The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-03-28

with the hostess. He was little sur
nrised. though not particularly, to md
HAT neither of them made any offer to
him to the lady, who still stood,
tn no way recognizing their presence,
Inv the Preside. The host invited Mr.
Heaphey to give his arm to the hostess,
and thew passed into the dining-room.
"sYou see said the hostess, as they
took their seats at the table, we have no
one here and it is very kind OF you 10
come and give us your company, ana 10
do us this favor. when we really nave no
return to make you inthe way OF enter
tainment.
Gas the lady at the freside, had en-
tered the room with them and was at
that moment sitting directly opposite to
Mr.. Heaphey, all these remarks seemed
to him most extraordinary. He affected,
however, not to perceive anything
strange in this conversation and dinner
went on, the mysterious lady taxing no
part whatever in the talking, ana, so
far as Mr. Heaphey could see, being IN
no way recognized by the host, the host
ess or the servants who waited at the
table. 49,,
"A smay be imagined, this did not
tend to enhance Mr.. Heaphey,s comfort
at dinner. 1t was impossible Tor him TO
allude to a person who seemed to exist
only in his own perceptions, and yet
who manifested in the expression OF her
countenance no sort Of consciousness OF
this extraordinary neglect When they
retired to the drawng-room alter am
ncr, one or two persons coming III from
the neichborhood, conversation became
general. The mysterious lady moved
about from point to point, once or twice
speaking with Mr.. Heaphey, but never,
50 far as he could see, exchanging a word
with any other person present. by the
time that he retired to his room. Mr..
Heaphev was profoundly upset by this
most unaccountable of all the exper-
fences through which he had yet passed
in connection with his mysterious visit
of the summer Determined, II he
could, to satisfy himself whether he was
or was not the victim of an hallucina-
ton, he made some excuse for speaking
to the footman, who was arranging his
clothes before leaving him for the night
about the lady who had dined there
The footman looked at him unintelli-
gently at first, and then, with a curious
, almost quizzical expression, assured Mr.
Heaphey that he had not the least idei
what he was speaking of, as he didn'
know that any lady was staying IN tn
| house, and as one or two ladies who haC
: called during the evening had driver
4 home to their residences. Seeing tina
: he. was to get no light from this quarter
Mr.. Heaphey was silent, remained il
: the house two or three days, finished tn
e portrait which he had undertaken t
e paint in water colors and left.
It "From time to time all the clrcum
), stances of this strange acquaintanc
e would recur tohim, but he never cared t
&c dwell upon them in his own mind. Stl
Is less did he dream Of communication
y them to any one else. He could nc
Is regard them as purely delusion of n
10 own Imagination, for there in his di
4, patch box was the engraving frol
81 Heath's Book of Beauty there W.
n the half-finished sketch OF face whic
in had imprinted itself with an almost tie
d. rible distinctne5s upon his memory; an
70 yet he felt that to hint at any Of the CT
d. cumstances Of his unparalleled advel
lures would expose him in the minds
III other people to suspicious which, b.
for tho~material evidence there befo
him, he would be very apt to enterta
I'd himself.
y so the time passed on. Once
I'D twice, taking the sketch up, Mr.. Ht
phey had worked upon it until it W
ne we'll advanced to completion. He ney
* took it up excepting under a stress
ot feeling which he could neither def
nor resist; he never laid it away aga
| except with a sense Of relief and satisf;
toni sEarlysin the ensuing winter \
nd Heaphy was called to the West of FL
of land to keep an engagement made 10
/. before with Il friend who resided,
he think, somewhere in the Marches
Ir. Wales. He started on his journey FRI
ap- some point--the name Of which | CT
ley not now recall, for it is many years sill
lde Mrs. Murray told me this story--in
ley eastern or midland counties. At
as events, he left this point on Saturd
/: and his route led through the anci
ch? little cathedral city of Iitchtield.
lin. reaching Litchfeld great was Mr.. H
, pheys disgust to find that he could mi
self no connection westward until Mono
ind morning. This condemned him to +
r it Sunday at Litchdeld, prospect VIII
and he was not enough of a philosopher
was accept with satisfaction, for there re;
ous, is not much in l4itchfield to interest
and traveller except the cathedral, W
de- in sight of whose walls Lord Bro
ter was shot in the civil war--and
APP is very fine cathedral-and the Ii
| to square in Which the stalwart statue
his DR.. johnson stands, bearing witness
and the eminence and to the oddities of I
| to illustrious leviathan. There are two
three very decent inns in Litchheld, h
ent, ever, and in one of these-I think
} in Swan--Mr. Heaphey made himsel
two comfortable as the circumstances We
ages permit. He ordered the usual Bri
8 Of dinner, with the usual soup, the III
lpes- fish, and the usual joint, enlivene
hich with Il pint Of dry champagne, pic
and up the county history, and settled
ugh self for quiet evening and soda
phey smoke, He had hardly got through
l the the dinner when the waiter, to his as
'out, ishment, came in with carbon sal
rails, Taking up this card, Mr. Heaphey
aller on it the name Of 4 gentleman