, 1883-05-26

'N7sNiE l'laNf. ~ ihAg ~ no ftllEA-
Gus rites were used the civil authori-
tie Of the little town bud made no
Objection To thi,brringumcnt.
'fAlaurice wiz do all the rest" said
tiflne, when the colin had bgcn
lowerei into The place prepared Tor
II, turning to the two men who had
been helping them in their mournful
work. 81 should like my poor mis-.
tress' own faithful servant to per-
form the very last ofiires for her"
"lt Is stpngc that Fiiine de Fuu.
Where's grief at, her mistress los Is
not more evident In outward signs"
said the elder Oi the men tO his conf
lanion as they withdrew from the
lhuUh IN obedlence to the girls
-4-,ts II bad expected TO see her
diSvncd in tear.
''ihcrc must have been some coil
HcSs Aetwecn them before the lady
died II + always 80, -o0ncr or later,
when We son. and daughters ~ the
people form close bonds uf Intimacy
AMI affection with an arist0crat,"
std the younger man, who was none
other than Babette', loyer, Pierre,
aHi who, a, In duty Eound, held the
sime Red Republican opinions a. his
future most cmphatirally better half;
though, II truth must he told, he wa,
often In a very hazy state about
them, even when he expressed them
the luude-t.
"Wcil, don't know" rCJoinCd the
odd man, thoughtfully II can't sly
what m1y be- the cause Of it, but that
gir', ftrc and mInncr puzzle me
more than the change Of the wind. A"
And the ficcof Filinc de l.ouVricrr
certainly was u flcp that any man
might have found II difiicult To read
the meaning of a. she stood there by
the grave. She was a remarkably
pretty brunette, Whose feature. were
generally, all -pHr,ling with ami
mated thought aud feeling, which
wcat flashing In swift, brilliant play
frpm the dark eye, u the rosebud
uIG;h. But to-day the whole face
va, -t4mpcd with one fixed, settled
cNIrc--iun, which might bc inter
prctcd In it, gravity and intensity To
mean ~nrruW ur anxiety or deep
troubled thought Looking at that
fair face WIS, to-day, like listening
to a st1ry told cmphaiigally and clo-
fugnlly In some musical foreign
l1ngulge that We do not understand.
"Msui,c." sid the gin, sharply,
% he: companion, a. soon ~ they
we're left alune, "Ahere Ara Ea,,Ir
.E NJ 4 iuncrl With a lace Ike
your? You'll have -ct the whole
town talking. ! don't know that
shall ever forgive you"
"But, ma chdgm0Rte," began Maui
ricc, whose countcnlncc -till certain
ly did not seem to correspond to hi-
solemn task.
Maurice" interrupted Fifne,
''havc done with your pretty words
and speeches; there's time for
them, dare say, hut it's certainly
not now. You just mind what you
are ahout, and don't make slleh a
fool oi yourself again"
n was the night after the young
GountcsF funeral; a full'ruund silver
mooL was looking down upon tho
Old Florion chateau, which stood on
a rising ground at about n mile from
Ncrrcvillc. The-houSe was sunk IN
deep rcrose; Z had few inmaOc'
now; only tltrJscrvants, among
whom were Fihnc and Maurice, tn,
old stewards son, who Ind latel!
come home 70 help hi- aged fathcl
In his Office.
In the shadow II th" wall tw,
figures stood whi-pcring together
''This l. the door which the key vii
OPEN" -lil w1m1n'> voice. I"
have kept It ever since ! was il
@rrvi,e here they thought Il WI
!u.,: ! have always fanCicd Il migl,
come useful some day, and, now tn
time has come. Go in at once
Pierre, and he quick about It.
have told you all the receptacle
where money and jewels and plat
are kept. You can't make mis-
takc.p
"AIust go alone? Won't yOl
come with me? We should do 1t al
the quicker, two Of Us together, an,
it's always 80 much plcasanter a
night to have company in an oil
house like this. They sly it's haunt
ed, and thch was death here :
lately. o! sheet Bibctte, do, please
come with me"
"Mty If,c stewed In II pot ou.je
first" Answered that young lady
very fqfcibly and laconically. "Yo
60 aloEg, Pierre, and look sharp, an
don'thbe such a mixture Of a mul
and 4 milksop. shall stay here an
watch" So saying, she pushed HI
trJe knight without further Ger
nJony through the door which 81
Mad opened.
Y On went Pierre, his teeth chatte
ing and his heart beating In uniso
the moonlight as II stole through Il
long narrow windows Of the o
house, playing strange, uncanr
games with him as he went. Now
dark, gigantic figure seemed lurkii
in yOnder corner, now a pale hai
bcckOned to him In a mOonbear
now the shadows formed themselv
into long black procession whit
came to meet him. With careful
held breath, and feet that scarce da
tread, he passed near the corridt
where he knew, from Babette, tn
the servants room lay; but his j
and relief he heard no sound thel
The family portraits as he pass
, them in the long gallery, came