Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-09-25

4 NH AAtt - BCEfN
1 covered her dear face with kisses. ]
strained her to my heart Ilavished words
of owe upon her. She smiled family, then
sighed hopelessly-a sigh which almost broke
TEL me all, my love-" she said calmly.
'Let me know the verv worst"
could not speak; for the life of me the
words would not come. With trembling
hands | drew out the ne wspap9r and pointed
to the fatal lines. She read them with a
calm which almost alarmed me.
"a knew it must be- was all she said.
threw myself on my knees before her. l
embraced her. l was half ~distraught. save
for my wild calculations of undying love
there was silence for many minutes between
lis.
Presently, with great force, she raised my
head and looked at me with her sweet and
sorrowful eyes.
Basil, my dearest, you have been wrong.
The rigkt is right, the wrong is wrong. See
what you nave done! Had you not striven
to save me. only | should have had to answer
for this. Now it is you and me, and per-
haps a third-an innocent, stainless life, that
will be wreckedlh
"Spare mel Spare mer' l said. "As you
love me, spare meT'
She kissed me. dearest, forgive me. /
should not blame you. Only | am to blame"
Then, with a sudden change in her voice,
when do we start for England, BasilP'
Although / expected this question, l trem-
bled and shuddered as l heard it. Too well
| knew what England meant. 1t meant
Philippa's standing in open court, in a pris-
oner's dock, the centre Of a gaping crowd,
self accused Of the murder Of her husbandl
And as | pictured this once more, and for
the last time, the temptation shook me-.
spoke, but l averted my eyes from hers.
Icould not meet them. My voice was husky
and strange; it sounded like the voice of
another man. A sort of undercurrent OF
thought ran through me, that if Philippe
would but share it, l could bear any burden,
any dishonor.
"Listenn said, in quick accents. eve
are far away, safe. We love each other.
We can be happy. Let the man take his
chance. What does anything matter, 80
long as we love and are togetherT'
felt that her eyes were seeking mine. |
felt a change in the clasp Of her hand. ]
knew that she was nobler and better than 1.
Basil" she said, softly, and speaking
like ~ in a dream, 'it was not my hus.
band, not the man l love, who said that.
forgive you for the sake OF your great love,
for the sake of all you have done, or tried
to do, for me. Tell mt now, when do w
start for EnglandF'
Her words brought back my senses. Nevel
III tue WlluesI nelgng OIL my passion nHl ]
loved Philippe as l loved her at that mo
ment. l beSought her pardon. She CAV
it, and once more repeated her question.
With the calm of settled despair / cor
suited the ra~ilway-guide, and found that i
we left Seville tomorrow morning by tn
= first train, we might, by travelling day an
night, early on the morning OF the twenti
eth reach the town In which the trial was Il
be held made the result of myresearche!
known to my wife; and p my assuring
her that we should have time to spare, SHE
left all the arrangements Of the journey tt
me.
After this, another painful question arose
Was my mother to be told1 Philippa, whC
may, perhaps, in her secret heart hav
craved for a woman's support and sympa
thy in her approaching trial, at first insisted
that my mother should be taken into on
confdence-a confidence which, alasl in
few days tina would be gossip to the world
| besought her to waive the point, to spar
my mothers feelings until the very last me
ment We could not take her with us on on
hurried journey. We were young; she WI
old. The fatigue, combined with the grief
would be more than her frame could endure
! | could not bear to think of her waitin
lonely in Seville for the bad news which sh
knew must come in a day or two from Ems
!, land. Let us say nothing respecting til
I hIELLARA Ia VII UhANA w "a OOhllA
: Let u1 depart in secret, and leave SON
plausible explanation behind US
q To my relief Philippe at last consented
h this. Then, after a long. fearful embrac,
"a we steeled ourselves to Join my mother {
4 the evening meal, and to bear ourselves
"a that she should suspect nothing Of the ten
n pest within our hearts. We did not yer
long subject ourselves to this strain upo
our nerves, 1t seemed to me now that ever
z-.z z1.nk okhauHriaa than alamo r,;Al -.
d wife was a precious treasure wasted, q 10
which / should forever regret. So vel
early we pleaded fatigue, and retired to OF
rest. Such restl
Philippa babe my mother good night wi
an embrace 80 long and passionate that
feared it would awaken alarm, especial
when it was succeeded by my own veile
y but scarcely less emotional, adieu. For wi
d could say that we should ever meet agai
e | do not believe it struck Philippa that
y. accompanying her l was running the sligf
" est risk Had she thought SO, she won
y have insisted upon going alone. But
"a knew that the part I had played in tn
ne nights work would probably bring a seve
20 punishment upon my W head. What d
gu | care for thatl
Is Silently and sadly in the retirement
~ our room we made our preparations Tor I
nu Journey, which began with the morn. The
to was no need to cumber ourselves with mt
at luggage. We should rest in no bed III
mt the trial was aver. What ~resting-plt
might then be Philippa's, Heaven OF
at knewI So our package was soon CO
pleted
lat Then / wrote a letter, to be given to
or found by my mother in the morning. Il
her that an important matter took me DC
haste to England; that Philippe had Diet
Ii mined to accompany me; that I would WI
4 -, 90 mo taaPhnd IOndnn ,roxua
ng further explanation. hoped she would
/ tribute my sudden flight to the cratic
on ture which she often averred l possessed.
he After all, the deception mattered lit
nd In a weeks time nothing would matt
Grief, overwhelming grief, would be
as portion; a portion which, by her affect
My for me and for Philippe, my poor mot
ne would be forced to share.
Ter All being now ready for our start,
MY stroye to win som hours Of sleep. {
efforts were Knocked to scorn. Throt
that, the last night we could spend togetf
rst, believe neither my wife nor myself clio
lust an eyelid, Let me draw a veil over my v
distress and Phflippa's calm acquiescence
her fata Some grief Is too sacred to
OF scribe.
Morningl Bright, broad, clear. c.
odorous morningl Our sleeplesshess had
eA. elast spared US tho anguish of awaking, q
iehO while for a moment glorying In the bea
Of the world, to remember what this me
IL ing meant TO US. Giving ourselves am
time to reach the railway station, we CT
lpe1 from our room, and, with eyes full of bli
'heu ing tears crossed the pleasant patio.
paused In the centre, and pluclrinp 4 low
ave spray from the great orange tree. kisse
eep and gave It to my wife. Without a W
she placed II In the bosom Of her dress