Show I 1 A MANS HONOR yes he had seen distinctly there un berthe where they had believed them delves unseen a moon ray had culy glided and as clearly as by day bhe she had appeared she alme de do Lauge in the arms of that man whom ha he hated their lips clinging together in an ardent kiss it had lasted but a second then clouda clouds had passed re across ro athe the moon and once more the markwas park was plunged in denae dense obscurity pascal was it man of thirty years ot of soldierly figure solidly built and carelessly y at ease in his costume of a forest guard a coat of well wel I 1 worn velveteen trousers of tho the same tucked into top boots and a jiorle s round cap cat on the back of tho the head lead dravo brave and honest li onest too as he be was liand handsome some more than one girl of the little tillage village had openly declared that he would make inake an enviable bus husband band dut but pascal hubert had bad paid no beed to village surmise or gossip son of the nurse of the young Lauge olles he had bad been brought up with him was ills his foster brother in fact and dearly beloved by all at the chateau where the widowed costesso Com tesso teso dd do Lauge olles had remained to bring up her on pascal hubert and edmond de lau geollas therefore ther eforo hail had grown up together edmond falmond delicate puny and always a little ailing had in pascal a linn firm and vigorous support it was he lie who tim taught him to mount a horse to hunt and to walk with a resolute stephe who protected him and in times of danger came to his assistance edmond had gone to paris to finish his studies and it was as very rarely now that they saw him at the chateau Lauge olles his mother however came often it was the tile corner of the earth that she loved best A proud reticent soul pout she had loved only her husband and remained faithful to that love at Laug Lauge collea olles with him she had passed the happy moments of her life hero the honeymoon had been spent here ehe elie had become a mother and here later on when M de as the result of an accident had died she had isolated lier herself in this forgotten retreat far from every one tobo to be alone with her sorrow her ifer affection now was concentrated upon her child and upon him who had grown up with him to her pascal and edmond were really as two brothers bereft of father and mother before bebas he was ten years of age pascal had bad lived at Lauge olles loved by every one incapable of a bad action knowing not what a lie was and above all devoted to his foster brother brot lier edmond ilmond de do Lauge olles knowing not what fl lie was did I 1 say yes but nevertheless when the little gentleman had committed a fault without actually announcing himself the culprit pascal so managed it that it was always himself epou whom the blame blana c ws waa laid honest upright tender and affectionate he lie would have given his life any time for hia his young master toward his twenty fifth year they learned carried at 8 that the young count had bad married a woman very rich of noble blood and also very young then the newly married pair arrived at lan lau ge geollas olles the tile dowager commesso Com Coin tesso de lau geollas preceding them a week to prepare and put in order the nest for the two children pascal meanwhile had become becom the head be gamekeeper of hia his benefactress he lie too had married the daughter of a peasant family faintly who lived on the edge of the great Lauge olles forest all the coquettis coquettes coquet tes in the world were as nothing to pascal hubert ho lie loved cenette with her frank engaging brulle and benetto loved him had always loved him it seemed for when boasted ho asked her hand tn in marriage bho was ready to say nt at once 1 I am yours take me they were a happy couple and acme mme do LauRe olles at sight of their joy wasas was as happy as they Pis Pa cals felicity com completed plated lor for her the happiness of edmond for she loved and looked upon them still as two brothers these children brought up side by ahle edmond edmona was the same frail delicate being that ho lie had brul been as a ley bey his iris young wife was one of those proud patrician women haughty aud and disdainful dain ful who rho pass through life likel like queens and beem to find interest in ili nothing mun daue coining to Lauge ollea forthe for the honeymoon I 1 things were very gay guy both at the chateau and nd in the neighborhood every one feasting and toasting them M de li vrey among others al gaston de do Li lavrey vircy more than half ruined in fortune they said and who for that reason remained on his provincial estate the better part of the year A dark olive skinned fellow with fiery eyes mustaches curled at the ends approaching hia his fortieth year and with a bold insolent air but little love was felt for him by his country neighbors they believed him a man ready to do anything savo save good nevertheless ho he was often at jolly and always agreeable shooting with ed I 1 roond mond or amusing the young wife before I 1 10 long lo i ng ho lie passed pretty much all the time with ills its new friends the dowager countess coun tesa already far advanced in ili years was falling failing rapidly they spoke as winter approached of taking her i to a milder climate perhaps to the shores I 1 of the he mediterranean she refused to go I 1 0 she knew that she was dying and she desired a to pass away in the palace where she had known her happiness one morning after a night of suffering she called pascal to her bedside do not weep my led IPA bald ehe she 1 I do not complain only 1 I leave behind behin amea me a pon on who needs my care you pascal she continued in a lower tone arc are an honest c st and true man listen to what I 1 say I 1 havo have sent for you to open ruy my heart to you I 1 am afraid afraid for edmond I 1 tremble for his bap happiness it does not seem to ane that the wife ho he has chosen has the love for him that I 1 could have wished L pascal I 1 beseech you watch over him and her if the peace of their lives Is threatt ned cried stand between them and that I 1 which L to enacts them and defend them to the end pascal would rould have spoken but coba sobs choked the words lu in his throat mme ame de do I 1 Lauge olles smiled bully go now my boy said sald she 1 I know I 1 you ou you have need to promise me nothing K you olt will bo be to edmond dimond as you have always e been an elder brother brot her generous do vod vo and unselfish hut but her voice failed her that night she tt as dead lead 1 only a few months had gone when that which she feared had come to pass ed wife the proud heleno de do lau geollas was ensnared in the wiles of gasion gaston I 1 do lavrey pascal had seen it coming day by day I 1 but what could be do dot once he had bad brought to show da do lavrey to edmond in va li liis Is true colors to paint him oa as a man at once despicable and formidable unworthy to bo be received in ills its house but edmond bad grown angry and refused bis his counsels I 1 th i had lieh held his 1 1 I 1 I 1 1 4 X I 1 11 Z 1 I I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 L I 1 i pt peace att jut will 7 f iddle ile do Lauge olles he watched to 10 I 1 rg ee Delly pg lavrey rey hour by hour gala gain ground ath ith idelene she no longer louger spoke of return returning I 1 aig to paris preferring f P io aa said id while in mour mourning nin tile ret ament of Lauge olles As tor for almond Jl mond ho fie passed his days as usual lui alundu iutin steeping himself in the life giving I 1 irmath of the woods and anil every day too 00 oo pascal knew it well the momel moment t drew draw nearer and nearer helene would yield forget her duty as it difo aud and give up uj the L it struggle the glauce glance the word spoken in a certain fashion the lingering hand clasp at tit ting pascal saw it all saw that de do lavrey was slowly but surely winning the young wife from her huab husbands a aids side and noimi now tonight toni glit she had promised herself se if to him this very evening with hia his own eyes etes he had seen them in each others arms etwas it was the firby wea weakness knewt the first step it was time to act softly with the step of a cat pascal glided toward the two lovers who with arms still interlaced were talking in a n low voice AL do lavrey was urging helene listening if not yielding but why tomorrow If helene elenc cried de do lavrey why always tomorrow why thrust from you till then the happiness now in your grasp she shivered visibly hesitated andaas and was losta so be it have it as you ott will then I 1 she cried out suddenly 1 I know what it will cost me bat but it shall be as you say tonight at 12 at the window of my room the chateau will be quiet no one ono awake comet it was 9 a night in autumn a sharp breeze rising helene helena returned to the salon where edmond sat reading she was w as pale and still shivering storm was in tho the air slie she declared she was weary too and thought of going to bed at once al M de lavrey arrived in his turn yea yes the weather had bad certainly changed it was going to rain and rain in torrents he ire must hurry burry to regain his hermitage 11 helene as she had said went w ent at once to her chamber there at her window the minutes seemed to her to crawl by like years A weight of anguish oppressed her heart again and again sho she listened with strained ear not a sound broke the still ness soon her eyes accustomed to tho the darkness dark nesa she was able to distinguish dimly through the night the alleys trees and thickets of the park all the chateau now was wrapped in sleep the hour of the rendezvous app appi cached at last it sounded twelve solemn strokes then suddenly sharply through the silence ft a shot rang out helene her hand on n her heart listened and waited her face 0 9 glued aued to the gliss glass gl iss gazing out below at tit the edge of the wood the little cottage nestled in the midst of the trees pascal hubert at strode rode toward it rapidly ln hand still clutching firmly the stock of his gun he ire reached it a light shone from fron the window what did it meant mean he ile hyl baa h told cenette that he be was on the trail of d c poacher and going to watch in the wood perhaps all night long why then war 4 benetto not asleep poor little one S she he was afraid doubtless for the mau man she loved poachers were often wicked and a avenged themselves on the keeper who trailed them all at once the sound of voices reached Pas cals car ear cenette was not alone then pascal liste listened ped but cenette cenette why resist oie ine longer on ger since pascal is to pass the night outside what are you afraid of your happiness I 1 tell you depends solely apoi yourself and I 1 tell you al edmond cenette answered firmly what I 1 havo have told you again and again that I 1 love pascal and pascal only it I 1 opened the door to yo you this evening it was because I 1 believed u that it was ho lie returning while you profited by his absence and your knowledge of the necessities of his work to take me by BUT surprise go go I 1 beg of you befaro pascal returns 11 reflect tenette cenette tt will you still refuse when hen I 1 say to you that otherwise other I 1 will dismiss him from my bervice and do you think af M ie Is comte that pascal will not ask you why you bend him hita away but cenette be reasonable and gentle your resistance is senseless Illa I 1 have loved ed you for a long lang time and 1 I M ie le comte loe love pascal my husband hush be I 1 love you I 1 love you I 1 say and you shall bo be mine with a vigorous thrust of the shoulder the door flear lev open and pascal plunged in cenette with clasped hands flung herself before him pascal drew her tenderly to his arms my afy precious little onel one murmured ho lie fondly then turning to edmond DIni ond for edmond nimond it was crouching now in a corner of the room white trembling a picture of abject terror scoundrel undrell 1 said he be what have I 1 dono done to you that you should seek to take from mo nic all 11 that I 1 hold dearest antho in the world because I 1 am poor do you think that I 1 have not a heart beart like you and because this poor girl here has neither fine flue dresses wealth nor jewels do you believe that you could 0 buy her with your miserable gold M de do Lauge ollea olles your own mother would vi acorn you tonight did she know the deed that you have sought to do in this house edmond had bad thought for a moment that pascal would throttle him instantly with I 1 his 1 Is strong hand but seeing the danger pas past t ho lie began to regain a little courage and to think resumed tho tile game keeper that while you came to steal my happiness I 1 wai was protecting yours you sought fought to make of my wife an unwilling victim aud and yours gives herself you do no not t believe it yet it ii truth I 1 tell you I 1 line de do Laug colles has a lover edmond leaped as its under the lash of a whip you liel he cried 1 I lie do it I 1 pascal returned between cl clinched inchol teeth code come then see for your and Ana seizing E Edmo iida arm he dragged him outside into the wood and through the paths running among the trees and briers all at once M do Lauge olles the clouda clouds having baring passed under the freshening wind haw saw in the clear moonlight a black ma masa sa stretched on the ground it was a body A dead man here cried he be yes said pascal 1131 M do de lavrey who hada bod a rendezvous at 13 12 tonight with alme a do Laug colles B but lit I 1 watched and waited for him I 1 had sworn to your mother t guard your happiness and tou tout li ing the tile gun in hl bi hand Is why M dc de lavrey did not keep his appointment with madame your wife w ite Pas cals voice was hurried panting ajr tw and just then through the night came the tile sound of shouts hails balls and erica cries the report of the gun had d the chateau people they were roused and searching t the h e wood in all directions in five minutes dg m perhaps they would bo be at the spot where the two men stood pascal stooped suddenly rummaged the tile dead mans pockets and drew out some papers edmond dimond stood aa one bewildered bewilder etL the papers were letters ame do lau geall geollas ge olles letters as pascal had believed and feared seel said he lie thrusting them into edmonds hands these will convince you it if you still doubty the stepi of tho the searchers now were plainly distinguishable come M de do Lauge olles pascal resumed rouse yourself and bo be A muni maril they altre coming coining you will have and you will say ray to your servants my wife la Is false to me mo I 1 have killed her loverl lov crl 11 edmond threw up his hands with a gesture of terror v b tor for f elds 1 I sake ap da rl piscal acal n no 0 t not 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 i 1 1 l 49 ar e 11 M 19 if oia fe S Q t b a IT kill mil mo it you will but do not dishonor mel I 1 am guilty I 1 have behaved like a scoundrel I 1 know it but do not I 1 beseech you condemn me to this shame sharn opt had you pity for me awhile ago bir pascal coldly responded had my wi wife fe been like yours a guilty spouse would you not have dragged my honor lionor in ili the tile mud and is my honor bonor less valuable than yours am M la comte 1 I was a coward a coward pascal yoa you ought to have killed me mel but pardon pardon pardon and spare me mo in ill the rime rame oj of my mo mother therl edmona added appealingly in the name of liia his mother pardon this unworthy orthy BOU son pascal was moved in spite spit of himself again the voice of fine d de Lauge ollea olles his benefactress implored him from her ber deathbed watch over edmond EAl mond pascal she had bald said stand stan always between him and sorrow bo be I 1 to 0 him always 1 va y us you have ever been an elder brother generous devoted and unselfish I 1 A wave of the old love swept over him a flood of pity for this roan man before him who had bad striven to take |