Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-03-13
DARK DAYS
BY HUGH CON AY.
-Aathos' of "Called Back. y
[Continusd from last aceek. ]
CHAPTER x.

Continual from last aoeek.
CHAPTER X
THE SWORD FALLS.
Once conquered-once convinced that
the obstacles which her solicituds for my
welfare raised against my wish were not
Observation-Disclosures offered no further re-
sistance; while as for me, every day that
might be counted before [ called her my
wife seemed a day spoiled, if not entirely
wasted With my mothers arguments to
back my own fervent persuasion, l had no
difficulty in winning Philippa's consent to
our marriage taking place as soon as the
needful formalities could be complied with
And yet although the day was fixed, it
was at my instance changed, and the cere-
mony postponed for awhile
My reason for deferring my browning
happiness was this. Knowing all that 1
knew, the question arose, under what name
was Pnilippa to be married! Unler her
own maiden name, I'm Ter the false name
which for some time Sir Mervyn Ferrand,
for reasons best known to himself had
made her assume; or under that name
which, supposing Mrs. Wilson had spoken
the truth, she was legally entitled to bear?
So anxious, 50 resolved was | that there
should be no shadow of doubt as to the
validity of her second and happier mar
riage, that after due consideration deter
mined to sacrifice my own inclination, and
postpone our wedding long enough to give
me time to pay flying visit to England,
where 1 could do my best to obtain such
evidence as would show that Phiippa was
the dead mans widow.
made the excuse that I found many mat
ters of business connected with my property
must be attended to before 1 could be mar
ried. travelled to England-to Liverpool
as fast as l could stayed there for week.
and during that time made full researches
into the life and death of woman who as
Mrs Wilson said, hal died on a certain
date, and been buried under the name O,
Lucy Ferrand.
The information I acquired as to her ante
cedents is of no consequence to my story
Whatever her faults may have been her
history was sad one; indeed it seemed to
me that the history of any woman who had
been cursed by Sir Mervyn Ferrand's love
was a sad one However, the result of my
investigations was, in short, this: Ferranl
had married the woman many years ago.
They had parted by mutual consent. With
his cynical careessness he had troubled no
more about her; and, stranger still, she had
not troubled him She died on the date
given by my informant. The question of
identity could be easily settled; so that if
ever Pnilippa chose to claim the rights ap-
pertaining TO Sir .uervyn Ferrand's widow,
she would have no difficulty in making that
claim good. But l trusted that years might
pass before she Learned that the man was
dead.
made my presence in England known to
font 7 hot in, 70
my native country l ran a certain amount
of risk. For all l knew to the contrary,
there might be warrant out against me.
If suspicion as to the author of that nights
work had in any way been directed to Phil
ippa, l, the partner of her flight could not
hope to escape free. However, 1 comfortad
myself by thinking that if danger men iced
us I should have heard something about it,
as after our first hurried start | had male no
attemp ito conceal our whereabouts. 1t would
have been useless. My mother had friends
in England with whom she exchanged let
ters l had an agent and lawyers with
whom, if only for financial reasons, was
bound to correspond. had been obliged to
write to my stoid William, and instruct
him to get rid of the cottage as best he could,
and to look out for fresh place for himself.
But all the same l did not care to let it
De KNOWN bldU L was now Ill Isil5ldHu
While engaged upon raking up evidence
ON Philippa's behalf, I did not neglect to
make such inquiries as I could respecting
the event which had happened that night
near Roding. | found that, SO far as tbs
general public knew, tho crime was still
yelled in mystery. No one had been crest
ed: no one had been accused; no reason for
the deed had been discovered, an as yet
suspicion pointed to no one. Indeed, in spite
of the hundred pounds reward offered by
government, it seemed that Sir Mervyn
Ferrand's murder was RELOCATED to swell the
list of undiscovered crimes. By this knew
that Mrs Wilson had kept her promise of
silence; AMI now that monthf had gone by;
| now that public attention hsd been turned
from the thrilling affair; now that Philippa
seemed as far or farther than ever from Civ
| ing any token which suggested the awaken
ing OF recolleculon OF wnaJ ner wrong, iiei
frenzy, had prompted Or hand to do I'm
knowingly, dared to hope that any chance
which remained of revelation Of the truth
| was reduced to minimum. These results
Of my Investigations and inquiries gave me
immense relief, and my heart was all but
gay as, armed with the proofs of the first
Lady Ferranl's death, / hurried back to
| Seville, Phiipoa, and the happiness which
vowed should be mine.
We were married. Philippa and l were
married! Married; and q few months ago
sat lonely, miserable and heart-brolSen,
deaming that the one I loved was lost to mo
| forever! What matters the things which
| have filed those months, and made them
! the most painful of my life? To-day we are
man and wife, joined together till death us
| do part!
said no word as to the result of my in
o1liries in Liverpool. had no difficulty i'll
persuading Philippa, who in some things
was as simple and trusting as a child, that
| it was necessary, or at least advisable she
should be married unler the name which
! her first certificate of marriage affected to
bestow upon her. She signed her name for
the last it may, for aught | know, have also
been the first time, as Philippa Ferran1:
| and | noticed that she shuddere1 as she
| formed the letters.
| Although my bride was by birth half a
Spaniard, and although [ had by now in
many ways conformed to the Spanish mode
of life, we We're still English enough to look
upon going away somewhere for honey
moon as indispensable. 1t would be but a
short trip; and as my mother in our absence
would be left at Seville alone, or with the
servants only, we did not care to 60 very
far away. 1t so happened that, although
| SO close to Cadiz we had not yet paid that
| town a visit, and thought the present a cap
| ital opportunity for SO doing.
70 Cadiz we went, and stayed several
days at the Hotel de Paris We liked the
white walled town, rising and shining above
the dark blue sea. like as have somewhere