The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-01-22
"Not l." said Mr.. Denstone. II am
;jmnle enough to prefer to be above

"Not l." said Mr.. Denstone. ~ am
simple enough to prefer to be above
board"
Simple! Yes, you English make
much of simplicity, but we, we see
no merit in it, Finesse is what we
admire. My Josephine never knew
was rich"
Good Heavens" exclaimed Mr..
Denstone. And she was your lawful
wife,"
Yes; but that was one Of my
lives" he answered, with a flash Of
cunning in his eyes. I'VE lived at
home in what you call simplicity. I
had my affairs in England. She made
inquiries sometimes, but I did not
satisfy them. After all, one does as
one likes with ones own wife. Mon
Repos was the best place of abode
for her. Women are so strange. If
she had known, tell me, would she
have continued to live there? Oh,
que non! 1t would have been all
money, money, money; gowns, bon
nets, equipages! Bah! l knew my
own business best"
"And the poor lady lived and died
under the delusion that you were
poor," said Mr.. Denstone, indig-
nantly.
"Just so. We had enough; little,
little competency. 1t was repose to
20 back there, to feel my economies;
that is why I called the old house
Mon Repos!'"
MI. Denstone felt profound dis
gust at the selflshness of the old man
And you have then a child" he
said. "She, at least, you will not
bury in such living death; an OBJ
scure country village in the heart of
France. Why, man, she would be
one of the richest heiresses in Eng
land"
"Yes, but she belongs to my French
life-to her mothers life," said Mon
sieur Rigaud. "If I give up that I
shall lose all security, all repose. I
am not so young as was. I hav6an
odd feeling sometimes that if she were
to find it out, she would make me do
as she likes, not as l wish; but she
won't find it out, she belongs to my
second life, don't you see?"
But eventually, my friend!"
"Who cares what happens after he
is dead? I don't. She may do az
she likes then"
But do you take no care of Ter?
Where is she? How old?"
She is at school; but shall send
for her soon. 1 shall want to go back
to my economies when have finished
all my business here. This will be
the end of it all, and when go back,
I shall stay and live and enjoy my
second life at Mon Repos. And this
brings me to what I came to say. /
want to ask you whether you will act
the part of friend, and for the last
week that I am in England, let me
sleep here? I shall not trouble you
much in the day, as I rave business,
much important business to do; but
at night-Peste! l will confess my
weakness. l have grown nervous at
night. I hear people whispering at
my hotel. ! Isee them glancing at me.
The lock of my door is common
one; 1 fear to have it changed lest /
excite suspicion. Doubtless you keep
cash in this house?"
YES" said Mr.. Denstone, slowly,
"cash and deeds"
so you have every precaution of
modern invention"
Il have the usual precautions, and
such as they are you are welcome to
them. l wish you would be advised
by me, Rigaud. No money is worth
this anxiety. You will kill yourself,
or worse"
"Bah!" said the old man, with a
sort of CHASTITY gayety.
I'm our peaceful Mon Repos, that
abode of sacred poverty, where no
domestics have lived since the Del
uge, all fear leaves me. I rest and
-yes-I enjoy myself"
And your little daughter?"
THE pleasure that sufficied for her
mother will suffice for her. JOS
ephine loved poultry; she reared
Houdans. She sold her hens at eight
francs each, and cocks as much as
ten francs a cock. At her request I
brought a few of them to England
once. I sold the cocks for guinea :
and the hens for ten shillings.
II deducted the price of the car
riage and gave her the money. You
would not cast doubt on her content
had you seen her pleasure. She
bought a pelisse of velours Anglais
for Antoinette."
Poor LADY," said Mr.. Denstone,
She appears to have been easily sat-
isfed."
To be Continued.