Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-17
CHAPTER III.
Idris RedivivuS.

tire scene the breakfast room of his villa,
Wave Crest.
why should he visit us?'' asked Beatrice.
"AEem. as a sutton for your hand. IN
compliance with his fathers wish"
"Ivar had better not insult me by such an
offer"
AN offer of marriage can scarcely be
called insult. Trixie"
1T would be-from him." returned Beat
rice with a heightened color. Il speak
what know" she added oracuiariy.
She began to pour out the coffee. While
Godfrey. somewhat puzzled by her WORDS.
turned to the letters awaiting him. NO
sooner had he glanced at the handwriting
on the envelope of the first than he gave
great start.
Heavens. have the dead returned to
life"
He hastily broke the seal and ran his
eve over the letter, while the myStihed
Beatrice awaited the explanation Of MS
words.
From my old college friend Idris Mar
Vile"
WHAT" cried Beatrice, with little
scream of surprise. is he not dead, then!
Did he escape the fire?
That's self-evident There mas pe IIa
n dreadful mistake somewhere. ne
will prove that he is alive by pay
ing us a visit In fact, he will be here TINS
very morning. Well. this is a surprise!
Beatrice had never seen ldris. but she had
often heard of him from Godfrey, and
knew the painful story of his boyhooo. Slie
was aware. too. that on one occasion, Soo-
frey being in pecuniary difficulties, mad
applied to Idris in preference to the Earl
of Ormsby. and had received by return
of post a handsome check. The memory
of this event was still fresh In her nlno
and she was DESTROYS of showing her
gratitude TO her brothers benefactor.
He signs himself Breakspear. see,
she said CHANGING at the signature or lurlS
Eyes: he has dropped the name OF Mar
Vile and has taken his mothers maiden
name 1t is easy 20 guess his reason
True to the promise contained IN his let,
ter Idris arrived that same morning, anu
Beatrice took a good view of him from be-
hind the curtain of her bed room window
as he strobe up the garden path accompa-
MED by Godfrey.
Twenty-three years had passed since that
memorable night at QuilaiX, and ldrlS was
now verging upon thirty-dark-eyed hand
some. athletic, with a face bronzed by
southern suns. His appearance Impressed
Beatrice favorably.
There Is nothing mean or ignoble ABOUT
him. she murmured.
The first greetings being ended, Idris sat
down to a pleasant luncheon, presided over
by Beatrice.
Your name has been so often on Cod
frey's lips" she said. that you seem quite
like an old friend. though l never thought
to you after the announcement of your
death in the newspapers.
Idris smiled.
Perhaps / have done wrong in letting
people think that persisted in the burning
of the Hotel de fUnivers. At the time OF
the fire l was at the opera house. On leav-
ing found the boulevards ringing with the
news. l bought a newspaper and dfscov-
cred my own name enormously inserted
among the list of victims. / resolved not
to set the mistake right, for it suddenly
occurred to me that here was a convenient
opportunity to die-to the world. Wher-
4 p.r Marx Ile la6 m
fathers crime. rather, supposed crime.
Let the world think that Eric Marville's
son Is dead. l thought. and let him begin
life anew, and under different name -
Was the yacht Nemesis In which your
father escaped, never heard of again.
asked Godfrey.
1T vanished. leaving not a trace behind
Strange, The news of your fathers es-
cape. together with description of the de-
linquent vessel. would be telegraphed to all
civilized countries Every ocean steamer,
every seaport. would be on the watch for
the yacht, and yet you say 1t was never
seen again"
Its disappearance shows how well Cap
tain Rochefort had devised his plans Idris
answered.
Since your father did not communicate
with you. his only son, it follows, almost
matter of course. that he did not COM
municate with his more distant relatives?'
His relatives, If he had any are I'M
known 10 me; in fact, l quite in the
dark as to my fathers antecedents. Among
all his papers there was not one letter re-
lating to his kinsfolk, nor any clue what
ever to indicate his history prior to his set
Ting at Nantes in 1866
You are certain that your father was
English born? Because If So his name
and date and place of birth. together with
his parents names, should be among the
records of Somerset House"
Il have tried Somerset House, and have
traced several Eric Marvllles. some living
and some dead, but none of them could
identify as my father. 1 some times dis
posed to believe that Marville was not his
real name, but one assumed by him on set
Ting at Nantes"
Cannot your mothers relatives give you
any information?'
They, too. are ignorant of my fathers
origin. My mother was an English gov
erness at Nantes when she first met my
father few months after her marriage
the death of an aunt endowed her with an
ample fortune. fortune which has devolv-
ed upon me-"
IF twenty-three years have passed since
Your father was last heard Of" said Bea-
1rice. do you not think that the proba-
bilities point to his death? He must be
dead she added. He would not be so I'M
fatherly as not to communicate with you
during all these years"
That is my opinion-at times: and at
other times I think he is still living but
resolved. from some mistaken notion of
honor. TO ignore me until he can give me
the heritage of a fair name"
IF he is alive" continued Beatrice "he
has perhaps married again. and has chill
dren. and. though 1t sounds harsh to saw
1t, other and new interests which your an
pearance on the scene might embarrass
This was a bitter thought, but by no
means to Idris
Il trust l not offending you by the
question:" observed Godfrey, but do you
really. in your heart of hearts. believe that
your father was innocent?'
There. the torture. My mother was firm
ly convinced of his Innocence, and only an
hour or two before her death. as IL gifted
with provision. she did her best to impress
me with her belief: nay, more, she made
me take an oath that 1 would. on attaining
manhood use all my en6eavors to clear my
fathers name. Yet the thought often strikes
me that l am nursing illusion in thinking
him innocent. Who am l that l should set
up my opinion against that of the judge
the jury and the press?''
And the masked man who stole the runic
r!ng-what of him?' Godfrey asked
He, too, is a person who has eluded all
my inquiries. And small wonder, Had /
been a man at the time when these events
happened. instead OF a boy of seven, my
Investigations, begun at once. might have
met with success, whereas the long lapse of
years has handicapped my efforts And yet.
1Shciiul as IL may sound to you Godfrey.
am not without hope, even at this late
Gay, or finding my father and of vindicat-