Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-14

the daily service among the Wh1te-capped
vendors of fowls and vegetables that Yvette
Foy for the first time encountered Frances
Wildwood face to face, and held speech
with her.
1t was not often that Yvette betook her
self thither, either to kirk or market. For
the most part she left the provendering OF
the Bon Chretien" to her father and the
kitchen servants. But on this occasion she
had deigned to accompany her father to the
church for an early service, in order, as she
said, to hear whether this new preacher
from Geneva had more to say for himself
than their own prophets who rambled
among the texts of Scripture like unbroken
colts in field Of clover.
But Yvette Foy's chief desire in visiting
the church at an hour SO unusual was to
take up position in the vicinity of Flower
o'-the-Corn and study her rival as atten-
lively as might be without drawing atten-
ton upon herself.
This she managed to carry out without
difficulty.
The Camisard church of La Cavalerie
was a plain oblong building, dating from
the old wars of religion in the middle Of
the sixteenth century. There was then no
own folding chair, or, in most cases, knelt
upon the cold floor in time of prayer, and
stood like soldiers at attention during SER
mon.
At the first glance Yvette had noted
where ower-o'the-Corn had placed her
self, which, as was usual with her, was
Immediately beneath her father. For the
old man, Wrapt in some great meditation
Of his own, occasionally needed to be re-
minded where he was and what was ex-
pected Of him. On more than one occa-
sion he had given out his text, and then
standing a moment to collect his thoughts,
had gradually become SO entranced by the
noble thoughts which the words of Scrip
ture suggested to him, that he had forth
with shut that book and descended the pull
pit stairs without giving utterance to a
single word.
Patrick Wildwood stood in the pulpit
when Yvette entered. He had been edu-
Gated at Geneva. Here he had learned
French Of that notable fiuency and vigor
which can only be attained in youth. Be-
sides which he had spent by far the greater
part Of his life abroad. and so it was that
he could speak to the Camisards of the
Cevennes In their own language with all
the vigor and point with which he ad-
dressed the Presbyterian veterans Of Ard
millan's regiment.
Flower-o -the-Corn's eyes were fixed upon
the father. She did not even observe that
Jean Cavalier had placed himself directly
at right angles to her, side by side with
Roland and Catanat in place which had
come to be reserved for the elders and
prophets of the Camisard people She had
only thought of the commander-in-chiefo of
the Camisard forces as a young man who
had shown himself willing to be kind and
helpful to her father upon more than one
occasion. And this counted for much with
Flower-o' -the-Corn. So much so, indeed
that she gave the young man a grateful
nod and smile when he returned from con-
Quoting the old man to the pulpit, which
he did with a sweet and humble dignity
that became him no little.
1t CHANGED that Yvette Foy arrived in
the church just in time to intercept the
glance and to watch the blood spring hot
and responsive to the young soldiers cheek
There was another who had observed the
byplay-a dark-skinned youth in a wide
blue blouse who stood near pillar at the
door. To him Yvette Foy turned with a
bitter smile upon her lips. But he did not
even observe her. His eyes were else
where, even upon the fair face of Frances
Wildwood, now upiifted, as like a flower
turns to the sun, when her father began
to speak.
And Yvette smiled a tolerant smile as she
| looked
WAS it possible" she thought, that she
should have feared to take count and
reckoning with such babe? Then with
her deep fold of lace drawn closely about
her shaped head and recrossed over her
| bosom, she turned her head and neck this
way and that, thinking no more of the
| sonorous words of the preacher than she
would of the roar Of the wind in the lime
stone caves of Mont Ventour, or the surge
of a breaking sea upon a distant shore.
| About her head she had wound thin
veil of finest lace, which contained and
| conditioned, though 1t did not conceal her
haughtily splendid hair. She knew that