Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-04-13
Immediately, Aimee"
"All right, / will"

Ao8n
"Assuredly-she shall go at once I!
Till the morning then, Monsieur I
Able, and have no fear The danger
shall dissipate ITSELF" said Bertrand,
and almost forcibly he shepherded the
bewildered Alexander out of the room.
Bertrand darted hack, and caught
Aimee by the hands.
HE is bon enfant, the parson y he
cried, "all shall yet be well. But it
is impossible to require deceit from
him. Leave that to mel Mademoi-
selle, l am a magnificent liar!" He
smote himself proudly on the breast.
you shall see how my talent
"But-r'
mot a word! 1 shall consider 1t
an honor-a privilege. 1t is the n
situation in which prevarication be
comes a virtue! Retire, then, made
moiselle, and sleep soundly. A way
shall be found out of this impasse,
I pledge myself to it-foi de chevalier
The morning shall bring, not disaster,
but happiness"
Aimee was whirled out of the room,
hardly less bewildered than Alexander.
When she had gone upstairs, Monsieur
De Jussac returned to the dining room.
He paced the room with long strides,
developing a series Of plans that
flashed through his brain. Some
caused him to laugh aloud, others
evoked a sigh.
"In this country of Puritans,
schemes that elsewhere would glow
like a golden mist, become impos-
sible!" he unused regretfuHy.
Since the coldness of Lady Diana
was the main difficulty, Bertrand's
thoughts concentrated naturally upon
her, and 1t is to be feared that Aimee's
predicament faded into a secondary
place. Allowances must be made for
those swayed by the grand passion.
Suddenly de Jussac halted among the
suits of mail.
"Tiensl the armor," he said, bright.
ening, 1.-THE same of which Diana
should have told me the history, but
declined. She shall come to 1t yet E!
She approves armor-she adcres the
days of chivalry long dead.
Lived we in those days." cried
Bertrand with rising fervor, II would
hack my way to her favor though a
hundred spears barred the path" He
struck the nearest breastplate with
his fist. "You Sir Knight! If you
did not pay swift homage to my lady,"
said Bertrand, grinding his teeth, "my
IonoO chnT11A orocI into unIIV Tnidriff 7
Scrognon-non-non-nOn-non !"
He turned to inspect the pectoral
Of another suit, beautifully engraved
and chased with gold.
"Of French workmanship, surely
never of this country. The English
are a great nation, but severe
severe" He passed his hands over
the b~reastplate. 1t detached quite
easily from the stand. With a SUD
den impulse Bertrand fitted it to his
broad chest, passing his arm through
the thongs that had held it to the
stand. He laughed as he caught sight
Of his reflection in a mirror.
att becomes me a merveille! Name
Of a name! Let me envisage myself
the %conqueror ofNmy Diana"
He strapped on the greaves and
cuisses over his dress trousers, donned
the gorget and, lifting down the big
helmet, placed it over his head, abrad-
ing his nose in the process. The suit
1T was the same which had fallen
during the night of the burglary
had certainly been made for a knight
of great stature-it fitted de Jussac
very well.
.Magniique!" said Bertrand. sand,
who knows-it may be the very suit
of my ancestor! The"
He turned slowly, aware of someone
approaching. A tall, spectral figure.
White erd ethereal, stood In the door
way.
1t was Lady Diana, in a long girdled
wrap trimmed with white fur. In her
hand was a rolled up paper that might
have been a piece of music; it trem-
bled visibly. Her face, as she gazed
at the armored figure, was as white as
her garments.
She controlled her nerves with a
mighty effort. If it was a spirit, it
was indeed a splendid one. To her,
of all people, this manifestation of the
infinite was vouchsafed.
For some moments she gazed, In a
thrilled silence. Then she actually
advanced a few steps, faltering.
"Speak! !" she said, In q voice that
quavered slightly. "Are you he?
Speak to me. 1 am of the elect. l am
n-n-n-not afraid"
De Jussac grasped the situation. He
searched his mind swiftly for the mot
juste-the speech of the Fourteenth
century.
"Moult p%uissante dame" he began,
dropping reverently on n knee.
Diana, the moment the unmistak-
able voice smote upon her ear, gave
a piercing shrek, and clasped her