The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-08-26
CHAPTER XVI.
RECOGNITION.

great Ded ~ tno app0
chamber, although 1t was
the evening after the day
of the'battle and the visit to the cha-
teau. He had been promptly put
there again by the faithful Jean-he-
maud when his bearers had reached
the house. and after quiet night ana
long day of perfect rest he felt
much better. DIR. Arnoux VINO mad
called TO see him in the morning. had
reprebended him severely for his ex-
curslen of the day before. Although
the surgeon had been filled with gem
erous admiration at the devotion ana
courage Grafton had exhibited IN De-
half OF de Wire In the chateau, ne
had strictly forbidden him to rise
again from the bed for some time at
least. With the remembrance of his
unfortunate collapse In the chateau
at the trial of de Wire. the English
man was inclined to heed his advice.
Indeed. he could do no less, since his
uniform, as further preventive. had
been taken away by Jean-Renaud I'M
der the orders of Mademoiselle de 10
han.
The tedium of the day had been re-
lieved by two short visits from the
mistress of the household. Had she
consulted her inclination only, she
would not have left him for mo-
ment but she did not dare trust her
self long In his presence Yet pare
hospitality, the consideration due
sick man whom fate had thrown upon
her hands. constrained her at least to
inquire as to his health and tc super-
wise in person the meager arrange
ments which the straitened circum-
stances necessitated by the rigorous
siege of Quebec permitted her to make
for his comfort.
Her visits had been brief, however,
and while they lasted she had dellD-
erately stood in the shadow OF the
bed-curtains so that no opportunity
for a fair look upon her face had been
youchsafed him-a thing he was
thirsting for and yet which he felt ut
terly unable to bring about. Indeed
his thoughts had been so busy with
her personality and her image that
the time. which might have dragged
as only time can linger. leaden-footed
in the sick chamber. had passed be-
fore he noticed 1t.
Yet he was very dissatisfied with
the situation. There was something
about the young demoselle which
moved him powerfully, something he
could not explain. The thought OF her
pctrothal TO de Wire filled him with
certain Jealous dismay-he could not
exactly tell why. 1t was hardly pos
sible be could be in love with her him.
self. girl he had seen but day
since, He seemed to have known. OF
TO have met her before, though. How
was IL? DE Couedic! And yet
But what could he do? Nothing
He was master of himself now-in thu
full possession of his faculties. witt
no excuse of weakness, wounds, OF
fever. that Island there could be M
possible reason for so personal an APP
neal 10 her as he had made when II
fevered confusion he had asked hel
81 she loved de Wire.
During the day he was ATTENDED
by strange servant, and saw neithe
Jean-Renaud nor Josette. either o
whom might have enlightened hin
had not both been kept from him b.
the orders of their mistress The con
versstion between the two. therefore
on the occasion of these two visits wa
necessarily brief: confined on her par
To inauiries as TO his well-being, hi
needs, and desires. and upon his par
10 expressions of gratitude for he
Kindness. and earnest deprecations q
the trouble he was giving her and he
household.
As for her. every time she ap
preached him she longed 10 declar
herself with the passionate aban
don of a French woman who loved liz
orally for the first time, who foun
herself in the actual presence of
long-cherished ideal. before a realiza
ton of her girlish and maidenl
dreams. she would fain have throw
herself upon his breast-into hi
arms. She longed to gather him
her heart and lavish upon him tnos
treasures Of affection which all IN
gallantry, courage and devotion OF d
Vitre could not evoke And all I'M
In the face of the keen jealousy sh
suffered over the locket he wore. an
the resentment she felt. in despite
the precautions she took to prevent
that he had not recognized hef-whic
was unreasonable but essentially fen
mime.
But she had controlled herself lil
an American. The marquis himse
could not have been more coolly ar
coldly polite than she. AS for Ora
ton. he had not yet. TO use his ow
expression. got his bearings" New
in his life had he been 20 moved
the presence OF a woman as duriT
the last two days. He could hard
reason about il clearly in his prese
condition But AT last he thoug
that the explanation Of this infatEato
.musi lie in his weakness and h