THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15562, 20 March 1914, Page 4

THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.

BY ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT, 'Author of "By Right of Sword." "A Dash for & Throne." " For Lot* or Crown." " When 1 w»s Czar," " In the Nam* of the People," "The Man Who Was Dead," "The Oucen's Advocate." "In the Name of a Woman," " A Courier of Fortune," etc

. [ COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER XXIII. MURIEL INTERVENES. MrniE.i Malthavkhs was at the front door as I left Evala, and I hurried to her, judging that Valtoun would not be far off. She turned as I approached, and her • harp eyes and quick wits read my looks instantly. "la it really possible?" she asked. "It was possible?" '• That you should think of leaving the Chase at such a time?" " 1 hope that Vult-oun will stay." "Of course lie will. He has promised me. Oh, you needn't look so surprised. Hi! is a rational person, and as soon as I explained things to him, he said that he must stay. And now I want to talk to you. Come out on the lawn, whero we can't be overheard. I stopped in the hall here to make sure that there was no eavesdropping while you were with Evala," she said as we went out. Her look was unusually serious, and wo walked the length of the lawn in silence. " Do you remember our former talk when we met by Staumore Church ? I advised you then to give it up. I told you that Evala cared for vou, but that she would sacrifice everything for her country. Has your masculine intelligence grasped the full significance of that fact yet?" "I quite believe it, Miss Maltravers." 'Is that why you are going to desert 'tho woman you love at the very moment of xnormr'ts whe»i she most needs you?" "That's rather a harsh view of my action." " Then pray what is it but desertion? I don't suppose for an instant you think it *o. In all probability you are rather pluming yourself upon your self-denial, your Quixotism, and your exalted motives; and telling yourself that you are helping her out of a difficult position. Such silly things are done .with lofty motives Just look at this one. You are acting for all the world as if you were beinp frightened away by the bark of that conceited little puppy, Count Lugo." " That is not my reason." Oh, dear, you are very nearly hopeless, Sir lan. I*ll tell you what your reason is, as you term it. You have done all this for Evala and placed her under a huge load of obligation; you are dying to stop her© in order to bo able to help her; you know that if you asked to stay she could not refuse you: and so you think it right and proper to pretend to her that you don't wish to stop, lest your presence here should make things more difficult for her in regard to this stupid throne business. Apparently, you can't see that her difficulties will not be one jot less if you go away, while her danger will be infinitely greater." "valtoun will be here." " Can't you see a fact until it hits you an the face? Don't you know that Evala as just as eager to have von here as you are to stay to help her? But of course she can't ask you. Whet you ought to have done just now was to tell her bluntly that you meant to stay here until she was out of the wood, and that if that Lugo or anybody else raised any objection they might go—well, where he's due to go when tho timo comes."

"It is not for me to force myself " " Oh, dear,' oh, dear, you are really too Btupid for words," she broke in. "Don't wo women like to be mastered? Go back now and tell her you've changed your mind. You'll mako her the happiest girl in the country." I shook my head. "No. I have done 'the best thing—the only possible thiniy." " Isn't that like a man! ' I havp said it; therefore itis best,"' she cried, mimicking my tone. "If I didn't know you were not a coward, I should think you were afraid, Sir lan. Wait, though." She paused and looked at me intently, and her tone changed from raillery to seriousness. "You may be a coward, after all. You may still think that you can win her and are afraid to trust yourself near her; afraid, lest vou should tell her of your love. If o. then I, too, say, go—and never come back. So long as Evala believes that this conspiracy is for the good of her country, she will never consent to be your wife. Never! She will promise to marry this fop, this lt> go, just as she would marry a costermonger if she believed it to be right and necessary for her country. If you »re afraid to see her engaged to him, then go. But don't forget this—she wishes you to !fitay and help her; not because she believes .you can help her cause. Are you brave •enough to play that part, Sir Ian?" "I scarcely know how to answer you," 3 said hesitatingly. "Could you face the ordeal of being with her constantly, yet always apart, .separated by a barrier neither time nor effort could hope to remove and helping hernot to be happy, many men could face that—but helping her to sacrifice her happiness by marrying such a man 'as Count Lugo?" I winced as if her words were knotted •whiplashes. "If she wished it, yes," I answered, gritting my teeth at the prospect. " There ! I've been serious long enough," she cried with a sudden change. "If Igo on, I. shall make myself as miserable as you look. I'll find Lord Valtoun for you;" and with a burst of laughter this strange girl, mixture of frivolous impetuosity . and •hrewd seriousness, turned away. But she .was back directly, her hand outstretched. "You—you moan it ? You are sure of yourself?" she asked, her tone tense and very earnest. ' " Yes, on my word." She held my hand a moment, looking at me searchingly. " How you ' must love her!" she murmured under her breath. Then like a flash she changed, her eyes beamed, and with a smile she hurried off. "You look grave enough for a judge, lan."

'. parted as Valtoun's voice broke in upon my thoughts. "Matters are serious enough here to make one grave, Bob." But not with him. Things were going his way and he was bubbling over with high spirits. '' Not so bad as all that, »urely,' he answered lightly. " I want to know whether, if the arrangements aihnit of it, you can stop here for ft bit?"

His inclination was to laugh, but he checked it. " I think I could manage it," ho said gravely. "Why?" 1 told him my reasons. We discussed the matter at some length, and he did his best to conceal his intense satisfaction by raising one or two exceedingly lame objections.

We were still discussing when Muriel came back and 1 told her that I had asked Valtoun to remain for a time at the Chase. " Of course I should be only too glad to be of any u.se," he declared. " I really don't think it will be necessary to put Lord Valtoun to such inconvenience," she replied. His face (ell at once. "It wouldn't really inconvenience me at all," he protested.

" But you said just now, Bob, that you had a lot —" I said.

" Yea, but I've been thinking about that," ho interposed hurriedly; "and there's really nothing which I couldn't arrange all right." "But what could you do?" asked Muriel with disconcerting directness. " Eli? Oh—er—l don't know. Anything, Miss Mnltravers," he stammered.

"You'd be dreadfully bored. It's a dismal lifo here at the best of times and likely to bo worse rather than better." "fan was suggesting that—" " But Sir lan isn't commander-in-chief here. Oh, no, I shouldn't give it another thought, Lord Valtoun. It isn't a bit necessary. 'Besides, what on earth would you do with yourself? You'd have to iiopon about .with' nothing to dp, nothing

to think about, anil no one to speak to for twenty-three hours out of the twenty-four every day." "I shouldn't mind that a bit," he said.

" Besides, there would still be the twenty-fourth," I suggested. She laughed. "And being a man he would probably not be whore he was wanted for that hour."

" But you yourself asked me if I could stay, Miss Maltravers." "My dear man, do you really think I like to be reminded of my mistakes?" she retorted with a somewhat pitying smile. " Anyway, I'm going to stop. I promised you, and I don't mean to break my word," he declared firmly with a grin at the reason he gave. "But I release you from that promise." "Of course I won't stay if you wish me to go. Do you She shrugged her shoulders with a grimace of indifference. " I wished it when I asked you, but thinge are different now."

"That's no answer. I shall stop until you tell me to go." "I'm not commander-in-chief, either," she replied equivocally. It was quite plain that she approved his action; and that point being settled, she opened fire indirectly on me. "As Sir lan is going to remain here things are different, as I said just now."

" But he has just told me he is going," cried Valtoun.

"Do you suppose he knows his own mind? He said that before he knew that Evala had asked me to ask him to stop." "Do you mean that?" I exclaimed eagerly. " My dear Sir lan, do you think I tell stories ? I have come to fetch you in order that you may give her your answer in person. Will you wait here a moment she asked Valtoun, and went with me toward the house.

"What did Evala say?" " Do you want me to make you blush?" " I mean about my staying here?" "Of course you do. We had to discuss the arrangements. It will fill be perfectly proper. Countess Viralmi is a perfect stickler for the proprieties. She is Evala's aunt or cousin or something, and answers for Mrs. Grundy in the household. She is the dearest and silliest old lady in the world. Just as short-sighted as a chaperone should be, and believes everything you tell her, except scandal.". " You are playing with me, Miss Maltravers."

"Of course I am. I told you I had been serious quite long enough. And whenever that happens, I suffer positive tortures of remorse for wasted minutes."

" But I must know what passed between you and Evala." "Of course you must. She'lJ tell you." We had reached the house and I stopped. " I cannot go to her unless you tell me what you said to her about me," I said firmly. " What an uncomfortably persistent person you are, Sir lan," she cried with a gesture of dismay. " I am obliged to persist in this." " Oh, very well. ' Evala wanted me to find out why you meant to desert her at such a crisis; she wishes you to stay and help her; and she wants to see. you. Is that enough?" and without waiting for my answer she opened the door of the room. "Evala is here, Sir lan," she said, loudly enough for Evala to hear. As I went in Muriel's eyes lighted mischievously and I heard her laugh softly as she shut the door after mo.

That Evala was astonished I could not fail to notice; and she rose quickly and looked inquiringly at me. " You wish to see—?'

The question came from us both together, and we left it unfinished in mutual surprise and confusion. " Muriel

" Miss Maltravers" We spoke again simultaneously and again stopped, looking at each other in questioning confusion. The silence was broken by a laugh as Muriel herself came into the room. " As I have done this and appear to be the only person with any common-sense at the moment, you had both better have someone to blame,'' she said with composure and evident satisfaction. . "You told me—" I began when she interrupted me. " I know I did and I'm going to tell ;-ou both more. I told Sir lan, Evala, that you wished me to find out why he meant to desert you at such a crisis, that you wished him to stay here at the Chase and help you, and that you wanted to see—" "But I—" protested Evala. "Do let me finish, dear. You had not said anything of the sort, of course; but it's all perfectly true. Now, isn't it ?" " You bad no right" "Oh, bother the right Isn't it true? You can see it is, Sir lan. Of course, it's true; and if either of you blame me for blurting out the facts, well, I sha'n't be the first martyr in the cause of truth." She assumed such a grotesque air of resignation that, despite my confusion, I could not repress a smile.

Evala did not reply but turned away and resumed her seat; and Muriel crossed and kissed her very lovingly and tenderly. "Now I'm going to tell more truths," she said. " Sir lan knows the desperate difficulties you are in, dear, and he is longing to help you in any way. He knows, too, that Count Lugo does not wish him to bo here and that when you are betrothed to him. he may make it very difficult for him to remain, and that you can't ask him. My him's and he's and his's are a little mixed, but you can easily sort them out. He will give his help in all loyalty to you, Evala; and as you told me yourself, there is no one else whom you can trust so whole-heartedly. No, don't pretend to protest, dear," she said, as Evala tried to interrupt. " Things are much too serious for any pretence. Let the truth have a chance. He has proved his loyalty beyond question; he knows more of the dangers in which you stand than anyone, and he can protect you belter than anyone. And it would be stark, staring madness for you to let such a friend leave you at the very moment of moments when you need the helD of a staunch friend, a level head, and" a strong hand. There, my lecture's done, and you two must settle the rest for yourselves;' and with that she hurried out of the room, disregarding Evala's call to her to stay. A long eilence followed, and as I could not see Evala's face I could only guess at the cause of her obvious agitation. " I think Muriel is right, Sir lan." she said at length, her voice low and hesitating. " You will let me stay?" She turned then. She was very pale, but her eyes were shining brightly and I she spoke with forced deliberation. "You understand thethe position? I told her that with me the needs of my country must be my one thought, my only consideration. It is not. yet decided what shall be done as the result of my brother's return here; but I have little or no doubt that our efforts here will be continued. In that case, my formal betrothal to Count Lugo will take place almost at once.'' " I understand you, countess. I ask only to be allowed to help you in such way as you may decide is best." " I am sure of you," she said, with a sigh and a smile. "I will try with all my heart to deserve your trust." My duty is to my country. You will not blame me for that?" Her eyes were full on mine wistfully as she spoke. " I could not blame you and will never forget it,'' I answered. She held out her hand. "It is for our cause-1 -.eed your friendship." "It is for that cause I pledge myself to be true to you." I answered, as I carried her hand to my lips. " I know how loyal you are!" I looked up, and our eyes met again. " I will try to be as loyal as if you were free," I murmured. "Ah, if I were!" she sighed involuntarily. For the moment the hot words inspired by the passion I felt for her rushed to my lips, but I crushed them back, trembling like a child with the effort it cost me. She saw the struggle and understood, and a passing glint of doubt mingled with the sympathy in her eyes. " No word of it shall ever pass my lips," I whispered in answer to her look and thought. " I thank heaven for giving me such a friend." she murmured. " Till you send me from you !" I declared. In this way my pledge of fealty was given, and I was pressing my lips to uer fingers again to seal the pledge when there was some commotion outside, the door was opened hurriedly, and Prince OBca entered. , (To be continued d*ilyj