The circle banner., 1917-11-23
CHAPTER xV-Continued.

Its wonderful" SOphy declared.
"Try and bear the thread of it all in
your mind. For two acts you have
been asked to. focus your attention
upon the increasing brutality of the
marquis. Remember that, won't your"
mot likely to forget it," John re-
Piled. "How well they all act!"
There was a quarter of an hours
interval before the curtain rose again.
Rumors concerning the last act had
been floating about for weeks, and the
house was almost tense with excite
ment as the curtain went up. The
scene was the country chateau of the
marquis de Guy" who brought a
noisy crowd of companions from Paris
without any warning. His wife showed
signs of dismay at his coming. He
had brought with him women whom
she declined to receive.
The great scene between her hus-
band and herself took place in the
square hall of the chateau, on the first
floor. Louise reaffirms her intention
of leaving the house. Her husband
laughs at her. Her position is hope
less.
"What can you do?'' he mocks.
She shrugs her shoulders and passes
into her room. The marquis sinks upon
q settee, and presently is Joined by
one of the ladies who have travelled
with him from Paris. He talks to her
of the pictures upon the wall. She is
impatient to meet the Marquise de
Guy.
The marquis knocks at his wife's
door. Her voice is heard clearly, after
a moments pause.
SIN few minutesr she replies.
The marquis resumes his filtration.
His companion becomes impatient
the marquis has pledged his word that
she should be received by his wife. An
ancient enmity against the Marquise
de Guy prompts her to insist.
The marquis shrugs his shoulders
and knocks more loudly than ever at
his wife's door. She comes out dressed
for travel and is met by Faraday, who
suddenly appears.
ssYou asked me what I could do"
she says, pointing to her lover. "You
see nowP'
There was moments breathless 81
lence through the house. The scene in
itself was little beyond anything that |
the audience had expected. Sophy, |
who had been leaning over the edge of |
the box, turned around in no little |
anxiety. She heard the door slam. |
John had disappeared
He left the theater with only his hat |
La his hand, turning up his coat by in
rtinct as he passed through the driving |
rain. All his senses seemed tingling
With some nameless horror. The bril-
nance of the language, the subtlety of
the situation, seemed like some evil
trail drawn across that one horrible
climax. 1t was Louise who had come
from that room and pointed to Fara-
day!
He reached his rooms-he scarcely
knew how-and walked upstairs. There
he threw off some of his dripping gar
ments, opened the window wide, and
stood there.
BE looked out over the Thames and
there was red flare before his eyes.
There was nothing but evil to be found
here, nothing but bitter disappofnt-
ment, nothing but the pain which deep
ems into anguish. Better to remain
ike Stephen, unloving and unloved, to
draw nearer to the mountains, to find
joy In the crops and the rain and the
sunshine, to listen stonily to the cry
Of human beings as if to some voice
from an unknown world.
He leaned a little further from the
and gazed into the court at
1izzy depth below. He had cut himself
ldrift from the peace which might have
been his. He would never know again
he joys of his earlier life. 1t was for
his that he had fought so many bat
les, clung so tightly to one ideal-for
louise, who could show herself to any
us half-guinea, glorying in her dis
,onor; worse than glorying in it-fnd-
ng some subtle humor in the little ges-
ure with which she had pointed, un-
shamed, TO her lover.
John bent a little lower from the
window. A sudden dizziness seemed
o have come over him. Then he was |
orced to turn around. His door had |
cen quickly opened and shut. 1t was !
'ophy who was crossing toward him, )
he rain streaming from her ruined
pera cloak.
"John /" she cried. ooh, Johnl"
She led him back to his chair and lC
melt by his side. She held his hands W
ghtly.
you mustn't feel like this" she te
obbed; you mustn't, John, really I Of
ou don't understand. It's all a play. sc
ouise wouldn't really do anything like
lat !" Tx
He shivered. Nevertheless, he p,
utched her hands and drew her closer hi
, him.
do, please, listen to me-" she al
egged. TITS all over. Louise is her hs
If again-Louise Maurel. The Mar
lise de Guy never lived except upon Il
lose boards. 1t is simply wonderful NJ
'eation. Any one of the great A. q
esses would play that part and glory
IL the very greatest, John. Oh, IT. hi