St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-09-07
CHAPTER III.

station, drawn up in the court
yard at the foot of the stairs lead
ing to the gallery. and all the people
of the inn. from Mime. Brossard (who
dIrectedD. to Glouglou twho madly at
tempted the heaviest piecesI. busily
installing trunks. bags and packing
cases in the suit engaged for the
great man OF science" on the second
floor of the east wing OF the building.
Neither the great man nor his compan-
ion was to be seen. however, both hav-
ing retired to their rooms Immediately
upon their arrival. so Amedee inform
ed me.
made my evening ablutions, re-
moving a Joseph's coat of dust and
paint. and came forth from my pavil-
ion. hoping that Professor Keredec
and his friend would not mind eating
in the same garden with man in
corduroy jacket aud knickerbockers,
but the gentlemen continued invisible
to the public eye. and mine was the
only table set for dinner In the gar
den. Upstairs the curtains were care
fully drawn across all the windows of
the east wing. little leaks of orange
here and there betraying the lights
within.
sit is to be supposed that Professor
Keredec and his friend are fatigued
with their journey from PARISH be-
gan little later.
Monsieur. they did not seem IA
tigued." said Amedee.
but they dine in their own rooms
tonight"
Every night. monsieur. It is the
order of Professor Keredec. And with
their own valet de chambre to serve
them. Eh?" He poured my coffee sol
EMMY. THAT is mysterious, to say
the least. isn't it?"
ITO say the very least" agreed.
Monsieur the professor is a man Of
secrets. it appears" continued Amedee.
when he wrote to Nine. Brossard, en-
gaging his rooms. he instructed her to
be careful that none Of us should men,
ton even his name. and today when
he came he spoke of his anxiety on
that point"
But you did mention it,
ITO whom, monsieurg" asked the old
fellow blankly.
ITO me-"
But / told him I had not" said
Amedee placidly. ut is the same
thing"
II wonder" l began, struck with a
sudden thought, IF it will prove quite
the same thing in my own case. sup,
pose you have not mentioned the cir
cumstance of my being here to your
friend Jean Ferret of Quesnay?"
He looked at me reproachfully. HAS
monsieur been troubled by the people
of the chateau? Have they done any
thing whatever TO show that they have
heard monsieur is here?'
mo; certainly they haven't" ] was
obliged to retract at once. 81 beg your
pardon. Amedee."
"Ah, monsieur He made a depre-
catory bow, which plunged me still
deeper in shame. ''All the same" he
pursued. lit seems very mysterious
this Keredec affair."
When a man is leading a very quiet
and isolated life it is 1nconceivable
what tribes will occupy and concen-
trate his attention. Thus. though l
treated the "Keredec affair" with a
seeming airiness to Amedee, / cunning
~ drew the faithful rascal out until
virtually | was receiving every even
ing at dinner a detailed report of the
days doings of Professor Keredec and
his companion.
The reports were voluminOus. the de-
tails few. Professor Keredec's voice
could often be heard in every part of
the inn, at times holding forth with
such protracted vehemence that only
one explanation would suffice = the
learned man was delivering a lecture
to his companion.
Amedee brushed away my suggestion
that the auditor might be stenogra-
pher TO whom the professor was dictat-
ing chapters for new book. The re-
lation between the two men. he con-
tended, was more like that between
teacher and pupil. But a pupil with
gray hair" he finished. raising his fat
hands to heaven. for that other mon
sieur has hair as gray as mine"
THAT other monsieur" was further
described as a thin man. handsome,
but with singular air." nor could
my colleague more satisfactorily define
this air.
ascertained that. although that
other monsieur" had gray hair, he was
by no means a person of great age.
Indeed. Glouglou. who had seen him
oftener than any other OF the stan.
maintained that he was quite young.
Nevertheless. Amedee remarked. 1t was
certain that Professor Keredec's friend
was neither an American nor an Eng
lishman.
s'Why is it certain?'' / asked.
Monsieur. he drinks nothing but wa
ter, he does not smoke, and Glouglou
says he eats his soup silently"
-'Glouglou is an authority who re-
solves the difficulty. That other mon
sieur' is Frenchman."