Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-12-07
CHAPTER XXXViII.
TldIn9s o. Great Joy.


She stood at the omen window look.
ing out on the mountains in the FAR
distance. They were phantoms OF
despair reckoning 20 her in the moon.
light They had brought suffering 10
her as well as TO myself: for had I
not gone 20 Lucerne. and told her the
story Of my cowardice. perhaps she
would have been spared the knowI
edge OF her brothers disgrace.
Dear I said gently. do you re-
/ member the little beacon that shone
long after tho lights on PIatus and
Risi had hickered out? That little
light put heart into me then Ii tells
you % hope now"
There is no light on the mountains
over there tonight"
1T may burn thuogh you do not see
t. The packet / took from the safe.
have yeu destroyed it?"
Il was about TO do 50 as you en-
tered. Here Il is"
Capt. Forbes has just given me the
second pscket-the one that Madame
de WARMER took from me forclbly. Il
is possible that its contents concern
yOur brother May I open itg"
Yes" she said nstlessly.
tore open tho packet with DELHI
Grafton. though heavens knows my
AnEsrs trembled. ! spread the paper
on the plano where had shown
Madame de Varnier the death-rnask
the evening before. read them one
after the other. The proof was alb
soiuto. Sir Mortimers honor could
no longer be questioned. Fools we
haS been ana blind.
Helena" said. mastering my emo
ton with an effort 1T is as
thought; these papers throw q food
or light on the letters and notes Of
yeur brother that we have so hArshly
misunderstood"
She came swiftly 20 my side.
"Harshly thunderstorm" she repeat
ed with blanched lips
was sorting carefully the papers
Helena had just given me. the letters
supposed 70 have been written by the
committee OF freedom, and to which
Sir MOrtimeTs CONNECTS were pin
ned. I laughed aloud when l saw
that these letters. supposed to be the
originals were typewritten, as were
the copies.
Now ! understood why Madame de
WARMER had refused to let me see
what she called the original papers.
1t was not so much that she feared /
should destroy them: she knew that
the fact OF their being typewritten
would at once awaken nay suspicion.
Did 1t not occur TO you as being
rather suspicious that these letters
were written on a typewriter"
AT first 1t did" replied Helena,
searching my face wonderingIy.
But she quoted my doubts by ex-
planning to mo that the letters were
typed to prevent the possibility OF
their being traced"
The ingenious Madame de Var
nieri"
Helena did not speak; her agitation
was too great for words. She watch
ed me. at once bewildered and eager.
while ] read the contents of both
packets carefully once more. When
had read them, sorted them no
less carefully. For ten minutes there
was silence between US
Helena" / said with deep sigh.
when I had finished my task, "once
tonight / said this was a Castle OF
Lies, but l did not realize until now
how surely spoke the truth. These
letters are forgeries."
Impossible" she murmured, wiring
ing her hands in anguish II know
my brothers writing too we'll"
Follow me carefully, and You VIII
see that / speak the truth. do not
question your brothers handwriting.
But listen first OF all TO this dispatch
which was taken from Capt Forbes
when he was trapped In the tower
Tell me II any OF the expressions In
II are familiar TO you"
Yes, yes" she cried eagerly, when
had finished. Lofty principles actu-
ate Bulgaria, but lofty principles are