The Washington herald., 1908-05-29
THE SOUL OF CROESUS
BY GERALD VILLIERSSTUART.
Copyright 1903 by yuiesstus
CHAPTER XIV.

CAAfIEh AN.
II did not take Vandraken long to find
a suitable house for Veeda. Nothing he
had ever wanted had taken him long 10
obtain. Some men would have distrust-
ed a fate which smiled with such suave
persistence, but Vandraken had never
contemplated any other state Of existence
as possible.
Therefore he took it as a matter Of
course that the first house agent he ap-
piled TO should have just that week been
intrusted with the sale of the hotel OF the
Marquis de Variac. "a most sad affair,
the agent told him. indeed tragic. Pos
sibly monsieur was familiar with the
cruel details? No? Well, then, Monsieur
le Marquis, hearing Of the great beauty
OF the American ladies. had made 20
that country a little expedition. In New
York they inquired much about his
chateau. about his estates. This spirit
Of commerce was not pleasing 10 mon
sieur. So he go TO Chicago. There they
ask not so many questions, and widow
OF many millions, who have the social
aspiration, she marry him. and they come
10 Paris TO live. where Nine. la Aarquise
build this wonderful palace I have the
pleasure' 10 submit Ii was most unfor-
tunate Nine la Marquise had no beauty.
no esprit Monsieur as is natural. seek
the solace. the distraction. Madam have
no knowledge OF what IS CONNIE Il faut,
and seek the divorce. And now. see the
crime! There were no settlements. and
monsieur who marry for money. is pen
nness. while madam. who marry for title,
is marQuise. and well received in the so
smart SET in New York, who before turn
ed up the nose. II IS shameful. how she
get something for nothing. that Chicago
lady. 1t break the heart OF Monsieur
le Marquis 10 think OF it. How she climb
by his shoulders into the-the-whst you
call it?"
'Almanack de Got-tharY' suggested
Vandraken.
No, no. The Four Hundred-that is
It, But the palace ! will presently sub
nit 10 monsieur she directs TO be sold to
pay the debts OF the marquis-and the
divorce costs"
And so II came TO pass that Vandraken,
having taken the Cobra to view the aban-
dOned nest. and finding its highly-col-
ored splendors satisfactory 10 her bar
barrie taste acquired the palace as a going
concern. with the men servants and the
maid servants, the horses and carriages
which were within their stables. and even
the chauffeurs which we're within their
gates.
He no longer found any difficulty IN
spending his income. The Cobra was not
avaricious, but regal splendor appealed
TO her imagination. and the palace was
run on the lines of royal abode
With curious inconsistency. Vandraken
was, at first. shocked to discover that the
Cobra openly worshiped idols-two braz-
en- images. linked together by serpents.
The male idol looked hideously cruel. o
horrible satyr, only fairly we'll carved.
The woman's figure was better modelled.
and was really artistic. Veeda said they
were the twin gods Of pleasure and pain.
Hlultopec and Venuiac. the earth gods
Of the Aztecs. They had been handed
down in her mothers family before Pi-
zarro's day. she claimed. Her ances-
tresses had been high priestesses Of the
mysteries connected with them, principal
", as Yandraken gathered, cruel sacri-
fees.
The Cobra was very cynical on the sub
ject Of her idols, and made no pretense
at cOnCealmcnt
"Oh. yes" she used to say, when ques-
toned on the subject. Il worship the
gods Of material pleasure. Why not?
You are inconsistent. you civilized people.
You are all worshiping my gods more
and more every day. for TO concentrate
your thoughts Is 20 worship. But 1 show
you the faces Of the gods you worship,
and you cry. Pagan You are all
kneeling down to the earth gods. but you
do not know IT, You have forgotten what
worship is. you civilized people. To sit
in church on Sundays. and think how
you will spend the week. while man.
who knows you do not listen, reads and
talks to you-that IS not worship. The
gods you adore during the week, they
are your real gods. and you should not
be afraid TO look at their faces.
Not that il was necessary for Veeda
to make excuses for her paganism: re-
ligious people are not nearly as much
down on pagans as they are on Chris
tians who worship God in a different
manner from themselves. Your low
church parson has some hopes for the
heather. and certainly no more animosity
than the deer-stalker has 10 the stag;
but he feels that the Roman Catholic
Is hopelessly damned-and serve him
right! The Roman Catholic reciprocates;
and the Methodist and Baptist regard
each other with skepticism mingled with
disapproval, while they extend to the
heather a good-natured liberation. and
find excuses for his ignorance. AS TO
how the heather regards the many
creeded Christian. he Is too polite 10
say; but II he buys his beads wrapped
up IN copies OF newspapers which have
dealt with the dislike OF one kind OF
Christian 20 have his children taught
religion by the same kind Of Christian
that teaches some other kind of Christian.
he may be excused II he grows too fin-
lcky In his choice OF teachers, and goes
IN for a good, sound, orthodox Moham-
medan or a consistent Buddhist
Lord Ancestor had taken n violent dis
like to the Cobra. and declared she gave
him bad dreams; but he felt that Lady
Kitty was saved from marrying his
Griend-fOr the Cobra would never uncOil
from around Vandraken and - v-o;:'1
sink deeper and deeper into the mud Of
materialism and the slime Of the under
world, till the world above lost ell mean