Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-01-15
CHAPTER VII.
FACE TO FACE.

The journey to st. Seurin occupied more
time than I anticipated. l reached Paris
the next morning, and, without halting for
rest took the first train to Rennes From
Rennes l had to go to Torrent, which I
found was as fer as the rail way could carry
me toward my destination.
Rennes reached in the evening. Here I
was compelled to spend the night there
being no train to Torrent until the next
morning The morning train was pain
fully slow one; it was not until late in the
afternoon of the second day that I reached
the fortified port on the Bay of Biscay.
There I inquired as to the best way Of
getting to st. Seurin. 1 found the place
was nearly twenty mules away. A diligence
which passed it left LOrient every other
morning at 10 o clock. / must wait and go
by that.
chafed at the time which must elapse
before l met my enemy, and was on the
point of ordering carriage and horses to
take me to st. Seurin at once But reflec-
ton told me that the arrival of travel,r
in such way, at village so small as I
ascertained st. Seurin to be, must excite
curios 5y. People would gossip, and the
man whom I longed to meet might hear of
my arrival, and once more fly and leave no.
trace. So l curbed my Impotence, staid
the night at u Orient, and started in the
morning by the numbering old diligence,
Whv is it, that when one is burning to
reach certain place, the sole available
mode OF progression seems not only the
slowest, but in many cases actually Is the
slowest thai can we'll be hit upon. Those
twenty miles, or their equivalent in kilo-
meires seemed longer than all the rest of
the journey. True, the road was in many
places steep, and the heavy vehicle not ade-
quate4y horsed; and very likely no one save
myself was in hurry.
But The most wearisome journey ends at
last. A snail, if allowed time, will arrive
at his goal. Toe diligence reached st. Seu-
erable-looking little inn l could scarcely re-
press cry Of exultation. Eustace Grant
was all but within my grasp
I entered the inn, wh@e was received
with joyful faces. Guests were, no doubt,
.ew. and their visits far between. 1 asked
f l could have accommodation, and was as.
ured I could count upon the best out Of
Paris. At another time this grandiloquent
assertion would have amused me- Now
lothing amused me, and cared for moth
ng so long as could have fAod and drink
nd place to lay my head until I had &C.
emphasized my m ssion.
dlne1, for was beginning to feel the
fleets of the exhausting journey. Tnen !
walked out and took stock Of my surround.
.ngS,
st. Seurin was, as had been informed.
small decaying village Some of the
houses were picturesque in their way, but
many were half in ruins. There was a
church. whose size was, of course, utterly
disproporiioned to the village. There were
the shops necessary to supply the needs of
the scanty population. So far as ! could
see, there was nothing else
struck my heel ON the dusty, sandy path
Was it for a life in such place as this that
VIOLA had left mea Had she given up all
the comforts and Injuries with which
would have surrounded her to hide with the
partner of her flight in a wretched hole
where she could see no one savs rough
fishermen, peasants, and such like? If So
her love for Grant must be more thon NOR.
tai to lring about such sacrifice OF all
that woman, from the time of Eve down.
ward, have been credited with longing
after These questions, and the only answer
could give to them, did not improve the
state OF my mind
1t was now growing dusk. ! walked
back to the little inn, went to my room,
and asked for lights and coffee. A broad.
faced, broad -shouldered Breton lass minis
tered to my wants. / entered into con.
versation with her, and In spite of her
patois managed to understand her.
asked about the place and the people.
She shrugged her shoulders. All! but the
place was decay ing-going down-gone
down. Once, she had heard that people
could live there and make money; but that
was hundreds of years ago Now, every one
was poor as poor could be. Parents could
not give their daughters dots-girls could
not save them, Besides, many of the
young men went away. They went to
LOrient and became sailors, 1t was a
rare thing Tor a girl to get married in st.
Seurin.
Were there no visitors-no English, for
misunderstanding in the neighborhoods No
yes. There was one monsiepr-he was