The Yale expositor., 1896-04-24

the bride, and few officers, who had
been comrades Of her fathers in past
years The guests were distributed,
rather unequally, in two handsome
apartments. opening into each other
one called in the house the drawing
room, and the other the library. In the
drawing-room were sembled the no.
tary, with the contract ready, the briie,
che young ladies, and the majority of
General Berthelin's friends. In the IL
brary the remainder of the military
guests were amusing themselves at q
billiard-table until the signing Of the
contract should take place; while Dan
vile and his future father-in-law
walked Up and down the room together;
the first listening absently, the last
talking with all his accustomed energy.
and with more than his accustomed al
lowance of barrack-room explosives.
The general had taken it into his head
to explain some Of the clauses in the
marriage contract to the bridegroom.
who, though far better acquainted with
their full scope and meaning than his
father-in-law, was obliged to listen for
civility's sake. While the old soldier
was in the midst of his long and con-
fused harangue, clock struck on the
library mantelpiece.
1.-TWO o'clock exclaimed Danville,
glad of any pretext for interrupting the
talk about the contract 1.-TWO o'clock.
and my mother not here yet! What can
be delaying her?'
Nothing" cried the general. when
did you ever hear of woman purctual,
my lad? If we wait your mother-and
she's such a rabid aristocrat that she
would never forgive us for not waiting
we shan't sign this contract yet this
half-hour. Never mind! let's go on
with what we were talking about.
Where the devil was when that cursed
clock struck and interrupted us? Now
then, Black Eyes, what's the matter?"
This last question was addressed to
Mademoiselle Berthelin, who at that
moment hastily entered the library
from the drawing-room. She was a
tall and rather notwithstanding girl.
with superb black eyes, dark hair grow
ing low on her forehead, and something
of her fathers decision and bluntness
in her manner of speaking.
"a stranger in the other room, papa,
who wants to see you. / suppose the
servants showed him upstairs, thinking
he was one of the guests. Ought | to
have had him shown down again?"
"a nice question! How should
know? Wait till I've seen him, miss,
and then I'll tell you" With these
words the general turned on his heel,
and went into the drawing-room.
His daughter would have followed
him, but Danville caught her by the
hand.
Can you be hard-hearted enough to
leave me here alone?" he asked.
What is to become of my bosom
friends in the next room, you selfish
man, If stop with your" retorted Mad
emoiselle, struggling to free herself.
Gail them in here" said Danville,
gaily making himself master of her
other hand.
She laughed, and drew him away to-
wards the drawing-room.
Gomez" she cried, and let all the
ladies see what tyrant l am going to
marry. Come and show them what an
obstinate. unreasonable, wearisome-"
Her voice suddenly failed her, she
shuddered and turned faint. Danville's
hand had in one instant grown cold as
death In hers; the momentary touch of
his fingers, as she felt their grasp
loosen. struck some mysterious chill
through her from head to foot. She
glanced around at him affrightedly;
and saw his eyes looking straight into
tho drawing-room. They were fixed
IN a strange, unwavering, awful stare;
while fiom the rest OF his
face all expression, all charac-
ter, all recognizable play and
movement of feature had utterly sone.
It was a breathless. lifeless mask-a
white blank. With cry Of terror, she
looked where he appeared to be looking,
and could see nothing but the stranger
To- ~ % 4. a.