The House of the Wolf: A Romance

my hu

ing force. Not one of us answered or, I believe, moved so much as a limb or an eyelid. We only stared, wanting tim

ndeed! That we had had this journey for nothing, and run this risk for a villain. It meant that the Louis de Pavannes who had won our boyish admiration was the meanest, the vilest of court-gallants. That Mademo

faded pitifully from her face, scared by our strange looks. "Your husband ha

ut what of that? He was back with me again, and only yesterday-only

ow, ma

t me, not co

how you come to be here. And a prisoner." I was really

esterday, in the afternoon, I paid a

sed quickly, "but are you not

o bigot. Oh, nothing of that kind, I assure you. When I am in Paris I visit her once

id, "you kno

ay to deliver the message, leaving my maid in the street, and I was asked to come up stairs, and still up until I reached this room. Asked to wait a moment, I began to think it strange that

eories-or it might be one and the same the

most. No harm whatever is intended to you. My wife will wait upon you, and when you leave us, all shall be explained.' He would say no more, and it was in vain I asked him if he did not take me for some on

more unhappy and more deeply wronged even than Kit; one too who owed her misery to the same villain. "Were there nine g

ri, close to the church.

cunningly, "is doubtless dis

f a suspicion-made me grind my teeth with wrath. Oh, the base wretch! The miserable rascal! What did the women see, I wonder

ight force the door. "What is the meaning of this?" I said softly

what the ans

Pavannes has himself planned his wife's abduction? Of course it is so! His wife out of the

more. And yet-we have promised Kit, you see, that we would save

e gr

rs?" he cried, his face aglow. "Ay, true! So we must! But

until one of us kill him. There you are right. But your turn comes la

the door, when he held up his hand to arrest my attention. We listened, looking at one another. Through th

scaped, and hasten to cut off our retreat below. For a moment I looked at the door of our room, half-minded to attack it, and fight our way out, taking the chance of reaching the street before Bezers' folk should have recovere

will you do?" Madame de Pavannes murmured, standing pale and trembling by the hearth, and looking from one to another. Croisette plucked my sleeve before I could answer, and pointed to the box-bed wit

e lad's face grew tense. I did understand him. "M

e brightness to her eyes. She was a true woman. The sense th

be turned-it fortunately fitted ill-we three had jumped on the bed and were crouching in a row at the head of it, where th

outh-returned to its place, for the Vidame was not one. I breathed freely; only I dared not communicate my relief to the others, lest my voice should be heard. The first to come in was the woman closely

, soothing her with tender touches on hair a

come to ta

er. "We have come to take you to your husband. He has been search

!" ejaculat

ly learned at midnight where you were. You have to thank M. le Coadjuteur her

rs, and had so greatly disliked! I hated his pale face as much now as I had then. Even the errand of good on which he had come could not blind me to his thin-

bowed indeed in acknowledgment of his words. But there was little gratitude in the movement, and less warmth. I saw the sister's face-a brilliantly beautiful face it was-brighter eyes and lips and more lovely auburn hair I have never seen-even Kit wo

st within the door: a plain man, plainly dressed, somewhat over sixty and grey-haired. He

ill regret leaving here! You will indeed! No harm would have happened to you. Madame d'O does not know what

ting fire at the unlucky culprit, her voice full of angry d

and and laying it like the claw of some bird of prey on the tradesman's shoulder, which flinched, I saw, under the touch. "How dare you-such as

med fascinated by the priest's gaze. "I am a faithful son of the church," he muttered; but his voice shook s

ng his hand in a kind of exaltation, real or feigned, "is the appointed time! And now is the day of salvation! and w

e to the other as if her dislike for the priest were so great that seeing the two thus quarrelling,

m. "Mirepoix," he said grimly, "can explai

t continued peremptorily, turning to the lady who had entered with h

de Pavannes said, as though she hesit

g itself. "I put myself at your service, Madame, and danger disappears! I am as God to-night with powers of life and death! You do not

through my chink, I read in it a desperate resolution. And oddly-very oddly, because I knew that, in keeping Madame de Pavannes a prisoner,

hall n

orward movement, surprised the other, clutched him by the arms, and with a strength I should never have thought lay in his meagre frame, flung him some paces into t

t so? I

of the noise. The speaker was Bezers! He stood in the open door-way, his great form filling it from post to post, the old gibing smile on his face. We had been so taken up, actors and audience alike, with the altercation, that no o

-night, eh? Have you considered, my dear Coadjutor, what a large number of people there are in Paris? It would amuse me very greatly now-and I'm sure it would the ladies too, who m

w do you come here, and what do you want?" he inquired hoarsely. If looks and tones could kil

friend!" was Bezers' answer. "They have vanished. Birds they must be, for unless

outly, eager only to get rid of the other and I blessed

I think I will see for myself," he answered coolly. "Madame," he con

eisure, and sauntered to the window, watched by them with impatience. He drew aside the curtain, and tried each of the bars, and peered through the opening both up and down, An oath and an expr

ow of the curtain escaped him. The wild beating of our hearts did not reach his ears. And it was well for him that it was so. If he had come up to the bed I think that we should have killed him, I know that we should have tried. All the blood in me had gone to my head, and I saw him through a haze-larger