The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-01-23

10 THESE advances, the uownspeopIe re-
| sponGed i'll, and the young mobiles
brow went delicately up, as If a little
amused! Mon dieui did not unfriend-
IL eyes peer from every lurking place
around the royal palaces and pleasure
! grounds near Paris; and had they not
encountered them all the way to the
sea? People were the same every
where; must be treated like bad chill
dren, and, with relays of troops from
! the capital to the sea, from the strand
to the Mounts high top, one could
afford to smile at their petty humors.
Above all, when one had more mo-
! mentous matter for consideration
And my lord lifted his head higher,
| toward a rampant, where some one
/ had once bid him au revoir, and
where he might yet in fancy see a
| fluttering ribbon wave bright adieui
! But today my lady, the Princess of
the Rock, was not there; waited
! above, with her father, TO receive
/ him-then-in the great Hall of the
| Chevaliers. Until that morning she
had not known of the coming of the
Marquis, an impatient sutton, follow
ing the courier and the perfumed mis-
, sive acquainting her with the mobiles
near approach. Certainly had she
! shown surprise; but whether she was
! pleased or not, his Excellency could
! not tell.
| He was still uncertain; standing,
near the raised gallery, in the ancient
/ sale des chevaliers, from time to
time regarded her furtively! Often
/ had she looked from one Of the round
| windows, commanding a view of the
| shore and the sands; many times
turned away. At first sight of the
! company on the beach, the Governor
had seen the girls face alter and not
/ ed the involuntary start she had
| given. Whereupon, moving toward one
Of the giant fire-places, had he sought
/ for the sake Of diplomacy and the
/ end in view, to turn their converse
ton into a channel that should have
/ interested her; spoke of plans to be
made; preparations for festivities and
/ merrymaking commensurate with the
/ circumstances. But to these sugges-
/ tons Of gaieties, the prelude to
stately ceremony, had she hardly
listened; paused absently before the
blazing logs; once or twice seemed
about to say something and stopped.
She was silent now, a slender figure
f. hnnnath that OF CT
4 designed for the shelter of a score
/ of knights; nervously twining and in.
tertwining her fingers. she looked out
at the shadows moving between the
/ columns, playing around the bases,
or melting in the vaulting.
They should be almost here now"
observed his Excellency. again seek
ing to break that spell of constraint,
when suddenly she stepped to him.
Mon PEREZ her voice sounded
/ strained, unnatural, at was you who
wanted this marriage?"
Yes" he had answered in some
surprise; yes"
"And I have not opposed you-the
King"
Opposed? No! OF course not"
Then" more hurriedly, must you
do something in return for me! | do
not want my--the wedding festivities
! -marred by anything unpleasant!
Promise that nothing will happen to
him, the Black Seigneur, until after"
! Impossible" The sudden virulence
her unexpected request awoke could
not be concealed.
Very WE'LL" Before the anger in
his gaze, her own eyes flashed like
steel. "In that case, you can send
the Marquis back! For / will not see
him-today, tomorrow or any other
time again!"
Long he looked at her; the white
face; the tightly compressed lips; the
eyes that would not finch! They re-
minded him Of another's-were of the
same hue-so like, and yet so differ
ent! Unlike, in bespeaking a will he
could not break What he sal. mat
tiers not; his face wore an ashy shade
] She did not answer in words; but he
felt, with strange bitterness, a revul.
sion; she seemed almost suddenly to
have become hostile TO him
! Gay voices sounded without; near
er; she walked to a door opposite the
entrance their visitors We're approach
ing. An instant, and she would have
passed out, when the Governor spoke
But the Marquis, stepping quickly
in few moments later, noted nothing
amiss between them. Your Excel.
lency!" With filial respect he greet
ed the Governor. MY Lady," Gaily,
approvingly, his eye passed over her;
then in that hall dedicated to chiv-
airy, graceful figure, he sank to his
knee; raised a small cold hand, and
pressed it to his lips.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Under World.