The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-08


 Nj. Henri-Robert laughed. But felt no inclination to join In his mirth.
 Whats the matter. Salnclairr' whispered NJ. Henri Robert who no- ticed my expression ''Hesse was only joking"
 "I don't know anything about it." answered. And l looked attentively around me. as NJ. Andre Hessa had done And indeed we had believed Larsan dead so often when he was known as Balln,eyer that it seemed quite possible that he might be once more brought to life in the guise of Larsan.
 Here comes RouIetabille," remark ed M. Henri-Robert- "Pll wager that he isn't worrying" The young reporter joined us and pressed our hands in an absentminded i manner.
 Good morning. Sainclair. Good morn- ing. gentlemen l am not late. hope?"
 1t seemed to me that his voice trem- bled. He left our pew immediately and withdrew to a dark corner. where he knelt like a child and prayed. His ! fervent devotion astonished me. When be raised his head his eyes were filled | with tears. He did not even try to hide them. He was lost completely in his prayers and. one might imagine in his grief
 But what could be the occasion of his sorrowf Had not the good fortune of Mathilde Stangerson and Robert | Darzac been in a great measure brought about by his efforts? Perhaps from joy that he wept. He rose from | his knees and was hidden behind a | pillar.
 And the next moment Mathilde Stan | gerson made her entrance into the church upon the arm of her father. Robert Darzac walking behind them An. the drama of the Chandler had been a sorrowfui one for these three! But strange as 1t may seem. Mathilde Stangerson appeared only the more beautiful for all that she had passed through. True. she was no longer the beautiful statue. the living marble. the ancient goddess. the cold pagan divini- ty, who at the official functions at which her fathers position had forced her to appear had excited nutter of admiration whenever she was seen- It seemed. on the contrary. that fate in | 1GE GAplhlc IOE bO ALdAy AOhE l years an imprudence committed in early youth had cast her into the depths of madness and despair. only to tear away the mask of stone which | hid from sight the tender. delicate spir- it. And it was this spirit which shone forth on her wedding day. in the ' sweetest and most charming smile { playing on her curved lips. hiding in [ sN-. h<ar ar.rfr 1noe and leaving its impress on her fore | head
 ! But what I shall always remember | is the strange expression which came over her visage when she looked i through the rows of faces in the pews without seeming to discover the one she sought. In a moment she had re- gained her conposure and was mis- tress of herself once more. She had seen Rouletabille behind his pillar. She smiled at him and my companions. and 1 smiled in our turn
 .She has the eyes of a mad womanT
 I turned to see who spoke the heart less words. It was a poor fellow whom Robert Darzac out of kindness had made his assistant in the iabora- J tory at the Sorbonne. The man was named Brignolies and was distant cousin of the bridegroom. Long ago he had lost both father and mother. He had neither brother nor sister and seemed to have broken off all inter- course with his native province. from which he had brought an eager desire for success. an exceptional ability to work and a strong intellect.
 One beautiful morning in the pre- eeding spring and consequently year after the occurrences in the vel low room Darzac had presented Bri- gnolles to his pupils. The new as- sistant had come direct from Ak. where he had been a tutor in the nat ural sciences and where he had com mitted some fault of discipline which had caused his dismissal Darzac was suffering from the reaction following the strong emotions which had nearly weighed him down at the Chandler and at the court of assizes. We re- marked that from the day that Bri- Enolles came to him-Brignolles. whose friendship should have been a precious solace-the weakness of Nj. Darzac seemed to increase. However. we were obliged 10 acknowledge that Brignolles was not to blame for that. for two unfortunate and unforeseen accidents had occurred in the course of some experiments which would have seemed on the face of them not at all dangerous. The first resulted from the unexpected explosion of Gessler -sbe. The second, which might have been extremely grave. happened through the explosion of a tiny lamp against which Darzac was leaning.
 At the time of the second accident was present. having come to seek Darzac at the Sorbonne- l myself led our friend to a druggist and then to doctor. and l begged Brienolles when be wished to accompany us to remain lt his post. On the way Darzac asked why I had wounded the poor fellows feelings I told him that did not care for Brignolles' society for the abstract