Evening star., 1927-10-17


He produced an immense number Of novels
and short stories which were finally gath.
cred together under the well known blanket
title of "The Human Comedy. The pres
ent story's French title Is La Grande
About a hundred yards from the
town of Vendome, on the borders or
the Loire, there is an old gray house,
surmounted by very high gables, and
90 completely isolated that neither tan
yard nor shabby hostelry, such as you
| NAV find at the entrance to all small
| towns, exists in it's immediate neigh
borhood. 1t is entirely deserted. The
roof is horribly dilapidated; the doors
are perpetually shut. Everywhere an
! invisible hand has written the WORD
mystery.
| wondered what could have hap
| pened here to make this mansion
| so completely abandoned. So when
my landlady seemed ready to com
municate a secret, / listened well.
"Sir," she said. when the EN-
peror sent Spanish prisoners here,
| a young Spaniard on parole was
uuartered on me - Spanish
| grandee, no less, oh, but he was
| handsome young man! He didn't eat
much: but his manners were so pollte'
so amiable, that one could not owe
a
| like a priest. and he went to mass and
| to all the services regularly. Where
| did he sit? Two steps from the chapei
of Madame de Merret. No one sus-
pected anything there. for he scarcely
raised his eyes from his prayerbook
| After that, sir, in the evening ne
would walk on the mountains, among
| the castle ruins. From the commence
ment of his stay here he remained out
| late. We got accustomed to thls.
Then one of our stablemen told us
| that when he led the horses 10 water
| in the evening he thought he had seen
the Spanish grandee swimming Tar
down the river like live fish. When
he returned, / warned him OF the
rushes; he appeared Vexed TO nave
been seen in the water. AT last one
day he did not return. His clotnes
were found under a big stone py tne
river side near the castle. we burned
his clio hes and reported that ne had
escaped. They searched. but never
caught him. NV husband thought he
drowned himself, but IL think IT was
something to do with the affair OF
Madame de Merret, especially as Ro-
saIie told me that Madame had cru
cifix of ebony and silver, and the
Spaniard bought one just like 1t on
day."
| I Immediately sought out Rosalie.
but it was no easy matter TO get her
| to talk. I would strike up friend
ship with her, if needs be. One morn
| ing l got the story, which III retell
| for you.
| Madame de Merret's room In the
mysterious mansion had been on thf
ground floor, with little closet, abou'
| four feet deep. for her wardrobe.
For three months before the fatal
evening Of which I am to tell, Madame
had been so indisposed that her hus
band had left her to herself on the
ground floor. while he occupied an
other apartment on the next floor
above. One night he returned home
from the club two hours later than
| usual; his wife supposed he was at
home, in bed and asleep. Tonight he
| took it into his head to tell his wife
| of his losses at cards. At dinner, he
remembered, Madame was most CO.
uuettishly attired and it had occurred
| to him that she was restored to good
health. So Monsieur de Merret went
| to his wife's chamber by the light OF
a lantern he deposited on the first
| step of the staircase. His unniistak-
| able step resounded in the vaulted
| corridor. At the moment the Count
| turned the knob of his wife's door, he
| fancied he heard the door of the ward
robe closet close; but when he entered
Madame de Merret was alone before
| the fireplace. The husband at first
thought Rosalie was in the closet. He
| looked at his wife and saw in her
| eyes no one knows what wild and
hunted expression.
You are very late," she said.
| Monsieur de Merret did not reply
for at that moment Rosalie entered.
| It was not she who was in the closet.
| "Are you unwell?" asked his wife,
and then to her maid: "You may
leave me now."
| When they were alone, or supposed
| they were alone (for Rosalie loitered
in the corridor), the count accosted
his wife:
Madame, there is some one in your
closetw
She replied simply, mo, SIR"
| The count did not believe her. He
madame warned him that If he found
no one there all was over between
them. Her dignity restored the
counts esteem for her. He picked up
her crucifix and said:
"SWear to me before God that there
Is no one in there and l will believe
you"
| II swear" she said.
Her husband examined the crucifiX
| curiously. Madame acknowledged she
| had bought it at Duvivier's. Then the
| count rang for Rosalie, who did not
keep him waiting, and took her aside.
He knew, he said, that Gorenfiot
wished to marry her, poverty being
| the one drawback. He urged her to
get Gorenflot, who wished to become
| a master mason, and have her bring
his trowel and tools. He imposed
strict secrecy upon her and ordered
all the other servants to bed.
The count had been having the
ceilings repaired, so plaster Of paris
was in the house, as 1t happened.
GnrenflOt arrived. Nine. de Merret