Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-07-03
The RoupelI Mystery
! Au tyn CT anvil lie


M Lazare wandered under the palms
in the conservatory. 1t was but dimly
lighted. A few colored lamps alone were
suspended from the glass roof of the spa
cious building, SO spacious indeed that in
winter 1t appeared as a garden, covered
with glass and so heated as to protect
the rare collection of plants and flowers
from the killing frosts.
There were little paths running here
and there. The vicomtesse led her guest
along one which took them to the very
center of the building, where some lofty
palms reared their heads under the great
glass dome. There was a rustic bench
facing the FLASHING waters of the foun-
tain and sheltered from observation by
thick growth.
She began by defense of the vicomte.
Her manner was the weIl-bred one Of
woman thoroughly accustomed to meet
men OF all ages and dispositions, of all
minds and temperaments.
Monsieur de Valiar has gone to play
cards, | feel convinced" she said, look
ing at Cassagne with her soft, liquid
eyes, "let us sit here and talk, you and
l. Do you know, 1t is rare thing for
me to have quiet evening. Don't think
my husband discourteous. He has some
peculiar ways. He thinks he has dis
charged much of his duty as host when
he has given his guests a good dinner,
and then everybody in this house feels
so much at home. The world has treated
you very nicely" she continued, has it
not? My husband tells me you have
done wonderfully well, and you are not
yet forty, l should judge. Why don't
you go into politics and make a great
manner l think if l had been man
should have done so. You should have
me talk to your friend Monsieur D'Au-
huron"
"You think Monsieur D'Auburon has
career before him?"
The vicomtesse laughed very merrily
indeed.
"a career-your friend Monsieur
D'Auburon. Why, no, he is far too lazy
That is why we have had such interest
ing conversations. l have kept urging
upon him the necessity for exertion. He
maintains that work of any kind will
kill him."
And yet when he visited me in Swift
zerland he was the most indefatigable
of climbers. l had hard work to keep
up with him, can tell you"
II thought Monsieur D'Auburon had
never been in Switzerland. At any rate
know he says he detests mountains"
Our friend possesses the rare merit
of being modest. Ask him about Chamou-
nix and the Matterhorn when you next
see him. He can tell you a few stories
which would surprise you. But let us
talk of more immediate things, madame.
Monsieur D'Auburon is not in Partisan
society, AMI just now / am particularly
interested in Paisian society. Your own
circle, for instance. You seem to have
drawn around you some charming people
the Colbert-Remplins, for instance"
"You like themf"
eyes; the husband Is SO well inform
ed don't mean merely on matters Of
finance, but on all topics. l was greatly
interested in what he was talking about
during dinner-the dissolution of your
second empire. By the way, what an
ideal lady Of the court his wife, with her
white hair and aristocratic features,
would have made under the Third Napo-
leon."
"Do you admire herr"
"Greatly-in a way Is she not a
woman with a history? She looks like
It,"
The words were spoken so quietly and
naturally, that though she started with
surprise at the directness of the ques-
tion, the vicomtesse could not possibly
doubt her guests good faith in putting It.
YES" she replied, "she has a his
tory"
"I thought was right. am a read
er of human faces in a way. II had
been asked, should have said, looking
at her, There is one who has suffered for
ambitions sake"
The vicomtesse turned around on the
bench, with a half smile parting her
lovely lips, and said:
Really, Monsieur Lazare, in addition
to your attachments as mountaineers, you
Swiss gentlemen seem to count that of
undertaking. Do you know what you
say comes remarkably near the truth?"
Then lowering her voice. and first look
ing cautiously around, she added: at Is
not generally known, but II can do no
harm to tell you, who have guessed so
near the mark-but Madame Remplin
sacrificed her heart to her ambitions
You know what l mean; you are a man
Of the world, monsieur. There was a
young man, with nothing but his profess
sion, whom she adored, of course. There
was a middle-aged man with fortune,
whom she tolerated at first, for the sake
OF the position he gave her and learned
to like afterward, as all we poor crea-
lures do"
81 understand. What became of the
young mani"
"TIe was foolish. He became dissipat-
ed. He drifted away, and went to the
dogs He fell so low, that l understand
he wrote to his former fancee FOR money
did it frequently. A woman would not
have stopped to that"
"But you have not known Madame Col
bert-Remplin long?"
Something induced him to say the
words and risk what followed. The effect
upon the vlcomtesse, indeed, seemed cleo
trical. She regarded him for a moment
with undisguised establishment.
How did you know that my acquaint-
ance with Madame Remplin was a re-
cent oneT"
why" he answered. boldly, you told
me so yourself. You look surprised.
Don't give me credit for being too great
seer. Rather impute to me an excel
lent memory"
at is a great gift" said the vlcom-
Jesse, laughing. "Do you know, an Idea
occurred to me as you spoke just now,
and 1t was such a funny one, that you
might be someone had known once, and
we're masQuerading in disguise"
What funny idea, to be sure" re-
piled NJ. LaEare, also laughing. at
would not be a bad one, would it2 Ha,
madame, you should try your hand at a