Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-02-17
CHAPTER VII.
What saw in the Corridor.

less body OF my poor dog. I rubbed his
1ast-sdnening form In unavailing at
tempts to restore him: and. when had
10 own that all was over, silently reg
3stered a VOW that Beatrice Gramont
should answer to me for this last foul
deed.
1t may seem unnatural. but NV hor-
ror and Indignation against her were
reused to far higher pitch by the
death OF my dog than they had been by
the murder OF a human being Then i
had been willing to believe she was a
wronged woman. and, that, possibly.
the fatal shot had been fred when she
was maddened by her wrongs.
But the death OF my poor Nero had
been 1oully deliberate. She had stolen
out by night, stealthily and of set pur
pose. TO poison him, and for this, in my
neart or hearts, vowed to be revenxed
I would make her suffer, even though
1t were not publicly. She should sufSer
All the fortunes OF suspense and dread
even though, in the end, 1 must needs
spare her the rigors of the law-for
Vera's sake. For Vera's sakel I set INV
teeth hard as I thought of this. II
seemed so horrible that she, that fend
IN human form. should be Vera,s
mother. 1t made me vince, as IL be-
meath some fierce. intolerable torture.
Il
the snow beside my poor Nero; but 7
do know that the slow, heavy tears
coursed down my face as I thought az
ali his wonderful wisdom and ell his
loving faithfulness.
4 man finds so few truly faithful
friends in his passage through the
world, that he may surely spare the
tribute or tears when he loses one.
whether 1t be man or dog. But at last
rose and resolved what I would do.
My first impulse had been to knock IN
Dixon. but a little thought convinceS
me IL would be wiser not to do so.
/ would make no outcry about the
dogs death: would not have it known
myseif had come out at midnight and
FOUND him dying. 1t might place Bea-
tr1ce Gramont too much on her guard.
II she chose to fancy I should ascribe
the deed to some hand other than hers.
she was quite welcome to so deceive
herself; should the more easily gain
my revenge.
returned to the house, and Law down
in my bed, not without a sore pang az
the thought OF poor Nero's body, cold
and stin, lying out in the snow by Dix
or's gate. Sleep was out OF the oues-
ton. For fully half-a-dozen hours
lay awake, tossing restlessly from side
to side, while my fevered brain sought
Vatniy to solve the mystery which sur
rounded Beatrice Gramont.
Who was the man who had been
murdered In the mountain pass. Was
ne her late husband. the Comte de Ora.
montT Was that story about his bav-
ing met his death in India untrue7
Had he returned to his beautiful wife
at a time when she found his existence
undesirable? And had she ended IL for
him, coolly and deliberately as she had
just ended that OF my poor dog?
A little before daybreak, worn out
with my long night OF wakefulness 7
fell asleep; but even in my dreams.
could not escape from Beatrice Ora
mont. She led me through painless
SHOWS, and over high mountains: and
tnough she seemed ever almost in NV
grasp. she eluded me at last. Then. In
her place, there rose up the image OF
vera, sweet. and sad, and pale. with n
world OF mournful reproach in her soft
hazel eyes
Ny heart rushed out to her in bound
less love, and I would fain have
clasped her in my arms. But she waved
me back. not in anger, but still with in
hnite reproach.
You have ruined my mother" she
cried, mournfully. at thought Won
loved me. but. II yCu had loved me.
Wan would have loved my mother. too"
From these dreams awoke, to find
the red wintry sun shining into my
chamber. and to feel that I was seri-
ousIy unwell.
I must have taken cold when
suited my room at midnight, for my
head nched terribly. my mouth felt
parched, and my hands were burning
When essayed to get out OF bed, 7
turned so dizzy that was glad to get
back again. decided had better re-
main in my room for at any rate, an
hour or two, and I rang the bell for a
servant, and sent down a message to
This erect. In a minute or two. Gwynne
came up. his kind. good face wearing
a look OF anxiety at the news OF my
Sncisposition. I think I never felt so
guilty in my life as when he came and
sat beside my bed.
1t might have been and not Bea-
rrice Gramont, who was the perpetrator
OF a crime
Il hope you're not going to be III,
Jack" he said. In his kind. earnest
manner. TT will just spoil our Christ
mas II you're out of the way"
1 thought grimly that knew Of one
person, at any rate, whose Christmas
would be by no means spoiIt IL were
out OF the way, not for a few days on
~, but altogether. However, I assured
MIN there was nothing seriously amiss
Win me- 1t was only a cold, and, II
remained In my room, and doctored
myself little, should probably be
quite better by the next day.
well, mind you do doctor YOURSELF
he said with another Of his kind looks.
as he grasped my hand. IF you don't
warn you 1 shall come up here and
establish myself as your nurse"
was relieved when he went away.
much as loved him. 1t was impossi-
Die for me to feel anything but guilty
m his presence while that wretched
secret was weighing on my mind And
yet could not resolve to breach it to
him until had obtained some further
proof
Later in the day he came up again
This time to tell me of Nero's death. He
expressed the most genuine concern,
and am sure the dear fellows sorrow
was all the greater because he himself