, 1884-12-25

CHAPTER VI.
THE SECRET KEPT.
Il Is needless to say that when l awoke the
next morning my frst thought was OF Phil
ippa; but my first action was to go to my
window and look at the skies. My heart
sank within me as ! saw that the snow had
ceased falling. and the wintry sun was shin
ing. l threw up the sash; tho cold air cut
me like a knife. l gathered up a handful Of
snow from the window-sIll Il crumbled in
my fingers like tooth-Dowder. I guessed at
once that a hard black frost had succeeded
the snow, ran down stairs and glanced at
my thermometer outside my sitting-room
window. It registered twelve degrees of
frost Ny spirits rose; I felt that Philippa
would be saved. The wind was due east;
so long as It stayed there the frost would
last, and that white tomb on the roadside
hide the secret Of the dreadful night.
found, moreover, that Philippa's condi-
ton was all that could, under tho circum-
stances. be hoped for. Since she had awak-
ened from that long sleep into which the
opiate had plunged her, there had boon no
recurrence OF the decisions; no symptoms
which gave mo any alarm She was, Of
course, weak in body. but quite quiet and
collected She spoke but little, and tho few
words which she did speak had no bearing
IN forbidden or disturbing subjects.
Day after day went by, and still tho brave
black frost held the world In its iron grip,
and kept the secret OF tho night Morning
aftor morning l woke to find the wind still
blowing from the east, the skies clear and
showing every evidence of a long spell Of
hard weather. A presentiment that we
should be saved was now firmly established
In my mind. The heavens themselves seemed
70 be shielding Us and working for Us.
have not given the year In which these
things occurred; but many who can remem-
Der that mighty fall Of snow, and the time
which the frost kept It on the earth, will be
able TO fix the date. Since that yoar there
has been no weather like IT.
Day by day Philippa grew better and
stronger. Ispare you, as / promised to, all
description which Is not absolutely necessary
OF my treatment Of my patient. and all
technical summary Of the case; but before
many days had gone by 1 knew that as 1
hoped, / had to deal with ono OF those rare
Instances In which the balance OF the mind
l. restored by forced sleep, and the COM
plete restoration OF health Il but a matter
OF time and care.
As soon as Il became a certainty that all
danger TO life or reason was at an end !
began TO consider what course to adopt
The moment she was we'll enough to risk
the louIuoys OF eNtut II tuhW set IN Detoft
then. Philippa must fly from tho scene of
the tragedy in which she had played so tor
rible, yet morally irresponsible, a part We
must put land and seas between oursel YES
and the fatal spos But how to persuade
her hat such a flight was absolutely neces-
saryl Brother and sister as we now termed
ourselves, would she ever consent TO accom-
pany mo Ab-cadl Had / tho right TO put the
woman Iioved in such m equivocal positioni
MOI a thousand lin - mol And yet ! knew
thsre was no safety Tor her in England; and
with whom could she leave England save
with met
dared not urge upon her my true reason
for flight It was my greatest hope that the
events OF that night had left her mind when
the madness left her. mover to be recalled
And now time was pressing; ton days had
passed by. The glorious frost still kept our
counsel. but 1t could not last forever. Tho
time must come when the white heaps OF
snow would melt and vanish away. and then
Sir Mervyn Ferrand's cold dead lace would
appear, and tell the tale OF his death to the
first passer by.
l had scarcely quilted the house since that
night Yet one day a kind OF morbid fas-
cination had led me to walk along the road
toward Roding, and TO halt at What /
judged to be the spot where ! laid the dead
man by the sido Of tho road. ! fancied /
could single out the very drift under which
that awful thing lay, and q dreary tempta-
ton to probe the white heap with my stick,
and make sure, assaulted me. I resisted 1t,
and turned away from the spot
There was n certain amount OF traffic on
the road. By now the snow had been
beaten down by cart wheels and peoples
feet, so that It was quite possible to walk
from one place to another. As l reached
tha hon. f-cr, xrbfab phfIfnpo na1 - ooar
refuge with mo, / encountered Mrs. Wilson.
l was going to pass without any sign Of
recognition, but she stopped me.
Il thought you wero going TO take your
sister nwnyf she sal /.
Lady Fcrrand WINS unfortunately taken
very III when she left you. She Is now harl-
ly we'll enough to be removed"
Has she heard from Sir Mervyni' asked
Mrs. Wilson, abruptly.
MOT TO my knowledge replied.
cit IL strange. You know. / suppose. that
he was expected at my house that nightf'
"Certainly l do. II was for that reason
my sister left you"
Mrs. Wilson looked at me thoughtfully.
''She will not meet him againr'
"Nevor,n ! said. thinking as l spoke that
my words bore a meaning only known 70
myself.
DOCS she hate himF she asked. sud
denly.
she has been cruelty wrongol." I said,
svasively.
She laid her hand on my arm. "LiSton,"
she said. III | thought she hated hin !
would see her before she leaves, AMI toll her
toinething. II | thought he hated her l
would tell him. l will wait and see."
She turned away and walked on, leaving me
TO make tho best OF hor enigmatical words.
bhe was o~vlisntly a strange woman, AMI J
felt more surs than ever was in soma way
mixed up with Sir Morvyn Ferransrs early
life. l had a great mind 10 follow hsr and