Year: 1869

She looked round with wondering
gaze that was almost infantile and her
eye resting upon Ashley she sat up IN
the bed and asked him in his own Ian
guage for food. 1t was evident that
she had no recollection of illness and
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 uncon-
scious that she wore no garment but
shroud, had not Ashley persuaded
her to lie down and sleep again.


He left her sleeping, and went on
to another room profoundly puzzled.
Here was this beautiful woman, ignor-
ant, 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 dis
COyery of her friends. 1t was posi-
bic that her senses had left her alto
gether, never to return; the lovely
creature might be a harmless idiot all
the rest Of her days. Her speaking
English was another puzzle. She
might be an English woman--her beau
ty was certainly of the Saxon type
or she might only have learned the
English language but if so how came
that knowledge to be retained when
all else seemed gone?


His perplexity was interrupted by
the entrance of the cause of it. She
stood at the door wrapped round in
one Of the bed coverings, looking at
him with a sweet, childish, vacant ex-
preston that was touching in its help
lcssne5s. 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?'


She paid no attention to the inqui-
ry, but took the offered seat, and be-
gan silently rocking herself to and
fro. 1t had such a ghostly effect to
see her there by the lamplight, robcd
in the long white drapery, with her
beautiful face still pale, no longer
deathly, rocking herself in silence,
that Ashley felt sensation very like
fear thrill through him. He must do
something for he could not bear this.
He took up a book, the first that came
to hand-it was an English one-and
offered it to her, asking if she would
like to read.


She took it with a childish smile,
and laying it open upon her knees be-
gan TO hutter the leaves backward and
forward, playing idly with them.


Good heavens = said Ashley to him
self, she is mad, imbecile at any rate
l must do something with her


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


Now Mary, you must 90 to bed,
and tomorrow


She did not wait for the end of the
sentence, but arose at once to do as
she was bidden, threw down the book,
and letting fail the coverlet that had
/ enyeloped her. walked quietly back to
the inner room.


Ashley fastened the door, and felt
as if he we're going mad from sheer
bewilderment. She must have clothes
the very first thing, ard how were they
to be procured without taking some
one into his confidence? Even if he
knew where to go for them, he knew
not Of what a woman's clothes should
be. 1t was evident then that some
one must be told of the extraordinary
adventure, and it was evident that il
must be a woman in whom he conf
ded, as he required practical help of
q kind no man could give.


The morning dawned before he
could arrange any settled plan, aud
finally he decided that he could not if
he would rid himself Of the charge of


her, therefore she should remain in hi!
house, and he would tell all to the onC
acting as his housekeeper, who chanceC


to be absent at the time, but WHOSE
return he was expecting that very day


He would bind her to secrecy by tht


most solemn oath he could devise, anC


if the failed to keep it, why-at an,
rate he was in a terrible scraLe, anC
this seemed the best thing to be done
The women returned early in the day


and Ashley at once told all, and i'm


plored her assistance. To his grea
relief she agreed at once to do al
that lay in her power for the unhapp,
young girl, and few arrangement
, made, Ashley left the house for th
day, determined to shake off the ur
pleasant impression which the Who'll
! thing had made upon him.


Returning at night, he found Mar
, comfortably clothed and looking les


pale and i'll. His housekeeper toll
. him that she had been dressed like
! child, having apparently no idea of a.
n sisting herself at all.


Y 1t would be impossible to descrih
n minutely how intelligence dawned an
n grew swiftly in the poor girls minC
It 1t was not a gradual growth from il


fancy, but came in fitful snatches.-
t The greatest change came first, whe
e her face frightened from its swe,
z, blank vacancy of expression at As
r, ley's approach, and then she began I
e wait upon him like loving child, an
Il he with infinite patience taught her
II read and to write. She also learne
le to sew, and was not unskilIful in SUI
d woman'8 craft; but what he taug
was learned quickest, best. |
'r Two years passed, and Mary b;
y developed so rapidly that she W
p much like other women in knowled,
IN and requirements, but she had /
re memory of anything before her franc
s. Ashley told her the whole story, al
OF urged her to try to recall somethil


Of the time before; but it was in val
as her memory was gone. And the pl
fe sent time was so happy that they car
We little for the past. She was somethil
tn belonging so entirely to him, even h
IN life she owed to his care, and low
ed him so intensely, there being no o
er else whom she knew or loved besic
~ tb,t ba oo,,l1 ~ fo1 .. l. .-.. L .