The herald., 1898-12-25

fingered yet a little longer and found
our nerves come back to us. After
that we sat in the garden where the
moonlight was full and bright, and the
breeze brought us the scent of the
roses. Then de Clermont, bringing out
his Lutte, sang to us. He had a voice
such as neither l, nor any one else I
knew who had listened to it, had ever
heard equalled. So, perhaps, sang his
old troubador ancestors, and the sweet
notes had died with the days of chiv-
airy to be born again in Raoul de Cler-
mont. The song he chose was one that
was perchance written by one of his
minstrel forbears, and described in that
old tongue that we no longer use low
er's agony at being separated for ever
from his mistress. The words We're, per-
haps, poor, but there was genuine feel
ing in them, and sung by de Clermont
it might have been the wall of an angel
shut out from Paradise Never did I
hear the like-never would I care to
hear the like again, and as the last of
the glorious notes died away in a liquid
stream of ineffable melody, / saw mad
ame's face buried in her hands, and
there was great sob behind me that
came from the broad chest of Lalande,
who had stolen up to hear, and was
blubbering like child. Then Madame
de Termes rose, and hurried off, fol-
lowed by Lalande, and we were alone.
sitting still with my whole soul full Of
that wondrous song, and every nerve
strung to it's highest pitch, whilst de
Clermont remained standing, his lute
slung by it's silken sash, in the loop Of
his arm.
Denise" he said you understand,
dear?"
Yes" I could barely whisper the
word; and then he bent down and
kissed me softly on the forehead, and
the touch of his lips seemed to burn
into me like a red-hot seal. With a
little cry rose to my feet and hardly
knowing what I was doing. ran past
him, never stopping until reached my
room. Here ! remain ed as if lost in a
dream, with hundred mad thoughts
dancing in my brain. 1 tried to pray,
but my lips could only frame words.
for there was nothing in my heart; and
then thought I would seek forgetful-
ness in sleep. But sleep would not
| come, and l lay awake Watching the
broad banner of moonlight that came
IN through the open window, and all
/ the memories of the past awake within
me. De Clermont's kiss still burned on
my face, and I shivered with the shame
/ and the sin of it, for 1 was another's
wife-and heaven help me! 1 thought
then that loved de Clermont OH the
misery of those hours, when 1 tossed
from side to side with dry, burning
eyes and bitter shame in my heart, At
last, as the moon was paling, l could
endure it no longer and, rising from
my bed, began to pace the room. / felt
that what 1 needed was notion move
ment-I could not be still. If l could
only pray! and as the thought came TO
me once more I heard a little clink,
and STOPPING, picked up a small locket
containing a miniature of my mother
which wore round my neck. the gold
chain by which it was suspended hav-
ing broken in my restless movements.
I opened the locket, and standing near
the window looked at the picture, and
as live it seemed to tighten so that
could see each feature, with the soft
eyes bent on me in pity, and then q
voice, it was her voice, said:
| Denise, pray!'
And then my eyes~were blinded with
tears, and flinging myself on my knees
with my hands clasped on the mullions
of the window, I sobbed out, "God!
Dear God! Have pity on mel"
| L could say no more, but my whole
soul went out with these words and I
knelt there, still and motionless, with
the sense of a great peace falling upon
me. Then it was as if the very heavens
grew bright as day, and the light filled
my room so that my eyes We're dazzled
and I could not see. And I covered my
| face with my hands to shield ny eyes
from the splendor.
| 4
When I looked up again the glory
was gone, but my soul was at rest. I
stood at the window and let the cool
breeze fan me, whilst peered out into
the darkness, for the moon had sunk
and it was now the black hour that
| touches the dawn. AS I watched I
heard the bells of st. Etienne calling
the Lauds across the grave of night,
and I knew that in two hours it would
be daylight, and felt that the unseen
God had heard my prayer.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)