The times., 1897-05-09

l might meet him face to face before !
| die''
| 1t was an angry exclamation; his hand
| was hot upon the hilt of his sword while
| the impulse OF vengeance maddened him
| He uttered the name of Monsieur de Cha
tcauneuf again and again as he paced the
! path With Inresting steps. Wnen ne stopped
| at las., great cry frothed upon his lips
| the strength of ten men filled his veins, he
| knew that his prayers had been answered
| For Monsieur de Chateauneuf stood be
| fore him in the grove-and the two were
| face TO face at the hour Of reckoning.
| TIE count stood before him-a man in
| the prime of life, dressed as the fashion OF
! the hour dictated, IN suit OF violet silk,
| slashed with gold and embroidered with
! precious stones A sword, whose hilt
| sparkled with diamonds, hung at his side
! there were diamond buckles upon his shoes:
| diamond pins giitrering in his snow-white
| ruffles. But the easy, placid smile, which
| usually characterized his handsome face,
| lighted it no longer. He stood before
| Serrefort with terror shining in his eyes,
| with quakiDg knees and beating heart
! Ten minutes before that supreme moment
! ne had entered the Hotel Beautreillis, think
Z! ing that little Cornne had some favor to
| grant him. They had conducted him to
/ the garden upon that excuse, and young
| Benoit had met him and brought him 10 the
| grove But Benoit was at his side no
| longer MysterioGsly, silently, he and the
| other guests had withdrawn from the gar
| den. TIE two men, he who had sinned
and he VINO had suffered, stood face 70 face
in the deserted glade. And both OF them
| knew that this was the hour momentOus be-
| yond any they had lived.
The count was the first to speak. He had
| suppressed cry at the moment when first
| his eyes encountered those OF his victim;
| but now, after it was plain to him that
| Serrefort was mad and exultant at the
| meeting, he turned round thinking his
| guide was still at his heels, and exclaimed:
monsieur, what liberty is this?''
| But no one answered him. Benoit had
! vanished. 1t seemed to the count that the
| silence OF death was in the place He had
| the impulse to flee the garden. A stGpe-
| flying fear paralyzed his limbs, choked
! his voice. The sweat OF death seemed al
| ready to gather upon his forehead. Since
/ the day when word of his had sent
| Jacques de Serrefort to the COnciergerie be
| had forgotten the very fact that his VIC
| tim lived. Now, however, it was as though
| dead man had come out Of his grave to
| demand reckoning AS for Serrefort, the
| ferocity of a wild beast was upon him.
| Anger, JOY, lust for vengeance, gave inco-
| hereucy to his words The sword with
| which Corinne de Montesson had armed
| him flashed already at the counts throat.
| Age, debility, long years of suffering,
| were powerless TO mar that strength of
of vic n Il n
youth and skill did the trooper Of Condos
| legion stand up with such confidence. The
| ring of triumph was already in his voice;
| his hand was the hand of man who
+; knows no mercy.
Monsieur the Count Of Chateauneuf, he
cried with terrible deliberation. God
| surely has sent You here that may kill
| you Draw, monsieur. FOR your hour has
| come"
| The count reeled back, crying with al
| mis- voice for help. The cry moved his an
| tagonist to peal of moeking laughter.
.'Ha," cried he, ''you would ruu like a
! Iacauey. Monsieur lie Comte you, VINO
| have boasted of your skill in every salon IN
| Paris Shame on you! Must l call for a
| whip, to heat yon like dog Draw. beg
/ OF YOU, for my patience is worn. Oh,
monsieur, have waited fifteen long years
| for this hour swear that all Paris shall
/ not save you now"
He pressed upon the doomed man with
/ new ferocity, adding light blows OF
| his sword TO the singing taunts of in
! vitation Chateauneuf, who saw that
| he had fallen into a trap, hesitated no
| longer but drew his sword and sprang
| to the engagement. And at this Serre-
ton
/ ing his teeth, began to fight with the
cunning and the resolution OF rnaitre
/ d'srfnes The night, the garden, the
| mystery, the prison-an were gone from
his thoughts. He saw but one object,
| the pale face Of the man who bad sent him
| fifteen years ago from the happiness OF his
| home To the grave of the Conciergerie.
| Hate gave him skill which had never been
| his even in the best hour or the old time
| And to the strength OF bate was added the
| terror and the confusion and the conscience
1 of Monsieur de Chateauneuf. The count,
| indeed, had death at his heart from the
1 first He fought with trembling hand,
/ with quaking limbs. There was ever din
| ming in his ears the cry This Is the JUS
| tiee OF Cod He knew that he was TO die,
there in the silence Of the garden; knew
that the sun would never shine for MIN
again.
4 Twice around the grove the men fought,
| Serrefort playing with the other like a
/ beast with its prey Though the ring Of
swords made strange music of the night,
though the sharp cries ana the fierce stamp
| ing of the two were to be heard even TO the
/ street without, the men remained alone,
/ No witness of the deed was to be found IN
1 al the great house; the silence OF desola-
/ ton was upon it; little Corinne and her
| guests had vanished in the darkness.
/ When at the last the count had raised his
| voice again to can out that he was the
| victim OF an assassin Serrefort answered
with yell OF derision.
Monsieur Ie Comte,' said he. 'ask help
| of Heaven and not OF men, for that shall
| be your last cry. Ha! you have a cunning
/ hand monsieur, but it cannot stand the
/ burden of your sin. Shall tell them that
1 fought with lacquey? Never let it be
| said.''
| Goadedto madness at the taunt, the Count
| of Chateameuf permitted his anger to mas
| ter him. He disenga aged with the skill and
/ ouickness of an old swordsman and made
| to lunge in quartz; but his foot failed him
in the heat of the feint, aud before he could
| regain his position the sword of Serrefort
| was running through his heart
Assassin, - he gasped, but the word was
| choked upon his lips. For an instant he
| stood quite still. with the sword cutting
| his 9lacb fhan turning sharDlV unon his