The Morning herald., 1877-09-05

:" IL b SLTdLbe--Veiy etIdIlSo!
Atthis moment, door in the drawing
room, leading to Madame Gerdy's sleeping
chamber, was softly opened, and Noel
appeared upon the threshold. .
In all probability the sudden Illness OF
his mother had very much affected him.
for he was very pale, and his face, which
usually wore calm and self-possessed
expression, was flushed and troubled.
lie SCENE rather surprised on percoiv-
ing Daddy Tabaret.
"Ah, my dear boy!" said the old man
" I'm so glad to see you, for you can ease
my mind about your mother. How Is
shel'
"Madame Gerdy is az well as can be
expected" -,
man, astonished at the stiffness Of the re-
ply. "Come-=-tone! / see you've had q
great shock, and haven't Recovered from
ayes, indeed" repeated the young bar.
,ister, sinking into chair and passing els
hand over his forehead ;"lve had great
shock"
It was very apparent that Noel was
making the greatest effort to appear calm,
to listen qt1ietly to his visitor, and ito an
Daddy 'rabaret In his anxiety perceived
nothing Of this, and enreated his friend
to tell him the cause Of his mothers lIi-
ness. =.
The young man hesitated for q moment,
rs though he were consulting with himself
as to the proprety Of replying to so de-
cided a question. After a long pause ne
said, "You are an old friend, Daddy Tab
aret, and we have few secrets from you.
MadameGerdy was overwhelmed by an an
| nouncement in the papers OF the sudden
and violent death of woman whom she
knew and loved" ....
"Thunder and lightning" stammcred
| Old Corkscrew.
In fact. he was So stupifed for the mo
| mcnt that He was ALMOST betfaylng his
connection with the police, and was on
the point of exclaiming, "What! your
mother knew the Widow Lerouge" when
| is presence of mind returned, and he
! placed his hand over his eyes to hide the
Team of intense satisfaction that sparkled
N them at thus being on the highroatd to
discover something Of the past life Oh the
victim of La Jonchere. ,...,
eyes, Madame Gcrdy knew the Widow
Lerouge," continued Noel. "The widow
was her slavc---body and soul her slave.
At a sign of her hand she would naVo
thrown herself into the flames" =,
"Then you, my dear boy, must also
have kndwt, this worthy woman|
IL had not seen her for very long
ti,nc," answered Noel whose voice seem
cl yelled and husky from extreme and
sad emotion but 1 knew her well. l
ought to add d---in fact, 1 don't mind con-
Tossing to you that loved her dearly. 1t
was very natural she had been my wet
nurse when An infant"
"The---that womanp gasped Daddy
Tabarct. -; A,,
This time the poor old fellow felt al
most dizzy. What! the Widow Lerouge
the nurse OF Noel!
1t WAS too good to be true. Providence
had evidently taken him by the hand as
It's chosen instrument.
lis agonies of doubt---his despair at
obtaining further proofs-~seemed nigh
over; and, overwhelmed at his success,
he bent before Noel, silent and amazed.
His subtle common sense, however, told
him that he must bde his time, and not
compromise himself as yet--which it was
very evident he would do unless he made
some remark, however commonplace, con-
cerning the revelation just made to him
by the young barrister. So he cleared his
throat, and said, in as quiet tone MS he
~ could assume, "What grea mlsior'
tunew .........-
aI cannot answer for Madame Gerdy,'
answered Noel, gloomly but for me
it's misfortune beyond all calculation
lam stabbed to the heart by the same
blow that has struck the poor widow
Her death, Monsieur Tabaret, has destroy
cd all nv dreams in the future, and has
perhaps, crushed for ever my most JUST
fable hopes. had the most cruel out
rage to revenge, but this sudden deatl
has snapped the weapons l held in my
hands. and has reduced me to helpless
hopeless despair. All! am indeed mos
unfortunate" =.
"You unfortunate you unhappy z
cried Daddy Tabaret, deeply moved a
I the sorrow Of one he loved SO we'll. III
the name Of Heaven, what has happen
cd 2"
II suffer-" murmured the bai'rister
aOh, how suffer, when think Of 1t, all
Not only will the injustice that has beer
shown to me be never repaired, but l an
left without defence against the bitteres
calumny. The world can now say that
have been guilty Of series OF knavisf
tricks; that I am an ambitious adven
turcr. without common modesty and with
out common honor"
Daddy Tabaret hardly knew what tt
think. How could there be any associa
ton between the honor of Noel and thu
murder at La Jonchere7 A thousand
ideas, each one dissimilar to the other
seemed iumbled in his brain,