The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-28

quick to pass. Though a grim forebod-
ing pursued him while, he asked him-
self: where will 1t end? What did
they mean when they called me the
Lord Blshop of Blois and said that
must suffer?" He good man that he
was and there was none better in
France was like other men in POSSESS
ing a healthy appetite. The groaning
table put some heart into him. II have
ridden far and well boiled capon with
a cup of Burgundy will not come amiss
to me-" he thought. And so for the
first time since he had entered the ter
rible wood he permitted himself to
hope. "They will let me ride on when
super is DONE" he assured phimself,
"and shall be in Paris, after all, by
the last day of the month. 1t would
never do to be delayed over tomorrow,
for the king returns to Paris then, and
Corinne will see him and cheat me once
more. Certainly, must be in Paris to-
morrow. Meanwhile, 1 will see what
sort of a supper it is, for 1 am very
hungry"
one Of the servants had set a plate
before him now, a plate upon which
was little silver dish exquisitely gar
nished and served. So tempting did
the morsel look that the good Abbe
hastened to plunge his fork into 1t,
but at the first mouthful he made an
ugly grimace and was unable to with
hold an exclamation.
"Ciel," cried he, that is nothing but
| bread crumbs"
He looked round the table appealing
| ly but no one in the masked company
| vouchsafed to him an answer. All
were busy upon similar dishes, of
which they appeared to partake with
exceeding relish. Indeed, they had fin
| ished their portions before the Able
! had recovered from his astonish-
nent; and while he was still looking
| at them a lackey, dressed in crimson,
carried in a dish, upon which was a
! smoking fish of great size, and began
to serve slices of ito the Able first,
and afterward to the other suppers
At the same moment another attend
! ant filed the Abbe's glass-a magnifi-
cent glass of the rarest Venetian work
with wine from a crystal goblet, and
then did a similar service for the rest
of the company. The action reassured
| the hungry cure. For the second time
he plunged a ready fork into the dish
before him. Fish is fish," he said to
himself while he smacked his lips in
famished anticipation. The assurance
scarce had comforted him when he
broke out with a word which was neith-
er ecclesiastical nor abbotorial:
Nom du diabl,e" he exclaimed "but
| this is bread, too"
How it came to be, in what manner
the cheat had been contrived, the Able
knew no more than the dead. Yet
there was the fish right enough, and a
second mouthful convinced him that it
was made of nothing but bread.
"St. John" cried he, sitting back in
his chair, "who ever heard Of that
a fish made of bread crumbs; and
everyone eating of it as though it were
a mullet from the kings table. Body
of st. Paul-they are all mad"
Mad or sane. the scarlet company ap-
peared to enjoy the fish very much.
Their heads bent over their plates the
suppers varied their occupation of eat
ing only by the equally pleasant one of
taking long draughts from the crystal
goblets before them. They did not ap-
pear so much as to notice that the Able
was appealing TO them. His words, his
| eXclamations, his questions, fell alike
upon deaf ears. Not a man listened to
! him, not a woman raised her eyes to
watch him. Nor did his anger, which
presently succeeded to his hunger
help him at all. That, too, was' abso-
lutely unobserved. Had he roared like
a bull, the masked company would have
remained oblivious of his presence.
! "Ho! ho!'' said he at last, while he
leant back in his chair, and raised the
goblet in his hand, "a plague upon the
table which sets bread crumbs before a
hungry man."
He put the goblet to his lips and took
a long draught from it. The wine, ht
had said, would at any rate wash the
tastelesS bread from his mouth-and sc
he held the cup long. When at length
he put it down, there was upon his face
the most unclerical grimace that had
ever sat there.
"Maledetto," cried he, "but that is
water"
To be Continued.