was never left for one hour alone no could have clung to a spanish princess more closely than i did to yet i could see well that her passion was no whit that it grew day by day indeed as the fire in the heart of a and that soon it must break loose and spread its ruin round the omen of it was to be read in her words her gestures and her tragic eyes chapter x i the s chamber one night asked us to dine with him in his own apartments in the highest tower of the palace � had we but known it for us a place indeed for here the last act of tiie mighty drama was destined to be fulfilled so we went glad enough of any change when we had eaten grew very thoughtful then said suddenly � friend i wish to ask a favour of you � tliat you will beg the to let us go our ways instantly the s cunning old face became like a mask of ivory surely you had better ask your of the lady herself lord i do not that any in reason will be refused to you he replied let us stop said and consider the facts it has seemed to me that the is not happy with her husband your eyes are very keen lord and who shall say that they have deceived you it has seemed further went on that she has been so good as to look on me with � some regard ah i perhaps you guessed that in the gate house yonder if you have not forgotten what most men would remember i remember certain that have to do with her and you the only his beard and said proceed in the s chamber there is little to add except that i am i minded to bring scandal on the name of the first lady ij your land nobly said lord nobly said though here they do n trouble much about such things but how if the could be managed without scandal if for instance t chose to take another husband the whole would rejoice for she is the last o� her royal race how can she take another husband when she has ont living true indeed that is a question which i have considered but the answer to it is that men die it is the common lot and the has been drinking very of late you mean tliat men can be murdered said angrily well i will have nothing to do with such crime do you understand me as the words passed his lips i heard a rustle and my head behind us were curtains beyond which slept kept his instruments of worked out his now they had been draw and between them in her royal array stood the still as a statue who was it that spoke of crime she asked in j cold voice was it you my lord rising from his chair he faced her and said � lady i am glad that you have heard my words if they should vex you why should it vex me to learn that there is one honest man in this court who will have naught to do with murder nay x honour you for those words know also that no such foul thoughts have come near to me yet that which is written � is written doubtless but what is written tell him now passed behind the and returned with a roll from which he read the heavens have declared by their signs that before the next new moon the will lie dead at the hands of the stranger lord who came to tliis country from across the mountains � then the heavens have declared a lie said contemptuously that is as you will answered but so it must befall not by my hand or those of my servants but by yours and then why by mine why not by s yet if so then doubtless i shall suffer the punishment of my crime at the hands of his mourning widow he replied exasperated you are pleased to mock me well knowing what a husband this man is to now i felt that the crisis had come and so did for he looked her in the face and said � speak on lady say all you wish perhaps it will be better for us both i obey yon lord of the beginning of this fate i know nothing but i read from the first page that is open to me it has to do with this present life of mine learn that from my childhood you have haunted me oh when first i saw you yonder by the river your face was not strange to me for i knew it � i knew it well in dreams when i was a little maid and slept one day amidst the flowers by the river s brim it came first to � ask my uncle here if this be not so though it is true that your face was younger then afterwards again and again i saw it in my sleep and learned to know that you were mine for the magic of my heart taught me this then passed the long years while i felt that you were drawing near to me slowly very slowly but ever drawing nearer onward and outward through the of the world across tlie hills across the plains across the sands across the on to my side at length came the end for one night not three ago in the s chamber whilst this wise man my uncle and i sat together hei studying the lore that he has taught me and striving to its secrets from the past a vision came to me look you i was lost in a charmed sleep which the spirit from tlie body and gives it strength to 