The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-03-08

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cheeks we're hollow. his lips and chin
were thin and ileshless. He seemed 20
have only one expression-a fixed grin.
While l stood looking at this for
midable creature he made a quick mo-
lion 10 shut the door again. smiling
more widely. ! had the presence OF
mind to thurst in my foot and. before
he could resent the act, a voice in the
background cried: "For shame. Clon.
Stand back. Stand back, do you hear?
am afraid. Monsieur. that you are
hurt"
The last words were my welcome to
that house; and. spoken at an hour
and in circumstances so gloomy, they
made a lasting impression. Round the
hall ran a gallery, and this. the height
OF the apartment and the dark PANEL
ling seemed to swallow up the light
stood within the entrance las ~
seemed 10 mel Of a huge cave; the
skull-headed porter had the air Of an
ogre Only the voice which greeted me
dispelled the illusion. | turned trem-
bling towards the quarter whence Il
came, and. shading my eyes, made out
a womans form standing In a doorway
under the gallery. A second figure
which | took TO be that OF the servant
had seen at the inn, doomed uncer-
tainly beside her
zone Of our people has told me about
you" she continued. speaking ont Of
The darkness. Il am sorry that this
has happened to you here. but am
afraid that YOU were indiscreet"
Il take all the blame Madam" l
answered humbly. Il ask only shelter
for the night"
"The time has not yet come when we
cannot give our friends that" she an,
swered. with noble courtesy. When
il does, Monsieur, we shall be homeless
ourselves"
I shivered, looking anywhere but at
her: for had not sufficiently pictured
this scene OF my arrival had not
foreseen its details; ard now / took
part in II I felt a miserable meanncss
weigh me down. had never from the
first liked the work. But. had had
no choice. And had no choice now
Luckily, the guise in which | came,
my fatigue and wound were a sufficient
mark, or I should have incurred sus-
piclon at once. For am sure that II
ever In this world a brave man woTs
a hang-dog air. or Gil de Berault fell
below himself, II was then and there
on Madam de Cocheforet's threshold.
with her welcome sounding In my ears.
One, | think. did not suspect me
Clon, the porter. continued 70 hold the
door obstinately ajar and TO eye me
with grinning spite. until his mistress.
with some sharpness, babe him drop
the hairs and conduct me to a room.
do you go also, Louis" she con-
tinued, speaking to the man beside her,
and see this gentleman comfortably
disposed. I am sorry" she added. adj
dressing me in the graceful tone she
had before used. and I thought / could
see her head bent in the darkness.
that our present circumstances de- not
permit US TO welcome you more Jtly,
Monsieur. But the troubles Of the
times-however you will excuse what
is lacking Unit! tomorrow. have
the honor to bid you goodnight
Goodnight Madam" stammered.
trembling. | had not been able to dis
tinguish her face in the gloom OF the
doorway, but her voice. her greeting
her presence. unnamed me- was
troubled and preplexed; had not
spirit 10 kick a dog followed the two
servants from the hall without needing
how we went; nor was II until We
came to full stop at a door in q
whitewashed corridor, and Il was
forced upon me that something was In
question between my two conductors.
that began 10 take notice
Then | saw that one Of them, Louis.
wished 10 lodge me here where we
stood. The porter, on the other hand.
who held the KEYS, would not He did
not speak a word, nor did the other
and this gave a queer ominous charac-
fer to the debate; but he continued to
jerk his head towards the farther end
of the corridor, and. at last, he carried
hiS point Louis shrugged his shout
ders. and moved on.
We reached the end of the corridor.
and there, for an instant, the monster
with the keys paused and grinned at
ne. Then he turned into a narrow pas
sage on the left and after following
it for some PAGES. halted before a small,
strong door. His key Jared in the
lock, but he forced It shrieking round,
and with savage fiolrish threw tho
door open.
walled IL and raw a mean, bare
chamber with barred windows. Tae
! eOoE vas indifferently clean. there was