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Show J 1 by Sary Beyereux ' J WTH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C. WILSON T CHAPTER VII. Three weeks lnttr, anil a sullen peace had fallen over Toulon. Jean was still weak and emaciated from Illness. Ill-ness. From Grelolro tho boy had heard and with outspoken Indignation Indigna-tion of General Bonaparte's departure, depar-ture, shortly after his own arrival nt the convent, which had been turned Into a hospital. "Ho wont away and left mo!" Jean exclaimed anally, the color suffusing his cheeks. "Left mo, when I was not able to speak to him!" He left a letter with I'ero lluot, and n farewell message, which the good father will doubtless give you when ho sees fit." "Then why should not I'ero Huot have told mo so before?" demanded Jean, half rising from his scat beside the bed. "Easy, mon ami; sit still," said Grc-lolre, Grc-lolre, calmly. "Do not get oxcltcd, else 1 shall regret telling you anything any-thing about tho affair. Wo have to remember that you have been very III." Tenderness showed In his tone, and ho gently touched tho thin hand V resting on tho coverlet. Late In tho afternoon of this samo day, Pore Huot, sitting with Jean In tho latter's room, had been Informing lilm of what had transpired since tho morning Murlcr brought him to tho shelter nnd safety of his present abode. Ho watched tho boy's faco carefully care-fully as ho told him of Margot's burial, bur-ial, and of Donapartc'o many visits to his bodslde, whoro ho lay tossing In flcllrlum ; and tho good priest re-lolced re-lolced within himself to sco tho look of dogged grief soften Into ono of subdued sub-dued gratification. i'My son, whoro Is tho box of papers pa-pers Monsieur lo Baron, thy father, Intrusted to Margot for safe keeping?" "Tho box of papers, I'ero Huot," tho boy repeated, as If trying to recall very thought 01 u is naiciui 10 mo. "Ah!" exclaimed the priest . "This comes from Laro's teachings." "No, father Indeed no!" cried Jean, nil tho fire gono from his eyes. "I havo always longed to llvo such a life always!" "Always all of thy very long life, Joan, my pon?" said Pcro Huot, a satirical sa-tirical smilo touching his thin lips. Tho boy's faco becamo crimson, and he said nothing. "Wo havo talked long enough for tho present, my son," tho priest added; add-ed; "and now I will leavo thee. Head General Bonaparte's letter; and may it bring thy mind to holding more worthy wor-thy Ideas of tho futuro than thoso I havo just heard from thee. And Jean, my son" coming closo to him, and laying a caressing hand on tho wilful head "I beseech thee, try and harbor kindlier feelings and moro Christian-lllcc Christian-lllcc forgiveness for thy brother." Ho left tho room, closing tho door softly, and Joan sat staring out of tlo window, though tho sun's rays now stole down to touch his brow. But, after musing a few seconds, ho roused himself with a quick, .nervous movo-mont, movo-mont, and looked ngaln at tho letter. A moment later ho broke- its seal: and tho thin paper scorned to pulse with his own heartbeats as ho read nnd ro-rcad Its words: "I want to go over seas, away from France, and carve out a name for myself" something. "I cannot sny; I do not know." "Know not whero It Is!" exclaimed tho priest, with a marked chango of bearing and tone. "How Is this? What was done with it?" Tho good priest spoko urgently, almost al-most Impatiently, leaning forward and looking fixedly Into tho boy's perplexed per-plexed face. "Burned, with tho cottage," replied M Jean. I1; "Know you not, my son, what this box contained?" Inquired I'ero Huot, looking tho boy In the faco and speaking speak-ing sternly. "Yes somo Jewels and papers, what of them?" "Thoso papors wcro tho proof and vindication of thy birthright," declared de-clared tho priest solemnly. "Thy mother's moth-er's marrlngo certificate was amongst them; and tho loss of this may mako troublo for thco." Tho boy'H eyes now turned from tho window to meet thoso of I'ero Huot. "Did Margot toll thco, father, of nil that befell tho last night wo passed at , Langucdoc?" "Yes, uiy son; and I havo wnltcd for a fitting time to speak to theo of tho matter. General Bonnparto and myself my-self talked of It as woll; and I must I say that thou wore cruelly and need-IcEsly need-IcEsly nngorcd nnd wounded. But I was grioved that thou shouldst havo been led to tho act that so nearly made theo a murderer. As to thy' brothor, wo must forglvo tho dead, oven moro froely than tho living; and Etlcnno is now gono whero ho should havo thy forglvonoss In full." Ho paused, and Jean turned in his chair to look nt him questlonlngly. 1 "Yes, thy brothor Is dead," he con-tlnuod con-tlnuod still moro Impressively. "I ro-grot ro-grot to toll thco that ho was found guilty of n crlmo tho Great Commltteo novor forgives that of treachery. While scorning to servo their cause, ho sold its secrets to the English." I Jean's lips curled with scorn, but k ho mado no spoken comment. 1 "Ktlenno now dead, thou, my son, 5 art heir to tho title nnd estates, which, 6 although declared confiscated, may yet bo rescued nnd saved to thoo, through tho lnflucnco of thy friend, JHL General Bonaparto, who bade mo toll theo this at tho proper time, and also to giro thco this letter." I In Jean, nngry and reckless, exclaimed: exclaim-ed: "I'll ho no hypocrite, nor pretend to what I cannot feel. I havo hated Etlenne all my life, and with good cause; and I will never say otherwise, now that he Is dead. I would spurn any tltlo or position that had been his despise myself If ever again I lived beneath tho roof who had sheltered ono who spoko such dastardly words of my mother! I want to go over seas, avay from Franco, nway to the now world, and carve out a namo for myself my-self gain fame and riches. I should die. llko a wild bird In a cage, to llvo such a llfo as men pass hero. Tho "Mon ami mon cher nml Do Soto I am grioved to tho heart that I must letvo thee. But go I must, rellovcd by tho nssuranco that I leavo thco In loving hands, which must soon nurso thco back to that health I pray will alwnys he thine. I'ero Huot will tell theo of our plans for thy future. If I Iilvo thy lovo, do as tho good father shall tell theo, and pray that wo may soon meet In happy days. Let Orololro bring good news of thee, to rojolco tho henrt of thy "I'lzarro." As Joan's eyes lingered over tho P.nnl word, ho seemed to see tho smile, half rallying entirely tender, that was tho Invarlablo accompaniment of their playful naming of ono another. He seemed to sco it touch tho firm lips, which, with tho pulo, grnvo face, Imagination Im-agination now brought vividly boforo him. All this faded away, and, with n gulping sob, sounding like tho cry of a lopoly heart, tho boy (lung his head upon his arms, and lay silent. Now Orleans, nnd tho night boforo Now Yoar's day of 1705, saw tho windows win-dows of tho governor's houso ablazo with light, and u constant stream of people coming nnd going through the wldo-flung portals. Solcctcd musicians from tho fort played for tho dancers In tho ball room nnd ontcrtalncd tho largo gathering of spectators outside, who looked through tho open windows upon tho Hash of color and sparklo of goms, as tho ollto of tho city and provlnco eolobrated tho nnnual ball given by Don Francisco Louis Hector, Baron do Carondolet, Governor nnd Intcndant of Louisiana and West Florida Flor-ida In an npartmont opening from the ball room, soveral mon, whoso years or tastes mado cards moro attractlvo than dancing, were gathered about a tablo upon which gold and silver were stacked In mlnlaturo towers bofore the players, ono of whom was saying, with an unconcealed sneer, directed nt n tall, handsomo mnn, who, clad In the British uniform, sat opposite, "M'slour Stanloy's hoard of gold promises to be mcro than ho enn well carry nwny." "Why not pay moro nttontlon to your cards, Do la Chalso, nnd provont tho pllo Increasing?" Inquired a man at tho llttlo Fronchmnn's side a man who greatly resombled Laro, captain i 0 of the "Algle," and erstwhile' patron of Lo Choln Houreux. Do In Chalso not answering, tho other continued, with a malicious light now shining? In thl dark eyes fixed upon tho En'nllshrn'a'n'a inii'assivc face, "Saw you (he Count do Cazcncau this i afternoon, mny I nsk, Captain Stan-I Stan-I ley?" Th'o latter encountered, and appeared appear-ed to understand, tho look of his; questioner, ques-tioner, and a steel-like glinting' showed In his eyes ns ho replied, "That Is an odd Inquiry to make, Don Morales, Inasmuch In-asmuch ns I havo to recall that I met you entering his houso ns I was leaving leav-ing It." "Very true; so you did," ndmlttcd Laro (for he It was), "and I was wondering won-dering It you left the count In tho samo devilish humor ns that in which I found him." At this an angry red showed In tho ofTlcor's checks, nnd n gleam of wrath in his eyes. But, without looking ngaln at Laro, ho picked up his cards and glanced at them; then, with an oath, ho threw them upon tho table, gathered his earnings and strode from tho room. It was generally suspected that Captain Cap-tain Edward Stanley was ono of tho numerous worshipers of Count do Cazcncau's lovely daughter; and gossip gos-sip hnd been unusually busy with their names during tho present week, at tho close of which tho English officer, having hav-ing concluded tho mission upon which ho hnd been sent to Now Orleans, was to return to Mobile, whero tho garrison garri-son was composed equally of British nnd Spanish troops. It was also understood under-stood that Count do Cazcncau had no liking for the stalwart, calm-faced Englishman. "Why did you try to prick him, Don Morales?" asked ono of tho players, a tall, sparo man, with gray hair and heavy, overhanging eyebrows. Don Morales laughed scornfully. "Because it is worth something to kindle a llttlo flro In tho cold blood of nn English dog." "But what Is It all about?" Inquired another of tho party. "Don Morales but asked a simple question. Whnt was there In It to Justify nny man, English or otherwise, calling for satisfaction?" sat-isfaction?" "Yes," added a young American officer, of-ficer, looking to bo twenty-two or thereabouts, sitting bcsldo Colonel Zachary; "what was thoro for him to get angry about, for nngry ho was at something? It couldn't havo been his cards, for I looked at" what ho throw down." "Seo here, Don," Inquired tho quickwitted quick-witted ensign, who, nlthough n recent widower, with a young boy, wns In secret ono of Hosollo's adorers, "Is It that you know or think ho wont to see Count do Cazcncau this afternoon, and that his asking for tho daughter's hand nrousod tho old man's temper?" A curious and not pleasant expression expres-sion enmo to Don Morales' eyes, and the colonel said, now speaking somewhat some-what sternly as ho touched tho young man's arm, "You aro forgetting your usual code, Tommy, to say nothing of your good senso. This Is neither tho tlmo nor place to bo discussing such a sacred matter as a lady's afTalrs." "Is It true, what I havo heard, Don Morales," now Inquired Do la Chalso, "that you sail for Franco In tho morning? morn-ing? If so, I nm of half a mind yes, three-quarters to ask you to let mo tako passage." "I carry no passengers," was tho brusquo reply, mado whllo tho speaker speak-er was drawing In somo winnings; and Colonel Zachary, looking distinctly annoyed, remarked, "I wns not awnrc. Don Morales, that you kept tho community com-munity Informed as to your sailing hours and destination." "I Jo not," roplled Laro, with a quick, meaning glance, which tho colonel colo-nel met with a slight smile. "But thero seem to ho thoso who know my business bettor than I know it myself." my-self." "When shall you bo hack hero?" asked Do la Chaise. "When my vessel reaches Now Orleans." Or-leans." (To bo continued.) |
