Part 58 (2/2)
”In the Bois!” Madae as Paris” But she swept breathlessly on, ”Coet in!”
Then to her coachne by way of the Cours la Reine,” she commanded, ”as fast as you can drive There are ten pistoles for you if we are in tie, and sprang after her with the energy of a girl The heavy vehicle--too heavy by far for this race with ti and lurching it went, earning the maledictions ofagainst a wall or tra underfoot
Mada lips Her face showed very white and drawn Aline watched her in silence Al as deeply as herself, enduring an anguish of apprehension as great as her own
Later Aline was to wonder at this But at the ht of which her half-numbed mind was capable was bestowed upon their desperate errand
The carriage rolled across the Place Louis XV and out on to the Cours la Reine at last Along that beautiful, tree-bordered avenue between the Champs Elysees and the Seine, almost e now a cloud of dust behind theer-point as was the speed, to the woe it was too slow As they reached the barrier at the end of the Cours, nine o'clock was striking in the city behind them, and every stroke of it seemed to sound a note of dooulations coeant-in-charge how long it was since a cabriolet such as she described had gone that way She was answered that soo a vehicle had passed the barrier containing the deputy M le Chapelier and the Paladin of the Third Estate, M Moreau
The sergeant was very well inforrin, of the business that took M Moreau that way so early in the day
They left hi the road that continued to hug the river They sat backhopelessly ahead, Aline's hand clasped tight in ht, they could see already the long, dusky line of trees of the Bois, and presently the carriage swung aside following a branch of the road that turned to the right, away froht for the forest
Mademoiselle broke at last the silence of hopelessness that had reigned between them since they had passed the barrier
”Oh, it is impossible that we should come in time! Impossible!”
”Don't say it! Don't say it!”past nine, madame! Andre would be punctual, and these
affairs do not take long It it will be all over by now”
Madame shi+vered, and closed her eyes Presently, however, she opened theain, and stirred Then she put her head fro,” she announced, and her tone conveyed the thing she feared
”Not already! Oh, not already!” Thus Aline expressed the silently co, felt the sudden need of air So as if it would suffocate her; a mist came and went before her eyes
In a cloud of dust an open caleche was speeding towards the fro to speak, Aline, indeed, without breath to do so
As it approached, it slowed down, perforce, as they did, to effect a safe passage in that narrow road Aline was at the ith Mastel, and with fearful eyes both looked into this open carriage that was drawing abreast of theasped Aline, scarce daring to look, her senses swientle as he spoke to his co beyond ca His face hite and set, and it was the face of the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr
For a long moment, in speechless horror, both wo them, blankest surprise invaded his stern face
In thatto the carriage floor behind Mastel
CHAPTER XI INFERENCES
By fast driving Andre-Louis had reached the ground soht delay in setting out There he had found M de La Tour d'Azyr already awaiting hientleman in the blue uniform of a captain in the Gardes du Corps
Andre-Louis had been silent and preoccupied throughout that drive He was perturbed by his last intervieith Mademoiselle de Kercadiou and the rash inferences which he had drawn as to her motives