Evening journal., 1922-09-15
CHAPTER VI
Sccnfing the Lone Woif.

sombre hall whose darkly panele'
walls and high-beamed ceiling pret
a multitude Of shadows that danced
about the table, restlessly advancing
and retreating as the candles fiick
cred. failed and flared in the gust,
draughts.
Rain in sheets sluiced the win
dows without rest. Round turreti
and gables the wind raved ant
moaned like a famished wild thinl
denied its kill.
After dinner Duchemin sat talk
ing with Madame de Montalais ovei
their cigarettes. To smoking, curl
ously enough, Madame de Seveni'
offered no objection.
Monsieur knew New York?
ut Is my home" said Eve dc
Montalais softly, looking away.
Her father had been a partner in
a great jewelry house, Cottier's, OF
Paris, London, and New York. CSC
that explained i'll She was wearing
the blue diamond again tonight,
with other Jewels worth, in the judg-
ment of keen connoisseur, a kings
ransom.)
Across the drawing-room Madame
de sevenie sharply interrogated
manservant who had silently pre-
sented himself to her attention.
What is II you want, Jean?"
The servant mumbled his 1ustifi-
cation: An automobile had broken
down on the highroad near the cha
teau. the chauffeur was unable to
move the car or make any repairs In
the storm. a gentleman had come 10
the door to ask D..
He moved aside. indicating the
doorway TO the entrance hall, be-
seen. standing with cap in hand tiny
rivulets running from the folds of
his motor-coat and forming pools on
the polished flooring.
Mr.. Phinuit was desolated to think
he might be imposing on madame's
good nature. but the night was truly
inclement, madame la comtesse was
already suffering from the cold. and
if one might beg for shelter for her
and the gentlemen OF the party while
one telephoned or sent 10 Nant for
another automobile.
But monsieur might feel very sure
Madame de Sevenie would never for
give herself IL the hospitality of the
Chateau de Montaiais failed at suoh
a time. She would send servents to
the car at once with lights, wraps,
umbrellas.
There was no necessity for that.
The remainder of the party had, II
seemed, presumed upon her courtesy
in anticipation. and was not far from
the heels OF its ambassador. Even
while madame was speaking. Jean
was opening the great front doors |
to those who proved-formal intro |
ductions being duly affected by Mr.. |
Phinuit-to be Madame la Comtesse |
de Lorgnes. monsieur le comte, her |
husband (this was the well-fed body |
IN tweeds) and Mr.. Whitaker Monk, |
OF New York.
These 'personages were really not |
at all IN bad way. When Eve de |
Montalais had carried madame la |
oomtesss Of 20 her own apartment |
to change her shoes and stockings, |
the gentlemen trooped 10 the draw
ing-room fire, and grew quite cheer |
ful under the combined influence OF |
wermth and wine and biscuits
Mr.. Whitaker Monk might have
been any age between thirty-1ive and
fifty-five, so noD-commlttal was that |
lantern jawed countenance OF a |
droll, with its heavy, black, elo-
quent eyebrows, its rather small, |
blue. illegible eyes. its high-brldged |
nose and prominent nostrils, its wide |
and thin-lipped mouth. Its rather
pallor.
A chance meeting at Monte Carlo, |
he said. with his old friends, the
Conte ct Comtesse de Lorgnes. had
resulted in their yielding TO his in
sistence that they tour with him
back 10 Paris by this roundabout
way.
"A wHim of my age. madame. AS
a young man I explored this coun-
try on a walking tour. inspired by
Stevenson. You know, perhaps. his
diverting Travels with Donkey ?"
How strange, then, is coinci-
dence," Madame de Sevenie suggest
ed. You who made walking tour
OF this country so long ago. mon
sieur. regard there that good Mon
sieur Duchemin, himself engaged
upon Just such an undertaking."
"But is there anything more won
trrful than the workings OF the good
God?' madame pursued. Observe
,y.hat had 1t not been for Monsieur
pIehemin, we should all, 1, my
daughter, my granddaughter. even
poor Georges d'Aubrac. be lying
dead at Montpellier-le-vie
Naturally the strangers required
to know about that, and Madame de
Sevenie would talk, in fact dotted on
telling the tale OF that great adven-
ture. Duchemin made a face Of
and heard himself ex-
tolled as paiadin for strength, ad-
dress and valor.
Now the enigmatic eyes OF Monk |
we're boring into him, seeking to |
Dearch his soul, with a question in |
n eir stare which he could not read |
Ind. quite likely. would have de-
'lined to answer IL he could. Also
he eyes of Monsieur le Comte de
sorgnes were very round and con-
tant to him. And before Madame |
e Sevenie was finished, Phinuit |
trolled in and heard enough to
nakes him subject Duchemin to
ot unfriendly, steady and open in
pection-