, 1884-12-21

yOAi ~ uhllt uhCk 20 Dlo IN my netl1
There was one friend TO turn to. Help me,
Basill l come to you as a sister may coma
TO a brother"
A a sister TO a brother,n I echoed. 81
accept the trust" 1 added. laying my lips
re vorertially ON her white forehead, and
vowing mentally to devote my life to her
"You will stay here. nowf' l asked
mo, l must go back Tomorrow l will
come-to-morrow, Basil. my brother, you
will take me far away-fAr awayf'
"Whero you wish. Every land is US one
10 me now
She had given me the right, a brothers
right, to stand between her and the villain
WHIT had wronged her Tomorrow that man
would bo herei How long for the moment
which would bring us face TO facet
Philippe arose. II must 60" she said.
1 pressed food and wine upon her; she
would take nothing. She made, however,
no objection TO my accompanying her to
her home. Weleft the house by the case
ment by which she entered. Together we
stepped out on the snow whitened road.
She took my arm and we walked toward
her home.
l asked her with whom she was staying.
She told mo with a widow lady and two
children, named Wilson. She went to them
at Sir Msrvyn Ferrand's command. Mrs.
Wilson, he told her, was a distant connec-
ton OF his own, and he had made arrange
ments for her to look after Philippa during
her illness.
IL was but another proof Of the mans re-
voting cynicism- To send the woman who
falsely believed herself to be his wife to one
OF his own relatioveI Oh, l would have a
full reckoning with himl
What name do they know you byT' |
asked.
'THe said l was to call myself by the false
name, which, for purposes OF his own, hs
chose to pass under But / felt myself alb
solved from my promise OF secrecy. Why
should | stay in a strange house, with
with strange people, by Sir Mervyn Fer
rand's request, unless / could show good
cause for doing sol So l told Mrs. Wilson
everything.
'She believed your
"She was bound to believe me. ! would
have no doubt cast upon my word. l showed
her the certificate Of my marriage. What
ever she may have thought at first, she saw
then that l was his wife. No one else knows
it except her. To her | am Lady Ferrand.
Like me, she never dreamed OF what mans
villainy can reach. oh. Basili Basiil why
are such men allowed to liver
For the first time Philippa seemed to break
down. Till now the CHIEF characteristics Of
her mood had boon scorn and anger. Now,
sheer grief for the time appeared to sweep
away every other emotion. Sob after sob
broke from her. o~ndoavored to calm her
to comfort her. Alasi how little | could
say or do to these endsl She leaned heavily
and despondingly on my arm, and for a long
while we walked in silencs. At last she told
me her home was close at hand.
Listen. Philippa,n | said; II shall come
in with you and SEQ this lady with whom
you ara staying. l shall tell her l am your
brother; that for some time | have known
how shamefully your husband has neglected
you; and that now. with your full consent,
l mean TO take you away. Whether this
woman believes In our relationship or not
matters nothing. l suppose she knows that
man Is coming tomorrow. After his heart
less desertion, she cannot be surprised at
your wish to avoid meeting him"
l paused Philippe bent her head as IL as
senting to my plan.
Tomorrow l continued, '1ong before
that wretch comes here to poison the very
air we breathe, l shall come and fetch you.
Early in the morning l will send my servant
for your luggage, Mrs. Wilson may know
me and my man by sight That makes no
difference. There need be no concealment
You are free to come and go. You have no
one to fear. On Thursday morning we will
leave this place"
"Yes," said Philippa. dreamily. "to-mor-
row 1 will leave-I will come TO you But
1 will come alone. In the evening. most
likely, when no one will know where l have
gone.n
"But how much better that l should take
you away openly and in broad daylight, as
a brother would take away a sisterr'
mo; / will come to you. You will not
mind waiting, Basil. There is ssmething l
must do first Something to be done to
morrow. Something to be said; some one
to be seen. What Is itI who is It'll l cannot
recollectn
She placed her ~disengaged land on her
brow. She pushed back her head a little,
and gave a sigh Of relief as she felt the keen
air on her temples. Poor grill after what
she had that day gone through, no wonder
her mind refused to recall trivial details
and petty arrangements to be made before
she Joined me. Sleep and the certainty OF
my sympathy and protection would no
doubt restore her wandering memory.
However. although l again and again
urged her TO change her mind, she was firm
In her resolve to come TO mo alone. Atlast,
very reluctantly, l was obliged to give way
on this point; but l was determined to see
this Mrs. Wilson tonight; so when we
reached the house l entered with Philippa-
told her there was no occasion for her To
be present at my interview with the hostess.
She looked frightfully weary, and at my
suggestion went straight to har room to re-
tire for the night. | sat down and awaited
the advent OF Mrs. Wilson. She soon up
peared.
A woman Of about five and thirty; well
but plainly dressed. Al / glanced at her
with some curiosity l decided that when
young sho must. after a certain type OF
beauty, been exceedingly good looking. I'm
fortunately hers was ono OF those faces cast
in an nquiline mold-faces which, as soon
as the bloom OF youth is lost or the owners
thereof turn to thinness, become, as Il rule.
sharp, strained, hungry and severe looking.
Whatever the woman's charms might once
have been she could now boast OF very few.
There were lines around her mouth and
ON her brow which told OF suffering; and.
as l judged 1t, not the calm, resigned suffer
ing which often leaves Il sweet II sad ex.
preston on tho face, but fierce, rebcllious,
constrained suffering, such as turns IA young
heart into an old one long before its time.
As she entered tho room and bowed 10 me
her face expressed undisguised surprise at
seeing a visitor who was II stranger 10 her.
| apologized for the lateneSs OF my call, then
fastened 10 tell her its object. She listened
with polite mpassibility. She made ne
comment when l repeatedly spoke OF my So
styled sister as Lady Ferrand. 1t was clear
that, as Philippe had said, Mrs Wilson was
convinced as TO the valid nature of the mar
riage. l inveighed roundly against Sir
Msryyn Ferrand's heartless conduct and
scandalous neglect Of his wife, My hearer
shrugged her shoulders, and the meaning
conveyed by tho action was that. although
she regretted family jars, they were no con-
Germ OF hers. She seemed quite without in.
terest in tho matter; yet a suspicion that she
was acting, indeed rather over-acting, d
part, crossed my mind once or twice.
When l told her it was Lady Ferrand'
intention To place herself tomorrow under
my protection, she simply bowed. When
said that most likely we should leave Eng.
land. and for "a while travel OIL the continent