New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-26
THE CLERGYMAN's CONFESSION.
BY WILKIE COLLINS.
FIRST PART-I.

FIRST PART-I.
My brother, the Clergyman, looked owe
my shoulder, before | was aware of him
and discovered that the volume which com
pletely abb orbed my att antion was a collec
ton OF famous trials, published in new
edition and in popular form.
He laid his finger on the trial which
happened to be reading at the moment
looked up at him; his face startled me. He
had turned pale. His eyes were fixed on
the open page of the book with an expires.
sion which puzzled and alarmed me.
My dear fellow" l said, what in the
world is the matter with your
He answered in an odd, absent manner,
still keeping his finger on the open page.
II had almost forgotten he said. And
this reminds me-"
Reminds you of what" asked. You
don't mean to say you know anything
II know this he said: "The prisoner
was guilty.
GUILTY." l repeated. Why, the man
was acquitted by the jury, with the full APP
prroval OF the judge! What can you pos
sibly meant
There are circumstances connected with
that trial, my brother answered, (which
were never communicated to the Judge or
the iury-which were never so much as
limited or whispered in coa1t l know them
OF my own knowledge, by my own personal
experience. They are very sad, very
strange, very terrible. / have mennont d
them to no mortal creature. l have done
my best TO forget them. You, quite inno-
Gently, have brought them back to my
mind, They Cypress, they distress me. l
wish | had found you reading any book in
your library except that book"
My curiosity was now strongly excited.
lspoke out plainly.
might it not relieve your mind" sug-
gested, iii You admitted some one into
your confidencel You might surely tel
your brother what you are unwilling TO
mention to persons less nearly related to
you. We have followed different profess
sions, and have lived in different countries,
since we were boys at school. But you
know you can trust me-"
He considered little with himself
YES he said. Il know l can trust you"
He waited moment; and then he surprised
me by strange question.
"Do you believe" he asked, 'sthat the
spirits Of the dead can return to earth and
show themselves to the livingl"
l answered MISUNDERSTANDING as nv
own the words of great English writer,
touching the subject of ghosts.
lyon ask me question:" / said, (which,
after 5000 years, is yet undecided On that
account alone, it is question not to be
triaed with"
NV reply seemed to satisfy him.
"YOu suggested just now" he resumed,
''that it might relieve my mind if took
you into my confidence. You may be right
and, as my nearest living relative. you are
certainly the tttest person whom l can
trust. Promise me that you will keep
what tell you secret as long as l live
After my death l care little what happens.
Let the story of my strange experience be
added to the published experience of those
other men who have seen what have seen,
and believe what ! have believed. The
world will not be the worse, and NAV be
the bt tier, for knowing one day what am
now about to confide to your ear alone"
He began his narrative, as ] can remem-
Der, in these words:
On fine summer evening, many years
since, left my chambers in the Temple to
meet fellOw-student, who had proposed to |
me nights amusement in the public gar |
dens at CremOrne
You had then gone out to India, ana l |
had just AIKEN my degree at Oxford. Ihad |
sadly disappointed NY father by choosing |
the law as my profession 10 preference to |
the church. At that time, to own the truth,
| had no serious intention OF following any
special vocation. simply wanted an ex-
cuse for enjoying the pleasures of London
life: The study of the law supplied me
with that excuse. And chose the law as |
nv profession accordingly.
On reaching the place at which we had |
arranged to meet, l found that my friend |
aad not kept his appointment. After wait
ng vainly tor ten min utes my patience
yave way, and l went into the gardens by |
myself.
1 took two or three turns round the plat |
Orm devoted to the dancers without dis
covering my fellow-student and without |
'eeing any other person with whom hap
,ened to be acquainted at that time.
For some reason, which Can not now re-
member, was not in my usual cod spirits
nat evening. The noisy music Jared on
ny nerves, the sight of the gasping crowd |
round tho platform irritated me, the bland
ailments of the painted ladies of the pro-
feesiOn OF pleasure saddened and disgusted
ne. l opened my cigar case and turned
lside into one OF the quiet bywalks of the
gardens.
A man who lie habitualIy careful in choos-
ng his cigar has this advantage over q man
Rho is habitually csrt less. He can always
.ount on smoking the hest cigar in his case, |
lOwn to the last. 1 was still absorbed in
'hooslng my. cigar, WIN n l heard these
vords behind me. spoken in q foreign &C.
emit and in Q womau's vo CO:
leave me directly. sirl l wish to have
lothing to say to you.".
l turned round and discovered q little
ady very simply and tsstefully dressed, /
Who looked both angry and alarmed a. she
apidly passed me on her way to the more
part of the gardens A man
evidently the worse for the WINE he had
trunk in the course of the EVENING" was fol- 1
owing her, and WAS pressing his tipsy at
entions on her with the cosfseet insOien,e
{ speech end manner. She was young and
rettys and she cast one eniresting 1o0k ct
10 = sho vent by, which it was MOI in man
! ought to say, in young
sanhood-to resist.
! instenily stepped forward to protect
disereditabls qpas.sl with ! blsok guard