Middletown transcript., 1912-11-02
81 I5'I s 81 7714Y 1OAk7sR6

uopNAU,9 zoo gV 3ng goepS siLl &
several hours later, just before dusk.
a shin ran into the harbor. dropped
orcbor and sent boat to the shore.
m +be small craft sat number OF
,-,ar ana the first Of these to spring
- +ba baacb and mount the stone stair
way to the inn, was met at the top;
warmly greeted, by old Pierre NM
saIgl Mon dieul To see the new
conner was ike old timesl Only now,
an landlord observed jestingly, the
nrofits would be small! But ig to
,parsimony, in these days when mems
natriotisn should be large; do what
bA the Black Seigneur, would with
the new ship, even if he sunk her pro
yided 1t was in good company, ana ne
went down with her himself! To which
protestations the other answered; pre-
sented his companions, and greeteo
the assembled company within.
Busy at a great board, laden with
comestibles interspersed with nagons
nf wines. Nanette welcomed him brief
gv and again his glance-keen and
assured. that of a man the horizon OF
whose vision had widened, since last
he stood there-swept the gathering.
But apparently, one he looked for was
not present, and he had again turned
to the young woman, a question on ms
.ips, when on the garden side OF the
house a door opened. 1t revealed a
towering background, plateau, yel'
low in the last rays Of the sun; It
framed, also, the slender, black-clad
figure of a girl, above whose white
brow the waving hair shone Ike
threads Of gold.
"An old friend Of yours, my Lady,!
called out blunt Pierre.
A moment the clear, brown eyes
seemed to waver; then became steady,
as schooled to some purpose. She
came forward composedly; gave the
Black Seigneur her hand.
T-am always glad to see old
friendsI" said my lady, with lift OF
the head, oVer-conscious, perhaps, OF
the concentrated gaze Of the company.
He looked at her: made perfume
tory answer; she seemed about to
speak again, when the hand he let fall
was caught by another.
"EIsel" From among those who
had come ashore, man in fashionable
attire sprang forward, little thinner
than when last she had seen him, and
more cynical-looking, as slightly soured
by world-contact and the new tenden-
.cies Of society.
my Lordi" Certainly was my lady
taken unawares; moment looked at
the Marquis as if little startled; then
at the Black Seigneur:
"A pleasant surprise for you, my
LADY," said the latter. But you owe
me no thanks! An order from the
chief Of the Admiralty, properly signed
and countersigned, directing me to
transport the Marquis de Beauvillers
hither, was not to be disregarded!"
"a somewhat singular dispensation
of Providence, nevertheless! observed
the nobleman dryly. AFTER our-what
shall we call it?-little passage Of
arms? You must acknowledge, how
ever, that in truth the Lady Elise and
myself had some reason to discredit
your assurances that night"
Far be it from me to dispute it, my
Lord" and the Black Seigneur turned,
while the Marquis, slightly struggling
his shoulders, addressed my lady.
Half blithely, then half bitterly, re-
lapsing occasionally from the old,
debonair manner he had assumed, he
spoke Of his escape from the Mount;
months Of hiding in foul places, amid
fields and forest, with no word Of her;
his success, at last, in reaching Paris,
and, through rumor, learning where
she was, and Fastening to her
A bluff voice interrupted further ex-
plantations and avowals; the steaming
lesh-pots, 1t informed the company,
awaited not soft words and honeyed
phrases; monarch in his own dining
room, ostentatiously conscious, per-
haps, of his own unwonted prodigalityy
Pierre Laroche waved them to their
plaees-where they wouldl-so that
they waited not!
Quizzically my lord lifted his brow;
truly here was a Republican fellow
who appreciated not an honor when
it was bestowed upon him, nor saw
anything unusual in a Marquis pres
ence beneath that humble roof. Some
thing Of this he murmured to my
lady, in tone others might have
heard; but she answered not; took her
place, with red lips the 1rmer, as if
to conceal some weakness to which
they sought to give way.
Not without constraint the meal
passed; the host, desirous to learn
the latest political news, looked at the
Marquis and curbed a natural curios-
ity, until a more favorable moment
when he and the Black Seigneur should
be alone. My lady, although generally
made to feel welcome and at home
there, seemed now, perhaps, to herself,
little out Of place, like person that
has wandered from world of her own
and strayed into anothers. Cross-cur-
rents, long at strife in her breast,
Burged and flowed fast; the while she
seemed to listen to my lord, who APP
peared now in lighter, more airy hu-
NOR. And as she sat thus, with fair
head bent a little, she could but hear,
at times, above the medley Of tones
and the sound of servants footsteps
in clattering wooden shoes, the voice
Of the Black Seigneur-now pledging
toast to old Pierre; anon discussing
winds, tides, or shipsI A free reck-
less voice, that seemed to vibratO
from the past-to stir anew bright,
terrible flames.
Daylight slowly waned; lights were
brought in, and, the meal over, old
Pierre pushed back in his chair. Ny
lady rose quickly; looked little con-
strainedly at the company, at the Mar
quis, then toward the door. Anticipat-
ing her desire, attributing to it, per
haps, a significance fiattering to his
vanity, the young nobleman expressed
a wish for a stroll; a sight Of the gar
den. At once she assented; a slight
tint now on her cheeks, she moved
to the door, and my lord followed; as