Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-23


 again in the silence of the cardinals chamber; he and I and the velvet footed man in black. For while Richelieu seemed to forget me. He stood breeding on the hearth, with his eyes on the embers. Once heard him laugh; and twice he uttered in tone of bitter mockery, the words, Fools! Fools! Fools!"
 At last he looked up, saw me and started.
 "Ah!" he said. q had forgotten you. Well, you are fortunate, M dc Berault. Yesterday I had a hundred clients. To-day I have only one and I cannot afford to hang him. But for your liberty-that is another matter"
 would have said something, but he turned abruptly to the table anc sitting down wrote a few lines on a piece of paper. Then he rang his bell, while stood waiting and confounded.
 The man in black came from behind the screen. Take that letter and this gentleman to the upper guard room," His Eminence said sharply T can hear no more," he continued wear fly, raising his hand to forbid inter- ruption. "The matter is ended, M. de Berault. Be thankful"
 And in a moment I was outside the door, my head in whirl, my heart divided between gratitude and resent ment. Along several passages I fol- lowed my guide; everywhere finding the same silence, the same monastic stiffness. At length, when I had be- gun to consider whether the bastile or the chatelet would be my fate, he stopped at a door, gave me the let ter, and, lifting the latch, signed me to enter
 went in in amazement and stopped in confusion. Before me, alone, just risen from chair, with her face one moment pale, the next red with blushes, stood Mademoiselle de Coche- foret. cried out her name.
 'M. de Berault!" she said, visibly trembling. You did not expect to see me?"
 q expected to see no one so 1it- tie, Mademoiselle, I answered, striv- ing to recover my composure.
 "Yet you might have thought that we should not utterly desert you," she replied, with a reproachful humility which went to my heart. ''We should have been base indeed, if we had not made some attempt to save you. thank Heaven that it has so far suc- ceeded that that strange man has promised me your life. You have seen him?" she continued eagerly, and in | another tone, while her eyes grew large with fear.
 "Yes, Mademoiselle, I have seen | him." I said. And he has given me my life"
 "And?"
 And sent me to imprisonment"
 ''For how long?" she whispered.
 q do not know" answered. T expect, during the kings pleasure.
 She shuddered. q may have done more harm than good" she murmured. looking at me piteously. But I did It for the best told him all, and yes. perhaps did harm"
 But to hear her accuse herself thus, when she had made this long and onely journey to save me; when she mad forced herself into her enemy's presence, and had, as I was sure she lad, abased herself for me, was more han I could bear. Hush, Mademoi- ;elle, hush!" I said, almost roughly. You hurt me. You have made me happy: and yet I wish that you were tot here, where I fear you have few but back at Cocheforet. You lave done more than expected, and hundred times more than deserved. But was a ruined man before this lappened. I am no more now. but I m still that; and I would not have TOUT name pinned to mine on Paris fps. Therefore. goodbye. God forbid
 should say more to you, or let you tay where foul tongues would soon nalign you"
 She looked at me in a kind of won- Ter: then with a growing smile, Tt is % late" she said gently.
 "Too late?" exclaimed. How,  'Because-do you remember. NJ. de 'erault, what you told me of your love tory, by Agen? That it could have no appy ending? For the same reason was not ashamed to tell mine to the By this time it is common 
 I looked al her as she stood facing ne. Her eyes shone. but they were owncast. Her figure dropped, and yet
 smile trembled on her lips What lid you teil him. Mademoiselle?" I whispered, my breath coming quickly. That I loved, she answered boldly, aising her clear eyes to mine. And therefore that was not ashamed to 'eg, even on my knees. Nor ashamed to e with my lover. even in prison" I fell on my knees and caught her and before the fast word passed her lps- For the moment I forgot king nd cardinal. prison and the future, Hall except that this woman. so Iure and so beautiful. 90 far above 1e in all things. loved me. For the 1oment, I say. Then I remembered myself I stood up and thrust her rom me in a sudden reyulsiOn of ceiling You do not know me" i, aid You do not know me. You do lot know what have done" That is what do know" she an- i -vered. looking at me with a vondro1s .