THE RED CHANCELLOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11825, 30 November 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE RED CHANCELLOR.

<£ A ROMANCE,

BY SIR WILLIAM MAGNAY, BART., Author or "The Heiress of the Season," " The Man-trap," "The Pride of Life," etc.

CHAPTER XXXlV.—(Continued.) Asta gave a little shudder. " And that is bad enough. But at least I would rather a million times have his hate than his love. Ah, I cannot bear to think of it, yet; I must tell you. About half an hour after you had gone yesterday the count, came to my prison room. He told me that to let me live was as much as his life was worth. His own risk was so great that only upon oue condition would he face it. Of course you guess the condition ; that I would many him; otherwise that day must be my last. 'Remember,' he urged in his smooth, hateful voice, ' you are already dead in theory. The grave is dug for you in the wood outside, it ten minutes from the moment I give the word you will be lying in it. It is painful for me to have to tell you this, but my life is precious too; I cannot afford to risk it unless I have a stake to play for.' " 1 pretended to be in great fear and distress, which perhaps was not all pretence — but for your brave discovery what should I have felt? I begged for time; I could nob die, I was too young for that, and yet —how could I love him at once? You see what, a hypocrite I can be. He was rejoiced when he. saw signs of my yielding, at the success of his appeal. ' He went, down on his knees, and vowed he would gladly risk his life for one loving look from me, that he would be my slave—l need nod recapitulate the hateful scene. Happily it was interrupted, just as I was beginning to fear I could not stave off his lovemaking without arousing his suspicions. The girl Telka came in ; he turned upon her, furious at the interruption. She said to him under her breath, yet loud enough in her flurry for me to catch the words, ' Rallenstein is here,. He turned grey at the news, and his face changed to the index of the man he really is." "I can well imagine it," I said. "It was a critical moment for you." " Yes. He turned upon me in panic, with such a look in his eyes, a look in which fear, desperation, irresolution, cruelty, and what he would coil love were, all mingled. Ah!.

it was horrible. Then he took Telka out of the room, and the suspense of the next few minutes, when I was left alone, was so fearful that I almost fainted with terror. At last the door opened and Telka came back, followed by a wretch named Bleisst— "I know. The count's head villain."

" If you know him you will realise- what my feedings were at the sight. Then, indeed, I was sure that my last moment had come. My heart almost stopped with terror; oh, it was awful, the thought of having to die like that, there in that horrible place, and just as the hope of life and liberty had come to me. Telka came close up. and spoke to me. I was so sick and beside myself with fear that at first I did not comprehend her words. I cried out '•in my agony for mercy, for the countfancy my wishing for his* presence! The girl spoke again, entreating more plainly, and 1 understood her then. I was to be removed to a hiding-place in another part of the monastery, for the Chancellor was to suppose me dead. No harm would befall me unless he should discover my whereabouts , everything would depend upon my keeping quiet and ooeying orders. I mistrusted them "Naturally. No other feeling in that place could be possible." "No. And Bleisst is the very incarnation of treachery. Still 1 could only obey. He told me pleasantly he had orders to shoot me on the spot" if 1 resisted. So 1 went with them, Telka leading the way, Bleisst following me. pistol in hand. 1 felt like a condemned prisoner on my way to the scaffold, but it was not to be as bad as I feared. We went on for a long time, through dark passages, across vault-like chambers, till at length we ascended to a room on an upper floor. Here Bleisst went to the fireplace and unscrewed one of a row of knobs in the woodwork. Into the hole thus discovered he inserted a key. On turning this the jamb of the mantel revolved, disclosing a narrow aperture just wide enough for a person to pass through. Telka entered this, bidding me follow. I went in and found myself in a small chamber, not much larger than this carriage. You are to stay here until the Chancellor is safely gone,' Telka said. 'We shall bring you your meals as usual. It is uncomfortable, but it is necessary, and yon have nothing to fear.' "I had a great deal to fear; my imagination told me that this might be my living grave. What better way to get rid of me than to leave me here to starve and die? The girl went, warning me that any attempt to escape would seal my fate. She is an extraordinary creature, of a nationality unknown even to herself; the daughter of a spy, she seems to have lived everywhere and to know everything. I have "always thought she has hated me under her pretence of sympathy. So the door shut upon me, and 1 was left alone with my thoughts ; you may fancy how anxious and bitter they were."

"In the idea that our plan was rendered futile." "Yes; I thought of you and of all your courage, and the clanger you had faced, "and how they were to go for nothing. But there I was, helpless, well-nigh "hopeless, again. I would have, given anything to have been able to send ,you a message, but that was impossible. Here was a prison within a prison. I .stayed there in darkness for a long while—hours, it seemed ; at last the muffed sound of the slowly-opening door brought my terrors back to me. It was Telka with a lantern and some refreshments. The sight of this rejoiced me as evidence that the fear of starvation was groundless. I could even eat a morsel and drink some wine. "'His Excellencv is still here,' she said. ' Directly he is well on his way you shall be be released.'

" She gave me one of her cunning smiles' and disappeared. "So I passed the night trying to get sleep on some rugs which had been provided for my bed. In the morning Telka brought my breakfast. Courage!' she said. ' His Excellency is about to start, and your release will come soon. It is lucky he did not suspect you were lying here so snug.' She laughed and left me without another word. But about an hour she returned and beckoned me to come out. Bleisst was waiting, and they conducted me back to my former prison room. My joy at getting there with (he hope of escape was "so great that I feared Telka's sharp eyes might notice it. I feigned to be so upset and ill by the night I had passed that I could only go to bed. By this I hoped to avoid a visit from the count, and certainly I was left to myself all day. Towards evening Telka came in and told mo that the count had accompanied Rallenstein from the Geierthal that morning, but was expected back that night. I still pretended to be very ill, and could see that the girl was quite unsuspicious of any idea, of escape being so near at hand. I kept her with me for some time, then, as the critical hour approached, begged her- to leave me for a good lontr sleep. Left alone I made ready for my departure, and the rest you know. Ah, those terrible days! Can 1 ever thank iny preserver enough for nil you have risked for me?"

In listening to her story I had not noticed that for some time past a storm had been gathering. It now burst over us with a violence peculiar to those regions of mountainous woodland. The words deprecating her gratitude, which was, however, delightful, enough to me, were drowned in a terrific thunderclap which burst over us. The rain came down so violently, the wind swept round us in such gusts, that we became concerned for Strode's welfare, exposed as ho was to their full fury. But he returned a cheery, "_AII right! Don't worry about me," to my entreaty that he would corr.o into shelter. There was one thing, however, that the plucky fellow could hardly battle with, and that was the intense darkness that had enveloped us. Not to be stopped altogether, lie jumped down from his seat, ran to the horses' heads, and led them on as well as he could. Our progress was now necessarily slow, but it was something to keep moving at all, and Strode was resolved that we should not stop. We. watched anxiously for some indication of a break in the storm, but its fury continued unabated ; indeed, it seemed to increase.

" This is madness. Strode I shouted " Make the horses fast and come inside."

Not he. The rain would not melt him, he was determined to get us across the frontier by the morning, and we were yet miles from "the little town where we had planned to change horses. So we went on for a while in the full pelting of the storm. Suddenly a. great flash of lightning seemed to sweep the road just in front of us. The horses reared in terror, then swerved, and before Strode could prevent it, one side of the carriage sank into a ditch at the roadside. "Sit still!" Strode cried. But I had jumped out to lighten the vehicle. Each taking a. horse's head we soon had the carriage on the level again. "We can't go on in this." 1 expostulated. -As 1 spoke another great flash showed us a. house standing near the road a few yards farther on. 1 called Strode's attention to it, and insisted that we should seek refuge there till the storm was over; and as the result proved it was lucky I over-ruled him. Between us we led the horses up to the building, which proved to be a deserted and dilapidated wayside lodge. "At least there is perfect shelter here," I said as I assisted the fraulein to alight and hurried her into the tumble-down place. A ruinous shed stood beside the house, and this gave some sort of shelter to the horses. We gave them corn and made them as comfortable as we could. Then I took some food and a bottle of wine from the carriage, and ran back to the house. By the aid of the lantern we were just preparing to make tihe best of our wretched quarters when Strode rushed in with a more perturbed look than 1 had thought him capable of. He caught, up the lantern and extinguished it, checking, my exclamation with "Quick!" Help me to bar tihe door. They are after us! Hark! They are outside!" n

CHAPTER XXXV. THE ATTACK. I -rushed with Strode to the doorway, and for a moment could discern nothing in the intense darkness. But just as I was beginning to hope it might be a false alarm a flash of lightning showed me a man on horseback in the road some twenty yards away. It was hardly probable that he saw us in the same instant: anyhow, we could hear no voice above the raging of the storm. Without another moment's delay we set ourselves to close the door, which hung to its post by a single hinge. "Stay, for heaven's sake!" Strode cried suddenly. "The pistols and cartridges are in the carriage, Without them we are dead men."

In another instant he had forced the door a little way open again and dashed out. It was an anxious twenty seconds for me, but in that time he was back with our second revolvers and the ammunition bags. '" Now," he said, " take the frauleiu upstairs while I barricade this as well as I can." She had heard him, and. as I turned, was already climbing the crazy steps that, led to the upper floor. "It is terrible,'' she said, trying, as I could see, to master her agitation, "if all you have done for me is, to end in failure." "Let us hope not,'' I replied. "Strode inav be mistaken. It is hardlv conceivable—"

My words were cut short by a shout and a loud beating on the door. I ran to the window of the front upper room and looked down. The storm was now gradually passing away ; the intense darkness was relieved sufficiently for me to be able to make out the forms of several men standing before the house. That they were Count Furello and his fol! -vers there could be now "little doubt. Hew they had tracked and overtaken us so quickly! was surprising ; but there they were, and we could only be thankful that an accident had given us a shelter in which to stand at bay. Had we remained in the carriage a few minutes longer they would have surrounded us. and we should not have had a chance. As I drew back from the window I heard the count's voice cry : " Come out, you foul Englishman, before I fetch and hang you." This pleasant invitation had scarcely left his iips when a, shot rang out, followed by.a cry. In the hope that the leader of the gang had been accounted for. I sprang hack to the window, only to hear to my disappointment the same hateful voice giviug orders, to his men to fall back. "Settled one of them. Tyrrell!" Strode called up to me. "We'll have some rare sport here.'' I was glad to think our enemies were rite the fewer, and I sent a chance shot on my own account after them to hasten their retreat to a respectful distance.

But J could not remain there leaving Strode the impossible task of defending all the weak spots in the lower floor. "You will not be afraid to slay in this room alone, fraulein?" I said, with probably more confidence than I felt. "I must oack up Strode downstairs. Between us there is little doubt we can keep these ruffians out, and drive them off, but Strode cannot do it a line. You will trust us arid not fear?"

She. shook her head with a little shudder. I had. in the stress of the moment, laid my hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, before I could turn to leave her she Hung her arms impulsively round my neck and kissed me twice. 'Darling! my own darling!" she cried, her voice trembling with excitement and fear. "If you are to die for me you shall know that I am grateful, that I love you." Her chiek was pressed to mine. 1 whispered back my love in her ear. the love I had kuown, but had not dared to show. .Strode called me.

"I must go now," I said. "If lam to die I have lived my life in this minute.'' We kissed again, as though it were the last kiss on earth, and I ran down to Strode, my head whirling with joy. Perhaps to him, who had rather anticipated the situation, my delay in comiug to his call was not surprising. "If you don't look alive." he said, reproachfully, " we shall be taken and strung up, or whatever your friends' favourite method may be of getting 'id of people who annoy them. 1 dropped one of the brutes and they have drawn off in consequence. Their obvious line now is to attack us on two or more sides, flank and rear ; our game is to pick them off one by one till they are not more than two to one. lam only praying for the chance of a pot-shot at that scoundrelly count." All the time he was muttering thus to me we were busily examining the ground floor of the cottage and noting its vulnerable points. Luckily the place was small and plainly built. A narrow passage ran from the front door to the back, having on its one side simply the outer wall and the staircase, on the other the two lower rooms. As luck would have it, the rusty key was in the door of the front room. This with some little difficulty we were able to lock on the outside ; consequently all fear of an entry through the front window was obviated. We had now simply to guard the two entrances and the window of the back room.

So we stood, back to back, a revolver in each baud, grimly waiting the enemy's next move. There was little doubt that an attempt would be made at the back this time. We could not be certain how many men were with the count; the danger was that a combined rush might be made and a simultaneous entry effected through door and window. From pur stand in the doorway of the room we should probably account for at least two ot our assailants, but after that numbers would tell at close quarters, and our chance would not be worth much..

Realising this, I made a whispered suggestion to Strode that we should abandon our present position and hold the staircase against them. " No," he answered, " we must keep them out as long as we can. We might hold the tippet' floor for a week, but once let these devils get into the place and the odds would be on their setting fire to it. They can't do that from outside, thanks to the rain.' I at once saw the likelihood of that danger, and what an excellent stroke it would be to end Furello's difficulty. Presently Strode touched me, and I turned, on the alert.

He only nodded towards the window. Something was moving; we could only guess what. Strode covered it with bis revolver and waited. Then he fired. His shot seemed to be the sign*! for a regular volley which was poured into the room, but without touching us in our cover. "Look out!" Strode whispered. "They are bound 'to come now. Keep the passage!"

Sure enough, as the words were spoken. there was a, rush from both windows and door. We blazed away, each with both weapons, right and left., since anything like deliberate aim was impossible. Our lire was returned ; then our assailants seemed to fall back, but we could tell nothing clearly. In the midst of mv excitement 1 hea-rd Strode ask:

" Are you hit?" " No," I replied. " I am," he said. '' but it is not much. We can't hold this : the fun's all right but too risky for the girl. We must take to the upper regions and chance it," He was slipping in fresh cartridges as lie spoke. "Now," he said, "bang away and make a rush for it. Once 'up the stairs we are safe-"

Through the hanging smoke in the passage nothing could be seen. I sent a shot through it and made a spring for the stairs. Strode was on mv heels ; our fire was not returned, and we gained comparative safety. As we reached the landing we saw Asta rush back to the room in terror, locking the door. "It is all right, fraulein," I cried. "We are both safe so far."

At my voice the door was unfastened, and my love stood before me. " Thank heaven!" she said. " I have been nearly mad with fear. 1 felt sure all must be over with you both. It is terrible thatyou should go through all this for me."-

"Asta!" I whispered reproachfully.; "It is only for you we fear, dearest-." Strode had evidently heard her. "We like it," he observed with a pre-occupied cheeriness, for he was hanging over the rail of the staircase keeping a. sharp lookout. "It suits me exactly. If only we could get you. fraulein, away snugly, jr. might go on till this time to-morrow, eh, Tyrrell?" I went to him. " Your wound. Strode?" '"Hush, don't bother about it," he answered. "It is only a graze on the shoulder. Now, what are these devils about?" he muttered. " I can't see them, can you?" Neither could 1, so I went back to reconnoitre from the windows. At the back of the house, in what had been once the garden, a movement was perceptible. Men were stirring, but so cautiously that nothing more was to be made out. I told Strode of this, and he suggested my sending a shot or two at them.

"It can't do any harm, with our stock of cartridges, and you might bring one of the brutes down, the count for choice, if that isn't too much to hope for." I returned to the window and promptly acted on this advice. My second shot I had reason to think took effect, for something like a smothered cry reached my ears. Then the count's voice gave an order, upon which, so far as I could see. four men made a stealthy rush towards the house. "Look out!" I called to Strode. "They are upon us!"

He sprang back to the top of the stairs as I joined him. For some seconds we heard nothing ; then a slight noise, a foot accidentally striking against some object, gave warning that the enemy wa-» near. Strode waited a little, then cautiously leaned forward and sent down a shot- It- was returned. Blaze away, man! They are on the stairs," he cried : and we did blaze away into the unseen. A dead silence followed. Peering round into the darkness we waited for the next, move. Then we heard men stirring beneath. The slight, noise of stealthy movement went on for some time ; occasionally we could detect a whisper, that, was all. Suddenly there came a glimmer of light, but it showed us nothing. Instead of dying away as 1 expected, it increased, and then we knew what we feared was about to happen. ''Are they filing the place'.'" A crackle of burning wood gave the answer: the light increased and spread. The danger now was critical. -We can't stand this." I said. "The old place will burn like matchwood. We must make a rush for it."

Strode muttered something between his teeth— not very flattering comment on Count Purello and his methods. " If we hadn't to think of her," he said, king his head towards the room with the closed door, " we could sally out and meet these beasts, taking our chance. But with her we can't. Stay here, while Igo and see what I can do. Nonsense ! I'm the man to take the risk, not you." For I had begun to hold him back and demur. He threw me off ?nd crept dowu the stairs. He stayed looking over the vail for a while, then came back to me. "I think," he said, "with fair luck 1 can put the fire out. There's not much alight, and our friends seem to have drawn off to see the fun. One chap is lying dead down there, so what- with the others we've peppered there can't be many left. Any way. if I come across them there will be at least one fewer, if next, moment is my last. I'm no good, so don't bother about me. Think of the girl; it is our duty to get her out of this at any cost." So saying, he stole down again. At the. bottom of the staircase lie stayed a moment, then, darting forward, disappeared from my sight- Next 1 heard a banging, as though he were trying to beat out the flames : then two pistol shots in rapid succession, followed by a laugh of exultation from Strode. Doubtful whether this should betoken good luck or bad. I called down to know if he was all right. "Very much all right!" was the cheering answer. "I guess, we're sate now."

On that t ventured to leave my post, and ran down to him. He was kicking and stamping out the remains of the nearly extinguished fire. The old woodwork had been set alight in several places, and tbe door was half consumed.*

"I don't fancy the Heir Graf will trouble its much more to-night.' he laughed. " Pity I missed him, though. Anyhow I put- a bullet througn some tender part of that other scoundrel's anatomy, if howling goes for anything. I say! Our pot-shots have gone home muck better than we could have hoped. Strikes me we've tucked up most of them.''

'"Our luck— I began, when crack! a bullet whistled between us arid went through the partition wall with a sharp plug. "Whew! That was handy!" Strode laughed, as by a common impulse we dropped on our hands and knees below the line of fire. " Look to the passage," he whispered ; " don't let them cut us off."

I crept to the door and sent a couple of haphazard shots out into the night. Strode crawled to the window and fired- Then, detecting no sign of the enemy, it- occurred to me that I ought to keep an eye on the floor above. Scarcely had the thought passed through my mind when I heard a cry, the door of the upstairs room Hung open, and Asta calling me. I rushed up, meeting her on the stairs, and on into the room.

"They are climbing to the window," she said, as I passed. The room was empty. T ran to the window and looked out. No one was to be seen; it was now pitch dark again. In the pauses of the wind I fancied 1 could hear a movement in the shrubs between the house and the road. T did not hesitate to send a shot in that direction. As the report died away a laugh followed and a voice called out with startling unexpectedness.

'"Well aimed. Heir Englander!" It was Furello. I made no reply, but waited. Then out of the darkness came tho vile voice again. " Herr Tyrrell! Herr Tyrrell'" it cried. " Good evening, count!" I replied, mockingly. " Good night, Herr Tyrrell,"' he returned. "My compliments. You are a clever fellow, for an Englishman. But you will nee I to be much cleverer when next, we meet. So look to yourself and make the most of the. few hours of life we leave you. Auf wiedersehn!"

The metallic voice had rung out so that not a word escaped me. Then the wind dying fitfully away let me hear the sound of retreating hoofs, and I knew that for the time we are safe. I turned to find Asia standing behind me. " Victory! The attack is repulsed and the siege raised," I cried exultingly. Her animated face showed that she had caught something of my confident spirit But now that the immediate danger was past she was more reserved, and my respect bade me be content with simply the token of love and gratitude that her eyes gave me. It was not for me to profit by the moment of exaltation, when life and <..eat-h trembling in the balance had hurried an avowal to lips which a. few seconds might have closed for ever.

I half expected to see that Strode had followed me ; as he did not appear I shouted to him, but to my surprise got no answer. In alarm I ran down, to find him stretcher! insensible on the floor where I had left him. (To be continued.)