The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-03-22

stone seat which had the wall of the
house for Q back; and. fortunately.
was toying with the branch Of q
creeping plant that hung over II, 90
that she could not see more than the
side of my face. For I knew that 1t
altered. Over my voice. however. had
more control, and FASTENED to an
swer. Eyes, suppose So" as limo
Gently as possible.
"He is at Bosost-in Spain. You
knew that, conclude?" she said, with
a certain sharpness. And she looked
me in the face again very directly.
YES" answered, beginning to
tremble.
Il suppose you have heard, too, that
he-that he sometimes crosses the
border?" she continued In a low voice,
but with a certain ring of insistence
in her tone. COR. If you have not heard
1t, you guess it?''
was in a quandary, and grew. in
one second, hot all over. Uncertain
what amount of knowledge ought to
admit. took refuge in gallantry.
Il should be surprised IL he did not"
I answered, with a bow, Being. as he
Is, so close, and having such an in
ducement TO return, Madam"
She drew a long, shivering sigh-at
the thought of his peril, fancied, and
sat back against the wall. Nor did
she say any more, though | heard her
sigh again. In a moment she rose.
''The afternoons are growing chilly"
she said; Il will so in and see how
mademoiselle is. Sometimes she does
not come TO supper. II she cannot
descend this evening, am afraid you
must excuse me too, Monsieur"
l said what was right, and watched
her go in; and, as l did so, loathed
my errand, and the mean contempt
ible curiosity which II had planted
in my mind, more than at any former
time These women could find
it in my heart to hate them for their
trankness, for their foolish confidence,
and the silly trustfulness that made
them so easy a prey!
Nom de Dieul What did the woman
mean by telling me this? To meet
me in such a way, 10 disarm one by
such methods, was to take an unfair
advantage 1t put vile-ay. the viii
est-aspect. on the work had to do
Yet It was very odd What could
NJ. de Cocheforet mean by returning so
soon, II NJ. de Cocheforet was here?
And, on the other hand, If 1t was not
his unexpected presence that had so
upset the house, what was the secret?
Whom had Clon been tracking? Ana
what was the cause Of madam's ankle
ty? In a few minutes had began TO
grow curious again; and, as the ladies
did not appear at supper. had leisure
TO give my brain full license and in
the course of an hour thought OF
hundred keys 20 the mystery. But
none exactly fitted the lock or laid
open the secret.
A false alarm that evening helped
to puzzle me still more. l was sitting.
about an hour after supper, on the
same seat in the garden-I had my
cloak and was smoking-when madsm
came out like a ghost. and, without
seeing me, fitted away through the
darkness toward the stables. For a
moment l hesitated, then l followed
her. She went down the path and
round the stables, and so far ! under
stood; but when she had in this way
gained the rear OF the west wing. she
took a track through the thIcket to
the east Of the house again, 80 came
back TO the garden. This gained. sho
came up the path and went Ia through
the parlor door and disappeared-aft-
er making a clear circuit OF She house.
and not once pausing or looking to
right or left confess | was fairly
baffled. sank back on the seat
had left, and said to myself that this
was the lamest of all conclusions. l
was sure that she had exchanged no
word with any one. | was equally
sure that she had not detected my
presence behind her. Why, then, had
she made this strange promenade,
alone, unprotected, an hour after night
fall? No dog had bayed, no one had
moved, she had not once paused, or
listened, like a person expecting q
rencontre. I could not make IL out.
And l came no nearer to solving II.
though lay awake an hour beyond my
usual time.
In the morning neither Of the ladies'
descended to dinner, and l heard
that mademoiselle was not so well.
After a lonely meal, therefore ]
missed them more than / should have
supposed-I retired to my favorite
seat and fell 10 meditating.
The day was fine and the garden
pleasant Sitting there with my eyes
on the old-fashioned herb-beds, with
the old-fashioned scents in the air,
and the dark belt Of trees bounding the
view on either side, I could believe
that I had been out of Paris not three
weeks, but three months. The quiet
Tapped me round. I could fancy that
l had never loved anything else. The
wooddoves cooed in the stiffness; occa-
sionally the harsh cry OF a jay Jared
the silence. It was an hour after noon,