San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-10-22
CHAPTER IX.

escaped Roland. Indeed she wanted TO
escape from every living thing, and the
wilder the country grew the better pleased
she was. phil and down dale she went,
and along rocky paths, till she came at
last to deep gorge, the sides of which
were thickly clothed with verdure.
The place looked like an enchanted dell,
and brought to Ilma's ready imagination
the old legend of the knight who rode
with the cross hilt of his sword uplifted
through the enchanted groves. She Won
dered if the superstition of the country
folk had peopled the glen with elves and
other mysterious beings, and if the hoof-
marks her quick eye detected among the
thick moss that carpeted the ground were
those Of headless steed, like the one that
haunted the precincts of the Alhambra.
The entrance to the gorge sloped grad
ually from were lima stood. At another
time she would have deliberately skirted
the verge for the pleasure of scrambling
down; but now she had lost her wild, high
spirits, and walked onward slowly, swing
ing her hat and listening to the singing of
the birds in the trees, and watching with
dreamy interest the sunlight among the
leaves. Deeper and deeper she went into
the dell, thinking she would discover the
outlet; for, she argued, there surely was
an outlet, since the hoof-marks were still
visible going one way, and there was no
sign Of q return journey.
1t was strange, the girl said to herself,
that she had never heard of this wildly
beautiful spot before. Stay! She stood
still for a moment, trying to remember.
Yes; had not Rose, only the other day,
/ talked of the Abbot's Dell, which was said
to be haunted? No doubt this was the
place. Haunted! Then she need have no
fear of meeting any one. But the hoof-
marks? The girl had moved onward, but
now halted again with sudden throb ut
the heart. There was one man who cared
nothing for peasants tales. She glanced
behind her, but saw no sign of any living
creature, save the birds in the branches
and the scuttling squirrels.' She listened.
There was dead silence, though indeed
on the messy ground even horses step
would not be audible till the animal were
within twenty yards.
She bent down and examined the marks
more attentively. An Indian would have
made more of them, light us the impress
was but lima could see that they were
those of small-hoofed animal, though
whether they were recent or not her
knowledge did not enable her to determine.
Had Hassan passed that way? Well, why
brighten herself so? 1t might have been
yesterday, or two days before, or three
hours ago, that Sir Philip had ridden
through the glen; and, If it were only
five minutes ago, he would be far ahead of
her, far out of sight before she reached
the end. But how the mere thought of
his having been SO near-perhaps SO re-
cently-made her heart beat! And how,
argue as she would, her lips quiyered and
her eyes gazed fearfully before her with
every onward step she took! How she
started at every rustic Of leaf, as though
she expected to see an eltin creature in
stead of bird shoot forth from the brake
Another turn, and no sign yet of the
end of the long winding glen. Harkl
What was that? The girl stopped abrup-
ly. A sudden flight of birds from out of
the thick foliage scarce hundred PAGES
ahead. What had startled them? In
another second dark object came round
the turning-nOt the knight of the legend,
with cross-hilted, sword elevated before
him, but Sir Philip mounted on Hassan,
and gazing before him with such q look as
strong proud men wear when they are
fighting stern battle with their own pas
sions, and know that they are losing
not time to see; for he had recognised
the slight form standing in the soft twi-
light of the glen at the instant that he
passed the curve; and wild joy lighted
up his face, and the last frail barrier the
strong will had striveu to uphold tottered
and fell.
Not even pausing to draw bride, he
sprang from his horse, and was at Ilma's
side her hands clasped i'm his before the
startled steed had halted.
"Ilma, Ilma," he cried-and his whole
heart went out to her in tue passionate
utterance-.. oh, my life, my soul, can
strive no longer! Why have you come to
tempt me-? "
But lima could not answer him. She
was trembling violently. Her golden
head dropped, and her eyes sank before
his. How could she meet the look that
would have told her the whole glorious
truth if his lips had been silent and his
hand had never touched hers?
"Ilmav Now his arms were round her,
her heart was throbbing against his, and
his lips sought hers. china, my darling,
l know that you love me. Let me hear
you say it. Raise those dear eyes and
look into mine, and tell me that your life
Is mine, as mine is yours"
Was the curse forgotten?
She thought not of it, but raised her
eyes to,his and whispered softly, the sweet
eyes sinking again Immediately
81 love your And his lips sealed the
aYowal.
Philip DarrelPs wish was granted, and
that brief wild happiness was his. But,
oh, it was brief indeed, and not even for