, 1884-12-30

she drew aside 70 do So Tor tbe
ilrss time ! noticed that she woTas tho very
Iresa Which dad her on thar fatal night.
Although il was utterly unlguited 20 the
almost tropical heat through which we
should have @ trayel, dared not rem2n-
slightest wish should bs my law
Noiselessly l undid the massive studded
wooden gate, which at night time closed tho
-untrancs to tho patio Unseen, We stepped
into tss shady, ns5rqS street OSr uggsE
.~tation, which was only n short distance OF.
wore there only TOO soon.
We had TO wait some time ere the train,
which, following TIM ~example OF tho true
he HURLED, made is appearances. We took
our seats in silence. At last tho dignified
train condescended TO move onward. We
~at side by side. and gnzod aud gazed in the
direction on tho beautiful city from which
We were flying gazsd until we saw the very
last otlt, until oven tho great towering
Girnlda was lost to view. Then, and only
then, ! think we fully realized to what end
we were speeding. ED. ail.u
! & The next three days and nights seem now
little more TO me than a whirling dream.
I On and on we went 10 work out our fate,
over the saine ground which ! had traversed,
with scarcely less agitated feelings, some
months ago. / ground my teeth when j
thought how little my strenuous and SEEM
ihgly successful efforts had awaited Now,
not from any omission OF -precaution; not
because the law compelled; not by the exer-
cise OF force; but simply on account Of the
great dictum Of right and wrong, we were,
OF our own accord, retracing our steps TO
face the danger from which we had fed.
oh, bitter irony OF destiny l. OBJ.
What was money TO me nowi Nothing
only one. that gold which l lavished 50
freely on that Journey. It could assure that
Philippe and 1 might travel alone. 1t could
give US privacy for the time TINT journey
Yet although alone, we spoke but little.
Our thoughts were not such as can be e1-
pressed by words. Her hand in mine, her
head on my shoulder-sleeping when we
could sleep, waking, and looking into each
others faces-knowing that every milo of
sunny or starlit country over which we
passed brought US nearer to the end Ahi l
understood then how 1t is that lovers who
are menncod by some great sorrow can kill
themselves, and die smiling in ench others
armsl We might have done so; but our
deaths would have left to perish that
stranger whom we were speeding to save.
SO, as In a dream, the hours, the days, the
nights, went by. We might AVE been trav-
cling through tho fairest scenery in the
world, or through the most arid desert |
scarcely troubled to glance out of the car
riage window. The world for mo was in
side. rN N
II was after we left ~Paris-Paris, which
to-day seemed almost within stones throw
of L~ondon-that l aroused myself and
braced my energies to discuss finally with
Philippa our proper plan OF action. felt
that my right course would be to go straight
to some solicitor, tell tho tale, and ask him
to put matters in train. But I'could not
bring myself TO do this Our secret was as
yet our own. Moreover, through tho misery
of those hours, one ray Of hope had broken
upon me. II Philippe could be brought to
yield TO my guidance, TO follow my ~instruc-
lions, 10 was not beyond the bounds Of pos
sibility that we might be saved, and saved
with clean hands. ... d..
Dearest" I whispered. '~to-night we
Her fingers frightened on mine, And at
T~ewnhamF she said. "We shall be In
timer s.. f.. Ua mid IlH.
fInample time. But, Ph1ippa, lIsten-"
"Basil. as you love me, not one word to
tempt, to dissands mef' ID.
Not one; but listen. Sweetest, If you
will b guided by me, even now all may go
''"The poor man who Is standing in my
plAcef' aa lsf lo. uo
YES; listen. Heaven forbid that Ishould
tempt you, Think; he is, no doubt, u man
of a Iowly station in life Philippa, l am
rich, very rich f.
al do not understand you,n she said,
pressing her land 10 her brow.
Money will compensate for anything.
Let him stand his trial. He is innocent II
there Is justice in the land, he may, he must
BIZ the agony Of mind he must pass
throughi'
For that l viii pay him over and over
again. He may be but a country boor, to
whom a thousand pounds would be mex
haustibIe wealth. But. whatever his sta
ton, tho compensation sent TO him by an
unknown hand shall make him bless the day
which laid him under the false accusation
Reflect, look at the matter in every light. |
swear 10 you that, in my opinion. we may,
with n clear conscience, await the result Of
the trial. u' H
She sig he'd. but made no answer. Her
silence was a joy TO me. IL told mo that my
s~pecious argument carried weight took
her hands and kissed them. l told her again
and again that I loved her; that my life as
we'll as hers depended on her yielding.
1t was long before she yielded. The thought
of a fellow-creature lying In prison, perhaps
for months, and tomorrow to stand In
shame before his judges, on account OF a
deed which she herself had done, was anguish
to her noble nature. Then. growing desperate
at seeing the only plank which could save
us from wreck spurned for the sake OF what,
in my present mood, ! was able to believe
too finely strained a scruple, / used my last
and, as ! rightly judged, my most powerful
argument. l told her that IL would be not
only she who would suffer for that uncon-
scious act, but that /, her husband, must pay
tho penalty due from an accessory after the
crime.
Heaven forgive me for the anguish my
words caused that loving hearth Philippe,
i'll hHOll INC lAAFIAlEtIA0S u AA1 iii ldAA
like n thunderbolt, sank back in her seat.
pale and trembling. Had 1 ever doubted
that my wife's henrt- whole love was my own
tina look would have dispelled the doubt
She prayed and besought me to leave her
at the next station; to let her finish the jour
ney and make her avowal alone. My reply
was short, but sufficiently long TO put all
hope OF my consenting to such a course out
of her head. Then, for my sake, she yielded.
o one condition-one only, she said
IRA Uftfdhd Inv mo in fhiq In all else YOU
shall do as you hke.pl -
81 must be in the court, Basil. / must
hear the trial. II the worst happen, there
must not be the delay Of a moment; then
and there l must proclaim the truth"
"You shall be at hand-close at hand. l
will be present. as
mol I must be there. ! must hear and
sec all. II the man is found guilty, ! must,
before his horrible sentence is pronounced.
stand up and declare HIS innocence r 4
IAN that could be done afterwards
mo; IL must be done then. Basil. fancy
put yourself in his placed Nothing could
atone for his anguish at hearing himself
condemned to death for a crime he knows
nothing OF. / must be there. Promise me l
shall be there, and for your sake l viii do as
you wish.
II was the best concession l could get, ]
promised. ! concealed the fact that II, when
sentence was pronounced, a woman rose in
the body of the court, and asserted the pris
oner's innocence and her own guilt, the
probabilities were she would be summarily
elected. This made NJ difference. Lot
Philippa be silent; let the man be found not
guilty. and tho next train could bear tns
back TO Seville.
Yes, even now there was hopel -rI .
n--n .