Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-05-26

nor of emotional uncontrol.
But + tell you it could not bel" again
exclaimed the regent.
No, it is impossible, broke in the
young Due de Richelieu. Il would
swear that had such beauty ever set
foot in Paris before now, the news
would so have spread that all France
had been at her feet"
| Law looked at the impudent youth
with a gaze that seemed to pass
through him, seeing him not. Then
suddenly this scene and its signif-
canoe, its ultimate meaning seemed to
take instant hold upon him. He could
feel rising within his soul flood of
| irresistible emotions. All at once his
anger, heritage of an impetuous youth,
blazed up hot and furious. He trod
a step farther forward, after his fash
ion advancing close to that which
threatened him.
This lady. your grace, said he,
s'has been known to me for years
Mary Connynge, what do you masquer-
aiding here?"
A sudden silence fell, silence
broken at length by the voice of the
regent himself
Surely, Monsieur Las, said Phil
ippe, surely we must accept your
statements. But Monsieur must re-
member that this is the table OF the
regent, that these are the friends of
the regent. We bring no recollections
here which shall cut short the JOY of
any person. Sir, | would not repri-
mand you, but l must beg that you be
seated and be calm!'
YET the imperious nature OF the
other brooked not even SO pointed a
rebuke AS though he had not heard,
Law stepped yet a pace nearer to the
woman, upon whom he now bent the
blaze of his angered eyes. He looked
| neither to right nor left, but usually
commanded the woman until in turn
her eyes sought his own.
This woman, your grace, said Law,
at length, was for some time in eff
feet my wife. This | do not offer as
matter of interest What | would say
to your grace is this-she was also my
slave!"
3Sirrah!'' cried the regent.
"Ah, dame!s exclaimed the Due de
Richelieu And even from the women
about there came little murmurs of ex-
postulation. Indeed there might have
been pity, even in this assemblage, for
the agony now visible upon the brow
of Mary Connynge.
Monsieur. the wine has turned your
head, said the regent, scornfully
you boast!"
Il boast of nothing, cried Law, saw
agely, his voice now ringing with a
tone none present had ever known it
to assume. Il say to you again, this
woman was my slave, and that she
will again do as shall choose. Your
grace, she would come and wipe the
dust from my shoes il I should COM
mand it, She would kneel at my feet,
and beg of me, if should command it!
Shall prove this, your grace?''
"oh, assuredlyl" replied the regent,
with sarcasm which now seemed his
only relief. ''Assuredly. if Monsieur
Las should please. We here in Paris
are quite his humble servants. /"
Law said nothing. He stood with
his biting blue eyes still fixed upon
Mary Connynge, whose own eyes fall
tered. trying their utmost to escape
from his; whose fingers, resting just
| lightly. on the snowy Hollands of the
table cloth, moved TREMENDOUSLY; whose
limbs appeared ready to sink beneath
her.
Come, then, Mary Connynge." cried
Law at last, his teeth setting sayagely
together Come, then, traitress and
slave, and kneel before me, as you did
once beforei'
Then there ensued a strange and hor-
rible spectacle. A hush as of death
fell upon the group Mary Connynge,
trembling, hating, vet always advanc-
ing, did indeed as her master had bid
denl She passed from the head Of the
table, back of the chair of the regent,
who stood gazing with Krror in his
eyes; she passed the chair of Aisse,
near which Law now stood; she paused
in front of him, and stood as though
IN dream. Her knees would have in
deed sunk beneath her. She drew
from her bosom a silken kerchief, as
though she would indeed have per-
formed the ignoble service which had
been threatened for her There came
neither voice nor motion to those who
saw this thing. The sheer force of one
strong nature, terrible in the intensity
of one supreme moment-this might
have been the spell which commanded
at the table of the regent Yet this
did occur.
There came a sound which broke the
silence, which caused all to start as
with swift, relief A sob. short, dry,
hard, as from one whose heart is
broken came from beyond the place
where Law stood facing the trembling