Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-04-30
CHAPTER XVI.
Conspiracy.

He spoke to his wife.
Constance was the one who generally
sought an interview. 1t was seldom
sire to see her They had arranged a
system by which they could correspond
freely and with absolute secrecy, but
meetings were more difficult to compass
than correspondence. SOmetimes-Very
rareIy-Constance visited her husband
in London, and more rarely still De
Marsac came down to Hurst. By Mar
tins conniVance Constance had some
times been able to see him in her own
rooms, which were easily accessible
from without, but this involved risks
which neither of them was anxious to
run and therefore happened rarely.
But on this occasion it was Rene de
Marsac who had written to Constance,
telling her to meet him at a certain
place, as he wished to speak to her
You must manage to keep this ap-
pointment at any COST" he had written
for 1 shall not have time to come
down again"
What bondage I live in" Constance
sighed to herself, as she read the letter.
i never know what I may be called
upon tc do or when | may have to go.
And | have been suddenly taken i'll so
very often that | am sure Aunt Selma
is beginning to suspect something.
Thursday at o'clock-just after dim
ner, in the shrubbery as usual. There
is no dinner party that night, thank
goodness. | must set Lancelot to f1irt
with Madeline-he is always ready
enough to do it-and then slip quietly
away. Nobody will notice that I am
not in the ROOM
For the next evening or two she be-
gan to make skillfully suggestive re
marks on the beauties of the great CON
servatOry; she sat there with book
and had her favorite chair carried into
its green recesses. IF they miss me
they will think that l am in the CON
seryatory," she said to herself
And when Thursday night came she
enscOnced herself as usual with a novel
among the palms and flowers, but as
soon as she heard the notes of the
piano, by which she knew that Made
line was going to sing, and that Lance
tot was turning over the leaves of her
miSlc for her, she rose from her seat.
wrapped herself in a long cloak which
she had secreted for that purpose, laid
her book face open on the cushions of
her chair as if to show that she would
be absent for a moment only. and sped
away through the garden door to meet
ter husband in the dark shades of the
copse or shrubbery which had so often
been their meeting-place.
Her love for Rene had developed
since her marriage. 1t had grown into
the passionate yet half-cringing love
OF slave for a master or dog for it's
owner. 1t was not the love of an equal:
IT was the slavish fOndnesS of an in
ferior, ready to accept kicks or caress-
es without inquiring why. Rene de-
splsed her for it, but he was ready
enough to accept the advantage which
this affection gave him. He knew that
he could turn her round his little finger
by mere threat of anger or of alb
senCe.
On this occasion he had met her with
some coldness, allowing her to kiss
him, but giving no salute in return.
He was out of temper-sO much was
perfectly obvious. He had seated him
self on a rustic bench which had been
placed in the depths of the shrubbery-
through Constance's intervention, of
course-and who stood beside him.
timidly waiting until he should be
Pleased to speak to her.
Il suppose you know that | cannot
so on much longer without money!"
he began.
Are things going badly with you?"
she asked.
4 shall have to leave the country in
a fortnight if I don't get $500 within
that time he said
She started and recoiled a little.
six hundred pounds! 1t is a great
deal-all at once
"A great deal! Women are so mean
in their ideas" said De Marsac, with
s sneer on his lips Il call it a baga-
telle But l must have it or leave Eng
land: it is debt of honor and I have
to pay"
"A debt of honor, A gambling debt,
l suppose" remarked Constance, bitter
ly Dearly as she loved him, she could
not always restrain the venom of her
tongue. Il sometimes wonder what
men mean by honor 1t is something,
apparently, very different from what
we mean"
Women have no conception of it at
all" said De Marsac, carelessly. "At
least, never knew a woman who had
any idea of it. You don't set yourself
up as a standard, do you?'
"Oh, dear, no. said Constance, in
a high, clear voice, certainly not. I
never pretended to be better than my
husband"
Don't speak so loud" he said, look
ing round him into the darkness.
Somebody might hear you. 1t would
Re most dangerous
Il am tired of all these devices for
secrecy said Rene. in voice of sui
lea dislike. I'VE had better end it all,
l sometimes think"
End it all?"
The law is in a curious state" he
responded, cynicalIy, L am French
man and & cathoic-by profession you
are an Englishwoman and a protestant.
We were married only in an English