Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-07-09
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"Oh, yesl yes!' he replied. What dc
you say, coadjutor? DO you not think
SOP"
The priest looked down sullenly. Hi
voice shook as he murmured, in an
swer: MADAME will please herself. She
has a character, NJ. lie Vidame. But II
she prefer to stay here--well!"
"Oh, she has character, has she?'
rcjoined the giant, his eyes twinkling
with evil mirth, "and she should &c
home with you, and my old friend, Nine
do, to save it! That is it, is it? No,
| no" he continued, when he had had his
silent laugh out mime. de Pavannes
will do very very well here-very well
here until morning. We have work to
do. Come. Let US go and do 1t.
"Do you mean it?" said the priest,
starting and looking up with a subtle
challenge-almost threat-in his tone.
ayes, do"
| Their eyes met; and seeing their
looks, I chuckled, nudging Croisette.
No fear Of them discovering us now.
recalled the old proverb which says that
when thieves fall out, honest men come
by their own, and speculated on the
chance Of the priest freeing US once for
all from M. de Bezer.
But the two were Unmatched. The
yidame could have taken up the other
with one hand and dashed his head on
the floor. And 1t did not end there.
doubt II In craft the priest was his
equal. Behind frank brutality Beers
unless his reputation belied him-con-
cealed an Italian intellect. Under o
cynical recklessness he yelled a rare
cunning and a constant suspicion; en-
joying in that respect combination Of
apparently opposing qualities, which I
have known no other man to possess in
an equal degree, unless it might be his
late majesty, Henry the Great. A child
would have suspected the priest; vet
eran might have been taken in by the
vidame.
And indeed the priests eyes present.
ly sank. "0ur bargain is to 60 for moth
ing?" he muttered, sullenly.
~ know of no bargain" quoth the
vidame. "And | have no time to lose,
splitting hairs here. Set it down to
what you like. Say it is a whim of mine,
n fad, o caprice. Only understand that
Nine. de Pavannes stays. Wego. And"
he added this, as a sudden thought
seemed to strike him, though / would
not willingly use compulsion to lady,
] think Nine. do had better come too"
"You speak masterfully," the priest
said with q sneer, forgetting the tone
he had himself used q few minutes be.
fore to Mirepoix.
"Just SO. Ihave 40 horsemen over the
way was the dry answer. "For the
moment, | am master Of the legions,
Coadjutor."
THAT Is true" Nine. do said; 80
softly that l started. She had scarcely
spoken since Beers entrance. AS she
spoke now, she shook back the hood
from her face and disclosed the chest
nut hair clinglng about her temples
deep blots of color on the abnormal
whiteness Of her skin. "That is true,
NJ. de Beers" she said. "You have the
legions. You have the power. Putyou
will not use it, think, against an old
friend You will not do us this hurt
when l. But listen"
lie would not. In the very middle OF
her appeal he cut her short-brute that
he was! mo, madamel" he burst out
violently, disregarding the beautiful
face, the duplicating glance that might
have moved stone, that is just what
! will not do. will not listen! We
know one another Is not that
enough"
She looked at him fixedly. He re-
turned her gaze, not smiling now, but
cycling her with n curious watchful-
ness,
And after long pause she turnedfr
him. Very WE'LL" she said softly, and
drew a deep, quivering breath, the
sound of which reached us. "Then let
us CO." And without-strangest thing
of all-bestowing word or look on her
sister, who was weeping bitterly in a
chair, she turned to the door and led
the way out, u shrug of her shoulders
the last thing marked.
The poor lady heard her departing
step, however, and sprang up. 1t
dawned upon her that she was being
deserted. "Dianel Diane!" she cried
dlstractedly--and had to put my hand
on Croisette to keep him quiet, there
was such fear and pain in her tone
81 will gol Twill not be left behind in
this dreadful placel Do you hear?
Come back to me, Diane!"
1t made my blood run wildly. But
Diane did not come back. Strange!
And Beers too was unmoyed. He
stood between the poor woman and the
door, and by q gesture bid Mirepoix
and the priest pass out before him.
MADAME" he said-and hisvoice, stern
and hard as ever, expressed no jot OF
compassion for her, rather such an i'm.
patient contempt as o pulling child
might elcit-"you are safe here. And
here you will stopl Weep If you
please" he added cynically, you will
have fewer tears to shed tomorrow"
His last words-they certainly were
odd ones-arrested her attention. She
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