TALES AND SKETCHES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9092, 23 November 1907, Page 1

TALES AND SKETCHES.

FAIR MARGARET. .-•( (By H. EIDER HAGGARD.) ttOthor 1 of ° King ' Solomon's Mines," •# Jess/ "Kada the Lily," "Joan Haste," "She, 17 "Ayesha," . i • Etc., etc. , [AiijltGHTs Resbbvbd.] ' CHAPTER XVIII. I" THE HOI.T HEBKA2TDAD. ' Down ihe long passages, through the fjreat fretted haßs, across the cool mar*te courts, flitted Inez and Margaret. It was like a dream. They went through V room .where women, idling or working fct tapestries, looked at them curiously. Margaret .iieaid one of them say to another: '', r ■■'■■■ I, " Why does the Dona Margaret's &>usia leave her?'** And, the answer, ?' Because she is in love with the marfauis herself, and cannot bear to stay." i " What a foojl" said the first woman, /'fib© is good'leokhig^ and- would only liave had to wait a few weeks." v fe They passed an open door, that of MoreUa'e own chambers. Within it lie stood and watched them go by. When they w<sre opposite to iap some Moubt of idea seemed to strike his mind. W he looked at them keenly, stepped' lorwatd, then, thinking better of it or fcerhape remembering Bettys 'bn-w* longuo, halted and. turned aside. That, Manger had gone by 1 ; ■• . , } At length, none hindering them, they Reached the yard where the escort and She horses waited. Here, standing unifier an archway, were Castell and Peter. greeted Margaret with a nod, Ibat Peter, who had not seen her close .since months before he rode away to Dedhatn, stared' at her with all his Wes, &iid began to dsaw near to her, assigning to find out, as he w,as sure he wuldTdo If once he touched her, whether indeed this were Margaret, or Only Bet^y after all. Guessing what Wt& in his mind; and that he nught xevSa.l everything, Inez, who held a long aim in her Jb&nd, with which she was fastening her veil that had come loose, pretended to knock against him, and jpan' the point deep, into his arm. muttering "Fool!" «* »,' wiereon. lie sprang back' with an oath, the guard Smiled, and she began to pray his paridon. • ' -'■-,-' .Castell helped- Margaret on to her hbrsei then mounted his own; sis . did Peter, still Tubbing his arm, but not tldring-to look towards Margaret, whose "ifcaadlneß shook familiarly in farewell as thongh she were heir equal, addressing her the while in terms of endearment such as Spanish women use to each' other. An officer of Morella's household came and' counted them, saying: ■'•.■' rm ' "Two anen and a woman. Thai) is tiaUt titotigh I cannot see the woman's i&eev^/M • \^^A'^ "^ot*^ moment he seemed "to be about to order her to tinreil, but Inez called to h'}m that, it was not decent before all tiiese Moors, whereon he. nodded and : cnd«^ed-tiie«Mtaih t4\^proceed. > >■• 'They rode ihrough wie arch of- the-, ijastie along the roadway; through the great; gate of the wall also, where, the' Jfaard questioned their esoor^, stored at after receiving a Ifff^ttt •they were lucky Christians to get alive Out of Granada, which, indeed they were. At 'the brow of the rise MaTgaret turned and waved her handkerchief towards that high window which Fhe "krieSw-'so well. Another handkerchief "was waived in answer,- an&i thinking of the lonely Betty watching them there "while she awaited the issue of her 'desperate venture, Margaret went on, beneath her veil. Foir ah jhour they rode forward, speaking no .Word'vtoL each other, till at length, they 'came to the cross roads, one of which Van to Malaga, and the other towards JBeville.,. ■ • . Here t!he escort halted, sayifag. that their orders 'were to. leave them at this , point, and asking which road tihey in,*6nded to take. Castell answered "that 10 Malaga, whereon the captain anWer4d wiat they were wise,; as they Xwere less to meet bands or JSnarauding tlhieves who called tihemfeelves Ckristian soldiers, and ciat the jthroats of or robbed all travellers who 'fell into their hands. Then Castell , joffexed him a present which he accepted 'gravely, as though he did him a great favour, and, after bows and salutations, tihey departed. . As soon as the Moors were gone the toree rode a little way towards Malaga. Chen', when tnere was nobody in sight, they turned across country and gained the Seville road. At last they were fclone, and, halting beneath $he walls of a house that hdd been burnt in )iome . Christian raid, they spoke tojgether for the first time, and oh I what £ moment was tuat for all of them! i 'Peter pushed his horse alongside that p5 Margaret, crying: " Speak, beloved. \ls it truly you?" Bnt Margaret, . taking no heed of jbim, leant over and, thrdwing her arms i ground her fktiher's neok, kissed him ■ again and again through her veil, iblessing God that they had lived "\ to tneet again in safety. Peter tried to kiss her also; but she caused her horse to mavA so that he nearly fell from his Wddle. "Have a care, Peter," she said to Mm, *'or ypuT love of kissing will lead lyou into more trouble." Whereon, '; guessing of what she spoke, he colour'ted furiously, and began to explain at great length. i' "Cease," she 'said-^-" cease. I know 011 that sWry^ for I saw you "5 then, relenting, with some brief, swe&t (words of greeting and gratitude, gave vim her hand, which he kissed often enough. {' "Jp&me," said Oastell, "we must ,push on, .who have twenty miles tocover before we reach Ijhat inn where Israel has arranged that we * should 'sleep to-night. .We will talk . as we go. And talk they did, as well as the roughness of the Toad and the speed" at iwhich they must travel would allow. Riding as hard as they were able, at length they came to the venta, or tough hostelry, just as the darkness I closed in. At the sight of it . they. ! thanked God aloud, for this place wasf Across the Moorish border, and now they had little" to fear from. Granada. ?The host, a half-bred Spaniard and a Christian, expected them, having rebeived a message from Israel, with Whom he had dealings, and gave them two rooms, rude enough, but sufficient bud good food and wine, also stabling and barley for their horses, bidding fchem sleep well and have no fear, as he and his people would, j watch and warn item of any danger. ' ' - Yet it was late before they slept, who . had so much to say to each other — especially Peter and Margaret — and were so happy at their escape, if only for a little while. Yet across their joy, like the sound of a funeral bell at a merry feast, came the thought of Betty and ►that fateful marriage in which erenow [she must have played her part. Infcieed, at last Margaret knelt down and ,

offered up prayers to Heaven that the saints might protect her cousin in the great peril which she had incurred for them, nor was Peter ashamed to join her in that prayer. Then they embraced—especially Peter and Margaret and laid them down, Castell and his' daughter in one room, and Peter in the other, and slept as beet as they could. Half an hour before dawn. Peter was up seeing to the horses while the others breakfasted and packed the food that the landlord h_d made read? for their journey. Then he also swallowed some meat and wine, and at the first break of day," having discharged their reckoning and taken, a letter from their host to those of other inns upon the road, they pressed on towards Seville, very thankful to find that as yet there were no signs. of their being pursued. All that day, with short pauses to rest themselves and 'their horses, they rode on without accident, for the most paxt over a fertile plain watered by several rivers which they crossed at fords or over bridges. As night fell they reached the old town of Oxiina, whioh for many/ hours they had seen set upon its hill 'before them and,- notwithstanding their Moorish dress, made their way al-nost unobserved in the darkness to that inn to which they had been recommended; Here, although he stared -at their garments, on finding that -they .had plenty cf money, the landlord received them well ' enough, and again they were fortunate in securing rooms to themselves. It had been their pu-pose to buy Spanish clothes in this town, but, as it happened, it was a feast day, and at night every shop in the place was closed, so they could get none.'. . Now, as they .greatly desired to reach Seville by the following nightfall, hoping undercover of the darkness to find and come aboard of their ship, the Margaret, whioh they knew lay safely in . the river, and had been advised by me_senger of their intended journey, it was necessary for them to leave Oxuna before the dawn. So, unfortunately enough as it proved, it was impossible for them to put off their Moorish robes and clothe themselves as Christians. They h*-d hoped, too, that here at Oxuna Inez might overtake them, as she had promised to do if she could, and give them tidings of what had happened since they left Granada. But no Inez came. So, comforting themselves with the thought that however hard she rode it would be difficult for her to reach them, who bad some hours start, they left Oxuna in the darkness before anyone was astir. Having crossed some miles of plain,v they passed up through >__ive groves into hills where cork-tree's grew, and here stopped to eat and let the hordes feed. Just as they were starting on again, Peter, looking round, saw mounted men, a dozen or more of them of very wild aspect, cantering through the trees evidently with the object of cutting them off. „-,., " Thieves !" he said shortly. Ride far it." ' . . So they began gallop, and their horses, although .somewhat, jaded » being very swift, .passed in front of these men before they could regain the road. The band^ shouted^ them to surrender, and, as they did not (stop, _o_-e_. a few arrows" and pursued them, while they galloped down the hillside ou. to a plain which separated them from more hills also clothed with cork trees. This plain was about three miles wide, and boggy in places. Still they kept well ahead \of the brigands, as they took them %o be, hoping that they would give up the pursuit or lose sight of tijiem amongst thei trees. As they entered these, % however, to' their, dismay they saw, drawn .up— in front 'of- them and right across the road, another band of rough-looking man, perhaps twelve in all. "Trapi" said Peter. > . "We npst ride. through them — it is. ourj only chance," at the same time spurring his horse to the front and drawing his sword. . Choosing the spot where their line was weakest he dashed through it easily enough, but next second heard a cry from Margaret, and pulled his horse round to see tnat her mare had fallen, and that she and Castell were in the hands of the thieves. Indeed, already rough men had hold of her, and one of them was trying to tear ihe veil Jrom her face. With a shout of rage Peter charged at them, and struck so fierce a blow that his' sword out through the fellow's helmet into his skull, 60 that he fell down, dying or dead, Margaret's veil still in his hand. Then they rushed at him, five or six of them, and, although he wounded another m_n t dragged him from his horse, and. as he lay upon his back, sprang at nim to finish him before he could rise. .Already their knives and swords were over him, and he was making his farewells to life, when he heard I a voice command them to desist and bind his arms. This was quickly done, and he was suffered to rise from the ground to see before him, not Morella, as he half expected, but a man clad in fine armour beneath his rough cloak, evidently an officer of rank. " Wha;t kind of a Moor are you," he asked, "who dare to kill the soldiers of the Holy Hermandad in the heart of the king's country?" and he pointed to. the dead man. " I am not a Moor," answered Peter in' his rough Spanish. "I am a Christian escaped from Granada,' and I cut down that man because he was trying to in__lt my, bethrothed, as you would have done, Senor. I did not know that he was a 6oldier of the Hermandad ; I thought Mm a common thief of the hills." This speech, or as much, as he oould understand of -4t, seefned to please the officer, but beTosr-t he could answer Castell said: j " Sir officer, the senor is an Englishman, and does not speak your Janguage well '.' -' " He uses his sword well, anyhow," interrupted the captain,, glancing at the dead soldier's cloven helm and head. " Yes, sir, he is of yotrr trade, and, ,as the scar upon his face shows, has fought in many wars, f Sir, what he tells you is true. We are Christian captives escaped from Granada and flying to Seville with my daughter, to whom I pray you do no harm, to "ask fof the protection of their gracious Majesties, and to find a passage _____ to England. " You do not lCok like an Englishman," answered the captain; "you look like a Maftino." " Sir, I cannot help my lacks. I am a merchant of London,' Castell. by name. It is one well known in Seville and throughout this land, where I have large dealings, as, if I can but see him, your king himself will acknowledge. Be not deceived by our dress, j which we had to put on in order- to escape from Granada, but, I beseech you, let us go on to Seville." " Senor Qastell," answered the officer, "I am the Captain Arrano of Puebla, and, since you would not stop j when we called to you, and have killed '

one of my hest soldiers, to Seville you must certainly go, but with me, not by yourselves. You are my prisoners. But havo no fear; no violence shall be done to you or the lady, who must take your trials for your deeds before • the king's court, and there, tell your story, true or false." -._.'•■ So, having been disarmed of their swords, they were allowed to remount their horses and taken on towards Seville. as prisoners. " At least," said Margaret to Peter, "we have nothing more to fear from highwaymen, and have escaped these soldiers' swords unhurt." "Yes,"" answered Peter with a groan. " but I hoped that to-night we should have slept upon the Margaret while tehe slipped down the nver towards sea,, and not in a Spamseh gaoL -Vow, as fate will have it, for the second time I have killed a man on your behalf, and all the business will begin again. Truly, our luck is bad 1 "I think it might be worse, and I cannot blame you for that deed," answered Margaret, remembering the rough hands of the dead soldier, whom some, of his oonirades had stopped behind to bury- . ' , . During all the remainder of that long day they rode on through the burning heat, across the rich, cultivated' plain, towards the*-, great city .of Seville, whereof the Giralda, which once" had been the minaret of a Moorish mosque, towered hundreds of feet into the air before them. At length, toward-i evening, they entered the eastern suburbs of the vast city, and, passing through theiri and a great gate beyond, began to thread its tortuous streets. _ , 4 "Whither go w «. Captain Arrano? asked Castell presently. " To the prison of the Holy Hermandad,, to await your trial for the slaying 'of one of its soldiers," answered! the officer. "I pray that we may get there soon, then, said Peter, looking at Margaret, who, overcome with fatigue, swayed upon her saddle like a flower in the wind. "So do I," muttered Ca_tell, glancing round at the dark faces of the people, who, having discovered that they had killed a Spanish soldier, and taking them to be Moors, were marching alongside of them iri great numbers, staring sullenly, or cursing them for infidels. Indeed, once when they passed a square, a priest in the mob cried out, "Kill them!" whereon a ntnnber of rough fellows made a rush to pull them off horses, and wokowith difficulty beaten back by the soldiers. -. Foiled £n this attempt, they began to pelt them, with garbage, 60 that soon their white robes were stairied and filthy. One fellow, too, threw a stone which .struck Margaret on the wrist, causing her to cry out '■, and. drop her rein. Tbis was too much for Peter, wbci, spurring his horse alongside ol him, hit him such a buffet in the face that the man rolled upon the ground.jNow Castell thought that they would certainly be killed, but to his surprise the mob. only laughed, and shouted such things as "Well hit, Moor," "That infidel has a strong arm," and so forth. Nor was the officer angry, for, when the man rose, a knife in his hand, he drew his sword and struck him down again with the fiat of it, saying to Peter: " Do not sully your hand with such street swine, Senor." Then he turned and commanded his men to charge the crowd ahead of them". , So they got through these people, aud, after many twists and turns down, side streets to avoid the main avenues, came to a great and gloomy building and into;, a courtyard -_jrough barred gates that were opened at their approach and shut after them. Here tnjey were ordered to dismount and their horses led awafy while the officer, Arrano, entered into conversation with the governor of the prison, a man with a stern but not unkindly face, who surveyed them with much curiosity. Presently he approached and asked them if they .could pay for good rooms, as if not he must put them in the common cells, v • \ Castell answered "Yes." and, by way • of earnest of ify produced five pieces of gold, and, giving them to the Captain Arrano, begged him to distribute them among his soldiers as a thank-offering for their protection of them through the streets. Also, he said, loudly 'enough for everyone to hear, that he would be willing to compensate the relatives of the man whom Peter had killed by accident — an announcement that evidently impressed his comrades very favourably. Indeed, one of them said he would bear the message to his widow;, and, on behalf of the rest, thanked him for his gift. Then having bade farewell to the officer', who told them that they would . meet again before the judges, they were led through the various passages of the prison to two rooms, one small and one of a fair size, with heavily barred windows, given water to wash I in, and told that food would be brought to them. ' In due. course it came, carried by gaolers, meat, eggs and wine, and glad enough were they- to see it. . While they ate also the governor appeared with a notary, and, naving waited till their meal was finished, began to question them. "Our story is long,"^ said Castell. "but tfith your leave I will tell it you ; only, I pray you, suffer my daughter, the Dona Margaret, to go to rest, for she is quite outworn, and if you will you can question her to- I morrow." I The governor assenting, Margaret threw off -her veil to embrace her father thus showing Her beauty for the first time, whereat the governor and the notary stared amazed Then, having ; given Peter her hand to kiss, and curt- I seying to the governor and the notary .she went to her bed in. the next room, which opened out of that in which tliey j were. ~" I When she had gone, Castell told his story of how his daughter had been kidnapped by the Marquis of Morella, a name that caused the governor to open his eyes very wide, and brought from London to Granada, whither they, her father and her betrothedi had followed her, and escaped. But of Betty and all the business of the changed bride he said nothing. Also knowing that these must come \out in any case, he told them his name and business, and those of his partners and correspondents in Seville, .the firm cf Bernaldez, which was one that the gover_-_- knew well enough, and prayed that the head of that firm, the Senor Carlos Bernaldez, might be communicated with and allowed to visit them on the next morning. Lastly, he explained that they were no thieves or adventurers, but Englisih subjects in misfortune, and again hinted that they were both able and willing' to pay for any kindness or consideration that was shown to them, of all of which sayings the governor took note. Also he said that he would communicate with his superiors, and, if no objection was made, send 9. messenger, .to ask the Senor Bernaldez to attend at tihe ijrison on the .: following day. Then

at length he and the notary departed, and, the jailers having cleared away the food and locked the door, Casteli and Peter lay down on the beds that they bad made ready for them, thankful enough to find themselves at Seville, even though it were in a prison, where indeed they slept very well that night. On the following morning they woke much refreshed, and, after they had breakfasted, the governor appeared, and with him none other than the Senor Carlos Bernaldez, CastelFs secret correspondent and Spanish partner, whom he had last seen some years before in England, a stout man with a quiet, clever face, not over given to words. Greeting them with a deferende. that was not lost upon the governor,/ he asked whether' he had leave to speak with them alone. The governor assented and went, saying he would rectum witbin an hour. As soon as the door was closed behind him, Bornaldez said: " This is a strange place to meet you in, John Castell,- yet I y am not altogether surprised, since some of your messages reached m$ through our friends the Jews ; also, your ship, the Margaret, lies refitted in the river, and to avoid suspicion I have been lading her slowly with a cargo for England, though how you will come aboard that ship is more than 1 can say. But we have no time to waste. Tell m© all your story, keeping nothing back." So they told liim everything as quickly as they could, while he listened silently. When they had done, he said, addressing Peter: - " It is a thousand pities, young sir, that you could not keep your hands off that soldier, for now the trouble that was nearly done with has begun anew, and in a worse shape. The Marquis of Morella is a very powerful man in this kingdom, as you may know from the fact that he was sent to London by tbeir Majesties to negotiate a treaty, with your English King Henry as to the Jews and their treatment, should any of them escape thither after they have been expelled from Spain. For nothing less is in the wind, and I would have' you know that their Majesties hate the Jews, and especially ,the Maranos, whom already they burn by dozens here in Seville," and he glanced mean- • ingly at Castell. ■I am very sorry," said Peter, " but the fellow handled her and I was maddened at the sight and could not help myself. This is the second time that I have come into trouble from they same cause. Also. I thought that he was but # a bandit." " Love is a bad diplomatist." replied Bernaldez, with a little smile, " and who can count last year's clouds? What is don&, is done. Now I will try to arrange that the three of you shall be brought straight before their Majesties when they sit to hear. cases the day after to-morrow. With the Queen [ you will have a better chance than at 1 the hands of any alcade. She has a I heart, if only one can get at it — that is, except where Jews and Maranos are concerned," and again he glanced at Castell. • " Meanwhile, there is money in plenty, and in Spain we fid© to heaven on golden arjgels," h© added, alluding to that coin and the national corruption. Before they oould say more^he governor returned, saying that tho Senor Bernaldez' time was up, and asking if they had finished their talk. . " Not altogether," . said Margaret. " Noble Governor, is it permitted that the Senor Bernaldez should send me some Christian clothes to wear, % for I would not appear before your judges in this heathen garb, nor, I think, would my father or the Senor Brome? The governor laughed, and said he thought that might be arranged, .and even allowed them another five minutes, while they talked of what these clothes should be. Then he departed with ' Bernaldez, leaving them alone. It was not until he nad gone, however, that they remembered that they had forgotten to ask him whether he had heard anything of the woman Inez, who had been furnished with his address, but, as he had said nothing of her, they felt sure that she could not have arrived in Seville, and once more were much afraid of what might have happened after they had left Granada. That night,\to their grief and alarm, a new trouble fell on them. Just as they finished their supper the governor appeared and said that, by order of the Court before which they must be tried, the Senor Brome, who was accused of murder, must be separated from them. Soi in spite of all they could say or do, Peter was led away to a separate ceil, leaving Margaret keeping. CHAPTER XIX. BETTT PATS HER DEBTS. Betty Dene was not a woman afflicted with fears or Apprehensions. Born of good parents, but in poverty, for sis-and-twenty years she had fought her own way in a rough world and made • the best of circumstances. Healthy, full-blooded, tough, # affectionate, romantic, but honest m her way, she was well fitted to meet the ups and downs of life, to keep her head above the waters of a turbulent age, and to pay back as much as she received from man or woman. Yet these long hours which she passed alone in the high turret chamber, waiting till they summoned her to play the part of a false bride, were the worst that she had ever spent. She knew that her position was, in a 6ense, shameful, and like to end in tragedy, and, now that she faced it in cold blood, began to wonder why she had chosen co to do. She had fallen in love with this Spaniard almost at first sight, though it is true that this had happened to her before with other men. Then he had played his part with her, till, quite deceived, she gave all her heart to him in good earnest, believing in her infatuation that, notwithstanding the difference of their place and rank, he desired to make her his. wife for her own cake. Afterwards came that bitter day of disillusion, when she learned, as Inez , had said to Gastell, that she was but a stalking heifer used for the taking of the white swan, her cousin and mistress, that day when she had been beguiled by the letter which was still hid in her Varments, and for her pains heard herself called a fool to her face. ] In her heart <?he had sworn to be avenged upon Morella then, and now the hour had come in which to fulfil her oath a»d play him back trick for « cruel trick. Did she still We the man? She '. could not say. He was pleasing to her as he had always been, and when that i is so women forgive much. This was ■ certain, however: love was not her < guide to-night. Was it vengeance, . then, that led her on? Perhaps; at 1 least, she longed to be able to say to t him, '* See what craft lies hid even in the bosom of an outwitted fool." i Yet she would not have done it for i vengeance's' sake alone, or rather she i would have paid herself in some other fashion. No, her real reason was that i she must discharge . the debt due to ] Margaret and Eeter, and to Castell < w^o had sheltered' her for years. She 1 it was wio had brought them into all ] this woe/ and it seemed. but. just that 3

she should bring them put again, even at the cost of her own life and womanly dignity. Or, perchance, all three of tnese powers drove her on — love for the man (if it still lingered), the desire to be avenged upon him, and the desire to snatch his prey from out his maw. At least she had set the game, and she would play it out to its end, hewever awful that might be. The sun sank, the darkness closed about her, and she' wondered whether ever again she wouW see the dawn. Her brave heart quailed a little, and she gripped the dagger-hilt beneath her splendid, borrowed- robe, thinking To herself that', perhaps it might be wisest to drive it into her own breast, and not wait until a balked madman did that office for her. Yet not so, for it is always time to die when one must. A knock came at the door, and her courage, which had sunk so low, burned up again within her. Oh ! . She would teach this Sp_niard that the Englishwoman, whom he had made believe was his desired mistress, could be his master. At any rate, he should hear the truth before the end. She unlocked the door, and Inez entered bearing a lamp, by light of which she scanned her with her quiet eyes. - " The bridegroom waits,'/ she said slowly that Betty might understand, " and sends me tp lead you to him. Are you afraid?" "Not I," answered Betty. "But tell me, how. will the thing s be doneP" " He meets us in the ante-room to that hall which is used as a chapel, and there on behalf of the household I give you both the cups of 'wine. Be sure that you drink of that which I hold in my left hand, passing the cup up beneath your veil so as not to show your face, and speak no word, lest he-should recognise your voice. Then we shall go into the chapel, where the priest Henriques waits, aleo the household. Port- that hall is great, and the lamps are feeble, .so none will know you there. By this time also the drugged wine will have begun to work upon Morella's brain, wherefore, provided that you use a low voice, you may safely say, ' I, Betty, wed thee, Carlos,' not ' I, Margaret, wed thee.' Then, when it is over, he will lead you away to the chambers prepared for you : where, if there is an»y virtue in my wine, he will sleep sound to-night, that is, when the priest has given me the marriage-lines, whereof I will hand you one copy and keep the others. Afterwards " and she shrugged her shoulders. "What becomes of you?" asked Betty, when she had fully masteredthese instructions. "Oh I land the priest start to-night for a ride together to Seville, where his money awaits him; ill company for & woman who means henceforth to be honest and rich, but better than none. /Perhaps we shall meet again there, or perhaps we shall not; at least, you know where to seek me and the others, at the house of the Senor Bernaldez. Now it is time. Are you ready to be made a marchioness of Spain?" j " Of course," answered Betty coolly, | and they started. \ Through the empty halls arid corridors they went, and oh! surely no I Eastern plot that had been conceived in them .was quite so bold and desperate as thefrs. They reached the ante-ch»m_er--o the chapel) and took their stand outside of the circle of light that fell from its hanging lamps, Presently a door opened, and. through it came Morella, attended by two of his secretaries. He was splendidly arrayed in his usual garb of black velvet, and about his neck hung chains- of gold 1 and jewels, and to his breast were fas- j tened the glittering stars 'and orders j pertaining to his rank. Never, or so thought Betty, had Morella seemed more magnificent and handsome. He was happy alsoj who was about to drink of that cup of joy which he so earnestly desired. Yes, his face showed that he was happy, and Betty, noting it, felt remorse stirring in her breast. Low he bowed before her, while she curtseyed to him, bending her tall and graceful form till her knee almost touched the ground. Then he came to her and whispered in her ear : " Most sweet, most beloved, he said, "I thank heaven that has brought me to this joyous hour by many a rough and dangerous path. Most dear, again I beseech you to forgive all the sorrow and the ill that I have brought upon you, remembering that it was done for your adored sake, that I love you as woman has been seldom loyed, and you only, and that to you, and you only, will I cling until my death's day. Oh! do not tremble and shrink, for I swear that no woman in Spain shall have a better or a more loyal lord. You I will cherish alone, fox you I will strive by night and day to lift you to great honour and satisfy your every wish. Many- and pleasant may the years be that we shall spend side by aide, and peaceful our ends when at last we lay us down side by side to sleep awhile and wake again in heaven, whereof the shadow lies on me to-night. Remembering the past, Ido not ask much of you — as yet; still, if you are minded to give me a bridal gift that I shall prize above crowns or empires, say that you forgive me all that I have done amiss, and in token, lift that veil of yours and kiss me on the lips-" . , Betty heard this speech, whereof she only fully understood the end, and trembled. This was a trial she had not foreseen. Yet it must be faced, for speak she dared not. Therefore, gathering up her courage, arid remembering that the light was at her back, after a little pause, as though of modesty and reluctance, she lifted the pearl-embroi-dered veil, and, bending forward beneath its- shadow, suffered Morella to kiss her on the lips. It was over, and the veil liad fallen again, and the man suspected nothing. "I am a good artist/ thought Inez to herself, "and that woman acts better than the wooden Peter. Scarcely could I have done it so well myself." Then, the jealousy and hate that she could not control glittering, in her soft eyes, . for she too had loved this man, and well Inez took np the golden cupthat had" been prepared, and, gliding forward, beautiful in her broidered Eastern robe, fell upon her knee arid held them to the bridegroom and the bride. Morella took that from her right hand, and Betty that from her left, nor, intoxicated as he was already with that first kiss of love, did he pause to -note .the evil purpose which was' written on the face of his discarded slave. Betty, passing the cup beneath her veil, touched it with hor lips and returned it to Inez ; but Morella, exclaiming, " I drink to you, sweet bride, most fair and adored of women," drained his to the dTegs, and cast it back to Inez as a gift in such fashion that the red wine which clung to its rim stained her white robes hke a splash of blood. . _. , ..,, , Humbly she bowed, humbly she lifted the precious vessel from the floor; but when she rose again tnere was triumph iv her eyes — not hate. . Now Morella took his bride's hand, and, followed by his gentlemen and Inez, walked to the curtains that were drawn as they came into the- great hall beyond, where had gathered all his household, perhaps a hundred" of them. Between their bowing ranks they>

passed, a stately pairj and, whilst sweet voices sang behind some hidden screen, walked onward to # the altar, where stood the waiting priest./ They kneeled down upon the gold-embroider-ed cushions while the office of the Church was read over them. The ring was set upon Betty's hand — scarce,- it would seem, could he find her finger — the man too_ the woman to wife, tho woman took the man for husband. His voice was thick, and hers was very low; of all that listening crowd none could hear the names they spoke. It was over. The priest bowed and blessed them.- They signed some papers, there by the light of the altar candles. Father Henriques filled in certain names and signed them also, then, casting sand upon them, placed them in the outstretched hand of Inez, who, although Morella never _ seemed to notice, gave one to the bride, and thrust the other two into' the' bosom of her robe. Then both she and the priest kissed the hands of the marquis and his wife, and asked his leave to be gone. He bowed his head vaguely, and — if any had been there to listen — within ten short minutes they might have heard 'two horses galloping hard towards the Seville gate. Now, escorted by pages and 'tiorchbe&xers, the new-wed pair repassed those dim and stately halls, the bride, veiled, mysterious, fateful ; the bridegroom, empty-eyed, like one who wanders in his sleep. Thus they reached their chamber, and its carved doors . shut. behind them. Ifc was mo__ing when the servingwomen who waited without 'th^t room were summoned to it by" the sound of a silver gong. Two of them entered and were met by Betty, no longer veil-, ed, but . wrapt in a loose robe, who said to them: ' \; "My lord the marquis still sleeps. Come, help me dress and make ready his bath and food." The women -tared at her, for now that, she had washed the paint from her face they knew well that this was the S-'enora Betty and riot the Dona Margaret, whom, they had understood, the marquis was to marry. But she chid them sharply in her bad Spanish, bidding them be swift, as she would be robed before her lord the marquis should awake. So they obeyed her. and when she was ready she went with them into the great hall where many of the household Were gathered, waiting to do homage to the new-wed pair, and greeted them all blushing and smiling, saying that doubtless trie marquis would be among them soon, and commanding them meanwhile to go about their, several tasks. So well did Betty play her part indeed that, \although they also were bewildered, none questioned her place or authority, who remembered that after all they had not been told by their lord himself which of these two English ladies he meant to marry. Also, she distributed among the meaner of them a present of money on her husband's behalf and her own, and then ate food and drank _ome v wine before them all, pledging them, andreceiving their salutations and good wishes ; When all this was done, still smiling, Betty returned to the marriage chamber, closing its door behind ncr, sat her down on a chair near the bed, and waited for the worst struggle of all — that struggle on which hung her life. See ! Morella stirred. He sat up; gazing about. him. and rubbing his brow. Presently his eyes lit upon Betty, seated: stern and upright in her high chair. She rose arid,, coming to h>m, kissed him and called him " Husband," and, still half-asleep, he kissed her back. Then she sat down again in her chair and' watched his face. It changed, and changed again. Wonder fear, amazement, bewilderment, flitted over it, till at last-he said in English: "Betty," where is my wife?" " Here," answered Betty. , He stared at her. "Nay, I mean the N Dona Margaret, your cousin and my lady, whom I, wed last night. And how came you here? I thought that you had left Granada." Betty looked astonished. " I 4° not understand you," she answered*. "It was my cousin Margaret who left Granada. I stayed here to be married to you, as you arranged, with me through Inez." His jaw dropped. "Arranged with you through Inez! Mother of Heaven I _ what do you mean?" / "Mean?" she answered— " l mean what I say. Surely " — and she rose in indignation — "you have never dared to try to play some new trick upon me?" "Trick!" muttered Morella. "What says the woman? Is all this a dream, or am I mad?" " A dream, I think. Yes, it must be a dream, since certainly it was? to no madman that I was wed last night. Look," and she held before him that writing of marriage signed by the priest, by him, and by herself which stated that Carlos. Marquis of Morella, was on such a date, at Granada, duly married to the Senora Elizabeth Dene, of London in England. • He read it twice, then sank back gasping; while Betty hid away the | parchment in her bosom. Then presently he seemed to go mad indeed. He raved, he cursed, he ground his teeth, he looked round for a sword to kill her or himself, but could find none. And all the while Betty sat 'still and gazed at him like some living fate. At length he was weary, and her turn came. _ " Listen," she said. "Yonder m London you promised to marry __&,; I have it hidden away, and in your own writing. By agreement I fled with you to Spain? By the mouth of your messenger and former love this marriage was arranged between U6, I receiving your messages to me, and sending back mine to you, since you explained that for reasons of your, own you did not wish to speak of these mat- ■ ters before my cousin Margaret, and could not wed me until she and her father and her lover were gone from ' Granada. So I bade them farewell, * and stay/ed here alone for love of you, and last night we were united, as all _ your household know, for but now I ] have eaten with them and received i their good wishes. And now you dare 1 —you dare to tell me, that I, your < w ife — J who have sacrificed everything \ for you I, the Marchioness Of Morella, , am not' your wife. Well, go> say it - outside this chamber, and hear your ] very slaves cry ' Shame ' upon you. Go, say'ittoyour king and yoor bishops, > ( aye and to his Holiness the * Pope himself, and listen to their answer. Why, great as you are, and rich as you are, they will hale you to a > madhouse or a prison." 1 Morella listened, rocking himself to * and fro upon the bed, then with an | oath . sprang towards her, to be met i by a dagger-point, glinting in his eyes, j " Hear me again," . she said as he 1 shrank back from that cold steel. ' " I 1 am no slave and no weakling ; you shall , not murder me or thrust me away. I am your wife and your equal, aye, and , stronger than you in body and mind, and I will have my rights in the face of 3 God and man." < " Certainly," he, said with a kind of ' unwilling admiration — "certainly you are no weakling. Certainly, also, you , -■ ' ' ' * i

have paid baok all yon owe me with a Jew's interest. Or. mayhap, you are not so clever as I think, but just a strong-minded fool, and it is that accursed Inez who has settled her debts. Oh! to think of it," and he shook his fist in the air, "to think that I be* lieved myself married to the Dona Margaret and find you in her place*— you!" "Be silent," she said, "you man without shame, who first fly at the throat of your new-wedded wife and then insult her by saying that you wish you were -married to another woman. Be silent, or I will unlock the door and call your own people and repeat your monstrous talk to then-." And she drew herself to her full height and stood over him on the bed. Morella, his first rage spent, looked, at her reflectively, and not . without a certain measure or homage. " I think," he remarked. " that if he did noi happen to be in? love with another woman and to' believe that he had married her, you, my good Betty, would make a useful wife to any man' who wished to get on in the world. ,1 understood you to say that the door is locked, and if I might hazard a guess, you have the key, as- _Jso( you happen to have a dagger. r Well, I find the air in this place close, and I want to go out." 7 Where to? } ' asked Betty. ■/. " Let us say, to join Inez." " What," she asked, " would you already lie running after that woman again? Do you already forget that you are married?" " ft seems that I .am not to be allowed to forget it. Now, let us bargain. I wish to leave Granada for a' while, and without scandal. What are your terms Renieriiber that there are two to which I will not' consent. I. -will not stop here with you, and you shall 'not accompany me. Remember also that, although you hold the dagger at present, it is not wise of you to try to push this jest too far." "» " As you did when you decoyed me on board the San Antonio,"-, said Betty. " Well, our honeymoon has not begun too sweetly, and I do not mind if you go away for a while — to look for Inez. Swear now that you mean me no harm, and that you will not ! plot my death or disgrace, or in any way interfere with my liberty or position here in Granada. Swear it on the Rood." And she took down a silver crucifix that hung upon the wall over the bed and handed' it to him. For she. knew Morella's superstitions, and that if o_|ce he.swore upon this symbol he dare not break . his oath.. , " And if I 'will not swear?" he asked sullenly.. " Then," she answered, " you stop •here until you do, you who are anxious tb be gone. I have eaten food this morning, you have not; I have a dagger, you have none: and, being- feus, we are, lam 6ure that no one will venture to disturb, us until Inez and your friend the priest have gone further than you can follow." "Very well, I will swepr." he said, and he kissed- the crucifix and threw it down. ''You can step her© and rule my house in Granada, ar' T will do you no mischief, nor trouble you in any way. But if you come out of Granada then we cross* swords." . " You mean tha. ; m interid to leave this city? Then, here is paper, and ink. Be W good- as to sign an .order to the stewa-ds- of your estates, within the territories o' the Moorish king,_ to pay all their revenue to me during your absence, and .to your servants to obey me ih everything." "It is. easy to see - that you were brought up in the house of; & _ew merchant," said Morella, biting .his pen and considering this woman, who, whether she were hawk or pigeon, knew so well how "to feather her nest.. "Well,, if I grant ypu this position and these revenues, will you leave me alone and cease fa press other claims upon me? ,Now, Betty, bethinking her of those papers that Inez had carried, away with her, and that Castell t and; Margaret would know twell horc; to use them if they were needed, bethinking her also that if she pushed him too far at the beginning she ri-ight die_ suddenly, as folks sometimes did in Granada, answered : — " It is much, to ask of a deluded woman, but I still have some pride," and will not thrust myself in where it seems lam not wanted. Therefore, so be it. Till you seek me or send for me, I will not .seek you so long as you keep your bargain.. Now, write the paper, sign it, and call in your secretaries to witness the signature. "In whose favour must I word ltr he asked. , '_, _ "In that of the . Marqnessa' ot Morella," she answered, and he, seeing a loophole in the words, obeyed her, since if she were not his wife this writing would have no value. Somehow he must be' rid of this woman. Of course, he might cause her to be killed; but even in Granada Eeople could not kill one to whbm they ad seemed to be just married without .questions beingv asked. Moreover, Betty had friends, and he had enemies who would certainly ask them if she vanished away. No, he would sign the paper and fight the case afterwards, for hejbad no time to lose. Margaret had slipped away from him, and if once she escaped from Spain he knew that he would never see her more. {For aught he knew, she might already havo escaped or been married to Peter liTome. The very thought of it filled him with madness. There had been a conspiracy against him; he was outwitted, robbed, befooled. Well, hope still remained — and vengeance. He could hand over ' Castell, the Jew, to the Inquisition. He could find a way to deal" with the priest Henriques and the woman Inez, and perhaps, if fortune favoured him, he could get Margaret 'back into his power. Oh, yes, he would sign anything;, If only thereby he was set at liberty and freed for a while from this servant who called herself, his wife, this strongminded, strong-bodied, clever English-, woman, of whom he had thought 1 to make a toolj and who| had made a tool' of him. So Betty dictated and he wrote: yes, i. "had come to this — she dictated and he wrote, and signed too. The border was comprehensive. It gave power to bhe most honourable Marquessa of Mor-a-la to act for him, her husband, in all bhings during his absence from Granada. It commanded that all rents and profits due to him should be paid to ber, and that all Ins servants, and dependants should obey her as though she were himself, and that hey. receipt should be as good &s his receipt. When' the paper was written, and Betty had spelt it over carefully to see titat there was no omission or mistake, she unlocked the door, struck upon the gong, and summoned the secretaries to witi-ees their lord's signature to a settlement. Presently - they came, bowing, and offering many felicitations, tvhich to himself Morella vowed he would remember against them. " I have to go a journey," he said. "Witness my signature to this document, which provides for the carrying ?n of my household and the disposal of my property during my absence.'' j They stared and bowed. "Read it aloud first," said Betty,

"so that my lord and husband ip^hi. sure that there is no mistake." One of them obeyed, but beforeWeaf he had finished the furious Mo__H«shouted to them frorii the bed: - • r "Have done and witness, then gow order me horses and an escort! for '$■ ride at once." v ?.' So they witnessed i__ a harry, and leff the room. , ; - Betty left with them, holding tM paper ih .her hand, and when she! reached the laTge hall where the house* hold were gathered waiting to greet their lord, she comn__a_ded one ofs-.th* secretaries to read it out to all of them* . also to translate it into the Mo_*&*_r tongue that everyone, might under* stMid. Then.sh© hid it away with taw, marriage line,.,' and, seating herself hi ihe midst of the househild, __d_areq' them to prepare to receive th* mosti noble riiarquis. ' ' j They had not long to wait, for presently he came out of the room liket a bull into' the aTena, whereon Bettjr rose arid curtseyed to him and at.- he* . word all his servants _k>we_ themselves! down in the Eastern fashion. For '# moment he paused, again like the bull when he sees the picadors and is aboutf to charge. Then he thought . better of it, and, with a muttered cuxbo, strode: past them. Ten minutes later, for the th___. time) within twenty-four hours, horses gafc» loped from the castle and -through. t_Mf Seville gate. ' i. "Friends," said Betty in. her .awkward Spanish, when she knew thii he> had gone, "a sad thing has happened! ■ to my husband, marquis. !T_U» woman .Inez, whom it seems he trusted; very much, has departed, stealing » treasure -Eat he valued above every* thing on earth, and so I. his new-made wife, am left desolate while he -trice tot find her." - ? v (To be continued.) . / y ___________________ ■■•