Marjorie Bowen

“ This time it is I who catch the great seigneur stealing—and stealing what is more valuable than peach blossoms!"
"I take what is my own!" he flashed back.
"Nothing here is your own," she said calmly and with force. "The château belongs now to a certain Monsieur Fabre."
"And you?"
"I am his housekeeper," she replied serenely.
"He is here now?"
"Yes. He is an old gentleman, and uses a few rooms only. He never comes here; that is why I knew, when I saw the window open, that there was some thief here, Monsieur Mornay." ”

“ The girl seemed more surprised than Ambrose; she with difficulty suppressed a scream, and leant back against the wall, her face suddenly frightened. Ambrose stood quite still, quite colourless, quite fearless.
The newcomer was handsome in a dark, heavy fashion, and richly, though plainly, dressed. Ambrose at once guessed him to be the son of the present owner of the château.
"What is this?" he cried, glancing from one to the other. "I heard voices. I know there should be no one here. What is it, eh, Jacqueline?" ”

“ In after-times the château returned to the possession of the Mornay family, and Ambrose Mornay lived there with an English bride who wore his mother's jewels; but the finest of the Mornay diamonds sparkled on the throat of Madame Fabre, a wedding gift from him who had named her "Jacqueline of the Peach Blossoms." ”

“ The son is a great soldier—he has done much in La Vendée."
Ambrose folded his arms and leant back against the wall. "The Revolution has changed you," he remarked, glancing at her from head to foot; "you have flourished in these years of liberty." ”

“ I wanted the jewels to redeem us from poverty and, most of all, to dower my dear sister. Now they will adorn the neck of this upstart's wife, and I had rather that they had been flung into the sea. As for the papers they will find on me afterwards, I pray you, for charity, ask them to burn them or fling them with me in the ditch, for I know it is useless to ask you to send them to my parents."
She did not reply; she bent her head and, crossing the room, stooped and picked up all the empty caskets, flung them into the secret recess, and drew the sliding panel into place. ”

“ She faced him straightly. "There is nothing there I care for," she said, and handed the handkerchief to Ambrose. He was still giddy, still dazed as he took it from her. He picked up his hat and cloak, gave her one look as he uttered his conventional farewells, and was gone through the broken window.
Man and girl stood silent, watching his figure disappear across the terraces. It was the man who spoke first.
"That was young Mornay. Why did you let him go?" ”

“ Between them they had not enough to buy a wedding-ring, and there was the tragedy. Again, what would you?
And Ambrose had suddenly revolted against exile and misfortune and poverty. Here was one woman's life blighted, and another fair girl growing up uselessly, hopelessly. ”

“ The largest, a casket of dull grey satin embroidered with seed pearls stretched over a frame of cedar-wood, he quickly opened—as all the others, it was not locked. Within, enclosed in a bag of mauve velvet, he found what he sought. ”