Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-07

greater drop in the price might come. He
met others upon the same errand.
Precisely the reverse of the old situation
now obtained AS all Paris had fought to
buy. so now all Paris fought to sell. The
streets were filled with clamoring mobs. If
earlier there had been confusion, now there
was pandemOnium. Never waS'such a scene
Witnessed. Never was there chronicled so
swift and utter reversion of emotion in the
minds of a great concourse of people. Bitter
indeed was the wave of agony that swept
over Paris. 1t began at the Messasebe, in
the gardens of the Hotel de Scissor, at that
focus hard by the temple Of Fortuna. 1t
spread and spread, edging out into all the
remoter portions of the walled city. 1t
reached ultimately the extreme confines of
Paris. Into the crowded square which had
been decreed as the trading place of the
Messasebe System, there crowded from the
outer purlieus yet other thousands of ex-
cited human beings. The end had come.
The bubble had burst. There was no longer
any System of the Messasebe!
1t was late in the day, in fact, well on
toward night, when the knowledge of the
crash came into the neighborhood where
dwelt the Lady Catharine Knollys. To her
the news was brought by a servant, who
excitedly burst unannounced into her mis-
tress' presence.
r. Madame! Madamer' she cried Prepare!
'Tis horrible! IT'S impossible! All is at an
endr'
What mean you, girl?" cried Lady Cath
is happening? Is there fire? And even If
there were. could you not remember your
duty more seemly than this?''
Worse, worse than fire, madame! Worse
than anything! The bank has failed! The
shares of the system are going down! IT'S
said that we can get but three thousand
iivres the share, perhaps less-perhaps they
will go down to nothing. 1 ruined,
ruined! We are all ruined! And within the
months l was to have been married to the
foo.man of the Marquis d'Allouez,, who has
bought himself a title this very week.
'And .e it has fallen so ill., said Lady
Catharine, since I have not speculated in
these things like most Felix, shall be none
the worse for it. and shall Sill have money
to pay your wages. So perhaps you can
marry your marquis after ALL.
but we shall not be rich, madame! We
are ruined. ruined Mon Dieu! we poor
folk! We had the hope to be persons of
quality. IT'S all the work of this villain
Jean Las. May the Bastille get him. or
the people and make him pay for thisr'
stop! Enough of this, Marie!" said the
Lady Catharine, sternly. AFTER this have
better wisdom. and do not NEEDLE in things
which you do not understand"
Yet scarce had the girl departed before
there appeared again the sound of running
steps, and presently there broke. equally
unannounced. into the presence of his mis-
tress. the coachman, fresh from his stables
and none too careful of his garb. Tears
ran down his cheeks. He flung out his
hands with gestures as of one demented.
1.-THE news!" cried he "The news, my
lady! The horrible news! The System has
vanished the shares are gong down.
Fellow, what, do YOU here?" SAID Lady
Catharine. why do YOU come with this
same story which Marie has just brought
to me? Can you not learn yoar place."
.But. my lazy. you do not understand"
There is no Messasebe: there is no logger
any System, no longer any company Of the