Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-06
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bv FREDERIC s. ISNAM H.
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY 7S74I 1OAh7=RS

De dentelle or the chapel to the left,
might we'll eXclaim no royal road could
compare with this inspiring and holy
way; nor is it difficult to understand
sudden enchantment here, or be-
yond, that drew to the rock on three
! pilgrimages that other Louis, more sim
ner than saint, the eleventh Of his
name to mount the throne of France.
But those stones, worn in the past
by the footsteps Of the illustrious and
the lowly, were deserted now, and, for
| the moment, only the moon, which had
escaped from the cloud, exercised
there the right Of way; looking square
ly down to efface times marks and
pave with silver from top to bottom
the flight of stairs. 1t played, too, on
facades, towers and battlements on
either side, and, at the spectacle-the
disk directly before him-the Black
Seigneur, about to leave the dark and
sheltering byway. involuntarily paused.
Angels might walk unseen up and
down in that effulgence, as, indeed,
the old monks stoutly averred was
their habit; but mortal intrusion on
the argent way could be fraught only
with visibility.
To reach the point he had In mind,
however, no choice remained; the
steps had to be mounted, and, lower
ing his head and looking down, DELHI
erately he started. AS he proceeded
his solitary figure seemed to become
more distinct; his presence more OBJ
trusive and his echoing footsteps to
resound louder. No indication he had
been seen or heard, however, reached
him; to all appearances espionage Of
his movements was wanting, and only
the saint with the sword at the top Of
the steeple-guardian spirit Of the
rock-lcokeG down, az Il holding high
cleaning warning Of that unwonted
Intrusion.
Yet, though he knew it not, mortal
eye had long been on him, peering
from window Of the abbot's bridge
spanning the way and joining certain
long unused chambers, next to the
Governors palace, with my lady's
abode. Against the somber background
of that covered passage of granite, the
face looking out would still have re-
manned unseen, even had the young
man, drawing near, lifted his glance.
This, however, he did not do; his eyes,
with the pale reflections dancing in
them, had suddenly fastened them
selves lower; toward another person,
not far beyond the bridge; some one
who had turned in from passage on
the other side Of the overhead archi-
tectural link, and had just begun to
come down. An old man, with flow
ing beard, from afar the newcomer
looked not unlike one of the ancient
Druids that, in days gone by, had
lighted and watched the sacred fires
Of sacrifice in the rock. He, too guard
ed his light but one BET In the tall,
pewter lamp Of the medieval watch
man.
"Twelve o'clock and all's-" he be-
gan when his glance. sweeping down,
caught sight Of the ascending figure,
and, pausing, he leaned on his staff
with one hand and shaded mis- eyes
with the other.
a half-savage exclamation OF disap-
pointment was suppressed on the
young mans lips; had he only been
able to attain that parallelogram Of
darkness, beneath the abbot's passage,
he would have been better satisfied,
his own eyes, looking ahead, seemed
to say; then cleaned With holder
light.
"a sword and blade
a drab ard Jade;
Ills one to the Kings men Of the armyl"
he began to hum softly, as with O
more reckless swing, quickly he went
up in the manner of a man assigned
some easy errand. At the same time
the patriarch slowly and rather labori-
ously resumed his descent, and just
below the bridge, without the bar Of
shadow, the two came together.
Think you it is too late for his Ex-
cel1ency, the Governor, to receive a
message?" at once spoke up the young
err, breaking off in that dashing, but
low.murmured, song Of the barracks.
THAT you may learn from the guard