Show A choxi lies trannell 19 C P bu rho babbs merrill liH APTER XVI continued 22 1 I heard beard you say the was peas are wide and far far the way to their secret places it Is a chance jean the count seized his big arm for the lieutenant whom mademoiselle lespron had bad now joined was returning to them come I 1 reimburse the gentlemen of new orleans who were with me in the girod venture I 1 give you the seraphine without condition without condition monsieur sim saz arac stared oddly at him then at mademoiselle lespron who had run to them brightly vivaciously as 89 if all was arranged as if the black hulled schooner and its mysteries would in an hour be vanished in the sens seas and she gladdened at its passing ali ah aes 5 es I 1 mazarac bowed without condition monsieur de Al almonaster Almona monaster sterl I 1 and he bowed again to her and took her fanger alps and pressed them to his lips she could not understand this fervor which bad a touch of satire nor the smile in his somber eyes Ws his turning away while monsieur de at al monaster made hurried arrangements with the american lieutenant even now they had sent the boat away to apprise the hornet and to fetch the improvised crew which would be glad for a berth back to the indies monsieur mazarac stood idly apart twirling his sword knot as if nothing any longer was affair of his when alderman made some query as to the dead seaman forward he shrugged that was all he strolled forward to stare down at the nine dead buccaneers bucca and did not return until the hornets boats with a crew of strange halfbreed half breed men and two obsequious grateful petty officers were at the Sera phines side while the other party was descending to the small boat lie he still stood apart supposed he was going dumb hurt as the alderman aiderman was at thought of the chance that an instant cry kanttel Lant tel I 1 would ring rag on the hornets quarter deck mademoiselle lespron thought he be was as going for he be stood close by the ladder as she was helped away but he detained her suddenly at the rall rail A moment mademoiselle he exhibited to her a small bracelet curiously inlaid gold of three colors and a number of pearls the gift of a queen mademoiselle lespron cried out in joyous wonder she lad had neier neer seen marle marie Antoin ettes bracelet since the night she saw tile ragged fellow kiss it in the emperors cabin when the muti sent tier her away my illy brace bracelet letl monsieur I 1 all a childs lovely eagerness to grasp a toy was nas in tier her face and the band she re reached ached for it monsieur mazarac Saz arac however drew it back gravely all ah nol no cut but my bracelet monsieur I 1 want it that Is tile the point it Is yours and you cannot have it nom de dieu III 1 she stared at him incredulously why it must be stolen it Is essential as a matter of honor de Al monaster an and d dominique were in the small boat they looked up us as ton lobed and the girl sat gat down by them trying to keep back hot puzzled tears there was an adieu or so waved from the hornets officers in the small boats as they sheered off the sebbon er era Is side monsieur mazarac bowed bowed to them all with apparently the tame rame debonair dismissal mademoiselle lespron turned to de Al monaster with a wild whisper ile he Is not coming I 1 ile he Is not corning coining with us for no sooner had bad made mademoiselle moiselle mol selle les lespron tron left the that day do in 1821 than monsieur mazarac turned and ran down in the emperors cabin lie he burst into the doorway of the emperors stateroom and flung the golden trinket upon the lace and silken coverlet of the emperors bed there robber lie he shouted nh somewhat impatiently her bracelet stolen token against tier her will are you satisfied the man on the bed looked at it quietly with glittering eyes above hla his hollow cheeks ile he still had ills his boots on and the imperial couch was rather tile the worse for the mud land and dried blood upon it but now he sat up straighter and gestured with superb authority well then I 1 you lost her you va will III never see her again I 1 1 I lost her and neither you nor I 1 vill w ever see her again 1 he looked ut the painter of the rue royale more composedly ell eh jarvis what should you and I 1 ask of 0 life youth turns to 0 o youth always and a fine fellow this de almonaster Al monaster you and I 1 will never see her again tile the devil take me if I 1 saw her at all very cry clearly whether her eyes are brown or merely very dark blue and her hair eh well she never saw me ma very clearly either which li in most fortunate she will remember dpn ber longest the one who was the greatest mystery sir another peg 0 brandy here scum W 0 the beasl seas your tour drink plunderer ol 01 0 the ports portal 1 monsieur lafitte the jester crushed back against the emperors pillows and touched a handkerchief of elegant linen to his lips delicately you say I 1 shall die before morning it la Is certain as anything I 1 know jarvis jarvis janis jan Is the jester grew quite solemn walt wait a moment monsieur Ions leur lafatte he straightened ii his body a bit now bring me the cutlass of old Gorg Gorgi lol oll 1 I brought it here answered monsieur lafitte obediently the pistol of bohony by your side there cleaned and loaded The head scarf of nez coupe III 1 oa 0 the pillow by you and see the earring of Johann where the denil dell la in the other one roared the bottle emperor testily 1 I could not get the other one unless I 1 cut the bos boskus bo suns left ear name 0 evil 1 why dont you obey me met he thrust out a skinny fin finger ger and shook it with a lordly wrath monsieur lafitte shrugged tingly eh cant ou on be satisfied you tou have plundered them sill you have laid a solid shot through a good ship killed your man on a red deck boasted swaggered robbed nine buc cancers irk in a row anil and looted a jewel from a woman III not so soon A pot 0 gold that also Is essential fetch it at once the master shrugged then with a patient sigh he be scattered from his pockets an are arc of spanish doubloons doub loons across the silken coverlet there corsair that Is all I 1 have to be robbed of now rest mad llad john another thing the name mazarac it was the name she loved perdition III t the other man turned to the bedside well then be saz arse arac monsieur mazarac was vas also a ghost ile he never dared step from the shadows to her eye more than did t look dearest mazarac Saz arac a phantom fading into the idlett you be comforted old friend I 1 jean of the old days Is with you the others hae baie gone a little time before mazarac Saz arac murmured the other and the old plaintive tone came again to ta him 1 I demand that also li it Is ie the name she bill A III remember 1 I well then 1 name 0 G d dl I 1 take everything from me strip me to tile the hidel hide see I 1 dub you mazarac Saz arac monsieur lahitte touched him upon his bloody b bandaged shoulder with the rusty cutlass of gorgio the dead catalan now boast boaster er cazara Saz arac c I 1 monsieur laid hack back upun upon the emperors pillows he motioned to the emperors decanter A peg ol 01 0 cognac monsieur lafitte he moistened his tongue with the drink fastidiously aal rubbed his unshaven chin A square of blue hung above him through tile the open skylight and against it the snowy burst of sail gall he could hear bear the creak of blocks and gear tile the faint shout of sall ormen aloft to clark the english lad at the wheel as the new crew of the emperors ship set the royals see here exclaimed Blons monsieur leur mazarac thoughtfully the flag once painted at my studio in the rue conti black with the white bones you will holst it tomorrow when hen they all go over ieh eh over well I 1 understand monsieur the black lag flag shall be at the peak now how many are there in the row by the fo casle for roe me to comil commend mild nine you will make ten monsieur somme Saz arac it must be done by precedence ordal ordained ned the other loftily first 1 I monsieur mazarac with my plunder it Is all to be wrapped in my silk lined cloak and tied very tightly to my belt dieu de dieu III ak whispered the other and then to himself Is this the th feer the brandy or the secret soul of my friend frien dr monsieur mazarac suddenly thundered to recall ills his lieutenants mind silence I 1 was saying buying in precedence I 1 first Mons monsieur leur Saz mazarac arac then beluche the admiral jolian johnn ness the and then the others to the green water I 1 order you will obey 1 I 1 will obey monsieur mazarac Saz arac the last adventurer turned away as if he had a petition to offer it was hard bard to conceal that he desired to keep one little thing tor for himself out 0 of this ravishment see here corsair Corsa lr the little bracelet which you ordered must be b stolen Is it needful that it go to the bottom of the sea with you tomorrow monsieur mazarac fixed his bright restless eyes upon the others somber attentive face the nicker flicker of a wise ruthless smile came to him it Is needful it is 1 my plunder it was hers name 0 names I 1 there can be no discussion I 1 pin it to my new waistcoat do you under understand the last man turned away from the emperors bedside ire he took his snuff geoff absently and sat down doan with the air of one who had lost the last battle then alien ho be looked at the plunder of monsieur mazarac upon the emperors pillow even the bracelet he sighed what a buccaneer this mazarac and tomorrow he be will be less lonely than 11 II monsieur mazarac Saz arac outstretched with some luxurious pence peace upon the silken imperial coverlet appeared to hear bear this whisper he turned to see the other man staring out the open port at the sloop rolling in the gentle seas they have reached the deck murmured lafitte absently she Is in de Almon asters arms I 1 she to Is crying or laughing I 1 cannot say which but she is a little hand bond to us is to mazarac I 1 will nill have that too smiled the jester my illy ragged heart has always longed for a tear or a smile from a lady what riches I 1 have at the end I 1 here Mons monsieur leur la fatte I he lifted mademoiselle les arons bracelet and tossed it to the other out of the wealth of my empire and my love I 1 give you this trinket as a keepsake from her and from myself mazarac must be generous to the last eh jeon jean ile he must fall in nothing the adventurer lifted the bracelet to hla his lips and smiled in turn he must be as she ehe dreamed from the first thank you monsieur mazarac Saz arac and the two watched the distant figures on tile the hornet they could not know what the girl was crying out from her lovers arms raoul I 1 the seraphine Seraph lne Is not following usi us she Is sailing eastward after all oh raoul what Is the mystery the sens seas are wide there are many far secret places for monsieur saz arac he be whispered louise 1 dearest and always longed for or you love ione me you love me 1 I love you she smiled out of her tears glad for his arm his tenderness ills his understanding when tier her eyes eye turned again to the black schooner with aith the gold line along the water it had broken out to snowy sail it was waa growing smaller fainter in the east like a illy floating in the sun wash of tile the gulf in new orleans you will know everything raoul smiled out of his joy 1 I will tell you everything and of roy my love again look dearest mazarac Saz arac a phantom f fading ding into the mist ali ah but my little bracelet in in the the end perhaps I 1 shall understand everything except why he be stole my bracelet I 1 which was exactly the way things fell out long years afterward madame Ma daroe the countess de Almon asters children and then the children of tier her children stood before a shabby little shop which was once pierre masseros Ma speros gam gain ing house and looked across at the faded facade of the gray house which their forefather built for the exiled emperor they went also of a sunday afternoon among the tourists to the low tomb in the old st louis cemetery where the city had carved a flattering inscription from Volt aires Henr Henri lade ade to the memory of an honest bonest councilor the victor of a hundred fights on sea and land ali ah what abat jests may hie in stone madame the lie countess could relate everything to her children except about the bracelet antoinette at times from the gallery of her great house on oil the esplanade in old new orleans madame would look across the mighty mississippi to the dark and flooded forests of Rara beyond which lay tho the blue gulf into which monsieur mazarac vanished forever from the world of men ell eh blen I 1 the aden adventurer might come again some day with fill her bracelet but over Monsie urs eurs shoulder would peer his last ragged follower whispering that n R jester too might love THE UND END |