business. He and Jean would fall heavily downward, and, in an instant, he too, like little Will, might be in that land where battles and dungeons and cruel separations are things of the past. These thoughts came to Royâunbiddenâeven while his whole attention was bent to the task of working himself, hand under hand, swiftly and noiselessly, down the rope. Already his hands were torn and strained, yet, under the excitement of the moment, he felt no pain. The rope remained taut. There was no sudden yielding from aboveâno abrupt and helpless plunge earthward. He and Jean arrived in safety on firm ground. Again Jean gripped his wrist. âNow, Mâsieu, hist!â he whispered; and as fast as might be, yet with extreme caution, avoiding even the sound of a footfall, they hurried away from that grim surrounding wall. Roy could not see in the darkness where they were, or whither they were going. He could only trust himself blindly to Jeanâs guidance, and Jean seemed to be in no doubt. He never paused or faltered. Running at full speed, then slackening for breath, running again, and halting anew, walking at a brisk swing, then breaking into a fresh race side by side, only to come to another short pauseâso they passed the hours of that night. During the first twenty or thirty minutes extreme care was needful; and more than once Jean had to make use of the password, which he had somehow learnt. When once thoroughly away from Bitche, however, immediate discovery became less likely; and the chief aim then was to put as wide a space as possible between themselves and the fortress before morning. That was as much as Roy had in mind. Jeanâs object was more definite, including arrival at a particular hiding-place within a given time; but at present he attempted no explanations. So soon as Royâs disappearance should become known, and the gendarmes should have started in pursuit, Royâs dangerâand, for the matter of that, Jeanâs alsoâwould be intensified a hundred-fold. At present they had a clear field, favoured by darkness and by the fact of a world mainly asleep. Few words were spoken by either. While in the vicinity of Bitche even the lightest whisper meant a risk of being overheard; and when the fear lessened, breath and strength were too precious to be wasted. Royâs powers were severely taxed. Excitement kept him going. But he had slept and eaten little, and had worked hard, during the last thirty hours; and after six months without proper exercise, he was direfully out of training. His muscles had grown flabby, and he so soon began to pant as to become angry with himself. Still, he fought doggedly onward, making no complaint. At first they followed by-paths or kept to fields for greater safety; but by-and-by Jean struck into the high road, and here advance was easier. It was unlikely that Roy would be missed before early morning; and, even if pursued now, they would see the approaching gendarmes before they could be seen, and to hide in the darkness would not be difficult. As hour passed after hour, and still they made uninterrupted progress, Roy grew light of heart. Breathlessness, aching limbs, sharp cold, growing hungerâall these were as nothing compared with the fact that he was free! No stone walls, no iron-bound and padlocked doors, shut him ruthlessly in! From time to time a brief halt became necessary, and Roy was allowed to fling himself flat on the icy ground for ten minutes, after which he could always start with redoubled energy. âWonder what happened to take you to Bitche, Jean?â he said, after one of these breaks. âMâsieu, I had a friend at Bitche.â âA gendarme! A soldier?â asked Roy, with quickness. âOui, Mâsieu. Un soldat. Mâsieu will perhaps refrain from putting many questions. It is a friend whom I have known from boyhood. He was taken, like others, in the conscription, and no kind Messieurs were at hand to help to buy him off. And his mother, Mâsieu, his poor mother became _imbÃ©cile_.[1] La pauvre femme? See what might have come to my mother also, but for the goodness of _ces Messieurs_.â âShe became _imbÃ©cile_ because he had to go to the war?â âOui, Mâsieu. What wonder? For seeâit was not a common parting. Hundreds, thousands, go thus, and never return. They vanish from their homes, and no more is heard of them. Here or there, far away, they have died and have been buriedâ_hÃ©las!_âand that is the end.â âA soldierâs end, Jean!â the boy said proudly. âOui, Mâsieu. Sans doute. But not all men have a taste for soldiering. I myself, for oneâââ âYou didnât want to fight?â âI had no wish to leave my home, Mâsieu. Of late, it is true, I have had other thoughtsâsome thoughts of entering the army, after all. Le petit Caporal is no such bad leader for a man to follow, when he is not held by ties which bind him down.â âBut your mother, what would she say? Would she be pleased? Did she mind your coming away now?â âMâsieu, I have not left my mother. It is she that has left me. Le bon Dieu has called her away to another place.â Roy gave one glance of sympathy, which he could not easily have put into words. He was forgetting himself, walking faster, and panting less. Jean saw that it might be well to encourage a little talking now and then. âBut till the last she had her Jean. And she was content. She did not die alone, forsaken and desolate. For that I shall be eternally grateful to _ces deux Messieurs_, that her last days were in peace.â âI remember now, Jean, you said you would like some day to do something for my father and for Captain Ivor. YesâI knowâand this is for them. If they could thank youâââ âMâsieu, if I could thank themâââ interjected Jean. Then for a while they pressed on in silence. Morning had begun to break, and they plodded forward still. Roy had pleaded for one more little break, for the boy was nearly at an end of his powers; but Jean refused. â_Courage_, Mâsieu! _Courage!_ But a little farther, and we will rest. To stop here, if the gendarmes come quickly, would be fatal. Does Mâsieu wish to be re-taken? See, the day dawns, and we have made good advance; but soon the gendarmes will scour the country round. And here, where could we hide, if overtaken? _Courage!_ A little further yet!â âAll right,â panted Roy, dragging along his leaden-weighted limbs. âIâll keep it upâas long as you wish. Wonder how many miles weâve done.â âNot so many as Mâsieu would think. In the darkness one must walk with care.â âAnd are we to hide all day?â âMais oui. It is safer to be in hiding than to journey on. There is a cottage in a wood, which belongs to a friend of mine, and he has made ready for our coming. A little way ahead still. The danger increases each minute. For if any man should see us now, and the gendarmes coming here should learn that we have lately passedâvoyez-vous? Can Mâsieu increase his speed?â Roy made a vehement effort, and Jean grasped his arm, urging him along. Presently they neared the wood, and turned in thither, Jeanâs look of anxiety lessening as the trees closed round them. He consented then to a slight relaxation of their pace, though reiterating his â_Courage_, Mâsieuâone more half-hour, and the worst is done.â The half-hour seemed a very long one to Roy. âEh bien, a little slowerâouiâbut we are nearly there, and Mâsieu will be able to rest. At night-fall we shall start again, refreshed.â âWill you come with me still? Jean, you _are_ a good fellow!â gasped Roy. âIf I can see Monsieur safe off French ground, then I will let _ces Messieurs_ know at Verdun, and it will gladden their hearts.â âBut what made you think of it? Did you come to Bitche only to see your friend?â âMâsieu will not ask too many questions. No one at Bitche knew that we were friends. If Mâsieu should be re-taken, it is well that he should know nothing.â âYou donât think Iâd betray you, Jean!â âNon. But for the sake of Mâsieu himselfâââ âAnd I hope Iâm not going to be re-taken.â âThe good God grant it, Mâsieu.â âThen you came there just to see him,â persisted Roy. âNon. To see Mâsieu.â âYou knew I was there?â Jean assented. âWho told you?â Roy was again interested, and walked the better for being so. âMâsieu, it was a young ladyânot English. She is French, and she lives under the same roof with Monsieurâs friendsâle bon Colonel et Monsieur le Capitaine.â âBut how did she come across you?â âI was at St. Mihiel, Mâsieu.â âI know. We drove there once, to see the place. My father had to pay a pretty big douceur, but we went.â âNaturellement. St. Mihiel is but seven leagues from Verdun, and on the river. And this Demoiselleâââ âMademoiselle de St. Roquesâââ âMâsieu has the nameâprecisely. Mademoiselle de St. Roques had some affair in the place, claiming her attention; and she was there for some days. Mademoiselle and I chanced to meetâit matters not how at this momentâand when I learnt that she was from Verdun, I asked her, had she ever seen M. le Colonel and the tall Monsieur le Capitaine, and the young gentleman with them? Then she asked me questions, and I found that she knew themâah, very well indeed, as Mâsieu is aware. And she told me of Mâsieu being sent to Bitche, and of the great trouble it was to those others.â âDid she sayâwere they all well, Jean?â âMonsieur le Capitaine had been ill. Mademoiselle de St. Roques said that doubtless it would make him well, and would comfort greatly Madame votre mÃ¨re, could they but hear of your welfare. Then I said to Mademoiselle that I would myself go to Bitche, and would in time bring word of Monsieur to Verdun. And she emptied her pocket of all the money that she hadâcette bonne Demoiselleâand said I might have what more I wanted, so that only I could bring word of Monsieur.â âBut Captain Ivorâwhat was wrong with him? Ill, you said.â Jean discreetly did not repeat all that Lucille had said. âMonsieur le Capitaine had fallen ill after his march from Valenciennes, and he was so troubled about Monsieur at Bitche, that it retarded his recovery, so Mademoiselle informed me. And I thought, if I might but compass Monsieurâs escape from that terrible Bitche, and could take word that he was gone to England, then Monsieur le Capitaine would have a light heart, and would grow strong once more.â âJean, youâre the best fellow that ever was!â muttered Roy. âWonât they be glad!â (_To be continued._) FOOTNOTES: [1] Fact. * * * * * [Illustration: A GROUP OF GALLICIAN EGGS.] EASTER EGGS. In many European countries the egg is a prominent feature in the observance of Easter. Many things indicate, however, that the Easter egg is older than that great Christian feast. It seems probable that the egg was dedicated to the goddess of Spring and played an important part in the heathen spring festivals. Even to-day all sorts of curious superstitions attach themselves to eggs laid on Maundy Thursday. They are supposed to protect those who eat them from all sorts of diseases, and it is firmly believed that if a shepherd buries the shells of one or more of these Maundy eggs in his pasture land, he will not lose a single sheep during the year following. It is no doubt owing to the strong belief in their power of conferring benefits that we send eggs to our friends at Easter. But long before the observance of Easter people wanted to improve upon the eggs as they came out of the nest, and proceeded to spend time and talent in colouring and beautifying their shells. Originally Easter eggs were coloured red, which to our forefathers was a symbol of the rising sun. Later, all possible colours were used for this purpose, and the eggs were adorned with coloured patterns, pictures and proverbs. [Illustration: GIRL ENGRAVING EGGS.] Here and there, especially in Austria, this custom still obtains, and in many of the villages and districts may be found skilled âEgg Painters,â who supply artistically-ornamented eggs at Easter. The number of these artists is rapidly decreasing, for in modern times people, specially in towns, prefer to present their friends with eggs of chocolate and sugar. In Moravia, among the German population in Iglau, the Easter egg still holds a very important place. Young and old present them one to the other, and young girls are allowed to give them to their sweethearts. A very interesting feature is that eggs are sent by those at home to their relatives in foreign lands. Great care is taken to have these beautifully painted or adorned with mottoes. There are skilful people in the surrounding district, who devote themselves to decorating and adorning with mottoes Easter eggs. [Illustration: A PAINTED AND ENGRAVED GOOSE EGG.] Franz Paul Piger, who has lately written a very interesting paper on Easter eggs for the Austrian folk, says that âthe art of decorating Easter eggs is not so simple as one might think.â The artist first colours the egg yellow with the bark of apple trees which he has cooked in water; the part which is to remain yellow he covers with fine layers of wax, and then proceeds to cook it in water, with onion skins, which turns it red. This being done, he rubs the wax off and he has a yellow and red egg. Now he takes a sharp-pointed instrument and scratches his drawing on the egg-shell, which shines on the yellow or red ground in pure white. In this way he represents human figures, creatures and flowers. The most important things on Easter eggs are the mottoes which are usually specially given by the person who orders the eggs. These mottoes are often full of sentiment, of expressions of love, friendship and good wishes; sometimes they are jests. Not only are hensâ eggs used for this purpose, but those of geese also, which look more stately, and being larger admit of longer mottoes. Men, women and girls also are occupied in ornamenting Easter eggs. Our illustration shows a Moravian woman at the work of scratching or engraving. Many of the Easter eggs are quite works of art in Moravia. There is a great variety of patterns, including geometrical figures, leaves, flowers, sprays, hearts, and stars. The dark blue Easter eggs are especially beautiful covered with heartâs-ease. In the illustration âMoravian Eggs,â we see in No. 1 a red egg engraved with a sharp-pointed instrument; No. 2 is yellow-red; No. 3 is painted; No. 4 is blue, and engraved. The decoration of Easter eggs is a custom with the Sclavonic National Races of Austro-Hungary, and our illustration shows us something of the Gallician skill. In Poland the women blow Easter eggs and cover them with coloured satin, after which they stick on them all sorts of threads and tinsel. No. 4 in the illustration is an example of such an one, while No. 2 is an engraved and coloured egg; the two remaining patterns are of Ruthenian origin. In Bohemia light-red eggs prevail, while in Salzburg Easter eggs resemble marble. It is only on close inspection that one discovers that the hensâ eggs have received the veining by the most skilful and tender colouring. The painting and other preparation of Easter eggs form quite an event in a country household, and here and there, especially in Hungary, the preparation is accompanied by national songs. It is most amusing to note the care bestowed by the maidens on the eggs intended for the betrothed, the usual ornamentation being caressing doves and intertwined hands. If a Ruthenian youth receives from a girl an egg adorned with threads of wool he is thereby assured of her love and fidelity. The same is the case in Carinthia and in the Rosenthal. Girls must present their lovers with at least two eggs adorned with inscriptions in order that there may be no doubt as to the firmness of their affection. The artistic Easter egg, such as we have shown here, is gradually being set aside for eggs of chocolate and sweets, and the time will certainly come when, if we want to see artistic eggs, we must look for them in museums. They will, we hope, for many years continue to appear in all their beauty at the sound of the Easter bells, be a proof of love and friendship, and awaken joy in many a heart, both abroad and at home. [Illustration: MORAVIAN EGGS.] ABOUT PEGGY SAVILLE. BY JESSIE MANSERGH (Mrs. G. de Horne Vaizey), Author of âSisters Three,â etc. CHAPTER XXIII. While the young folks had been enjoying themselves in the ball-room, their elders had found the time hang somewhat heavily on their hands. The evening had not been so interesting to them as to their juniors. Lady Darcy was tired with the preparations of the day, and the Countess with her journey from town. Both were fain to yawn behind their fans from time to time, and were longing for the moment to come when they could retire to bed. If only those indefatigable children would say good night and take themselves off! But the echo of the piano still sounded from the room, and seemed to go on, and on, in endless repetition. Everything comes to those who wait however, even the conclusion of a ball to the weary chaperon. At long past midnight the strains died away, and in the hope of an early release the ladies roused themselves to fresh conversational effort. What they said was unimportant and could never be remembered; but at one moment, as it seemed, they were smiling and exchanging their little commonplace amenities, two languid, fine ladies whose aim in life might have been to disguise their own feelings and hide the hearts that God had given them; the next the artificial smiles were wiped away, and they were clinging together, two terrified, cowering women, with a motherâs soul in their facesâa motherâs love and fear and dread! A piercing cry had sounded through the stillness, and another, and another, and while they sat paralysed with fear, footsteps came tearing along the passage, the door was burst open, and a wild, dishevelled-looking figure rushed into the room. A curtain was wound round face and figure, but beneath its folds a long white arm gripped convulsively at the air, and two little feet staggered about in pink silk slippers. Lady Darcy gave a cry of anguish; but her terror seemed to hold her rooted to the spot, and it was her husband who darted forward and caught the swaying figure in his arms. The heavy wrappings came loose in his grasp, and as they did so an unmistakable smell pervaded the roomâthe smell of singed and burning clothing. A cloud of blackened rags fluttered to the ground as the last fold of the curtain was unloosed, and among themâmost pitiful sight of allâwere stray gleams of gold where a severed lock of hair lay on the carpet, its end still turned in glistening curl. âRosalind! Rosalind!â gasped the poor mother, clutching the arms of her chair, and looking as if she were about to faint herself, as she gazed upon the pitiful figure of her child. The lower portion of Rosalindâs dress was practically uninjured, but the gauze skirt and all the frills and puffing round the neck hung in tatters, her hair was singed and roughened, and as the air touched her skin she screamed with pain, and held her hands up to her neck and face. âOh! Oh! Oh! I am burning! Cover me up! Cover me up! I shall die! Oh, mother, mother! The painâthe pain!â She reeled as if about to faint, yet if anyone attempted to approach she beat them off with frantic hands, as if in terror of being touched. One of the ladies ran forward with a shawl, and wrapped it forcibly round the poor scarred shoulders, while the gentlemen hurried out of the room to send for a doctor and make necessary arrangements. One of the number came back almost immediately with the news that he had failed to discover the cause of the accident. There was no sign of fire upstairs, the ball-room was dark and deserted, the servants engaged in setting the entertaining rooms in order. For the present, at least, the cause of the accident remained a mystery, and the distracted father and mother occupied themselves in trying to pacify their child. âIâll carry you upstairs, my darling. We will put something on your skin which will take away the pain. Try to be quiet, and tell us how it happened. What were you doing to set yourself on fire?â âPeggy! Peggy!â gasped Rosalind faintly. Her strength was failing by this time, and she could hardly speak; but Lady Darcyâs face stiffened into an awful anger at the sound of that name. She turned like a tigress to her husband, her face quivering with anger. âThat girl again! That wicked girl! It is the second time to-night! She has killed the child; but she shall be punished! Iâll have her punished! She shall not kill my child, and go free! IâllâIâllâââ âHush, hush, Beatrice! Take care! You frighten Rosalind. We must get her to bed. There is not a moment to lose.â Lord Darcy beckoned to one of the servants who, by this time, were crowding in at the door, and between them they lifted poor, groaning Rosalind in their arms and carried her up the staircase, down which she had tripped so gaily a few hours before. Tenderly as they held her, she moaned with every movement, and when she was laid on her bed, it seemed for a moment as if consciousness were about to forsake her. Then suddenly a light sprung into her eyes. She lifted her hand and gasped out one wordâjust one wordârepeated over and over again in a tone of agonised entreaty. âPeggy! Peggy! Peggy!â âYes, darling, yes! Iâll go to her. Be quietâonly be quiet!â Lady Darcy turned away with a shudder as the maid and an old family servant began the task of removing the clothes from Rosalindâs writhing limbs, and, seizing her husband by the arm, drew him out on the landing. Her face was white, but her eyes gleamed, and the words hissed as they fell from her lips. âFind that girl and turn her out of this house! I will not have her here another hour! Do you hearânot a minute! Send her away at once before I see her! Donât let me see her! I canât be responsible for what I would do!â âYes, yes, dear, Iâll send her away! Try to calm yourself. Remember you have work to do. Rosalind will need you.â The poor old lord went stooping away, his tired face looking aged and haggard with anxiety. His beautiful young daughter was scarcely less dear to him than to her mother, and the sound of her cries cut to his heart, yet in the midst of his anguish he had a pang of compassion for the poor child who, as he believed, was the thoughtless cause of the accident. What agony of remorse must be hers! What torture she would now be suffering! The guests and servants were standing huddled together on the landing upstairs or running to and fro to procure what was needed. Every thought was concentrated on Rosalind, and Rosalind alone, and the part of the house where the dance had been held was absolutely deserted. He took his way along the gaily decorated hall, noted with absent eye the disordered condition of the âharem,â which had been pointed out so proudly at the beginning of the evening, and entered the empty room. The lights were out, except for a few candles scattered here and there among the flowers. He walked slowly forward, saw the silver candlestick on the floor before the fireplace, and stood gazing at it with a quick appreciation of what had happened. For some reason or other Rosalind had tried to reach the candle, and the light had caught her gauzy skirt which had burst into flames. It was all easyâterribly easy to imagine; but in what way had Peggy Saville been responsible for the accident, so that her name should sound so persistently on Rosalindâs lips, and who had been the good Samaritan who had come to the rescue with that thick curtain which had killed the flames before they had time to finish the work of destruction? Lord Darcy peered curiously round. The oak floor stretched before him dark and still save where its polished surface reflected the light overhead; but surely in the corner opposite to where he stood there was a darker massâa shadow deeper than the rest? He walked towards it, bending forward with straining eyes. Another curtain of the same pattern as that which had enveloped Rosalindâa curtain of rich Oriental hues with a strange unaccountable patch of white in the centre. What was it? It must be part of the fabric itself. Lord Darcy told himself that he had no doubt on the subject, yet the way across the room seemed unaccountably long, and his heart beat fast with apprehension. In another moment he stood in the corner and knew too well the meaning of that patch of white. Peggy Saville lay stretched upon the curtain, white and unconscious, to all appearance dead! (_To be continued._) [Illustration] OUR PUZZLE POEM REPORT: IN PERILOUS TIMES. IN PERILOUS TIMES. AN ACCIDENTAL CYCLE. _Catching Fire._ If your clothing catches fire, Do not rush about for aid, Simply roll on mat or mire And a fearful death evade. _Railway Collision._ If a railway collision you fear, Jump on the seat of the carriage, for so Your legs of calamity may be quite clear, And the spring thatâs in wood may all safety bestow. PRIZE WINNERS. _Seven Shillings and Sixpence Each._ Lily Belling, Wribbenhall, Bewdley, Worcestershire. Nanette Bewley, 40, Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin. A. C. Carter, Shottery Hall, Stratford-on-Avon. Maude Gibney, 37, Newton Road, W. G. D. Honeyburne, Abbotsbury, 23, Duke Street, Southport. Mrs. Mason, 30, Cambridge Street, Great Horton, Bradford, Yorks. E. Mastin, 261, Western Bank, Sheffield. P. Miller, 104, Brecknock Road, N. Agnes Oliver, 13, Fountainhall Road, Edinburgh. Janet Scott, Willmington House, Dunster. Fred and Violet Shoberl, Hookwood, Edge Hill, Wimbledon. Wm. Dunford-Smith, 71, Ondine Road, E. Dulwich, S.E. W. Fitzjames White, 9, Kinfauns Terrace, Low Fell, Gateshead. John R. Whyberd, 308, Crystal Palace Road, S.E. _Special Mention._ Annie A. Arnott, E. Lord, A. Phillips. _Very Highly Commended._ Mrs. Atkins, Amelia Austin, Margaret Bailey, M. Bolingbroke, A. T. Child, Ethel M. A. Darbyshire, Frederick Fuller, Miss Fryer, Thomas Gale, Ellie Hanlon, Mrs. Ethel Hartley, Ethel Winifred Hodgkinson, W. E. Llewellyn, W. M. Madden, E. M. Le MottÃ©e, Ellen M. Price, Helen Simpson, S. Southall, Agnes Mary Vincent, Gertrude Whicker, Emily Wilkinson, Helen B. Younger. _Highly Commended._ Maude Abbott, Eliza Acworth, Rev. S. Bell, Gladys M. Bernays, Dora A. Blake, E. M. Blott, Isabel Borrow, Nellie D. Bourne, Rev. F. Townshend Chamberlain, M. J. Champneys, F. Clark, Lillian Clews, C. A. Cooper, Rev. E. N. Dalton, S. Dewhirst, Ethel Dickson, Violet F. Doney, Louie Drury, William Fraser, F. M. Goodchild, Annie M. Gooden, A. Grainger, E. A. Hedge, Mrs. Hickman, Hilda G. Hinkson, Gertrude Hire, E. St. G. Hodson, Edith M. Howard, Annie M. Hutchens, George L. Ingram, K. H. Ingram, Elsie M. Jay, L. Foster-Jones, D. Langley, Eva H. Laurence, Eliza Learmount, Ethel C. McMaster, John Marshall, Marian Eva Messenger, F. M. Morgan, M. Theodora Moxon, Robert Murdoch, Eben. Mullen, A. St. J. OâNeill, Mrs. Morgan Owen, Hannah E. Powell, Jessie Powell, Helen J. Ransom, Ada Rickards, Eleanor M. Rickie, Alexandrina A. Robertson, Wilhelmina Robson, Eva M. Roper, Annie Saunders, S. Sedgwick, Katherine H. Shorto, Caroline Skinner, Mildred M. Skrine, M. Stuart, Mona Taylor, May Tutte, N. J. Warren, M. S. Webster, A. J. Weight, V. M. Welman, Louisa Whitcher, Henry Wilkinson, R. Williamson, Elizabeth Yarwood. * * * * * EXAMINERSâ REPORT. The âAccidental Cycleâ series promises to be very popular, a large number of solutions having already been received. It is really very pleasing to see how our readers struggle to acquire useful knowledge, no matter how fantastic the shape in which it is presented. Certain it is that knowledge acquired by solving a puzzle poem is likely to be retained, and we can only hope that when our solversâ clothes catch fire, there may be a rug, a mat, or a sufficient quantity of mire at hand. We know a doctor who had to examine a class of boys on the ways of dealing with various kinds of accidents. One lad appeared to be very nervous, and the doctor, thinking he was not able to do himself justice before the others, kept him back to test his knowledge alone. âNow,â said the examiner, âsupposing I were to catch fire in this roomâ (a bare schoolroom, by the way), âwhat would you do?â The boy seemed to be extremely unhappy and vainly searched the ceiling and floor in turn for an inspiration. It was not until the question had been repeated with a kindly word of encouragement that the answer came: âPut it out, sir.â Even then the doctor did not laugh, at any rate not obtrusively. âExcellent,â said he, âbut how?â âThrow a blanket over you, sir,â was the more confident reply. As there were no blankets in the building, the doctor gave up his examination in despair, which was, however, somewhat tempered by his thankfulness that the boyâs âknowledgeâ had not been put to a practical test. This little anecdote, which is perfectly true, suggests the question: âWhat would you do if the extinguishers mentioned in the puzzle were not available?â Doubtless our readers know; if not, they will be well advised to find out without delay. The puzzle form of our advice was not difficult to decipher, but, regardless of rhythm, many solvers gave the first line as âIf your clothing catch fire.â A large number wrote âaroundâ for âaboutâ in line 2, failing to discern the essential difference, and several substituted âendâ for âdeathâ in the fourth line. For this latter reading we can find no justification. In âA railway collisionâ the metre proved to be very troublesome. It is certainly very modern, the lines being respectively, nine, ten, eleven and twelve syllables long. We do not know the rule which governs such a metre, and are inclined to ascribe it that licence which every true poet sometimes takes. Considering the difficulty, we were surprised to find from thirty to forty solutions giving the verse correctly. Three out of the four lines were not difficult to solve, but the progressive nature of the metre not being established, the first was not so easy. In many solutions an adjective was inserted before railway as: âIf a terrible railway collision you fear,â and so long as some sort of rhythm was maintained, we did not much object. A few competitors complained that the first picture in the last line was very obscure. In our copy it was plain enough and a large majority of solvers adopted âSpring,â in preference to any other reading. One correspondent ventures to hope that ladies will be well assured of their peril before acting on the advice given. As he points out, it is not at all desirable that a carriageful of people should, for instance, be disturbed by such athletic exercises every time a fog-signal is heard. Such a caution is perhaps, not wholly unnecessary, for there are people who âfearâ a collision every time they enter a train. By the time this âCycleâ is ended how wise we shall all be! Competitors whose names have not been mentioned above may rest assured that their papers have been carefully preserved in view of the special award to be made at the end of the series. Not one solution has been destroyed, and quite possibly the greater prizes will fall to outsiders after all. [Illustration: ARTISTS.] THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS. BY ERIC BROAD. We wander through the smiling fields, We gather fragrant flowers, Our childish eyes the sunshine watch From shady, sheltered bowers; We have our dreams of joy to be, Nor give a thought to loss; For youth is all too blind to see The Shadow of the Cross. Years come and go; tears flow and fall, Grief touches us awhile; And then we sleep, while round us glows The sunset of a smile; Joy lingers just a day with us, Lifeâs pathway seems as moss: But, faintly purple, looms ahead The Shadow of the Cross. Timeâs drifted snows have gathered thick, Yet still the chase is long, Truthâs snow-white bird soars out of sight, But faint we hear its song; And we have lost Hopeâs Light awhile, Count Love at best but dross; We struggle through a purple gloomâ The Shadow of the Cross. At last! At last! a music rare Enchants our aching ears; And once again, not far ahead, The radiant sun appears: Our souls on buoyant wings are borne, And we retrieve our loss,â A rich content is ours, beyond The Shadow of the Cross. LESSONS FROM NATURE. BY JEAN A. OWEN, Author of âForest, Field and Fell,â etc. PART IV. THE LOCUSTS THAT GO BY BANDS. The locusts we take as an instance of what unity in actionâco-operation, in factâcan effect. âThey have,â says the wise man, âno king, yet they go forth all of them by bands.â Creatures these are so frail, so unsubstantial, that they can be crushed to naught almost; yet they are able to thwart manâs watchful care, and to undo the work of the industry of months, when they settle in hosts, brought by some mysterious instinct, sometimes by the scarcity of those other creatures which, under the laws that keep even the balance of nature, feed upon them, so reducing their numbers. Whole tracts of land are devastated by these winged armies. In the south of England some of you have seen, during the last dry summer that we had, what legions of caterpillars covered vast tracts of land, eating every vestige of green and leaving bare stalks where fine cabbages and other crops had been looked for. Ravagers of forests, also, some of these insignificant insects have been called, and with good reason. The term locust we take as a symbol, and we will include here the various groups of tiny beings which, by reason of their vast numbers and the way in which they come and go âin bands,â become such formidable enemies of our race. The caterpillars of the large white cabbage butterfly, and also those of the small white species, attack several valuable crops besides cabbages. They consume in the larvÃ¦ stage an enormous amount when their size is considered. Mr. Wood tells us that it has been calculated that one caterpillar alone, a month after birth, has increased to ten thousand times its original weight on leaving the egg, and has devoured in the meantime no less than forty thousand times that weight in food; and although during the winter months it may be frozen into a brittle condition, it survives this frost uninjured and becomes itself the parent of two broods during the ensuing summer. These particular caterpillars feed also on the leaves of turnip plants and on the pods that are left for seeding; they eat radishes, horse-radish and water-cress. [Illustration] Some years they show in myriads. Describing a flight of butterflies that arrived on a certain day years ago, the _Zoologist_ says that it was one of the largest flights ever seen in this country. It crossed the Channel from France on a Sunday in July. âSuch was the density and extent of the cloud formed by the living mass that it completely obscured the sun from the people on board our Continental steamers. The decks were strewed with the insects in all directions. The flight reached England about twelve at noon, and dispersed themselves inland and alongshore, darkening the air as they went. During the sea-passage of the butterflies the weather was calm and sunny, with scarcely a puff of wind stirring; but an hour or so after they reached _terra firma_ it came on to blow great guns from the south-west, the direction whence the insects came.â On a calm sea the butterflies are able to settle frequently, as though the water were land, and to rise again; otherwise, that is, in windy weather, these long flights would be of course an impossibility. Louis Figuier, a French entomologist, has told how a swarm of plant lice once appeared between Bruges and Ghent, âhovering about, in troopsâ in such numbers as to darken the light of day. The walls of the houses were so covered that they could no longer be distinguished, and the whole road from the one town to the other was rendered black by the legions of this insect. These were called âsmother-fly.â A female Blight, as one creature is termedâa very destructive aphisâwhich was shut up for observation by another naturalist, brought forth ninety-five little ones in less than three weeks, and she can repeat this as often as twenty times during one summer if the weather be favourable to her. The calculations which have been made by such scientists as Professor Huxley prove that, were it not for our allies and friends, our unpaid and often ill-appreciated bird labourers, âthere would be room in the world for nothing elseâ but those tiny creatures the aphides! Mole crickets in the south of France and in Germany do great harm to the pea and bean crops. They have been known to destroy one-sixth, and even one-fourth, of a crop of young corn by eating off the roots. Barley and potatoes also they do a vast
{'title': "The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX. No. 1002, March 11, 1899 by Various", 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}