The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-06-28
cOOyrisht, ls0l By ss4uloy , ws5@aa.l
CHAPTER Kill
sr. MAnrIN.s EVE.

but one OF November when l rode
into Paris through the Orleans gate.
The wind was in the northeast. and
great cloud OF vapor hung in the eye
OF an angry sunset The air seemed
90 be full of wood smoke, the kennels
EeetSed, my gorge rose at the city's
smell; and with all my heart | en-
We'd the man who had gone out OF
a by the same gate nearly two months
before, with his face TO the south and
the prospect OF riding day after day
ACROSS heath and moor and pasture.
At least he had had some weeks OF
life before him. aud freedom. and the
orCu air. and hope and uncertainty.
while | came back under doom; and
I'm the pail OF smoke that hung over
abe huddlo OF innumcrablc roofs, saw
n gloomy shadowiug Of my own fate.
For make no mistake. A man in
middle life does not strip himself Of
the worldly habit with which cxpe-
ricaue has clothed him. does not run
counter TO all the cynical saws and
5ustances by which he has governed
his course so long. without shiverings
and doubts and horrible misgivings
ard struggles Of heart. At least a
dozen times between the Loire and
Paris asked myself what honor
vas: and what good it would do me
whca lay rotting and forgotten; II
was not a fool following a Jack-o'-
iantbOrn: and whether. of all the men
IN the world. the relentless man to
whom was returning would not be
The 6rst 10 gibe at my folly.
However. shame kept me straight;
shame and the memory of mademoi-
selIe's looks and words. 1 dared not
- false 10 her again: could not. az
ter speaking so lOftily. fall so low.
And therefore-though not without
many a secret struggle and quahing-
came. on this last evening but one
OF November. TO the Orleans gate
and rode slowly and sadly through
the streets by the Luxembourg, on
nv way TO the Pont au Change.
The struggle had Slapped my last
strength. however; and with the first
Whit of the cutters. the first rush Of
baTefooted eamins under my horses
hoofs the first babel OF street cries,
tho 6rst breath. in a word OF Paris.
there came a new temptatiOn-to go
for one last night TO ZatOn's to see
fhe tables again aud the faces Of sur
prise. to be. for an hour or two. The
old Derault. That could be no brea'h
OF honor for in any case | could
not reach the cardinal before to-mor-
roW And il could 90 no harm. II
could make no change in anything.
It would rot have been a thing worth
struggling abOut-only I had in my
lnmost heart suspicious that the stout
rsf resolutions might lose their force
In that atmosphere; that even such
tslisman a. the memory OF a WON
ans looks and words might lose its
virtue there.
Still / think | should have sue
crrnbed in the end II I had not re
ceived at the corner Of tho Luxcm-
Ourg a shock which sobered me effect
ualy- As ] passed the gate coach
followed by two outriders swept out
of the palace court, ard II was going
at a great pace and l refined my jadcd
horse on one side 10 give II room. As
IL whirled by me one of the leather
eurtAins Tapped back and / saw for
second, by the waning light-the near
Pr wheels were no more than two feet
from my b1ct-a face inside.
A face. aud no more, that only for
\ second Bat II froze me. II was
Richelieu's the cardinals; but not as
had teen won't to see il. keen. cold.
RcEte, with intellect and indomitable
will in every feature. This face was
distorted with rage aAd Impotence;
with the fever Of haste and the fear OF
Heath Tie eyes burned under the
pale brow. the mustache bristled. the
teeth showed through the beard. |
-0ald fancy the man crying FASTER
Faster" and gnawing his nails In the
impatience of passion; and ! shrank
back as II | had been struck. The
neSt moment the galloping outriders
splashed me, the coach was hundred
qaccs ahead, and WAS left chilled and
wondering. foresecing the worst. and
no longer in any mood for the gam
ing-table
Such a revelation OF such q man
was enough to appall NC. Conscience
cried out that he must have heard
that Cocheforet hat escaped. and
through mel But ! dismissed the idea
rs soon as formed. In the vast meshes
Of the cardinals schemes. CoCheforet
confd be Only a small fish and 10 ac-
cotnt for the face ia the coach |
oeeded a cataclysm. a catastrophe.
Er.LxfOrtune, as far cbove ordinary mis-
haps as this mans intellect rose
above the common run OF minds.
IL was almost dark when I crossed
The bridges and crept despondently 10
the Rue Sayonnerie. After stabling
my horse took my bag and holsters
szd climbing the stairs to my old land
i0rd's--the place seemed TO have
EYo~u strangely mean and small and
nl-smelling in my absencc-I knocked
&c che door IL was opened by the
Little tailor himseIi who threw up