The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24

with their wordiness as if each held a
| something under his tongue which he
would not willingly let slip. 1t was the
others skill, but hiding his own.
| Aye? Ten years? My time. too said
| Number Nine. was it. perchance. that
anatr of the Cardinal that bolted the
door on you? There were more of it than
any one man knew except Monsegneur
| himself"
Doublet and hose thrust out his hands
! toward the fire.
| This warns one after ten years wait
! ing" he said. and rubbed his hands soft
| ly. Cardinal? Cardinal? There were af-
| fairs enough and Cardinals enough in
| those days, but they are musty by this
| time, and my Lord Cardinal is doubtless
| either Pope or a saint. As for me. |
know there was a man and woman.
| and each found the other enough. But
I wine will taste pleasanter than old stories
| which have no end. though now L mind
me the woman passed out of the tale ten
| years ago. Come, Master Pedro. Paht
| Nintages are not what they used to be.
| Truly, we have had little sun of late, and
that perchance is why the juice hath SO
sharp an edge
| He of the cassock emptied his glass
| slowly, for all the liquors sourness.
| Cardinals. cardinals. he said, medita-
| lively; most might go hang; but L would
| | had one / wot of by the throat. 1t is
| only when one comes out even into such
warmth as this that one knows how cold
ten years winters have been"
| Across the table Number Eight stretch
! ed out his hand and touched the other S
| arm.
What, You. too. itch after a mans
life? Then We have more In common
| than | thought. Suppose we play less
warily: After all, man must live in
what he knows. Speak OF the Cardinal,
and |, presently, will tell Of the woman
Number Nine filled his glass and
Then let's drop fencing. all but the
mask he said. "A short story. mine:
| Take churchman who wants this world
| as well as he next and would tumble
his Kings crown in the mud if
only he could rise to the tiara
upon il. Such things may be,
| by the help of eldest sons of the Church.
| Though pawns and knights are wanted in
| the game as well as kings and bishops.
| To such a man promises are words. and
| words come easy, and there are times in
| a mans conscience when the glamour of
| the priesthood dazZleS.
! Take man of the world at such a
| time Shivering under a sin that is a sin
| against God and against mans honor
! alike. Dazzle his soul on the one side,
| deaden his spirit against thought by ac-
| tivity and the hope of splendid advance
ment on the other. ard the man of the
| world is bond-servant to the Churchman.
| Let action go far enough for suspi-
J ciOn and ENHANCEMENT, but not as far as
| certainty. and the Churchman folds his
scarlet robe about him and looks asllance
at the soldier lost behind the closing doors
| of Los Perdido.
Give the man of the world ten years
| to reckon UP accounts. and what fee,
| thereafter. would the Cardinal pay, think
| you, to keep that mans fingers from his
| throat" And the man in the cassOck
again filed his glass and again emptied
| 1t at a draught.
While the other was speaking Number
Eight had sat unmoved, watching him
, through half-closed eyes.
HIM" he said, at the end: lis there
no woman in it? A tale of men is a dull
tale, dun as ten years of Los Perdido,"
then he sat silent. thinking.
The fourth bottle had been uncorked
| and rousing himself Number Eight took II
up. tilted it To one side. and examined it
! critically Then he drew a crown from
his pocket
Friend Pedro, two more bottles and
with something of the sunshine in them,
If you please. / have yet my tale to tell.
and there are times when mans blood
needs warming.
(Which is the worse?" he asked, as Pc
dro obeyed his order. the bishop who
uses willing pawn to check the King,
and then sacrifices the lesser piece to save
himself or the knight? But the metaphor
fails. since chess hi1h no woman less than
a queen. and thisiwaS but the girl of
mans love.
filings a tool aside lest he cut his own fin
gers or even soil them. or he who steals
love from friend under the cloak of
friendship? The latter. | think; so IL il
have n first claim. But let that pass;
men such. let us say, We are do not
throttle their foes like fighting dogs.
AS the others drank. Pedro Martoval,
too, had been drinking for good-feliow-
ships sake, though at his own cost;
drinking deeper, indeed. since. unlike the
others. he had no intervals of talk to I'LL
his time. ana now he stood by the end
OF the narrow table with his glass in his
hand. listening.
whether" went on doublet and hose;
whether my tale be longer in the telling
than thine depends
Hold" interrupted Number Nine.
Master Pedro hath struck fresh Vint-
age and better Let us first drink to our
next meeting. and then for thy tale
From his place at the end of the table
the gaoler broke into a hoarse laugh.
Faith he said, III all toasts be as
barren that one, you may save your
worshipful breath, Next meeting, for
soothi A jest indeed. did one but know
it, and he laughed again until the wine
stopped In broad patches on both table
and floor.
"A trap, a trap" cried the man of the
cassock by st. James. but | knew this
sudden move hid more In ii than a man )
greed.
NO trap" answered Martoval, bru-