Why Paul Ferroll killed his Wife. By the author of 'Paul Ferroll'

Chapter I

A LONG gallery opening on each side to small rooms gave the inhabitants of St. Cecile's Monastery access both to them and to the larger apartment which AAras inhabited by the Reverend Mother herself. This latter room Avas of an oblong shape, very bare of furni ture, and of all kinds of decoration. The windoAvs were Avithout curtains; there was but one table, and on it stood a crucifix. Two benches by the wall Avere all the accommoda tion for sitting down. The one figure which occupied the chamber required not even so R much, for she was kneeling in the middle of the floor, with support of no kind, and quite upright, except her head, Avhich was boAved under the thick cloth or veil hanging over it, and Avhich concealed even her hands. " She is praying," said a nun, looking into the room, "you had better wait;" and these AA7ords she addressed to a young girl Avho accompanied her, in the ordinary tone of con versation, such as befitted the occupations of the place.

The young girl advanced into the room, and herself went down on her knees at a little distance from the Superior, running over her beads while she waited till she might speak. She was very simply dressed in white, with parted hair, like a child, but abundant and beautiful, falling low on low shoulders and delicately rounded waist. Her face was fair, Avith very little colour, and the eyes, Avhich she raised often, while she slid her beads through her fingers, had a simplicity of religious expression, such as fades even in those happy, enough once to possess it, when the habits of a pious childhood come to be contradicted by those of the general world. When the Superior rose from her knees, so did Elinor, and advanced towards the elder lady, Avho kissed her on the forehead, and gave a blessing.

The com7ersation Avas in French, though the girl was English, for it Avas in a Convent of Brittany that the scene took place. It did not begin in the tone supposed to be exclusively that of Lady Abbesses. " Has Louisa finished the marking of all your shifts, my dear ? Are they ready ? " " Yes, dear Mother, and packed up," said Elinor. " And have you heard Avhether Madame Neotte is come." " Yes, that is AA'hat I came here to tell you, as you desired." " Then to-morrow you leave us," said the Superior, in a melancholy voice. " It is you Avho have determined it," said Elinor. " Ah, my child ! your guardian believes it best ; it is his doing." B " And I shall come back," said the girl " No, dear, you will never do that. I know your feelings better than you do. It will be a hard parting Avith us all, but Avhen you are away you will be glad.

You will enjoy the world, you will choose it, and you Avill be Avelcome in it. No ; you will never Avish to come back here. I have knoAvn many gentle girls like you, Avho could not find Avhat they Avanted here. They require to be carried along — not to walk alone, as in a convent." " Am I one of those," said Elinor, catch ing hold of the Abbess's hand and passionately kissing it ; "I who have been so happy?" " And have made us all happy — but you must go. Sit down a little while, let us talk for the last time. The world is full of snares, my dear." " What are they?" said Elinor. " What will they tempt me to do ? " " Vanity, the pride of life, the lusts of the devil," answered the Superior. " You must be prepared for all. Some will pretend that you have beauty ; some will praise your voice, as if you were a musician ; some will talk to you of the world — and all, all for their OAvn bad ends."

" What are those ends?" asked Elinor, again. The Abbess was a little puzzled. " Man," said she, solemnly, "is a creature going about to devour. Listen not to him, go not near him, keep him far from you. He will hurt you, he will destroy you ; you have already learned this ; noAV is your time to practise. Keep your eyes from his face, keep your speech from his commerce. One day it may come to pass that your guardian may select one Avho is to be your husband. Then submit yourself to the Avill of your superiors, and adopt the state of life which shall be allotted you ; but till such a fate is brought to your door, remember that a maiden must keep her finger on her lips and her heart full of thoughts holy and virtuous, avoiding the very shadow of sin." Elinor was set thinking what these sins could be; but she resolved, at all events, to do right, and to keep the precepts of her early friend in her memory.

She continued talking with the Reverend Mother as long as convent duties permitted; then, for the last time, partook the Evening Service and assisted to make the vesper beautiful by her exquisite voice, against the world's estimation of Avhich the Superior thought she had successfully warned her. She rose that night for Vigils; and next morning Avas up at Matins — the last time of doing these duties making them seem to her as if she would fain never cease to do them ; and Avhen the hour for her journey arrived, the wrench of the first roots she had ever struck in hearts and places, overwhelmed her Avith a girlish sorrow, which, fortunately, was not put to such proof as an offer to remove it would have been ; for there is no. saying how her wish to remain in the Con vent would have been modified, if the chaise into which she so sobbingly stepped had been ordered back into its old remise.

Chapter II

On the English side of the Channel, Avhich our heroine AA-as about to cross, a different scene was passing in the early life of one of the opposite sex. A young man, four years older than Eli nor (Avho was just seventeen), had passed tha.t summer a triumphant Examination at Oxford, and heaped on himself every honour which it was possible for its young members to obtain. He had been accustomed to success ever since he became a school-boy ; and he was so far from satiated by it, that he already looked upon all his achievements as mere marks of past progress, and on himself as now about to begin the career Avhich con tained objects really Avorthy of his ambition. He was an orphan, never acquainted Avith father or mother; Avholly unconscious of tender influences on his boyhood, and of domestic sympathy with his successes and desires.

He had come not to want them; disappointment he had not had, and the hard measure of public applause suited him better than the fond exaggerations of home, to which he had not grown up, nor been bettered by them. Life was a fine, hard reality to him ; he knew it, for evil and good, and while he destroyed every illusion as fast as they courted him, he looked keenly to its enjoyments and rated them by the vast power of pleasure within him which he shared with most healthy and active human beings. He was passing some weeks at a country house, Avhere his late very hard Avork gave zest to the summer repose in which the old place lay buried. Long, solitary, mornino walks in the heavenly beauty of a hot July did his thinking faculties good, after their late stretch upon other men's thoughts. The society of well educated Avomen, their music. their vivacity, their fancies ; the riding parties, the evenings when there was danc ing, or the garden by moonlight, and the pleasure of pretending to feelings, and, as it Avere, acting them, for they were no better to him than a play, these things suited him for a little while, till the moment should come for executing the projects in his head Avhich Avould drive all the present scene far aAvay.

He had everything to recommend him to the Avorld. A fine person, full of health and strength, a fortune and a place Avhich Avere competent to ordinary Avishes, and had been augmented by all the savings of a Avell managed minority ; a high reputation for ability ; and natural claims on certain great names for assistance in entering on his career. His manner was more taking than winning, he took hold on society as if it Avere his due place, and his admirable tact made him hold it gracefully, and to the delight of his companions. These qualities and advantages had made a strong impression on the fancy of the B young lady who presided over the house. She was the OAvner's sister, a few years older than my hero (whom I will call Leslie, though I do not assert that such Avas indeed his name) ; she was handsome, rich, and hitherto courted by all whom she had a mind should do so.

But it Avas not so with her ..present guest; he often seemed on the brink of fascination, and then, like Sampson, burst the withies like burnt flax and Avas as free as ever. The irritation of this state of things Avas excessive ; she longed to break through the feminine restraints which bound her, and ask him if indeed he cared for her or not. The absolute impossibility of thus setting herself free was a galling chain, for ever working on the Avounded place ; and the necessity of a smiling face, and disengaged manner, at times when she Avas fretting at her heart's core, acquainted her with a tor ment Avhich the daughters of Eve sometimes heavily endure. " Let us ride this afternoon," she said, one hot but cloudy day ; " the air of the house burns one." " With all my heart," said Leslie ; " but we shall have a storm."

" I am not afraid," said Laura. " Would I were quite sure that, in fact, you have no fears!" " Oh ! I would tell them. I am very frank, I hate concealment. It is very hard on women that they are required to be liars and deceivers." " But that's not the case," said Leslie, " Avhat is so delightful to a man as a frank, open nature which prints its thoughts as fast as they come into the mind." " So you say, but you know it is not so — at least, not unless a Avoman has no thought Avhatever, except the price of a dress or the hope of a ball." " Oh, that Avould not pay the expense of printing or reading either," said Leslie; " but Avhat has this to do Avith your first plan of riding ? Shall Ave go ? " "Yes; Mrs. Axross, you will ride? and Captain Bertham — ring; the horses are ready in case Ave should Avant them.

Come and put on your habit." . When they got on horseback, Leslie per versely kept with Mrs. Axross, a timid horse- Avoman, and in consequence of being occupied with genuine fear, a rather dull companion. They fell behind the others, Avhose horses stepped out freely under lightly held bits, nor did Miss Chanson knoAv how to alter the order of their progress. When she con trived, under pretence of pointing out a view, or a remarkable tree, to get back to the loiterers, she still found that Leslie adhered to his first companion, and suffered her again to get before him. " How I hate a horse that can't walk," she said, at last, impatiently striking her own, which bounded at the unjust assault and tossed his head angrily. " Well, then let us gallop," said Leslie, laughing, for he read her heart exactly.

"My companion," he added, as they Avent off, " thinks only of keeping her seat. When she gets home safe, she will have fulfilled the sole purpose of riding out." " Well, I'm better than that," said Laura, her spirits rising instantly, " I can enjoy all when there is anything to enjoy — but Cap tain Bertham is so stupid." Leslie laughed again, for he knew that Captain Bertham did not deserve a reproach of which he felt himself to be the indirect cause. " How can anyone be dull Avith you for a companion," said he, again, as they in creased their pace and Avent gaily along. Laura Avas pleased, she did not consider that she had provoked the compliment, and that it is only voluntary attentions from a man that tell. " Here come the great raindrops," said Leslie, as the first of the storm fell one by one.

" Oh, no ! it is only the last of a shower. See, it is blowing over." " I don't see it at all, but if you order me to see it, I will." " I do, then," said Laura, gaily ; " so let us go on." " Was that lightningor not?" said Leslie, as a flash startled their horses, and thunder rolled at a distance. " It Avas not," said Laura ; " come on." " On, on, to the end of the world under your guidance." But now the rain at once arrived and poured upon them. " What will Mrs. Axross do," said Laura, laughing ; " she will Avalk her horse all the way home, for fear he should jump at the storm. We must turn back and look for them." Leslie rather Avondered she should do so, instead of profiting by her present tdte-d-tete Avith him ; but presently he understood the manœuvre. When they came to a cross road, she examined the footmarks on the road, and declared it Avas most extraordinary, but cer tainly their companions had gone the wrong way.

" They will get lost in the wood," she said ; "and what will Mr. Axross say, if Ave go home without his Avife? Let us canter up here andset them right. We shall overtake them in a minute." " You will be wet through," said Leslie. " No, no, canter home !" " I don't care ; go home if you like." " No, I am yours, to the very skin," said Leslie, venturing on a brutality. Miss Chanson did not look angry, and on they went, aAvay from home. Presently a little farmhouse appeared in sight. " They have taken shelter there," said the lady, " no doubt. Come, let us see if they are to be found ;" and arriving at the door, she jumped from her horse, saying to the far mer, who came out at the sound of horses, " My friends are here, are not they ? Come, Mr. Leslie." He folloAved, after first putting the horses into the stable, and giving them over to the care of the farmer's boy, and found his companion standing before the kitchen fire, her hat off, her hair let doAvn to dry, and her habit open.

" The Aveather is too bad to stay in, is not it?" she said, as he came in. "Let us Avait till the storm goes by ;" and she pulled her dress together. " A lucky storm for me," said Leslie, glancing at her disarranged toilette. " Why are these lovely tresses locked up in ribbon and garlands—not ahvays thus delightfully visible ?" Laura affected embarrassment, and hastily tAvisted them in her hands, but yielded to a slight impulse from Leslie to release them. Finally she placed herself in a very pictu resque attitude on what is called the settle, by the fire, and Leslie carried on briskly the conversation she affected. " All this time," said he, at last, Avhen the flirtation became a little Avearisome, " what is become of Mrs. Axross ?" " I had almost forgotten her," said Laura, softly, with a smothered sigh.

" I had quite done so," said Leslie, sighing also. " Only you recollected her," said Laura, a little reproachfully. " Nay, the storm is over. It is getting late. I Avould n<5t have you catch cold for the world — I Avould not be responsible for the anxiety your absence will create — I Avould not haA7e you exposed to further rain — I Avould " "Get home in time for dinner," interrupted Laura, very impatiently. Then checking her self, she added, as gaily as she could, "which Avould be an excellent thing, for I am very hungry." " Then heaven forbid you should Avait !" said Leslie. " I'll fetch the horses in a moment." Accordingly he Avent himself to the stable, and forgot to lament the loss of the beautiful curls, Avhich were tAvisted under the hat when he came back ; and placing Laura on her horse, they rode home together, the lady feeling in herself that hollo wn ess in her satisfac tion which comes Avhen the foundation of a very gay and promising structure wants per fect solidity7.

" Hoav very handsome he is," she said to herself, as she ran up the house-steps ; " hoAv agreeable — and I don't feel sure he will make himself agreeable next time — that makes one curious to be Avith him again." The butler stopped her in the hall, and said, " Miss Elinor Ladylift Avas arrived." " Ha ! our little nun," said she, turning back to Mr. Leslie ; " we did not expect her till to-morrow. Come and see her." He followed her into the room, and saAv standing by the table a young figure, per fectly enveloped in a gray cloak, Avhile a veil concealed her features from any one at a little distance. The only characteristic which he could observe Avas, that the flowers on the table trembled, as if the hand which rested on it gave them that motion. " Oh ! my dear, I did not knoAV you would be here to-day.

I beg your pardon for not being here to receive you. You forgive me, don't you?" " Yes ! " said a low, timid voice. Miss Chanson laughed. " That's all right ! Then come along with me, for I am wet through : you would not have me die of cold, Avould you?" " No !" said the voice. " Right, again ! I'll show you your room — but first I'll present Mr. Leslie to you. This is Mr. Leslie, my dear." " Is it?" said the voice again. " Yes, indeed ! " and again Laura laughed, looking up at the yToung man sportively7, and taking the girl's arm went out of the room with her. " There's no fear that she will captiA'ate any one Avhom / choose for myself, especially such a man as that, so brilliant himself, and so fond of intellect and manner," thought she. That perfect security at first sight gene rally ends in a total contradiction.

I have remarked it as often as the case of security has taken place. " She is tired and frightened, and won't come to dinner," said Miss Chanson, as she entered the drawing-room after dressing. " No Avonder ! the inside of a convent is all she knoAvs of life." "What does she look like?" asked her brother, a man five-and-tAventy years older than the bright Laura, and an dndifferent, idle bachelor, Avho disregarded his appearance, and looked yet ten years older than he Avas, in consequence. " She is a pale, slight girl," said Laura, " and expects to be devoured by all of us. She has the least possible French accent, and moves about like a mouse."

Chapter III

The next day, Elinor appeared at breakfast, coming into the room close at the side of her hostess, to whom she clung, and sat down in the next chair, which vexed Laura, for it was Mr. Leslie's habitual place. He took the one beloAv Elinor, and endeavoured to engage her in conversation, but Avas received like an enemy, and did not seek to avoid Miss Chan son's looks of intelligence, who remarked silently on the repulses he suffered. The impression on him, hoAvever, was not exactly Avhat he allowed Laura to believe. He remarked the delicate shape of the pale face, the ease of the slight figure, the fine form of the hands, which, if not very white as yet, were formed in the noblest feminine model. Her gray gown was perfectly simple, and it was quite uninteresting to him whether it was cut fashionably or unfashionably.

The eyes, Avhich were kept cast down on her plate so pertinaciously, excited his curiosity7 ; he wanted to find some phrase which should raise them, that he might see them. Interest was awakened, but do and say what he would, he never succeeded, during all that breakfast, in making her look at him. She disappeared Avhen it was over, and he saw her not again till after dinner, when, on coming into the drawing-room, he found her seated close to © ? Miss Chanson, diligently at work. The latter was becoming a little tired of such close com panionship; she could not rise from her chair, but Avhat Elinor did the same, thereby pre venting many manœuvres hitherto easy to practise. "My dear child, if you like that place, keep it," said she ; " the lamp suits your work, and I must go to talk to that stupid old lady, Avhom it is my duty to amuse."

" Shall I go," said Elinor. " They always used to send me to talk to Madame Les Forces." " Did you succeed ?" said Laura, laughing sarcastically. " Yes, sometimes." " But you don't know this lady — shall you have the courage ?" "Why not?" " Nay, you will not speak one syllable to Mr. Leslie." " No !" " And why ?" said Laura. " I talk to him — Ave all talk." " The Reverend Mother said I must not." " Did she say you might speak to none but women ?" said Leslie, very gently. " Yes !" "Oh! that's excellent!" cried Laura. "My dear nun, you must get rid of some of those maxims; you are in a very different place from your nunnery. Don't make yourself ridiculous." The young girl coloured excessively ; she Avas too young to bear being ridiculous, too fond of her habitual teachers to fancy they could be misinformed.

She was perplexed, and rising, shrank aAvay to the stupid lady, whose Avork she began admiring; and as long as no one else heard her voice, contrived to keep up a dialogue. " What a quaint little creature !" said Miss Chanson. " But iioav I'll do my part to amuse the other stupid people, by giving you all some music." " Do," said Mr. Leslie ; " though you know I am so lost in dulness as to talk most when music is best." " I know that ; but at all events I entertain you even in that case." She said this rather sentimentally; and Mr. Leslie opened the piano-forte, and talked a little nonsense while she arranged her books. When fairly embarked, and Avhen other people collected round her, and they Avere all inter ested Avith her performance and their oavii, he drew gradually to the side of Elinor, and Avatched his chance of speaking to her.

She listened to the music, Avhich was very good, with great interest ; but she dreAV away7 from u him, and he could do no better than some dialogue Avith the stupid old lady. At last, when there was a pause in the per formance, he took up his courage, and said boldly to Elinor, " You perceive, Miss Lady lift, that they are all tired, and can play and sin<>- no more. You ought to assist them — © o you ought to help in amusing us all." She rose in a moment, as if bound to obey Avhoever commanded her, and walked towards the piano-forte. " Mr. Leslie told me I ought to sing," she said. "Ought I?" " To be sure, if you can. But what — not psalm tunes?" " Very Avell, I will not. I knoAV a great many airs which Frere du Lap taught all the pensionnaires." " I should like to hear Frere du Lap's scholar very much," said Laura.

"Should you?" said Elinor, looking up at her, unconscious of the sarcasm ; and she placed herself before the piano-forte. Now nature had made her a present of a voice, such as she gives very rarely : " It were the bul-bul, but his throat, Tho' sweet, ne'er uttered such a note." It Avas no merit of Elinor's ; there seemed no object in bestowing it upon her ; but she was lucky in being the one to get it, for its effect Avas to dispose the hearers to love her. It was as pure as the song of the angels heard by Handel, and set down by him as sung to the Shepherds ; it had been well taught, also, so that it was a delight to the ear, a charm to the heart. Leslie, who Avas moving away, stopped as she began to sing, and turned to fasten his eyes upon her, as upon a new sense of delight, a pleasure revealed for the first time.

She rose up when it was done; indeed, she had not actually sat doAvn, but had bent one knee tOAvards the level of the piano-forte, and played an accompaniment varying Avith the words. She was plainly a perfect mis tress of her art ; and, according to the fashion of draAving-rooms, her performance was greeted with clapping of hands, and a few bravas. She looked round, astonished ; and if any one had desired another song, Avould have obeyed ; C but Miss Chanson came up Avith the last notes, and after a brief thank you, led her aAvay, saying her voice seemed a little tired. She then organized other amusements, and the music was over for the evening. Mr. Leslie contrived to elude them all, and very quietly coming up beside Elinor, he said to her, " That song is one I shall never forget. I shall hear many more, I hope, but the first time one listens to a perfect thing it is remembered for ever."

Elinor shook her head. " My Mother told me you would say so." " That / should say so ? Hoav could the Holy Mother knoAV anything of me ?" " Not of you, but of all." " She could only say that all of us should be aware you have one of the finest voices in the world." " Yes, she did say so — that you would try to persuade me of it." " I don't wish it to be thought of me that I would persuade any one to believe an untrue thing. Let us consider for a moment," and he sat doAA-n beside her at the table, leaning upon it, and trying to look in her face, Avhich was bent over her work. " You have heard the music of this evening ?" " Yes !" " It was very good, was it not ?" " Very good, very strong ; I never heard such before." " But Avas there any voice as expressive as yours ?" "No!" " Or that was so milike a flute, or an organ, or a harp, but Avas so purely human, the per fection of human."

" I cannot hear my own voice." " Surely, Miss Ladylift, you can." Elinor kneAV she could, and he put the question plainly. She suddenly lifted up her large eyes upon him, and looked full into his for a moment — there was an anxiety to pene trate his meaning, but it yielded in another instant to the dread of encountering a stranger's gaze ; however, he had seen those large eyes. "You can if you will," said he; " every - C2 body can judge themselves as Avell as they can judge other people, if they will be honest to themselves. And it is not being honest, to think worse of oneself than is the truth." " My dear Mother told me my voice was such a voice as hundreds of others have." " But what do you think yourself?" " I believe her," said Elinor. " Yes, surely," ansvrered Leslie, afraid of alarming his companion.

" She spoke her entire conviction, no doubt ; still she judged from her Convent alone. There, perhaps, where all is holy, all dedicated to divine things, the inhabitants may be blessed, many of them, Avith gifts like the one you have in your voice ; but it is not so in the Avorld. You are in the world now ; you must judge by what you see and hear ; you may find there are things unlike those which the Reve rend Mother knows." " Oh ! she cannot be mistaken," said Elinor. " Only ask yourself whether she is," said Leslie. " If so, some things which Avere good guides in the convent, may lead wrong here." Elinor answered nothing. The first doubt of the kind Avas painful, the more so because her honest nature saAv that perhaps it was true. After a pause, she said, " Who can I trust, then ?" "/ knoAV this outer Avorld," said Leslie.

" But I do not know you," said Elinor ; " I know nobody. I will do my best ; you must not try to prevent me. If you liked my singing, I am glad of that; but perhaps you do not understand music, and then you cannot judge." " No, perhaps I do not," said Leslie; "you knoAV I can only say what I honestly feel." " Yes, to be sure ! I knoAV you do that. Everybody does that," said Elinor, speaking as she had been unconsciously taught, and as she felt, that though there were Avicked people in the world, nobody with whom one associ ates could be in the number of those wicked. Mr. Leslie abhorred Laura for coming up and interrupting the conversation. She said she was sorry to see Elinor look so pale ; no doubt she Avas used to very early hours in the Convent, and she had better go to bed. She did not say she thought her young friend tired ; for knoAving her not to be tired, she felt that Elinor would say No. " You have persuaded the nun to talk, Mr. Leslie," said she ; " how clever you are."