THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10926, 15 November 1913, Page 12

THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.

. , <' (Bv ARTHUR • W. MARCHMONT.)

* • 4rtiiot at 'When I was Csar,"'«"Th» Queen's Advuuata." *tt>-«t& : ' . ' (All. Rsoirrt Rt-sxsvsa.j

/ CHAPTER. XXV. : -^ .' *** . JEALOUSY. ..' r Luokily ] did not loso my presence of . mind when I was seized by Von r>. rgBloin's friends, and as I »oi alone and <'■ unarmed, while there soetni-d to In- '•>■•; cr threo of thorn, I thought it host to let them believe that tl o n.ow bad knocked the senses out of mo. ,1 groaned once or nwee as they dragged mo through tho tree* ' '] , - when the hold on my arms relaxed I ' slipped to thu groui-d ..." • a.* death. In my fall the cloth over ! N my .head was displaced sudi-ioiul,\ -o enable mo to see that there were three i men and that one of them Has threat- * " Cuing sie with a bared dagger "* Ho was a biggish lout of a brute, ;, ' and I was mortally afraid that he would' plungo the knifo into my heart and-make-an-end of the thii« before ] ' I should have a chance to resist. He "wont so-far indeed os to mise ihweapon for the blow, but one of tho , , others caught his hand. .'-'*-'"Don't be n fool, Nischka. lies -"• < helpless. .You, know tho agreement.' •-The man-swore, but gave way and: *" lowered'fiis knifes. ■ - • - , ' '" ' "•'" Give'nio tha'ropo, he said. "I'left it'somewhere,;' said one, of ■- tho others.: He had a thick stick and was-evidently tho/man who had strucit,. ' , me, and lio laid this down almost with-. '.-*•-. in my reach-while he turned to look 'i : for the rope. 's "■.' / I saw my chanpo then. .If 1 was to ■ ~ escnpe;-serious'trouble, I must act be-, ■K fc-ro they could tie me up- I groaned. '-- J-; aj&lir- and- rolled- ■ slightly .<*>. that 1 ■i A c«aM-;reach -the, stick.' This brought, *' \ tho' fellb>v.s -with j the o km fo s ,. ft iscn ».a,; "!■ - '-back to jW side.- iand as he was bond-: .:'/.' liig ovffl-rce: again I gripped his ankle. V"' and wrenched it from under him with si*-* force enough to throw him on his back. fe"V Ili another instant I was on my ieet if : " ' and had -possession of tho stick, and as P/'Kischlrvwas 'scrambling up I brought $;?;*";&•''down onobis' head and put him out !U"C -, 'Sis" v-f two; companions drew tbPir Ui-s knives-.and came .at. me j but at Ciuse *?■' quarters- a Jong' stick As a better fricud v tlian'a'.short knife. A blow from niy " • kick disabled' the fellow Pearest to me. -(,-' -sfldd I struck hard enough to break his . "arm. It knocked all the ficlit out of ■' - - Muiri cursing and grojra- '"' bg as~he nursed tho injured hmb. ihe • , third man had little stomach to continiio the ,trouble alone, and after a I-"' single futile thrust at mo. ho turned f • and -scampered off through the trees. ''•' x . '.I had had a-narrow escape and had :,' wary' reason to congratulate myself. -'' ' v riie "sentence I had overheard about '<"■ . the "agreement" was enough to tall I ' me that the attempt had been careV ,', fully .'planned and that the object had -".'■/• been to get me away from The Chase. ,'-'• t-set it ..down at once as von Borg- :-,' • stain's doihjj' and resolved to get some the'proofs from my prisonor. '.-,. '?■ of the truculent order of. "' ' bullies;' and in all probability thcre- *'' - foreman .arrant coward, so I planned £v. »• little melodramatic scene for tho purterrifying him sufficiently to »'' '"*''focfeen his' tongue. Having made sure ...V;that' he:had no other weapon on him, V»»" I'half-dragged, half-carried him to the «'';'; "■ house,f, squeezed some blood out of the he"had Ttrickcd my arm, < T'*>' made"':/ brave show of it so that he ''.; ~*VCbar,ed''S}s chest and ran the point of 'when'he came to, he found standing over, him with the blood-ir.OV'Bl&ir-cd dagger -held ready to strike, cH-V and .looking as much like a murderer J*?» ns'*l'*could. -The little scene had all " e \"<' the" dramatic' effect '*l desired. Ho - v '%'"'tii6nght that I had already stabbed "-"".> him", and began to howl for mercy till , x,'.- I clapped my hand on his mouth and y 7 swore hy all the gods of mythology to \'>rl'kill him if he uttered another sound : V;R 'ori'i'a' single word except in answer to i r "'my ; questions. - ,V .."."He"was in a pitiable fright, and I f;'*° ;...letca'moment or two pass in grinf sir'*- '-lence-till he was thoroughly saturated "i- -,Vith the conviction that'his life hung j ;'on the. thinnest thread.' Then I gave' 1-2 i b'im the chance to save it by telling '[' me everything about the attempt on '' i me. j . .'.\-. .To jmy 'surprise the man who had ~' /' instigated' it was .not von Bergstein but Count Lugo.- Ho. .had the „'*' former's dismissal to stir up animos- .£> ity against me, giving a lurid account consequoncee to them if I re- * :05raained at The Chase; ho had promised ,'''.'-ft^big^reward'if they got mo out of ;)•' ;the'-.w.ay; and had ag.rced to entice i'V ,".*m ; e - into the grounds, so that the ati' i.iJta'ck--' might. bo! made. Nischka stuck , - *tx- the .story, although I questioned "-' and when it..came out J- , «that-\the attempt was not to have \\",-'-been'-made-until later, I resolved to *i* 'put .it to-the test. ~;"'' vl sent for, Valtoun to keep watch over., the man,- and then went off to »' . /'put-imyself .in Lugo's way. I strolled 7Cv". n P ia*d f> down-tho .drive close to the £(&fsf/ont door smoking, and, sure enough, Jjirtit'after, a little -while the Count joined ;X ,was a treacherous litlp'jbeast began -by apologising for his manrner'"to me before, declaring that he H*.is*-was exceedingly pleased to hear that "IS %,I'. was- going to remain at The Chase, *& ;-";-tiat" ho hoped .1 should bear him no £"'£iill-will, anef'a great deal more to "the 3 rV-.»Kime effect. -". ■& *'*/& AVhile we talked he edged farther -"" <and. farther from the house until we • were'close to the spot of my adven- '. / : ture. -"He began to get nervous then; J - ? ahooting .quick glances through the --' % trees and'leading mo farther and far--1 --tber Into them, and raising his voice . , the while. --' If was plain enough that Nischka •' had told the truth, and when I was - "Batisfied of this I returned to the 1 , .'honse.-

" Bv tno way, Count, there is somathi)iii:"in this room that wid interest vou. 1 unearthed it, this evening; unu 1 coufrontud him with my prisonor. "N'ischka didn't quite understand your instructions, 1 think; would you j mind ropoatiug them in ..iy presence ? ' tio was in speechless amazement and btarod at Nischka as if the follow hud ri .en from the gravo. 1 eujoved his einbarracsmeut immensely, tie d'id not know what 1 nad boon told lior what lie had to deny, and presently began to stammer out something about not understanding what 1 meant. I took very much the same line with him as with hi> confederate—that if he choso to admit the truth nothing more •would bo said or doiu ; but that .f he refu ed, both Prince o>sca and Evala should hear tho .story as .told to me and that I would say how ho had led mo to the very spot a fc-A minutes before. Ho-chose the easier course of admitting his share in tho matter, but swore roundly that in.--had stipulated that;no harm should bo done to mo, /as if that was a :-ort of justification; but when I told him to go, he slunk out of the room like a whipped cur. ,",Are you hurt, Ian?" asked Valtoun. when we had got rid of Nischka. - " No, fortunately. A whack on tho shoulder; but I'm.tough enough to stand that without much- trouble." "What will you do about it? I mean with that littlo skunk?"

. "Nothing. What can T do? He's a little beast, but we know that be4tKK>.. I shall be on my guard, of cciurse, for the future: so that it'a lucky it's happened.'' "He's a mongrel: but I didn't think he wa-: as bad as this."

''lt must bo hushed up.' man, like many other _thing3 in this queer business. He will hat© me a point or two more, but that won't worry me." Tho only thiug to do was .to - hush it up, for livala's; sake, and to take measures to prevent any further attempts of tho sort. It would' do no good to toll nor that the man she was going to marry was next door to a mmcierer. It would uot stop her from sacrificing herself by marrying him; and, as sho despised, and distrusted him already as much as I myself did. it would not affect her opinion of him. , , But it "was not to be hushed up so eaaiiy as 1 had anticipated. A pair of very sharp eyes had seen me carrying Nischka into the house, and 3harp wits were soon at work worming the whole* story out of Valtoun. I ,was .installedin von Bergstein's rooms, and was hard' at work a uuy or two later'looking into many matters, when Muriel came in with a parcel. '

. "I hope I'm not troubling you, Sir lan, but as this is yours, I thought you would like to'have it," she said, laying it on the table.

" I don't think it can be mine," I replied without a thought of hen meaning, as I glanced at tho parcel. n You can scarcely tell without opening ,it, can you? And I want to know Wiother it is yours or Count Lugo's. You*-know, it is part of my work here to .tidy things up " • I unwrapped the parcel quickly and then turned to meet her very meaning look. •The parcel containing the stick and dagger which I had taken from Nischka and his companions. " Are thoy yours, or shall I take them They were in the little room close to tho. front door. . I know that you two and Lord Valtoun were in there a long time the" evening before I found them. They're not his, I know, because I asked him." i ; : 'l'could-not help smiling. •" I'M take cafe of them," I said. ;

"Is that all you have to say about it, Sir Ian?" "Yes,-that's all." " You know what I mean quite well. Will you tell Evala or shall IP"

" Neither you nor I, if you please, Miss Maltravers."

"But 1 don't please. Evala must be told/' ; ' ,

!' What did Valtoun tell you ?.'.' ■-.?. ~ She smiled.'" I promised not to repeat it." •.'•'.■ :■■!? - ::'■. ' "Then, how can you tell Evala?"-

"I can only tell her fffl at I knew, before. I saw' you dragging a man who was badly hurt into the house; you took him into that little room, where 1 found those things afterwards. The man was Nischka; and she knows enough 'about him to be more alarmed by half the tale than by the full story told as you would probably tell it."

" But if I ask you as a personal favour to me not to say anything about it?" ~ ,; • "I shouldn't'consent; so you need not ask. Evala must know what a treacherous little snake it is she is. determined to marry " "As you will understand, I have been tremendously bothered as to whether she should he told and have, .come-to a clear decision that it is best not. I ask you as a favour to keep the matter secret." Sue shook her head vigorously. " Evala must be told," she repeated. "Very well,'then, I'll tell her myself." ...

"And you give me your word that you ""will tell her the part which the detestable little Count placed in it?" "I will tell the, story in my own way." , "I must have your word," she persisted. "How can I do that?" I exclaimed irritably. "You know ' how matters stand; how, then, can I blacken the man she.is to marry? You are unreasonable." .- " Your natural conclusion because I don't agree with. you. But I'm quite ready to tell her and 1 don't in the least mind blackening, him, as you call it But I must have your word."

" Don't you think my difficulties hero are enough without your increasing them?" I exclaimed impatiently. " You have so many that one more won't much matter.. But there, I won't press you to give your word," sho said as she opened the door. " You see it really doesn't matter. I shall question Evala after you've seen her, and if I find you haven't roally told her everything, I shall tell her enough to set her questioning you again. Goodbye, bear with a sore head " ; and with another laugh more boisterous than the others, she shut tho door and ran off, leaving me exceedingly ill at east at tho task she had forced unon me.

The relations between Evala and myself were already embarrassing enough. When we were together, as we had to be constantly, not a word passed between us which did not relate strictly to the particular matter we had Ko discuss; but there were a thousand impalpable trifles, chance references, glances, expressions which served to fn.laif" the mutual assumption of impassivity and personal indifforonco. Count Lugo had loft The Chase the day after the affair, and bis name had not beon mentioned between us; and that I should now have to speak of him in such a connection waa infinitely distasteful. Yet there was no escapo. I put it off for a couple of days, and got a hint that Muriel meant to keep her word. . Some letters arrived from the Continent in reply to thosewe had sent and references were made in them to Lugo. After the business in r°gavd to them was finished I rose to leave when Evala detained me. , "Have you not something to tell me?" she asked. "I think we '"■w beon through everything."

" 1 moan about Count Lugo; why has he goi-o art ay ? iJiuriol said you had." She saw my hesitation aud misunderstood it. "1 did not know that it \v<'u a eouiidoiuul matter, indeed, she s :ud sno would tell mo herself if yod .aeienvd." "it is uot a confidential matter; merely an unpleasant one. Sao found it out, and wo ailfered as to whether you should bo toid. faiio made far too mueu oi it."

im*, .iita a .itupid reply, for it merely served to laciva.A) Iwi ueairo to iuioiv. " ahuil i ask her?"

" Ao, i iiud better tell you my.-,oif. an uo evening ot the day i came there iviw> a iitilo trouble with a man named i\i.<OiUta aad » couple ot Ins couipanious. Tii'ey credited mo with having caused them to bo sent away, and one ox uiein tried to assault mo in the groiuuid; dul, nothing came oi it." " lou wore hurtP" she asked quickly. " Oh, d. : ar, no. It was oiuy natural thoy snouid bo a bit angry."

"is tii.Lt. all-" sko asiied with a seareliiug glance.

"I Aisehka and hauled him into the iiyjse, aud Mi,->s Alaitravers saw mu and aitenvards found a sties which had been used."

" How does that concern Count Lugo?"

" Well, Nischka was a bit frightened, and when 1 questioned him he said .'..oiuciiiiHg about the Ceunt liuvmg known about, the thing; but '' and 1 gestured as if it were of no importance

She looked very grave, and did not reply for n moment. " Don't yo l thirk you had better tell me everything quite frankly?" she asked then. "You must jee its importance as affecting Count Lugo, if that is really the reason why ho left The Chase."

" I should not make too much of it. if I were you, Countess, it was an absolute fiasco ; and of course Valtoun and I have taken st«jj;s to prevent iny trouble of this rort for th e future." " Is that how you would judge other matters affecting me. Sir Ian?" "I don't think "I understand that question,"

"You have told me that you were i attacked by three men in the very grounds of this house; that Count Lugo . was a party to that attack; and that ho has run away because his part in it was Yot, because it was a fiasco, as you-term it, you advise mo to think no moro about it, and to look on |itas a matter of no importance. Am : I to bo indifferent to your danger?" "I am in no danger at all, Countess," I replied, after a pause. " Had any other man than yourself \ been the object of this attack, would | you take the same line, keeping the facts from me and making light of it all? If so, do you think your advice would be soundF" j " I would rather that the affair I should be dismissed and forgotten." She shook her head. "If this had j ended differently, if it had'been other j than a fiasco, what would have been Count Lugo's share of. responsibility? Do yon mean that ho actually instigated it?" I hesitated. " You must answer me, Sir lan, if you please," she ; insisted..

"I had his positive assurance that no sort of harm was intended. And now 1-cannot say any more. The unfortunot antagonism between the' Count and myself must not be allowed to bo a cause of difference between you. It is merely personal to ourselves. I bog you to excuse me now "; and I turned to leave. "Ianl" she cried.

I caught my breath at the altered note in her voice and the involuntary use of my name. I thought it best not to heed it, however, and hurried away. The incident had a very disturbing influence upon me. It served to strengthen the conviction which had been forcing itself upon me for some days^—that I had undertaken a task which it was impossible for me to continue. Any moment might see the breaking point of the artificial neutrality between . ue; and I could not trust myself to maintain it. Thore was a constant danger of that in the daily intimacy of such confidential relations as ours; so 1 decided to avoid beiug alone with her; to arrange with Valtoun to be present at our " official " conferences, and for the rest of the time to keep away from her. This was easier when Count Lugo returned a day or two later; but the result was only to increase my discontent. I found .myself subject to occasional moods of overpowering jealousy, and these became intolearble when, as the result of letters from abroad, the date of Evala's betrothal to the Count was provisionally fixed. I told myself over and over agaii that it was that very result for which I had been striving; that I .had volimtarilv taken the task on'my shoulders'with a. full knowledge that it was to come; and that it was unreasonable, cowardly and selfishto allow my own desires to thrust themselves in the way. But it was'useless. I could fight against it, but could not fight it down. Every hour that he spent with her while I was brooding alone was au hour of purgatory. Strive as I would, I could not conquer the burning desire to find tho means of stopping the marriage and although I tried to nalliato the egregious selfishness of the" thought by the pretence that my motive was tho wish to save Evala from such a sacrifico. I knew in my heart that that was the_merest lie to excuse my egoistic yearning. I was in one of these moods when a communication reached me from Dra-g-'i which seemed to offer me the very opportunity I sought. Ho had waited* about to meet Branch and had diven him a letter to put into my hando privately. " I shall be at your flat to-morrow morning, and I urge you to see me. I can give you information which it is espontial, in the interests of Countess Evala, you should know at once. Rome one at The Chase is going to betray her; and if you will meet me to-morrow I will put the absolute proofs into your haT>ds. He has also plans apainst yon. You will not need to be told his name." J did not. There was only one man at The Chase who was-I'kely to sell the pass: Count Lugo; and I looked forward to the chance of unmasking him wiMi a positive glow of unholy delight. (To be continued.)