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Show 90 ,. VUVVVV" ' _, \Y‘Hw. mum TIIE EBONY BOX I'RINC {SS MARY'S GIFT BOOK 91 She looked at me in perplexity. and certainly the little piece of there were cushioned sofas and deep ariii-ehairs. and a good tire of logs acting. I thought. was very well done. " .\ signal ? " she repeated. " To whom .3" "To some nian hiding)‘ in the woods of Mom (Iuieliet. a signal to him that he may come and fetch the news for Paris which has latclv~ Very lately-been brought to the house." " She bcnt l'orwai'd aii‘d peered down at me, drawing the cloak closer about her neck. 7 " You are under some strange mistake. iiionsiciir." she said. " No news l'or I'aris has been brought. to this house by any one." " Indeed f" I answered. " And is that so 3" Then I stretched out. my hand and said triumphantly: " You will tell me perhaps that the cloak upon your shoulders is a \voiiiiiiis cloak f" And she laughed! It was humiliating: it is always humiliating to a yearn}: man not to be taken seriously. isn‘t, it .' Tltt't‘C-Wzts I thinking that I had l'airly ci'oss'~exaii1iiieil her into a trap. and she laiio'lieil iiidiile‘cntly. And .she explained iiiduloeiitly, too. a " 'l'he cloak I am wearing; belongs to a wounded French otlicer who was taken prisoner and released upon parole. He is now in our house." ' Then I think I will make his actpiaintaiice." I said. and over my shoulder I called to the corporal. As he advanced to my side, a look of alarm came into the girl‘s l'ace. . . "You are not alone." she said, and suddenly her face became wistt‘ul and her voice began to plead. " You Ilit\'Cillt)t come for him .' He has done no harm. He could not. even it' he would. And he would not. tor he has given his parole. Oh, you are not gointr to take him away f" i n " That we shall see. iiiademoiselle." I Iel't one di'ae'oon at the door. I ordered the corporal to wait in the hall. and I Iollowed the girl up the stairs to the first floor. All her pride had gone: she led the way with a submission ol' manner which seemed to tile oiily a trcsh ellort to quiet my suspicions. But they were not quieted. I distrusted her: I believed that I had under iiiVitiiirrers the proot~ of that i‘uniour which t'Iew about our camp. She istopll‘d at a door. and-as she turned the handle she said: blazed upon the hearth. These details I took in at once. Then I looked at the occupants. A young man lay stretched upon a sol'a close to the tire with a wrap covering his legs. The wrap was raised by a cradle to keep off its weight. His face must have been, I think. unusually handsome " this is my own room, iiionsieiir. We all use it now. for it is warmer than the others. and all our servants but one have tied." It was a pretty room. and cheery enough to one who came into it :tli‘tlrilprtthedarkness and the snow. A piano stood open in a corner with h .iiown upon it to I)I()t(.('t the strings man the cold; books lay upon the tables, heavy curtains were drawn close over the windows, when he had his health; at the moment it was so worn and pale, and the eyes were so sunk, that all its beauty had gone. The pallor was accentuated by a small black moustache he wore and his black hair. He lay with his head supported upon a pillow. and was playing a game of chess with an old lady who sat at a little table by his side. 1 advanced to the tire and warmed my hands at it. " You, sir, are the wounded olli'cer on parole 1'" I said in French. The ollicer bowed. " And you, madame?" I asked of the old lady. The sight ol' my uniform seemed to have paralysed her with terror. " t‘ome. come. madame." I exclaimed impatiently; " it is a simple question." " Monsieur, you frighten her," said the young lady. " It is my aunt, the Baroness Granville." at " You tell me nothing of yourself," I said to her. and she looked me in surprise. " Since you have come with an escort to this house I imagined you must know to whom it belonged. I am Sophie de \'illctaiieuse." had "' Exactly." I replied, as though I had known all alone. and truth. merely asked the question to see whether she would speak the ll')W it is that while " Now, mademoiselle. will you please explain to me . " ' your neighbours have fled you remain at your chateau ? "It is quite simple," she answered. " My mother is bedridden. She could not be moyed. She could not be lel‘t alone." " You will pardon me." said I, " it' I test that statement." though to proThe wounded otlicer raised himself upon his elbow as and checked him. hand a out put Villetaneuse de test, but Mademoiselle ipiite ipiietly. She showed me a lace flushed with anger, but she spoke . " I will myself take you to my mother‘s room." You Will take expected. I what just is "That said: I I laughed: to make any little me to your mother's room and leave your Friends here which they may papers awkward burning" preparations in the way of easily caught. think desirable. Thank you, no I I am not so ‘ Mademoiselle Sophie was becoming irritated. exclaimed, she I" ! papers ward awk- " There are no " That statement. , too, . test." \ ( / t /A/ém/ ‘\ o N 'ixllgi, I shall put to the Min 1 o. |