The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-02-07
CHAPTER xxIII.-contlnued.

He attempted to close the door
ngain. Finding that impossible. his
prosonco Of mind deserted him. l
brushed by him, and had pushed open
tho door at the head OF the stairway
before he could come to decision.
wait here!" I said in a tone OF
y command. Il have an appointment
with Madame do Varnier. You were
coming for mo, OF course?'
NO" he answered sullenly. Ma
dam Ia ut her devotions: she is not to
be disturbed"
u am the best Judge of that" And
added again, "Wait here,'
found myself in a great barn'like
room when / had locked the door be-
hind me at the head of the staircase.
It was lighted dimly by narrow win
dows placed high against the roof OF
rafters. and WAS almost bare OF furni'
turo at tho three angles Of this room
we're the three closed doors. So far
the crafty knave had told the truth.
But In which of these rooms should
find Madame dc Varnier? And IN
which Captain Forbes?
1t availed me little to have penc'
trated so far into the enemy'S strong
hold unless l could accomplish still
more At any moment Alphonse might
give the alarm, and l wished to take
Nadame dc Varnier by surprise.
l began to make circuit of the tri'
angular room. / paused at each door
and knocked softly. AT none of the
rooms did / receive any response.
was at once perplexed and dismayed.
There was no reason why either Cap
tain Forbes OF Madame de Varnier
should keep silence.
And then a maddening thought
struck me. Perhaps my crafty knave'
Jacques, had beon more cunning than
] had given him the credit OF being.
What II he had cleverly whetted my
curiosity. acting on instructions from
Dr. StMva? What II Aphonse had
deliberately lured me hore? What II
j we're a prisoner myself?
Dismayed that | should hive been
SO great a fool. l again made tho
round OF each OF the doors. not knock
ing this time, but shaking tho handle
OF each. And as / seized the handle
of the third door. 1t yielded to the
touch and swung silently on lis hinges.
l stood at the Intel abashed at my
angry intrusion.
It was the orotory of Madame dc
Varnier,
Little larger than a closet, and In
shape a half crescent; the walls were
hung with purple velvet Facing me
was an altar Two tapers 1ickered on
either side of the crucifix.
Before the altar, her eyes bent to
the crucifix, knelt Madame de Varnier
the adventures, absorbed in her de-
votIons, Even my entrance was un,
noticed.
But 1t was not pioty Of this e1-
traordinary woman that held me petri-
0ed in astonishment and speechless.
Within arms reach. as l stood there.
was q bier And on 1t. hls hands
crossed on his breast. his pallId face
strangely calm, lay the mortal remains
OF him whom knew at once to be Sir
Mortimer Brett
1t was terrifying apparition. Ter
rlfying. because 1t might have been
myself lying there, so strlklngly simi
lar at first sight was the likeness OF
myself to the dead minister Blu. as
the candles, which had flickered In the
draught made by the open door
burned more steadily and | looked at
his face closely l saw that after all
the resemblance was but superficial
recovered my senses Now at last ]
was TO know the truth.
Twice l opened my lips to call to
the woman who knelt there But
could not bying myself to speak The
holy dead banished passion from this
place. Here | could not reproach and
threaten her. | stood silently at the
threshold. plying rather than con
demning. waiting for her TO discover
my presence.
Minutes passed before she turned
her head
Our eyes met. myself stcrnly ques
tioning with look. Startled she was
at my dramatic entrance, but she me,
my storm look In absolute calm. Nc
terror or shadow OF guilt distorted hel
tragic beauty. l had come to de
nounce. to demand justice. l founc
myself rather plying.
Madame do Varnier." l said gently
'the hour has come when you mus
tell me the truth"
l raised her to her feet and led he,
from the oratory, closing the door be
hind me,
She clung to me in the fervor Of he
appeal.
Yes" she whispered. 1T is tho hou