The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-11-07
CHAPTER IL.

He was cute right. We were marched
across the town, through its narrow
thoroughfares, over its sharp paving
stones, and into the courtyard OF the
Castle of st. Michael. BY the time we
got there and the heavy oaken gates
were shut beh nd us it was nearly dark.
Here you pass the night, announced
our officer. In the morning-humph!
we will see.
80 you mean to say they are going
to afford us 10 better accommodation
than this:" l demanded, apostrophizing
the powers of the air. rather than any
d finite personality.
But the dark 20 ing man took 1t upon
him to reply. 80 it seems, said he.
Fortunate y, however, the night is
arm, the skies are clear, and 10 gaze
upon the stars is reru ed 10 lie most
c.evating for the srlris.
Our officer, his brief but pregnant
harangue concluded, had vanished mo
the castle, leaving Us corporal ana
three privatcs for q guard OF honor.
| We, the prisoners, gathered together
! in the middle of The courtyard, all OF us,
! and held a sort of impronptu lndlgna-
! ton meeting. The women were espe-
/ cially eloquent in their complaints.
! Two of these women 1 recognized as
! having been among my neighbo's o. the
doorstep half hour since, and We eA-
! changed compassionate glances. Inc
other four were oldish women. who wore
caps and aprons and looked like do
nestle servants.
Cooks" whispered my comrade.
Some good burghers will be kept wait
ing for their suppers. Oh, what lark!
Our convention finally broke up with
an informal resolution to the effect that,
though we had been most shabbily
treated, there was nothing to be done.
I'VE must grin and bear 1t. But let
us make ourselves comfortable as we
may, and seek distraction in an inter-
change of ideas" proposed my mate.
He seated himself upon a barrel that
Law lengthwise against the castle wall,
and motloned me to place myself beside
him.
you are English?" he inquired in al
abrupt, German way.
No, am an American.
"Ah, it is the same thing. A tourists
| Have you been long in ~!
Three days"
For heavens sake, what have you
found to keep you here three days?"
Il am a painter, and the town Is
paintable.
still life! Nature mortel" he cried
ut is the dullest little town in Christen-
dom. But 1 an glad you are painter
/ am musiciar-a fiddler.
Il suspected we were OF the same
general clan, said l.
Did you, though? How funny! Bu,
l also seemed to scent kindred soul.
o,-l wa a
headed in the morning, hope we ma.
sec more of each other, went on.
He took my card, and, by the light o
the match he struck for the occasion
read aloud from it: Mr.. Arthur Vain
wright" pronouneing the English mann
, without difficulty. Il have no card, bu
nv name is Sebastian Roch."
You speak Euglish?" was my infer
| ence.
, ooh. YES. speak q kind Of English
: he confessed using the tongue in ques
ton. He had scarcely trace of a Tor
: sYou speak it uncommonly well,
declared.
"Oh, / learned it as a child, and the
IT have relatives in England" he ez
planned.
"Do you suppose there would be an
a objection to our smoking?" l asked.
sOh. no. let us smoke by all means
offered him my cigarette case. VINE
\ we had our cigarettes afire we resume
V cur talk. :,
Z Tell me, what, in your opinion, IS Il
:, truth about Mathilde?" l began.
. she in voluntary hiding? Or Is n
uncle at the bottom OF it!
3 ~Ah, that is too hard a riddle!D ne pr
tested. II know nothing about it, al
I | have scarcely an opinion. But ma
!, say very frankly that | am not one
her partisans. She has no worse enen
t. than l.
" What, Really? / am surprised
W that. / thought all the youth OF ~
:. we're devoted 10 her.
!, she's harmless enough little pc
. son In her way, perhaps, and ha