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Show 98 PRINCESS MARY'S GIFT BOOK THE EBONY BOX eyplanation there. The third letter was addressed to Mademoiselle de \ illetaneiise. who had evidently written to M. Armand on behalf of her mother. inviting him to her box at the opera. M. Armand regretted that he had not been fortunate enough to call at a time when mademmselle was at home. and would look forward to the pleasure of seeing her at the Opera. " Mademmselle," I cried, " what does the Opera stand for ? " nu. iey ieeoided dinner-parties, Visits to the theatres, examinations passed, prizes won and lost, receptions, rides in the Bois, and Sunday ., . . + . . fl.\(tll.510n$ into ' the (.ouiitiy. All these phrases, these appointments, {MC meetings, might have particular.meanings. But if so, how Besides, how was it that none of these messages had been passed into Paris! Very reluctantly I began to doubt ii'iy 10\\I]1{C0H_]c(‘ttll'e. .I read some more letters, and then 1 suddenly turned pat to the earlier ones. I compared them with the later notes. I (V: )egin ‘to I u A v . l . I ' )e afraid theA ceiitspondence. alter all, was genuine, tor the tone otthe letters changed ally, and lrir yetll so art could , l .ele'irlv -. 13' . t ) iaic cethem. I seemed to w1t- of 1 . M . Arm-1nd . r , r'1 h(l)) ll)( » osing his his awkwardolish in ‘ t- ~ 5f I'aris i'l'litnliul . 4 . , . . as markotParis,thetirst ~ _ ' ( ‘ and ch'inir‘l ' And they were not love-letters. looked at Mademoiselle Sophie with an increased perplexity. I Why did she now sit rocking her head like a child in pain? \Vhy had she so struggled to hinder me from opening them? They recorded a beginning of aequaintaneeship and the growth of that into friendship between a young man and a young girl-nothing more. The friendship might eventually end in marriage, no doubt, if left to itself, but there was not MademOIselle Sophie laughed disdainfullv. .. Ir or music. .- inonsieur, ‘ ‘ ' ' for' art. tor rehnement. for many things you do not understand." a I sprang up in excitement. "'hat did it matter what she said! M. Armand stood for the Army of the Loire. It was that armv which had been expected at \ ille Evrart. Here was a pledge that it would come to the help of Paris at the next sortie. That was valuable news- it could not but bring recognition to the man who brought evidence of it into the Irussian hnes. I hurriedlv read through the other letters . ‘ I ' l i quoting i , a passage here and there. trying to startle Mademoiselle de \illetaneiise into a confession. But. she never changed her attitude she did not answer a word. ( i "01.0 . iias 'tll‘ie) nioie'aggi .. [Immm "mondlulttt .1} ating, loi I began 'to get lost ( h Ise c eis. it} new 2 l in the same handwriting: they . ‘ ( . . u ‘ 1\yfeie tall signed " Aimand, and they seemed to give a picture of the I x . v . i ,‘, .' v v "(1.0 rih‘kmlliig man ' in I ).aiis (lllllllgltl‘lc two years which preceded the .s upent ous a cipher! They were genuine, then. 99 i‘" l ~ . .. v I i .. 1 7 11, Ill(. t tie 1‘ gicatcst "U 50 llttldl) 3"" l1" liberately composed iiess ‘ -t 1M‘l piogiess ' " " F (K ' the dchoytrointheprovinces, i icss, i'atquiiing . . ease and with the retineinent l-ctteis .. had the )os that vl >t . ( ) f I[k iiicignc. a word of that in the letters. I was still wondering. when the French oflieer raised himself from his sofa and dragged himself across the room to Mademoiselle Sophie's chair. His left trouser leg had been slit down the side from the knee to the foot and laced lightly so as to make room for a bandage. He supported himself from chair to chair with evident pain, and I could not doubt that his wound was as genuine as the letters. He bent down and gently took her hand away from her face. " Sophie," he said, "I did not dare to think that you kept this place for me in your thoughts. A little more courage and I should long since have said to you what I say now. I beg your permission to ask Madame de Villetaueuse to-morrow for your hand in marriage." My house of cards tumbled down in a second. The French Ol'IICCI‘ was M. Armand. \Vith the habit women have of treasuring tokens of the things which have happened, Mademoiselle Sophie had kept all these trifling notes and messages, and had even gathered to them the letters written to her mother, so that the story might be complete. But without M. Armand's knowledge ; he was not to know; her pride must; guard her secret from him. For she was the lover and he only ‘the friend, and she knew it. Even in the little speech which he had Just made, there was just too much formality, just too little sincerity of voice. I understood why she had tried to throw the ebony box down into the hall so that I might open it there-I understood that-l had me caused her great humiliation. But that was not all there was [or . to understand. shook In answer to Armand she raised her eyes qtiietly, and her head. . very " You wish to spare me shame." she said, "and I thank you think must I spoke. you that letters these of because is it much. But that. I must always think it." " No l " he exclaimed. . unlocked that " But yes," she replied firmly. " If monsieur had not yet, no, not yet] not perhapsth, day some knowibut don't box-I and but seine day perhaps you might have come of your own accord |