The House of the Wolf: A Romance

ights. An age of experience, an aeon of adventures cut us off-as we lay shaking behind the curtain-from Caylus and its life. Paris had proved

of his voice, and shrank from him, we knew not why, seeming only to read a dark secret, a gloomy threat in each doubtful word he uttered. He was the strangest enigma of all. Why did we fear him? Why did Madame de Pavannes, who apparently had known him before, shudder at the

ertain, so I have the less time to lose," he continued. "But I would-yes, my dear Coadjutor, I certainly would like to know before I go, what you are doing here. Mirepoix-Mirepoix is an honest man. I did not expect to find you in HIS house. And two ladies? Two! Fie, Coadjutor. Ha! Madame d'O

ed her with astonishment. The bed creaked as I craned my neck to see what would follow. Even the

day; and detained against her will by this good man, who will have to answer for it. Madame d'O discover

tion to her dist

assented, acquiring

me desire

y! Why

lood to Madame de Pavannes' cheek, "it depends on the person

he Ursulines. Your suspicions are base, worthy of you and unworthy of me, M. le Vidame! Diane!" she continued sharply, taking he

peaker's animation, which had been as a soul to her beauty when she entered the r

ght you here, did she?" There was surprise, genuine surprise, in his vo

" Madame answered st

tained you; respectable Mirepoix, who is said to have a well-filled stocking under his pallet, and stands well with the bourgeoisie. H

st looked down, his ch

Mirepoix, I suppose. From the dangerous Mirepoix. Upon my honour," with a sudden ring of resolution in his tone,

" Madame cri

. "What do you say, Coadju

mured in answer, "Madame will please herself. She has a ch

ou, and my old friend Madame d'O, to save it! That is it, is it? No, no," he continued when he had had his silent laugh ou

arting and looking up with a subtle c

, I

ing us now. I recalled the old proverb which says that when thieves fall out, honest men come by

Bezers-unless his reputation belied him-concealed an Italian intellect. Under a cynical recklessness he veiled a rare cunning and a constant suspicion; enjoying in that respect a combination of apparently opposite qu

ntly sank. "Our bargain is to go f

it is a whim of mine, a fad, a caprice. Only understand that Madame de Pavannes stays. We go. And-" he added this, as a sudde

ith a sneer, forgetting the tone he had hi

way," was the dry answer. "For the moment

r face and disclosed the chestnut hair clinging about her temples-deep blots of colour on the abnormal whiteness of her skin, "That is true, M. de Bezers,"

rst out violently, disregarding the beautiful face, the supplicating glance, that might have moved a

ed her gaze, not smiling now, but ey

which reached us. "Then let us go." And without-strangest thing of all-bestowing a word or look on her sister, who was w

ne! Diane!" she cried distractedly-and I had to put my hand on Croisette to keep him quiet, there was such fear and

poix and the priest pass out before him. "Madame," he said-and his voice, stern and hard as ever, expressed no jot of compassion for her, rather such an impatient con

e had spoken with this in view, for while she still stood at gaze, her hands pressed to her bosom, he slipped quickly out and closed the door behin

ght afford. On finding herself alone she gazed a short time in alarmed silence at the door, and t

d if locked would be no obstacle to the three of us when we had only Mirepoix to deal with. So I kept the others where they were by a nudge and a pinch, and held my breath a moment, straining my ears to catch the closing of the door below. I d

ffing. I could not see whether the latch moved; whether or no it was rising. But watching intently, I m

only Madame d'O. Brave woman! She had evaded the Vidame and slipped back to

frightened me. As she came forward her movements were so stealthy that her footsteps made no sound. Her dark shadow, moving a

t see her sister, whose figure was blurred by the outlines of the curtain; and no doubt she was puzzled to think what had

her eyes, as she looked more closely, I supposed, and I was wondering whether she saw us-whether she took the shapelessness in the shadow of the curtain for her sister, or could not make it out-I was t

aggered back, clutching the air. I heard the metallic clang and ring of something falling on the floor. I hear

t I had no time to waste words on him then. I hurried to the door to guard it. I opened it a hand's breadth and listened. All was quiet below; the house still. I took the key out of the lock and

led, and shrank from meeting our eyes, though I saw her, when our attention was apparently directed elsewhere, glance at one and another of us with

resently, my anger certainly not decreasing the more I l

aightforward answer. His only reply was, "Let us get away! Let us get away from this hor

king at him with some contempt. "Tha

her to answer to us for his sins. But he must be saved! And now that the road was open, every minute lost was reproach to us. "Yes," I added roughly, my thoughts turned into a more rugged channe

. Your sister is sufficiently recovered now, I

ct the cause of her detention. I wanted her services as a guide. That was the main point, though I wa

u are sure that we ca

ith a brevity worth

nstrance by flashing my dagger before his eyes. I induced him in the same fashion-he was fairly taken by surprise-to undo the fastenings himself; and so, bidding him follow us at his peril, we slipped out one by one. We softly closed the door behind us. And lo! we

y side the others a little way in front. Here and there an oil-lamp, swinging from a pulley in the middle of the road, enabled us to avoid some obstacle more foul than usual, or to leap

n to right or left. Once I saw the glow of torches reflected ruddily in the windows of a tall and splendid mansion, a little withdrawn from the street. The source of the light was in the fore-court, hidden from us by a low wall, but I caught the murmur of voices and stir of many feet. Once a gate was stealthily opened and two armed men looked out, the act and their manner

t I should say to Pavannes when I saw him-in what terms I should warn him of his peril, and cast his perfidy in his teeth. We had hurried along in this way-and in absolute silence, save when some obstacle or pitfall drew from us an exclamation-for about a quarter of a mile, when my companion, turning

y mind that we were too late th

ow quiet

ne who was coming out-the Coadjutor in fact. The moment the entrance was clear, the lad

, catching sight of it by chance just as his eyes met hers. His face was white-nay it was ugly with disappointment and rage, bitter snarling rage, that was hardly hum

aubourg St. Germain at nightfall-searching for her. And he has not come back!

received a blow-silent and dismayed. Somet

river now?" she said af

briefly. "The keys

ats are on

ne hand on the other with violence. "Ever

t. Germain?" she sa

nothing done