Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-01
CHAPTER XIII-Continued.

when at last his answer came. Loreile IN
tuitively felt thar he was not stating the
true cause of his disquetude.
You would marry that fellow to be
atrice?" he said. moistening his dry white
lips why he is the son of a-a-felon;
his father was tried for murder at Nantes
and found guilty
Have you made a point of studying the
bygone criminal trials of France! II not
how have you learned this?'
II heard the story from-from my faith
err replied War slowly, as if reluctant TO
make the admission.
At this Lorele gave very palpabie start
A curious light came into her eyes. she
seemed as if struck by some new and sur
prising idea.
And how came he to learn II?
He was in Brittany at the time of the
trial and could not avoid hearing all about
it. The crime created, as newspapers say.
a great sensation. For weeks the people or
Nantes talked of little else"
Your fathers ten years absence from
Ravenhall was spent in Brittany, them!
"a portion of the time replied War.
evidently uneasy under his wife's cate
chism.
"And so this murder trial." oberved Lore
lie, with a thoughtful air. this trial which
took place so far back as twenty seven
years ago-that is. before you and l were
born-has formed topic of conversation
between yourself and your fathers. What
necessity led him to talk of the matter 10
your
But Ivar waived this question by asking
one.
what has brought that fellow to Orms-
by?" he said nodding his head in the drec-
ton of Idr!s.
He is trying to discover his father; for
r,.r . x tiSy1x a
Marville is still alive. He has traced him
to this neighborhood she added. her eyes
attentive to every variation in lvar's coun-
tenance.
the viscount, for Eric Marville was ship
wrecked off this coast and drowned many
years ago At least, that is my fathers
statement he added in some confusion,
and looking like a man who has been I'M
Willingly betrayed into a rash statement
What was the name of the vessel in
which Eric Marville went DOWN. asked
Lorelie speaking as if she had never be-
fore heard of it.
''The-the Idris,'' returned the viscount,
giving the name with obvious reluctance.
There on Lorelie's face smile that
somehow made War feel as If he had
walked into a net prepared for him.
And how long ago is it since this vessel
was wrecked"
Twenty-Five years ago"
TWENTY-FIVE years age" murmured Lore
lie, with the air of one making a mental
calculation, will take us back to 1876"
October the 13th 1876 if you wish for
the exact date
And was it not on this same night of
October the 18th, 1876 that your father.
the earl, walked into Ravenhall after a
mysterious absence of ten years.
What of that?''
20, EothingI Mere coincidence of course.
And so,'' continued Lorele, with a retro
spective air, ''and so the laundering Of the
yacht 1dris is another of the little matters
about which your father has conversed
with you. Strange that d peer of the realm
should take such interest in the fate of
an escaped felonr' She paused, as if ex-
pecting lvar to make some reply, but he
did not speak. Well she went on, II will
make the confession that /, too. take an in
terest-a strong interest-in this Eric Mar
vile: nay, l will go far to say that
to discover what ultimately became O. him
is one of the objects that has led me to
Ormspy And in pursuance of mis- OBJECT
l have had the good fortune to obtain from
its present editor "a copy of the Ormsby
Weekly Times, dated October 20, 1876, in
which paper there is given an account 10th
of the laundering OF the yacht and also of
the inquest upon the bodies that were wash
ed ashore. Now, as the coroner was unable
tc ascertain either the name of the vessel,
or the name of any of the men aboard, is
ii not little curious that the earl should
know that the yacht was called "Idrs,''
and that it carried on board one Eric Mar
vile? How comes your father to know more
than could be eliCited in the coroner's
court?"
''Egad, you'd better ask him." returned
Ivar, sulleny.
Well | must controvert your father on
one point. Eric Marviile was not drowned
l have proof that he was on shore at the
time the yacht sank"
The viscount was obviously startled by
this statement.
oh, then what became of him?''
Have l not said that am trying to find
out?'
You've got difficult task before you.
No one has heard of him since the night of
the wreck"
NO one has heard of him by the name
Marville, of course. He would not be likely
adhere to d name that would suggest
miniscences of the felon from Valagenet.
He perhaps assumed his old family name.
His old family name" repeated War.
What is your reason for surprising that
MarvilIe was not his true name?"
Because 1t does not appear among the
list of names in the peerage
The peerage?
DO you not know that Marville claimed
to be peer of the reaim?"
The viscount smiled. but 1t was obvious
that he was i'll at ease
"Felon in Brittany: peer in Britain. A
likely story that, Odd that the detectives
and journalists did not discover the fact
at the time of his trial.
1T Is odd. as you say. Ivar. He certainly
kept his secret well. do not think he
revealed il even to his wife.
is not likely that he would conceal from
his wife the fact that he was heir to a
peerage."
He doubtless had his reasons. Having
perhaps quarreled with his family, he
may have left England forever, deter
mined tn begin life anew in another land,
and to hide his identity under an assumed
name. An imperial archduke of Austria
has done the like in our time. and so sue
cessfully. too as to battle all endeavors to
trace him"
And. pray. to what peerage did this
Marville lay claim?
IT do not know"
Dormant. or in esse?"
II do not know.
What was it's rank? A baronage; WIS.,
countship: "a"
II do not know.
War seemed rather pleased than other
wise with Lorelies want of knowledge.
Where. when, and under what cir
cumstances. then, did Eric Marville claim
to be a peer?"
so far as am aware he referred to it
but once. and then to no more than one
person. French military officer now
dead. am heir to n peerage and could
take my rank tomorrow If chose were
his words"
And that's all the evidence you have?''
IAN the evidence / have. WAR"
"Marville was boasting. beyond n doubt.
Does that fellow" he continued, glancing