The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-26
CHAPTER XIII.
The Quality, of Mercy.

Within the great house there was ST
lence. for Tho vistas OF the wide interior
led far back from the street and its tu-
multi; nor did there arise within the walls
any sound OF voice or football. OF the
entire household there was but one left to
do the master service. ',..-y
: The entered the great hall, passed the
foot of the wide stairway, and turned at
the first entresol where were seats and
cOuohes. The servant paused for a mo-
ment and looked$ inquiringly at the lady
with whom he now found himself an COM
pany. -. ~ * = =. -, :,
THE times are serious, "@he began. 81
would not intrude. madame, yetaperhaps
you are aware"
~ am a friend of monsieur replied
Lady Catharine. He is i'll. See, he is
not himself. Tell me-! what is this ill
ness?'
."'Madame,' said the Swiss, gra vely, his
illness is that of grief. Monsieurs failure
sits heavily upon him."
How long is it since he slept?" asked
the lady, for she noted the dropping head
of the man now reclining upon the couch
mot for many days and nights re-
piled the Swiss. He has for the last few
days been under much strain. But shall
I not assist you. madame? You are, per-
haps-pardon me, since 1 do not know
your relationship with monsieur"
IA friend Of years ago. I knew MI
Law when he lived in England"
II perceive. Perhaps madame would be
alone for q time? If you please, / will
seek aid.'
They approached the side Of the couch.
Laws head lay back upon the cushions
His breath came deeply and slowly, not
stertorcusly nor labored.
How strange" whispered the SWISS
'hc sleeps!'
Such was indeed the truth The iron
oht mite Iy
unstrung. had yielded for the first time
to the stress of nature and of events.
The relief from what he had taken to be
death had come swiftly, and the reaction
brought a lethal calm Of its own. If he
had indeed recognized the face Of the
hand, 1t was as though he had witnessed
her in vision. a dream bitter and
- troubled, since it a dream impossi-
bic to be true.
The Swiss looked still hestatingly at
the lady who had thus strangely come
upon the scene, noticing her sweet and
tender mouth. her cheeks just family
tinged with pink, her eyes shining with
a soft, mysterious radiance. She ap
preached the couch and laid both her
hands upon the face of the unconscious
man. Tears sprang within her eyes and
fell from her dark lashes. The old serv-
ant looked up at her simply.
MADAME would be alone with mon
seur?" asked he. 1T will be better"
Lady Catharine Knollys, left alone,
gazed upon the sleeper John Law, the
failure, lay there, supine, abased, cast
down. undone, shorn utterly of his old
arrogance of mind and mien. Fortune,
wealth. even the boon Of physical we'll
being-all had fled from him. The pride
Of a superb manhood had departed from
the lines Of this limp figure. The cheeks
were lined and sunken, the eye, even had
the lid not covered it. lacked the late con-
vincing fire. No longer commanding. no
longer strong. no longer gay and debonair,
he lay. q man whose fate was failure as
he himself had said.
The woman who stood with clasped
hands, gazing at him, tears yelling in her
eycs-she. SO closely linked to his every
thought for these many years-well
enough she knew the story of
his boundless ambitions, now So