The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-08-12
'THE SECRET OF SARER |
- By MAURICE LEBLANC 80 va
tcouvr,vbt 1pso I'M ,hs Msc.p,.v comD.D,

| lAOuDung ABOUT the tunnel or the dan
gers from that side. she began to walk
toward the Prlory. But she had the
horrible feeling which people some-
times experience in dreams when
their legs seem paralyzed and when
they are unable to move, while the
enemy advances ton attack them.
/ And suddenly, on reaching the DOL
men, she beheld a sight the meaning
OF which was Immediately clear 10 her.
( me ground at the foot OF the oaks
round the right-hand part of the semi
circle was Uttered with lately cut
branches which still bore their green
\ leaves.
She raised her eyes and stood stupe-
| fled and dismayed.
/ One oak salone had been stripped.
| And on the huge trunk, bare to a
! height Of twelve or fifteen feet. there
/ was paper, transfixed by. an arrow
and bearing the inscription ~. d'H."
The fourth cross" Veronique fall
tered, the cross marked with mr.
| name"
| She supposed that, as her fathofs5
was dead, the initials OF her maiden
name must have been written by one
Of her enemies, the chief Of them. no
doubt; and for the first time, under
the influence Of recent events, ro-
| Numbering the woman and the boy
VINO were prosecuting her. she IN
voluntarily attributed a definite sSt
Of features to that enemy.
1t was a fleeting impression, an I'M
probable theory, OF which she was not
even conscious. She was over
! whelmed by something much more
/ terrible. She suddenly understood that
the monsters, those creatures of the
heath and the cells, the accomplicrs
Of the woman and the boy, must have
been there, since the GROSS was pre-
pared. No doubt they had built a
footbridge and thrown it over the
/ chasm TO take the place OF the bridge
to which she had set fire.
They were masters Of the Priory,
And Francois was once more In their
hands!
Then she rushed straight along, COL
Letting all her strength. She in her
turn ran over the turf dotted with
ruins, that sloped toward the front
Of the house.
Francois! Francoisl FrancoisI"
She called his name in a piercing
voice. She announced her coming
with loud cries. Thus did she reach
the PriOry
One half of the door stood ajar. shS
pushed 1t and darted into the ha1Ae,
crying:
Francois! Francois!"
She went upstairs, opening doors at
into Stephane's, into Honorine's. She
found nobody.
'F'rancois Francois! Don'h
you hear me? Are they hurting you?
|. Oh, Francois, do answer!"
She went back TO the landing. OPP
posite her was NJ. d'Hergemont's
study. She flung herself upon the
door and at once Tecoiled, as thouHh
stricken by a vision from hell.
CHAPTER NJ.
A man was standing there, with
arms crossed and apparently waiting
for her. And it was the man whom
she had pictured for an instant when
thinking of the woman and the boy.
1t was the third monster! az
she said, simply, but in a voice filled
Wlth indispensable horror:
"VorskL Vorski!" -
OF all the visions that could have
haunted Veroniques brain, there was
none 50 abomlnable as the sight be-
fore her; Vorslu standing erect. with
his arms crossed and his head up,
alive! Vorsh alive!
She would have accepted anything
with her usual courage, but not this.
she had felt strong enough to face
and defy no matter what enemy but
not this one. Vorski stood for igno-
mlnious disgrace, for Unsuitable wick-
ednes, for boundless ferocity. for
method mingled with madness ia
crime.
And this man loved her.
She suddenly blushed. Vorskl was
staring with greedy eyes at the bare
flesh Of her shoulders and arms,
which showed through her tattored
bodice, and looking upon this bare
flesh as upon a prey which nothing
could snatch from him. Neverthe-
less Veronique did not bulge. Sha
mad no covering within reach. She
pulled herself together under the in
suit of the mans desire and delied
him with such a glance that he wlS
embarrassed and for moment turn ID
away his eyes.
Then she cried, with an uncontrollA
able outburst-of feeling:
MY son! Where's Francois? Z
want to see HIM"
Our son is sacred, madame" La
replied. He has nothing to fear from
his father" -
II want to see him"
He lifted his hand as one taking an
oath:
You shall see him, swear"
Dead, perhaps!" she said, in O hoIs
low voice.
AS much alive as you and L
madame"
There was a fresh pause. Verslkt
was obviously seeking his words ana
preparing the speech with which lilo
lmplacable conflict between them was
to open.
He was man OF athletic statlIrn
with powerful frame, legs slightIv
bowed, an enormous neck swollen nv
great bundles Of muscles and a head
,unduly small, with hair plastered doVn
and parted In the middle. That in
him which at one time produced an
Impression Of brute strength, COM
bined with "A certain distinction. had
become with age the massive and
vulgar aspect OF a professional wrest.
Ter posturing on the hustings AT A
fair. The disqmetlng charm whioh
once attrpcted the women had van- !
lshed, and all that remained was q
harsh and cruel expression of which
he tried to correct the hardness nv
means of an impressive smile.
He unfOlded his arms, drew I'm a
chair and, bowling to Veronuue. said.J
our conversation, madame, will bsI
long and at times painful. Won't YOU
sit DOWN."
He waited for a moment and. rel
ceiVing no reply, without aIlowtnS