The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-05

Do you suppose that don't know the
difference between ordinary rnercenary
work and such conscientious labor as
you have devoted to the Memoirs?
l promise you, however, that your de-
votion shall be rewarded.
Indeed. it's pity you are not liv-
ing In Paris with your entire time at
your. disposal for there you could be-
gin some great historical work. Yes.
LII certainly put you in charge of the
library.
Moreover. don't you think Us pity
that so many things connected with
the history of the Empire sshould be
buried in my castle, where no one can
see them? The portraits. for example.
- Must exhibit them. Must
And 1 must also introduce my daugft-
ers into society, for / want to see them
well married and happy"
He talked in this strain for a good
while but the young man made no re-
ply to him. The Princes one dominant
thought was that he muse speedily find
some method for spending the money
which had so suddenly come into his
possession, and he worked himself al
most into frenzy as he drew grap.-
pictures of the various grand things
that he could accomplish with this
newly acquired wealth, IL he finally
decided to accept 1t. for that he had
not yet made up his mind on this point
was clearly shown by the zeal with
which he strove to Justify his accept
ance of 1t, as well as by the painful
tremor in his voice, by his gestures
by the sound of his Footsteps on --.e
floor, and especially by the persisten-
cy with which he vowed that he would
not pay another visit to his dying sis
ter-in-law. Alfred saw that he was
battling against some repugnant idea
But what was 1t? Moreover, why did
he talk so confidentally of his various
plans. which were purely imaginary,
since they might never be realized, and
yet say never word about the one
really confidential thing-the will?
Alfred looked at the white envelope
lying on the mantelpiece of gray mar
BILE and he became more and more dis
turbed as the Prince went on talking,
since every plan that he unfolded was
a new Indication that he considered his
acceptance of the conditions specified
in the will as crime. A crime?
Against whom? 1t could be no one
but his ancestor, the Marshall
Whose image was before him and i'm
PEELED him to talk as he did? The
MarshaTs. It looked as though all his
plans for paying homage to this grand
H5 ufC WSiC pCihS ihoNC AOA thO PtA
pose OF disarming his ancestors wrath
and of going penace in advance for the
insult to him, of which he would soon
be guilty. nay, of which he was already
guilty. since he had not at once con-
temptuously rejected the Duchess's Of
fer.
How long would this strange mono
logue have continued. during which the
grandson of the illustrious soldier
showed by his nervousness and anxiety
that he had not yet decided what to
do? Moreover. all the time he was
uttering his thoughts aloud in the pres
ence of witness, and never dreamed
that he was laying bare his soul be-
fore him. Would Albert Boyer, yield
ing to the passionate desire which he
constantly felt, have finally interrupt
ed the Princes partial confession by
making a full confession himself and
exc1aming, 81 have read the will?" Or,
on the other hand, would he have con-
tinued to listen to him in the hope of
being able to solve an enigma which
was still a complete mystery to him?"
An incident which he did not expect
relived him of his uncertainty and at
the same time gave precision and
deflniteness to what had until then been
mere surmise and guess work. A SER
want entered and informed him that
NJ. de Contay was waiting for him be-
low.
II received the information from my
cousin, as 1 thought I would" said
Raymond. when Alfred Joined him.
after running down the stairs four at
a time. so eager was he to learn the
truth. IT could not bring you the
news sooner, and I can only spare you
a minute now" pointing to his car
riage, which was waiting for him. The
present Duchess dIvrea has never been
recognized either by her husbands
family or by any one else. She was a
disreputable woman and she was for
some time on the stage, being known
then as Leona d'Asti. After leading
fast life for some years she finally
married on his deathbed a VIGOROUSLY
scaly fellow named Andry up to his
neck in crooked affairs. who left her
an immense fortune and after his death
she married Ivrea. who by all accounts
was gloomy fellow "a spendthrift and
hard drinker: still. bad as he was,
he dlshonored his family terribly when
he made this woman his wife Now
you know just as much about the
Duchess as / do"