The Washington herald., 1913-01-19
CHAPTER Y.
De sarIines Becomes Host.


Fauborg St. Honore, on the right as
You went toward the royal palace and
almost opposite to the Rue d'Agues-
seau-
Along this side of the way one found
the frontages of number Of palatial
mansions stretching from the Hotel de
Montbazon to the Hotel GEvreux. The
broad gardens of these houses. bird
haunted, sparkling with the waters oi
fountains and glorious with flowers
reached right down to the tree-planted
spaces bordering the Avenue des Tuile-
ries. The Hotel de Richelieu, which
shortly after the date of this story the
marechal exchanged for another resi-
dence in Paris, was not the least sump-
tuous of these houses and this morn
ing at half past eleven, as its owner
stood for a moment on the terrace over
looking the gardens, flowers never ap-
peared more beautiful, fountains bright
er, or trees more green than those
fountains, flowers, and trees stretching
before him to the foliage of the Ave
nue. des Tuileries. He had just ar
rived from Versailles, and he was
thinking nothing of the beauty before
him; the impending dejeuner occupied
his thoughts. 1t amused him to think
of Madame Linden in the arena with
four virulent enemies attacking her,
sharptoothed as rats and poisonous as
serpants; he expected to see them
horribly mangled, and he expected to
see her horribly bitten. 1t would be
a duel of wit conducted with smiles, TO
the tune of the clinking of champagne
glasses and the sound OF VIolIns. He
had sent the invitations by special mes
senger on that morning, and so ur-
gently worded that he was sure OF all
the belligerents responding.
As he was thinking OF this, serv-
ant came to the terrace from the house.
with the announcement that Monsieur
de Sartines had arrived.
De Richelieu entered the house and
passing down a corridor, found the
reception room which opened on the
room where deJcuner would be served.
Here. superb in the costume of the
dav. sword at side. in a brocaded coat
and with ruffles of Mechlin lace, stood
the lieutenant general of police.
The two noblemen bowed one to the
other with great forrnality, then drop
ping formality like a cloak, De Sar--
tines cast himself into a chair and
crossed his legs.
We'll. NV dear Due, you see | have
come. 1t guessed the motive of your
urgencv-tliat unfortunate De Lus-
Yes" cried De Richelicu. who had
almost forgotten his kinsman's predlca-
1nent. What OF him? | heard You
had placed him in retirement What
has he been DOING?
oh, ma fol! what has he not: 1t
is the most serious case | have yet had
TO deal with" Then, leaning forward
in his chair. he told the story OF De
L.usSac as VIC know it. with this ad-
dition. that on searching in the orange
tree tub in the courtyard of De Lus-
sac's house, packet OF papers belong
inc to the Society of the Midi had
been unearthed, incriminating many
people. and especially De Lusac.
Ma foil" cried De Richelieu, this
is serious! Fool. This will mean ban
oh. no. Monsieur" replied De Sar-
tines: this will mean the lst St
Marguerite. We cannot let this trebrand
free across the frontier to work his
sedition perhaps at Geneva or IN Hol-
land. But you need not fear; there
will be no family disgrace, Just re-
moval, extinction.
Scarcely had De Sartines finished
than a servant entered and approached
De Richelieu.
sieur"
"Haffe to see me? Why, he must have
come all the way from Versailles. One
moment. my dear De Sartines.
He left the room and in the library
found Raffe.
Raffe was white as death.
Monsieur" cried he, when his mas
ter had closed the door, "a terrible
thing has happened"
Yes! Speak, What is it?"
Your bureau has been tampered
with"
"Mu bureau?"
Monsieur, when you left me your
KEYS this morning, with instructions to
60 over the Tarnier affair, l went to
YOUR bureau. The top right-hand
drawer, when l tried to unlock 1t,
proved to be unlocked. The papers
seemed to be in order, but I remem-
bered the secret panel inclosing the
document you hIfoN III SOilSCiliiiIS
Monsieur De Sartines. My God
Monsieur" cried Raffe, suddenly COL
lapsing into a chair, the document
is gone"
Gone" cried De Richelieu.
Gone; ay, gone; and know who
has taken it"
De Richelieu, greatly shaken by this
news, said nothing for a moment. He
remembered last night, and the bar
oness, and how she had locked him
out of the room.
Well" he said at last. Speak
who has taken it?"
Monsieur de Lussac."
DE Lussacr
Yes, Monsieur; he came on that
visit for no other reason. He was
alone in the library. Oh, it was he,
beyond any manner of doubt. No one
else had access to the place"
De Richelieu, calmer now, reflected
on this side He felt sure in his
heart that the woman of the night be-
fore was the culprit. but his amour
propre revolted at the thought. He
preferred to think that he had been
betrayed by his kinsman rather than
that he had been fooled by a woman.
Then he remembered their connection,
and the truth, that perhaps the pair
of them had united to outwit him, be-
gan TO dawn on his mind An intense