Constance Albuera Saunderson

“ I almost screamed, as I tore him on. Then the figure I gazed on seemed to fade before my eyes; the colours grew dim; the outlines blurred. There was a passionate wail of “Alfred!” and the whole vanished into mist.
And with an exclamation of horror all my senses gave way; and when, after tossing in delirium for weeks after, I at last rose from the bed which had almost been my death-bed, I smiled to myself to hear them say, too much work and exertion and an over-excited brain, had brought on brain fever. ”

“ Charley,” said I, “how the dickens do you expect a fellow to sleep if you sit pulling such long faces opposite him. No wonder I couldn’t keep quiet. What is the matter now? Still thinking of your mysterious fiddlesticks?”
“Hush!” said Charley, “there she is!”
I jumped round—sure enough next the other window on my side sat a lady, wrapped, as Charley had described, in a white bournous; the curl of which he had spoken escaping from under the thick veil which concealed her face from us. ”

“ Why Frank, man, where do you spring from, after being lost to the world for years?”
“I have been completing my education as a painter, my dear Alf. Last of all I come from my studio in Brompton, and before that from Jerusalem, where I have been painting a big picture; and if you will look for it next year at the Academy, your weak mind will be astonished to find all my Jews with blue eyes and unobtrusive noses, which, after all, is the most frequent type out there. And now, Alfred, what of you during the four years I have been travelling;—married?” (I knew Alfred had been in love for years.) ”

“ I had indeed been neglecting poor Charley. I now freed his head and chest as much as I could, and then crept out to see if I could get help. It was a frightful scene as I made my way out: there were a few glaring torches, brought from the next station, which we were near, and people running madly up and down; whilst among the broken timbers you saw mangled, bleeding bodies, helplessly, hopelessly entangled. Another train running into ours seemed to have caused the accident by throwing us down an embankment. ”

“ Then the next moment, as though to console himself, he began talking about his boy. Certainly never was any one more wrapped up in another, than Standish in that child; a frail tenure of happiness, I used to think, as I was drawing his pale oval face. ”

“ Fortunately, I had brought two ready stretched and prepared canvases, not being sure of the right size for Lady Standish’s picture, and placing the one not yet used on the easel, I invited my visitor to take her place.
“What is your idea for the picture?” said I. “Have you any particular fancy or wish?”
“I wish for no ornament,” she replied. “Yet stay,” looking round, and seeing the passion flowers on the table, “if you will allow me, I will place one of these in my hair.” ”

“ I exclaimed, rushing on the guard, who was waving his torch so close to us, I thought the light garment of my companion must catch the flame.
“New do’ee come away, sir—there’s nothing there—nothing but the broken timbers,” replied the man, soothingly. “I believe the poor gentleman’s head is turned,” he added to one of the other men.
A fearful sensation overpowered me—was she then invisible? By this time Charley was extricated, and with the assistance of one of the men, whom I retained to help me, we carried him to the station-house. The lady walked noiselessly by our side. ”

“ And off he ran to the house.
“Sir Alfred is mad about the child,” said Lady Standish to me, as we watched his retreating figure. “I believe he considers it quite perfect, and thinks of nothing else.”
“An amiable weakness, we must allow,” said I, smiling.
“Must we?” said she. “I am afraid I should never consider any weakness amiable, at any rate in a man.”
“You would not expect any very great decision from Alfred’s chin, would you?” ”

“ As he stood with his head and part of his body out of the window, she saw they were coming to a tunnel! They were on the line next the wall; she saw it coming—and coming; but she would not speak. The next moment there was a blow—a crunch, and her husband’s corpse fell heavily across her lap with the skull fractured by concussion against the wall. How she travelled miles in the darkening afternoon of that awful twenty-ninth of February, with that dead body on her knee, her fair hand stained by his blood, how when they found her at last, she was almost paralysed to idiotcy ”

“ I was fortunate enough to fall in with the guard of our train (who happened to be an old servant of our family, and knew me well) , directing some fellows with spades to dig for the passengers, and prevailed upon him to begin with our carriage.
I set them to work on poor Charley, who was I still insensible, and climbed over to the other side to encourage the lady. I found her as I had left her.
“Make haste, my lads,” said I, “the lady is still conscious.”
“What lady, sir?” said the guard, coming towards me. “There was no one in the carriage you recollect, Mr. ”

“ I believe you are afraid she will come after you here.”
“Fred,” said Charley, in a subdued, quiet way very unlike himself, for he is a noisy fellow is Charley, six foot high, and always in the open air. I believe he thinks a house need only consist of a bed-room and dining-hall, with perhaps a lean-to for a billiard-table on a wet day. “You know I am not a fellow to take nervous fancies into my head ”

“ It is Leap-year certainly, but what of that, unless you have been trifling with the affections of some fair damsel who will pursue you to make you an offer, which she is entitled to do this year! Is she after you? ”