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a pistol。
Mme。 de Plougastel screamed； and flung herself upon him。 On her
knees now； she clung to his arm with all her strength and might。
Vainly he sought to shake himself free of that desperate clutch。
〃Therese！〃 he cried。 〃Are you mad？ Will you destroy me and
yourself？ This creature has the safe…conducts that mean our
salvation。 Himself； he is nothing。〃
》From the background Aline； a breathless； horror…stricken spectator
of that scene； spoke sharply； her quick mind pointing out the
line of checkmate。
〃Burn the safe…conducts； Andre…Louis。 Burn them at once … in the
candles there。〃
But Andre…Louis had taken advantage of that moment of M。 de La Tour
d'Azyr's impotence to draw a pistol in his turn。 〃T think it will
be better to burn his brains instead；〃 he said。 〃Stand away from
him； madame。〃
Far from obeying that imperious command； Mme。 de Plougastel rose
to her feet to cover the Marquis with her body。 But she still
clung to his arm； clung to it with unsuspected strength that
continued to prevent him from attempting to use the pistol。
〃Andre！ For God's sake； Andre！〃 she panted hoarsely over her
shoulder。
〃Stand away； madame；〃 he commanded her again； more sternly； 〃and
let this murderer take his due。 He is jeopardizing all our lives；
and his own has been forfeit these years。 Stand away！〃 He sprang
forward with intent now to fire at his enemy over her shoulder； and
Aline moved too late to hinder him。
〃Andre！ Andre！〃
Panting； gasping； haggard of face； on the verge almost of hysteria；
the distracted Countess flung at last an effective； a terrible
barrier between the hatred of those men； each intent upon taking
the other's life。
〃He is your father； Andre！ Gervais； he is your son … our son！ The
letter there。。。 on the table。。。 0 my God！〃 And she slipped
nervelessly to the ground； and crouched there sobbing at the feet
of M。 de La Tour d'Azyr。
CHAPTER XV
SAFE…CONDUCT
Across the body of that convulsively sobbing woman； the mother of
one and the mistress of the other； the eyes of those mortal enemies
met； invested with a startled； appalled interest that admitted of
no words。
Beyond the table； as if turned to stone by this culminating horror
of revelation； stood Aline。
M。 de La Tour d'Azyr was the first to stir。 Into his bewildered
mind came the memory of something that Mme。 de Plougastel had said
of a letter that was on the table。 He came forward； unhindered。
The announcement made； Mme。 de Plougastel no longer feared the
sequel； and so she let him go。 He walked unsteadily past this
new…found son of his； and took up the sheet that lay beside the
candlebranch。 A long moment he stood reading it； none heeding him。
Aline's eyes were all on Andre…Louis； full of wonder and
commiseration； whilst Andre…Louis was staring down； in stupefied
fascination； at his mother。
M。 de La Tour d'Azyr read the letter slowly through。 Then very
quietly he replaced it。 His next concern； being the product of
an artificial age sternly schooled in the suppression of emotion；
was to compose himself。 Then he stepped back to Mme。 de Plougastel's
side and stooped to raise her。
〃Therese；〃 he said。
Obeying； by instinct； the implied command； she made an effort to
rise and to control herself in her turn。 The Marquis half conducted；
half carried her to the armchair by the table。
Andre…Louis looked on。 Still numbed and bewildered； he made no
attempt to assist。 He saw as in a dream the Marquis bending over
Mme。 de Plougastel。 As in a dream he heard him ask：
〃How long have you known this； Therese？〃
〃I。。。 I have always known it。。。 always。 I confided him to Kercadiou。
I saw him once as a child。。。 Oh； but what of that？〃
〃Why was I never told？ Why did you deceive me？ Why did you tell
me that this child had died a few days after birth？ Why； Therese？
Why？〃
〃I was afraid。 I。。。 I thought it better so … that nobody； nobody；
not even you； should know。 And nobody has known save Quintin until
last night； when to induce him to come here and save me he was
forced to tell him。〃
〃But I； Therese？〃 the Marquis insisted。 〃It was my right to know。〃
〃Your right？ What could you have done？ Acknowledge him？ And then？
Ha！〃 It was a queer； desperate note of laughter。 〃There was
Plougastel； there was my family。 And there was you。。。 you； yourself；
who had ceased to care； in whom the fear of discovery had stifled
love。 Why should I have told you； then？ Why？ I should not have
told you now had there been any other way to。。。 to save you both。
Once before I suffered just such dreadful apprehensions when you
and he fought in the Bois。 I was on my way to prevent it when you
met me。 I would have divulged the truth； as a last resource； to
avert that horror。 But mercifully God spared me the necessity then。〃
It had not occurred to any of them to doubt her statement； incredible
though it might seem。 Had any done so her present words must have
resolved all doubt； explaining as they did much that to each of her
listeners had been obscure until this moment。
M。 de La Tour d'Azyr； overcome； reeled away to a chair and sat down
heavily。 Losing command of himself for a moment； he took his
haggard face in his hands。
Through the windows open to the garden came from the distance the
faint throbbing of a drum to remind them of what was happening
around them。 But the sound went unheeded。 To each it must have
seemed that here they were face to face with a horror greater than
any that might be tormenting Paris。 At last Andre…Louis began to
speak； his voice level and unutterably cold。
〃M。 de La Tour d'Azyr；〃 he said； 〃I trust that you'll agree that
this disclosure； which can hardly be more distasteful and horrible
to you than it is to me； alters nothing； … since it effaces nothing
of all that lies between us。 Or； if it alters anything； it is
merely to add something to that score。 And yet。。。 Oh； but what can
it avail to talk！ Here； monsieur； take this safe…conduct which is
made out for Mme。 de Plougastel's footman； and with it make your
escape as best you can。 In return I will beg of you the favour
never to allow me to see you or hear of you again。〃
〃Andre！〃 His mother swung upon him with that cry。 And yet again
that question。 〃Have you no heart？ What has he ever done to you
that you should nurse so bitter a hatred of him？〃
〃You shall hear； madame。 Once； two years ago in this very room I
told you of a man who had brutally killed my dearest friend and
debauched the girl I was to have married。 M。 de La Tour d'Azyr is
that man。〃
A moan was her only answer。 She covered her face with her hands。
The Marquis rose slowly to his feet again。 He came slowly forward；
his smouldering eyes scanning his son's face。
〃You are hard；〃 he said grimly。 〃But I recognize the hardness。
It derives from the blood you bear。〃
〃Spare me that；〃 said Andre…Louis。
The Marquis inclined his head。 〃I will not mention it again。 But
I desire that you should at least understand me； and you too； Therese。
You accuse me； sir； of murdering your dearest friend。 I will admit
that the means employed were perhaps unworthy。 But what other means
were at my command to meet an urgency that every day since then
proves to have existed？ M。 de Vilmorin was a revolutionary； a man
of new ideas that should overthrow society and rebuild it more akin
to the desires of such as himself。 I belonged to the order that
quite as justifiably desired society to remain as it was。 Not only
was it better so for me and mine； but I also contend； and you have
yet to prove me wrong； that it is better so for all the world； that；
indeed； no other conceivable society is possible。 Every human
society must of necessity be composed of several strata。 You may
disturb it temporarily into an amorphous whole by a revolution such
as this； but only temporarily。 Soon out of the chaos which is all
that you and your kind can ever produce； order must be restored or
life will perish； and with the restoration of order comes the
restoration of the various strata necessary to organized society。
Those that were yesterday at the top may in the new order of things
find themselves dispossessed without any benefit to the whole。 That
change I resisted。 The spirit of it I fought with whatever weapons
were available； whenever and wherever I encountered it。 M。 de
Vilmorin was an incendiary of the worst type； a man of eloquence
full of false ideals that misled poor ignorant men into believing
that the change proposed could make the world a better place for
them。 You are an intelligent man； and I defy you to answer me from
your heart and conscience that such a thing was true or possible。
You know that it is untrue； you know that it is a pernicious
doctrine； and what made it worse on the lips of M。 de Vilmorin was
that he was sincere and eloquent。 His voice was a danger that must
be removed … silenced。 So much was necessary in self…defence。 In
self…defence I did it。 I had no grudge against M。 de Vilmorin。 He
was a man of my own class； a gentleman of pleasant ways； amiable；
estimable； and able。
〃You conceive me slaying him for the very