The evening world., 1920-07-21
CHAPTER III.

/" HEY still stood hooking at
each other with a look In
which a certain doubt was

Of speech and understanding. And at
the same time they both felt that they
were not enemies.
/ Veronique was the first to con-
tinue:
Excuse me, but, you see, there are
things which are so puzzling.
$50 puzzling and so disconcertlng!
I. For instance, do you know
why I'm here? l must tell you. Per-
haps you alone can explain Z.
It's like this: an accident-quite a
small accident, but really it all began
with marlborough me to Brittany
| for the first time and showed me, on
the door Of an old, deserted, road
side cabin, the initials which used
10 sign when l was a girl, a signature
which | have not used for fourteen or
fifteen years. AS l went on ] discov-
cred the same inscription many times
| repeated, with each time a different
consecutive number. That was how
/ came here, to the beach at Beg Nell
and TO this part of the beach. which
appeared to be the end of a journey
foreseen and arranged by l
don't know whom"
rs your signature here?' asked
Honorine. eagerly. Where"
ION that stone, above us, at the
entrance to the shelter"
II can't see from here. what are
the letters?"
" an"
The Breton woman suppressed a
movement. Her bonv face betrayed
profound emotion, and, hardly open
ing her lips she murmured:
"Veronique d. Veronique d Her
gemont."
"Ah," exclaimed the younger wom-
an, $50 you know my name you know
my name!"
HUnorine took Veronique's two
hands and held them in her own.
Her weather beaten face lit up with
smile. And her eyes grew moist
with tears as she repeated:
"Mademoisene Veronique' .
Madame Veronique SO it's
you, Veronique! on heavens,
is it possible! The Blessed Virgin
Mary be praised"
Veronique felt utterly confounded
and kept on saying:
You know my name you
know who ] am Then you
can explain all this riddle TO me?"
After long pause, Honorine re-
piled:
81 can explain nothing. don't
understand either. But we can try to
find out together Tell me
what was the name of that Breton
village2'
t lie Faouet"
lie Faouet l know And where
D was the deserted cabin
, "A mile and q quarter away
3 ibid you look I'M"
, yes, and that was the most ter.
E rible thing Of all. Inside the cabir
e was
e What was in the cabin
t First of all the dead body OF {
Q man, dressed in the local costume
= ! with long white hair and a grey
= beard Oh. shall never for
, get that dead man He mus
\ have been murdered, poisoned,
don't know what
Honorine listened greedily but tn,
: murder seemed to give her no clue.
u when I came back with the peo
!, pie from lie Faouet the corpse haC
: disappeared"
Disappeared? But who had re
a moved it?'
. ] don't know"
- 80 that you know nothing
Nothing. Except that, the frs
lra II
o ing a drawing which ! ton
i M, but its memory haunts me lik
q a nightmare that keeps on recurring
s | can't get It out Of my mind
e Listen, 1t was a roll of paper o.
: which some one had evidently copie
I an old picture and IL represente
o Oh, dreadful dreadfJ
n thing. four women crucified! An
" one OF the women was myself, wit
nv name And the other
10 wore a headdress like yours"
= Honorine had squeezed her hand
Us with incredible violence.
A. whats that you say?' she crie'
l. whats that you say Four wome
~ crucifed""
is about thirty collins, consequent
30 about your island"
The Breton woman put her hanC
Mt over Veroniques lips to silenc
H. them:
ne "Hush, Hush, Oh, you mustr
ir speak OF all that! No, no, yo
no mustn't You see, there al
sn devilsh things which ITS
~ sacrilege to talk about W
must be silent about that
er Later on, well see Anothl
d. year, perhaps o.. Later on
er Later on
She seemed shaken by terror, ,
be by a gale which scourges the ire
ut and overwhelms all living thing
he And suddenly she fell on her kne
in upon the rock and muttered a Tor
wv PRAYER bent in two, with her han,
to before her face, so completely al
sorbed that Veronique asked her /
y more questions.
II At last she rose and, presently, sal
ay Eyes, this is all terrifying, but
Ise don't see that II makes our duty al
% different or that we can hesitate
Use all"
And. addressing Veronique, 81
is said, gravely:
we you must come over there wi
Mt. me"
Use "Over there, to your island?" r