The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-10-31
CHAPTER XXXvI.

| and told me that friend Of his was In
command Of carak, winch was due to
sail from the port of Vera Cruz for Cadiz
| within 10 days, and that his friend was
willing to give me a passage if I wished
to leave Mexico. thought for awhile
and said that would go, and that very
night, having bid farewell. to the Captain
Diaz, whom may God prosper, for he was
good man among many bad ones, set
out from the city for the last time in the
company Of some merchants. A weeks
journey took us safely down the noun
tains to Vera Cruz, q hot, unhealthy
town, with an Indifferent anchorage, much
exposed to the fierce northerly winds.
Here I presented my letters of recon-
| mendation to the commander Of the carak,
who gave me passage without question, I
laying in stock Of food for the journey.
At length our voyage came to an end,
and on a certain 18th of June found my
self in the mighty city cf London
In London I bought a good horse,
through the kind offices of the host OF my
| inn, and on the morrow at daybreak 1 set
out upon the Ipswich road
I rode hard all that day and the next,
and my horse being stout and swift by
| 7:30 o. clock of the evening pulled up up
on the little hill whence had looked for
| my last on Bungay, when rode thence
from Yarmouth with my father. Below
me lay the red roofs Of the town. There
to the right were the oaks Of buckingham
| and the beautiful tower Of ST. Mary's
church Yonder the stream OF Waveney
wandered, and before me stretched the
meadow lands, purple and golden, with
| marsh weeds in bloom. All was as it had
been. could sec no change at all The
| only change was in myself dismount-
ed, and going to pool Of water near the
| roadway I looked at the reflection Of my
own face. was changed indeed Scarcely
should have known it for that of the Lad
who had ridden up this hill 20 years ago.
Mounting my horse, I pushed on again
at canter, taking the road past Wang
| ford Mills, through the fords and Pfrnhow
town, leaving Bungay upon my left. In
| 10 minutes was at the gate Of the bride
| path that runs from the Norwich road for
! half mile or more beneath the steep and
wooded bank under the shelter Of which
! stands the lodge Of Buckingham.
Now the lodge was before me. 1t had
changed no whit, except that the ivy and
creepers on its front had grown higher
to the roof indeed-and could see that
people Lived in the house, for it was well
kept, and smoke hung above the Chin
neys. The gate was locked, and there
were no serving men about, for night fell
fast, and all had ceased from their labor.
Leaving the house on the right, passed
round to the stables that are at the back,
| near the hillside garden, but here the gate
was locked also, and dismounted, not
knowing what to do. Indeed was so
unnamed with fear and doubt that for
! awhile seemed bewildered, and leaving
the horse to crop the grass where he stood
| wandered to the foot of the church path
| and gazed up the hill as though waited
| for the coming Of one whom should
meet.
Then suddenly there rose up in my mind
vision of the splendid chamber in Mon
tezuma S palace in Tenoctitlan and Of my
self sleeping on golden bed and dream
ing on that bed-I knew it now. I was
! the god Tezcat, and on the morrow must
be sacrificed, and slept in misery, and as
| / slept dreamed dreamed that I stood
where I stood this night, that the scent OF
| the English flowers was in my nostrlls as
it was this night, and that the sweet song
Of the nightingales rang in my cars as at
! this present hour dreamed that as
unused and listened the moon came up
over the green ash and oaks, and, 10! there
she shone I dreamed that 1 heard
sound Of singing on the hill.
But now I awoke from this vision of
| k1,o -,oe% o,,d of 1onc, 1Cct 5roaIp for
stood the sweet voice of woman began
to sing yondcr on the brow Of the hill. l
was not mad; heard it clearly, and the
sound grew even nearer as the singer drew
down the hillside 1t was so near now
that could catch the very words of that
sad song, which to this day remember.
Now could see woman IS shape i'll the
moonlight 1t was tall and stately and
clad in white robe Presently she lifted
her head to watch the filter of a bat, and
the moonlight lit up her face. It was the
face of Lily Bozart, my lost love, beautiful
as Of yore, though grown older and stamp
ed with the seal of some great sorrow. l
saw, and so deeply was l stirred at the
sight that had it not been for the long
paling to which clung must have fall
en- to the earth, and deep groan broke
from my lips.
She heard the groan and ceased her
song. Then, catching the sight of the fig
ure of man, she stopped and turned as
though to fly. stood quite still, and
| wonder overcame her fear. She drew
nearer and spoke in the sweet, low voice
that I remembered we'll, saying: ''Who
wanders here so late? Is it you, John!'
Now when heard her speak thus new
fear took me. Doubtless she was married
| and John was her husband. I had
found her, but to lose her more complete
| ". OF sudden it came into my mind
that I would not discover myself till
knew the truth. I advanced pace, but
not SO far as to pass from the shadow of
the shrubs which grew here. and taking
~f III -, oo,,eninr pO