The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06
4 GENTLEMAN OF FRANCE.
Being the Memoirs Of CASTOR de Bonne,
SeuT de Marsac
A ROMANCE.
BY STANLEY j. wEYMAN.
Author Of " The House Of the WOLF" &c.
opvrioh. 1898. bv Sdnrsy }. WevmaA
CHAPTER TX.

Ihad not gone down half dozen steps be-
fore heard man enter below from the street
and begin to ascend. 1t struck me at once
that this might be NJ dc Bruhl. and realized
that had not left Madame's apartment mo-
ment too soon Tho last thing desired hav-
ing so much on my hands, was to embroil my
self with him. and accordingly. hurried on.
hoping to meet him so low on tho stairs as to
leave him in doubt whether had been visit
ing the upper or lower part OF the house. The
staircase was dark. however. and being familiar
with IL, he had the advantage over mo- He
came leaping UP two steps at n time and.
turning the angle abruptly surprised me be-
fore was clear OF the upper flight. He stopped
short and stared at me. thinking at first,
fancy. that he ought to recognize mo. When
he did not no stood back pace. "Hallol" he
exclaimed. Have you been-have YOU any
message for me. sirt"
NO" said. II have not"
He frowned. II am NJ. de Bruhl." he said.
"Indeed."I muttered.
"You have been-"
up your stairs sir1 Yes In error" an
ewered bluntly.
He gave kind OF n grunt and stood aside.
incredulous and dissatisfied. yet uncertain
how to proceed. l met his black looks with
steady countenance. and passed by him. be-
coming aware as went on down the stairs
that he had turned and was standing looking
after me. Ho was n tall. handsome man. dark
and somewhat rudy. dressed in the ex-
treme OF court fashion. In suit OF myrtle
green trimmed with sable. and carried a
cloak lired with the same on his arm.
Beyond looking back when I reached
the street to SEQ that he did not follow
me. I thought no more Of him. But we
were to meet again. Nay. had then known
all that was to be known. would have gone
back. and-but of that in another place.
The Rue de Vaois. to which tradcsman.
who was peernG cautiously out OF his shop.
directed me. proved to be ono OF the main
streets OF the city. narrow AMI dirty as all
were and darkened bv overhanGing caves and
signboards. but full Of noise and hustle. One
end OF it opened on the pa-vis Of the cathedral.
the other and greater appeared to abut on the
west gate Feeling the importance OF avoid
ing notice in the neighborhood OF the
house l sought l strolled into the
open space in front OF the cathedral.
and accosting two men who were talk
ing there. learned that the Ruelle darcy was
the third lane on tho right OF the Rue de
Vaiois. and some little distance along it. Arm
ed with this information. lett them. and with
my head bent down. and my cloak drawn about
the lower part Of my face. as IL I felt the east
wind. hurried down the street until reached
the opening Of the lane. Without looking up
/ turned brskly into it,
When had gone ten PAGES past the turning.
however. stopped and gazed about me- TAX
ing In my surroundings as fast as possible
The lane. which seemed little frequented. was
eight or nine feet wide. unpaved and full OF
ruts- The high wall OF garden rose on one
side OF 1t. whore stood: on the other the still
higher wall Of house: and both were COM
pletely devoid of windows. a feature which
recognized with the utmost dismay. for it
completely upset my calculations. In vain I
measured with my eye the ten PAGES l had
come; in vain looked up. looked this way
and that I was nonplussed. No window
opened on the lane at that point. nor
indeed. throughout its length: for 1t was
bounded to the end. as far as l could see. by
dead walls. as OF gardens.
recognized with sinking heart what this
meant. and saw that all the hopes had raised
on Simon Felix's discovery were baseless.
Mademoiselle had dropped tho velvet bow no
doubt, but not from window Il was still
clue. but one so slight and vague as to be vir-
tually useless. proving only that she was In
trouble and In need OF hop, and perhaps that
she had passed through this lane on her way
from one place of confinement to another.
Feeling thoroughly baffled and disprlted.
over the III luck which seemed to attend me in
this. az In 80 many previous adventures. Nor
ths such es o. om
itself heard. l. reflected that il i had not al.
Mademolselle would have trusted me. that ii
had not brought her to 80 poor an abode as my
into following stranger: finally that If had
remained with her. and sent simon to attend
TO the horses. no stranger would have gained
But It has never been my way to accept de-
sell. reproaches we'll deserved. moments G ree
Election persuaded me that In the singular
s Had Mms de Sush nsh mot
picked It up it would have continued to lie in
Simon Fisk would have s been lik ee to pa sSt
or again had Madame not dropped 1t in her
even the slightest. clue to Mile. de la Veres |
Cheered atrssh By this thought, determined
LOOKING O9n SHARPLY about me asI went. and meet
ing ross n9.n hone phe Hare upper branches Of tree
we're broken at intervals by low, strong doors. |
IN carefully examined, but wlthout. max
and many seemed 10 have been opened nut
rarely RAJ Emerging at last; and without result:
turned and moodily retrnced my steps. pro-
SSseISlnG more slowly S as drew near to the Rue
from the street made discovery
The corner house. which had It's front on the
dowless wal! to the lane. but. from my present
sst star could see the upper part OF the
pack OF tnls nouBe-that part OF the back, |
mean. which rose we'll above the lower garden
several windows. The whOls Of two and a part
o. Ola a third were within the range Of my eyes.
ana suddenly IN one Of these | distinguished
with hope and expectation. The window In
Question was heavily grated: that which saw
was tien TO one OF the bars. II was a small
Knot Of some white stuff linen apparently
l22oned, as far as ! could see from distance,
had In my pouch.
4, Tho conclusion was obvious. at tho same
time that 1t inspired me with lively admra-
ton Tor Alademoiselle's wit and resources. She
was confined In that room: the odds were that
the WAS behind those bars: q bow dropped
thence would fall. the wind being favorable.
into tho lane, not ten. but twenty PAGES from
me street. | ought to have been preparcd for
lnaccuracy In a woman's estimate OF distance
1t may be imagined with what eagsrness
scanned the house, with what minuteness
The less com fort ! derived from my ins pection.
II was q high edfice Of brick four SQUARE |