Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-11-03
CHAPTER VII.

an Only rnlI0, whose noun
or, like Anne de Bohan's. had died in
his infancy. he had been early sent to
sea. He knew but little of family life.
therefore, and oven less of children.
Through his connections and influence
he was not without some acquaintance
with ;hc high life OF the court Of
Ensland---a somewhat unusual privi-
lcge for a young naval oHicer- and he
easily moved in the first circles in
America when his duties permitted
him a rare visit there Mingling in
this good society he had acquired an
ease and manner which added TO his
native breeding and instructive dig
nifty. enabled him to bear himself
gracefully wherever he found himself
but he had no experience with young
girls of he age of the young coun-
tess
Fortunately his was a sunny, lively
disposition. full of laughter and hui
NOR, which made ii not difficult for
him to enter into the spirit OF the
play in accordance with his new
friends fancicS. He had been attracted
in some strange way to tho little de-
Rohan from the fist mur,ent ho had
seen her-nay. from hat morning hour
when he had only heard her in the
garden and the romantic friendship
which She had instituted between
them. and upon which be had entered
70 please her and as a pas inc for a
prisoner. unconsciollsly assumed a per-
manent aspect
He took pari in The play with a zost
which surprised him and the moro he
was thrown in contact with the
strange and peculiar mind >the Girl
the more she Interested him She
was a singular mixture Of the Young
and the old. the very childish ana the
ycry wise she stood as il were.
poised halfway between the iutel-
lcctual level of Josette. her playmate.
on the enc hand and Of the courtly old
marquis. her preceptor and guide, on
tho other.
She was too old TO play at dolls. he
thought. too young to play at love
And yet She had done the one and was
doing tho other. although the "adcr-
able Toto had been neglected of la g
for the more adorable Philip. ;hrewd-
ness. wit, and common sense mingled
in equal measure with unbounded
credulity and the most romantic mag
ination md her impetuOsitY and
abandon were as evident as were her
wisdom or her innocence
Grafton kissed the little brown hand
so often that he rather grow To like it,
Every day brought him a different
love-tol>en OF some sort and new
and imaginary task to he achieved.
Bur Madcmoiselle Anne at last tired
of stimulation ne most obstinate i'm
agination Will weary in the enG-and
determined to endeavOr to impart a
touch of realism 10 the pretty game.
One day. therefore. she took him
into one of he rooms of the high
tower. the keep or watch-tower. the
oldest part Of the chateau, which he
had never visited before. There she
told him a tale OF one Of the ancient
ladies of {Ohan who had lover who
came from an alien and antaeOnistic
family. who gained access 10 her
chamber by climbing in some strange
way the wall or face OF the tower,
until he reached the oricl window be
fore thom He was finally caught and
killed by the lords of the house on
The threshold of The very room in
which ,hcy were standing. she said,
and she wondered if Sir Philip could,
Or would. have done that thing
Let us 20 to the window and look
nut, your little ladyshp, and we viii
tee answered the pseudo knight
saily. Il an a sailor can climb al
most anything that any one else can
ascend"
Together and hand in hand the tw
stepped out on the little balcony over
looking the sea Just outside the orie
window, the wall of the castle follow
ing the coast line, turned sharply
making narrow re-entrant angl
where il Joined the round tower. Tn
tower and The wall were built of rougl
stone and their surfaces were nue.
brokcn by juttlng projections Tn
wall ana tower slopcd slightly inwart
from the base 10 the t~p.
Philip eravely surveyed the ston
surface of the wcather-boaten towe
sweeping below the little platform OF
which he stood, and made up his mine
that a daring climber taxing advan
tage of the irregularities and pro
!ections in the stone, and favored b.
the slope and the angle, might, If h
had a cool head. gain the balcony, pro
vidcd no one opposed his ascent In
deed, since the Baron de CrOsic, III
unfortunate lover of the legend ha,
done so. he felt sure that he himSel
could accomplish the feat-given
sufficient incentive, OF course. At tn
foot of the tower lay the little Da
spoken OF before, and in the bay
small boat was mOored.
} He looked again and more carefully
leaning lar out over the wall. ant
with the trained observation of
sailor to whom the minulest indca
ton may be Of paramount value, h
took careful note OF the several pro
; jecting stones, the slope of the walls
and rapidly mapped out series o
movements by which the feat could b.
! achieved
Yes" he said at last, lit could b
; done; it would be difficult. dangerous
in fact, but it could be done--given
Sufficient incentive"