Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-13
/ NlRD Of TIC K|NG.
BY.
Author Of "Maisie Derrick" The Story
Of Lois" Patty" Louisa "At
the Red Glove" Miss Eyon
of Eyoncourt," &c.
(Copyright.)
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Issue.)
CHAPTER Xxx
nnArNrEn
AT ST. BONNET.


AT ST. BONNET.
Laval tried to soften his words and
to pacify his charge, whom he likened
mentally to a spoilt child, but Jeanne
walked haughtily from the room with
out needing his excuses.
Freed from the glamor which her
beauty had laid ON his senses, he be-
came very angry. He longed to have
power to force the truth from some
one; but the silent hostess and her
deaf henchman were alike impenetra-
ble They were both in one tale; all
the guest chambers had been given
up to the lady and her attendants, ex-
cept couple which had been retained
by the soldier Raoul for the use of his
lordship whenever it should please him
to arrive
St. Feriol was a good-sized village,
and boosted a mayor, as we'll as the
stalawrt host of the Rouge Dragon,
and therefore Laval dared not bully
and threaten the timid mistress of the
Fleur de Lys as he surely would have
threatened the hostess of solitary way
side inn. He gathered from Raoul,
who came up in the evening, that COM
municatiOn was frequent between the
small hostel and the village. Laval
told himself he was losing time; he
had not found any traces of the Con-
stable in LIE Puy, and his present idea
was, now that he had again possession
of Jeanne, to journey quickly towards
the Rhone If it were true that the
fugitive meant to escape into Italy, he
must cross the river, and Laval knew
that the best place for doing that would
be at or near Vienna. He had paced
up and down the eating room with fiery
Impotence after Jeanne and her wo-
man left it, but he soon saw that If
he meant to succeed in the game he
was playing he must keep cool head
and bride his fierce temper.
He judged from a certain uneasiness
in Jeanne's manner that she knew more
than she would acknowledge, and it
was, he thought, possible that if he
kept with him she might by some I'M
conscious revelation help his pursuit
of the Constable. Meantime, he must
down to the village, and finding Gas
pard playing dice with Raoul at the
Rouge Dragon he babe them have the
troop in readiness to start at sunrise.
Gaspard yawned.
Does Monsieur lie Comte still inter
to push on to St. Bonnet?" he asked.
Laval frowned; the man seemed to
be questioning his wisdom.
Certainly! Be ready to start at
sunrise; let me find you drawn up out
side the village" The easy insolence
of the mans tone chafed his leader
"Your pardon, my lord" 1t is not a
long journey to ST. Bonnet and after
our forced ride to-day 1 had looked for
some short respite
'Nom de Dieu! You may look for it,
but you cannot have it, till certain
fugitive you wot Of is in my safe
keeping; till then, repose may be hoped
for, not taken"
Gaspard shrugged his shoulders, and
turned away with a scowl
Curse him for a tyrant!" he NUT
tered, and when his chief was out of
hearing he let fly volley of fierce
oaths. HE is greedy enough after
his own pleasures; those of other folk
may go to the decree!"
II shall be right glad to leave this
accursed hole!" Raoul answered. "Par-
dieu! There is neither sport nor
pleasure to be had, even for money!
meet but black looks and get surly an
swers. Too my thinking, these folks
are impatient to see our backs. can
not guess their meaning"
Gaspard shrugged his shoulders.
eff you speak sooth, you are but
dullard, friend Raoul What does 1t
mean, say you? 1t means, my gossip,
hot haxy u WI h n will
not help us find our game. This is the
proof that l have more Of strategy in
me than has our master; in his place
should stay hire and watch day and
night, and be pleasant and jovial with
all; then over the wine-cup, Or from a
woman's lips, would the truth leak out.
Nom de Dieu! man, there you have it..
Come, what say you? Have at you
for another cast; the best out of three
stands the cost Of flask of Malvoisie "
Meanwhile Laval had gone back to
the little hotel, and Summoning one of
Jeanne's women, he sent word that
urgent need required him to set forth
at sunrise, and that it would be safer
for the Countess to accompany him.
He had been too angry to explain to
Gaspard his reason for an early start,
but he knew that part of the way to
ST. Bonnet was steep and rough; he
also doubted whether he could lodge
all his troops in the miserable little
inn on the hill.
In their last journey together, Jeanne
had allowed Laval to ride beside her,
while her maids followed short way
behind.
He saw when the Countess, in obed-
fence to his summons, appeared at
sunrise that he was not forgiven. Be
fore she mounted her horse, Jeanne
bade her women ride one on either side
of her-a sight which drew a mocking
laugh from Gaspard as soon as the
Countess came up with the troop. that
waited for her outside the village.
He looked meaningly at Raoul
Fair and softly, my lady; let him
laugh who wins, and Love laughs at
locksmiths!"
The beauty of the road engrossed
Jeanne's attention; and when, later on,
they began to mount the steep hills
so steep that the road was cut in
Zigzags to make the ascent possible
she cried out with delight when near
the summit they came in siglt of a
splendid view of the snow-capped
Aims She had ceen tho GRAND noun