Year: 1869

CutlOu III not producing IL ndu, III MS


opinion, failed to make out a sufficient case


to go to the jury, and that he must there.
fore direct verdict for the acquittal OF


the prisoners. They were as much aston
ished and 'oyerpowered as myself by the


unexpected turn things had taken, and


with admirable celebrity disappeared from
the dock


Some four years afterward received a
very pressing invitation from my old e on


friend, Charlie Forester, asking me to


run down to his place in Devonshire, and
| spend few days there. Master Charlie,
| whose lines had fallen in exceedingly


pleasant places, and who at twenty-one


had come into very nice estate and some
| five thousand pounds annually, after tan


talizing all the marriageable girls in the
county by refusing to 60 to the balls and


croquet parties, with invitations for which
| he was pertinaciously pestered from morn


ing till, night, had finally taken himself
| abroad, no one knew whittier, and there


remained between four and five years.
When he returned home again he brought


a wife with him, proceeding on his part


which excited general discomfort and dis
appreciation But Charlie cared very
little what the county folks thought
| about him. He was passionately fond of
his wife, and consequently devoted to
home, while he occupied his time in
regulating the affairs of his estate, and
improving the breed of pigs. In short,
| he found within the limits of his park
| fence all the amusement and society he re-
quired . His attachment for his wife was


not surprising, for she was indeed a most
| lovely and charming woman, full of intel
ligence and good sense, and in every way
| fitted to preside over a household. When
she and Charlie first met at Pau, she was


the governess in an English family that


was staying there; the courtship lasted
| but few days; and one fine morning


they met by appointment, and walking to-
| gether to the church, were married be-
| fore breakfast. Violet Danvers had no
| idea of the position, pecuniary or other
WISE that attached to Charlie, but her life
had been full of troubles, and all she
knew was that he had been very kind and
good to her.


Friends and relations, she had nons,"
| she said and then, as she rested her head
against his breast and looked up into his
eyes, Charlie felt that Heaven had sent
her for him to love and cherish. He told
her of his past life, and his wanderings in
distant countries, and sought to engage her
confidence in return; but she always
seemed to avoid all reference to her own
past, and would hurriedly turn the CONVEX
sation into quite another channel. Charlie
was not of a suspicious nature and had
far too much love and confidence in his
wife to fancy that she was concealing any
thing from him.


And so Violet came to her new home
to the old home in which generations of
Forresters had lived and died.


1t was not so very long after they had
taken up their abode at "The Lions "that
Il received the invitation before alluded


to- and as the long vacation had already
commenced, and my pecuniary resources
were not in condition to stand trip
even to the seaside, thought the best
thing could do was to accept the hospi-
tality that my old frieni offered to me.
A few days more saw me comfortably in
stalled at "The Lions" thoroughly enjoy
ing the fresh air and strong exercise that
followed, in pleasing contrast to the heat
ed atmosphere of close courts and con-
tinuous sitting in dingy chambers I
foundtMr Forester most charming and


amusing companion, though I could not
help being struck by an air of constraint
and reserve that at times settled upon her.
A very brief acquaintance satisfied me


that there was some mystery attaching to


her which she dared not reveal.


One morning at breakfast, Charlie, after


reading letter he had just received by
the post, informed us that it was from an


old Paris friend of his whom he had met
| in his traveller days, and who, in pursu-


ance of a long-standing invitation, had
written to say that he proposed coming
on visit to "The Lions" and would,
without waiting for reply, put in an ap-
pearance that very evening, Charlie was


delighted at the prospect of seeing his old
acquaintance, and in the course of a walk


over the farm he informed me that the


name of the coming guest was Murray,
and that he was blessed with great deal


more ready wit than ready cash.


Though he is bit of an adventurer
in his way" said Charlie, he is a capital
fellow, and the best company in9the
world" Z = @.' ~


1t was very late when the expected
| guest arrived. Mrs. Forester had retired


to bed some time before. AS for Charlie


and myself, we kept the new conner COM
pany while he supped, and when he had
| fore him, it being already in the small
l
mously.e / was very sleepy, and beyond
uttering mere commonplace or two had
| taken little or no notice of the stranger; !;
| but when he came across the room and


held out his hand, which oddly enough


was encased in a hght-colored glove of


some sort to bid me goodnight, asI look


ed him full in the face, he seemed to start


for moment. Although his features


were hidden by heavy mustache and


huge beard, there was something about


them that appeared familiar to me- Where


on earth could have seen him before !?
| When got up stairs into my bedroom /


puzzled my brain with inquiries, but all
! in vain / CO lld connect the face with
| nothing, and nothing with the face, and
| with that / got angry with myself ana
| with. that went to sleep.


The next morning / awoke early, and
| feeling strong inclination for a walk be-
| fore breakfast, tumbled headlong into my


cold tub, and in very short time after


had completed my toilette" and was out


in glorious fresh air. An hours stroll


brought me back to the window of the
| breakfast-room, which opened into the


garden, and with the appetite of a tiger


was on the point of entering, when my
! step was arrested by the sound of Mrs.


Forrester's voice, tremulous with emotion,


exclaiming, "Say it is not truei for PHYS


sake, say it is not truer'


What could this mean? Being of a


curious turn-my conduct may have been
l,disgraceful, but hereafter l hope to stand
excused for it, moved into position