The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-23

in the wind much like the sail of a
derelict. could see ia fancy that cele4
brated field whereon this eclipse had
been supernally prearranged. Ho
could hear the boom of cannon, the
thunder of cavalry, the patter OF mus
kerry, now thick, now scattered, ana
again not unlike the subdued rattle OF
rain on the bulging silk careening
before him. He held the handle OF
the umbrella under his arm, for the
wind had a temper mawling and de-
structive, and veered into the Place
Vauban. Another man. coming with
equal haste from the opposite direc-
ton, from the entrance of the tom b
itself, was also two parts hidden be-
hind an umbrella. The two came to-
Bether with "A jolt as sounding as that
of two old crusaders in friendly just.
Instantly they retreated. lowering
their shields.
Il beg your pardon said Fitz-
gerald in French.
1T is of no consequence" replied
the stranger, laughing. This is al
ways devil OF corner on a windy
day" His French had slight Ger
man twist to it.
Briefly they inspected each other,
as strangers will, careiessly, with an
noyance and amusement interplaying
| IN their eyes and on their lips, all in
| a trlhing moment. Then each raised
| his hat and proceeded. as TRANQUILITY
| and unconcernedIy as though destiny
| had no Interior motive in bringing
| them thus really together And yet.
| when they had passed and disappear
| ed from each others view, both were
struck with the fact that somewhere
| they had met before.
| FITZGERALD went infp "a tomb HE
| head barred. The marble underfoot
| bore the imprint of many shoes and
fuehefs= and hahna4is,=of aii sizes and
| -mayhap--of all nations. He recol-
| lected, with a burn on his cheeks, a
sacrilege of his raw and eager youth,
some twelve years since; he had for
| gotten to take off his hat, Never
would he forget the embarrassment of
| that moment when the attendant
| karemptorily bade him remove 1t.
| tie, to have forgotten He. who held
Napoleon above all heroesl The
| shame of it!
| To-day many old soldiers were
gathered meditatively round the heavy
| circular railing. They were aiways
| drawn hlther on memorab BILE anniver-
saries. Their sires and grandsirea
/ had carried seEse, OF those tatreretf
flags, had won them. The tides of
time might ebb and flow, but down
| there. in his block of Siberian por-
| phyry, slept the hero. There were
| some few tourists about this after
noon. muttering over their guide
books. when nothing is needed on
! this spot hut the imagination; and
I that solemn quiet of which the tomb
Is ever jealous pressed down sadly
upon the living. Through the yellow
| panes at the back of the high altar
! came glow suggesting sunshine.
| battling the drab of the sky outside !;
ana down in the crypt itself the misty
| oiue was as effective as moonshine,
Napoleon had always been Fitz-
| gerald's ideal hero; but he did not
| worship him blindiy. no. He knew
| nm TO nave been brutal, domineer-
ing man, INSCRIPTIONS in politics, TO
| Wnom woman was either a temporary
| toy or a stepping stone, not over
particular whether she was dairy
maid or an Austrian princess; in
fact. a rascal, but a great inven-
tive. splendid. courageous one, the
Kind which nature calls forth every
score or years to purge her breast of
the petty rascals, to the benefit of
mankind in general Notwithstand-
Ing that he was rascal, there was
an inextinguiShable glamous about the
man against which the bolts of truth,
history, letters biographers broke in
effectually. Oh, but he had shaken
up all Europe; he had made precious
kings rattle in their shoes: he had
redrawn hundred maps: and men
had laughed as they died for him.
1t Is something for rascal to have
evolved the Code Napoleon. What a
queer satisfaction it must be, even at
this late day, nearly a hundred years
removen% to any Englishman, standing
above this crypt. to recollect that
upon English soil the Great Shadow
had never set his iron heel
Near to Fitzgerald stood an elderly
man and girl The old fellow was a
fine type of manhood; perhaps in the
sixties. white-haired. and the rudy
enamel on his cheeks spoke eloquent
ly of sea changes and many angles
of the sun. There was a button in the
lapel OF his coat. and from this Fitz-
gerald assumed that he was a naval
officer probably retired.
The girl rested upon the railing.
her hands folded, and dreamiiy her
gaze wandered from trophy to trophy;
from the sarcophagus to the encirclirg
faces, from one window to another,
and again 10 the porphyry beneath.
And Fitzgerald gaze wandered, too.
For the girls face was of that mold
winch inVariaDiy draws nrSt the eye
Of man. then his intellect. then his
heart, and sometimes all three at
once. The face was as lovely as a rose
of Taormina. Dark brown were her
eyes, dark brown was her hair. She
was tall and 1.-the, too. with the subtle
hint of the woman. There were good
taste and sense In her garments
A bunch of Parma yiolets was pinned
against her breast.
ITO Be continued.l