Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-11-21
CHAPTER xxxn.
PuRsUEp.

which were bearing her to her destination
bore also sorrow and ruin in the person o
Maurice Hervey. The fellOw-travelers die
not confront each other until the next morn
ing, and when the through train was wei
out of Paris Sarah, indeed, had been all bu
invisible since she boarded the Dover anC
Calais boat The crossing had been rough
one, and sea-sekness claims precedence with
the mind the most preoccupied. Sarah haG
suffered much, and as soon as she found her
self in the snlOoth-going train had sought
fOrgetfulness of her woes in sleep. Hervey
who had no wish to precipitate matters by an
untimely revelation of his presence, had also
effaced himself from general observation.
But some time after the train had left the
Paris and Lyons station Sarah opened the
door of her comfortable compartment and in
the narrow gangway of the train came full
upon Maurice Hervey. He was smoking and
watching the flying landscape through the
glass windows at the side of the narrow pas
sage. He turned, looked at Sarah, and laugh
ed in cruel meTriment as he saw her gaze of
horrifed surprise.
"Youp' she gasped. "You have followed
me-"
Every step since you left my humble
| abode, my dear Sarah"
She turned away and re-entered the COM
partment she had left Hervey followed her,
and with laugh threw himself down on the
seat nearest to the door. The train was not
full, and the compartments were small Ones
so it happened that the two people were
alone
1t was typical of the mans cruel nature
that he looked forward with feeling of keen
enjoyment to the torture which he meant to
infiict upon the woman during those hours of
travel, by forcing upon her the presence
which he knew so unwelcome.
"0h, yes Sarah" he said jeeringIy; 81 fol-
lowed you, and shall never leave your side
until you lead me to my beloved wife. It's
no good thinking you can give me the slip.
To save trouble l may tell you | know you
are going to Munich. What clever woman
you are, Sarah. / am so much obliged to
you"
She wrung her hands cOnvulSively, then
covered her face and moaned. She had act
ed, as she thought, fer the best, but this
mans craft had overcome her. Her mistress
was to be made to suffer, and through her.
Through the one who would willingly sacri-
flee body and soul to save her from pain!
4 W
1.-THE games up now, you may as well give
in. Here, make yourself useful and fill my
pipe. can't use this cOnfOunded right arm
of mine."
She took no notice of his request, but pres
emily she raised her head and looked at him.
"Be warned" she said in low tones "Once
more, say, be warned in time. Leave this
train at the next station. Fly while you can."
He laughed scornfully. ''Now, is it like
Typ" he said.
She made no further appeal. She sank
back into stony silence, and from that time
no remark, no question, no tamt of the mans
could draw a word from her thin lips. Hour
after hour went by and Sarah Miller sat in
her corner mOtionless and silent as statue.
But her thoughtsI Her thoughts were
busy enough. They thronged and invaded
her brain. They changed and shifted from
incoherence to systematic arrangement and
back again to incOheTpnce. Through all the
tumble the one fearful truth sh0ne out dis
tinctly. She was taking this man to her mis-
treSs.
No food had passed her lips since she left
London. All desire to eat had left her when
she first caught sight of Hevey's hateful
ed full of fever, and now and again mist
seemed to close round her. from which she
emerged only to see once more the cruel face
of her tormentor. So the huiirs went by.
Heryey had food sent into the carriage.
He also c0nsoled himself at short intervals
with brandy and water. lie bought cigars,
smoked them, and grambed at their badness.
Sometimes he rose, walked out into the gang
way and stretched his legs, but he kept a
keen watch on the woman. Not second
time would he fail from lack of vigilance.
For amusement he now and again taunted
his companion, and his jeers apparently UNI
noticed drove her to the verge of desperation.
Her hands grew hotter, her pulses beat with
fiereer rapidity.
The sun sank; the twilight died away the
lamps were lit. Every hour, every moment
brought grief nearer and nearer to Beatfiee.
Long before another sun rose the train would
be at Munich. The thought maddened the
white-faced woman.
Shortly after leaving Stuttgart the steward |
looked in and in broken English suggested |
that the beds should be prepared Mrs. Mil
Ter shook her head, and signitied that she had |
no wish to retire to rest Hervey orderen
more brandy and also declined the profferen
couch. The steward wished that he could |
have the refusal of one of those unmade |
couches and the time to occupy it, shrugged |
his shoulders. and Withdrew The travellers
were once more alone. In less than five I
hours the journey would be at an end.
Suddenly a wave of inspiration flooded the /
poor w0man's haTassed brain. An inspira-
ton which made all things clear as day.
strange brilliancy sh0ne in her eyes. In a
flash she saw, or believed she saw, to what
end these things were leading Gods hand
was at work.
Had she not dreamed dream IN which
Maurice Hervey figured? Had she not per-
suaded herself when she first saw him that she
had seen written in his face that his days
were numbered2 Was she not sure-sure as
she was of her own eternal condemnation
that God meant Beatrice to taste happiness
as well in this world as in the next? The
hour Of deliyeranee was at hand The in-
spiration which had told her that her errand
would be crowned with success was notthat
0f.a lying spirit God was at work. Heryey
had been led to take this journey; to break
the promise he had made; and thereby accept
the fate foreshadoWed by the fearful words
to which his finger had f0rtuitously pointed.
This journey, begun in craft and in defiance
Of Gods warning conveyed through herself,
would never be ended. She. BY the light OF
her wild faith, read the Divine purpose plain-
" as If 1t was written in letters Of fire,
If the line of demarcation between fanati-
cisrn and madness in the poor wOman's brain
was not BY now entirely obliterated it had