The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-10-12
cHAPTER xvi.-consInued.

one of the narrow windows. me
noisy stream below, beating futilely
against the walls, almost deafened t1e
voice Of the servant las ne asked IL ne
could be of assistance to me. looked
ont. There was q shee. drop of some
so feet.
That fact vaguely disconnected me.
The words of DIR. Starva were Earring
note that sobered my excitement
When l had dressed was almost pre-
pared to find the massive door OF my
chamber locked or barred. ! had en-
tered the spiders web audaciousiy
enough. To escape might be less
simple.
The dinner was simply but well i
served in a small dining-room. HAD
nv situation been less serious l might
have felt some humor at the elaborate
Difference shown me by my compan-
ions for the benefit of the two servants
| who waited on us. Even DIR. Starva
! followed the lead of Madame de Var
nier in solemn if cynical obedience.
But did Madame de WARMER believe
1 me so complaisant q fool, that, IKE
another Bottom. was expected In this
modern Midsummer Nights Dream to
] accept this Difference without ques
ton? I became more and more con-
vinced that she did not. Once she
even referred to the events OF the
night before in such a manner that
believed her not ignorant of my true
condition. If she were persuaded that
had been acting part then, that
would account for her confidence 10
expecting me to continue acting that
part. It would give her encourage
ment that was the willing tool she
looked for.
And suppose that she really believed
that did she think that / expected no
reward? She had limited that In serv-
Ing her ends I was to serve myself as
well. But Madame de WARMER was
not the kind of woman to believe that
a man would be cllured by a promise
SO vague Then the reward?
She had protested that she had not
expected me to fall in love with her.
She had protested that, but in the
i same UTedlu Sic ndu SOhiSSSS1 - fAf~~-~
resolve to bring me to her feet Now
as she exerted every charm of coquet
~ she was giving the lie to her own
words. oh, the reward was obvious
enough, If / chose to take it..
I'VE will smoke our cigarettes In
nv favorite music room. You mus
hear DR.. Starva play on the cello
You have had the piano carefully
tuned, Jacques?"
"All Is in readiness" replied the
servant, % he preceded us. with can
dies.
DR.. Starva had pushed back his chail
eagerly. For the first time since has
met him his face lost something o
its heavy sullen expression.
MY fingers have not the practice,
he said modestly, but to play will
Madame de varnier-ah, that is WORT
while"
We were in the music room tina
4 Madame de WARMER had described t
4 me so enthusiastically the day before
v Dlmly lighted with wax candles, par
4 eled in dark oak to the ceiling, tn
floor waxed and polished to dazzlin
luster, it was a room almost bare, bu
n 1t had its melancholy charm. Their
$ was little furniture. At one end G
l. the room was row of carved seat
n built into the wall. There were n
v pictures or tapestries. The one touc
q of color was the vivid flame of biz.
n ing logs.
!, THE strife Of the world, is lie
q and its shams, leave behind when
!, enter here" said Madame de Varnie
~ sentimentally Look, l throw ope
:, this easement The noisy Aare drown
!. my voice. Beyond, you see the moo
= light on the valleys, and still beyon'
the mountains. This is your sea
Once this was a chapel; in thes
carved seats the monks chanted We
pers: In the seat of honor which yc
- OCCUPY drowsed the father superio
:. When you hear the enchanting mel
!. dies of DIR. Starva you will not ha,
: lived In vain"
This hour at least was innocen
=, Perhaps 1t was the lull before IL
- storm, but why should look for CLIQUE
when the heavens we're clear?
- The long. darkly paneled room,
|. shining floor seeming to rise and IA
AZ mysteriously in the Pickering fiji
W. light, the noisy murmur of the strea
20 below, the white moonlight that stru
oi gled feebly through the easement wi
io dows- all had its charm. And the
ne two Adventures, inscriptions al
constituencies. had abandoned the
al selves for the moment to the joy
,v their music.
/ looked over toward Madame
=. WARMER. The shaded light Of the ca
X, dies fell on her white shoulders. T
nnlendnr of ner beauty had neY