He stood in the library of the master of the hotel. In this
very room, while his brain was filled with the fumes of wine and
passion, he had scribbled his name upon crackling parchment on which
were such names as Gaston d'Orleans, Conde, Beaufort, De Longueville,
De Retz. Fool!
Grinning from the high shelves were the Greek masks, Comedy and
Tragedy. The light from the candle gave a sickly human tint to the
marble. He closed the door.
"Now for the drawer which holds my head; of love, anon!"
He knelt, placing the candle on the book-ledge. Along the bottom of
the shelves ran a series of drawers. These he opened without sound,
searching for secret bottoms. Drawer after drawer yawned into his
face, and his heart sank. What he sought was not to be found. The
last drawer would not open. With infinite care and toil he succeeded
in prying the lock with the point of his sword, and his spirits rose.
The papers in this drawer were of no use to any one but the owner. The
man in the grey cloak cursed under his breath and a thrill of rage ran
through him. He was about to give up in despair when he saw a small
knob protruding from the back panel of the drawer.
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