Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-02-27

.vpvy., L ne,u To zeal with ons of those rare
instances in which the balance of the mind
is restored by forced sleep, and the COM
| plete restoration Of health is but matter
Of time and care.
As soon as it became a certainty that all
LANCER to life or reason was at an end 1
BEGAN to consider what course to adopt.
The moment she was well enough to risk
the journey, or even if thaw set in, before
hen, PhilipFa must fly from the scene of
the tragedy in which she had played so ter
rible, yet morally irresponsible. part. We
must put land and seas between oursel yes
AMI the fatal spot. But how to persuade
iler that such flight was absolutely neces-
sary? Brother and sister as we now termed
ourselves would she ever consent to accom-
pany me abroad? Had | the right to put the
woman loved in such an equivocaI position!
No! a thousand times no! And yet l knew
there was no safety for her in England; and
with whom could she leave England save
with me?
dared not urge upon her my true reason
for fight. 1t was my greatest hope that the
events of that night had left her mind when
the madness left her, never to be recalled.
And now time was pressing; ten days had
passed by. The glorious frost still kept our
counsel, but it could not last forever. The
Jll1le nluSD COME wien JuO Wult0 Heaps OIL
snow would melt and vanish away. and then
Sir Mervyn Ferrand's cold dead face would
appear, and tell he tale of his death to the
first passer by
1 had scarcely quilted the house since that
night. Yet one day a kind of morbid fas-
cination had led me to walk along the road
toward Roding, and to halt at what I
ju ICED to be the spot where laid the dead
man by the side of the road. l fancied I
could single out the very drift under which
that awful thing lay, and dreary tempta-
ton to probe the white heap with my stick,
and make sure, assailed me. l resisted it,
and turned away from the spot.
There was a certain amount of traffic on
the road By now the snow had been
beaten down by cart wheels and peoples
feet, so that it was quite possible to walk
from one place to another. As l reached
the house from which Philippe fled to seek
re uge with me, l encountered Mrs. Wilson.
1 was going to pass without any sign Of
recognition, but she stopped me.
81 thought you were going to take your
sister away?" she sail.
'Lady Ferrand was unfortunately taken
very ill when she left you. She is now hard
ly well enough to be removed"
''Has size heard from Sir Mervyng' asked
Mrs. Wilson, abruptly
'Not to my knowledge" replied.
''It is strange. You know, suppose. that
he was expected at my house that nigh 70"
Certainly do 1t was for that reason
my sister left you"
Mrs Wilson looked at me thoughtfully.
''She will not meet him again?'
Never l said, thinking as spoke that
my words bore meaning only known to
myself.
Does she hate him?" she asked, sud-
denly.
''She has been cruelty wronged," l said.
evasively.
She laid her hand on my arm "Listen,"
she said. eff I thought she hated him 1
would see her before she leaves, and tell her
something. If l thought he hated her 1
would tell him. l will wait and seer
She turned away and walked on, leaving me
to MAKE the best of her enigmatical words
She was evidently strange woman, and l
felt more sure than ever was in some way
mixed up with Sir Mervyn Ferrand's early
life. had great mind to follow her and
demand an explanation, but caution told me
that che less said to her the better. 1t was
from tais womans knowledge of the rela-
tionship between Philippe and the dead
man that, when the secret of the night was
laid bare, the greatest danger must arise.