MRS. LAMBERT'S MISFORTUNES.

MRS. LAMBERT'S MISFORTUNES.

BY MARTIN BRENNAN

IN eighteen hundred and fifty-nine I was a
trooper in the Southern Patrol, and was, in
December, transferred to fill a vacancy at
Major's Creek, an important portion of the
famous Braidwood gold fields, situated one hundred
and ninety-six miles south from Sydney, and
thirty miles from the great Pacific Ocean. The
locality is on the high table land, bounded by the
coast range, and close to the Jingeras, rendered
notorious of late years as being the rendezvous
of the desperate bushrangers' known as Clarke's
gang, whose depredation’s were unsurpassed in
the annals of crime.

From the Major's Creek mountain could be
observed, two thousand feet below, in all its
grandeur and picturesqueness, as far as the eye
could scan, the happy valley of Araluen, the
richest alluvial gold field probably in Australia.
All the creeks flowed through deep gold-bearing
ravines into the valley, forming cascades indescribable
in their rare sublimely.

The township of Major's Creek consisted of
slab, bark, weatherboard, and galvanized buildings
facing the creek, and the surrounding forest
was literally studded with huts, gunyahs, tents,
and every conceivable habitat, where the miners
dwelt. There were at this time several thousand
miners on the field, comprising representatives of
all nations. as well as all sorts and conditions of
men, and there were no lines of social demarcation
observed on the field; hence all moved on the
same plane. Jack being; as good as his master,
and frequently better. Lawyers, doctors, authors,
poets, professors, auctioneers, and men of other
calling were largely in evidence. The almond-
eyed Mongolians, too, were there, and numbered
about one thousand, having a township and
camps on adjacent creeks.

Large quantities of gold were obtained
weekly from the sluicing and cradling operations,
business was brisk, and prosperity abounded on
all sides.

There were numerous so-called hotels on the
creek, and centres of population, where Bacchanalians
— and their name was legion — worshipped
their god. The strains of the Scotch pibroch, the
Irish pipes, fiddles, flutes, drums, dulcimers, a
German band, as well as the rattle of skittles and
the click of the bagatelle balls, could be heard
nightly at these dens, which could not fail to
impress a stranger that the god The rmosiris had
established a musical academy on this enchanted
field. The publicans, alive to their interests, imported,
at high wages, dancing girls from Sydney,
the arrival of each contingent being marked by
a great demonstration, which was familiarly
known as the "New Rush."

Three nights each week were devoted to
dancing and various pastimes, when nearly the
entire population flocked to the various centres
of attraction, and indulged more or less in the
high jinks that prevailed. The boy Cupid flapped
his wings with satisfaction at witnessing the devotion
paid to his beautiful mater Venus. On
occasions the excitement became intense, and developed
into orgies which rivalled the saturnalias
of the Cyprians in their worship at the temples
of Cytherea, Idalium, and Paphos.

The strength of the posse comitatus consisted
of a Sergeant and myself. The former was an old
man who had served many years as a soldier; he
was unable to write, but that was of no consequence
in the good old days. His small stature
was more than counterbalanced by that of his
wife, who was of elephantine proportions, and the
actual commander-in-chief.

The camp, consisting of a few slab and bark
huts, overlooked the township, my domicile being
a single-room hut, calico sides, and covered with
bark.

My uniform was similar to that worn by the
13th Light Dragoons of that day. I rode a splendid
horse, and was regarded as an accomplished
rider.

A few weeks after I had placed my Lares and
Penates in order, I mounted my steed and proceeded
to take a survey of the surrounding localities,
and, while doing so, came to a three-rail
fence, which my mount negotiated at a canter.
The performance was witnessed by a female, who
was watering cycads in a small garden close by
a weatherboard cottage. On seeing me she raised
her hands and said:

"Oh! is that you, Bertie?"

I replied: "I am not Bertie."

"Excuse me," she continued, "for seeming
forwardness, but your appearance and uniform
recall the most memorable days of my life."

"How is that?" I asked.

She shook her head, disclosed visible manifestations
of grief, and remarked, "I may tell you
some other time."

She spoke English correctly, and with a
musical accent.

"You are, I presume, a native of dear old
England?"

"Yes, 1 was born there, but I can also speak
my dear mother's tongue, French, and likewise
Italian."

''Are you a digger's wife, madam?" I asked.

"I believe I am by law, to my sorrow. My
name is now Mrs. Lambert."

"Then happy is Mr. Lambert, who has the
privilege of claiming you as his wife."

She was about twenty-three j-ears old, slight
build, graceful figure, very fair complexion; a pro-
fusion of golden ringlets fell carelessly over her
square shoulders; large, bright, blue eyes; rosy,
oval cheeks, with a well-defined dimple in each;
faultless dentition, pouting mouth bounded by
ruby lips, and a well-shaped, slightly Roman nose.
She was well dressed, and to my mind a lady fit
to grace the most exalted position.

While gazing on her unrivalled beauty, I
could not help thinking that, had she lived in the
days of Praxiteles, or Phidias, she would have
furnished the true ideal for the typical angel in
marble.

I said on leaving: ''If I can be of any assistance
to you, officially or otherwise, it will afford
me much pleasure to render it."

She thanked me, and I returned to the camp.

The appearance of this young woman was not
alone beautiful, but majestic, which made a deep
impression on my mind, and filled my every
thought. There was a mystery about herself and
her husband which I felt determined to solve, and
did not experience much difficulty in doing so.

While paying my usual rounds to the carnivals
one night, my attention was attracted to the
"Diggers' Rest" hotel,
where three barmaids were
busily engaged serving liquor to a hilarious crowd
of miners, who thronged the bar and side en-
trance. Beside the bar stood a remarkable-looking
individual, a regular Polyphemus, in the
person of an aged German, about six feet four,
blind of one eye; enormous moustaches, the ends
of which were tied in a knot over the region of
the foramen magnum; and, strange though it may
appear to biological scientists, his orbs seemed
furnished with nictitating eyelids; his description
in other respects is accurately portrayed by the
poet Syntax in his canto III., "In Search of a
Wife":—

"Therefore it is as I suppose, the squinting eye, the wide
spread nose,

The yawning mouth that may appear

Stretching athwart from ear to ear,

The rising back a sad mischance and stomach's rude protuberance

Are crimes which, by their laws intent

Received proportioned punishment.

While ugliness in every sense must be a capital offence.

And they wall be condemned to die

Whose crimes complete deformity."

This man was the redoubtable "Champagne
Charlie," at the time gasconading on the
superiority of the German soldiers, showing how
battles could be fought and won, and recounting
the incidents of his heroism in the destruction of
Frenchmen, to one of whom he ascribed the loss
of his orb. When any manifestation of applause
was evoked, he ordered every man present to fill
his glass and drink to his health.

"Champagne" arrived early on the creek from
the Californian gold fields, had some knowledge
of mining, and was conceded by the Local Board
the privilege of constructing a dam at the head of
his claim, by which means he stored large quantities
of water, which enabled him to carry on
sluicing continuously, and thus accumulated a
fortune.

He spent money freely in champagne, and was

rewarded with the sobriquet of ''Champagne
Charlie."

Beside him at the bar stood Rufus Lambert,
Champagne's factotum, who received four pounds
a week for looking after him when on the spree,
and otherwise advancing his interests with the
semi-monde dancing girls. Champagne had given
the appointment to Lambert, who had selected for
him a pretty, dark-eyed female, named Rebecca,
on whom he showered many marks of favour, including
a nugget of considerable value, after
which she was christened by the miners as "Champagne's
nugget."

Lambert was somewhat attractive in appearance;
a vain fop, a gay Lothario with the girls, on
whom he frittered his earnings, and, after a brief
period, he drifted into the habits of a boozer, and
finally became a downright unscrupulous and
worthless fellow. It was no wonder, therefore,
that his amiable and accomplished wife had become
stricken with grief at her unfortunate position.

A few months after this, the township was
placarded with posters announcing the sale by
auction of the stock-in-trade, books, and jewellery
of a storekeeper, who had, to use a colonialism,
gone up King Street — that is, to the Insolvent
Court. Mr. Wallis, the famous auctioneer, was
brought from Braidwood to conduct the business;
the premises were crowded with the profanum
rulgus, anxious to secure some of the goods to be
sold without reserve. I attended the sale on
duty, in my best official style, and had the good
fortune to be declared the purchaser of the books
for one pound fifteen shillings.

During the sale I noticed Mrs. Lambert outside,
and procured her a seat near the door. I
told her of my purchase, and said, "The books
shall be at your disposal."

She thanked me, and remarked, “I shall avail
myself of your generous offer."

The jewellery, a prospecting dish full, was
then put up, and descanted on by the auctioneer,
who informed intending purchasers that some of
the gems excelled the Koh-i-noor diamond in
scintillation. The bidding was brisk and spirited
till it reached £3 15s., when there was a lull; the
auctioneer gave his opinion that the lot would be
a sacrifice for a hundred pounds. To stimulate
the business I bid four pounds, which was repeated
several times, when, to my surprise, I was
named the purchaser. While the dish of gems
and articles of vertu was being passed through
the crowd to me, the major portion was abstracted.
I took, however, this undue interference
with my property in good part, and said some-
what sarcastically, "I was sorry the supply was not
large enough to enable me to give a handful to
each." Rounds of applause followed this magnanimous
sentiment.

I placed the remaining articles in Mrs. Lambert's
lap, saying, "You can distribute them as you
wish"; and she was not long in doing so, to the
entire satisfaction of the women present.

I returned to the camp a much wiser man,
feeling thoroughly disgusted with my foolishness,
and resolved that, no matter at what sacrifice
jewellery would be sold in the future, I would not
be the purchaser.

In a few days, Mrs. Lambert visited the camp,
and asked me to select her a book. I looked
through my recent purchase, passed over the
works of Scott and Dumas, and picked up
Thackeray's celebrated romance, "Vanity Fair."

"Here," said I, "is a work I can recommend.
It will prove entertaining and instructive. Yes,
it will give you a deeper insight than you now
possess of the huge mockery which is covered by

the name society, and tho worthlessness of many
of those who pose as the loaders of it."

She accepted the volume with thanks, and
said she would read it carefully.

Mrs. Lambert having; taken a seat, I remarked,
“I hope you are now getting reconciled
to your fate."

''It is impossible," she answered; "every day
adds to my misery."

''You must not," I said, "let this feeling grow
upon you; act with prudence; it is a protecting
power. Juvenal, the great Latin poet, has written,
'Nullum numeu abest si sit prudentia,' that
is, 'No God is absent where calm prudence dwells.' "

She opened her large, dreamy eyes, fringed
with long lashes, looked me full in the face, and
said with deep emotion, "Oh! that may be true;
but, after all, I am only a frail mortal."

"I have some doubts about it," I remarked.
"Your looks and appearance impress me as being
those of a goddess rather than a mortal, and I
have been thinking that if you had competed for
the golden apple, Paris would have selected you
for the prize in preference to Venus, and thus prevented
the destruction of Troy."

"Your nationality betrays itself by these undeserved
encomiums," she replied. "I came to
tell you hurriedly who I am, and what I have gone
through, as I have a strong presentiment that
some misfortune is impending."

"I shall be glad," I replied, "to hear your
story, but I must counsel you not to anticipate
troubles. Your motto should be 'Spero meliora’
or “I hope for better things.' "

"Well, then, to commence, my father's name
was Rudolf Goldstein, a London jeweller and
lapidary. He married my mother, whose maiden
name was Clemintina Laura, the daughter of a

French merchant at Marseilles, and regarded the
belle of the city. We lived in a beautiful villa
near London, where my mother died when I, their
only child, was thirteen years old. Madame Ganselle,
an old friend of the family, took charge of
the house and acted as my chaperone. When
seventeen years old I was introduced to Bertie
Alexander, a captain in a dragoon regiment. He
visited our house repeatedly; we loved each other
intensely, and, after some time, we were engaged
to be married, with the approval of our parents,
and certain properties transferred to us.
Bertie obtained furlough, when Madame Ganselle
and myself accompanied him to India for a trip.
We enjoyed ourselves immensely. I had the
initials of his name tattooed in Indian ink on my
right arm, and he had my initials, E.G. (that is,
Elisha Goldstein), on his.

"Shortly after our return to England, Madame
Ganselle died. Bertie lived as far as possible in
my company, awaiting the happy day for the con-
summation of our union to arrive. Oh! those
were the halcyon days of my happiness, which I
fondly dreamt would last for ever. But alas for
the vanity of human wishes, it was not to be so,
as I was doomed to a bitter experience, and probably
a terrible end.

"One afternoon in May, a carriage drove to
the villa; the coachman was in livery. A young
lady alighted, and informed my maid she wanted
to see me on important business. She was shown
into the library, where I was engaged with my
governess. After the governess had withdrawn,
the stranger said, 'I came to see Miss Goldstein
on a private and important matter.'

"I bid her take a seat beside me. She did so,
raised her veil, and continued sobbingly:

" 'I know, from report, that Miss Goldstein
is an honourable and conscientious young lady.

who would not knowingly injure, not to say ruin,
one of her sex. I heard she intended to marry
Captain Alexander, and hastened to inform her
that her doing so will entail ruin and disgrace
upon me, as well as on herself. I have been the
victim of his villainy, and he clearly desires to
make you a victim also,'

"She drew from her satchel a packet of letters,
and said, 'Here is the last one I received
from Captain Alexander,' handing it to me to
read.

''I recognised unmistakably the handwriting
of Bertie; it was addressed to Madeline Dubois,
Soho Square, London. He mentioned he would
not marry me for all London, and made most insulting
innuendos regarding my chastity. I was
shocked at the unexpected revelation from one
whom I almost worshipped, and asked permission
to retain the letter, which was granted; it is now
in my possession.

" 'Now,' said Miss Dubois, 'my request is that
you write at once to Captain Alexander, break off
the engagement, and I shall unmask his villainy.'

"After recovering my self-possession, I wrote
to Bertie in the strongest language I could command,
and informed him 'I would not under any
circumstances see him again.'

"Miss Dubois departed, the letter was
promptly posted, and I was left to my own re-
flections. I could not eat, drink, cry, or sleep;
his insulting and atrocious allusions to my character
stung me to the heart."

"Well," I interposed, "I believe all men, from
the highest to the lowest, are prone to deception.
We have a remarkable instance of it in the conduct
of Aeneas, who, after the destruction of Troy,
sailed with a large fleet to establish a new settlement.
Acolus, at the request of Juno, scattered
the vessels over the sea, many of them being
driven on the coast of Africa, where the celebrated
Dido was building the city of Carthage.
The beautiful queen, through the influence of Mercury,
was predisposed favourably to the Trojan
leader. Unfortunately for herself she was so, as
she conceived an intense passion for him, which
proved her destruction. After bestowing on him
every privilege in her power, the ungrateful leader
secretly left her possessions in the night, and
thus established the basest case of ingratitude on
record. Dido, whose proper name was Elisha, became
so prostrated and filled with grief, that she
ascended the funeral pyre, and slew herself with
a wretched sword he had left behind him. But
remorse overtook the deceiver, as, when proceeding
with the Sybil on his course to the Elysian
Fields to see the shades of his father Anchises,
he saw the beautiful Dido, whom he fondly wished
to embrace; but she flew from his grasp, leaving
him wretched and disconsolate. Virgil in his
Aeneid makes reference to this case. 'Haerit
lateri lethalis arundo.' She feels the painful
dart; the deadly weapon rankles in her breast."

"Yes," resumed Mrs. Lambert, "that case is applicable
to mine; I have felt, and do now feel, the poison of Bertie's letter.

"Next morning I made hasty preparations, informed
the servants I was going to London, and
left my home in indescribable grief; proceeded to
my friends at Marseilles, to whom I related what
had taken place. They felt deeply indignant at
the treatment I had received. My health partially
gave way, and I was advised by my medical
attendant, Doctor Du Ross, to take a long sea
voyage, as the only means to restore it. Fortunately,
or I should rather say unfortunately,
Madame Etienne and her husband were at the
time leaving for Australia, who undertook to look
after me, and see to my comfort.
''We landed in Sydney, and thence proceeded
to the highlands of Braidwood, coming on to
Major's Creek, where Monsieur Etieune decided
on remaining for some time; he purchased a
sluicing claim, he had the weatherboard cottage
erected, and a flower garden formed, where I was
usually employed. After four months' residence,
Monsieur Etienne made the acquaintance of Lambert,
who represented he had just arrived from
England, and was making a tour of the diggings.
He was a good-looking fellow, and his suavity of
manner was such that he gained the confidence of
Monsieur Etienne, who told him, as a friend, all
the particulars of my case, and introduced him to
Madame and myself.

''He professed to know all the aristocratic
families of England, and said he expected every
day to hear that he had succeeded to a Baronetcy.
He wrote a letter at the cottage to England, requesting
that his half-yearly remittance of £500
should be sent to him at Major's Creek, in care
of Monsieur Etienne, and, as he was short of
funds. Monsieur lent him £50 until the remittance
arrived.

"Lambert, in the course of conversation, casually
introduced the name of Captain Alexander,
and said, 'He met his deserts.'

"I said, 'What! Do you know him?"

"'Yes,' he replied; 'almost everyone in London
knows him as the worst of men, but he met his
fate.'

"I asked, 'What has happened?'

" 'Why, he has been stabbed to death by an
actress at the Globe Theatre; it was the sensation
of London when I left.'

"A thrill of grief and sorrow seized me, and
it was a week before the doctor allowed me to
leave my bed. Madame Etienne, in her efforts to
console me, said, 'You ought to be thankful,
Elisha, that a just Providence has seen fit to
punish him for the injury he has done you.'

Shortly after this Monsieur sold his interest
in the claim for a large sum, when he and Madame
decided on visiting Melbourne, preparatory to re-
turning to Europe. Lambert informed Monsieur
that as soon as he received his remittance he, too,
would return and call upon him; he intimated
to Etienne he was deeply attached to me, would
like to take me to England as his wife, and asked
him as a great favour to press his suit. To be
brief, the suit was pressed successfully, and I
married him.

"Monsieur Etienne, before leaving, handed me
one hundred pounds to enable me to meet expenses,
being under the impression that Lambert
and myself would return to England in a few
months. A few days after my guardian had
left, Lambert and 'Champagne' came to the
cottage late at night, both intoxicated. I refused
to admit the latter, 'when Lambert abused me and
said, 'I have married a London cast-off.' His conduct
from that time to the present has been intolerable;
he is now a drunkard, and I believe
worse,"

I said, ''How is that "

''Well, you know his conduct with those girls,
especially the dark-eyed one, called the 'Nugget,'
is very bad. In fact, she sent him a note in
pencil yesterday, marked 'Urgent,' wherein she
alluded to him as her dear husband."

"You must not believe everything you hear,
Mrs. Lambert," I remarked.

"Oh, this is not hearsay; I have the letter."

"Then you should retain it for the present.
How much money have you?"

"I have," she said, "sixty pounds."

"You must keep as much of that as possible,
so that you may return to England to your father
without delay. You were very foolish you did not
consult him instead of going to Marseilles. I
shall write to Sydney and ascertain for you
when the first ship sails for England, as I have
no doubt from what has come to my knowledge
that Lambert is a bigamist."

Mrs. Lambert thanked me for my advice, said
she would act upon it, and left the camp for her
home.

In a few days the news spread that Lambert
and Champagne's ''Nugget" had levanted, which
caused considerable commotion amongst those
concerned. It was also hinted that Champagne's
proceeds for the last clearing-up were found considerably
lessened.

Search was prosecuted throughout the district
without avail, and not even a reward of
thirty pounds, which Champagne offered for information
leading to their whereabouts, had any
effect in tracing the fugitives.

On the following Wednesday morning I proceeded
to the Jingeras on duty, while the sergeant
had to attend the Braidwood Court. When I returned
at sundown, and was dismounting, the sergeant's wife said:

''Oh! Mrs. Lambert has been here twice to-day
looking for you; she is most anxious to see you.
Lambert returned last night, nearly killed her,
robbed her of her money, jewellery, and that
twenty-five-day gold watch you talked so much
about. Go down at once."

I remounted, and, while riding towards the
cottage, was informed that Mrs. Lambert had
drowned herself in Champagne's Dam. I returned
quickly to the station, procured grappling
irons and a rope, and then cantered to the cottage,
where everything appeared in disorder.

It was raining in torrents; the ground was
sloppy, and a dense fog had settled on the mountain
like a pall. I picked up several of the unfortunate lady's
garments between the cottage and
the dam, and found her Leghorn sun-hat beside the
water's edge. After a few efforts I succeeded in
finding the body, and drew it on to the bank, when
I tried by rubbing and other artificial means to
restore animation, without success.

The sergeant arrived at this stage, and said,
"We shall have to take the body to Lundy's
public-house. Long Flat."

"It will," I remarked, "be no easy matter to
do so, as the night is intensely dark, the scrub is
dense, and the route of more than a mile is
studded with miners' shafts." However, acting
on the legal maxim, “neccssitas non hahct legem”
I adjusted the dead body of my dear friend on
my back, and followed the sergeant's footsteps as
best I could along the track he cautiously explored
by the aid of a sapling.

I was nearly knocked up when we reached a
pipeclay flat, where I imagined we were free of
danger. At this juncture my spur caught in a
root, and in my efforts to retain my equilibrium
I was pitched forward and landed in a miner's
shaft, five feet deep. The body had fortunately
fallen off my back, else my position would have
been more serious. I received, however, a severe
shock; my clothes were saturated, and all the sympathy
I received from my considerate officer was
a hearty laugh and an admonition to be more
careful.

After a few minutes' rest, the body was again
placed on my back, and carried to the hotel, where
Mrs. Lundy, good soul that she was, supplied me
with a mattress, on which the body was placed in
the stable, to await an inquest. I locked the door,
took charge of the key, and was about to depart,
when my officer reminded me I should remove the
diamond ring from her finger, and retain it for
production at the inquiry. I did so with some
difficulty, and placed it in my trousers' pocket.
We then proceeded to the deceased's residence,
where we found everything; in disorder. I noticed
the splendid corded silk dress, with its series
of flounces, lying on the floor, and the contents
of trunks scattered about. We carefully searched
for money and jewellery, but could find none, and,
as for provisions, there were only a few pieces
of bread. It was evident, therefore, that Lambert
had robbed her of her money and jewellery, as
well as maltreated her. I picked up a packet of
her letters, and took charge of them.

"Well," said the sergeant, "this is a bad case.
We shall have to arrest him if possible. Let you
remain in charge of the cottage, and I will search
the hotels, as he may be still on the Creek."

When the sergeant left, I sat on a log in
front of the door, contemplating in review the
sad occurrences, the result of deception, cruelty,
robbery, and starvation. I could not help realizing
the fact that, had it not been for the exigencies
of duty, which necessitated my absence that
day, the poor creature would be then alive.
Whilst absorbed in these meditations, I was
startled by mournful wails, almost beside me, and
these were intensified by lamentations, and
shrieks near the door; but, owing to the stygean
darkness which prevailed, I could not see whence
they proceeded.

A strange feeling came over me, and as soon
as I was able, I took flight from what I regarded
as a haunted locality, followed the route the sergeant
had taken, and did not stop till I reached
a culvert, from which I could discern the candle-
lamp of a public-house. I remained there till
about eleven o'clock, when, on hearing the sergeant's
approach, returned to the cottage. "Well,"
said he on arrival, "did you see anyone since."
"No," I replied; "but I heard some strange
lamentations about the place."

"Oh," he remarked, "they must be the curlews
that were singing out."

"Curlews, were they? Why! they seemed to
have been banshees."

Having fastened the cottage, we made our
way to the camp; when the moon rose, her silvery
rays dispersed the clouds into thin air, and made
the night almost as bright as day.

I placed my trousers beneath the pillow, lay
on the bed, and felt indescribably miserable. In
about ten minutes I was startled by a peculiar
sound from the stable. I sat up and listened,
when I heard what seemed the rustle of silk, and
the tread of footsteps coming towards the door.
A few moments elapsed; the string of the door
latch was drawn, the door flew open, and,
"mirabile dictu," I then saw the manes of my
departed friend, in all loveliness, standing before
me, hand raised, and finger extended towards me.
I promptly seized my trousers, in the pocket of
which the diamond ring was, and threw it outside
through the window, when the door closed with
a bang, and the apparition disappeared. I was in
no wise disconcerted, and lay awake till seven
a.m., when the sergeant appeared and instructed
me to proceed to Braidwood for the coroner. I
told him what had taken place; that I was very
ill, and unable to go.

"Well! well!" he said; "it's very strange that,
after I had gone to bed, a female knocked at the
window and said, 'Get up! get up quickly!' when
my wife remarked, 'Well! whether Mrs. Lambert
be dead or alive, that's her voice.'

"I went outside, walked round the house, but
could see no person."

On examination of my trousers, the ring was
still in the pocket, so that tho cause of this
strange psychological manifestation remains a
mystery, and furnishes a problem for medical
science to solve.

Doctor Codrington, the district coroner, a fine
specimen of the gcnus homo, arrived that after-
noon, prescribed fur me, and, on the following
day, an inquest was held, when a verdict of
suicide by drowning was returned, to which a
rider was added that her death was largely due
to her husband's ill-treatment.

At this stage my feelings were shocked by the
arrival of the undertaker with a rude box, which
he designated a pauper coffin, in which he purposed
enclosing the mortal remains of one of the
most beautiful, accomplished, and refined ladies
that ever visited this great colony.

I objected to this barbarous procedure, with
the result that a polished coffin, lined, and properly
mounted, was constructed, for which I paid.
The body was then interred in the cemetery, in
the presence of a large crowd, principally females,
who testified sincere sorrow at the sad end of
Mrs. Lambert.

As a last tribute to the departed, I placed at
the head of the grave a chastely-executed timber
cross, bearing the words: "Here lie the remains
of Mrs. Lambert (nee Elisha Goldstein), whose
death is deeply regretted by the residents. Aged
twenty-three. Erected by a friend."

Nothing was heard of the culprit Lambert
for two months, when he stealthily came to the
Creek at night, and slept at the residence of a
German, named Gustav Bambach, who informed
him there was a warrant for his arrest.

He said, "They will never have a chance of
arresting me."

He authorized in writing Mr. Bambach to
take charge of his cottage and effects, and left
next morning with the intention of going overland
to Melbourne.

A few days later I was informed there was
a human body floating in Champagne's dam. I
hastened thither, and, with assistance, brought it
out, when it was clearly identified as being that
of Lambert.

I placed the body beside a large log, close by,
and covered it with pieces of stringy-bark until an
inquest could be held. The following day the coroner,
seven jurymen, myself, and three witnesses
reached the spot to hold, as Doctor Codrington
remarked, "An inquest, super visum corporis.

The offensive odour of the place denoted the
remains were in an advanced stage of decomposition,
and, to minimise the disagreebleness as
much as possible, the good-natured and thoughtful
medico produced from his wallet a large
bottle of whisky, drank to the health of those
present, and then administered a good dose medicinally
to each of the others as a precautionary
measure. Having performed this function to the
satisfaction of all, he said, after the jurors were
sworn, "Now, gentlemen, we shall proceed to
business, and our first duty is to view the body."

The bark was promptly removed, when a terrible
spectacle presented itself. A monster
snake, of about twelve feet long, was coiled round
the legs, with its head resting on the abdomen.
The serpent raised its head in an arch, disclosed
its deadly fangs and crested mane, and hissed
menacingly. A regular stampede took place for
saplings to dispatch it; but, before anything could
be done, it had entered the log, which was
promptly set on fire at both ends, and in less than
half an hour no fewer than fifteen reptiles, some
very large, were destroyed.

"Well, gentlemen," observed the coroner, with
much gravity in his manner, "in all my experience
in this colony, and elsewhere, I have never seen
or read of so marvellous a spectacle."

"It is," I remarked, " a filling reward for deception
and cruelty, which culminated in the death
of an innocent person, and it reminds me of the
fate of Laocoon, the Trojan prince and priest of
Apollo, who offended Neptune, and was, with
several of his sons, strangled in the coils of two
enormous snakes."

"Well done, my young friend," rejoined the
doctor. "I had forgotten that case."

The inquest was then commenced, the side of
a washing cradle being used as a substitute for
a table, while the jurors sat round him on the
grass. Just as the jurors were considering their
verdict, the implacable Charlie, who had since the
loss of his "Nugget" been seriously indisposed,
was seen to approach, limping, and supported by
a huge crutch.

"Why," said the doctor, "did you leave your
bed?"

"Because," returned Charlie, "I want to be
on the jury to bring in a verdict of murder
against Lambert."

"Oh, that has been already settled; go back
to your bed."

The jury returned a verdict of suicide; the
body was placed in the usual pauper coffin, and
the burial, that afternoon, was marked by one of
the most terrible cyclones it has been my lot to
experience.

The sky became as dark as Erebus; the howling
winds travelled with a force and velocity
which uprooted trees, unroofed houses, and demolished
tents; the peals of thunder filled the air
with a rumbling sound, whilst streaks and flashes
of forked lightning infused terror into the hearts
of the residents, and these dangers of the storm
were intensified by the falling, fast and furious.
of sleet, hail, and pieces of ice, some of which
were four and five inches long.

An ironbark tree beside the cemetery was
shattered by a thunder-bolt, and filled the grave
with its debris. There was a terrible scene of
devastation all round, and many people on the
Creek ascribed the phenomenon to causes other
than the real one. The ways of God, gentle
reader, are inscrutable, while those of men are
deceitful, wicked, and productive, in many cases,
of far-reaching misfortune.

The ''Nugget," whose disappearance from the
Creek with Lambert caused such a shock to Champagne's
sensibilities, was no other than Lambert's
lawful wife, whom he married in Sydney, previous
to his bigamistic contract with the unfortunate
Miss Goldstein.

On hearing of her husband's death, she made
her way from Goulburn to Braidwood, and thence
proceeded to the Creek to claim his cottage and
household effects. While crossing a log that
spanned Jembaicumbene Creek, near Exeter
Farm, she over-balanced herself, fell into the
water, and was found drowned by a Chinese miner
in the locality.

I remained on the Creek for several months
after the events narrated had occurred, when the
Lambing Flat and Forbes gold fields broke out,
causing thousands to flock to these Eldorados.
At the former diggings, the miners in their
strength attacked the Chinese residents, destroyed
their property, and put them to flight, and thus
caused the memorable riot of 1861. All the avail-
able police and military were despatched thither;
highway robberies became of daily occurrence,
and, as a result, I was transferred to Braidwood
to the responsible position of running the gold
escort to Goulburn, sixty miles.
On my return from escort, one afternoon, I
found a gentleman waiting to see me.

He said, "I am Major Alexander, a new
arrival from England, in search of information
regarding a lady named Goldstein, said to have
resided at Major's Creek. I have been to the
place to-day, and was referred to you."

The gentleman was of good appearance, and
of a military cast. I invited him to my room, and,
on taking a seat, I said, ''You shall satisfy me
that you are Captain or Major Alexander before I
tell you anything about the lady you enquire for.
Have you tattoo initials on your right arm?"

He seemed surprised, and replied, "Yes," and
in a moment disclosed to my view the letters, E.G.

''I am now satisfied you are the man who
acted so cruelly towards Miss Goldstein, and is
primarily the cause of her death."

''Your impeachment," he said, "is a serious
one, and the more so because it is diabolically
untrue. I have been the victim of designing
scoundrels, who have sacrificed both her and me
for their own purpose; and if it were not so, I
would not have travelled sixteen thousand miles
in search of her."

"Your argument is a strong and satisfactory
one," I remarked, "and I have now no objection
to state fully all I know of the late Miss Gold-
stein."

When I had concluded he burst into a fit of
sobbing, uttering exclamations: "Oh God! Oh
God! I can now see through the whole plot,
which has destroyed our happiness, and brought
ruin and misery on our families. Mr. Goldstein,"
he continued, "had a manager named Berwick, a
clever young man, who, through his position,
visited their villa frequently, set his heart on Miss
Goldstein, and did all that was possible to obtain
her hand. She rejected his suit, and informed him
of her engagement to me.

''Berwick, during his visits, made presents to
one of the maids, gained her confidence, and was
by her informed of everything that took place between
us; even my letters to Miss Goldstein were
stolen from her desk and sent to him.

"The letter presented by Miss Dubois to Miss
Goldstein, and purporting to be mine, was a
forgery of my handwriting, perpetrated by Berwick,
who was a deceitful, wicked man where his
own interests were concerned. The disappearance
of Miss Goldstein caused a terrible shock to
her father and to myself. Search was prosecuted
in London and the country districts, and a reward
offered without result; the servants were closely
interrogated, when the maid confessed the part
she played in the business. It was evident, there-
fore, that Berwick was the principal; but, on being
questioned, denied absolutely he had hand, act,
or part in the lady's disappearance. He was
promptly dismissed, however, and his movements
in London kept under police surveillance. I received
a letter from a ballet dancer named Made-
line Dubois, stating that Berwick had paid her a
sum of money to act the part of a hypocrite and
villain in the plot. The first tidings received of
Miss Goldstein were contained in a letter to her
father by Mr. Etienne on his return to Marseilles
from Australia about six months ago; but, unfortunately,
there was no father, as Mr. Goldstein,
whose health had broken down after the disappearance
of his daughter, had died some time previously from
injuries accidentally received through a cab collision.

"The letter was seat to me by his executors,
and hence my present sojourn to Australia in
search of that consolation which I am now destined never
to receive."
''But Miss Goldstein," I remarked, "was positive
the letter was in your handwriting, and it
certainly compared accurately with others she
had received from you."

What a pity," said the Major, "you didn't retain the letters."

"It is possible I may recover them, as, when
leaving the Creek, I put them in a mustard tin,
which I concealed in the police paddock."

I accompanied the officer next day to the
Creek, pointed out the grave of Miss Goldstein,
and the modest wooden cross I had erected to her
memory, when he knelt down and kissed the earth
under which the remains of his beloved Elisha
Goldstein rested. I found the packet of letters
intact, and handed it to him. He discovered the
forged one without difficulty, compared it with the
others, and was amazed at the similarity of the
writing, and the note-paper used. He pointed
out, however, several peculiarities which left no
doubt on my mind the document was a singularly
clever forgery.

We returned to Braidwood that afternoon,
when he thanked me most affectionately for my
kindly actions to Miss Goldstein; said he did not
know, under the circumstances, what action he
could take, but on his return to England would
inform me. Nearly forty years have now
elapsed, but I have not heard from the Major;
hence it is I have long since come to one of two
conclusions — that he must have either died of
grief, or, what is more feasible, sought consolation
in the hymeneal bands of connubial felicity
with some other lady.

I have never forgotten the memory of the
beautiful, sensitive, and kind-hearted Elisha, and
feel an innate pleasure in contemplating the many
little services that I, in my youth and inexperience,
rendered to her.

Taken From

REMINISCENCES OF THE GOLD FIELDS

A period of forty-eight years' service as an Officer of Police.
BY MARTIN BRENNAN, Ex SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT.
William Brooks Sc Co. Ltd , 17 Castlereagh Street.
1907.