| Show BY f T 19 t AP CHAPTER CHAPTER XVI Continued The suite allotted me was at a tho end of a R gloomy corridor 1 throw open one ouo of or the narrow windows The rhe noisy stream below heating beating futilely against tho the walls wall almost deafened the tho voice of the servant as ashe he ho asked ailed if l he h could bo b of r assistance to me mc I looked out oat There Thor wao WO a sheer drop of o some fl foot foet f let That Plit rh t filet fact vaguely avi disconcerted dl me meTho meI meTho I Tho ho words s of Dr Stara wore a jarring role ote that sobered my ID excitement Whon Wh n I J ha I was almost pre pro prepared I I pared to Ond nd tho c Ie door of o my myr m mI I r Jock sd or 0 barred arr cJ I 1 1 had on the spiders si frs web w b audaciously ough Ts T escape e all might bo bl less m Too Tho dinner simply but well n served sied in tn n a 11 Had my situation been b n lees lens serious I might have hare fell some humor nt at the tho elaborate deference defer D O shown mo mt by 13 h my compan companion lot ion for Cor the benefit of tho the two servants who ho waited walte on us Even Dr Stana followed the lead lend of oC Madame do Var nier In solemn If Ie cynical c obedience But did Madame do de mo BO tSO complaisant a n fool that timi like another Bottom I was expected In this modern Midsummer Nights Dream to accept this deference without ques question Lion tion I J became more and noro con convinced vinced that she did lid not Once she even cv n referred to the events of o the tha night before ocCoro In n such a manner that 1 I believed her not ignorant of or my true condition If she were persuaded that I had bad been acting a part then that thai would account for her confidence In Ine expecting e me inc to continue continuo acting that part It would give gle her encourage encouragement encouragement I ment that I was tho the willing tool she looked for forAnd forAnd or orAnd And suppose that she really believed that tbt did she think that I expected no reward She had hinted that In serving servIng ing her ends I was as to servo myself as aswell aswell aswell well But Madame de do was not the kind of woman to believe bel that n e man would be allured by a promise so BO vague Then the reward seward She had protested that she had not noti i expected me to in love with her hor heri herShe i She had h d protested that but In the same breath she Sh e had confessed a half haH resolve to bring me to her feet Now row rown Nowa I ns n a she ahe exerted ever every charm of coquet coquetry ry r she he was giving tho the lie to her own Words Oh the reward was obvious 1 I enough if I J chose to take It ItI I We will our cigarettes in Ini i my Itty favorite music room You must lear Dr Stana play pIa on tho the cello callo I You bave have had bad the piano carefully I timed Jacques All AlI is In readiness replied the servant as he preceded us with can candleS candle dle II l Dr had pushed back his chair eagerly For the first time lime since I had met him his face lost host something of its It ft heavy sullen expression My fingers have not the practice he said ald modestly but to lo play pIn with ith Madame de ah that is worth worthwhile worthwhile while We e were In tho the music room that o Madame dc do had described to tome toI tome me so enthusiastically the day clay before Dimly with wax candles candies pan paneled I cled in l dark oak oal to the ceiling the mo floor waxed and polished to a dazzling I luster It was a room almost bare but I It had its melancholy charm i was little furniture At one end of the room was a row of carved scats seats built f t the tle wall vahl all There Thore were no pictures or tapestries The ThO Th one touch I of color was the tIle vivid flame fiame of ot blaz biaz blazing ing in logs I Tho The of pf the world its l es and its shams hams l I leave laa ve behind when 1 enter here hore said saul Madame de sentimentally Look I throw open this easement casement The noisy Mire Aaro drowns my m voice Beyond you see the moon moonlight moonlight J light on the valleys s and still beyond tho the mountains This Is your seat seatO Once O ce this was a chapel In these carved seats the monks monIes chanted yes ves vespers per pers in the seat sent of oC honor hOllor which you ou occupy drowsed the tho father superior When you OU hear tho the enchanting melo malo melodies maloi i dies ds di s of or Dr Start Star you ou will not have J lived in vain lIIl This hour nt tt t least was wa Innocent Perhaps It was the lull before tho the storm but why wh should I look for clouds when Thon the heavens were clear The rhe long darkly paneled room Its shining ng fleer seeming to rise aud and fall mysteriously m i in the flickering file flie light the tho noisy murmur of o the stream below bolow the tho white moonlight that struggled bled feebly through the casement win WI I ow all had Its harm And Aud these two tWi adventurers unscrupulous anti and co ol s had hall abandoned them fo to uc tue moment to 10 the Joy jor of oC til r rn lic IC ICI 4 I I looked d over toward Madame de do dei i Tho The ed light of or the tho can candles canles Jiles les fell ell on her white shoulders The Tho iP of her beauty had nOel never I teemed more seductive I asked myself incredulously if I this dreaming woman was tho the desperate adventuress whom Locke had hau warned I ne me against Slowly she sho looked where whore I sat I J to draw her hor eyes toward mo moShe moShe She Bho smiled vaguely a smile that was as adorable yes I could almost persuade myself m H that It was as tho thio smile of or an 1 Innocent c girl irl For a moment I was content to forget the tho unpleasant task that was before me to Invest even the monster by her side In tho the garb of oC humanity The rhe servant who had ha shown me me to lo lomy tom tomy my m rooms appeared at the tho door let Jet letters letters on his salver I held up my hand band warningly to him that he should not disturb them and motioned that he hebring hebring bring tho the letters to me He Ho did so without either cither of o the noticing noticIng noticIng ing his entrance The sonata of or Beethoven swept to tots its ts glorious climax I started st to my m feet to take t ke tho the letters to Madame dc do Yarn But without a pauso pause Dr Stana be began began began gan a tender romance The woman sat at tho the piano her Item hands falling Idly to her hOl lap Again she smiled across the room at me But now It was no longer spontaneous The lips held something of o that indefinable cruelty cruell of or that woman of the Renaissance made fa famous famous a amous by Da Vinci I frowned I re refused reused refused fused used to meet maet that smile Then as IS I 1 looked down deliberately I felt myself turn pale A shudder I II convulsed me inc meI incI I was wari gazing in horror at an nn en enI I i 4 4 f k ft L E EHin His Hin Hairy Hand Closed CI Over the Letter that bore tho the interdicted stamp of o Bulgaria the tle U e Did she know the time ghastly significance significance cance of that thal double stamp Was Vas she one of the desperate band batul that had doomed Ferdinand FerdinandI I play playa a hazardous expo I would thrust that stamp un ma under under der her eyes without warning Con Consummate Consummate summate actress though sho she was sho she would find it difficult to repress a tremor if she were guilty Dr head was lov by lovingly 10 over his cello I reached the piano without wilho t disturbing him himI I placed the thc letters In lIt front of oC de tIe the envelope that boro bore tho the on the top of or tho the little lilUe pile rile I watched her closely She took tho the letters Jotters carelessly in her hel hands The stamp at onca ar arrested arrested rested restad her attention She regarded it with a frank franl curiosity Sha She een even called my mr attention to it iL It is one ot of o the tho th new issue she see whispered so as not to disturb Dr Dt Sta aad atiL continued o sort her hoi lec lectors e et ec tors t rs I I was almost convinced of hor her mao Inno Innocence cence but not quIte I l had ha ye ct my experiment to play She had opened one of o tho the loiters letters and was wag engrossed ip Lp its contents As Asfor Asfor Asfor for Dr Dl Stana he was lost host to tho the world I 1 took the tho envelope en that bore the tha mysterious symbol and placing it In such a manner mannel that tho the could be most easily seen by tho the worn wom woman an I began bagan to trace tho the likeness of o Prince Ferdinand Ferd nand meanwhile watch watching watchIng watching ing her Intently Her Hor letter better was abort hort Its It meaning had excited er strangely For FOl some som sometime time limo sho she was regardless of my action But presently she aho ho followed the tho mo motions motions of oC my pencil as I traced tho the eyes closed in death tho the drooping mouth and the gaping wound Still SUII my m pencil moved slowly but carefully over the features of the tho doomed prince I began to think I must be more moro explicit after all allAnd allAnd allAnd And then her bier hands fell lifeless on the tho keys kerG The crash echoed discord discordantly d con antly antI in the empty room Dr looked up In angry surprise Madame adame dc do had fainted Dr shuffled rapidly to lo her side ho shook her shoulder cr Sophie Sophio Sophie Sophle S ho lie cued cried and lion ho he saw sav tho the letter lotier and its stamp His face Caco was suddenly distorted His harry harr hand closed over the letter Site She held it il rigid even evon in her unconsciousness Ho lie unbent her jeweled jw lcd fingers with cruel strength Now he lie looked at me mo with the suspicion and an hate of oC a savage saag beast brought to hay bay hayHow hayhow How much do tie you ou know his blaz biaz blazing blazIng ing eyes asked And AntI If J I do know mine answered i Slowly Madame adame do opened her eyes Equally anxious Stana numb and a myself watched her hor recover conscious consciousness ness nessI I was quite convinced con now no that she sie had not been b n aware of oC tho the significance of or that stamp Tho The horror that had deprived her bier of her hel reason for the time being proved that The fierce haste with which Dr Shina had snatched the tho letter from hor hem lifeless hand and had concealed it bore out my conviction Then If my surmises I wor correct would she sho communicate to Dr her newly acquired knowledge I It was the heat heal I think and the fatigue of ot o the jo the tho first words she spoke I heard them with relief Beyond Bc ond question she wished to conceal from that sho she had hac seen the Whether he lie was as satisfied with her reasons was ww less certain lie IIo paced the length of oC tho the room his head he d bent bentin in itt n thought his intertwined fingers moving agitatedly betrayed his con concern concern concern cern Madame Madam do de carefully avoided my m gaze and played pl idly But BuL ButI BuLI I noticed that if Dr S arva had been enraged that sho she had seen tho the letter with Its ils Madame do Var nier was anxious that ho Ito should not know of or the existence of tho the letter that had excited her hor It had hall fallen Canon to the floor When his back was turned sho sIte had hal stooped swiftly and and placed It Itin ItIn itin in the bosom of or her dress ress Was the letter latter she was so careful care l to hide from him merely personal Or 01 was sas its message of o moment I If l so if I it were w ro concerned with tho the strange game those two were playing It mea that either mistrusted the other I I welcomed such sueh a possibility Tat fact might simplify my own wn action aton I At least it showed that thai Madame dc do I i was W s not abjectly the creature of o this infamous scoundrel The strained situation ion was I relieved by b Ito tho en trades of the thc servant ser servant ant who had brought in the letters Instinctively the three of ot us assumed a certain unconcern as a Is the manner Cr Crol I oZ ol the he world before I IH He H brought a card to Madame dc the arnier She took It IL from tho the salvor quietly but hut her er hand trembled as she read tho the name engraved on It itc We c bad all heard that name name namo before Its I crisp nomen nomenclature nomenclature nomenclature gave save one the Impression of or a astron strong stron dogged personality that pur pursued pursued sued and yet t pursued Captain Cap Lain Reginald THat was the name nam sho she read In a alow alow alow low voice CHAPTER Captain C Forber Intrudes There Thera was a silence lasting several seconds Panic was on both boLh their faces Evidently they had looked for no such auch intrusion as ns this above all for no visitor so Inconvenient as 5 tho the kings messenger They had bach con confidently confidently confidently counted on a clear Held field for forthe tho the execution of or their plans That they time should have im e been traced to the chateau so easily and so quickly threw them lien into n Dr was tho the first to recover his presence of mimI Whom does docs he ho wish to see seo this time ho demanded harshly It n hl lie He asks for tor his Excellency the I IEnglish English ambassador replied the sen servant servant I ant looking at me askance nut limit If I he is engaged cd or not well ho is anxious r rious ious to speak with wilh madam I At first I was as surprised that tho the theman I roan man had not brought the tho card direct directly ly by to myself m It was vms strange that ho lie i should Ignore me mo if iC ho lie had hind been given to lo understand that I was Sir Mortimer Mortimor But Hut If I ho he were In the tho confidence of ot Madame de do ho he would do pre pro precisely that rankly Frankly I tho the coming of ot Captain Forbes at this lime time was a surprise scarcely less disagreeable ble for forme me mc than for them Tomorrow or 01 tho the day da after he lie would havo have been perhaps only too welcome But now non the Intrusion Intrusion sion was premature It Interfered with my own plans as fiS well as theirs More than that I could havo have wished myself in a position forewarn to him lila to lo explain my m tactics ladles It looked as if 1 I were again In danger angor of being caught in a criminal deception More than over ever would Captain Forbes be convinced that I was one ono ot or tho the conspirators if he discovered at this moment that I was not Sir Mortimer The Tho man and woman conversed to together together together gether excitedly in a barbaric tongue ton ue Dr It was evident was vehemently menth advocating some plan Madame de do opposing IL It it But the tho shock to which she had been subjected pre previous ious to the tho coming of o Captain Forbes had left lot hor her unstrung almost apa apathetic Hitherto tho the moan man had been sulkily subservient to the tho woman now his animal strength fought for tho Ho He was brushing away awa her agitated protests It was ho he who commanded the servant Show this Captain Forbes to tho the armory armor I shall see seo him myself Again ho lie spoke fiercely lr to Madame de She listened to him in silence her eyes e os cast down IIo IJo strode to the time door stood there thero a mo moment moment ment meat hesitating then left the room shutting the tho door behind him Madame adame do remained where he bath loft left her trembling violently her hands han s covering her face This was WIS my nb opportunity to appeal to tho time woman and not the adventuress I took her unresisting hand and led her herto herto herto to one of tho the carved seats Madame de it is a desper desperate ate game you are playing I said sternly yet et ct gently I 1 dont Ilont know what the tho stakes stales are arc hilt but you ou are not going to win them then themA thenA A while whito hand clung citing to my m coat cont sleeve Why do you JOU say that sho she cried staring at me with affrighted eyes I pointed silently to the card caud she sha still held In her hand There Thero is one |
