The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21
Copyright by Max PenbertOn-
CHAPTER XIV.

OF an hour later when Esther
herself arrived at the inn door and
was at once shown up to a spick-and-
span bedroom upon the first floor. The
kindness Of those into whose hands she
had fallen and this refusal to believe
that ll-news of her husband was pos
gible had done not a little TO restore
her strength; and although her wrists
were still red where the cords had
their rosy color, her desire to be active
caused her TO make light of these
troubles, and TO assure the Comte de
Folk that all was well with her. The
i'm itself stood a picture for the eye
white and clean and conspicuous in a
pretty village A little girl who had
once been in England, and was a great
celebrity thereby, attended Esther to
her room and could not do enough for
her.
1t is my Uncle Jose who keeps the
inn" she said, delighted at a chance Of
airing a foreign tongue. Il have been
three years in England, miss, in Re
gent Park Some day I hope TO go
there cSain. The English come to Me-
rens when it is summer time, and
speak TO them. It is funny to hear
their Spanish. miss; they say, 'Si, 81,
senOrita,' and think 1T means every
thing. Have you come from Garvar-
nie?-nO, Oh. but you should see Gar
varnie, It is the most beautiful place
in the world. And all the English go
there. VIII you have hot water, miss?
Wait, then. and 1 will rum"
She raced away like a hare, glad to
be occupied. and more particularly to
tell her friends below that miss was
really English. Esther meanwhile laid
aside her black mantilla-the robbers
legacy-and when she had bathed her
face in clear, cold water and arranged
her dfsordered dress, she opened a fold
ing glass above the washing stand,
and so beheld herself for the first time
since she had quilted St. Girons. The
change in her appearance both dis
tressed and surprised her. She had not
believed il possible that one night
could so alter or leave such traces of
its events. None would call her beau
tiful to-day, not even in fiattery. The
CHASTITY pallor Of her face, and the deep
black rings beneath her eyes, recalled
in an instant the Esther OF seven
and Of the theater door. Nevertheless
she could not at once believe in the
truth which the glass disclosed to her,
and she said that such a punishment
Of her fmprudence would be greater
than she could bear. Was Francisco
Xavier but a charlatan after ALI The
mirror could not lie. Esther buried her
face in her hands and would not look
IN the glass again.
This fit OF despondency did not long
endure. There are depths Of despair
which, when fathOmed, leave the mind
calm and uncritical. Never from the
first had Esther wanted a woman's
courage, or proved herself unworthy
OF that self-cOnfidence. which is life's
surest staff Reflection told her that
no woman could go through what she
had gone through and come out un-
scathed. She was ill. weak. anxious
Let there be good news from St. Girons
and the color would come back to her
cheeks, and the brightness to her eyes.
This she did not doubt; and greatly
helped by her own good common sense,
she made what toilet she could and
went down to the sale a manger. Here
a tempting breakfast awaited her Not
in vain had the little Spanish girl
spent six months in Regent Park"
Tea was the national drink of England
therefore IL must be ready for the En-
gdsh miss, and ready it was, poor vel
low stuff, boiling and tasteless But
the bread was spotless; the omelet the
eggs, the mutton, excellent. And to
these the Comte de Folk, who sat with
her, added words Of good cheer. He
promised her to wait at Merens until
they had the news from the hills.
''It is IN my mind" he said, that the
Prince was not in the house when these
rogues left it. Possibly he had gone to
the nearest post for assistance. If
that Is so, a few hours should bring
him to US. You must really make an
effort to get well before he comes,
madame. have a great responsibility.
and II is my duty to remember it.
Please to drink all the wine in that
bottle, and when you have drunk it 1
viii order another TO be opened"
He pushed a bottle Of white wine to
her. joining in her amusement at his
proposal She was a little astonished
that he avoided discussing those events
OF which she knew he was thinking
deeply. Here, as upon the highroad,
no mention was made Of her marriage
70 the Prince: and yet the omission
was so discreet that she could not re-
sent IL. The Count displayed the ur-
banity and the polish Of a cosmopoli-
tan. He had been much in England.
had raced his horses there, had shot
a Yorkshire moor, was a member of
half the jockey clubs, and numbered
many acqu2intances IN the social
world. Esther could not help wonder
ing what he would say IL he knew her
story, her simple life in the old
cathedral city, her bitter days of pow
erty and struggle. But she was quite
wise enough to say nothing abour
them she encouraged him to talk.
i know all the cities OF Europe.
l.c Ia ...i.1 el...- - -