The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

no attention to the group. nor asked
herself what its presence signihed.
Such indifference the crowd did not
long permit her. Running with the
carriage, the outposts OF the mob anon
began to jeer and mock her. some cast
stones which ratified in the wheels
even well-dressed loiterers pointed
finger at her and seemed to approve the
outcry It was so sudden. 30 unlocked
for, so cruel, that Esther had scarcely
time 10 be afraid The hussars coming
up at a gallop closed about her car
riage and beat the rufflans off; she
sank back. asking what II could mean
or what she had done to these people
that they should judge her so harshly.
Iron courage alone can stand against
the hostility of an angry mob-and
Esther, brave as she was, felt her
heart sink within her. OF what was
this the omen; what fate awaited her
in the city which could so receive herr
The future loomed dark, indeed-she
remembered that she was but one
again a nation, a helpless girl In the
hands Of men without heart or scruple
The hussars had come up at the first
alarm, and their presence, If 1t did not
quiet the rioters, at least left them
with no better weapons than their
tongues Kissing and hooting, they
stood TO let the carriage pass into the
quadrangle OF the palace, and even
there Esther could hear their saw
age cries like the murmur Of some
human storm drifting away upon
the breezes- Her own interests,
however, had passed TO those
whom she must now face and TO the
news which she believed awaited her.
The building at whose gate she stood
was Of immense size, square in design
and freely decorated with canopy and
statue A blaze Of light shone out
from an open door; she perceived a
group Of officers in uniform and al
most before her carriage had stopped
an elderly man. whose cuirass and he'll
met were of silver, stood at her side
and offered her frigid welcome.
This is the palace, madam" he
said suavely. i am Colonel Varez,
and 1 am commanded by the Duke, my
master, TO welcome you in his name"
She answered him with dignity, for
she was determined that she would
show no fear. She had never lacked a
certain stately grace Of act and speech
and this did not desert her when she
permitted the colonel TO help her from
the carriage and then followed him up
a flight Of stone steps and into a great
hall beyond. The barren grandeur of
this vestibule chilled her as with sud
den breath Of the night air.
Not a carpet, not a picture relieved
41-.or .
nor gave color TO the cold stone in
which its many statues were chiseled.
Esther declared afterward that it was
as though she had blundered into the
hall Of some national museum and
there had found herself face to face
with whole army Of obsequious foot
men who advanced together and bow
ed at her approach. Nor could such
homage deceive her. From the mo-
ment Of her arrival at Cadis palace TO
the final hour Of her sufferings there
she did not mistake the treatment she
received there, or fail to estimate its
meaning. Her humiliation would have
been absolute, perhaps insupportable II
she had not reflected that it must be
brief. Belief in her lover sustained her
10 the end. She answered the colonel
I have no alternative but to obey
you. The Duke, your master, can
scarcely wish TO put any fresh affront
upon me. I am in his power, but am
an Englishwoman."
He bowed and avoided the charge
The Duke viii speak for himself.
madame he said. Meanwhile, every
thing in this house is at your disposal
E-rr
wait upon you
He turned TO introduce a young girl.
who waited at his side-a mere child
she was, but indisputably pretty.
This is Mademoiselle Desjardins-
permit me to make her known to you"
Esther liked her face, and felt less
strange for her presence. Msdemoiselle
Desjardins herself did not hesitate to
make advances.
I am sure you must be tired after
your journey she began. 1T is such
a long way from Folk, and the roads
are so bad. Won't you come upstairs
at once? Your room is quite ready"
Esther was not sorry to escape the
prying eyes which watched her from
every side OF the hall, and she went up
stairs very willingly. The bedroom to
which 8Iademoiselle Desjardins intro
duced her was almost as cold and bare
as the stone corrider she had left. A
bed Of ridiculously meager proportions
lifted a huge canopy OF carved wood
almost to the ceiling. The dressing
table was in gilt, stiff and pretentious.
A Louis XIV mirror above the freplace
reflected the back Of a marble clock
and OF candelabras without lights. The
wardrobe was in satinWood. exceed
ingly handsome. but out Of place. A
single strip Of carpet, new and ugly,
covered few feet Of the parquet floor
at the beds head. A glass chandelier
with unshaded electric lamps diffused
an unbecoming light. There were
painted figures upon the ceiling, but
damp and dirt had almost effaced their
outline. The one merit which the room
possessed for Esther was the fact that
she might call II her own; and no
sooner was the door shut than she un-
loocad her xVr2O and sank fnfo a rhafr