Part 13 (1/2)

She knew, of course, that the visit was directed against Armand--some one had betrayed hi for Armand's safety, for his life Her are, her self-control; she used all these weapons for his sake, though at times she felt as if the strain on her nerves would snap the thread of life in her The effort seemed more than she could bear

But she kept up her part, rallying Heron for the shortness of his visit, begging hi out--with subtle feminine intuition--just those very hints anent little Capet's safety that wereback towards the Teht, citizen,” she said coquettishly, ”that you even forgot little Capet in order to coet hiet the ver round ht flowers, I know; but I am a busy rave nod of the head; ”but do co Careatest successes”

”Yes, yes, I'll colad to have seen you, citizeness Where does your cousin lodge?” he asked abruptly

”Here,” she replied boldly, on the spur of theat the Conciergerie, and get his certificate of safety It is a new decree, and you should have one, too”

”Very well, then Hector and I will coether, and perhaps Aunt Marie will couillotine yet awhile, citizen,” she said lightly; ”you will never get such another Caay, artless to the last She acco him about his escort

”You are an aristo, citizen,” she said, gazing ell-feigned admiration on the two sleuth-hounds who stood in wait in the anteroom; ”it makes me proud to see so many citizens at ht, and don't forget the green-rooly open for you”

She bobbed him a curtsey, and he walked out, closely followed by his two men; then at last she closed the door behind theainst thefor theirstones of the courtyard below; then she was satisfied that they had gone, and went slowly back to the boudoir

CHAPTER X SHADOWS

The tension on her nerves relaxed; there was the inevitable reaction

Her knees were shaking under her, and she literally staggered into the room

But Armand was already near her, down on both his knees this ti the delicate form that swayed like the slender steo out of Paris at once--at once,” she said through sobs which no longer would be kept back

”He'll return--I know that he will return--and you will not be safe until you are back in England”

But he could not think of hiotten Heron, Paris, the world; he could only think of her

”I owe my life to you!” he murmured ”Oh, how beautiful you are--how brave! How I love you!”

It seemed that he had always loved her, from the moment that first in his boyish heart he had set up an ideal to worshi+p, and then, last night, in the box of the theatre--he had his back turned toward the stage, and was ready to go--her voice had called him back; it had held him spellbound; her voice, and also her eyes He did not know then that it was Love which then and there had enchained him Oh, how foolish he had been! for now he knew that he had loved her with all his ht, with all his soul, from the very instant that his eyes had rested upon her

He babbled along--incoherently--in the intervals of covering her hands and the heround and kissed the arch of her instep; he had beco at the shrine of his saint, who had perforreat and a wonderful miracle

Armand the idealist had found his ideal in a woreat miracle which the woman herself had performed for him He found in her all that he had admired most, all that he had admired in the leader who hitherto had been the only personification of his ideal But Jeanne possessed all those qualities which had roused his enthusiasenuity, her caler from him!

What had he done that she should have risked her oeet life for his sake?

But Jeanne did not know She could not tell Her nerves noere so, and the tears that always came so readily to her eyes flowed quite unchecked She could not very well move, for he held her knees imprisoned in his arms, but she was quite content to reht cover them with kisses

Indeed, she did not knohat precise ht, perhaps she could not saybut when they parted she felt that she ain and then today

perhaps it was the scent of the violets they were so exquisitely sweet perhaps it was his enthusiasland but when Heron came she knew that she must save Armand's life at all cost

that she would die if they dragged him away to prison