Part 41 (1/2)

He tried to cheer her ords of hope that he kneere but chiht of despondency lay on his heart The letter froainst his breast; he would study it anon in the privacy of his own apartment so as to commit every word to memory that related to theAfter that it would have to be destroyed, lest it fell into iniht She was tired out, body and soul, and he--her faithful friend--vaguely wondered how long she would be able to withstand the strain of so much sorrow, such unspeakable uerite made brave efforts to compose her nerves so as to obtain a certain ht, sleep would not come How could it, when before her wearied brain there rose constantly that awful vision of Percy in the long, narrow cell, eary head bent over his ar persistently in his ear:

”Wake up, citizen! Tell us, where is Capet?”

The fear obsessed her that his ony of such intense weariness h impossible to bear In the dark, as she sat hour after hour at the open , looking out in the direction where through the veil of snow the grey walls of the Chatelet prison towered silent and grim, she see reality; she could see every line of it, and could study it with the intensity born of a terrible fear

How long would the ghostly glier in the eyes? When would the hoarse, h that proclaims madness? Oh! she could have screa terror Ghouls see her out of the darkness, every flake of snow that fell silently on the -sill beca face that taunted and derided; every cry in the silence of the night, every footstep on the quay below turned to hideous jeers hurled at her by tor fiends

She closed thequickly, for she feared that she would go mad

For an hour after that she walked up and down the roolie which she promised Percy that she would have

CHAPTER xxxII SISTERS

The ed out, but ed to drink soo out

Sir Andrew appeared in tio to the Rue de Charonne in the late afternoon,”

she said ”I have so to find speech with Madee”

”Blakeney has told you where she lives?”

”Yes In the Square du Roule I knoell I can be there in half an hour”

He, of course, begged to be allowed to accoether quickly up toward the Faubourg St Honore The snow had ceased falling, but it was still very cold, but neither Marguerite nor Sir Andreere conscious of the tens around theates of the Square du Roule; there Sir Andrew parted fro appointed to -house he knehere they could have so expedition to the Rue de Charonne

Five uerite Blakeney was shown in by worthy Mada-roorace Made there, in a capacious arure with its fra when Marguerite was announced, for an open book lay on a table beside her; but it seehts had played truant from her work, for her pose was listless and apathetic, and there was a look of grave trouble upon the childlike face

She rose when Marguerite entered, obviously puzzled at the unexpected visit, and somewhat awed at the appearance of this beautiful woman with the sad look in her eyes

”I must crave your pardon, mademoiselle,” said Lady Blakeney as soon as the door had once more closed on Madairl ”This visit at such an early hour uerite St Just, and--”

Her smile and outstretched hand completed the sentence

”St Just!” exclaimed Jeanne