The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-02
YHB LOST PROVINCES.
HOwVansitartC Came Back to France.
BY LOUIS TRACY.
oopyrioAt. 1898. bv LoStS Traus.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE QUIET,
THE QUEST.

THE QUIET.
~ ro,lIet. Project Of Police. was .busllyPeat-
-. lone deferred meal in the immeinortal
~ Inn at yimessat 8 o'clock In the evening.
~ there reached him the sound OF voices
~ ~, The courtyard below. n presently the
,.Odlord entered backward. bowinE. usher
10 IN two new guests. Foliet starsdSalmost
starting to his ieet-
There was Armand. and there'E ponnoUeo
and beloved. was Marie.
Th,t morning Folliet had left Armand In
o..iS With no apparent intention OF coming !
sshsr But now, with a sudden, remem-
smrco. he recollected Armand's question
SAotber or no he. Folliet, would be found at
vioes that night. and he recalled the fact
s.t Armand had asked IL just after the detec-
49, eIpression OF uncertainty as to whether
l. vould be able to find MB. Vansittart. In
noment the incompatible self-assuranCe OF
A. vonnp man dnwned upon him. and. in spite
~ himself. he broke into q laugh. He I'M
d.rstood the others wholesmotive; stirred by
somo within of gratitude toward VanBittart.
40 conseryatoire freahling had,come ito help
the old ferret In his chased
i'WelL. I'm very glad to seeSyou. SIR" said
Follst. "and you. madam" extending his
hand This is very unexpected. Are you
passing through -.
.No. not exactly that, monsieur" answered,
Armand. Paris is getting insunerably dull
nat now. So l thought / would give you q
,hock. To be startling is my vocationLS I
see that the village Is quite a charming
M OF quaint antiquity. Are theswines drink
able2'
Armand. vithin:the last few days Of wealth.
had become q fastidious connoisseur Of wines.
though his extra travelling expenses to this
Mace had only been obtained by journeys
Of Marie to the Mont'de Pfete.
$3.50" said Folliet. butt aboutsthe ina
sbinesl l thought
"Oh. quite 80. monsieur. Those shave 'been
attended to. / had plenty OF time. for that
matter. l have left my instructions; with the
firm you mentioned. and the! things: will. no
doubt, be- ready within the specified time.
But-Mrs. vansittartl rs there any hope.
monsieur, II one might ask7"
Now that Folliet's laugh was over ut the
whimsical apparition OF the pair. he was
rather vexed atsthe intrusion.
well. I suppose we must not'despair." no
sid. dryly.
BY this time Marie had taken OF ~herthings..
The landlords daughter entered with q,
roast capon and a grimy bottle OF wine. Ar
nund began to eat. and also to drink.
Here" he said. rs to her speedy rescue."
AND QTdl0eu HIS RlbSS LWlS0 ia buCCOooiOh-
But Il you drink much wine." whispered
Marie. how is NJ. Folliet to find her. them"
The relation between the amount imbibed'
by Armand and Folliet's powers Of discovery.
though vague. seemed quite clear to Marie.
Foliet. had he heard. would not have been
greatly fattered. perhaps.
Il have been reading the Paris papers,
Poliet. or course. they are full OF nothing
but the ~story.of the abduction. as much Of it
as our host here could supply TO reporters.
And / have been making q theory ofthe event.
lar q theorist. sir-a born theorist. The diff
ference, n. Folliet, between the theorfst and tho
practical man you will find to lie in this-that
the practical man Is always wrongly theoreti-
cal. and the theorist is In general rightly
practical. II you tell me. sir. that 1 am q
dreamer. I reply that to dream well list hit
straight on the head that central. inner nail
which rivets the universe. Except the dream
er. N. Folliet. there is nobody worth men
tioning. I find this wine good. sir"
1T Is not bad wine." said Folliet. meekly.
Zone has only to keep on drinking 1t to arrive
at a stage Of absolute self satisfaction"
Yes he said. 1T is-it is Argonne wine.
Monsieur. Mrs. Vansittart is at ArRonne."
What do you mean. monsieur"
THAT IN wine Is truth. monsieur-aome-
times quite unexpected truth. as now. I pre-
sumo you are able to see some relation be-
tween the fact that this wine Is ArRonne mt
the disappearance of Mrs. Vansittart."
.Folliet winked a Observation-Disclosures
he lifted his head and lookedround the room.
No. certainly. here the chain Of inference was
too long for his ken. and he had been able to
see much in his time. too.
i do not see any relation. monsieur" he
aid simply.
NO" relied Armand. perhaps It is unfair
10 expect that you should. The fact is. 1 be-
leye. that 1 have q far more intimate knowl-
edge OF French wines than you. monsieur.
Let me. however. tell you tworfacts. and then.
think. YOU will be able to comprehend: First.
that when l entered this inn I ordered our
host, with threats which he could see I meant.
TO place before me the very best wine In his
house; and. secondly. that in spite of these
threats. never for a moment supposed that
he would give me Argonne. inasmuch as Ar
come has lately become the rarest. as 1t Is
one Of the most exquisite. wines on earth"
And why did you not 2 that he would
i've 1t to you. when you asked for his best?"
aid Folliet.
Because l felt sure. monsieur. that such a
vine could not possibly be found In such an
! Inn"
Yet here. you see. It is"
Yes, here it is. monsieur. But I am, will
ing to wager you a thousand rancs thatff you
oner our host a million louis for n dozen
similar bottles he will be unable to produce
them"
Saying SO. he rose. and tugRed the bellrope.
Inc old man came shambling into the room.
Monsieur said Armand carelessly. this
Is excellent beverage you give me. 1 COM
hlment YOU"
l am pleased you like 1t. sir" said the old
man, bowling.
30 well. monsieur. that I have determined
oner You 400 francs per bottle for six bot
us tomorrow when / continue my journey"
-Four hundred francs!".echoed the old man
ma kind OF glce.
-Four hundred francs"
but sir. | have only four bottles left"
That Is a pity" said Armand. "Four'will
~useless to me-" He glanced at Folllet.
! am sure. sir. 1t is very unfortunate. "'said
ue old man. confused. You, have one. the
.snueman near you a~nother-there are hut
lour left"
What! You gave monsieur q bottle. too,