The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-06


opened at once; but. although there
were now two of them in the house, not
a light did ] see. Back and front, the
place was as dark as the grave, and as
mysterious. Not sound OF anything
human was 10 be heard. You might
have passed the pavilion hundred
times and never have known that "A
living thing occupied it. You might
have walked for a month in the park
and yet have been ignorant that such
hest was part of il. Whatever were
his reasons, Comte de Faugere had a
roosting ground which many hunted
man might have envied.
have written il above tbat this dis
covery altered my opinion os the
Chateau de rEpee and of its mistress
just about as suddenly as a mans opin-
ion could be altered. IL is one thing TO
believe that you're asked 10 house TO
play cards; it is another to wake to the
fact that you are the guest of queer
folks who can't afford To be seen in the
daylight, and whose object in lying
low doesn't altogether explain itself.
That Comte de Faugere was lying low,
never had doubt from the start
of 1t. And yet this continued TO be the
puzzle-that we were at the chateau,
while they gave it out that he was in
Paris.
II was daylight that morning before
went TO sleep. There were moments
when / said that would have it out
with Sir Nicolas Steele before another
day was passed; other moments when
i remembered what poor hand he was
nj holding his tongue, and resolved thar
i would get deeper down into 1t before
j shared il with him. Maybe" said l,
sit doesn't concern us any more than
the pump in the court yonder; maybe
IL concerns us very much indeed. In
either case, his is not the head to deal
with il, for he's blind set on the woman,
md won listen to reason u #
This thought prevailed in the end,
and went to shave him in the morning
just like man got up from a long
nights sleep. found him irritable and
not over disposed to talk. and could see
that he had been losing pretty heavily
the night before. In fact, he was al
most dressed before he said anything at
all, and then he spoke short and almost
curt.
"Is it good quarters We have below?"
he asked.
"The best" said r; they've put us
out at the little place in the park yon-
der"
'Aye, tits the picture of a house" said
he, land some very pretty company in
it."
That's so, sir" said r, "there must be
a wonderful lot of money on this very
landing"
"Ye speak TRUTH cried he, "the
duke alone has enough 10 buy king
DOM"
80 I've been told" said /, trying my
best to draw him out, "and rare one
for the cards he is they tell me-"
"rll not deny it," he exclaimed, as he
took the towel from my hands, "he plays
like gentleman"
'Like what, sir?" said /, sudden, for
i couldn't keep the thing back.
Like gentleman" he answered.
very slow and deliberately, "and it's me
that should know. for lost three hun.
dred to him last night"
I'm sorry TO hear that, sir" said L,
'and madame not liking the play
either"
"Sure, she doesn't like il at all, but
what could she do in her own house
when the duke brings out his table, and
says: Just one game for the luck of is.'
Faith, he carries board wherever se
goes, and you might ms well expect a
child not to touch the jam as TO keep his
fingers off the cloth. And it's wonder
full luck he has too. He won on mangue
| fifteen times running last night. I've
never seen the like"
Lets hope his luck will change,
] sir" said i, as he put on his coat to go
| downstairs. 1--WE couldn't afford many
nights like that"
Indeed, and we couldn't, and she'll
not be allowing it either. She detests
| the play cntirely--and no wonder, with
a brother that's half n Jesuit, and the
lesson her husband taught her not yet
| forgotten. He lost fortune at the
cards i'm Paris, yc may know. Bedad!
they say he would have played with the
priest that came 10 anoint him"
This was all the talk we had that
day, for he spent the morning riding in
the woods with Mime. Pauline; and
when he dressed for dinner at night
he was i'm such fuster 60 make himself
fine that could not get word with
him. Nor, as the thing stood. could hc
tell me anything which would help me
90 get 10 the bottom of the mystery
in the park; and that was the matter
my mind ran upon. Hour after hour
I'd been thinking of IL. yet not foot
further had | got; and l was just about
burning with curiosity when eleven
o'clock at night came, and ! set of
through the woods TO take second
look at the pavilion. This time. how
ever, | went warfly. creeping like a
shadow through the trees; and once NJ
the little house | did not content mx.
| self with Wafchinp a. from, tho thicLet