OCR Text |
Show 146 TilE LILT AND Til£ TOTEM. "Why should he fail?" d e mand ~d La Roqu ~ tb. "Let him but dress his coffee with my spices, and he cannot fail." "Yes," replied Don Pre," but it is not always that Laudonnierc drinks his coff<!c. If he happens to be asleep when I bring it, I do not wake him, but put it on the tabb by his bcd:;id e, and, very frequently, if it is cold when he wakes, he lca,·cs it notasted." "Umph! but at all events, there is the other accident. That can be made to take effect at mid-night to-morrow-ch! what say you, Lc GcnrC ?" "Without fail! It is s'vorn !" Their plaus. being adjusted, the meeting was dissolved, and tho parties separately dispersed, each to make his way back, as be best might, so as to avoid suspicion or detection, to Fort Caroline. They had scarcely disappeared when Alphonse D'Erlach emerged from the hollow of a cypress which stood upon the edge of the knoll where their conference had taken place. ALPHONSE D'ERLACII was one of those remarkable persoruJ who seem, in periods of great excitement, to be entirely superior to its infiuence. He appeared to be entirely without emotions. Though a mere youth, not yet firm in physical manhood, he 'vas, in morals, endowed with a strength, a hardihood and maturity, which do not often fall to the lot of middle age. In times of difficulty, be possessed a coolness which enabled him to contemplate dolibcratoly the approooh of danger, nod he wo.s utter\y' 00.. Tl!.E CONSPIRACY OF U: GENRf: . 147 yond surprises. IIis confcreneo with old Bon Pre, when they met again that night was remarkably illustr:ttive of these characteristics. 11 What shall we do?" demanded the old man. 11 Your part is easily done," was the reply-" you arc simply to do nothing-to forbear doing. I understand your purpose in volunteering to do the poisoning. I ''ill sec I~audonnierc in an hour. You will prepare the coffee--nay, let Fourncaux, or that fool of a magician himself, introduce the poison. Laudonnicre will sleep, you understand." "But, Lo Gcnr6-the gunpowder!" "I will sec to that." " What will you do ?11 ''Nay, time mw~t find the answer. I am not resolved; but, at all events, for the present, Laudonnicre must know nothing. He must remain in ignorance." "Why?" "For the best reason in the world. Did he guess what we know, ho would bo for arming l1im sclf and nil around him-creating a confusion under the name of law-attempting arresfll, and so proceeding as t.o give opportunities to tho conspi1·at.ors to do that boldly, which they nrc now content to do ba!!Cly. I think wo shnll thwart them with thcir own weapons. Let us scparnto now. I will sec Laudonniero but n few moment$ before I sleep." " Can you sleep to-night? I cannot! I shall hardly be able to sleep till tho affair is over. I do not think, honestly speaking, that I bnvo slept a good hour for the last week. I am certainly not consciotl!l of having done so." "Nature provides for all such easel!. For my part I never want sleep-! alwuytt have it. I can sleep in a storm ll.Ild enjoy |