The Castle Of The Shadows

as gathering her forces together, and

urning who lives at the Chateau de la Roche," sh

as freely as I did about it before you. Loria took me to task rather, after you'd gone up to the chateau, and he was righ

in my head I keep it tenaciously-as all my long-suffering friends know to their s

ly, if y

costs me fifty thousand pounds (which it won't, I know), even if I only live in it for one month out of five years. The thing is, to feel it's

doesn't usually agitate oneself much about

nt. I want you and no one to els

atified, I suppose, up to certain

ryth

branch died, a banker in London was the next heir. He gave the chateau and the Dalahaide house in Paris as a wedding present to his son, who was about to be married. The bride and bridegroom came over on their honeymo

You didn't ask me

ation on the subject would be too painful for po

help seeing.

d clever and popular, and if they were not millionaires, they were extravagant, for they gave delightful

tments of the father's hadn't gone wrong and crippled the family resources. Then, as misfortunes generally come in crowds, there was a slight earthquake along this part of the coast, and the chateau was partly ruined, as you saw to-day, for they were not ab

ered, and grew red and white under the revealing moonlight. She was thinking of the portrait-seeing it again, look

call it living-he must have wished a hundred times a day to die and be out of his misery. Perhaps death has come to him.

me! What do you mean?

ly influence, the tremendous eloquence of a man engaged to plead his cause, the fact that Max insisted upon his innocence, while the evidence was entirely circumstantia

was En

h subject. He had even served his time in the army. Naturally he was amenable to F

was in

out over the sea, turned a

. "Everything proved his guilt. It is impo

er believ

e mother-who knows? At all events, she died-broken-hearted. Every penny the family possessed, after

your friend-yet you b

ng fellow I ever met. Neither man nor woman could resist him, if he set out to conquer. Loria and he were like brothers; yet Loria thought

a. "What is the use of reason, when one has instinct?-and that is never wrong.

me, dear; you've told me that, and I don't mean to bother you again; but I'm weak en

etry. When I am waltzing with the Marchese Loria I invariably make up my mind that I will accept him next time he asks. Then, afterward, something holds me back. To-day, in that valley of shadows, he affected me quite differently. It was as if-as if the shadows

rtheless, he did what he could for his friend, guilty as he thought him. All this happened four years ago, when you were a demure little schoolgirl-if you ever could have been demure!-in your own Virginia, not allowed even to

ld me yet what

e said it w

y a crude statement.

now all from me that you will know. Buy your chateau, if you choose. You've money enough to squander on twenty such toys and not miss it. No doubt poor Madeleine Dalahaide w

tell me no

thi

is portrait. I have seen his sister. That is enough for me. But what you will not t

shame where Maxime Dalahaide was entombed. She awoke from a dream forgotten, in a spasm of cold fear, before it was dawn, and switching on the electric light near the bed, she drew her watch from under the pillow. It wa

g out of herself, and then turn to face her. It pushed the girl from her bed, and she rose, shivering;

th in the bathroom adjoining. But now she bathed in the cold, dressing herself in her riding-habit, and even arranging her hair without he

us three hours would pass before any one save her maid would begin to wonder where she was; and for the maid she would leave a l

nor the exercise which she loved, could calm the fever in her blood. It was as if some power stronger than herself pushed her on; and though she had

hands that use me as they will. Why do I go this morning to the Chateau de la Roche? I don't know. I don't

above the Valley of the

y the nervous exaltation that had carried her courageously so far, broke like a violin string too tightly drawn. She was horrified

on the oak of the door. Its echoes went reverberating through wide, empty spaces, and for some moments she stood trembling at her audacity. She said to herself that she could not knock again. If no one answered the

ale, dignified old face showing such evident signs of surprise that the American girl, who had never

nformed at once, if she were at home, but, in fact, it was possible-- He hesitated, and Virginia saw well

er business was urgent. But-supposing when she found herself face to face with the girl in bl

opened. Mademoiselle Dalahaide came slowly out, her head bent, her long black dress sweeping the stone floor of the hall in sombre folds. S

g face unlighted by a smile. She looked the question that she did not speak; but she gave the Ame

, had come. All self-consciousness left her. She went

night. I got up before any one else was awake, because I-because I wanted s

it was necessary and polite to force a smile for strangers. She had been so much alone, she and sorrow had grown so intimate, that she had become almost primitively si

en this trouble," she said. "It is something about the chateau, n

en the management of the situation from his hands. The two girls were alone in the great hall, the chapel door s

d be merely an excuse. It would make things easier for me in beginning, but-I wish to s

suddenly suffused with scarlet. The dar

t in need of help. If that is your reason

ove. Just now you were praying for him in that chapel. I know it. You were praying to God to h

t the eager, beautiful f

to choose her words, but let

g, very long. I have seen his portrait, and partly I came up to tell you this morning that I

aide. "But that is not possible

e name rang through the world. There was no need to give it form. And, strangely, Madeleine was no longer surprised at Virginia's mission.

d the American girl. "Priso

ely on Virginia's ear. Yet the thought, lit into life by her own words, as a f

d of dream. But now I see everything clearly. Time unravels mysteries not easily solved at first.

nds," Madeleine

ne friend.

this scene rushed in a wave over the consci

we had never met. I only knew your name because yo

ly know that this seems to be the thing I was born for. And if I fail in what I want to

ing with sudden force the other's extreme beauty and strong ma

ing of the story, and-I have seen his portrait. Nobody told me, of course, that it was his; nobody could

as a murderer. Oh, friends-friends! Friendship

ink that of me-if you are go

ve in him, is like balm on an open wound. Come with me into the room where you saw the portrait. I painted it the year before-the end. I talk to it

again," fini

it and stood before it in silence. Ea

emembers us with kindness, giving him at least the benefit of a doubt; some one who talked to you of M

have only heard hints. They said-the word-murder! But that

t know-th

shook h

will turn away from us,

e sure I

ce of hope has gone now! You will hear the

ously. "Tell me yourself," she cried. "Tell me all-you, his sister.

wil

r a moment she could not speak. Then she began

n so happy before that-so united. Everything began to go wrong with my poor Max then. He played cards at his club, and lost a great deal of money. And as if that were not enough, father's losses came. He could do nothing for Max. Besides, the woman Max loved made him jealous. He suspected that she cared for somebody else. He told me that the last time I saw him before-the terrible

whom he was jealous

en-red, and her figure-her beautiful figure which all the world admired so much. Even her hands-she must have held them up before her face, the poor creature, instinctively trying to save herself, to preserve her beau

hey accuse h

He couldn't possibly prove, when the woman was dead, that he had pawned the jewels for her, because the money he had raised had disappeared. He would have taken it to her himself, but on returning to his own flat from the pawnbroker's he received a strange letter saying that she hated him, and never wished to see him again. It was all quite sudden, and Max was angry. Still, he might have gone, insisting that she should tell him what she

d him guilty. And father-poor father!-but I can't talk about that part. It is too cruel. Oh, you are pale, and changed! I knew it would be so. You are like the rest. But how could I expect anythi

t as before," said Virginia firmly. "It was a diabolically clever plot, plan

oke of it to the man who defended Max at his trial. But there was no one it would be reasonabl

Devereux loved bette

had no motive either to kill the woman or ruin Max. Where there had been no injury

a right to think himself injured

of a plot was advanced, of course, and-and I clung to it; bu

speak, I can't help thinkin

ry one I spoke to-even Max-thought my idea a mad one, and said i

on't you, w

l to create a prejudice in your mind against one, no doubt a stranger to you, but whom you might one day meet, and, meeting, remember

hat your brothe

en so. Once we were friends. But-something h

you are speaking of

stopped to reflect whether it were wise to ask it, and

eat eyes dilated, and there was something of fear, perhap

e exclaimed, her v

tted the Am

at you and I can

f I give up the Mar

k or wish yo

nemy he shall no

said he wa

at he loved your

rha

yeste

of yes

ed pale, and begged not to come, because the place, h

face! Did he suggest that you

No one knows yet but you. It was my cousin, Roger Broom, who met you long ago,

t if you are to be my friend I ask you this