The San Francisco call., 1904-08-14


doubt which harassed him; in truth,
his object appeared to be so to occupy
her time that she should have neither
the leisure to repent nor the will to
draw back. And In this he easily sue
ceeded- 1t seemed 70 her but yester-
day that he had said II love youI"
and the words were still In her ears
when Suzanne awoke her upon her
wedding day. From that moment her
impressions were blurred and vague.
She remembered the sunny streets OF
Paris. the white satin clinging to her
subtle limbs. the orange blossoms twin
ing about her splendid veIl-but
distantly, as in a dream. Paris said
that the Church OF st. Eustache had
rarely been so crowded. Esther recol-
lected little OF that service. She re-
called the press Of figures. lights
against a background Of gold; towering
palms, the face OF a priest, another face
that Of the man she loved, close to
her own and whispering often Je
t'aimei The concluding scenes were at
the church door where the beggars Ot
Paris pressed close upon the skirts OF
the rich. Esther remembered driving
away In the Baronne's brOugham TO the
Hotel d'Arbois in the FaubOurg st. Ger
main. A hundred women kissed her
there. men pressed her hands; she
heard the music of a string band; she
saw her husband everywhere. his uni
form OF white and gold conspicuous
even in that abode OF color. Then,
swiftly. the scene changed Maids
were busy over her. She put on
pretty gown Of green and gold with
sable about the neck of IT. COngratu-
latiOns were showered upon her. She
passed down the immense staircase
where the soldiers OF the serried ranks
were those Of the guards OF Paris A
carriage conveyed her quickly to the
station. She remembered that Gau-
darez. the captain. chaffed her hus-
band about the tickets. A bell rang.
a horn was blown. the train steamed
out of the station upon its way to the
south. She was alone with her hus-
band at last. The coupe which had
been engaged for them seemed so full
of flowers that Esther thought their
very odOr insuppOrtable. Arthurs first
act was to let down one of the win
dOws a little way and to speak OF his
friend Gaudarez.
HE is a splendid fellow" he ex-
claimed, waving a hand to a distant
figure on the platform, "and he follows
us tonight. OF course. our people must
know at once. He will go on TO Cadl
tomorrow. 1t is a long journey. and
I could not take you there without a
rest. Come, little wife, there are none
to see-I must kiss yOul-must!-
must"
He covered her face with passionate
kisses and holding her close with a
Spaniards ardor, he made the confess
sion due to her.
"Ah" he said, my people will for
give me when they see you-I never
doubted 1t! They must forgive mel"
She looked up at him a little
troubled
Are they so very terrible, then, your
people. Arthur"
"They are not terrible. they are
merely foolish. But the law Is there;
and 1 am the first man who has ever
broken it,"
Il do not understand you. dearest;
please tell me-"
There is nothing to tell" he con-
tinued, with a gayety which was so
plainly forced that IL did not deceive
her. by the law Of Cadi I am sup
posed TO marry a Spaniard- I have
not done so. Very well, my people Will
be amused. At first, perhaps, they will
grumble: but afterward. when they
see you. little wife-ah. then"
He kissed her again, like one who
would thus silence her suspicious He
did not tell her that by the law OF
Cadi the penalty for that which he had
done was death.
You should have told me before.
dear" she pleaded, with a gentle pro-
test. Il do not think It was right OF
you TO have kept it from me-"
He Knocked her fears, but so caress-
ingly that she could not resist him
"The girl who has reigned In Paris
will certainly reign IN my own coun-
try he said. Are you not the most
beautiful thing in all the world? Let
them search Europe-where would they
find such a wife for me? You know
that they could not, Esther-the glass
tells you 50 every day! You are mine
mine! and would not give you up for
all the kingdoms Of the world!"
He went on to blame himself for his
candor, assuring her that the very law
had long been forgotten IN Spain and
promising her that when she met old
Xavier again she would bs the mis-
tress and not the pupil.
our Prince. While he observes the
common law, nothing is denied him
They will fete us to the end OF time.
little wife. We shall dine all day and
feast all night. You must like Cadil
I say that 1t Is the greatest city in
Europe and the palace has been the
treasure house OF kings Guadarez
goes on to make everything ready for
us. / have ordered carriages to meet
us at Folk tomorrow at dawn, and We
shall reach st. Girons In time for
breakfast. All, name. what days OF
love before us-what days OF Lowell"
She listened patiently. although her
suspicious were awakened. From the
first she had told herself that sooner
or later cloud would darken the hor-
izon OF her happiness Here was the
truth at last. Esther would not hide
it from herself that II this law OF Cadi