Page 66 (1/1)

Heigh-ho! It was done The galed my part of it like any fool One task re justice to the ht betide thereafter mattered little I should be ruined when I had settled with Chatellerault, and Marcel de Saint-Pol, de Bardelys, that brilliant star in the firmament of the Court of France, would suffer an abrupt eclipse, would be quenched for all tihed little with ht have valued--everything that ht fresh zest to a jaded, satiated life

Later that day I was told by the Vicomte that there was a rumour current to the effect that the Marquis de Bardelys was dead Idly I inquired how the rumour had been spread, and he told me that a riderless horse, which had been captured a few days ago by sonized by Monsieur de Bardelys's servants as belonging to theirhad been seen or heard of hiht, it was believed that he must have met with some mischance Not even that piece of information served to arouse my interest Let the worse than death to be accounted dead is a small matter

The next day passed without incident Mademoiselle's absence continued and I would have questioned the Vico it, but a not unnatural hesitancy beset me, and I refrained

On the morroas to leave Lavedan, but there were no preparations to beenerous hospitality of the Vicoht the Vico her roo I lay awake, revolving a glooht to what I should do after having offered my explanation to Monsieur de Marsac on theree of interest I would communicate with Chatellerault to inforer lost I would send hi over to him my Picardy estates, and I would request him to pay off and disband my servants both in Paris and at Bardelys

As for myself, I did not know, and, as I have hinted, I cared but little, in what places ht lie I had still a little property by Beaugency, but scant inclination to withdraw to it To Paris I would not return; that hts of going to Spain Yet that course seemed no less futile than any other of which I could bethinkthat it would be a mercy and a fine solution to the puzzle of how to dispose of the future if I were to awaken no more