"DARK DAYS."

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 6643, 31 December 1884, Page 3

"DARK DAYS."

The following is the outline of the story "Dark Days," by Hugh Conway. of " Called Back " notoriety. Basil North, a young doctor, falls in love with a beautiful but friendless orphan, Philippa Jephson. She rejects him, preferring a licentious baronet, Sir Mervyn Ferrand, who tires of her in a few months, and then tells her that she is not his wife, as the first Lady Ferrand was living when he married her. He adds, however (the news being conveyed in a letter), that he is willing to behave handsomely as regards money mattters, and will meet her next night to arrange a final separation. Philippa, distraught with rage and grief, carries this letter to Basil, who resolves to be revenged on the baronet. Philippa's appointment \vith Sir Mervyn is for eight 0 clock on the evening of December 20, at a lonely spot near the high road. Basil is on tho way to this rendezvous, when be meets the injured woman rushing along pale as death, with a discharged pistol in her hand. On seeing him she cries wildly "The wages of sin! the wages of sin!" "and points in the direction of a dark heap, • which turns out to be Sir Mervyn Ferrand 's body shot through the heart. Basil, horrified, hurries after Philippa, whom he finds quite mad. That night a heavy snowstorm covers up the corpse, and gives Basil time to decide what to do. He is convinced Philippa murdered her false lover when insane, and this view is confirmed next morning, for tho lady wakes up perfectly sensible, but without any recollection whatever of the events of the preceding night. Basil at once determines to place his love beyond the reach of justice before thesnow melts and the murdered man's body is discovered. He confidea partially in his mother, and with assistance, conveys the ailing girl to a place of safety in Spain. Here the three lived happily for some months, Basil securing Philippa's love and presently marrying her. All goes well, till one day Philippa accidentally learns that Sir Mervyn Ferrand has been murdered. Then all the events of the night of the snowstorm rush back upon her. At first, though very miserable, Bhe decides to do nothing, but when it happens that a man named Evans is arrested for the crime, she determines to return to England and confess all. Husband and wife arrive at the assize town on the morning of Evans's trial and get places in Court. When the prisoner is asked " Are you guilty or not guilty?" according to the ÜBual formula, Philippa rises, and, throwing back her veil, endeavours to ejaculate " I murdered Sir Mervyn Ferrand." Her vo^ce fails her, however, and "at this moment Evans avers himselE (t guilty." Philippa, who hasn't committed herself by a word, and is merely taken by the spectators for an hysterical woman, now falls to the ground, and is carried out insensible. Evans subsequently confesses that he shot and robbed Sir Mervyn on the night of December 20, and that Phillippa, whom he took for a spectre, came up afterwards and picked up the pistol he had dropped. It was her sudden appearance in Court that impelled him to confess himself guilty.