Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-16
(Copyright.)

of Eyoncourt," &c.
(Copyright)
Continued from Yesterdays Issue.)
CHAPTER XIII.
IN PERIL.
A peremptory knock at her door
startled Jeanne, and she rose and put
across it a second bar which stood be-
side it.
open, open, madame, in the Kings
name." a stern voice said. 1t IS l.,
Laval; my business is urgent.
In his anger he violently shook the
door, but the bars held 1t firm.
Jeanne fit strangely calm. 1t was
useless, she thought, to hold any speech
with this angry man. She suspected
that he had heard of the Constable's
light from St. Feriol, and guessed that
she also knew of it. She said, with all
the dignity she could muster:
You must excuse me, Monsieur lie
Comte; l cannot admit you at this
hour. / beg you to send away your
man Gaspard; he is intoxicated"
'She DEVIL" she heard him mutter;
but he answered mildly enough: Yes,
madame. will obey your wish, and
return at daybreak; then / must see
you, without fall"
He went rapidly downstairs, his spurs
jangling at every step. Jeanne listen
ed anxiously, but she could not tell
whether he had quilted the house. At
last came the sound of heavy door,
opened and then loudly closed; and as
she sat with strained ears she heard
the sound of retreating footsteps. She
breathed heavily, and leant back with
a sense of relief in her hard wooden
chair.
Laval had nc. left the house. Going
back to the eating room, he found
Gaspard sound asleep with his face
on the table. His heavy snoring filled
the room, and made Laval furious; he
gave the sleeper a fierce kick, but this
only elected a growl and muttered
curses.
Laval looked around him. he bcliev-
ed that the Constable was either in the
house or not far off, and he knew that
minutes were precious. On his first
arrival he had not felt confident that
pected he was not far off, but when he
reached the villege the constrained
looks that greeted him had deepened
his suspicious and added significance
to the hostess's positive refusal to
lodge anyone but the lady and her wo-
men. He had therefore fastened his
return to the inn. He reflected, how
ever, that if Bourbon were at La
Verite, De Pomperant was surely with
him; and what could he, Laval, do
without the help of Gaspard?
"Pardeu l will in some way learn
the Dukes whereabouts; fraud may
succeed where force fails"
He went cautiously into the passage
and peered through half open door
way; within it he saw a small empty
room He checked an exclamation of
satisfaction; though the room was
empty, he saw a rude desk, besides
which lay a formidable bunch OF keys;
he guessed that this was the hostess's
sauctum. If he could conceal himself
here, he might learn the secrets Of the
house. There was a closet beside the
door by which he had come in, and
above 1t, close to the ceiling was a
grating. The closet was evidently
mrde in the wall, and was, like it, Of
dark wood.
Was it open, he wondered? He
moved very cautiously, lest the clink
of his spurs should betray him, ard
found, to his JOY, that the door was only
fastened by button There was, how
ever, a key in the lock; he drew this
out. tried it on the inner side, then
slipping into the closet, which he found
much larger than he expected, he lock-
ed himself in.
The closet smelt horribly musty, and
this showed Laval that it was not much
resorted to. Ae he CROPPED about, he
stumbled over what seemed to be a
heap Of horse wrappings on the floor.
The room itself was but dimly light
ed by lamp in an iron cresSet. which
hung from the beam above; there was
total darkness in the closet, except a
faint glimmer below the door. Laval
spread it across his chest and should
ers, so that he might be less visible in
case the door should be by some
chance opened from without. Then he
stood listening.
Very soon he heard the sound Of an
arrival, but as far as he could make
out it was only a single horseman;
next some one was ushered into the
small room into which the closet led
A deep, strong voice asked whether
lady was staying at La Verite.
The answer did not come at once;
then the hostess said:
eyes, monsieur. lady arrived not
long ago, but I think she has retired
to rest
"She will see me-" the deep voice
quickly answered. You will say to
the lady that her old friend, the Chew
alier ROLAND de la Touche, has trav-
eled many miles on purpose to see
her"
Il will tell the lady, monsieur"
The door opened and shut, and then
steps could be heard mounting the
creaking stairway to Jeannes cham
Der.
Laval ground his teeth in silence.
He had sworn to himself that D'Orbec
and Jeanne should not meet again; and
now he was powerless. But the girl
would refuse TO appear. She had re-
fused to admit him on account of the
late hour, and now 1t was later still.
He told himself he had been a fool to
do his own errand; he ought instead
to have sent the hostess to Jeanne's
chamber Yet. on the whole, it had
happened for the best. Supposing