Year: 1864




language for food. 1t was evident that
- > -. -arA - A...---, -
neither anxiety nor curiosity as to her
present position.


She ate the food which was brought to
her with appetite, and would have risen
from the bed apparently unconscious that
she wore no garment but a shroud, had \
not Ashley persuaded her to lie down and
sleep again.


He left her sleeping, and went to an.
other room profoundly puzzled Here
was this beautiful woman, ignorant, and
almost helpless as a child, thrown upon
him for protection, as it was clear that she
did not remember anything which would
lead to the discovery of her friends 1t
was possible that her senses had left her
altogether never to return; the lovely
creature might be>a harmless idiot ali the
rest of her days.


Her speaking English was another puz.
zle. She might be an EngIishwoman-
her beauty was certainly of the Saxon
type-or she might only have learnt the
English language; but if so how came that
knowledge to have been retained when all
else seemed gone?


His perplexity was interrupted by the
entrance Of the cause Of it. She stood at
the door wrapt round in one of the bed
coverings, looking at him with a sweet,
childish, vacant expression, which was
touching in its helplesSnesS. 4 must call
her something he thought, as she stood
apparently waiting for him to speak; her
name shall be Mary


Are you better, Mary, and will you sit
in this chair p


She paid no attention to the inquiry,
but took the offered seat, and began silent
ly rocking herself to and fro. 1t had such
a ghosty effect to see her there by the
lamplight, robed in the long white drspe-
ry, with her sweet face still pale, though
no longer deathly, rocking herself in ST.
lrncc, that Ashley felt a sensation very
like fear thrill through him. He must do
something, for he could not bear this
He took up book, the first that came to
hand-it was an English one-and offered
it TO her, asking her if she would like to
read.


She took it with a childish smile, and
laying it open upon her knees, began to
ilutter the leaves backward and forward,
playing idly with them.


Good heavens = said Ashley to himself,
she is mad imbecile at any rate; must
do something with her.


But it was impossible to think with her
before him, and taking her by the hand,
he said;


Sow, Mary, you must go back to bed,
and to morrow


She did not wait for the end of the sen.
tencc, but rose at once to do as she was
bidden, threw down the book, and let
tng fall the covcrlct that had enveloped
her, walked quietly back to the inner
room.


Ashley fastened the door and felt as il
he were going mad from sheer bewilder-
nent. She must have clothes the very
first thing, and how were they to be pro.
cured without taking some one into his
confidence?


Even if he knew where to 60 for them,
he knew nothing of what a woman's
clothes should be. 1t was evident, then,
that some one must be told Of the extra.
ordinary adventure, and it was equally
evident that it must be woman in whom
he contidcd, as he required practical help
of kind no man could give.


The morning dawncd before he could
arrange any settled plan, and finally he
decided that he could not, if he would, rid
himself Of the charge Of her, therefore she
should remain in his house, and he would
tell all to the woman who acted as his
housekeeper, who chanced to be absent at
the time, but whose return he was expect
ing that very day.


lie would bind her to secrecy by the
most solemn oath he could devise, and if
she failed to keep it, why-at any rate he
was in a terrible scrape, and this seemed
the best thing to be done. The woman
returned early in the day, and Ashley at
once told all, and implored her assistance.
To his great relief she agreed at once to
do all that lay in her power for the un-
happy girl, and few arrangements made,
Ashley left the house for the day, deter.
mined to shake off the unpleasant impress
sion which the whole thing had made up
on hin.


Returning at night, he found Mary
comfortably clothed, and looking less pale
and i'll. His housekcepcr told him that
she had been dressed like a child, having
apparently no idea of assisting herself at
all.


1t would be impossible to describe mi
nutrly how intelligence dawned, and grew
swiftly in the poor girls mind. 1t was
not gradual growth from infancy, but
came in ftful snatches. The greatest
change came first, when her face bright
encd from its sweet, blank vacancy Of ex
preston at Astley's approach, and then
she began to wait upon him like loving
child.


lie devoted himself 10 her very tender
", almost as a mother devotes herself to
her child, and with infinite patience taught
her to read and to write. She learned
also to sew, and was not unskillful in such
woman's craft; but what he taught her
was learned quickest, best.


Two years passed, and Mary had devcl-
oped so rapidly that she was much like
other women in knowledge and acquire
mcnts, but she hal no memory of any
thing before her trance.


Ashley told her the whole story, and
urged her to try to recall something ot the
time before, but it was in vain; her memo
~ was clean gone. And the present time
vas so happy that she cared little for the
past.


She was something so entirely to him,
even her life she owed to his care, and
loved him so intensely, there being no one
in the world whom she knew or loved be-
sides, that he could not fail to be very
happy and the mystery Of the bond be-
tween them enhanced its charm.


They were married, and still she lived
in the same privacy as before her hus'
bond and hie love Snfficed for everything,