, 1888-11-17
THE ACE OF SPADES.

not dance still remained in the salon to
admire the beautiful walters.
M. d'Arcueil. in his quality of master
of the house, was doing his duty turn by
turn with all those women that without
his example no one would have thought
of inviting. The card room, however,
was empty, and at the same moment that
Nine. d'Arcueil, across whose charming
head twenty-five springs had come and
gone, perceived the incumberment of her
salon a young officer of 30, perhaps, So
licited the honor and happiness of a waltz
with her.
upon one condition." she responded,
that we nave a game of cards first; but
l warn you that l kno only ecarte.'
The Young officer did not stir, and
Nine. d'Arcueil, with that freedom of tone
that distinguishes the Parisienne, added
smilingly, "Who loves me follows mel
Immediately not less than twenty of
those solemn men who believed it dero-
gated from their dignity to dance, and
who had been invited solely O. account of
their wives, trooped after her to the card
room and placed themselves at table.
Every one will thank me for this"
said she, land the ladies will be able to
move without tearing their trains. Mes
sieurs, / give you the right to play"
'Lucienne," demanded in a low tone
the young officer, tell me quickly the
true meaning of thisl"
"Simply that we may have a pretext
for talking together without disturbance.
Besides, l should have died in the midst
of those dancers. But play, Louis, playl"
He obeyed and mechanically distributed
the cards, turning up the ace of spades.
And they played, but in the handling of
the cards, in pronouncing insignificant
phrases, in giving change to the players,
or chatting graciously with the guests
who passed beside them, Lucienne, who
was deeply in love, and was experiencing
how cruel the torture could be, was forced
to bring the same upon her lover.
Her husband, ex-ambassador from
France to Spain, had been charged with a
secret mission that required a prompt de-
parture. Well, NJ. d'Arcueil had decided
that his wife during his absence, the pre-
else duration of which he was unable to
tell, should remain at Andelys, where her
family were then residing. And he, Louis
de Fremont, captain in the -th, would
have no right to leave Paris, since his
regiment was on duty there.
As he made this reflection he distributed
the cards for the third time, and for the
third time the ace of spades was the
turn up.
.'Againr cried Louis; clearly it is sig
niicant of something"
Significant yes" murmured Nine.
d'Arcueil, "of the manner, perhaps, in
which we have trif1ed with our hearts as
we now trife with these cardsl'
But, Lucienne, why do you go? Why
do you not resist? Why do you not refuse
to leave Paris? Why do you permit this
a whom you do not love, to command
your life in this way2 Why do you leave
me, and my love so ardent, so faithful l
say my love, you see, for know well that
yours
my love, Louis, so beautiful and
sweet 1 beg of you not to alter it by IN
just reproaches. l have committed sin
enough in loving you-recognize this in
place of torturing me by suspicious. /
shall be punished sufficiently when to-
morrow l find myself alone-al alone
with himl"
Alone with himl' repeated NJ. de Bre-
mont, despair, anger, jealousy, disgust,
tearing at his heart, while the indifferents
that surrounded him took ices, played,
danced, arranged intrigues-obeyed, in
short, that odious law of antithesis that
since the world began has encompassed in
clouds of joy, in rays of sunlight, the sad
dest SORROW.
PLAY, Louis, playl" cried Lucienne sud
denly; some one comes"
But is it ended?" he again;
have we met, nave we loved, and do we
now part forever? For a year you have
been to me the universe-you who tell
me with so calm a toni adieul And II
must respond to you, adieul And after
it, Lucienne, after 1 have said adieu when
this night is over, is it to be nothing
more-am to see you no more! Is it
and l ask it for the last time-is it ended?"
yes" she answered, 'for / must 20
Icannot do otherwise; and l beseech you
not to speak to me in that way-not to
incite me to commit imprudencel If l have
refused my love to M. d'Arcueil 1 have
still known how to respect his namel But,
see, they regard us curiouslyl' And
Lucienne d'Arcueil gave the cards a new
turn.
ACE of spadesl" announced the captain.
always thatp she answered aloud and
holding it up with a smile that showed
two rows of teeth as small and white as
those of a child. Decidedly, l shall have
to go and consult a fortune teller. Doesn't
it alarm you," she added, that it is
always the ace of spades that is urned2"
mot particularly; a mere matter of
chance. l ave seen at Spa a series of
even more surprising occurrences than
this. Still, the persistency of this ace of
spades may have a meaning that we can
not read. At all events, l will make you
a proposition, mad, unrealizable, perhaps
without possible result, but you feel the
turning of this card portentous of some
thing, and they say there is a genie of
play-eh bienl 1 call upon it to serve mel
If turn 1t again, this ace of spades, you
will give me the right to send for you, to
call you to me, no matter where, no mat
ter how, no matter at what hour, day or
address-and we will find ourselves to-
gether once more. Do you agree to itH All,
I know what you would say-that my
hope is wild ,insensate; that l must give up;
SO much the worse for mel But you-you
risk nothing; it is L who will struggle with
the cards, and II give you my word
upon twill do nothing to trick you.
You refuse2 So be it; you shall not go,
or, rather, if you do, l follow you at every
sacrifice, despite your husband, despite
yourself event
"And you would do this2 You would
compromise me thus if l decline to SUBJ
ject myself to this mad propositions"