The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-25
mantle fell back, and it grew larger as

mantle fell back, and it grew larger as
we gazed.
Water said FIR. Benoit 1 went to
where, just inside the DoStern gate,
played little fountain with a cup and
a statue of our lady l wrenched the
cup free, filled it, and began TO mutter
prayers and curses, all mingled togeth-
er in my falling tears. The gate was
open, ana through it l saw a figure
scudding down the hill like a scared
rabbit. IL was the Sieur d Audilly. So
We had married her 10 a craven and
killed her into the bargain: the one
deed balanced the other The tears
dried on my hot face as 1 hurried back
with the brimming cup.
The alarm ot Logs had Weakened no
che, and the court was as still as death
as we bathed her white face and forced
a little OF the water between her lips.
Down in the valley a horse neighed as
it parted company with its fellow In
moment she opened her eyes and said
clearly, seeming TO recall everything at
once: Il am dying. Where is hep
FIR. Benoit's fat face was working
and the tears chased each other down
his round cheeks. He looked at me in
an agony.
1t WAS no time to count words.
took her hand and kissed it. He is
dead, madame"
She never doubted me. A bright
smile shone on her little face, and her
slender limbs relaxed. / lifted her in
my arms, and FIR. Benoit began the
short absolution through his tears. As
he lifted his hand she raised her head
on my arm and looked straight up be-
tween US and beyond. She closed her
eyes again, and we thought her dead,
but she opened them once more and
smiled upon US, just as she had smiled
over her roses that very day.
L ho9e you have not lost the red
king" said she, quite in her old voice
You are both SO careless-but lost or
found, he is still the red king-was it
not brave token?" Perhaps she wan
dered, for all at once, before we knew,
her blue eyes grew misty, ner body be-
came heavy in my arms, and it was
over.
So died the Demoiselle Alys, who was
the brightest, merriest lady, and whom
L held on my knee before ever she was
as long rs my bauble.
FIR. Benoit rose, his wet face shining
in the moonlight, and motioned me to
follow him-we were both past speech
and / carried her back, through the
great door, along the passages of the
great silent house, cropping our way, for
we had no light, and sometimes Stumb-
ling in the darkness. Once l felt some
thing touch me. and L heard a dogs
shifting at my burden: the creature
seemed to understand and whined, very
softly, and followed US, pattering along
behind us 10 the very chapel door,
where. as no one had the heart to
thrust him back, he came in, whining
as we laid the Demoiselle Alys upon
the step before the altar rail, where she
had knelt as a bride not half an hour
before.
We fell on our knees, FIR. Benoit and
l, and prayed while the moonlight crept
round the pillars and grew faint in the
western windows, and the eastern win
dow frightened ano flushed, and the
birds began to twitter in the caves. l,
the fool, and FIR. Benoit, and the dog
well. there were three hearts of Us,
unlike as all three were, while the Sieur
d'Audilly was saving himself at the
rate of five leagues an hour.
So was mourned the Demoiselle Alys,
who, as | said, was the nerriest lady,
and even when she WAS the length of
my bauble her eyes were as blue as
pansies-only some pansies are purple,
but her eyes We're like the kind that
are blue