THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15550, 6 March 1914, Page 4

THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.

BY ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT, Author of "By Right of Sword," " A Dash for a Throne." " For Love or Crown," " When 1 was Czar," " In the Name of the People," " The Man Who Was Dead." "The Queen's Advocate," "In the Name of a Woman," " A Courier of Fortune," etc.

COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER X.—(Continued.) " Rkport says that you are a rich man, Sir lan. Now, I am a poor one, and I think 1 had better tell you quito frankly tlia 1 if you wish me to answer your questions and help you—and 1 can do that in a manner that will vastly surprise you— I shall not be actuated by any motives of philanthropy." "I like your frankness," I said: and I am prepared to pay any reasonable sum if you can show me it is worth while. But I must admit that your suggestion takes me by surpiise. ' " That is because you do not know me. You had better know the truth about me at once, for I have many enemies, and you will lie sure to hear any number of lies. I am an adventurer, or soldier of fortune ; a man who bus to earn his living—l care not what term is used. I have seen many strange things in mv time, and had many strange missions; I have not been over particular; but I have j performed them with such wit as nature 1 has given nic, and I claim to be able to say that whore a man has run straight with me I have run straight with him.' " A straightforward preface, at any rate.'' I said. " And one of which every word is true, Sir lan Now, let me show you that I ran be of us' to you. You rescued Countess Evala from me at. Southampton; you got her away from that town; you saw enough of her before vou parted to — pardon me if I put it bluntly— become enamoured of her ; and you wish to know the truth as to her presence, alone and unprotected, at the time. I can tell "you everything." ' " What was the truth?" I asked eagerly. " Your pardon again. She discovered —it was obvious that she must, although the discovery must li#ve been deferred for some considerable timethat you were Sir lan Calmadale, the man by whose sword her brother Olaf years ago met his death ; and she then left yon, without having disclosed her identity. You ascertained it by chance; you went to the Chase and were refused admission by Baron von Bergstein, whom, I may tell you, was consumedly disconcerted tp meet with you again in such circumstances. I cari tell you why." '" How do you know all this!" I asked in astonishment. He was obviously pleased at having mystified me. "|>Agaiii your pardon until I have finished—shall .we call it the prologue ? You next offered your services in the cause of his conspiracy to Prince Osca himself, and were so readily accepted' that I presume, knowing His Highness as I do, that certain financial transactions took place between you. You became a supporter of his cause, and in that capacity you went again to the Chase, and this time had an interview «with the countess. What passed between you I do not, of course, know; but the result of it;,has been very disturbing to the man whom we equally and mutually love, Baron von Bergstein. I can tell you why and the probable effect that-will follow." " You must be one of the household at the Chase. You amaze me."

" I do not dwell upon your feelings for the Countess Evala, because it would savour of impertinence,", lie continued, only pausing to smile at my impatient interruption ; " but I assume that your desire is that which any other man would haveto make her your ewife. Now, I tell you frankly I cannot help you in that. She "is to be " betrothed, as indeed you know, to Count Lugo—a man about whom I know much, although very little is to his credit— she will marry him from motives of policy and patriotism; for in all that nest of intrigue and self-seeking she is almost alone in the purity of her motive:! and devotion, to our country. There are- many who would only too gladly see her your-wife instead of his. But their is one insurmountable barrier —her brother's death in the duel with you. You know this?" " I know of her strong sentiment in the matter." " It is that, no doubt, which prevented her from endorsing her father's acceptance of vour support in his cause." Tins filled the cup of my astonishment. He appeared to know everything what had passed between Kvala and myself in private; and I stared at him in blank amazement. . He accepted this as a tribute of admiration and gestured as if his intimate acquaintance with all these affairs were a matter of course. "Hut there are other obstacles," he continued. " Her singlehearted devotion to our country and her readiness to sacrifice everything in her magnificent patriotism. If, therefore, you think that anything I can tell you or any assistance I can give you would enable you to make her your wife, and that that would be your object in coming to any arrangement with me, 1 tell you plainly I can do nothing and can be of no use whatever to you. As a future king's daughter and herself a future queen any such hope of yours is groundless and vain." 1 found it not a little disconcerting to fisten to this stranger's analysis of my inmost thoughts and desires'. " You have still more to say? "■ J asked after a pause. "Very little, if that is your expectation. Sir lan. But if you have no such object and are content to work for her, to help in protecting her against those who are her secret enemies and day by day plot her undoing, then I can indeed help you." " Wait a moment. You know the lying .reports which were spread about me in connection with that duel? A shrug of the little shoulders, a quick glance through the half-closed lids, and a deprecating smile suggested the superfluity of such a question. " That you were bribed to murder Count Olaf and that you earned the money by your skill of fence? Oh, ye&. And 1 have always known them to be lies." "Who spread them? and why?" "Who but Baron von Bergstein? and why except to cover his own share in the matter? The young count was a fool, crazed with the desire to be thought a brave fellow, and was cheated into believing that you would allow him to insult you and that when ynu fought he was to beat you. The real expectation was that, maddened by his insults, you would surely kill him ; but, of course, the other result answered the purpose equally well." This was confirmed by the story which Valtoun had heard in Hilda and taken in conjunction with what had already been wild about Evala, strengthened my belief ill the danger surrounding her. " And why do you come to me? " He spread his hands and smiled. "A superfluous question surely. Sir lan, after my preface. I am one of the unemployed and need money. 1 offer you information ; 1 have shown you my intimate knowledge of all these matters to prove to you that mine is no empty offer ; and I have even explained the limitation of my efforts. It is time therefore to talk business." "How much do you want?" He paused and lingered his cigar for a moment. "You gave His Highness five hundred pounds. Sir Ian?" "How the devil do you know that?" I cried. He enjoyed my surprise, as a- conjurer might who has just battled his audience by a particularly clever trick. He dismissed the question with a wave of the hand. " I can be of infinitely more assistance to yon than he." " Such a sum is out of the question." 1 said firmly. " If you answer my questions, I'll give you one hundred." He shook his head slowly. "You would not know even what questions to ask, Sir Lin." "That means that you can tell me more than you have suggested." "Yes." lie said, with sudden earnestness. "Sometlrng compared with which all the rest is the merest bagatelle; scarcely worth mentioning, even." "1 must know the nature of it first." "Pardon mc, if 1 think for a moment before I answer;" and he leant back in his cliairj his eyes half closed m thought

for perhaps a full minute. " I cannot' disclose it until I have your promise; but 1 can perhaps put it this way : If I show you how you can remove the barrier between yourself and the Countess Evala, will you give me the sum 1 have asked?" "Yes, readily." " I do not mean -the obstacles in the way of a marriage. You understand the limitation. But the reason which prevents her accepting any service of any sort from you " "I accept the limitation. Do what you say, and I will pay what you ask." "Your word of honour "On my honour." "1 can tell you in a. sentence," he said, and then paused as if to whet my impatience. "Well?" I asked. "You did not kill Count Olaf, Sir Tan." _" What do you mean? That the man 1 killed was not the count?" "I mean that Count Ulaf is living and I can tell you where to find him." Thio brought me to my feet in amazement, on fire with eagerness to learn the rest of his astounding story. CHAPTER XT. THE WTCH. Drago enjoyed the effect of his dramatic announcement, and looked up at me witn a smile of triumph. "It was von Bergstcin's doing of course," he said when 1 had recovered from my first excitement. " His first hope was, as I have told you, that you would be sufficiently exasperated by Count Olaf's insults to run him through. But he had the other plan ready ; and it was part of that for Dr. Wassberg to enter the room at the moment of crisisas you will remember he did pfonounce the count dead, and then tell you who it was that you had killed. The count's seconds were in it, and their apparent terror of the consequences was reckoned upon to set you flying from 'lie country." *' But my sword pierced his heart," I interposed. "A mere flesh wound," replied Drago. " The blood you saw afterwards 'was provided by the doctor, and your consternation at the moment was counted upon to prevent jour seeing the trick. You and Lord Valtoun fled, naturally enough, and then the rest was easily managed. His death was announced, you were branded as his murderer, and he was spirited away and has been kept in close confinement ever since, Sonk' 12 months ago he was brought to England and at the present moment he is at a lonely house near Alton, in Hampshire, sailed the Wych; and there vou can find him. Sir lan." " Bflt why was he not released when his brother died?"

" Olaf knows who hit gaoler is and his succession to the throto would mean von Bergsteins ruin." " How have vou learnt all this?" " For a couple of years I had charge of the count ; but the life wearied me until I could endure it no longer. " Well, thank God, the fellow's death is not on my hands," I exclaimed fervently. "The belief tortured me for years, and there shall be a heavy reckoning with Ton Bergstein." "That is your concern.'" said Drago, airily. But there ■ are other matters which will probably come into the account. The Southampton affair for one." "Tell me the meaning of that?" "It goes to the kernal of things, Sir lanthe baron's real plans. You must have seen what we all know, that Prince Osca is unfitted to take a throne under such conditions as would vail if the plot succeeded; and more than that he does not wish it to succeed. Nor does von Bergsk-in mean thai, it shall. Nothing can be done in any case until the old Emperor dies; and meanwhile there is time for the necessary intrigue. Count Lugo is scarcely of more account than the Prince, and although the Countess Evala would rally many of the influential nobles to her cause, she would be powerless to fight against such odds as would face her." "You mean that she will never be queen?" I asked, unable to restrain the eager hopes which such a prospect raised. He shook his head. "I have not said that, Sir lan but the House of Prasmene will never be the reigning family of Hungary; nor will Count Lugo's. The present scheme is but the mask to hide von Bergstein's real intentions; that the Duke Volassa, the Pretender as he is called, shall gain the throne with the Countess Evala as his wife, so that her influence shall be cast on his side. That was at the bottom of the Southampton attempt; " • "Do you mean you were dastard enough to attempt to kidnap her in the interests of this Pretender?" I cried, hotly. " I am the Countess Evala's friend, or I should not be here to-day, Sir lan. I got wind of the scheme and prevented it. Von Bergstein was seized by my men, and he mistook them for Volassa's agents and hurried off willingly enough with them I made the same mistake about you ; and that was why I attacked you as I did— her defence. Von Bergstein took her there under ihe pretence of meeting some Hungarian nobles, but in reality to betray her into Volassa's hands." "The infernal villain!" I exclaimed. "There is no limit to his villainy. I think he suspects me now and has got rid of me in order to be free to do as he will at the Chase, and he will do it. There are men about him— of them fanatics in the cause, others his sworn adherents who will do anything, go to any extremes, at his bidding. I tell you that as a warning of what you must expect, if you attempt to cross his path. But this is as certain as that the sun will rise to-mor-row, the Chase is as unsafe as a hell-pit for such a pure woman as the countess, so long as he remains in charge there; '' and he went on to tell me many facts in proof of his words.

Then lie gave me full details of the place where Olaf was to be found, the men who were in charge of him: a scoundrelly doctor named Hammond, and two foreigners who posed as Englishmen under the names of Vigor and Crossley, and suggested a plan which he had once made to get the count away. He said that the two foreigners were a pair of drunken gambling fools—ready to drink and gamble with anyone; hut that Hammond was a different man altogether. A clever fellow who har l narrowly escaped the gallows for ilVcit practices in his profession and had grown morose, brooding, suspicious, and ill-tempered in consequence. (To be continued daily.)