, 1884-12-28

- - H. N. .# M. 4H H-.#.. HMH
M, scs IS ! did 50 for my barbarity IN
profaning the blossom-scented arlFith To
bacco smoke,
Then I took from my pocket The London
Ttmcs. which had arrived by tho last post,
and ~istlessly set to work 70 skim Its lengthy
columns.
l had no fear as to what the paper might
contain 1t was not from newspaper 70
ports that ! a~pprehended danger. / had,
however. noticed that Philippe, when she
saw me with n newspaper in my hand, eyed
mo anxiously and i~nquiringly, SO that gem
orally | contrived to glance through it when
sne was atscnt ! never permitted her TO
touch IL until ] had read il; but my only
reason for this prohibition was that | feared
lest some chance allusion to the mysterious
and undiscovered crime might distress her.
her own far fetched fancy that another
might be accused OF 1t gave me not a mo-
ment's u~neasiness.
Sc l turned and doubled back the broad
sheets. l ran down tho topics of the day.
l SKINNED the leading articles 1 glanced
at the foreign news; paid scant attention to
law reports. and disregarded altogether the
money-mnrket Intelligence. At last | turned
my attention % the pro, incial news column.
A name caught my eye; q cold shiver of
dread ran through me.-My cigarette fell
on the marble pavement, aud lay there un
needed, rs, with agitation which no words
can describe, / read "a short paragraph
placed under the heading OF the principal
town OF the county in which Roding was
situated. Headl n4lI ~ I
"Wnliam Evans, the man accused OF the
murder OF Sir Mervyn Ferrand. Bart, IN
January last, will DO tried at these Assizes,
which open on the both. The case. which
excites considerable interest, will be taken
on the first day. 1t is reported that although
fresh evidence against the prisoner will be
forthcoming, 1t will be of a purely eircum-
stantial nature"
Every word OF thet accursed paragraph
seemed like a blow falling upon my head.
For some minute l sat as one stunned. /
felt my teeth chattering. l knew that my
check was blanched. Philippa's fanciful
dread had come TO passl Another-an inno-
cent man-was bearing the blame of her
own mad actl Dazed, stupid, scarcely able
to comprehend what must be tho full effect
of what / had just read, l sat motionless,
with my eyes fixed upon that fatal sheet.
The sound Of my mothers pleasant voice
calling to Philippe at last awoke me from
my stupor. They were coming. | could not
face them. | doubled up the newspaper,
thrust II into my pocket, and rushed out into
the street. As yet l had notdared to imagine
what this intelligence might mean to us. ]
must have long hours of solitude, in order
TO decide what course should be adopted to
face this, tho last, the worst peril.
l pissed swiftly through the iron gate.
went up tho narrow street at a pace which
must have made all who saw me think M
mad. Whittier did | goi l scarcely remem-
Der. l think it must have been to one of the
public gardens, but in that hour all sense OF
locality left me. ] went instinctively in
scaTch OF solitude. found, l know not how
or yhere. some shady deserted spot There,
in the anguish Of my heart, amid the wreck
OF my sand-founded happiness, | threw my
self ON the ground. and dug my finger nails
into the dry, soil.