Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-17
CHAPTER xXXv.

CAAFIEH AAAv.
The man who had been waiting rose
with little gesture Of relief as the door
was thrown open. He looked with some
surprise toward the marchioness. The
marquis was silent for a moment. This
was not the man he had expected to see.
1t was necessary for him to rearrange his
ideas.
Gilbert Hannaway bowed and turned
toward him. Il hope you will pardon the
liberty l have taken. Lord dillingham;.
he said. lin awaiting your return. l
wished to see you upon q matter which
is Of great importance to me, and ven-
tured to hope that you would give me a
sible."
Lord Ellingham was acquiescent. almost
urbane. Il shall be very glad to hear
what you have to say. Mr.. Hannaway."
he said. Permit me-" he added, turning
toward his wife. ito present to you this
gentleman. 1t Is Mr.. Gilbert Hannaway
the Warehouses of dillingham;
Hannaway bowed low. II must apollo
gize again. Lady Ellingham," he said.
for disturbing your husband SO late. If
you can spare him to me for a few min
utes. though, / shall be very glad. l wish
to consult him about somewhat impor-
tant matter
The marchioness smiled pleasantly.
Il am going to sit over there in the easy
chair and-I hope you won't ,ind-smoke
| a cigarette
Gilbert Hannaway looked from the mar
eff may say So" he began. 1.-The bust
| ness which / have with you, Lord Filing
| ham. is of a private nature
Mr. Hannaway.'' the marquis said. Il
have no secrets from my wife. Every
word which you could possibly say to me.
connected with any subject whatever, l
| should even prefer you to say before her.
have great confidence in my wife 8
| Judgment
The marchioness smiled. MY hus-
band she said. has been indulging in a
little retrospection this evening. am
quite sure that he would like me to hear
anything that you may have to say And
| SO far as you are concerned. / can as
| sure you that 1 am most discreet per-
SON."
Hannaway bowed. If it is your wish,
| Lord dillingham; he said. gravely,
there is no reason why l should not say
l have come to- make something which
to you may sound like an appeal. I have
come at this hour Of the night because
| there is very little time to spare.
The marquis seated himself in an easy
chair. opposite to his wife. and placed
| one for Hannaway between the two. Go
on he said. You are sure that you will
| not smoker
Hannaway shook his head, Not at
present thank you," he answered. II
| want to talk to you. Lord Ellingham.
| about something which happened in Paris
| nearly five years ago."
II imagined So" the marquis muir
INJURED.
1T is very largely a personal matter,
after all" Hannaway continued. (which
| has brought me here. In those days
was young man. with q love OF adven-
ture which led me into strange places
hoy uroo l0y ~ n
venture which made me an habitue of
| the night cafes in Paris and a visitor at
| a certain house in the Place Noire. where
| / met you, Lord Ellingham, more than
once"
Lord Ellingham nodded. go on" he
| said.
II am not here" Hannaway continued.
earnestly. ito speak Of the things which
went on in that house: They do not con,
Germ my present mission at all. 1t used
| to amuse me to imagine myself an In
spired solver Of mysteries. I used to like
| to set myself imaginary tasks. to trace
down imaginary criminals. 1t was only
| the outcome of my natural love of ad-
| venture; the fancy or hobby. or whatever
| you like to call 1t, passed away. / am
not here tonight to pose as person who
| by chance has stumbled across a secret
| The marquis raised his eyebrows.
MOP" he asked, politely. You are
aware. of course, that there is one close
at hand?''
| 4 am aware of it, Lord Ellingham.'
| Hannaway answered. "It is not my bust
| intimidate you. l am here to crave a
| favor
| The marchioness leaned a little forward
| in her chair.
| knitted eyebrows. II do not quite under
stand
Il was young in those days. and I think
/ have told you that l had romantic Inn
pulses" Hannaway continued. There
child-who when l first knew it was an
| inmate of the house in the Place Noire.
For some reason, am not sure why. but
1 think l can guess. she left it. She left
| 1t. penniless, except from a generous gift
| from you. She left it. I know, against
your will, but feeling that from You. at
| any rate. she had never met with any
| thing but kindness. / used to watch her.
| l used to wonder what attraction there
| was in her somber dark eyes and her
somewhat sullen bearing. But there was
| an attraction. Other people. as you know,
| felt it. She left that house-it was as
well for her that she did-and she sang
| in the streets with a hunchback who
| came from the village where she was
| born, who had followed her to Paris. and
who seems all his life to have borne for
| her a wonderful affection. l saw them
new my acquaintance with the girl. Al
| ways she was cold and distant. She
seemed to have become imbibed with a
| great and ever-present distrust of my
sex Then came that fatal night when
| the police made their raid upon the house
| in the Place Noire. She and the hunch-
| back were there, outside. He had many
strange friends. and he had heard of
what was coming. They had FASTENED
up at the bidding of the Vicomte de
Neuilly-the man Marcel. as he is now
called-the girls uncle. There was some
| scheme by means of which he was to es-
cape with them. You managed somehow
| to take his place. Sheltered by their
presence, wheeling. in fact their piano,
you escaped. You passed down the little
| cobbled hill which led from the Place
| Noire and you passed also out of that
| life. No one can be more sorry than !,
Lord Ellingham. that you did not pass
out of 1t forever"
| Il am very much interested Lord FL
| bingham murmured. please continue.
If you had told me that you had come
once more to warn me l could have un-
| derstood your presence. But favor?"
| Il am coming to that Gilbert Hanna
| way continued. Il was wounded that
| night, as perhaps you know, and 1t was
| some months before / was able to get
about again. All the time 1 found my
self thinking of that girl with the dark
| When ! was well I set myself to find
them and l failed. They were not in
| Paris: they were not in any of the cities
where / sought for them. In whatever
| city ] CHANGED to be l looked for them.
| At night in my rooms. ii heard a piano
| in the streets, I hurried to the window.
1t was always the same-failure l did
not see the girl again until a few months
| ago"
1Jx~,xp