BY NEVA'S WATER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 75, 27 March 1908, Page 6

BY NEVA'S WATER.

Being an Epieodeof the Secret -Hiatory of Hhe ■•■First, Cxar of All.,.thf,Ttn«j w . JOHN r/cABUNG. ■ AOXHOB-OT ' '

CHAPTER. XXJLV. —Continued.

At the castle entrance he was met by a wondering-eyed maid, who, apprised of his coming, asked no questions but at cpce led the way. to a bed-chamber that was being rapidly prepared for the reception, of the patient. Two other maids were there under the doctor's directions, getting, xeady the necessary restoratives. "Now, girls, to work!" said he, cheerfully. "It's a struggle betwixt life and death, and' we're not going to- let death be the winner." Leaving the still comatose Princess to their ministrations Wilfrid withdrew to the corridor, and there met iVera, Pauline's chief maid, and, it maybe added, confidante. "My lady is in α-sleep so .sweet that it would be a pity to awake 'her," she observed. "Still, if you think—" "Let her sleep on. Why should ."we distirrb her? She can do no more good than is being done. Besides " But Wilfrid thought it best to let his next thought remain unspoken. He recalled the Princess's aversion for Pauline, and though he doubted whether that aversion had any real justification, still it might tend to retard her recovery, if, upon opening her eyes, the first person seen by her should be the one whom she regarded as her deadliest enemy. So Pauline was permitted to continue her sleep in ignorance of what was hap-

pening. While the doctor was busied in his wort, Wilfrid, sitting in the corridor without, tried to picture the circumstances that had brought the Princess to the shores of Runo. Though her clothing had felt quite dry, to his tieh, it bore the appearance of having been saturated, proof that the body of the Princess had been carried to the Silver Strand by the current of the Neva. That her puight waß due neither to accident nor to attempted suicide was shown by the foct that her hands had been fixed behind her back in such fashion as to preclude the possibility of their being self-tied. As she was still wearing her mask and domino, it scarcely admitted a doubt that, falling into the hands of the four hirelings, she had been flung into the river from the terrace of the Sumaroff gardens before the ball masque had come to an en 3. Her white satin shoes, he had noticed, were deep stained with black ooze, matter not to be found on any part of the Silver Strand; hence her feet must have

touched the bed of the river, once at least. As the Nevka. is remarkably deep, it followed, in Wilfrid's opinion, that her feet could not have descended

so far unless they had been atachsd to some heavy weight; this might have so somehow slipped from its fastenings; with the result that the body oi the

Princess rose immediately to the surface. She was evidently versed, to a greater or less extent, in the art of swimming, for though bound hand and foot, and weighted by heavy clothing, she had contrived to maintain her breathing during a course of three miles. Swimming or floating as she best could, her head now above water and now below it, blinded by her mask that had slipped down, over her eyes, battling desperately for life, she was borne along on the broad bosom of the rushing river till by happy chance she found her feet touching the ground, making her way through the lessening depth of water, ended her course by crawling up the shelving shore. The sudden revulsion of joy at this escape from death proved too "much for her; catalepsy supervened. So, by a singular destiny, during the whole term of Wilfrid's captivity, and for some time before and after it, the Princess had been on this island, separated from him by a distance of less than a quarter of a mile!

While he had been anxiously wondering what had become o£ her, there, upon the warm sandy shore, the Princess had lain all day long, nature alone attentive to her. The sunlight had dried her clothing, the breeze had played with the tangles of her golden hair, but till nightfall no denizen of the isle had drawn near her. As for passing boats, their occupants, unless they had come very near the shore indeed, would have been unable to distinguish the silver grey of her costume from the silver grey of the hollow in which she lay.

Such was the train of thought pursued by Wilfrid during the suspense of ■waiting.

By means of Vera he was kept informed as to the state of the patient. After a. lapse of two hours a turn for the better was announced; each succeeding report became more and more favourable, till at last, his work apparently over, Beauvais himself made his appearance, his face expressive of'pleasure at having come off victor in his wrestle with death.

"A tough struggle," he said, "but we've pulled her through. Talk? No, she didn't talk much. Wanted to, but I enjoined silence. She's sleeping peacefully now, a natural healthful sleep. She'll wake up as bright as a new silvei; rouble."

This was all Wilfrid wanted to know. With a sense of relief he bade the doctor good-night, and, under the guidance of one of the maids, repaired to the room appointed him.

Upon Wilfrid's departure Beauvais went back to the Princess's-bed-ehambei and dismissed the second maid, by which act Vera was left the sole attendant. Standing at some distance from the bed the doctor beckoned her to approach. She came forward on tip-toe. Keeping an eye upon the sleeper, Beauvais said in a whisper.

"I saw that you recognised her, and cannot sufficiently commend your prudence in keeping a silent tongue. Those who attempted her life may attempt it again, should they find that their plan mis-carried. Hence we must exercise caution and keep her name and whereabouts a secret. So far you and I are the only two to recognise her. The Baroness will make a third, and perhaps we shall have to admit Lord Courtenay into our confidence, but that's my business; yours is to be mute and know nothing. It may be that our patient herself for reasons of 'her own will wish to lceep her identity a secret, even from LoTd Courtenay. In such case not a word to him. You may be quite sure that I should not give you this advice were it not for the good of the Baroness. Now show mc where you have put our patient's clothing?" Vera indicated the place, and the doctor, -walking thither, proceeded to examine the Princess's garments. Discovering a pocket within the domino he placed his (band within and -drew; forth

a sealed envelope, crumpled and discoloured. Its exterior was a blank.

"Now what does this envelope contain?" muttered Beauvais, pressing it between his fingers. "I must know its contents. 'Perhaps it's the key to the mystery. It may—or may not—explain how she came .to be in the river. Vera, should our patient or Lord Courtenay question you on this point, you will be pleased to say that you searched the clothing and found—nothing." He moved towards the door as he spoke. "I will send you a companion, and as soon as our patient awakens let mc know, for I must have a talk with her before the Baroness or Lord Courtenay: sees her." Having , summoned another maid, Beauvais betook himself to his own. room. "In the Baroness's.service," he remarked, "everything is lawful." And without the least hesitation he broke the seal of the envelope. "A very usefnl document/? he observed with a smile-of wonder and delight. "The one thing -wanting to Tound off and make its success sure." "" He laid the missive aside. Its contents had set him thinking, and so absorbed was he that he had let the hours pass without taking any rest. _A message coming from Vera caused him to repair once more to the Princess's ljed-chamier, from which, after,the lapse of half an hour, he emerged with a triumphant smile. "Better and better!" he murmured. "Who'd have thought it? Why, there's little need to plot. Matters are taking of themselves the very course I want." An hour later, when Pauline issued from her dressing-room, beautiful for the day, she was surprised to see Beauvais waiting for her in the corridor. "A story for you, Baroness," said he. "One that you must hear without delay." His air brooked no refusal, and so with a little shrug of her shoulders she took a seat within an embrasured window. Her lookof indifference vanished with his first sentence and as he proceeded her interest finally merged in vivid horror. "Consider who she is," concluded the doctor, "and then picture her lying alone on that shore for nearly twenty hours, and a whole castleful of people close by." "Tied hand and foot, and flung into the Neva!" said Pauline. "My God! this must be Alexander's work!" "Not so, baroness." "But I say yes. Who would dare lay a finger on her except by his order?"

"Be calm, dear Baroness. Alexander is guiltless. The truth is, the assassins made a terrible mistake. Did you not tell mc that she went to this-masquerade in gold-brocaded silk? Just so! Well, when discovered by us she was wearing a grey domino of common serge, which is a clear proof that she must have exchanged her costume with some other woman, her aim probably being to conceal more effectually her interview with Lord Courtenay, and I strongly suspect that this other woman was one Nadia Borovna, of the Inn of the Silver Birch. It is easy to see how one woman might meet the fate intended for the other. In fact, the ruffians appear to have made so sure of their victim that they did not even remove her mask. This letter, written by the said !Nadia and found upon the dress of the victim, will partly help to prove my theory."

Pauline took the missive and read it slowly.

"It must have been Baranoff's doings," she remarked, looking up from the letter, intensely relieved to find her suspicions against Alexander groundless.

"Seemingly. At any rate he is the one most interested in seeing that both the letter and its writer are destroyed. When, he learns what a mistake his hirelings have made hell be ready to. cut his throat. ,- The Czar will show him no mercy." "I never believed in Lord Courtenay's guilt at the Inn of the Silver Birch," said Pauline, glancing over the missive again, "and this letter vindicates my opinion." "True, but you'll be unwise to show it to him." "Why?" "Because if that event is allowed to receive an innocent interpretation, it ■ will be still easier to explain away the kiss given by her at the masquerade. It was simply a reward for a service done to the State. No, no, Baroness j it must be our duty to see that her return, to Alexander is made an impossibility, and as.matters are at present, the way is still open for a reconciliation, between them." "What, then, do you advise?" "Why, this. Let her remain here for a time in concealment. She'll not object. She is evidently in love with Lord Courtenay—he with her. Let matters, then, take their natural course. Isn't it to your interest to promote this love affair?"' ,- "Didn't you tell Lord Courtenay last night who she was?" "I kept it a secret for—for reasons." "Lord Courtenay is a man of honour. When he learns the truth his love will cease." "Just so, and therefore we must not let him know the truth, till—till.it be too late."s "You talk foolishly. How caa ke be kept any longer in ignorance ?" Beauvais smiled mysteriously an<?. triumphantly. "My dear Baroness, everything is working beautifully for our ends—so beautifully that I am tempted almost to think that Providence " "Providence!" she repeated significant'TU say fate, to please you. Fate must have had a hand in bringing her and Lord Courtenay under this roof." "You are not answering my question. How can we keep him from learning her name if she choose to reveal it?" "There's the point, the very point in our favour. She cannot reveal it." "In heaven's name, why not?" "Because, though her intellect be otherwise as clear and as bright as your own—and that's saying a good deal, Baroness—it is accompanied by one defect. The awful shock occasioned hy her sudden plunge into the waters of the Neva has had the effect of depriving her, not of her -whole memory, but of a part of it, that nart relating to her personal identitr. She cannot recall her own name. You don't believe it, I see," smiled the doctor, noting her look of scepticism, "but you can soon test my words. Go and see your rival. She won't know you!"

(To be continued daily.)