, 1884-12-31

ippa, with her thick veil falling down to her
chin, and 50 defying ~recoRnition, sank wear
iy into her scat. I played myself beside
her; my hand crept undbr the cloak she
wore and held her hand
Surely, it was all n dreamra dreadful,
realistic dreaml l should wake and hnd
myself under the great orange tree in that
courtyard In gay Seville, my half-smoked
reading lying at my feet; my mother oppo-
site me, laughing at my ~somnolency, aid
Phlippa's grave dark eyes looking with
calm everlasting -love into my own
should wake and ind the cool Of the evening
had succeeded to tho glare Of the afternoon
We should walk through the merry streets,
lounge In the Alameda, wander through the
glowing Alcazar gardens, or drive out miles
and miles over tho fertile smiling plains Or
l hou evan wake and find myself modelling
over my fro In my lonely cottage, the stolid
Wiliam the only human creature within
hail; ~Phtlippa's return, the snow storm, the
dreadful discovery, the flight. Seville, the
marriage-all, all a dreami
In n kind OF stupor-the temporary reac-
ton, i suppose, consequent upon such fatigue
and trouble-I gazed around me-, and won
dered whore l was.
What is this great empty building, lit
from one side by large clerartory Windows
raised boxes on either side OF the building
Of ecclesiastical designf What are these
dull gray vacant walls, that lofty ceiling,
crossed and cut into small squares by dark
~rafters, this loaded floor on which feet
fall all but noiselesslyf What are those
those small rallied platforms all but adjoin-
ing Thorn, and all but ad joining that paneled
oak structure at tho end facing mel
What is hat rectangular box shaped
erection with overhanging carved cornicei
Let US away from this dismal, c~olorlegs
PLACED Let mo wake and find myself amid
the flowers, orange trees, the fair sights and
surroundings OF our Spanish home.
Mol ! have but to turn my dazed eyes to
the centre Of space In which we sat to know
that ] am dreaming no dream; that wo must
wait here and learn our fates. That oblong
wooden enclosure with high sides, topped by
n light iron railing, brings reality back to
me. IL is tho prisoners dock. fn an hours
time n man will stand there. He will be
brought up those stone stops which lead to
IL from below, the topmost flag of which l
can Just see. He will stand there for hours.
As he leaves the dock, declared innooont or
guilty, so will our lives be declared happy
or miserable.
My hand holds my wife's yet closer, for
the last minutes which may be ours to
spend together are slipping by so fast 50
very fasti
See. the clock under .the balcony marks
hnlf-past nine. The all but dekerted court
begins 10 assume the nppearahco Of pro
pairing for business. Policemen and other
officials pass to and fro, some arranging
papers, some replenishing ink-bottlos, and
placing quill pens ready for the barristgts
tAAAA H0AAlAbDAn VIM Will nOOn III a. VII
seats. Some one, with what seems to me
bitter irony, places q magnificent bouquet
of flowers on either hand Of the judged va
cant chair. What havo flowers In common
with such a scene as thisi Flowers, too,
which arc beautiful enough to recall to
my mind tho fair Spanish homo. which,
maybe, we shall see no moro. Flowors In
this den of sorrowl Rather should every
scat, every beam. DO draped in black
Now the doors Of each sid of tho court
nVA nnI rorRnfa aana hrna a aHfrf IA I "a n
OF many feet. People. in a Continuous
stream, pass through the entrance, and
wend their way to the portion of the court
allotted 10 tho general public. So fast. 40
thick they come, that in ten minute this
space is thronged almost TO suffocation.
Philippe and / pressed closer and closer TO
each other, rs overy inch OF the bench on
which We nre seated is appropriated. Tho
court Is full.
Crowded by respootable-lookinR. we'll
dressed people, who lave gained admission,
as ] heard, by favor of tho sheriff. Yot
respectable as they are, each man, each
woman. rushes in eagerly and strives for
the best available seat. And for what rea.
sont To SEQ and hear a poor wretch tried
for his lifel In my bitter mood 1 look with
hate on these sensation seekers. I hate them
even moro when Think that their morbid
craving for excitement may be- satisfied with
such food as they little expect; and ! clinch
my teeth as | picture tho scene at that mo-
meut when Philippn, in pursuance OF hor
immovnhle resolution, rises. and makes her
effort to proclaim her own guilt and the
convicted mans innocence. Although
strive 70 force the picture from my mind,
by telling myself that Justice cannot err,
that the man will DO acquitted, yet again
and ngnin the dread of the worst HoiEes mo,
and l hate every face in that crowd, which
may, by and by, DO gaping. with looks Of
wonder and curiosity, at tho woman Lowell
As in n haze / SEQ some faces which are
familiar to me. A numbe OF gontlefnon
enter and seat themselves on tho benches
which counsel usually occupy. Some fow OF
these ! knew by sight They arc country
gentlemen from the neighborhood of Rod
grand jury. see also tho hin faced, hawk
isb-looldng woman who calls herself Mrs.
Wilson. l am thankful that she takes a
seat In front Of us and does not SEQ us. She,
like ourselves, must know that an innocant
man is this day nbou to DO tried.
So for half an hour | sit, gazing now at
tho crowd OF people. now at the empty dock
and vacant bench in front Of me; listenipg
ing 10 tho hum Of voices which rises from
the packed court; longing for tho moment
to come when this dreadful suspense may
end; yet all the same dreading and willing
to put OF that moment. And all tho while
Phllippa, in her black garb, close to mo and,
unseen by our ~neighbors, holding my band.
Hnshi The door at the back OF the bench
opens, and at ten o'clock to the minute the
black-robed judge appear. He bows to tho
court. seats himself, and by his action signi-
fles that he "a ready to begin the business Of
the day. No trembling prisoner In tho dock
ever canned tho judges face with moro
anxiety than l scan his lordship's at this
present moment.
An old man, too old, it seems to me, for
such a responsible post; an amiable, pleasant
looking mah-not, / venture to think, one
who can bear the reputation Of being a
changing judge ! breathe n prayer that
he may this day be able to direct Alright the
course Of justice.
Hushi Hushi Silence In the courti Oh,
my poor. sweet wife, let me grasp that hand
yet closer, for the moment which for days
md nights has never been absent from our
minds has comol What will 1t bring US 7