Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-21

word, ne made me gesture to go to her.
 She had halted a score of paces away, wondering doubtless what was on foot. rode towards her. She wore her mask, so that lost the expression of her face as I approached, but the manner in which she turned her horses head uncompromisingly towarde her brother and looked past meas if I were merely log in the road-was full of meaning. felt the ground suddenly gut from under me. T saluted her. trembling. tMademoiselle," I said, Twill you grant me the privilege of your company for few minutes, as we ride"
 .s To what purpose, Sir?" she an- { SIwered, in the coldest voice in which I e~think woman ever spoke 10 man. Y That I may explain to you great .xrnany things you do not understand" 1r murmured.
 E T prefer to be in the dark" she re- %plied. And her manner said more than Iher words.
 But. Mademoiselle,' I pleaded-r #would not be discouraged" told me one day that you would never judge ssme hastily again es,. -e | Facts judge you,s not I, Sir,ni she ganswered icily. q am not sufficiently son level with you to be able to judge syou-I thank God.'
 < l shivered though the sun was on me %and the hollow where we stood was :. warm. "Stili--once before you thought < the same!" exclaimed Afterwards you found that you had been wrong. It may be so again, Mademoiselle."
 Impossible" she said.
 That stung me "No!" said fiercely. Tt is not impossible It is you who Tare impossible! It is you who are Sheartless, MademoiseiIe. T have done much, very much, in the last three sdayc to make things lighter for lyop,7I ask you now to do something for ne which can cost you nothing"
 Nothing" she answered slowly: and her scornful voice cut me as if it had been knife. Do you think, Mon- sieur, it costs me nothing to lose my self-respect, as do with every wore : speak to you? Do you think it costs { me nothing to be here, where feel z every look you cast on me is an insult every breath take in your presence a contamination. Nothing, Monsieur" She laughed in bitter irony A'Oh. he sure, something. But something which despair of making clear to you"
 I sat for moment in my saddle. shaken and quivering with pain. I5 .S had been one thing to feel that she hated and scorned me. to know that 7 the trust and confidence which she had z begun to place in me were changed to - bathing. It was another to listen to her hard, pitiless words, to change color under the lash of her gibins < tongue For moment I could not find voice to answer her. Then pointed z to M. de Cocheforet Do you love him?" I said, hoarsely, roughly. The z gibing tone had passed from her voice | to mine She did not answer. S Because, if you do" continued. "you will let me tell my tale. Say no but once more. Mademoiselle-I am only z human--and go. And you will repent : 1t all your life"
 had done better had I taken that tone from the beginning. She winced, z her head dropped, she seemed to grow < smaller All in a moment. as it were, her pride collapsed. 'I will hear you" she answered feebly.
 T "Then we will ride on, if you 2 please" said, keeping the advantage : I had gained. You need not fear. s Your brother will follow" I caught hold of her rein and turned [ her horse. and she suffered it without fdemur. Tn a moment we were pacing side by side. the long, straight road before us. At the end where if topped the hill. I could see the finger-post-- two faint black lines against the sky. When We reached that. involuntarily I checked my horse and made it move more slowly.
 Well. Sir" she said impatiently. T And her figure shook as if with cold. - 'Tt is a tale I desire to tell you. Mademoiselle. I answered. speaking with effort. Perhaps may seem to begin long way of. hut before end .sI promise to interest Two months ago there was living in Paris a man. fsperhaps a bad man. at any rate, by common report. a hard man
 She turned 10 me suddenly. her eyes cleaning through her mask. "Oh. Monsieur. spare me this!" she said, quite scornfully. 'T will take it for { granted"
 .s "very well. replied steadfastly. Good or bad. this man. one day. in defiance of the cardinals edict against duelling. fought with a young Englishman behind s. Jacques church. The EngIishman had influence. the person of whom speak had none, and an indifferent name: he was arr -.sted. thrown into the chatelet. cast for death. left for days to face death At the last an offer was made to him If he would seek out and deliver mp 4nother man. an outlav with a price upon his head. be should himself go free"
 paused and drew e deep breath Then I continued. looking not at her. but into the distance: @Madeuni sslIs. 1t seems easy nov tC say what s course he should have chosen It seems hard n0r to find exc1ses for