Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-02


 he came at last to the point, by asking me rudely if did not need my horse.
 No" said "Why do you ask?"
 Because" he answered, with an ugly smile, this is not very healthy place for strangers" @
 "Ah!" I retorted. But the border air suits me, you see"
 It was a lucky answer, for, taken with my talk of the night before. it puzzled him, by again suggesting that was on the losing side and had my reasons for lying near Spain. Before he had done scratching his head over it, the chatter of hoofs broke the sleepy quiet of the village street and the lady had seen the night before rode quickly round the corner and drew her horse on to its launches. Without looking at me, she called the innkeeper to come to her stirrup.
 He went. The moment his back was turned, slipped away and in twink ling was hidden by a house. Two or three glum-looking fellows stared at me as passed, but no one moved; and in two minutes l was clear of the village, and in half-worn track which ran through the wood, and led-n my 1 ideas were right-to the chateau. To l discover the house and learn all that 1 was to be learned about its situation was my most pressing need: even at the risk of knife-t thrust I was deter | mined to satisfy it.
 1 I had not gone 200 paces along the 1 path before I heard the tread of horse behind me and had just time to hide myself before madam came up and rode by me, sitting her horse | gracefully and with all the courage of a northern woman. I watched her | pass, and then, assured by her presence l that I was in the right road, hurried | after her. Two minutes walking at speed brought me to light wooden I bridge spanning stream. crossed I this, and, the wood opening, saw before I me first a wide, pleasant meadow and l beyond this terrace. On the terrace, l pressed upon on three sides by thick | woods, stood gray mansion, with the corner tourelles, steep, high roofs and round balconies that men loved and built in the days of the first Francis.
 It was of good size, but wore, fam cied, a gloomy aspect. A great yew hedge, which seemed to enclose walk or bowling-green, hid the ground floor of the east wing from view, while formal rose garden. stiff even in ne7 glect, lay in front of the main building. 1 The west wing, whose lower roofs fell gradually away to the woods, probably contained the stables and granaries.
 stood moment only, but marked all, and noted how the road reached the house and which windows were open to attack; then I turned and hastened back. Fortunately. I met no one between the house and the village, and was able to enter the inn with an air of the most complete innocence. Short as had been my absence, found things altered there. Round the door loitered and chattered three strangers-stout, well-armed fellows, whose bearing suggested a curious mixture of smugness and independence. Half-a-dozen packhorses stood tethered to the post in front of the house; and the landlords manner, from being rude and churlish only. had grown preplexed and almost timid One of the strangers, I soon found, supplied him with wine; the others were travelling merchants, who rode in the first ones company for the sake of safety. All were sub stantial men from Tarbes-solid bur gesses; and was not long in guessing that my host, fearing what might leak out before them and particularly that I might refer to the previous nights i disturbance, was on tenterhooks while they remained.
 {. For time this did not suggest any thing to me. But when we had all taken our seats for supper there came an addition to the party. The door opened and the fellow whom I had seen the night before withlMadam de Cocheforet entered and took stool by the fire. felt sure that he was one of the servants at the chateau: and in a | flash his presence inspired me with the