THE Chatean of the Two Pro-
mises was intriguing at very-first-glance Ehoda, affer a strenuous walk up from the village, "decided to rest where she might contemplate her dis- covery at leisure. She sat down on the grass, kicked off her brown brogues, and relaxed.
Cradled in a Provencal valley, the village of Cassonbleau re-. mains indifferent to the traffic of the winding tarmar ribbon. that leads in one direction to St.- Etienne and in the other to Nice.
The people are simple, honest, friendly, not over, industrious, perhaps, but they manage to sell the products of their vineyards -and-farms, and even when times are unusually hard they manage to find enough to eat,
To Rhoda, the soft hills and the old, hidden village were a gentle delight She loved walk- ing up among the foothills above -the village, and always it seem-
The
CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT
TWO PROMISES
ed as if she were searching for something, as if an odd purpose lay in her mind, urging her or to more explorations. Monsieur Triquet, the little busybody of a chemist, had become aware of ber restlessness, and had sug- gested that she might climb the lonely track to the northern hilis: "There is an old chateau ** there. mademoiselle, the Chateau of the Two Promises, we call it As an artist, you might find it interesting.”
Now, gazing towards the chateau, she experienced a sense of fulfilment. "I have "found what I have been looking for she thought
The chateau might have been deserted, so quiet it looked, so tumbledown and wrapped in dreams of an era that had pass- cd. It was encircled by a low crumbling wall, and she glimps, ed a tattered orchard of plum trees to the rear. The land be- longing to it sloped down into the valley, spread up over the bills. Once there had been calm prosperity here, proud "gentle- folk in the chateau, the land well-tended and productive. Now there was desolation.
"To-morrow." Rhoda thought. "I shall bring my water colours. “ This is something I must paint
though I'm afraid I shall not capture those sad dreams.
From the direction of the chateau came a man dressed in rough working clothes. At first
By R. D. Wethercote
Rhoda labelled him a peasant. but as he drew closer she saw that his walk was not a pen- sant's walk, and that his bearing was not Provencal nor even French. He is an Englishman.
a young Englishman.”
She put on her brogues and stood up. Ee came to a halt:. be was tall, fair, neatly built.
•
ex-
"Good afternoon, mademoi- selle," he said courteously.
Rhoda returned his greeting.in English
*You are English he claimed.
"I'm afraid I've come on an unpleasant-mission My aunt lives in the chatean and owns the land. Possibly you' did not see the sign relative to trespass- jag?"
"I'm trespassing?" Rhoda's eyes widened. "I'm sorry."
She turned to go, but was halted at the sight of his apolo- getic expression..
"My aunt is really a kind soul; the villagers are allowed to come and go here at will However, she always suspects strangers. Strangers have caused most of her troubles. She is very troubled to-day and so a little more suspicious than Usual
On impulse Rhoda told him - that she had hoped she might make water colour of the chateau "I am in Europe to study art,” she explained;
His brow wrinkled, but in a moment the frown cleared.
"I think it might be ̈ ́ar- ranged" he said. "I will tell my aunt that a—a harmless art- ist wants to paint the chatean I will tell her to-morrow-she's not in the right mood to-day. Come up to-wOITOW afternoon, and Tll let you know her decî- sion."
"Shall I come up to the chat- eau ?**
"Oh.Til meet you here," `he said.va little hastily, a little
shamefacedly.
As she descended the tortuous pathway to the village. Rhoda refected: "He did not want me to visit the chateau. Why? Is there a myster-2~
She was interested, and that was why she went to Monsieur Triquet later that afternoon. She purchased a toothbrush and then engaged the little, gossipy chemist in conversation.
"I saw the Chateau of the two Promises to-day." she informed him. "Also I met a young man who lives there."
"Monsieur Colin? An English- looking young man? Yes, that is Monsieur Colin, Madame Gos- sain's nephew. He. came when
· Madame's husband died eleven years ago. He is the the man "of the house.”
"There is a mystery, Monsieur Triquet?"
Triquet spread his fingers and lifted his eyebrows.
"Mademoiselle, for eleven years there has been a mystery. (Continued on Paĝe 22.).
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