The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-04

the rule Tor me 10 spend the evening Z
with her that | did not even wait for an
invitation. II was our custom 10 play
and sing together for an hour or two. /
Pauline first expressed desire after her +
recovery had been for a piano. Believ-
ing herself to be an helress she had lett !
no scruple il asking for all she wanted. /
and my instructions to Priscilla being
that no money was To be spared IN
ministering to her comforts piano
had been sent from the nearest town.
All her skill had returned TO her. Her
voice had come back even stronger and
more sweet than of old. Again and
again she held me entranced as she had
held me once before, when / little eX-
pected the fearful ending to her song,
or that nv fate and the singer were SO
closely interviewer.
| was surprised. therefore. when this
evening she turned on the doorstep and
said: Not tonight. Leave me, please,
for Tonight
and babe her farewell until the morrow.
! would go and wander by starlight and
think of her.
AS we parted she looked at me
strangely. almost sOlemnly.
Gilbert" she said, speaking in Ital-
ian: for Priscilla was now standing at
the open dOor-~shall pray for the past
to return or that | should never remem-
Der it? Which viii be the best for me
and for you?"
Without waiting to heac my reply. she
glided past Priscilla, who stood waiting
for me to follow her
Goodnight. Priscilla" | said, 4 am
not coming in"
Not coming in, Master Gilbert! Miss
Pauline viii be veXed."
"She is tired and notquite well. You
had better 90 to her. Goodnight
Priscilla came out to the doorstep and
closed the door behind her. There was
something in her manner which told
me She meant on this particular occa-
sion to resume what she could of that
authority she had been delegated to ex-
ercise over me during my tender years
an authority | did not dare to dispute
until long after | had been invested with
| Jackets and trousers. / have no doubt
but she would have liked to seize me by
the collar and give me a sound shaking.
As it was she was obliged to content
| herself with throwing a world of SOr
rowfuI indignation into her voice.
-She may easily feel i'll. poor young
| lady. when her husband lives at one
| house. and she at another. And here's
/ everybody roundabout trying to find
| out what relation you two are to each
| other-asking me all sorts of questions
and | mustn't say you are husband and
| wife"
"No-not yet"
well, I'm going to, Master Gilbert.
/ If you won't tell the poor young lady.
shall. III tell her how you brought her
/ home and sent for me to take care of
| her-hOW you tended her and waited on
| her all day lOng-how you shut yourself
up for her sake. never seeing an old
| friends face. Oh yes. Master Gilbert,
| I'll tell her all; and I'll tell her hOwyou
went into her room and kissed her ere
you started on that fools journey,
| wherever it was. She'll remember
everything fast enough then"
Il command you to say nothing"
| I've needed too many commands of
! yours, Master Gilbert, to mind break
ing one for your sake. III do it, and
take the consequences"
Feeling that the explanation, if made
by Priscilla, would not only sweep away
a great deal of romance, but also might
precipitate matters and make them far
| more difficult to adjust tony own salts
faction, | was bound to prevent her
carrying out her threat. Knowing from
old experience that although the good
soul could not be driven, she could be
led | was obliged to resort to cajolery.
| So | said as one asking a boon
you won't if l entTeat and beg you
not to, my old friend. You love me too
much to do anything against my
| wishes"
Priscilla was not proof against this
| appeal, but she urged me to proclaim
the true state of affairs as soon posi-
BILE.
And don't be too sure, Master Gil
| bert" she concluded, "aS to what she
remembers or doesn't. Sometimes
| think she knows a deal more than you
| suppose"
Then she left me, and l went wander
ing about thinking as to what meaning
to attach to Pauline's parting words.
(Which will be the best for me-and
for you?"-tO forget or to recall? How
much did she fOrSet-how much did she
| recall? Had those rings ON her hand
not shown her that she was a wife;
| Could she help suspecting whose wife
she was? Even if she remembered
nothing about our strange hurriedma
rage, nothing about our subsequent
| life together, she found herself after
that interval OF oblivion. as it were, UNI
der my charge; found that | knew all
the tragic circumstances of her broth
er'S end. that l now returned from a
journey of thousands of miles, under
taken to learn the fatal particulars. Al
| though she might not be able to account
for it. she must by this know the truth.
Keeping the ring on her finger showed
that she did not dispute the fact that,
somehow, she was welded. Who could
be her husband save me?
Yes, by the evidence the situation of
fered, determined that she had arrived
at the right conclusion; and the hour
was at hand when | should learn if the
knowledge would bring her JOY or sor-
row.
Tomorrow / would tell her ALL !
would tell her how strangely our lives
became linked. l would plead for her
love more passionately than ever man
yet pleaded. | would prove to her how
ihnocently | had fallen into Ceneri's
schemes-how free from blame Twas in
wedding her whilst her mental state
was such that she was unable to refuse
consent. All this she should learn, and
then | would hear my doom from heI
lips.
/ would urge no plea based upon my
legal right to my wife. So far as could
make her she should be free. Nothing
should bind her to me except love. II
she had none to give me / would teal
myself from her. and at her wish see il
steps could not be taken to annul the
. marriage-but whether she elected tC
remain my wife in name, to become my
wife in reality. or to sever every tie ,hel
future life. with or without her knowl-
edge, should be my care. BY this time
tomorrow my fate should be known.
Having settled this / should have re
tired to rest; but was in no mood foI
sleep. Again and again / recalled hel
last words and commenced one of those
weighings of hopes and fears which al
ways means self-torture. Why if Pas
|, line had guessed the truth, had she no
asked me about it? How could sht
. spend hour after hour with me, know
, ing she was my wife vet not knowing
, how she became so? Would her words
admit OF the Interpretation that sht
dreaded what she had to learn? Die
she wish for freedom and continual for
, getfulness? So. on and ON until | made
, myself quite miserable.
Many a may on the eve of learning
, whether his love is to be accepted or re
jected has been racked as | was tina
, night, but surely no lover save myself
ever lived, who was to receive the mo
mentous answer from the lips of wo
man who was already his wife.
The hour was late when | returned
from my solitary walk. / passed Pau
lines window, and standing gazing VI
at it wondered if she, too, were lying
awake and thinking and deciding abou
our future lives. All well, tomorrow
would put us both out of suspensel
The night being still and warm hel
window was open at the top. Before
turned away fancy seized me. Ipick
ed rose from bush in the garden ans
managed to toss it through the opel
sash. She might find it in the morning
and guessing from whom it came nigh
wear it. 1t would be good omen.
The blind shivered as the rosebud
struck it, then, fearing discovery,
turned and fled.
The morning broke fair / rose will
hope in my heart and secuted the fear.