The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-08-29

The House of The Wolf,,,,,,s
By STANLEY j.. WEYMAN

~~o-o~~~~>~.~-o~~->~o~ ~~O.~~o~~S
ing me, with anxiety in his tone. What
of her? You have seen her?"
Il have She is safe at your house
in the Rue st. Merri."
Thank heaven for that he replied,
! ferVently. Before he could say more
Captain Andrea interrupted us. l
could see that his suspicious We're
aroused afresh. He pushed rudely be-
tween US, and addressing me, said.
Now, young sir, your boat is ready.
My boat / answered, while l rap
idly considered the situation. Ofcourse
/ / did not want to cross the river now.
No doubt Pavannes--this Pavannes--
could guide me to Louis address. My
boat?"
Yes. it is waiting" the Italian re-
piled, his black eyes rowing from one
to the other of us
Then let it watt" / answered
haughtily, speaking With an assump-
ton of anger. Plague upon you for in
terrupting us. / shall not cross the
river now. This gentleman can give me
the information | want l shall take
him back with me-"
ITO whom"
ITO whom? To those who sent me,
sirrah!" / Numbered. You do not
seem to be much in the dukes conf
dence, captain" 1 went on; nov, take
a word OF advice from me! There is
nothing so easily cast off as an over
ofiicious servant! He goes too far
and he goes like an old glove-an old
glove" | repeated grmly. sneering in
| his face, (which saves the hand and
suffers itself Beware of too much zeal,
Captain Pallavicini 1t is a dangerous
thing!'
He turned pale with anger at being
| thus treated by beardleSs boy, but
he faltered all the same. What I said
was unpleasant, but the bravo knew
! it was true.
saw the impression had made and
l turned to the soldiers standing round.
Bring here, my friends / said, IN.
| de PaVannes' SWord!'
One ran up to the guard house and
brought it at once They were towns
folk, burgher guards or such like, and
| for some reason betrayed so evident re-
spect for me, that l soberly believe they
would have turned on their temporary
leader at my bidding. Pavannes took
his sword. and placed it under his arm.
We both bowed tremendously to Pal
| lavicini, who scowled in response; and
! slowly, for l was afraid to show any
signs Of haste, we walked across the
| moonlt space to the bottom of the
| street by which I had come. There the
gloom swallowed us up at once. Pa
vannes touched my sleeve and stopped
in the darkness.
| Il beg to be allowed to thank you for
. your aid he said, with emotion, turn
ing and facing me. Whom have the
honor Of addressing?"
IN. Anne de Caylus, a friend of your
cousin l replied.
"Indeed?" he said. well, 7 thank
you most heartily" and we embraced
4 with warmth.
But I could have done little" I an
swered, modestly, ION your behalf, if
1t had not been for this ring"
And the virtue of the ring lies in"
TIL am sure l cannot say in
WHAT I confessed. And then, in the
sympathy which the scene had natural
| ly created between us, l forgot one por-
ton of my lady's commands, and
added, impulsively: "All I know is
that Nine. do gave it to me; and that
1t has done all and more than all she
said it would"
Who gave 1t to your" he asked
/ grasping my arm so tightly as to hurt
| me.
Mime. dO," I repeated. 1t was too
| late to draw back now.
That woman!" he calculated, in a
strange, low whisper. rs it possible?
That woman gave it to you?"
/ wondered what on earth he meant
surprise, scorn and dislike were so
blended in his tone. 1t even seemed to
me that he drew off from me some
what yes, M. de Pavannes," l re-
piled, offended and indignant. "It Is
so far possible that it is the truth; and
more. 1 think you would not SO speak
of this lady If you knew all; and that
it was through her your wife was today
4 her, and taken safely home!'
Hal" he cried, eagerly. "Then
where has my wife been?'
"At the house of Mirepoix, the
glover" l answered, colby, Sin the Rue
Platriere. Do you know him? You
do. Well, she was kept there pris-
oner, until we helped her to escape an
i hour or so ago.
He did not seem to comprehend even
then. could see little of his face, but
there was doubt and wonder in his
i tone When he spoke. 'Mirepox, the
]5glover," he murmured. "He is an hon
4 est man enough, though a Catholic. She
was kept there! Who kept her there?"
4 The abbess of the Ursulines seems
A to have been at the bottom of it," I
A explained, fretting with 1mpatience.
4 This wonder was misplaced, L thought;
4 and time was passing. Nine. do
found out where she was" continued,
and took her home. and then sent me
to fetch you, hearing you had crossed
tho river. That is the story in brief"
That woman sent you to fetch me? r.
he repeated again.
Yes" answered. angrily. "She did,
M. de Pavannes.'
Then. he said. slowly, and with an
air of solemn conviction which could
not but impress me, there is a trap
, laid for me! She is the worst, the
most wicked, the yilest Of womenp'
/. It she sent you, this is a trap! And my
wife has fallen into it already! Heaven
| help her-and me--if it be so!''
CHAPTER VIII.
/ THE PARTISAN MATHIS.
There are some statements for which
II 1t is Impossible to be prepared; state
!. ments so strong and 50 startling that
!. At Is impossible to answer them except