The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30
CHAPTER xLvI.
dimly
The Potion.


The declining sun shone dimly
through the painted windows. Tho
chapel was in half-dark. Teresa went
slowly to where the two candles winked
yellowly. She had often knelt there,
but she brought now no thought Of
prayer. Might Gordon come in time?
Would his errand at the casa delay
him? Could fate will that she should
miss him by such narrow marginf
She crouched suddenly down on the al
tar cushions. dry, fearless sobs tearing
at her throat.
She felt the book in her pocket and
drew it out.
Only that morning she had found the
letter written in it-only an hour ago
their hands had touched together on
its cover How truly now Juliet's plight
seemed like her own! But she. alas!
had no friendly monk nor magic elixir.
There were no such potions nowadays
What was it Gordon had said? Man
dra agora-a drachn OF mandragora? II
she only had some nowI
She caught her breath
In another minute she was stumbling
up the narrow curling stair to the loft
above.
Ten minutes later she stood in the
center of the laboratory, lined with it's
bottles. her search ended. the blood
shrinking from her heart, her hand
clutching the small phiaL
Gasping, she seized a slender grad
uated glass and hurried down She
ran to the chapel door and fastened it.
hearing while she slid the bolt the
steps of the cleric pacing up and down
without.
AS she stood again at the altar, the
phial in her hand. a bleak fear crossed
her soul. What if it had never been
anything but a story? Perhaps Juliet
had never awakened really. but had
died when she drank the pCtionl Sup
pose it were poison, from which there
was no awakeningi
She shivered as if with cold Better
even that than life-without him.
Perhaps, too, Gordon had jested or
had b n mistaken 1t might have
been some other drug-some other
quantity.
Another dread leaped upon her out
of the shadow. Suppose it We're the
right drug-that its effect would be as
he had said. What then? In her
agony she had thought only of escape
from the hours dilemma There would
be an afterward. And who would know
she only slept? She dared not trust
to Elise-her fright would betray her.
She dared not leave a writing lest other
eyes than Gordon's should see and
understand. Suppose she did it. and
succeeded. and he came afterward- He
would deem her dead in truth-that
was what Romeo had thoughts vic
tim of her own despair. They would
bear her to the Gambia vault cold and
coffined, to wake beside her father,
without Juliet's hope of rescue. Her
brain rocked with hysterical terror.
If Gordon only knew she would
dare all-dare that worst But how
could she let him know? Even if he
were here now she would have neither
time nor opportunity. Her half-hour of
grace was almost UP.
Yet-if he saw her lying there ap-
parently lifeless. and beside her that
book and phial-would he remember
what he had said? Would he guess?
Oh, God, would he?
A warning knock sounded at the
chapel door.
Blessed Virgin, help mel" whispered
Teresa, poured the drachm and drank
it.
Then with a sob she stretched herself
on the altar cushions and laid the
Romeo and Juliet" open on her breast.
When finally-his wonder and indig-
nation having given place to apprehen-
sion-the chaplain employed a dra-
goon's stout shoulder to force the chap
Ell door, he distinguished at first only
emptiness.
He approached the altar. to start
back with an exclamation OF dismay
at what he saw stretched in the candle
light
He laid faltering hand on Teresa's:
it was already chilled. He raised her
eyelid-the pupil was expanded to the
iris edge He felt her pulse, her heart.
Both were STILL A cry of horror broke
from his lips as he saw vial lying un-
corked beside her. He picked IL up.
noting the far-faint halitus Of the dead
ly elixir.
His cry brought Elise. with the nuns
behind her. The old woman pushed
past the Deering trooper and rushed to
throw herself beside the altar with a
wall OF lamentation-
The chaplain lifted her and drew her
away.
Go back to the house." he bade her
sternly; let no servant enter here till
word comes from Casa Guiccioli" He
waved the black-gowned figures back
to the threshold. She is self-slain," he
said.
In the confusion none of them had
seen a man enter the garden from the
side. who. hearing the first alarm, had
swiftly approached the chapel. No one
had seen him enter the open door be-
hind them
The churchman, with that solemn
pronouncement on his lips. stopped
short at Gordon's white. awe-frosted
face There was not true sight, but
rather woeful, CONCEALED vision in
those eyes turned upon the altar: they
seemed those Of a soul in whom the
abrupt certainty of perdition has
sheathed itself unawares.
The chaplain drew back He recog-
nized the man who had come so sud-
denly to meet that scene. A dark
shadow crossed his face. Then mutter-
ing a prayer he followed the nuns to
the carriages to bear back the melan- j.
choly news to Ravenna-