The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-12-13
CHAPTER XVII.
CHECKMATED.

Her heart sank as she looked round
her. All eyes were fixed on her-the
baleful chances of the two evil looking
strangers, the grave, severe look of M.
Dumont, and the hard, penetrating, jul
dicial gaze of the gendarme. She felt
she was in some terrible danger.
''In the name of heaven" she cried in
trem bling tones, "of what am accused?
What does all this mean?
cit MEANS" replied the brigadier,
chat a terrible crime has been COM
mitted."
She half rose to her feet, grasping the
table beside her for support, as she gazed
at him with speechless horror
Eyes, wretched woman" said M. Du-
mont, ''the unfortunate M. Germenil has
been foully murdered this night Speak,
then, and prove to us if you can that
you are not guilty of this wicked deed"
She lifted her hands to her head with
a gesture as though she could not quite
grasp the meaning Of what he said, re-
peating his words in low, horror stricken
tones.
I'M. Germenil has been murdered!"
Then after pause she seemed to realize
the position she was in. my God!" she
cried in piercing tones. edo hear Alright?
You accuse me of numbering him, my
benefactor? Before that God whose
wrath falls thus heavily upon me |
swear to you l am innocent"
Her looks and tones were so full CT
truth and genuine feeling that the listen
ers hesitated, and their conviction Of her
guilt began to waver. Perceiving this
in their faces, Remond insidiously inter-
posed to the effect that he was sure it
was all right, and that madame would
have no difficulty in showing where the
money came from which Pierre had seen
in her possession that morning, and that
point settled there would be no longer
any reason for suspecting her.
Marie eagerly explained that the mon
ey had been given to her by M. Germe-
nil the previous evening.
''The unfortunate gentleman probably
knew madame previously and took an
interest in her, which would account for
his giving her purse Of gold," said Re
mond.
"Is that so?" demanded the brigadier.
But Marie was obliged to admit that
she had never seen M. Germenil till her
arrival at Les Bons Amis the previous
afternoon.
She felt the web closing around her
and struggled helplessly to escape.
"It is a likely story" said the brigadier,
"that any one would give so much
money to an utter stranger, as you admit
yourself to have been to M. Germenil
Let me see," he added, examining the
purse which had been taken from Marie's
pocket, cone two - three-four-fve
pieces of gold, and purse to carry them
in addition. A likely story indeedw
"Still," said Remond, with we'll as
sumed sympathy, eve must not forget
that madame has not contradicted her
self, and that she accounted for the pos
session Of this money in precisely the
same way when Pierre found her this
morning.
Eyes" said Pierre, interrupting him,
when found her trying to escape from
the house before any one was up. That
did not look very like an honest woman"
"Why," said M. Dumont, "did you thus
seek to fly from house where you had
been so kindly treated?"
eyes, said Pierre, 'and after promis-
ing M. Germenil, who had been so kind
to you, that you would not go away till
he had seen you again.