The Yale expositor., 1917-03-29
Seventh Episode.
The Awakening.


Suddenly Blanca turned on Roman
off and his companions and ordered
them from the cellar. Nothing loath
to escape the anger of their employer,
they filed away. Blanca closed the
door behind them and seated herself
upon the couch at Ravengar's side.
"Why don't you like me?" she asked.
Ravengar rose to his feet, with the
suspicion of a mocking smile on his
face.
Indeed, madame, in spite of my i'm
prisonment here I have conceived the
highest respect for my jailor," he an
swered.
Blanca turned furiously upon him.
"It isn't often that 1 have practi,
cally told a man that 1 am interested
in him." she cried. "This is the sec
ond time that have-I have admitted
it to you"
Ravengar looked at her so search
ingy that Blanca, even in her angry
humiliation felt baffled.
She flung herself from the cellar and
bolted the door on the outside. Then
she went up to her boudoir and threw
herself upon the lounge in an agony
of humiliation.
Suddenly, as she raised her eyes,
she saw in the far corner of the room
the same mysterious vision as before.
There were the two flaming eyes, the
death-white hands; and, as she
watched, she saw the hands trace, in
phosphorescent letters upon the air,
the message:
IF you would win Ravengar's love,
obtain from Sebastian Navarro a con-
fession of the forgery which blackens
the name of a dead man."
She sprang to her feet and ran
across the room. The writing faded
out. The corner was empty.
She recoiled in terror. The same
warning as before, and obviously a
spirit warning What did it mean?
She resolved to get the confession
from Sebastian.
A ring! Woo Lee stood in the door
way. He indicated that visitor stood
In the hall.
"All right. I'll see him." said BIZ
anca.
To her amazement, almost horror,
Sebastian himself came into the room.
He looked at her for a moment.
Then he bowed and came forward, his
smile answering Biancas own.
"I'm sorry that business matter didn't
20 through" he said. II might have
bought that so-called confession
from you. OF course it was blackmail,
but my wife was making trouble for
me-"
"Wives generally do make trouble,
said Blanca, with the wit of her kind.
won't you sit down, Senor Navarro"
He took his seat beside her. "I
don't know what happened to that
wretched paper" he continued, "but
my wife lost 1t or had 1t stolen. Any
way, that's all over now, and this time
/ haven't come on business"
"On what, then7" asked Blanca very
alluringly.
pleasure" answered Sebastian.
ITO see you. Blanca, L"
Blanca leaned toward him, smiling;
Bianca's face was very near his own.
He clasped her in his arms and their
lips met.
The charms of Blanca had supplant-
ed the desirability for Leontine in Sc
bastian's mind. The woman whom
he had married under so strange a
compact, that she was to be his wife
In name, whom he had pursued so
relentlessly, now faded out of the
mans mind. To her relief, almost
gratitude, Leontine found that Sc
bastian cared for her no longer.
And this meant happiness to her.
Since the death of her lover Of long
ago, Jerry Carson, In the convict camp,
she had felt incapable Of loving. Sc
bastian's new Indifference enabled her
20 lace life with tranquility again. She
went into society, with Sebastian's
equal indifference; and that was how
she found herself with Mr.. Bob Ham
ilton on the grounds of the Dirigible
club one bright spring afternoon.
They motorei cut together, with Sc
bastisn's sppsvvsL Mr.. Hamilton was