The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-06-14
CHAPTER XII.
AT THE FINGER POST

/ dlScOmuture. she Kept Der lace avert
ed from me; she rode as before; she
affected to ignore my presence. l
caught my horse feeding by the road
side. a furlong forward and mounted
and fell into place behind the two. as
in the morning. And just as VIC had
plodded on then In silence. we plodded
on now, while | wondered at the un-
fashionable ways of women, and
knowing that / had bore myself well.
marveled that she could take part la
such an incident and remain uH-
changed
Yet 10 had made a change In her.
Though her mask screened her well,
it could not entirely hide her emotions.
and by-and bye marked that her bead
dropped. that she rode sadly and list
lessly. that the lines Of her figure were
altered. noticed that she had flung
away. or furtively dropped, her rid
ing-whip. and | understood that 10 the
old hatred of me were now added
shame and vexation; shame that she
had so lowered herself. even to save
her brother, vexation that defeat had
been her only reward
or this saw a sign at Lsctoure.
where the inn had but one common
room. and we must all dine In COM
pahy. 7 secured for them a table by
the fire and leaving them standing by
n. retired myself 10 a smaller one.
near the door. There were no other
guests and this made the separation
between us more marked NJ de Co
cheforet seemed to feel this. lie
shrugged his shoulders and looked at
me with a smile half sad. half cOmical.
But mademoiselle was implacable
She had taken of her mask and her
face was like stone once. only once.
during the meal saw a change come
over her. She colored. suppose ather
thoughts. until her face famed from
brow to chin. watched the blush
spread and spread. and then she slow
" and proudly turned her shoulder
10 me and looked through the window
at the shabby street
suppose that she and her brother
had both built on this attempt. which
must have been arranged at Auch.
For when we went on in the after
noon saw a more marked change
They rode now like people resigned 10
the worst The gray realities OF the
brothers position. the dreary. hopeless
future. began to hang like a mist be
fore their eyes; began to tinge the
landscape with sadness; robbed even
the sunset OF its cOlors With each
hour their spirits tagged and their
speech became less frequent. until
presently. when the light was nearly
gone and the dusk was round US. the
brother and sister rode hand in hsnd.
silent. gloomy. one at least of them
weeping. The cold shadow Of the
cardinal. OF Paris. OF the scafOld.
was beginning 10 make itself felt: was
beginning TO chill them As the noun
tains which they had known all their
lives sank and faded behind us and w
entered on the wide. low valley OF the
Garonne their hopes sank and faded
also-sank to the dead-level OF despair.
Surrounded by guards. a mark for
curious glanees. with pride for a COM
paniOn, NJ de Cocheforet could doubt
less have borne himself bravely;
doubtless he would bear himself brave
" still when TIE end came. But almost
alone. moving forward through the
gray evening to a prison. with so many
measured days before him. and moth
ing 20 exhllarate or anger-in this
condition IL was little wonder II he
felt, and betrayed that he felt. the
blood run slow in his veins: II he
thought more OF the weeping wife aud
ruined home. which he left behind him.
than OF the cause In which be had
spent himself
But God knows they had no moDop-
oily of gloom felt almost as sad
myself Long before sunset the flush
of triumph, the heat OF the battle.
which bad warmed my heart at noon
were gone; giving place to chill dis
stisfaction, a nausea, a dependency
such as ! have known follow a long
night at the tables Hitherto there
had been dificulties to be overcome
risks to be run. doubts about the end.
Now the end was certain and very
near; 80 near that II filled all the
prospect. One hour OF triumph might
still have: I Rugged the thought OF IL
as gambler hugs his last stake. ]
planned the place and time and mode
and tried TO occupy myself wholly with
H. But the price? Alas. that would
intrude too aud more as the evening
waned; 80 that az I passed this or
that thing on the road. which | could
recall passing on my journey south
with thoughts so different. with plans
that now seemed so very very old
asked myself grimly if this were really
!. If this were Gil de Berault. known as
ZatoD's premier joueuT; or some Don
Quichotie from CASTLE fitting at wind
mills and taking BARRIERS bowls for
gold
We reached Agen very late in the
evening after cropping through by
way near the river set with holes and
wl;low-stools and frog-spawns-a Place
no better than a slough. After II the
| ..o.t a.. .nI A. ffal,fa nv tho Hun