The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-01-10
suspected they feared to express in formal

The mansion that she occupied had beer
left to her for so long time as she should
: choose to reside in it, and having a regard
for the spot she had coaxed Sir William to
remain there. But in the end it was un.
Fortunate, for one day when in the full tide
OF his happiness he was walking among
the willows near the gardens, where he
overheard conversation between some
basketmakers who were cutting the osiers
Tor their use In this fatal dialogue the
suspicious of the neighboring townsfolk
were revealed to him for the first time.
On his return home he seemed to have
aged years.
But he said nothing; indeed, it was
thing impossible. And from that hour an
estrangement began. She could not un-
derstand it, and simply waited One day
he said, however, 81 must 90 abroad"
"But why?" said she. "Wiliam, have
| offended you?"
"No, he said; "but l must go
She could coax little more out of him,
and In itself there was nothing unnatural
in his departure, for he had been a wan
derer from his youth. In few days he
started off, apparently quite another man
than he who had rushed to her side so de-
votedly few months before.
1t is not known when, or how, the ru-
mors, which were thick in the atmosphere
around her, actually reached the Lady
Penelopes ears, but that they did reach
her there is no doubt. Then a reason for
her husbands departure occurred to her
appalled, mind, and loss of health became
quickly apparent. She dwindled thin in
the face, and the veins in her temples could
all be distinctly traced. An inner fire
seemed to be whitening her away Her
rings fell off her fingers and her arms hung
like the fails Of the thrashers, though they
had till lately been so round and beautiful.
She wrote to her husband repeatedly, beg
ging him to return to her; but he, being in
extreme and wretched doubt-moreover
knowing nothing of her i'll health, and
never suspecting that the rumors had reach
ed her also-deemed absence best. and post
poned his return awhile, giving various
good reasons for his delay.
At length, however, when the Lady Pen
elope had given birth to still-born child,
her mother, the Countess, addressed letter
to Sir William, requesting him to come
back to her if he wished to see her alive,
since she was wasting away of some mys-
terious disease, which seemed to be rather
mental than physical. 1t was evident that
his mother-in-law knew nothing of the Sc
cret, for she lived at distance; but Sir
William promptly hastened home, and stood
beside the bed of his now dying wife.
"Believe me, William" she said, when
they were alone, ~ am innocent-inno-
cent"
"Of what?" said he. "Heaven forbid
that should accuse you of anything |"
"But you do accuse me-silently she
gasped 81 could not write thereon-and
ask you to hear me. 1t was too much, too
degrading. But would that had been
less proud They suspect me of poisoning
him, William! But l am innocent of that
wicked crime. He died naturally. loved
you-but too soon; that was all p
Nothing availed to save her. The worm
had gnawed too far into her heart before
Sir Williams return for anything to be
remedial now, and in a few weeks she
people spoke louder and her conduct be-
came subject of public discussion, A
little later on the physician who had at
tended the late Sir John heard the rumor
and came down from the place near London
to which he latterly had retired with the
express purpose of calling upon Sir William
Hervy, now staying in Casterbridge.
He stated that at the request of rela-
tive of Sir Johns, who wished to be as
sured on the matter by reason of its sud
denness, he had, with the assistance Of
surgeon, made private examination of
Sir Johns body Immediately after his de-
cease, and found that it had resulted from
purely natural causes. Nobody at this time
had breathed a suspicion of foul play, and
therefore nothing was said which might
since have established her innocence.
1t being thus placed beyond doubt that
this beautiful and noble lady had been done
to death by a wicked scandal chat was
wholly unfounded, her husband was stung
with dreadful remorse at the share he had
taken in her mislortunes and left the coun-
try anew, this time never to return alive
He survived her but few years, and his
body was brought home and buried beside
his wifes, under the tomb which is still
visible in the parish church, Until lately
there was good portrait of her, in weeds
for her first husband, with cross in her
hand, at the ancestral seat of her family,
where she was much pitied, as she deserved
to be. Yet there were some severe enough
to say-and these not unjust persons in
other respects-that though unquestionably
innocent of the crime imputed to her, she
had shown an unseemly wantonness In con-
tracing three marriages in such rapid sue
cession, and that the untrue suspicion
might have been ordered by Providence
(who often works Indirectly as punish
ment for her self-indulgence. Upon that
point have no opinion to offer.