"oh, i have seen the southern cross in southern skies burn clear and bright, and i have seen the ocean toss

beneath its gleam in waves of white.

its beauty brought me no delight,

for i was on a foreign shore;

but now joy cometh with the sight

of england's chalky cliffs once more."

quite unaware of the pitfalls prepared for him by his now nearly forgotten wife, sir rupert pethram had returned once more to england, and rejoiced greatly, in his dry fashion, to find himself again under his own roof-tree. kaituna was delighted to have him home again, and welcomed him with a filial affection that made a deep impression on his somewhat hard nature.

he was not a favourite with the world, being so stiff and dry in his manner that every one felt a feeling of uneasiness towards him; consequently, he was unused to affection, except from his daughter, whom he loved fondly in his own undemonstrative fashion. a difficult man to get on with, at least people said so; and the haughty, distant smile with which he greeted every one was enough to chill the most exuberant expressions of friendship. 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.

yet he was not uncharitable. if he saw suffering he relieved it; if any one desired help he was not backward in giving his aid; still, even the recipients of his charity found it difficult to feel warmly towards him in any way. he did not believe in gratitude, and therefore never sought for it, but did his good deeds in a stolid matter-of-fact fashion that robbed them of their charm in the eyes of the onlookers. it seemed as though his unhappy married life had blighted his existence, had frozen in his breast all feelings of tenderness towards humanity, for he was eminently a man who acted from right motives, and not from any feelings of impulse to relieve suffering or help his fellow-creatures.

in appearance he was tall, slender, and rather good-looking, with a thin, wrinkled face, scanty grey hair, and a darkish moustache. well dressed in a quiet fashion, undemonstrative and distant in his manners, he embarrassed all with whom he came in contact; for the well-bred coldness of his voice, and the supercilious look in his grey eyes, and the noli-me-tangere of his behaviour made every one around him feel uncomfortable.

with kaituna he was always as pleasant and agreeable as he was able to be, but his daughter felt that any pointed display of affection would be received with disapproval by her singular parent.

a man so straight-laced, so rigid in the due observance of all social duties, could not but be annoyed at the absence of his daughter's chaperon at a time when he was expected home. she was kaituna's guardian in his absence, responsible for her in every way, and he was naturally anxious to see if mr. dombrain's choice was a good one.

shortly after his arrival he broached the subject to kaituna, while waiting for his horse to be brought round, as it was his intention to ride round the estate with belk.

"kaituna," he said, in his frigid voice, "when do you expect this lady to return?"

"in about ten days, papa."

"do you like her, my child?"

"oh, papa, i love her."

sir rupert raised his eyebrows.

"that is a strong expression, and a mistaken one. 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. i expect mrs. belswin to give all her time to you."

"she has done so until now."

"and now is the most important time, as i wish to see if she is a good companion for you."

"i'm sure you will like her very much, papa."

"impossible. i like no one very much."

"not even me?"

she threw her arms round sir rupert's neck, and his face relaxed somewhat under her smile.

"there, there, child!" he said, pushing her gently away, "if i have a weak spot in my heart it is for you. now, good-bye at present i'm going to see how things are looking."

so he went away in the bright, breezy morning, and kaituna was left alone in deep thought, wondering how she could tell him of the offer of marriage made to her by archie maxwell. she was a brave enough girl in most things, but felt decidedly reluctant to speak to her father about a subject she knew would be disagreeable to him. archie was young, handsome, hopeful, and loved her dearly; but these four excellent qualities would seem nothing in sir rupert's eyes as opposed to poverty. the girl was in despair, knowing her father's iron nature as she did, and longed for the return of mrs. belswin, in order to have at least one friend to stand by her. it was true that archie had declared himself ready to speak to sir rupert at once; but kaituna, dreading the refusal of her father to countenance the engagement, persuaded him to wait until her chaperon came back. meanwhile, she went off to her own room to read her lover's last letter; for as archie, not being duly accredited, could not come to the house, they were obliged to correspond in a clandestine manner, which was not without its charm to the romantic nature of miss pethram.

while, therefore, kaituna was attending to her business, sir rupert was attending to his. accompanied by belk, he rode over the estate, looking into things, and exercised the young man's dull brains pretty considerably by his shrewd questions concerning this and that and the other thing. sir rupert pethram had not been a penniless younger son, nor graduated in new zealand for nothing, for he knew as much about land, and crops, and cattle, and top dressing as any man. being thus accomplished, he took occasion to read his bailiff a severe lecture, which belk received in sulky silence, on the slip-slop fashion in which things were conducted.

"when i pay my servants well," said sir rupert, severely, "i expect them to look after my interests thoroughly. there has been a great deal of neglect here, and i expect you to place things on a much more satisfactory footing. do you hear me?"

"yes, sir; i'll do my best."

"your best will be my worst, i'm afraid, judging from what i've seen. i'll give you a few months longer; but if you don't improve things in that time, mr. belk, i'm afraid you and i will have to part company."

belk was in a towering rage at thus being spoken to; but, as he wanted to retain his situation, he held his tongue, nevertheless determining in his own mind that he would repay sir rupert for his reproof as soon as he was able. fortune offered him an unexpected chance, of which he took immediate advantage.

returning home with sir rupert, a dogcart containing two young men passed them on the road, the occupants of which nodded to belk, whom they knew slightly.

"who are those gentlemen?" asked sir rupert, sharply.

"one is mr. clendon, the vicar's son, sir."

"and the other?"

belk saw his chance; for, knowing all the gossip of the place, he was aware that kaituna's engagement was unknown to sir rupert; so in the hope that it would be disagreeable, he spoke out straight.

"mr. maxwell, sir. the gentleman engaged to miss pethram."

"what the devil do you mean?" demanded sir rupert, haughtily.

"i beg your pardon, sir. i only answered your question."

pethram looked keenly at the man, to read his real meaning; but belk kept his countenance with the greatest skill, so the baronet was forced to believe that he had spoken in all good faith.

"you can go, belk," he said curtly, turning his horse's head; "and don't forget what i've said."

the bailiff looked after him with a savage look in his face.

"no, i won't forget," he said to himself, scowling. "that affair's been kept from you, but you know all about it now. if i can find a chance of hurting you, my fine gentleman, i'll do it, to pay you out for your cursed pride this day."

meanwhile sir rupert, outwardly calm, was riding home consumed with rage. what! his daughter engaged to a man of whom he knew nothing--of whose very name he was ignorant? it was infamous. and she had never said a word about it. good heavens! where was mrs. belswin, to permit such a thing? evidently it was common gossip. all the county knew it; and his daughter, whom he loved and trusted, had withheld her confidence.

"she's like her mother," said sir rupert, between his clenched teeth; "deceptive in all things. never mind, i'll get the truth out of her before the day is an hour older, and then--oh, these women! these women! daughters and wives, they are all the same. they smile, they kiss, they betray; and we poor fools believe them."

touching his horse with the spur, he rode at full gallop up the avenue, in order to relieve his over-burdened feelings; and, when he was once more in his own study, sent for his daughter without delay.

kaituna obeyed this unexpected summons with considerable trepidation, having, with feminine instinct, guessed the reason for which her father wanted to see her so suddenly. she found him standing in front of the fireplace, with his hands behind his back, and a stern look on his face--a look she had never before seen directed at her.

"will you take a chair," said pethram, with glacial politeness. "i'm sorry to trouble you about a disagreeable matter; but, being your father, i owe it to myself and to you to speak."

she sat down in the chair he indicated with a sinking heart, and waited in silence to hear his reproaches. sir rupert, however, had no intention of making any; he disliked a scene, and was moreover skilful in using that irony which cuts like a knife, and which is far more effective than unreasoning rage.

"so you have deceived me, kaituna?"

"father!"

"am i your father? i hardly think so, when you conceal from me the most important event of your life."

kaituna had a considerable spice of the paternal nature in her, so she took a hint from the baronet, and used his own weapons to defend herself.

"i don't understand to what you allude, sir."

"do you not? if, then, you will give me your attention for a few moments, i will try and enlighten you. i saw a young gentleman in the distance to-day, and asked belk who he was. in reply i was informed that it was a mr. maxwell, to whom you are engaged. will you kindly inform me if this is the case?"

kaituna lifted her head defiantly.

"i love mr. maxwell, and wish to marry him."

"indeed. i presume you never considered that it was necessary to consult me?"

"i intended to do so, father, when--when mrs. belswin returned."

"ah! mrs. belswin then knows all about this affair?"

"yes."

"and is going to ask me to consent to the marriage?"

"yes."

sir rupert walked up and down the room for a few minutes, then, pausing before his daughter, spoke deliberately.

"i'm afraid you may think me somewhat inquisitive, but i should like to know something about this mr. maxwell. where did you meet him?"

"at marsh-on-the-sea."

"indeed! and having fallen in love with you there, he followed you up here."

"yes! he was going to ask you to consent to our marriage."

"very considerate of him; but as yet he has not done so. who is my future son-in-law?"

"father," cried kaituna, the tears coming into her eyes, "do not speak so cruelly. he is a civil engineer, and i love him very--very dearly. mr. clendon, the vicar, knows him. he is staying there just now."

"very interesting indeed. has he any money?"

"i don't know! i think not."

"so you were going to marry in this extremely doubtful fashion. i must say the whole affair does equal credit to your heart and head."

"father!"

"pardon me! one moment. this estate is entailed, and should i die to-morrow, you do not inherit a penny, as it goes to the next male heir of the pethrams. if, then, you do not make a good match, i confess i do not see how you are to live."

kaituna said nothing, but remained with downcast eyes, looking at the ground, while her father went on speaking in a cold tranquil tone.

"knowing that you would be penniless at my death, i went out to new zealand, sold all my property, and invested the money in an australian silver mining company. you may be sure i did not do so without first personally inquiring thoroughly about the prospects of the company. from what i learned, i am sure that it will turn out well, and in the event of its doing so, you will be an heiress. under these circumstances i can rest assured as to your future, should i die in an unexpected manner."

"i understand, father, but--but--what are you going to do?"

"i am going to write to mr. maxwell, thank him for his very gentlemanly behaviour, and refuse to sanction the match."

kaituna flung herself on her knees before him.

"no, no! you will not be so cruel. i love him, papa! oh, you don't know how i love him."

"i know well enough, kaituna. you love him so much that you would go and live in a cottage, on dry bread and water. this is youthful folly, and i decline to aid you to ruin your life in such a way. mr. 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!" then, after a pause, stamping her foot, "i will marry him."

"will you? i'm afraid not," replied pethram, coldly; "you are under age, remember."

"oh, what shall i do! what shall i do," cried the girl, tearfully, raising her head.

"behave like a sensible woman, and give up this madness."

"no, i will not. i will be true to archie!"

pethram shook his head with a vexed air.

"my dear child, you are really very foolish. i don't wish to argue any more on the subject."

"you are going to write to--to mr. maxwell?"

"at once."

"and refuse to let him marry me?"

"exactly."

"then," said kaituna, pausing a moment at the door, "i swear by the name of my mother that i will be true to him."

she was gone in a moment, and sir rupert, over whose face had come a grave, worn look, laughed discordantly.

"by the name of her mother," he said with a sneer. "ah! she little knows what her mother was."