Tombstone epitaph., 1918-02-17
CHAPTER xv-continued.

Try ana Dear the thread OF II 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"
Not likely to forget It" John re-
piled. How well they all act!"
There was Q 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 flrst
floor. Louise reafirms her intention
of leaving the house. Her husband
laughs at her. Her position IL hope
less.
what can you dor" 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 Marouise de
Guy.
The MARQUIS knocks at his wife's
door Her voice is heard clearly. after
a moment's nause.
.In n few minutes, :" she replies.
The marouis resumes his IMITATION.
His Communion becomes impatiept-
the ruorsuis has pledced his word that
she should be received by his wife. An
ancient enmity against the Marouise
de- CIV promnts her tn insist
The marouis shruys 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
suddeply appears.
"You asked me what could do
she saws Mounting To her lover. "You
see now ~
There was a moments breathless ST.
Hence q trough the house. The scene in
itself was a little beyond anything that
the audience had expected. SONNY.
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
IA his hand, turning I'D his coat by in
,tinct as he passed through the driving
rain. All his senses seemed tinylipg
with some nameless horror. The bril-
lance of the Language. the subtlety of
the situation seemed like some evil
trail drawn across that one horrible
climax. Il was Louise who had come
from that room and pointed to Fara-
He reached his rooms-he scarcely
knew how-and walked upstairs. There
he threw of some of his dripping gar-
ments. opened the window wide. and
stood there.
He looked out over the Thames, and
there was q red fare before his eyes.
Stephen was right, he told himself.
There was nothing but evil to be found
here, nothing but bitter disappoint-
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 ind
10Y in the crops and the rain and the
sunshine, to listen stonily to the cry
Of human beings as II to some voice
from an unknown world
He leaned a little further from the
window. and gazed into the court at a
dizzy depth below. He had cut himself
sdrift from the peace which might have
been his. He would never know again
the Joys Of his earlier life. 1t was for
this that he had fought 50 many bat
ties. chung so tightly to one ideai-for
Louise. who could show herself to any
one who cared to pay his shilling or
bis half-guInea, giorying In her dis
honor; worse than giorying in it-nnd-
ing some subtle humor in the little ges-
ture with which she had pointed. un-
ashamed, to her lover.
John bent q little lower from the