, 1884-12-25

glad I was to leave 1T n turn my facs
south ward. Philippa was by now In appa-
rsntly good health, both bodily and mental,
bot while at Madrid I trembled for her. as I
should tremble for any one I love- xvho
made that city a resting plaoe-a city swept
from end to end by crafty, treacherous. 10y
winds blowing straight from the Guadar-
rama mountains; insidious blasts in which
turk the seeds OF consumption and death
So at our leisure we went southwark. halt
ing at such places and seeing such sights as
we thought ht; lingering here and there just
20 long as IL suited US, travelling by easy
stages and In such comfort as We could
command At Malaga we spent weeks, rev
cling in the.balmy, delicious air at Grnna-
da we were days and weeks before we could
tear ourselves away from the interesting,
absorbing glories of the departed Moor. We
were in a new world-a world which 1 had
always longcd to see. At last-it was just
at the end OF April, when the land was full
OF roses, when vegetation was breaking into
that rich luxuriance unknown In the north
ern lands-we turned our steps to the city
which ! had in my own mind fixed upon as
the end OF our wanderings, the half Spanish,
half Moorish, but wholly beautiful city Of
Seville; brilliant, romantic Seville, with its
nower-bedecke houses. its groves of orange
and olive trees, its luxuriant gardens, its
- RR@@' A1A = y 10 AkR 10 NAAAAN
its numerous towers, all of which sink into
insignihcance under tho shadow Of tho lofty
Giralda- All 1 wanted seemed TO be here.
Here was everything for the sake OF
seeking which I had professed TO leave
foggy Englnnd-sun. warmth, color, bright
ness. Here l thought. II In any place in
the world, will the one / love forget what
she knows OF the cruel past Here 1t may
be our new life shall begin.
- III
charm Of the place fell on my companions
as It fell upon me, rs indeed IL falls upon all
who visit IT. By common consent we ar
ranged TO stay our course for an Indefinite
time. Perhaps by now we all thought W.
had enduredenough OF hotel life. and wanted
some place which might bear the name OF
home. so. although such things are not very
easy to find. l hired a furnished house.
Such a housed
From the narrow street.-The necd Of shade
makes narrow streets indispensable to So
ville-pass through n light opcnwork iron
gate into n spacious white marble lined
courtyard, or, as the Spaninrds call II,
patio. a courtyard open 10 the sky. save for
the gayly colored awning which Is some
timcs spread over it; n space fragrant to the
four corners with the perfume of orange aud
other sweet smelling blossoms, bright with
glowing ~oleanders, and musical with tho
murmur OF fountains Around the walls
statues, some OF tho fair works OF art, paint
ings and mirrors. Every sitting room In
the house opening on 10 this cool central
fairyland-a fairyland which, for many
months OF the year, is almost tho only part
OF the house used in their waking hours by
the Sevillanoa Add To this a garden. not
large but exquisite, full Of tho rarest and
choicest blossoms, and II you arc not hope
lessly bigotcd, and ennmored Of English
foKs, you must long for such n homo In
courtly, beautiful Sevillei
With such surroundingsEalmost thoso Of
a Syharite-who can blam0 mo for being
lulled into security. II not f~orgetfulness, and
for telling myself that my troubles wore
nearly at an endl Who can wonder at the
castles ! built rs hour altar hour / loungcd
in the patio, with its fragrant, soothing at
mosphere and gaEod at Philippa's beautiful
face and now and again meeting her dark
eyes, and Hometimes surprising in those
thoughtful depths a look which thrilled my
heart-a look which ! told myself was ono
OF lovel
True, that ofton and often In my sleep l
saw the white, dead face, with the snow
heap forming over II. True, that often and
often Philippa's wild cry, "The n OF
simon, on, onr' rang through my dreams,
and Iawok trembling in every limb; but
In the daytime. In tho midst OF the sweet
shaded repose, l could almost Danish every
memory, every thought which strove to lead
me back TO grief and horror.
The days. each ono sweoter than fits fore
runner. passed by. Each day was passed
with Philippa- We wandered for hours
through the marvellous gardens Of the Al
cnzar; we drove under the shading troes Of
Las Delicias; wo made excursions 20 Italica
and other places. which tho guide-book tolls
you every visitor b Seville should see; but l
think we found In tho ordinary sights, which
were at our very door, ms much pleasure rs
In any OF the stock shows. We loved to
watch the people. We delighted in tho pic
turesque, ragged Hooking, black-eyed Anda-
lusian boy-rascals who played and romped
ut every street corner. We noticed the ex-
quisitely graceful figures of the Sevillanas;
!, moreover, noted that the most graceful Of
those figures could not be compared to Phil
ippa's own We strolled up the awning
rooted Gale do las Siorpes, and laughed at
the curious windowless little shops. Every
thing was 10 strange. 30 bright, so teeming
with old-w world tradition, 30 full OF intenso
interest that no wonder I could for tho
time send painful memories TO the back
ground
And Phillppal Although there were
times whom her face grow sad with snd re-
membranes; although at times hor eye
sought mine with that troubled, inquiring
look; although l srembled as 10 what might
be the question which l seemed to SEQ her
lips about TO form; I did not, could not be-
lieve she was entirely unhappy. Tit smile
IA quiet, thoughtful ono. yet a smilo-was
oftoner seen on her fnce. II came now OF ita
own accord More and more certain ! grow
that, IL nothing recalled the past or I
should say, II nothing filled tho blank, 50
msrcifully left, Of that one night, the hour
was not far distant when my love would
call herself happy. Oh, TO keep that fatal
knowledge from her ~foreveri
Such WA my life. SO, In calm and peace,
all but happiness, the days passed by, until
the hour came when for the third time l
dared 20 tell Philippa that / loved her-to
tell her so with tho certainty OF hearing her
re-echo my words. Yes, certainty. Had !
not for many days seen her eyes grow
brighter, tho grave, thoughtful look leave
her face, her Whole manner change whom l
drew neari Such signs as these told me
that the GROWING moment of my life WINS
al hand
Here for one moment l pausa- scorn to
excuse myself for wishing TO marry a woman
who had beon, or supposed herself 10 have
been, the Innocent victim OF n scoundrolly
man OF the world. Ihave nothing in com
mon with those who think Auch an excuse is
needed. Mrs Wilson's statement that tho
marriage was valid might be true or false.
IL gave me the impression that IL was true,
and l believed that Philippa could lay claim
10 bear the mans accursed name. But
whether she was Lady Ferrand, or n trust
ing woman betrayed. for my own sake I
cared little She was P%hilippai
As to my intention Of marrying. my one
wish 10 marry a woman who, in her tenn
porary and fully-accounted-for delirium,
had killed the man who 50 cruelty wrongod
her. | have but this to say. ny tale, al
though l give IL to the world, is not written
for the purpose Of fiction II Is the story
OF myself-a story which seemed TO me
worth felling-of a man who loved one