DANCER BECKONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 46, 23 February 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

DANCER BECKONS

(Chapter IX. continued.) Magia opened her eyes; she began staring up at tlie painted ceiling, with, a strange fixed look. Once or twice slio opened her mouth, but found she could not speak. The young man, bending over her, muttered, "Don't try and say anything! You are quite safe now —" Michael Fanshawe, his whole bodygrimy, as well as dripping with water, strode into the great room. Then he shut the door behind him. Quickly George Adams straightened himself, and turned away from the bed on which lay the Queen. In a way his sister Helen seemed a part of himself and, incidentally, he knew her to bo simple hearted and unsuspicious. It would take, he knew, a great deal to awaken her to her brother's devotion to Queen Magia. But Michael Fanshawe was quick, observant, and had a shrewd knowledge of human nature.

That last quality was perhaps what led him to exclaim, in a very gentle tone, "Now George! Please go back to your room. It's only four in the morning, and the lire brigade have arrived, so all danger of the fire spreading is over. Leave poor Queen Magia to your sister, and to mo. Now then, my dear chap—l"

He took the other man by the arm, and led him into the passage. From the room where there had been thp fire —the fire extinguished by his own quick resource—there now issued exclamations of excitement, of horror, and of surprise, in more than one language. It was plain that the firemen, who had made their way in by scaling ladders, had discovered that Bolba's beautiful white consort, whether dead or alive, was no longer there. They had not yet found out the door by which she had escapcd, for it was concealed by a curtain, but that discovery might only be a question of seconds.

Adams roused himself. "What are you doing to me ?" he asked violently. And he made as if about to re-enter the room he had just quitted.. "I can't leave Helen and—the Queen." "You've got to leave them, George. Why, just look at yourself! Your sister will see to everything, and so will I. Believe me that will bo much the wisest course—l mean in Magia's own interest." He hurried along, and at last, pushing his resisting friend through his bedroom door, he locked it. "Now George! You've got to listen to me. There's some hideous mystery behind this lire." Adamo looked at him questioningly. "A mystery?" "How did that room get on fire? I'd lay my life on it—and I'm going to make sure soon, that the fire was started deliberately. The fact that I was able to put it out with comparative ease proves that." Adams had sunk down on his bed; he was shivering with excitement. "I—l don't understand." "There's no reason why you should, my dear chap. And, unless I'm much mistaken, the wholo business will be stifled, and shut down, rightly so, from their point of view, by the Italian Government. This thing was not done by an Italian. At least I'm sure not. Thank God that Bolba and Magia are leaving Venice to-morrow."

"The Queen mayn't he well enough to leave to-morrow," murmured Adams. '• "Unless she's at death's door," said the other grimly, "I should advise that they leave Italy as soon as possible. There's been a lot of hokey-pokey going on."

Adams leapt up. "Whom do you suspect? Is it—" he cried hoarsely.. Fanshawe cut him short, curtly. "Facts speak for themselves. As to whom I suspect, I suspect nobody—and everybody, George. Where big business interests are in question men stop at nothing'. As for murder —" he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't forget that that room was Bolba's official bedchamber." "But everybody here, at any rate, has an interest iii keeping Bolba alive." "Yes, but there are plenty of people outside here, as you call Italy, who have reason to wish Bolba dead." "I suppose that's true." "Of course it is—" Then Fanshawe asked suddenly. "Don't two of the Queen's women always sleep in her room on the floor?" "I don't know, but Helen will know, I think, if that's true." Fanshawe said consideringly, "the native squaws loathe Magia, don't they?" Adams looked at him uneasily. "My thinks the dwarf Ya-Ya is Bolba's spy, but she's never said a word about the other native women. Besides —the whole Palazzo might have been burnt up like a house of cards if the lire hadn't been put out when it was." CHAPTER X. Free From Spies. The Countess de Fleury awoke with a start and for a mo.nent she did not know where she was. She had been dreaming—dreaming as she often did still dream of the lover-husband she laid lost so soon. Then there came a sweet voice calling out, "Helen! Helen 1 Are you still asleep ?"

Ah! She knew where she was now. This was a. section of the sumptuous train, set apart for the use of the French president. Indeed this probably was the moving bedchamber of Madame la Presidente! It was an attractive apartment— peculiarly attractive after the somewhat faded splendours of the German Imperial train. Also the well-hung bed swung with the motion of the train. Ya-Ya had fallen ill in Venice, as the result of a mo'squito bite, so it had been arranged that she should spend the two nights, during this journey to Paris, with the other native women. This was why Queen Magia's lady-in-waiting had obtained Dr. Clarke's reluctant permission to he in the twin compartment next to her Royal mistress.

She sprang out of bed and hastened through the open door, "Yes, your Majesty ?" "I am wondering, Helen, if it is time to get up?" Magia's face was flushed, her eyes shining. Already they had crossed the French frontier. "It is seven o'clock." "I shall get up now. No, Ido not want you to help me- " And then not for the first time King Bolba's official consort threw out her arms towards the other woman. ,r Do call me Magia. Please, please, my friendjust for this once."

By MRS. BELLOC LOWNDES. yr

But the Comtesse de Fleury shook her head. "You know it would be wrong for me to do that! Surely you don't wish, to do anything wrong?" A pathetic smile quivered for a moment over Queen Magia's beautiful face. "Do you really think it would be so very wrong?" she asked wistfully. Helen hesitated. "Not wrong maybe— but unsuitable, unseemly, yes." r "Very well," and there was something so sad, so resigned, in the way Magia uttered those two little words, that the other woman's heart gavo way. She drew close to the slightly swaying couch, and put her arms round Bolba's official consort. "Magia," she cried, "Magia—Magia— you know that I've come to love you?" Magia sighed. "Yes —yes —you love me, dear friend —but not as I love you. Often I wish you were my sister." Helen do Fleury felt deeply touched. Slio whispered, "Listen, my darling queen! lam entirely my own mistress— alas! that it should be so. And now 1 ask whether you would like me to accompany you beyond the sea, to Africa? I meant for, say, a month? There are French missionaries with whom I could live near King Bolba's territory." Queen Magia's head was now on Helen's breast. "No, no," she gasped, "I should not be allowed to see you. I must bear my terrible burden alone, till I am released by God. But I have something to ask of you this morning, Helen. Maybe you will say that it also is unseemly, and that you cannot grant my wish? Yet I implore youj with all my soul, not to refuse my entreaty. 'I am not likely ever to have another chance of doing what I wish to do." "What is it?" asked Helen. "Perhaps I had better wait to ask you till wo are both dressed," murmured Magia. It was as if hen courage had suddenly given way. Half an hour later the two met again in the little moving salon where, on a table clamped to the wall, were coffee, hot milk and rolls. A large bowl filled with roses of every hue gave a delightful home-like touch.

"What lovely flowers!" exclaimed the queen. Helen said smiling, "My brother had the good fortune to find those roses in Venice, your Majesty, and I said they were to be kept in water and put here in the salon this morning." "How exceedingly kind and thoughtful Mr. Adams invariably shows himself to be, Helen. You have the kindest of men for a brother!"

Queen Magia uttered the somewhat stilted eulogy in a curiously strained tone; and Helen de Fleury felt suddenly, perhaps unreasonably, hurt. Why, George had saved Magia's life two days ago! And yet the queen had not once alluded to what had happened. Tho whole episode seemed, indeed, to have faded from her mind.

"Havo you see Mr. Adams since we entered this train?" "As a matter of fact I met my brother just now in the corridor, your Majesty. His sleeping compartment is in this part of the train, and lie was coming back, after having had breakfast. He is always early." The Queen moved across to the window near where stood the bowl containing the splendid roses which George Adams had been to much pains to procure the afternoon before.

"I think," she said suddenly in a low voice, "I ought to tliank Mr. Adams in a special way for what he did the other night. But for him I should be dead by now. And though I often wish to die —well, I do not wish to bo burnt alive." "I know my brother will be grateful if your Majesty will say a word to him next time you have the opportunity," said Helen eagerly. She was sorry now that she had thought Magia ungrateful. Looking away the Queen answered, "I have that opportunity now, Helen. There may never come another." "Now, your Majesty?" Helen said questioningly. "Do you mean while we aro on this train ?"

"Yes, and as soon as possible, for I do not wish to speak to him about the event of the other night in the presence of Ya-Ya."

"But —" began Helen, feeling doubtful.

Magia turned on her—"Do not say 'but'—it is a horrible little word! Go now, at once, my dear friend, and tell Mr. Adams that I would like to see him here, as soon as he can come. Tell him also —"and then the speaker's face became flooded with colour.

"Yes, your Majesty?" "That I wish to see him alone before wo reach Paris. Dr. Clarke likes Mr. Adams, and I feel that a suggestion coming from him might be carried out. I wish to consult your brother about an important matter. You will not be offended, Helen —will you?" she went on pleadingly —"I want you to keep watch in the corridor, while I speak to him."

Helen de Fleury felt somewhat dubious. Yet, after all, she was glad that her brother was going to receive adequate thanks for his part in the sinister events of the other night. Also she was pleased that Queen Magia intended to entrust George, rather than old Doctor Clarke, with what she apparently thought an important matter. "I cannot expect you —though I know you love me —to know what it means to be free, for even a few hours, from that spy, that evil being, Ya-Ya!" cried the Queen in an agitated tone. "Any moment she may be well enough to return to me, and then my chance of speaking to your brother alone will be gone. For God's sake, Helen, I beg you to ask him to come hero at once. What I have to tell him will only take a very few moments."

There was such urgeney and excitement now in her tone that Helen hurried along tho corridor of the presidential train, and knocking oil the sliding door of her brother's compartment, walked in to find liim writing.

"The Queen wants to see you alone, George—just for a few moments. She won't tell me the reason, but I know she wishes to thank you for what happened the other night, as well as having something important to say she thinks you ought to know." Adams followed his sister down the corridor, and when just outside the door, she whispered, "Queen Magia, as you know, is never allowed to be without someone in attendance on her."

"Is there any fear of someone coming to the salon, now ?" he asked. "No one's ,up yet. ' Not even Dr. Clarke. Besides, as she is particularly anxious to see you alone, I'll mount guard just outside the door. If I see anyone coming—l mean Ya-Ya, or maybe Dr. Clarke—then I'll join you and the Qui :n at once." (To be continued Saturday next.)