Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-01-13
CHAPTER V.


The day seemed very long to Esther YET
she tried, by employing herself in various
ways, to maintain her cheertulness and ward
off the uuaccountable feeling of unrest and
anxiety which oppressed her; unaccountablc
because, on selfexamination, she was Obliged
to own that it was mere prejudice, as Ray
mond had said, which so powerfully influenced
her against the Spaniard, since he had really
done nothing to awaken her mistrust or sus'
picion. Dislike to him she mi ght feel, yet it
was surely unjust to believe any evil Of a
person of whose character she literally knew
nothing. Reasoning thus with herself, and
recalling all her husbands arguments, she al
most succeeded, at last, in arriving at the con-
cusion that she was foolishly tormentlng her.
herself about nothing, and that the benefit
which Raymond would derive from an intro
duction to the person whom he had gone to
visit, would quite compensate her. in the fu.
ture, for the (to herr disagreeable channel
through which it was obtained.
! She schooled herself into the persuasion
that her husband would not be able to return
that evening, so as to avoid disappointment
should this prove to be the case. And yet,
when twilight came, she could not help sta
tioning herself by window, which comman-
ded view of the road, and anxiously watch
ing and hoping for some sign Of his ap-
proach. She had the table spread as usual
for two, deferring her own meal in the hope
that he might arrive to share it with her, and
placed his easy chair and slippers in readiness
at his corner of the fireplace, where cosy
little fire. more for the sake of cheerfulness
than warmth, was kept burning; but still the
hours wore on without bringing him, and at
last she was forced to partake Of her dinner
alone, though feeling small appetite for any
of the viands placed before her; and even
when she had finished, she would not allow
the cloth to be withdrawn, but had the table
kept ready 80 that Paul might be quickly
served if he came in late.
"rhe Senior will not come tonight, Selora,
said Picciola, when she saw these prepara'
tiOns.
"Why not?" asked her mistress.
/ because the roads over the mountains
Wonder are dark and lonely, and dangerous
after nighttull If he could not reach the
valley while it was yet light, it was wiser in
him to wait until the morning to return"
llC kIONS all lHCSC IOdtlS 81 Mcll,
Esther, "that | don't think they would be
dangerous for him to travel, even as late as
this"
but Sonora, there are some fearful chasms
and steep slides there, where person might
fall and perish, and no one would ever know
their fate; and there are wicked people, too
who wait there sometimes in the night to rob
and murder Travellers / have heard of many
SUCH"
7 Esther shuddered "Do not speak of such
dreadful things, for heavens sake, Picciola, y
she exclaimed. you make my blood run
cold."
you," said the girl earnestly. 81 thought you
knew about those dangers before. only
want to show you how much better it is that
the Senior should not venture to come at this
hour He is wise, and knows how to avoid
riSking his safety. Go to bed early and sleep
well, Seiiora and you will waken tomorrow
to see him return safe and sound
! "I wonder when he will come" sighed her
mistress.
GLOW far off is it?" asked PiccioIa.
"Twenty miles or so, believe"
"rhen he will be here before noon, unless
he should spend part of the day there, and
leave in the afternoon. Then he will be here
at twilight"
81 know he will come as early as he can,
said Esther; because he was very unwilling
to stay away tonight, if he could have avoid
ed it,"
"Yes," said Picciola; 81 think he will
come by twelve o'clock"
CheriShing this hope, Esther at last persua-
ded herself to retire She knew Raymond
could easily obtain an entrance whenever he
came, though after what Picciola had told
her, she now dcvoutly hoped he had postponed
his homcway Journey until the following day.
She slept brokenly until near morning, when
deep Slumber overlook her. bringing with
it, however, vision which she would gladly
have kept awake to avoid
She dreamed that she was walking in o
lonely place, along road bordered on one
side by steep wall of rocks, and on the 9TH
er by one of the fearful precipices which Pic
ciola had spoken Of She walked for some
distance without seeing or hearing anything,
until suddenly her own name, uttered III a
loud imploring voice, fell upon her ear. Start
led. she hurried on the cry was repeated, and
this time she recognized her husbands voice.
On she went, impellcd by namelcss fear.
Before her was :; bend in the road, and as she
reached it, she saw before her tablcau which
seemed to freeze the litc.blood in her veins.
At the very edge Of the chasm knelt Paul,
and over him, in Il threatening attitude, stood
Ala>qucz, cluching him firm y in one power
ful hand, while with the other he brandished
aott what looked like a sort Of hunting
knife, as if ready to plunge it into his body.
There was brief, desperate struggle. She
sprang forward to intcrpose her aid but ere
she could reach her husband his antagonist
had triumphed, and with an exultng yell had
prccipiatcd him into the yawning space be-
low. \ wild cry broke from her lips. In ut
lcrlng it she woke, with cold dew breaking
from every pore, and found the early sun
shining into the window of her room, as if to
rcproach her, with its cheerful aspect, for the
groundlcss terror which had seized her.
Intensely relieved at the removal of so
u dreadful burden from her heart yet still
trembling in every limb from the agitation
Hhc had felt, she quickly arose, and having
hsrformed her toilet, hastened down stairs.
anne was lovely morning. The sky was blue
l'tte' clear, and the scent Of the flowers in the
man., front garden, and the song of birds in
lcled t!nrrounding trees, came in through the
ant igws which had been raised to admit the
Ur. Picciola had already spread the
nurmure't table and placed in the centre OF
lng'r room J cloth, vase Of flowers, which she
to oel'e'e sred. Everything looked cheerful
pom me "' Y, as she loved to see it.
e only an carlv picciola " she said with