, 1912-02-08
CHAPTER |.
A MEMORIAL DATE.


BLURRING rain fell upon Par
is that day. 1t was the 18th
"a OF June. To Fitzgerald there
was something electric in the
date. Many years before this date
had marked the end to a certain hun
dred days. the eclipse of a sun more
dazzling than Rome in the heyday OF
her august Caesars had ever known
Waterloo. A little corporal of. artil
lery. from a cooked hat to a crown,
from Corsica to st. Helena-NapoieOn
Fitzgerald as he pressed his way
along the Boulevard des lnvalides. his
umbrella swaying and swapping in the
wind much like the sail of a derelict.
could see III fancy that celebrated
field whereon this eclipse had been
supernally prearranged. He held the
handle of the umbrella under his arm
for the wind had q temper mawling
and destructive. and veered into the
Place Vauban. Another man coming
with equal haste from the opposite
direction. from the entrance of the
tomb itself. was also two parts hidden
behind an umbrella. The two came
together with a jolt as sounding as
thai of two old crusaders in a friendly
ioust. Instantly they retreated. lower
ing their shields.
II beg your pardon" said Fitzgerald
In French.
1T is of no consequence" replied the
stranger, laughing. This is always u
devil of a corner on a windy day
bis French had a slight German twist
to it.
Briefly they inspected each other. as
strangers will. carelessly. with annoy
ance and amusement INTERPRETING In
their eyes and on their lips. all in "A
ul1ing moment. Then each raised his
nat and proceeded as tranquility and
uh~concernedly as though destiny had
10 Interior motive In bringing them
mus really together. And yet when
they had passed and disappeared from
each others view both were struck
with the fact thai somewhere they had
met before.
Fitzgerald went into the tomb. his
mead barred. Napoleon had always
been Fitzgeraid's hero: but he did not
Worship him blindly. 10. He knew
an to have been a brutal. domineer
ag man. INSCRIPTIONS in politics. to
'hom oma was either a temporary
Wy or a stepping stone, not overpar-
uCular whether she was a dairymaid
" an Austrian ~princess-in fact. n
nscal. hut n great. inventive. splendid.
outrageous one.
Near to Fitzgerald stood an elderly
nan and a girl The old fellow was
hne type of manhood. perhaps In
ae sixties. white haired, and the
uddy enamel on his cheeks spoke
.oquently of sea changes and many
'ngles of the sun. There was a but
va IN the lapel of his coat and from
's Fitzgerald assumed that he was
: naval officer. probably retired.
ihe girl rested upon the railing. her
ahds folded. and dreamily her gaze.
'aahdered from trophy to trophy: from
~ sarcophagus to the encircling
aces from one window to another
.au again to the porphyry beneath
aud F~ttzgerald's gaze wandered. too
sor the girls face was of that mold
.uich invariably dra VS. first the eye
d man, hen his intellect. then his
Nearl' and sometimes all three at once
rne race was as lovely as a rose of
.aorhina. Dark brown were her
'eS' dark brown was her hair She
as TALL and 1.-THE. toe, with the subtle
~ or the woman There were good
s''e n sense in her garments. A
unch of Parma violets was pinned
sainst her breast
Between Fitzgerald and the girl was
,eteran He had turned eighty II
uhS His face was powder blown,
empty sleeve was folded across