and placed in their stead the bloody coat of many wrinkles.

After all of that was accomplished I went into a hot bath and again
quickly began to assume my man's clothing, while from my eyes dripped
the slow tears that bleed from the heart of a woman.

"You must make a great hurry, thief Roberta, for it draws near
midnight and that is the hour that the train departs to the North," I
cautioned my weeping self. "At that hour you go forth into the world
alone."

And then what ensued?

Very suddenly I heard the noise of a car being drawn to the curb in
front of the house and the rapid steps of a man progress along the
pavings of brick to the front door, at which he made a loud ringing.
In not a moment was the good Bonbon at my door with a knocking.

"The Governor is here to see you, Mr. Robert," he informed me.

"What shall you do, Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye?" I asked of
myself. "How is it that you can be able to support the cold reproaches
he will give to you while requiring that you stay to bring dishonor to
your Uncle, the General Robert? You are caught in a trap as is an
animal."

And then as I cowered there in my agony, very suddenly that terrible
daredevil rose within me and gave to me a very strange counsel. As it
was speaking to me my gaze was fixed upon the robe of state of the
beautiful Grandmamma.

"Very well, then, that great Gouverneur Faulkner can give his
chastisement and lay his commands upon the beautiful and wicked
Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye, in proper person, and not have the
privilege of again addressing his faithful and devoted comrade Robert,
who is dead. I, the Marquise Roberta of Grez and Bye, will accord to
him an interview and in the language of this United States it will be
'some' interview!" With which resolve I turned to make an answer to
the faithful Bonbon at the door.

"Where awaits His Excellency, the Gouverneur Faulkner?" I questioned
to him.

"In the hall at the bottom of the steps," he made reply to me.

"Attend him into the large drawing room for a waiting and make all of
the lights to burn. Say to him that I will descend in a very small
space of time," I commanded.

"Yes, sir," he made reply and departed.

CHAPTER XX

"YOU ARE--MYSELF!"

And then in my wickedness I began to commit a desecration on the
memory of my beautiful and honored Grandmamma Carruthers. I walked to
that glass case in which reposed that gown of the beautiful flowered
silk