Middletown transcript., 1912-08-17
6ovn1 Tnto the heart o.

Down. down! Into the heart o.
village; through tortuous footpatns'
where the pandering, not pietistlc' eie.
ment held sway; where, instead OF
shrines and affairs, had been erecteu
booths and stands before which ven
dors of nondescript Viands or poor
trumpery vented their loquaclty on
the pilgrims:
"All hot! All hot!"
"A Ia barque! A recaille!"
GA vie! Two drinks for lard"
"Voila le plaisir des danes"
The Mount, in olden times glori-
GUS and sacred place for royal pilgrim
ages. where kings came to pray and
seek absolution, seemed now more
mart than holy spot. But those whom
the petty traders sought to entice-
sullen-looking peasants, or poorly clau
fishermen and their families-for the
most part listened indinerently' OF
with stupid derision.
"Bah!" scoffed one of them, Wom-
an dressed in worn-out costume OF IN
herited holiday fnery. Where think
YOU we can get sous for gewgaws"
cor full stomachs with empty
pockets?" said another. The foul
fend take your Portugals!"
The nomadic merchants replied and
a rough alteration seemed impend-
ing. when, pushing through the crowd
the girl hurried on.
Down. down, she continued; to the
base of the rock where the sands shin
ing surface had attracted and yet
held many of the people. Thither
they still continued to come-ln
bands; professions; little streams
that. trickling in, mingled with and
AUGMENTED the rabble. An encamp-
ment for the hour-until the petite
tide should break it up, and drive 1t
piecemeal to the shore or up the
sides of the Mount-it spread out and
almost around the foundations OF the
great rock. Only the shadows 1t
avoided-the chilling outlines OF pin
nacles and towers; the cold impress
Of the saint, holding close to the sun
lit strand and basking in its warmth.
Some, following the example of their
sea-faring fellows, dug half-heartedly
! in the sands in the hope Of eking out
the meager evening meal with
course, salt-favored; others, abandon
ing themselves to lighter employment,
made merry in heavy or riotous fash
ion, but the effect Of these holiday
efforts was only depressing and in
congruous.
won't you join?" Some ones arm
abruptly seized my lady.
mo, mol"
Unceremoniously he still would have
drawn her into the ring, but with
sudden swift movement, she escaped
from his grasp.
"My child" The voice was that Of
a wolfsh false friar who, seeing her
pass quickly near by, broke off in
threat. solicitation and appeal for sous,
| to intercept her. Aren't you in hur'
ry, my child?"
at may be-" she answered steadily,
with no effort to conceal her aversion
at sight of the cleaning eyes and
! LGGlQ. LOO uuCu SOB " SPCoA WA
you, who are no friar!"
What mean you?" His expression,
ingratiating before, had darkened, and
! from his mean eyes shot malignant
look; she met it with fearless dis
dain.
THAT you make pretext Of this
holy day to rob the people-as II
they are not poor enough"
Ban you with bell, book and can
die! Your tongue is too sharp, my
girl" he snarled, but did not linger
long, finding the flashing glance, the
contemptuous mien, or the truth OF
| her words, little to his liking. That
he profted not by the last, however
was soon evident as with amulets and
talismans for a bargain, again he
moved among the crowd, conjuring by
a full calendar of saints, real and
! imaginary, and protesting to excom-
municate, in an execrable confusion
of monkish gibberish, where the peo-
pie could not, or would not comply
with his demands.
/ $50 they are-poor enough" Lean
ing on a stick, an aged fishwife who
had drawn near and overheard part OF
the dialogue between the thrifty rogue
and the girl, now shook her withered
head. yet still to be cozened! Never
too poor to be cozened!" she repeated
! in shrill falsettO tones.
/ "And why" sharply my lady turned
to the crone, why are they so poor?
The lands are rich-the soil fertile"
"Why?" more shrilly. you must
come from some far-off place not to
know. Why? Don't you, also, have
to pay metayage to some great lord2
And banalite here, and banalite there,
J until"
But surely, if you applied to your
great lord, your Governor; If you told
| him"
"If we told him!" Brokenly the
woman laughed. "Yes; yes; Of course;
if"
81 don't understand" said the Gov
ernor's daughter coldly.
Muttering and chuckling, the wom-
an did not seem to hear; had started
to hobble on, when abruptly the girl
stopped her.
Where do you nve?"
"There!" A claw-like finger point
/ ed. "On the old Seigneur's lands-a
little distance from the woods"
THE old Seigneur? You knew
him?"
'I.new him! Who better?" The
whitened head wagged. And the Black
Seigneur? Wasn't he left, as a child,
with me, when the old Seigneur went
to America? And" pursuing her thin
lips, didn't care for him, and bring
him up as one of MY own?"
But thought heard that he. the