Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-14
CHA PIER VII.
The RccIusc OF Fountain Cour,

Estelle Dacier kept supper waiting
nearly On hour for the handsome English
suitor vito VIZ. tc he her stepping stone
to coronet. At last, sne aud l.er friends
had to sit down without him.
No word or missive from the lover she
had .et-sved ever reached the sirens
hand to tell her ina, ;hl f-el' ri her de-
moniac beauty was broken for ever
The next day Cecil left Paris. He had
another reason for doing so beside the
natural desire to get away from the scene
II his ctuel disappointment,
Seshaya Sastri had 'cu:d h'm out that
was evident, and being banked in one
plot would soon attempt another. There
would be no security i'll Paris for the own
er of the Black Pearl. Evasion was the
only path. of safety-if, indeed, safety
was TO be found tnrv"he.c FOR him.
1t was with sense of feeling like 20 n
hunted animal that Cecil took leave of his
uncle at the Barricrc du Tronc. This de-
parture seemed rather abrupt to the old
gentleman, but he had an uususpicious
soul, ard accepted tho profTsred explaua-
ton duielcently. l'lacid old bechelor as
he was, what should lie know about likes
tragedies?
III " pun ,DtbiltN tDdotl Va
scent, if he should cause inquiries to be
made at the chaplain's house, Cecil left
no address, rayug hn would write when
he was settled.
il was q measurclSss mystery to him
how the iliplacr'le indian had managed
to track him out in Paris.
The circumstances Of his having seoi,
Mybrea there did not make it any clear
or, ignorant rs he was of the mans early
acquaintance with the Sasiri family and
his trcasonlble practices against himself.
But to us who have been behind the
srercs fle l''ystery resolves itself into an
easy sequel OF events.
Having acquainted himself with his
masters plan of route, Mybrca suggested
the disguise adopted by Musieeda, with
other details Of attack, except the tooth
trick, which was .ap idea Of the lady's
own, and accepted Tho POI. q travelling
valet to the chief, who was to follow his
sister by the next packet to Alexandria,
and there receive the purloined treasure
from her hands.
This programme falling through, in the
manner already. described, the chief, who
was now Maharajah in virtue OF his faith
ere death, determined to continue the
pursuit to Farif.
Money wisely expended soeh won him
the information he wanted. Cecil Ches
terton's home, his haunts, his associates
we're each in turn revealed to him,
The discovery Of the young mans pas
sion for Estelle, and tic suggestion that
the artiste's cupidity or ambition might
be wrought on to procure her lovers
treasure, were due to Mybrea's rare
fne:se. How nearly his neiarious scheme
succeeded, the reader knows.
But all plots have flaw in them some
where, though often only discoverablt
through failure and the weak point il
Mybrens plot was that it acted on toe
implicit confidence insMr. Foliambe's ig
norance of Hindostanec.
While Cecil was whispering his frs
love-vows in Estelle's conservatory, tn,
critic-antiquarian was travelling bacl
from Versailles, whittier business ap
pointment had taken him, in a first-clas
railway carriage, whereof the other occu
pants were Mybrea aud his master, TIN
new Maharajah Of Jodhpore.
The old gentleman . face was no certii
icate of his scholarship ; and as, more
over, he seemed asleep, his presence in,
posed no restraint on his travellers
tongues.
, They discussed their project and ii
|, prospects of success with the utmost free
, dom aud it never occurred to them
attribute its subsequent failure to tn
, somnolent old party in the corner, VIII
was SO much wiser and more wide awak
, than he looked.
Moral Never underestimate the III
: known and if you must talk secrets in
4 railway carriage let it be in pre-histor
: tongue
4 Our hero had no relative in Londc
nearer than his cousins, of whose hon
y circles he conld not conveniently becon
4 a resident msn.''aj Sc had he been di