The evening world., 1920-08-03


that he would soon see her agnn.
I'VE shall see her again, Francois
Stephane added, and you will then
understand better what beauty
means and light and the charm OF
life and the delight of behoidinE and
admiring."
Next came anecdotes about Veron-
ique, minor details which she herself
did not remember or which she
thought that she alone knew:
"One day, at the Tu leries-she was
only sixteen-a circle was formed
round her by people who
looked at her and wondered at her
loneliness. Her girl friends laughed.
happy at seeing her admired
open her right hand. Francois.
You viii see long, white scar in the
middle Of the palm. When she was
quite little girl, she ran the point
of an iron railing into her
hand"
But the last pages were not writ
ten for the boy and had certainly not
| been read by him. The writer's love
was no longer disguised beneath adj
miring phrases. 1t displayed Itself
without reserve. ardent, exalted. suf-
| fering, quivering with hope, though
always respectful.
Veronique closed the book. She
could read no more.
Yes, l confess, All's Well" she said
TO the dog, who was already sitting
up, my eyes are vet with tears. De
void OF feminine weaknesses. as. 1 am.
l Will tell you what / would say to
nobody else That really touches me
Yes, l must try to recall the unknown
features of the man who loves me
IKE TINS some friend Of my
childhood whose affection I never
suspected and whose name has NOT
LETT even trace in my memory"
She drew the dog to her:
TWO kinds of hearts, are they NOT
AIS Well? Neither the master nor
the pupil is capable of the crimes
which | saw them commit. If they
are the accomplices of our enemies
mere they are so in spite of them
| selves and without knowing Ut, [
cannot belleve in philtres and mean
tations and plants which deprive Won
OF your reason. But, all the same.
/ there Is something, isn't there, You
| dear little dog? The boy who planted
/ Ncronicas round the Calvary OF Flow
/ erS and who wrote, Mothers flowers
| Is not guilty Is he? And Honorine
was right when she spoke lof a ft
| OF madness, and he will come back
TO look for me, won't he? Stephane
| ana he are sure to come back"
| The hours that went by were full
| OF soothing quiet. Veronique was no
ionSer lonely. The present had no
terrors for her; and she had faith
/ in the future.
Next morning. she said TO .Au'H
I Wen, whom sine nad locked up to pre-
/ vent his running away:
will You take me there now INV
man? Where? Why, to the friend.
| Of course, who sent provisions TO
| Stephane MarouX. Come along"
Ais Wei was only waiting for Yer
onlque's permission. He dashed off
| IN the direction of the grassy sward
! mat led TO the dolmen; and he
| stopped half way Veroniuue came
| up with him. He turned to the
| right and took a path which brought
! them TO u huddle Of ruins near the
edge of the cliffs. Then he stopped
| again.
is It here?" asRed Veronique.
The dog. lay down flat. In front
| Of him, at the foot of two blocks Of
I stone leaning against each other
| and covered with the same growth
| OF IVY, was tangle OF bramb'es with
| under it little passage like the on
/ trance 70 a rabbit-warren. AIRS Well
| slipped in, disappeared and then re-
! turned in search of NerOuiQuo, who
! had to go back TO the Priory and
| fetch a bill-hook to cut down The
! brambles.
She managed in half an hour to UNI
| cover the top step of a stairca Sc,
which she descended, feeling her way
and preceded by AIRS Wen, and
which took her to long tunnel cut
| in the body Of the rock and lighted
On the left by little openings. She
| raised herself on tip-toe and saw that
] these DDgDiDprg pVpr1ppkaJ nh,
She walked on the level for ten
/ minutes and then went down some
more steps. The tunnel grew mar
! rover. The openings, which al!
| looked towards the sky, no doubt 80
as not 70 be seen from below, now
gave light from both the right and
the left. Veronique began 10 under
stand how ANS We'll was able to
communicate with the other part Of
the island. The tunnel followed the
narrow strip Of cliff which joined the
| PNOry estate 10 Sarck The waves
| Tapped the rocks on either side.
They next climbed by steps under
the knoll Of the Great Oak Two tun-
nels opened at the top. Airs Well
chose the one on the left, which con-
unued 10 skirt the sea.
Then on the right there we're two
more passages, both quite dark. The
| ISLAND appeared to be riddled in this
way with invisible communications:
land Verondue felt something clutch
pt her heart as she reflected that she
was making for the part which the
sisters Archignat had described as
tho cnemy's subterranean domains
under the Black Heath
AIS Wei trotted in front OF her.
turning round from time to time 10
sec If she was following.
Yes, yes, dear, I'm coming" she
| whispered, and l am not a bit afraid:
am sure that you are leading me
TO friend a friend who has
aiken shelter down here. But why
has he not left his shelter? Why did
you not show him the way?"
The passage had been chipDed
smooth throughout, with a rounded
| ceiling and a very dry granite floor
| which was amply ventilated bv the
openings. There was not a mark nor
a scratch OF any kind on the walls
sometimes the point OF a black Aim
| projected.
rs it here?" asked Veronique,
when Alps Well stopped.
The tunnel went no farther and
widened into a chamber into which