he muttered hoarsely � let her rest in peace slowly the king raised his face it was grey and stricken old the dark clear grey eyes were sunken and dim � the light of hope ambition love and endeavour was in them for ever was she unhappy that she killed herself he asked in a hushed voice drew back shuddering those sad eyes of his sovereign seemed to pierce his soul he � the murderer of � could not face them a vague whirl of thoughts tormented his brain � he had heard it said that a murdered person s corpse would in the presence of the murderer � would the dead body of now he wondered if he waited long enough if so � the king would know he started as once more the sad questioning voice broke on his ears was she unhappy think you you knew her better than i and with dry lips forced an answer nay it is possible your majesty knew her best again the sunken melancholy eyes searched his face she was endowed with genius � rich in every good gift of womanhood i would have given my life for hers � my kingdom to spare her a moment s sorrow went on the king but she would have nothing from me � nothing nothing � not even love said that she had whether she would or no � replied the king slowly � that she will have till time itself shall end was silent a passion of mingled fury and re sailing to the infinite consumed him � his heart was beating rapidly � there were great in his brain like heavy hammer strokes � he was afraid of himself lest on a savage impulse he should leap like a beast of prey on this grave composed figure � this king � who was his acknowledged ruler � and kill him even as he had killed and then � he thought of the people � the people by whose great force and strong justice he had sworn to abide � the people who had worshipped and applauded him � the people who if they ever knew the truth of him and his crime would snatch him up and tear his body to as surely as he stood with murder in god s sight this day with a powerful effort he rallied his forces and drawing from his breast the small folded paper which had been found on the body of and which was inscribed with the words my last wish he held it out to the king then your majesty will perhaps grant her the burial she here demands he said � it is a strange request � but not difficult to gratify i taking the paper the monarch touched it tenderly with his lips before opening it in all the blind of his own grief he was struck by the fact that there was something strained and unnatural about s appearance � something wild and forced even in his expression of sorrow he studied his face closely but to no purpose � there was no clue to the mystery packed within the harsh lines of those dark fierce features � he seemed no more and no less than the same brooding creature that had planned the deaths of men in his own committee there was no touch of softness in his eyes � no tears even at the sight of smiling coldly in her flower strewn and now her last message the king beheld it thus expressed to those who shall find me dead i pray you of your gentle love and charity not to bury my body in the earth but in the sea for i most earnestly desire no mark or remembrance of the place where my sorrows with my mortal remains shall be rendered back power to nature and kinder than the worms in the mould are the wild waves of the ocean which i have ever loved and there � at least to my own thoughts � if any spiritual part of me remains to watch my will performed � shall i be best pleased and most grateful to be given my last rest this document had been written and signed some years back and had therefore nothing to do with any idea of immediate departure from the world or suicide and once again the king looked at as he returned him the paper her will shall be performed he said � and in a manner her memory � the love borne to her by a people � and � a king he paused � then went on softly to you my friend and comrade � to you will be the task of committing this sweet of a sweeter soul to the mercy of the waves � you the guardian of her childhood the of her womanhood the protector of her life o god no more � no more cried suddenly falling on his knees by the couch of the dead � no more � in mercy i will do all � all but leave me with her now � leave me alone with her this last little while and breaking into great sobs he buried his head among the death flowers in an utter of despair silently the king watched him for a little space then he turned his eyes towards the pale form of the woman he had loved and who had taught him the noblest and most part of love sleeping her last sleep with a fixed sweet smile upon her face we shall meet again my he whispered � on the other side of death and so � with the quiet air of one who knows a quick way out of difficulty he departed some five days later a strange and solemn spectacle was witnessed by thousands of spectators from all the shores and of the sea city a ship set sail for 