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A h a dark alley

which led into the fashionable district of the Rue de Béthisy From

ti

Satisfied that the alley was deserted save for his own presence, he

would proceed, hugging the walls The cobbles were icy, and scarce a

le to maintain his

balance The door of a low tavern opened suddenly, sending a golden

shaft of light across the glistening pave a brilliant

patch on the opposite wall With the light calasses The man laid his hand on his sword,

swore softly, and stepped back out of the blinding glare The flash of

light revealed a mask which left visible only the lower half of his

face Men wearing

questions; and this ht He waited, hiding in the shadow

Half a dozen guardsmen and musketeers reeled out The host reviled

the, and went on, to

be sed up in the darkness beyond The tavern door closed, and

once reys and purples The s of his mask, tilted his hat still

farther down over his eyes, and tested the looseness of his sword

"The drunken fools!" he"Well for them they came

not this way"

When he entered the Rue de Béthisy, he stopped, searched up and down

the thoroughfare Far away to his right he saavering torches, but

these receded and abruptly vanished round a corner of the Rue des

Fossés St-Germain l'Auxerrois He was alone A hundred yards to his