Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-07

l sunlight pouring in at the window: of the friendly presence of Lady Montbarry at the bedside, and of the children's wondering faces peeping in at the door.
 CHAPTER XIII.
 "You have some influence over Agnes. Try what you can do, Henry, to make her take a sensible view of the matter. There is really nothing to make fuss about. My wife's maid knocked at her doo- early in the morn- ing, with the customary cup of tea. Getting no answer, she went round to the dressing room, found the door on that side unlocked, l and discovered Agnes on the bed in a fainting fit. With my wife's help they brought her to herself again, and she told the extraordi- nary story which l have just repeated to you You must have seen for yourself that she has been overfatigued, poor thing, by our long railway journeys; her nerves are out of order. and she is just the person to be easily terrified by dream. She obstinately refuses, how ever, to accept this rational view. Don't SUD- pose that have been severe with her. All that a man can do to bumor her have done have written to tine countess Gin her assumed nanle), offering to restore the room to her. Sue writes back, positively declining to re- turn to it. have accordingly arranged (so as not to have the thing known in the hotel, to occupy the room for one or two nights. and to leave Agnes to recover her spirits under my wife's care. Is there anything more that l can dol Whatever questions Agnes has asked of me, have answered to the best of my ability; she knows all that you told me about Francis and the countess last night.
 But try as may can't quiet her mind. have given up the attempt in despair, and left her ill the drawing room Go, like a good fellow, and try what you can do to compose her."
 In those words Lord Montbarry stated the case to his brother from tue rational point of view.- Henry made no remark, he went straight to the drawing room.
 lie found Agnes walking rapidly back ward and forward, flushed and excited. "If you come here to say what your brother has been saying to me-" she broke out, before he could speak, "spare yourself the trouble. I don't want common sense-I want a true friend who will believe in me-"
 Il am that friend, AGnes,n Henry an- swered, quietly, sand you know itn
 "You really believe that am not deluded by dream2"
 "I know that you are not deluded-in one particular, at least"
 "ln what particularln
 1 "ln what you have said of the countess It is perfectly true"-
 w hear this morning that the countess and Mrs. James are one and the same personn she asked dis. rustfully. "4Vhy was not told of it last night2'
 "You forget that you had accepted the ex- change of rooms before I reached Veuicen Henry replied. "l felt strongly tempted to tell you, even then-but your sleeping arrange ments for the night were all made; should only lave inconvenienoed and alarmed you | [ italt tl,a, zee. my brother that you had yourself seen to your security from any intrusion. How that intrusion was accomplished it is impos- sibie to say. I can only declare that the countess presence by your bedside last night was no dream of yours, On her own au- thority can testify that it was Q reality.n
 "On her own authority7' Agues repeated, eagerly. Have you seen her this morniug!H
 q have seen her not ten minutes since"
 "What was she doingi"
 "She was busily engaged in writing. l could not even get her to look at me until I thought of mentioning your name"
 "She remembered me, of course1"
 "She remembered you with some olncu.ty. Finding that she woul,.n't answer me on any other terms. I questioned her as if had come direct from you Then she spoke. She not only admitted that she had the same super stitious motive for placing you in that roon which she had acknowledged to Francis-she even owned that she had been by your bed side, watching through the night, to see what you saw as she expressed it. Hearing this, tried to persuade her to tell me how she got into the roonl Unluckily, her manu. script on the table caught her eye; she re- turned to her writing The baron wants mouey,' she said, I must get on with my play.' What she saw, or dreamed, while she was ill your room last night, it is at present impossible to discover, But, judging by my brothers account of her, as well as by what ] remember of her myself, some recent influ. ence has been at work which has produced a marked change ill this wretched woman for the worse Her mind is, in certain respects unquestionably deranged. One proof of it i. that she spoke to me of the baron as if he were still living man. When Francis saw her, she declared that the baron was dead which is the truth. The United States consul at Milan showed us the announcement of ths death in an American newspaper. So far Q: I can see, such sense as she still possessed seems to be entirely absorbed in one absurd idea-the idea of writing play for Francis to bring out at bis theatre. He admits that he encouraged her to hope she might gel money in this way. think he did wrong Don't you agree with me7'
 , Without needing the question, Agnes ros, abruptly from her chair,
 '.Do me one more kindness, Henry,n sh, , said. ''Take me to the countess at once" Henry hesitated. "Are you composed , enough to see her, after the shock that yol have sufferedf" he asked.
 , She trembled, the flush on her face die< , away, and left it deadly pale But she helt , to her resolution. "You have heard of wha T saw last nightp' she said, faintly. "Don't speak of itI" Henry interposed , "Dont uselessly agitate yourself" "I must spAsi My mind Is fnn of horii, questions about it know can't identif, :. it-and yet ask myself over and over again in whose likeness did it appearl Was it il the likeness ot Ferarrie or was itn- Sh .. stopped, shudderIng. "The countess knows must see the countcss" she resumed, vehe mently. ''Whether my courage fails me O not, I must make the attempt. Ia mo t, ! her before have time to feel afraid of itI" , Henry looked at her anxiously. eff yol 5 are really sure of your own resolution" h.