The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-12-05
THE
F OF THE TIGER
MAURICE LEBLANC
TRANSLATED BY
TEIXEIRA DE MATvTos

self. An hour later he came ant
knocked at her door.
This time again he had not tn,
courage at once to ask her tn,
question which he had made ur
his mind to put to her. Besides
there were other points which h
wished to clear up.
Florence" he said, "before
| hand over that man, / should
like to know what he was tt
you"
"A friend, an unhappy friend
for whom 1 felt pity" she de.
clared. 81 find it difficult TODAY
to understand my compassion fol-
such q monster. But, some years
ago, when I first met him, I be.
came attached to him because OF
his wretchedness, his physical
weakness, and all the symptoms
of death which he bore upon him
even then. He had the oppor-
tunity Of doing me a few services
and, though he led a hidden life,
which worried NE in certain re-
speets, he gradually and without
my knowing it acquired a consid-
cradle influence over me.
II believed in his insight, in
his will, III his absolute devotion
and, when the Mornington case
started. i! was be, as / now real
lze, who guided nay actions and,
later, those of CASTOR Sauverand.
1t was he who compelled me to
practice lying and deceit, per-
suading me hat he was working
for Marie Fauyille's safety. It
was he who inspired us with such
of yourself and who
taught us to be so silent, where
he and his affairs were con-
cerned, that CASTOR Sauverand
did not even dare mention him
in his interview with you.
II don't know how T can have
been so blind. But it was sc.
opened my eyes. Moth
made me suspect for a mo-
ment that harmless, ailing crea-
ture, who spent half his life in
or. nursing homes, who
underwent every. possible sort Of
operation, and who, if he did
sometimes speak to me Of his
love, must have known that he
could not hope To-"
Florence did not finish her
sentence. Her eyes had encount-
cred Don Luis's eyes; and she re-
ceived a deep impression that he
was not listening to what she
said. He was looking at her;
and that was all. The words she
uttered passed unheard.
To Don Luis any explanation
concerning the tragedy itself
nothing, so long as he
was not enlightened on the one
point that interested him, on
s private thoughts about
himself, thoughts Of aversion, Of
contempt. Outside that, anything
that she could say was vain and
tedious.
He went up to her, and, in q
voice, said
Florence, you know what /
feel for you, do you mott"
She blushed, taken aback, as
though the question was the very
last that she expected to hear.
Nevertheless, she did not lower
her eyes, and she answered
frankly:
Eyes, I know"
but, perhaps" he continued,
more eagerly, you do not know
how deeply I feel itf Perhaps
not know that my life has
no other aim but youf'
know that also, she said.
Then, if you know it, he
said must conclude that it was
just that which caused your hos
to me. Prom the beginning
i tried to- be Your friend and /
tried only to defend you. And
yet from the beginning I felt that
for you Wasthe object Of an
aversion that was. both instinc-
tive and deliberate. Never did
nee II your eyes anything but
GOODNESS, dislike, contempt, and
even repulsion.
moments Of danger, when
yoAf 1ife or liberty was at stake,
you risked committing any i'm
prndence-rather than accept my
assistance wassthe enemy, the
ha#@diafra1afo1 tho me-