The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-11

L felt indignant, anu showed my feel
ing very plainly. Ceneri took little no
tee of my wrath. He remained per-
fectly calm
There Is another point TO be consid-
cred. Pauline's case is, in my opinion.
far from being hopeless. Indeed. | have
always looked upon marriage as greatly
adding to the chance Of her recovery. If
her mind to a certain extent is wanting,
| believe that, little by little, it may be
built up again. Or it may return as
( suddenly as II left her.
I My heart leaped at his words of hope.
I Cruelty as | felt l had been treated. tool
that had been made for this man s
selfish ends, | was willing to accept the
4 situation cheerfully if had any hons
/ held out to NE.
VIII you give me all the particulars
/ OF my poor wife's state? / conclude she
I has not been always Ike this"
/ Certainly not. Her case is most De
I culiar. Some years ago she received a
/ great ShOck-Sustained a sudden loss.
: Ihe effect was TO entirely blot out the
1 past from her mind. -rra to- ner
/ bed after some weeks lin. al her
/ memory a complete blank. Faces were
I forgotten-friends were strangers to
Z her. Her mind might. as YOU say. have
. Il
| mind grows, and, if treated properly. so
/ viii hers"
/ What was the cause of her illness
I what shOck:7
That is one of the questions Icannot
answer"
But | have a right to know"
You have right 10 ask, and | have
right TO refuse to speak"
Tell me of her family-her relatives.
'She has none, i believe, save myself"
l asked other questions, but could get
no answers worth recording. | should
| return to England not much wiser than
| left it. But there was one question to
which insisted on having a clear reply.
wv hat has that friend of yours that
English speaking Italian, to do with
Pauline"
Ceneri shrugged his shoulders and
smiled
"Macari am glad to be able to an
swer something fully, Mr.. Vaughan.
For year or two before Pauline was
taken i'll, Macari supposed himself to be
in love with her. He is now furious
with me for allowing her TO get mar
rled. He declares he was only awaiting
her recovery to try his own luck"
Why should he not have served
your purpose as well as / seemed to have%
Ceneri looked at me sharply. DO
YOU regret, Mr.. Vaughan?'
"No-not if there is a chance, even a
slight chance. But tell you Dr. Ceneri,
yOu have deceived and cajoled me shame
fully
i rose to take my leave Then Ceneri
spoke with more feeling than he had as
yet displayed.
Mr.. Vaughan, do not Judge me too
harshly. | have wronged you | admit.
There are things you know nothing of
| must tell you more than | intended
The temptation to place Pauline in a
position CT wealth and comfort was ir-
resistible. | am her debtor for vast
amount. At one time her fortune was
about fifty thousand pounds. The whole
of that | spent"
. And dare to boast of it," | said bit
teily. He waved his hand with dignity
Yes, | dare to speak of it. / spent
it all for freedom-for Italy. 1t was in
my keeping as trustee. /, who would
have robbed my own father, nv own
son, should hesitate to take her money
for such an end? Every farthing went
1T was the act of a crimi al to rob an
orphan"
Call it what you like. Money had to
be found. Why should | not sacrifice
my honor for my country as freely as |
would have sacrificed my life:"
1T is no use discussing 1.-THE matter
is ended"
yes. but tell you to show YOU why
7 Mic. To,
over, Mr.. Faughan"-here his voice
dropped to a Whisper-"i was anxious
to provide that home at once. |
am bound on journey-a journey of
which | cannot see the end. much less
the returning. | doubt whether should
have decided to see you had it not been
for this. But the chances are we shall
never meet again"
you mean you are engaged in some
plot or conspiracy?
Il mean what | have said-no more,
no less. | will now bid you adieu."
Angry as | was with the man, | could
not refuse the hand he stretched out to
me.
Farewell" he said, at may be that
in a year or two ! shall write to you
and ask You if my predictions as to
Pauline's recovery have been fulfilled;
but do not trouble to seek me or to in
qufre for me if 1 am silent"
So we parted. The carriage was wait
ing to take me back to the hotel. On
my way thither passed the man whom
Ceneri had called Macari. He signaled
to the driver to stop, and then entering
the carriage, sat beside me.
You have seen the doctor, Mr..
Vaughan" he asked.
"Yes. have just come from him."
"And have learned all you wish to
know, | hope"
"A great many of my questions have
been answered"
But not all. Ceneri would not an
swer all"
He laughed, and his laugh was cynical
and mocking. l kept silence.
Had you questioned me, he continue
ed, L might have told you more than
Ceneri."
Il came to ask Dr. Cenefi for all the
information he could give me respect
ing nv wife's mental state, of which |
believe you are aware. If you can say
ANYTHING that may be of use to me, l
will beg you to speak"
You asked him what caused it?"
81 did. He told me shock"
"You asked him what shock. That
he-did not tell your"
"He had his reasons for declining, I
suppose"
Eyes. Excellent reasons-familyrea-
sons"
!. So"
Not here, Mr. Vaughan. The doctor
| and | are friends. You might fly back
/ and assault him, and | should get blam-
/ ed. You are going back to England, /
suppose?"
dyes. 1 start at once"
Give me your address, and perhaps
( I viii write; or. better still, if l feel in
/ clined to be communicative. | will call
on YOU when / am next in London, and
pay my respects to Mrs. Vaughan at
the same time"
SO eager was 1 to get at the bottom of
the affair that | gave him my card. He
then stopped the carriage and stepped
out. He raised his hat. and there was
a malicious triumph in his eyes as they
met mine.
Goodbye, Mr.. Vaughan. Perhaps
after all you are to be congratulated up
on being married to woman whose
past it is impossible to rake up"
With this parting shaft-a shaft which
struck deep and rankled-he left me. 1t
was well he did so, before l caught him
by the throat and strove to force him
to explain his last words.
Longing to see my poor wife again, 1
went back to England with all speed.
CHAPTER VII.
CLAIMING RELATIONSHIP.
Yes. she was glad to see me backl LII
her uncertain clouded way she welcom-
ed me. My great fear, that in the short
time she would have entirely forgotten
u. u