The Eight Strokes of the Clock

ho's playing the butl

culiar about him?

daughter of a lady, now dead, who used to give her piano-lessons. Rose Andrée, a lovely girl with lissome movements and a smiling fa

y, but, during a pause in

ertain scenes ten or twenty times over, must often be thinking of other things than their parts at the time of the final exposure. And it's great fun noting

itors. Half-a-dozen footmen moved about the room, under the orders of the butler, a big fellow with a dull, co

ortense, "but what do you

cess and tell me if he doesn't star

oticed anything, so

which are quite out of place in a nameless servant. It is possible that, in real life, no one has any idea of such a thing; but, on the

ess was drinking a glass of champagne and he was gloating over

range expressions to which Rénine ascribed an e

y of looking at p

on the programme stated that "a year had elapsed and that the Happy Princess was living in a

ciers, men of all kinds fell swooning at her feet; and prominent among them was a sort of boorish solitary, a shaggy, half-wild woodcutter, whom she met whenever she went out for a wa

Rénine. "Do you realise wh

N

The same actor is do

der the heavy gait and rounded shoulders of the woodcutter, even as under the unkempt beard and long, thic

himself behind a clump of trees. From time to time, the screen displayed, on an enormousl

," said Hortense. "He

of three or four months that appears to separate the dates at which the two films were made,

stopped and looked about her with a smiling air which became attentive, then uneasy, and then mo

ried to scream, to call out for help; but the arms closed around her before she could

this fourth-rate actor would have had all that strength an

ough great trees and masses of rocks. After setting the princess down, he cl

s and which showed the path that had been taken. Then came the final scene, with the terrible struggle between the man and the woman when the w

e woods on the Happy Princess as a violent and frantic attack by an actor on the woman he desires. Certainly it all happened within the bounds prescribed by the part and nobody saw anything in it--nobody except perhaps Rose Andrée herself--but I, for my part, have detected flashes of passion which le

ll amount

e if she is still in danger

to do

old of further

m wh

film. I will go to them to-morrow morning. Will

the ferocity, seemed to her to be the rational behaviour of a good actor. She had seen nothing of the terrible tragedy

of irony, "how far have you got? Have you made a

tty

nd your so-cal

the garage of the World's Cinema Company and made off with a magnificent car and forty thousand francs in money. Information was lodged with the police; and on the Sunday the car was found a little way outside Dreux. And up to now the enquiry has revealed two things, which will appear in the papers to-morrow: first, Dalbrèque is alleged

" asked Horte

eine-inférieure, where she has a small place of her own, the actual cottage in The Happy Princess. On receiving an invitation from America to do a film there, she ca

red Hortense, "the same

n at the Compagnie Transatlantique and a brief investigation showed that Rose Andrée ha

She has been carried

ear

you decid

ppearance does not seem to have become known. Before it does and before the police identify the woman carried

t four o'clock Hortense and Rénine reache

the left bank

u draw a line from Le Havre, or rather from Quillebeuf, where the road crosses the Seine, to Dreux, where t

e, while his two accomplices went on to Dreux and from there returned to Paris? The cave was quite near. Was he not bound to go to it? How should he do otherwise? Wasn't it while running to this cave, a few months ago, that he held in his arms, against his breast, within reach of his lips, the woman whom he love

gave a

es, you don't suppose that h

s at a cross-roads and is not a safe retre

lics. Rénine knew the forest well and remembered that near a famous oak, known as the Wine-cask, there was a cave which must be the cave of t

the film, but so was Rose Andrée. The Happy Princess had broken off the tips of the branches on the way through the forest. Rose A

at she has been here; but the proof is

buried under a heap of leaves or else ali

where

xe were sounding from some distance, no doubt comin

m and whether the man of the woods in The Happy Princess has not quite naturally resumed his calling. F

make sur

oning the woodcutter

as deeply rutted by waggon-wheels. The sound of axes ceased. After walking for a quarter of an hour,

tot?" ask Rénine, in order to

ur backs on it," said

n, accompanie

cheeks and chin were shaved, but his upper lip was covered by a black moustache,

d by the bearing of a film-actor, Serge Rénine had touched the ver

uld have left the country. The poor thing must be impris

save her,

if necessary, but in the last resort, com

on the pretext that the car needed overhauling

the yard and above which were two rooms, reached by a wooden outer staircase, at one

ning, after all the lights were out, had carried down a bicycle from hi

five miles from the village. They disappeared in a rocky path which r

im in the pitchy darkness, on a mossy soil that muffled the sound of footsteps. Rénine did not make the attempt; but, at daybreak, he came with his chauffeur and hunted through the park all the mornin

, with the firm intention of taking a

e Andrée at all costs and save her from that ruffian's clutches. He must be

ut at three o'clock Rénine and Hortense, who were keeping a watch on him from the inn, saw him come down the wooden staircase, with his bicycle on

" muttere

s the

planted in boxes, which were connected by a paling. Behind the shrubs, sitting on a bank

luck! If those fellows take a h

trary, I should

lbrèque out of the way ... and th

rose in a body, ready to make a dash for him. But Dalbrèque, though quite unconscious of th

going to risk it. But it's a difficu

natural if he wished to give an order to his chauffeur. But he had no sooner reached the rustic balcony at the back

back, at once assu

ant? Who said

e, with an imperious gestu

ing about?" growle

re four men below on the watch fo

er the terrace and

" he said, turning ro

ave a w

ded hi

piffle! A warrant!

e are looking for you as being the murderer of Bourguet the jeweller, the man who stole a motor-car and forty thousand francs from the World's Cinema Company and the man who abducted a

e his adversa

are

Rose Andrée's

to some extent droppi

your con

ted and tormented, is dying in so

mon, was lit up by a smile that made it almost attractive. But this was only a

I refuse to s

se for you. It m

s the death of Rose Andr

two hours hence at least. You will never hav

shoulders. Then, rais

if they arrest me, not a

t th

ning at the entrance to the Parc des

ot at

ve sp

you be

ll be

anger that threatened Rose Andrée dominated the whole situation; and Rénine was not the man to despise

the wall of the next bedroo

is the c

s,

ued, addressing Dalbrèque, "you're to jump on your machine and, instead of making off along the road, cross the yard. At the end of the yard is

instructions and, when he reached it, he began to question

o run round the car and bumped into the chauffeur, which gave Dalbrèque time to mount his bicycle and cross the yard unimpeded. He thus had some seconds' start. Unfortunately for him as he was about to enter the passa

triumph w

im!" roared the detectiv

game was up, ran after t

op

evelled his revolver. Rénine snatched it out of his hands. But the two other detectives, startled, had al

pector to Rénine introducing h

ve done for the fellow,"

scoundrel for whom

Hortense had joined him b

ls! Now they'v

isn't po

ow are we to trace her? And what chance have we of finding the place--some i

ind out what was going to happen, changed his mind and was now standing with his eyes fixed on the ground. The fall of the bicycle had unfastened the par

this?" he muttered. "

n he gave a grin and a click of

siness of ours, is it? The troubles of police don't concern us. We are two motoris

d his ch

the Parc des Landes b

ide the wooded slopes. The Seine, which was very low at this time of day, was lapping agai

saucepan. He then drew the boat alongside of the jetty, helped Hortense in and u

s on that useful utensil! Almost as soon as I set eyes upon it, I remembered that people use those articles to bale out the bottoms of leaky boats. Why, there was bound to

drée ...?" as

, on the Jumièges peninsula. You

a beach of big pebbl

he added. "Dalbrèque did not spen

etween orchards enclosed by hedges, came to a landscape that seemed strangely familiar to them. Where had

f them stopped

se. "I can hardly

k of which, among groups of old, gnarled apple-trees, appeared

est close by. And isn't everything happening exactly as in The Happy Princess? Isn't Dalbrèque dominated by the memory o

told me, was in th

e Seine-inférieure. But between them is the obstacle of the river, which is why I didn't connect

r down and walked towards the house, which was screened on on

dy there," said Hortense. "Didn'

ste

e softly and solemnly singing a ballad that thrilled with restrained passio

shed with bright wall-paper and a blue Roman carpet. The throbbing voice ceased. The

e!" whisper

last thing that I expected! Rose Andrée! Rose Andrée at libe

nd?" "Yes, but it has taken me long eno

admired a few days before, amidst the furniture of that very sitting-room or on the threshold of that very cottage. She was wearing the same dress; her hair was done in the sa

eant over towards a clump of shrubs beside the

rges ... Is that

up and stood smiling at the happy tho

m and an old peasant woman entered with

I've brought you your supper

own the tray,

chill of the night air? Perhaps y

etheart, my dear

Only this morning there were footprints unde

ootprints perh

u whom it's well to be careful of. For instance, your friend Dalbrèque, eh? Nice goings on his are! You saw

ns, but she had turned her back to them and was sitting at her supper; and the window was n

se was listening with an anxious

of that first night of captivity; and I maintain that, on that first night, she was flung, half-dead, into the cave. Only, there you are: the next morning she was alive! One night was enough to tame the little

but the man she loves i

t solution. What would be the outcome of t

s of the twilight, they again heard the grating of the window, which was cautiously opened. Rose André

nine shook th

he ivy's moving. Georges, Georges darling, why do you

etching out her shapely arms covered with b

!... Geo

her whole being expressed desire and love. Ho

ng loves him! If

ou're there, and you want me to come to

d began to run, while Rénine went ro

this man and woman whom she did not know and who were stepping out o

his name and introd

iel, a pupil and fri

tupefaction, her featur

u were there just now?... You

itating or pausing

tances led us to set out in search of you ... to Le Havre, where you were abducted on the day wh

eagerly, with

to Le Havre. I came straight here.

the Happy Princess; and you broke off

would have abducted

ith you: the one whom you

proudly. "Have I not the ri

comes to see you every evening is wanted by the police. His

er start with indigna

the newspapers! Georges was in Paris on

ar and forty thousa

rted veh

he notes will be restored. He never touched them.

thing that you say. But the police may show les

ddenly uneasy

nothing to fear from the

all events. He's working as a wood

hat was an accident ...

difficulty. Her voice was trembling. And

you have come to tell me.... Arrested! Wound

ll the certainty of her great love gave wa

that ever lived. He has changed my whole life. Everything is different since I began to love him. And I love him so! I lo

ortense put her arms around t

n't you, Rénine?... Come. Make up a story for your servant: say that you're going somewhere by tra

her face; and they all took the road back to Routot. At the inn, Rose Andrée passed as a friend whom they had been to fetc

mayor's offices. He has a broken leg and a rather high temperature; but all the same th

sked Rose And

ne s

ake up our positions in a sunken road, rifle in h

he said, plaintively

se Rénine; and, when he was alo

been proceeding all along under the influence of the pictures--that in the space of a few hours the victim would become a princess in love? Confound that Georges! I now understand the sly, humorous look which I surprised on his mobile features! He remembered, Georges did, and he didn't care a hang for me! Oh, he trick

n't you?" said Hortens

y anxious th

er

omise to give me

oth hands, Réni

. When they came down, the motor was leaving the yard and pulling up in front of the inn. It was

cup of coffee. But, just as they were leaving th

him?" he asked.

elf arrived at a r

He ran back through the i

ed the lofts, the stables, the sheds. They scattered ov

spluttered the inspector in despair. "I left my three men watching in the next room. I found them this morning

ch w

with ropes and a ladder. And, as Dalbrèque had a brok

eft no

messed everything up. But they went throug

e sure that you won't have any trouble over the affair. I shall be in Paris this

o women in the coffee-room

asn't it? Please put Rose Andrée's

to the car. She was staggering and ver

: is he safe? Won't t

into her ey

n he is well and when I have proved his innocence,

swe

e there, you w

swe

few words

"May Heaven bl

who sat at the wheel. The inspector, hat in

ssed the Seine at La Mailleraie an

your hand to kiss," Rénine ordere

"But it was to be whe

is s

may catch him again. He will not be rea

Rose Andrée,

do you

n ro

di

ack, behind the chauffeur, Rose Andrée wa

as you who hid him last night? And he was there, in f

there, under the

terly bewildered. "It's incredible!

kiss your h

as he bade her, and rai

ine and the white cliffs that border it. The

do anything for the woman he loves. He must devote himself to her, offer her all that is beautiful in this world: joy and happin

which they entered together, pursuing them feverishly and anxiously to their close. Already she felt powerless and uneasy with this extraordinary man, who subjected events to his will and seemed to play with the destinies of those whom he fought or