The Son Of Monte Cristo Part 46 (1/2)

”The man lies!” yelled the woman

Fanfar was nearly stunned He now had not the smallest clue to Francine

”Bobi+chel,” he said, sadly ”Fate is against us Come with me”

”But what a to Robeccal, ”Ah! I have it”

He seized a rope and bound Robeccal firmly, and then bundled him into a closet, which he locked and put the key into his pocket They drove La Roulante out of the house, and locked that door also, and then hurried back to the city

La Roulante when she was thus left hesitated a moment

”No,” she said, ”if I let him out I shall have to divide the ht of Robeccal she too went away

CHAPTER xxxIII

FACE TO FACE

The hotel of the Marquis de Fongereues was ablaze with lights Magdalena having deter, invitations had been sent to every one of distinction For a long tiereues fa house, had shown great coolness to the became known at the clubs, the family were quickly reinstated in public opinion

About nine o'clock carriages began to roll through the streets near the hotel, the doors of which were throide open to welcouests, who bore the oldest and noblest nanity, concealed the joy and pride that swelled his heart Magdalena was superb in her matronly beauty and her dia the story of his excesses and the exciteht, which he believed to have been arranged by the man and woman whom he had ee, from which he had not yet recovered

Suddenly a murmur of admiration ran around the room Mademoiselle de Salves had just come in Her mother had with difficulty risen from her sick bed to witness the triumph of her child

Irene was certainly very beautiful, and her toilette was characterized by exquisite simplicity But her face was sad, and the brilliancy of her eyes was due to fever Why had she coreat change had coy and innu timidity She was all the time conscious that she concealed a secret in her heart, and that since a certain ht of but one person Her vanity, her patrician pride, all revolted against this truth The naain, was that of Fanfar

Whenever she closed her eyes she saw hi his life to save that of his adopted father She heard his rich voice and the words he uttered:

”Make yourself beloved”

She struggled with all her power against this infatuation, and had coer in his theatrical costukilled by the heavy timber He had held her a ainst her own A hundred times since then she had seen hiain she knew that he had thrown flowers over the wall With tre joy she had carried these flowers to the privacy of her own rooms She questioned them, but they were mute and kept the secret that Fanfar had undoubtedly confided to theination ran riot She heard hied to the party who aimed at the overthrowal of the royal power How did one so lowly venture to h? Irene reat truths, and she realized that reat cause, and her soul was filled with noble wrath against those persons ere ruining and dishonoring France How solitary she felt herself! How ignorant! How she longed to interrogate Fanfar on these great subjects But she well knew that this was an impossible dream He was far away frole, but all the time asked herself why he did not co nearer She knew that her mother had promised her hand to the Vicomte de Talizac, and she knew that if she made any resistance it would break her mother's heart; but as the hour drew near when her sacrifice was to be consummated, Irene felt herself very weak

She entered the Fongereues salon in a state of suppressed excitement, very pale but very beautiful The Marquis e was his salvation He, too, thought of Fanfar with a certain pity, for he knew that this mountebank, as he scornfully called hiht to call hiereues

Irene's arrival was the signal for the opening of the ball The orchestra began to play a waltz Then canificent person entered, an officer of the Royal Guard, in his white and gold uniforereues

”Marquis,” he said, ”I co”

Every one listened with bated breath Fongereues was radiant

”Desirous of reco services rendered to the holy cause of monarchy, His Majesty has condescended to lend a favorable ear to certain applications, and, Monsieur, I am the bearer of the commission which confers on your son the rank of lieutenant in the King's Guards”