A great change was perceptible among the merry maskers when they had
re-assembled in obedience to the orders of the queen. The different
members of the party dropped in one at a time, taking their seats in
silence. One circumstance happened which created some little excitement
and no little curiosity. Henry of Navarre, who had kept away from the
party up to this time, came forward and, bowing very low to the queen,
asked permission to join the party to hear the story. As Navarre made
his request she gave a sudden start, as if the sound of the voice had
frightened her; and a perceptible tremor was discernible in her tone as
she requested him to be seated. Napoleon, instead of taking his seat
near the queen, took up his position by the corner of the pilot house,
some distance from the spot occupied by the other maskers. One of the
party called to him and requested him to take his place. He shook his
head, but made no reply; and the queen commanded Ingomar to proceed.
“My good friends, I am now about to reach that part of my story which
gives me more pain than pleasure to relate; in fact, I may venture to
say that it will be all pain and no pleasure. I would gladly skip over a
portion of the story, but that would leave a gap which would show an
unfinished job. There is one circumstance, in this connection, which I
consider it to be my duty to mention. During all my sufferings there was
a sustaining influence that held me up--an invisible, indescribable
presence all the time with me that kept me from dying with despair. That
most potent influence was secured by humble, devout, sincere, secret
prayer, coupled with an unswerving determination to discharge my whole
duty under all circumstances. This strange influence seemed to surround
me on all occasions; and it enabled me to keep my head above the huge
waves of trouble that were dashing against me with great fury. To be
plain, I put my trust in God; and He did not forsake me. Some people
would be disposed to sneer at sentiments of this character. In fact, I
have often heard such sentiments ridiculed; and I have as often known
men to change from the one extreme to the other. I knew a young man in
Memphis, a few years ago, who had occasion to change his views. The
change was brought about in a most singular manner. The young man was
assisting some workmen to cover a very tall house, situated on Shelby
street. A conversation had been going on for some time among the
laborers, on the questions connected with the future state. The young
man seemed to be the leader in the conversation.
“‘I don’t believe that God answers prayers,’ said he; ‘I don’t believe
He pays any attention to the concerns of men; I never prayed in my life,
and I am healthy and happy. I think it is simple in a man to ask God for
anything. He knows what we want; and if He wishes us to have it He will
give it to us without our asking.’
“As he uttered the last word his feet slipped from under him and he fell
at full length on his back. The north side of the roof was covered with
a white frost, which caused the young man’s feet to slip. The building
was three stories high; and from the ground to the eaves was nearly
forty feet. The young man was standing near the top of the roof, and as
he uttered the sentence, he stepped over on the north side to get a
hammer that he had left there, when he fell flat on his back; his body
darted toward the edge of the roof like a lump of ice gliding down the
mountain side. At the very brink of the roof, a nail caught in his
clothes and stopped him. His legs were hanging over the edge while his
body lay back on the shingles. The ground near the foundation of the
house was covered with innumerable large stones, with hundreds of sharp
corners and edges, which every one knew would cause the young man’s
death, if he fell on them. There the man’s body swung forty feet above
the ground--only held by a little number four nail. The slightest
movement might send his soul across the dark river. I have heard many
people pray, but such a prayer as that young man uttered then and there
I have never heard before or since. The most solemn promises of
reformation were made, the most earnest appeals to God for help. A
ladder was quickly brought from an adjoining hook and ladder company’s
quarters, and the young man was saved. If any of my friends have a
desire to know the name of this young man, go to all the churches in
Memphis and hear all the Christians pray--then select the one that prays
longest and loudest--that’s he.
“But I crave your pardon, my friends, for this digression, and will
return to my story. We left Grenada at 8.50 sharp. The night was
unusually dark; heavy clouds overspread the horizon and a steady patter
of rain-drops could be heard falling against the windows of the coach.
Harry and myself were the only occupants, and the train consisted of the
engine, tender, and a single car in which we rode. Occasionally I would
hoist the sash of the window in order to let the cold damp atmosphere
cool my burning cheeks--for I felt as if my blood were boiling hot. As
the head-light of the engine cast its bright rays on the trees along the
road, I could see that we were dashing on with lightning speed. I
occupied a seat on the left side of the coach, while Harry sat on the
right, and immediately opposite the one where I was. When the windows
were all down, there was an overpowering feeling of suffocation that was
unbearable; and when they were up, the wind came dashing in accompanied
by streams of rain. I would close the window and endure the oppressive
closeness as long as I could; then hoist the sash again, letting the
wind and rain pour in until my face would be cooled. I had borrowed
Harry’s watch, and sat with it open in my hand, counting every second of
time, which seemed to linger unusually long. A mental question kept
presenting itself to my mind: Will I ever see Lottie again? Will she be
dead before I get there? What is to be my fate in the future? Can I
consent to drag out a long, miserable existence, after my darling has
gone to Heaven? I made a solemn vow to God that I would not rebel
against His will, but that I would humbly submit to, and bear without
complaint, such punishment as He, in His great wisdom, might send upon
me. I earnestly begged for Lottie’s life. No one ever prayed more
humbly and sincerely than I did on that occasion; and I believe Harry
did the same--though he sat silently in his seat, apparently buried in
his own sad thoughts. Sometimes he would turn his face toward me and
point to the watch which I held in my hand--this I understood to be an
inquiry as to the time. The only answer I made was to hold the watch
close to his eyes. He would glare at it, then lean back in his seat,
without uttering a word.
“Every now and then the wind would dash in through the window,
scattering the falling rain over my face, causing the lamp to flare up
and spatter; then for an instant the feeble light would flicker and
struggle as if in the last agonies of dissolution. After an unusual gust
had dashed in, bringing with it a copious shower of rain, I was
compelled to close the window to prevent the lamp from being totally
extinguished. As soon as I had excluded the air, the same feeling of
suffocation that had annoyed me so often came upon me with redoubled
severity. I could not get enough air into my lungs notwithstanding I was
struggling to do so. I felt as I suppose one feels when dying; in fact,
I do not believe that the actual pains of dissolution could have
increased my sufferings.
“Harry made a sign signifying a wish to know the time. I managed to hold
the face of the watch so he could see it.
“‘9.20,’ he whispered, as he leaned back in his seat and closed his
eyes. The lamp now began to sing and sputter, spitting the oil up
through the chimney, making a dozen different sounds. It would dart a
bright blaze nearly to the top of the chimney, then sink down so low
that no light could be seen. It would whine like a young child, then
sing; at times it would sputter--then pop, pop, pop, like the cracking
of a small whip; anon it would whistle--and blaze up, casting a dazzling
light all over the seats--then drop back to its usual dim dimensions.
After it had performed a dozen such strange freaks, it gave one long
shriek and suddenly expired. We were left in total darkness; a darkness
as black as blindness itself. A ton’s weight seemed to be pressing on my
breast; I felt that my last moment had come. I sank down on the seat
without the strength to hold up my head; I was in a swoon. The first
sensation I experienced, after my reason returned, was that of the most
delicious pleasure. The strangest, but most exquisite, feeling of
happiness seemed to steal over me; the most mysterious influence
appeared to surround me. The smothering sensation was gone, and a
delightful absence of pain was in its stead, and at once the coach
seemed to be filled with the most delicious perfume, such as I had so
often enjoyed while with Lottie in her flower garden. ‘What does it
mean?’ I asked myself. ‘How could the coach be filled with such
delightful odor when all the windows were closed?’
“‘Harry, what in Heaven’s good name does this mean?’ I at last managed
to ask.
“‘Hush, Ed,’ he whispered, ‘some one is in this coach--it is a lady; I
felt her skirts brush past my knees!’
“‘Lottie!’ I exclaimed, as I sprang to my feet.
“‘What do you mean?’ whispered Harry, as he caught me by the arm, while
he was trembling like one in an ague fit.
“‘Lottie, darling, is it you?’ I gasped, while Harry still held me by
the arm.
“‘Are you mad?’ he exclaimed, as he closed his fingers about my arm.
‘Why do you call Lottie? Don’t you know she is dying in Memphis?’
“‘She was here this very moment; I felt her skirt brush my knee, and I
believe she called my name,’ I replied.
“‘Nonsense! I think there’s a lady in this coach--she passed me a moment
ago. I distinctly felt her skirts brush against my knees as she went
down the aisle.’
“‘Upon my honor, I thought I heard Lottie call my name.’
“‘Pshaw! Edward, of course that is all imagination, and I beg you not to
talk so. I suspect that some one is trying to steal a ride; I am sure
there is some one in this coach besides you and me. Try to calm
yourself; what makes you tremble that way?’
“‘It is yourself who is trembling; let go my arm--you are hurting it! I
declare, you are shaking as if you had an ague fit!’
“‘Yes, and your hand is as cold as ice.’
“‘Hark! what was that? did you hear anything?’
“‘No, but as I live I felt some one brush past me.’
“‘So did I; and it was a female, beyond all doubt, for I felt her skirts
touch me as she passed, just as I did a moment ago.’
“‘Yes, and I distinctly felt something tickle my left cheek; it was the
same feeling I had so often experienced when Lottie was near me, and a
stray lock of hair would touch my face.’
“‘I declare, this is the strangest mystery that I ever heard of! Give me
a match and let me relight the lamp, so we can see who it is.’
“‘I have not got a match--you will have to go and request the fireman to
come and light it. Pray do so at once, for this darkness is
distressing.’
“As soon as Harry went out to bring the fireman, I again felt something
softly passing across my cheek. I threw out my arms, expecting to catch
the living body of some person; but not so--I caught nothing. As I
turned round I felt the same touch on my right cheek. It might have been
imagination, but I thought I again heard Lottie calling my name. The
truth is, I was so much overcome with excitement that I scarcely knew
what was going on around me. Harry was out but a few moments, returning
accompanied by the fireman, who immediately lighted the lamp. We
procured a lantern and began to search for the mysterious passenger. We
carefully examined every seat, looking under each bench, but could find
nobody. We went out and examined the rear platform, thinking that
probably some one might be stealing a ride, but nothing of the sort was
to be seen. I became perfectly convinced that no one was concealed
either in or outside of the coach. I was overwhelmed with astonishment
at the singular mystery. When I told Harry what had occurred during the
time he was gone after the fireman, informing him that I thought I heard
Lottie’s voice distinctly call my name, he fixed his eyes upon my face,
and gazed steadily for a moment, as if to satisfy himself that I had not
gone mad.
“‘Ed,’ said he, ‘your mind has been taxed too heavily of late; I think
it is quite unsettled. I do not believe you ever were inclined to be
superstitious.’
“‘No,’ said I, ‘superstition has never been classed among my many
faults; but on this occasion I must confess that I am unable to tell
exactly what I do think. It may be as you say, that sorrow has to some
extent unsettled my mind; but nevertheless I am sure I heard some one
call my name, with a voice I could recognize among ten thousand. My
telegram will be answered; the answer will meet us at Sardis; it will
bring news of Lottie’s death; it will tell us that she died at 9:20; you
will remember that was the exact time when the coach was filled with the
delicious fragrance. That was the very moment when the lamp died, and
then it was that we felt the skirts of a lady’s dress brush past us.
Harry, our darling is dead, and as sure as we live her sweet spirit was
with us here in this coach.’
“‘Oh, Edward, don’t talk that way, I beseech you! I declare, you
frighten me. You are as pale as a ghost; sit down and try to be calm.
You will regret this language when you get over the excitement.’
“I leaned back on the seat, closed my eyes, and endeavored to analyze
the mysterious occurrences that had just happened; but the more I
thought of the matter the more unsettled became my mind, and I began to
try to fix my thoughts on other objects, but all seemed confusion and
mystery. Harry settled himself down on the cushion and leaned his head
on the back of the seat, closed his eyes and silently communed with his
own thoughts. Not another word was uttered by either of us until the
train drew up in front of the hotel at Sardis. A considerable crowd of
people began to collect about the spot, having been somewhat surprised,
no doubt, at the arrival of a train at that unusual time. Every now and
then a man’s head would be thrust in at the door--then suddenly
withdrawn. It was but a few seconds after the train had halted when Mr.
Steelbrim poked his head in at the door, and, holding an envelope in his
hand, said:
“‘A telegram for Edward Demar.’
“My hands trembled so that I could scarcely open the envelope; but at
length I did, and read as follows:
“‘MEMPHIS, 9.30 P. M.
“‘My Dear Boy--Trust In God. He will sustain you. All is over.
Lottie died at 9.20. Her last words were love messages to you. She
expired with your picture in her hand, while it was moist with her
kisses. Don’t let this awful blow crush you. Remember that you can
go to her, if she cannot come to you. Rely on Him who alone can
give you comfort now. Her last moments were free from pain, and she
was not alarmed at the approach of death. Her mind was clear to the
last. We know her pure soul is now in Heaven. God grant, my dear
boy, that we may meet our darling there. The funeral will take
place at 4 P. M. on to-morrow evening. A carriage will meet you at
the depot.
“‘DODSON.’
“‘It is just as I told you, Harry,’ I said, as I handed him the dispatch
and fell back on my seat. I did not faint; I did not even groan, because
I was prepared for the awful blow. I felt as if some strong man held my
throat in an iron grip, and that the breath was being choked out of me.
I pushed the sash up and let the wind and rain pour in on my hot brow,
while I was struggling to fill my lungs. As soon as Harry finished
reading the dispatch he let it fall to the floor, and his body went down
with it. I saw him fall, but I was unable to go to his assistance; in
fact, I never thought of offering aid; I was thinking of my own grief.