Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
CHAPTER TX.
What UenYs Knew.

led the way up TO their apartments pus
Gerard was in no such mood. He was very
serious and full of misgivings at the course
things were taking There were more than
enough complications in the position already
without the additional embarrassment OF
.he bestowal of a prisoner
II was not without some sense of relief,
therefore. that he saw Pascal start as he
entered the room. and heard him exclaim
In a tone of dismay:
''The sly devil has wriggled out, Gerard.
BY my shroud, l had not deemed 1t posi-
BILE. l put him in there and shot the bolt
upon him. and he pointed to an empty
closet.
Never mind. Perhaps it is best So an
swered Gerard with a smile. An honest
man can't always beat rogue at his own
trade. it seems" -
AYE. laugh away; but he'll not laugh if
ever set eyes on him again, the sneaklng
mongrel"
For not waiting for your return, you
mean? He knows his business, at any
rate"
Ave. that's certain; but the point is how
much he knows of yours retorted Pascal.
I'll forgive him for knowing his own, but
he shall pay the price for meddling in mine
Were l not a fool | had mounted guard
over him and waited for you to come here.
Are you sure he was spying upon us?
Am l sure that we are on a queer quest
oere? Who can have turned him on to such
Il should suspect de Probable were 1t not
that he knows all my supposed unsavory
history the real de Cobalt
Then IL must be the girl who questioned
me and said l was no servant-Mlle. de
Boisdegarde," suggested Pascal with a
shrewd nod of the head. Il mind me now
Are you supposed to have done some ugly
thing at Cambria? She questioned me on
the point ,ro
spells murder and for which L am to be
hardened"
"A thousand devils! 1 gave her my word
of honor you had never been there, except
as we passed through the place on our way
here"
How can be have got wind of it?'' and
Gerard pursed his lips thoughtfully. wait,
walt. l see. De Probable told me this good
fellow Denys had his suspicious He has
told her. Phew!' he whistled. THE plot
thickens."
ITS thick enough already TO be very
devils pie of complication" laughed Pas
cal. II suppose as usual, you will listen TO
no counsel of prudence"
Counsel or no counsel, l stay, Pascal.
We will have the troops up when the need
calls for them. But l will write to my
cousin d'Alembert, at Cambria, bidding him
be prepared to march hither at an hours
notice; and tomorrow early you must find
means to dispatch a messenger to him.
Then seek out Dubois and tell him to keep
in close touch with the hundred we brought
into the city as monks, so as to assemble
them at any moment. Do you know how
the hundred we played at presenting to this
governor have been bestowed?'
THAT was a shrewd STEP" answered Pas
cal. with laugh. They are enrolled
among the castle guards, in accordance
with the suggestion Dubois handed on from
his eminence-yourself, Gerard Pray
heaven they do but keep discreet tongues.
They are tough fighters, and every man
would gladly give his life for you; but like
soldiers, they love their liquor.
Tomorrow, or at any rate the day fol-
lowing, should see all in readiness for us
to act. Now let me write my letter-a task
l loathe."
While Gerard wrote Pascal left the room,
wishful in case of emergencies to learn his
way better about the great house, and he
came back just as the seal was set to the
paper.
Gerard. that sharp-eyed beauty, Mdlle.
Lucette, wishes a word with you. l met
her on the watch in the corridor as L re-
turned"
Gerard went out to her.
MAY l put a question to you. M. de Co.
balt?" was how she met him.
Certainly, mademoiselle. Can 1 help
you? You look sorely troubled"
Gabrielle trusts you so implicitly, mon
sieur, and twas she bade me ask you VIII
YOU tell me why you were so anxious that
Denys st. Jean should be watched so
tealously?"
Il gave nv reasons. mademoiselle. When
fever and Gelirium follow loss of blood from
a sword thrust there must always be risk
to the patient"
She lifted her hands desparingly and was
turning away when a further question oc-
Cured 20 her ION your honor. monsieur,
YOU have no other reason for this watching
than what you nave said?'
THAT is a question which would rather
that you did not put to me-"
But we trust you So" she cried reproach-
fully.
He smiled again. Then do as I have sug-
Eested"
"Oh. what a mystery is all this" she ex-
Claimed. and lef: him.
"One word more mademoselle," he said
following her a couple OF PAGES. we are
soldiers and accustomed to long watches
end little sleep. One of us will be on the
watch out here in the corridor for the
night"
She made no reply: and Gerard going
back to Pascal, told him what he proposed;
that they two should watch in turns
through the night.
Il hope that rat will come stealing back"
said Pascal. IF don't pinch his throat for
Kim may my fingers forget the feel OF
mans wien" and he agreed readily to
take the first spell
The rat did come back more than once:
hut so cunningly and softly now. so warily
and so keen of accent for the watchers, that
reither Gerard nor Pascal knew of his COM
ing: and In the rlorning both agreed that
they had kept their vigil to no purpose.
Could they have heard the report which
Dauban gave to his master however they
would have known otherwise.
De Probable WAS Ill at-ease. indeed. He
die not like the attitude which Gerard had
adopted He hal looked for plant tool.
afraid of his life. and he found instead
man who showed independence and firm
ress, who had will of his own. and who
both said and all things that made against
Lis plans.
Were Gerard TO marry Gabrielle and then
turn against him no one could foresee the
consequences The laundering interference
I regard to Denys was unaccountable; and
the manner In which he had hinched from
the necessary step OF dealing with one
whose knowledge was so dangerous was
profoundly disturbing. 1t was enough to
rouse the wrath OF any one; and when
Daupan brought word that n watch was
italy being kept which rendered Ii impos-
s.ble even TO get to the door of the room,
his perplexity equaled his ill-temper.
He had his own standards of judging men;
and he could only come now TO the conclu-
SION that Gerard was In some way playing
for his own hand. This thought kept him
ir a ferment of speculation the whole night.
The morning found de Probable more I'M
easy and wrathful than ever. He seemed to
see his schemes crumhling to pieces before
his eyes and to be unable to avert the ruin.
He had built so much on Gerard's coming
that he was loath now to carry his fears
to the governor, and thus stop the mar
rage altogether: and yet II was plain that
~ this independence was to be Gerard's at
titude when he had married Gabrielle and
was master of Malncourt. the very mar