Evening star., 1898-05-28
CHAPTER Y.
The Pronhecy.


concealins the Prophet" A company of
line soldiers were driving the crowd back
to the sidewalk, a mounted gendarme
shouted orders and wheeled his horse right
and LEFT. white-gloved hand raised the
grenade on his baldrick glittering like a
live coal. From everywhere came a mur-
muir. growing louder, deeper, more per-
siStent. The Prussians, The Prussians,
The PrGssians,' until the Inonotonous
chant swept from the Porte Rouge to the
Prince Murat barracks like the thrill of a
tense chord. deep strung, trembling, vibrat-
ing in the arched sky.
The Uhlans were signaled near rHay,"
cried boy, raising himself on the point of
his wooden shoes to catch a glimpse of the
Prophet
Can one see the Prussians out there?'
asked a woman. looking up anxiously at
Hide, who leaned from the window.
Il see nothing, madame replied Hide,
family.
They re there insisted man in a blue
blouse. The Prussians are in Meudon
woods madame"
Who them?" asked dozen voices
at once.
they're there
They're over by that spire-one could
see them with a glass. said an old man.
who Immediately became the center of at
tention.
What spire?' demanded the man in the
blue blouse.
can you see them? Are there many?
asked another
The Uhlans. The Uhlans," shouted the
crowd.
Hide, leaning from the shattered window,
looked down at the surging throngs below
and then out across the valley of the
Bievre. sparkling with dimmed brilhancy
under its veil of haze. She saw nothing
except patches of woods white spires and
checkered fields fiecked with misty sun
shine.
Yolette spoke calmly beside her We
must I'LL all the window frames with panes
of oiled paper. If they fire again there will
be no use having glass put in
In the street below officer with gold
lace on his crimson cap rode slowly through
the center Of the crowd. repeating Go
back. meSSieurs; there is nothing to see
The Prussians have not been signaIed: the
marines are only practicing to get the
range
No Prussians?'' exclaimed the man in
the blue blouse. A disgusted laugh ran
through the crowd.
'Fichtrel Je me'en vais, alors." said a
young butcher, tying his apron tighter:
'Weli have plenty of time to see NJ. Bis
marck later
The crowd slowly dissolved melting away
httle by little. leaving a group of hope
lessly curious Samins at the Porte Rouge.
the barracks. and IS near to the Prophet
as the car nOneers would permit.
SO. after all. the PrUSsians were not in
sight The crowd appeared to oe good
humored, but little disappointed for they
bad come to see something and !lov were
Obliged TO retire uEsatisfed. Curiosity pre-
vailed in spite of dread-that insatiabe Gu
r.osity OF the Parisians so easily satisfied
so soon changed to ennui.
The SHOT fIom the bastionS had aroused
the whole city; even Bourkc and Harevocd
iounging on the terrace above the palace of
St Cloud. heard the distant ropcrt and saw
the whit smoke cnrliup al ba h,t
Elements behind Issy.
That comes from our quarter" said
HaTewood- DO you see the smoke, Ceci?'
Its nothing. replied Bour<e They're
practicing somewhere on our secteur prob
ably 10 find the range II may be the
Prophet that has spoken
They sat on a bench, lazily discussing
cold chicken and light Bordeaux looking Of
ever the valley where the panorama of the
Seine valley spread out. At their feet lay
Paris. white. fair a jewel set in green
velvet. circied by the nmpi1 necklace of the
river The late sunlight burned the
gilded dCms of the Irvaliies, the twin tow
ers OF Notre Dame glimmered beyond
Nearer, the majestic dome of the Pantheon
and the strange towers of ST. Sulpice de-
tachsd themselves from the level mass of
Rreen-the gardens of the Luxenbourg-and
further beyond the observatory gIistened
It's mosque-like domes snowy white. To the
southeast, looking across the peninsular
whare Biliancourt lay smothere,i in YER
dure. the six forts of the south stretched
away in a single rank to the River Marine:
In the north the vast mass of Mont-Va-
lerIen cut the sky ilne-always mysterious
always menacing. wrapped in gloomy ma
testy. Close to St. Cloud the Montretout
redodbt lay. still unfinished, but apparently
formidable enough.
Hardwood could see the terrassiers
swarming over tine glacis. troops marching
and countermarching. gun squads drilling
on the parapets. At their fee,, SO close
that BOur6e could have tossed a pebble on
to the roof the beautiful palace of St
Cloud nestled amid its ancient forest. stiff
ranks of hedges AMI quaint marble-terraced
pools. squadron of cuirassiers had dis
mounted at the fOct OF the terrace steps.
Hundreds Of officers, municipal magnates
fu!ssiers. gendarmes and holiday stroIlers
passed through the palace grounds. staring
up at the eXquisitely gray facade with un-
accustomed emotions of curiosity and ap-
prehensiOn.
A group of mounted officers, returning
from an inspection of the Haras carrefour,
passed slowly beneath the terrace, spurs
AMI helmets jingiing. breastpiates glittering
like mirrors one of them, slim young
fellow. splendi1Iy moantel, glanced up at
the two Americans as he passed, turned his
head to look again, laughed and waved d
gioved hand.
Who's that?" asked Bourke
Gen Bellemare. commanding at st.
Denis" said Herewood- Hes going to let
me know when anything is UP in that direc-
ton"
1t was sunset before they rose to go. with
Il last glance at the uiSta1- splendid city,
vEere the Arc de Triomphe had turned to
an arch of pearl, the Otelisk TO d flaming
torch-battlements. spires. bridges, inpal-
pable as structures Of oPalescent mist. faded
as the enchantment waned. fainter dim
mer, until in the ros .-bd1ked haz. a star
broke out: another glimmered in the zenith.
Then, the shadows fell ON forest and
palace and sOmber silent pools, far through
the velvet twilight. between the avenues of
trees, the moon, blood red. rose above the
ccSes of the plain.
Come or. said Bourke. strapping his
binocular and starting down the terrace
steps
Hardwood followed him. entering the
hedged avenue just the cuirassiers rode
out OF the court In the twilight one of the
passing cavaliers stopped, calling to Hare
wood in English. tinged with accent:
1t is you. my friend? Ma fol. you are
not aniaDle-no, scarcely arniable. / am
glad TO you again"
Hardwood shook hands with him as the
horse passed. saying: Good even ing Gen.
Bellemare / am coming TO see you 1T ST
Denis socn-"
Il shall expect you" said Gen. Beiiemare
turning in his saddle Don't forget-Rue
d'Athis-au revoir. mon cher and passed
with the cavalry into the dusk, saiuting
than hoth with easy --rasa