The National tribune., 1893-01-19


woman and the courage of Il lion.
Al do 90. repeated he. Listen and will
prove it; il is thing don't talk of often. nor
think Of either-more than l can help" he
added seriously. The Prince de B, you
knew him. think by reputation, at least, q
confirmed invalid nailed to his chair, but the
NEST inyeterate of gamblers, who lived but Tor
the graft fcstion of his absorbing passion. Al
ways cool. always patient. past master in short.
of the gaming art. and particularly OF the IN
tricacies Of ecarte-that fascinatinCly bewilder-
ing game in which the player finds himself
evenly balanced between skill and the turns
of chance A Won Moltke of cards. you know,
as the Princess. his wife. was Won Moltke of
social fnesse and Irritation. You recall her,
of course?"
"Of course: who does not?"
But not. doubtless as you were absent al
the time, the story of her husbands death, and
MY brief promotion TO favor-I, her twentieth
adorer, yes. fully that, even counting out
those who figured simply on the suspected list
Still heaven forbid that / reproach HEREWITH
such protector, and living the life she did
for drifting with the current, like the rest of
her idle, fashionable set.
Neither did the Prince appear TO object to
the character of his wifes amusements, accept
ing everything with the emotioness passivity
of a philosopher, and seeming to see nothing
Life is like cards. he declared, indiffer-
entity; one is not robbed who does not know
that he is cheated
$50 resigned state of mind concerning his
wife" continued Boris, laughing little, "u IN
doubtedly born of the certainty that he was
not cheated at all, for the Prince, like the rest
of Us, knew that while the Princess behaved
badly in one way. she behaved well in another;
no scandal ever touched her, and she simply
leaped from fancy to fancy with the ease and
grace of an accomplished prestidgitateur.
Behold, then, the situation: husband a
4t.l- al
Robert Houdin of dfaires du c9Hr, and final
catastrophe brought about by the malevolence
this goes without saying-of another woman.
The Princess de B at the time, when, as
j say, had been taken into favor and sighed
presumably at her feet. had in her service, as
femme de chambre and body guard, a young
girl by tho name of Olga, a tzigane, devoted as
fettered panther-yes, devoted, but still a
panther. Why, cannot say, for / have never
known the cause; but | was satisfied that this
girl detested me with an intensity of hate that
showed itself in every look and gesture every
dart and fash of her yellow. tigerish eyes.
when / spoke of my belief to the Princess
was laughed at for my pains.
Zone evening. as Olga came as usual, to
open the door of the private entrance by which
al favored visitors were admitted to the Prin-
cess shrine, a little blue and-slver salon back
Of the state suite, she stopped me at the TIRES
hold.
80 have something to say to you. Mon. Mir
skow,' said she. arrogantly; something i'm
portant and you must listen
So En- bien.' said i; ego on
1t is this-you must no longer come to see
my mistress, the Princess de B.
My answer burst of laughter.
mean it, she insisted, with a threatening
fash of the wicked eyes; why, does not mat
ter, but you must come here no more
Believing that she had drunk too freely of
koumyss. or was out of her head, pushed her
aside-gently, Of course, indulgent to her sup
posed condition-and made my way unan-
nounced to the Princess's presence, hearing, as
passed from sight, Olga savagely calling after
me:
lyon will repent this, Mon Mirskow; repent
It bitterly!'
"An hour later, perhaps, as I was still laugh
ing over the scene with the Princess sitting
beside her on the great Uncovered divan or
throne, on which it was her caprice to always
receive her courtiers, q sudden clamor rose in
tie boudoir that sdjoined and separated the
petit salon We occupied from the main salon
beyond il. 1t sounded like the snarling and
crying of some angry animal and the scufle of
struggling footsteps.
The Prince my husband - cried Nine. de
b, amazed and springing to her feet. What
in the world has happenedf'
Meanwhile the clamor was coming closer;
we could plainly now hear the Princes voice
protesting angrily:
40 You are mad, mad tell you; positively
crazy. Stop; go away; let me alone! But
above all else the furious falsetto of a woman's
voice:
You shall, you shall see p ii persisted; you
and every one else shall see! He is there
there tell you, in Madame's salon, signing at
her feet, Madame's lover.'
"And with furious push the door leading
into the room was thrown back crowd of peo-
pie, guests and servants of the house. stood on the
threshold, and in the midst of them Olga the
tzigane. with the Prince de B held aloft in
her arms like an infant.
Everything had passed 80 quickly that
bad had no time. even had ! dreamed of it, to
make my escape. i was trapped, and worse
than all, trapped in false situation One
glance and i comprehended everything. That
wretched girl had gone straight to her master
with story Of how his wife amused herself
and in fit of wild rage at his refusal to listen
10 or credit her, she had picked him up bodily
and by main force brought him here TO confirm
her words
Bave you seen it, my Prince have you seen
IT at last, my Prineep' she shrieked, as she
flung him like leaf upon a chair.
Take her in custody was the Princes re-
ply. pointing TO Olga and addressing the Mou-
jik Guards who had run at the noise and
keep her safe till can send her to the mines
As for you, Monsieur turning to me- when
the room was cleared of all save the two or
three friends whom be had signed to remain
with him, have still this business TO settle
with you. Stop continued he, when / at
tempted TO speak, explanations are needless
and useless, for the reason that the publicity
given this thing by the woman, who has
doomed herself to living grave, is such that
no matter how absolutely innocent of wrong
or intent to wrong, you may be, you must be
punished the same as if guilty. 1t is the law
Of that world-your world and mine-which
under the circumstances gives me-did il please
me TO avail myself Of 1.-THE right to your life
II does not please me- however, though shall
demand from you, in another way, the fullest
stonemeut.'
Honestly" continued Boris, "worried
though / was, could have found IL in nv
heart TO laugh at this; for, of course atone
ment as he styled IL, for satisfaction of the
world, could mean but one thng-a duel, and
duel with an invalid. who could WELD neither
sword nor pistol, was farce that would render
me ridiculous. The Prince, reading my
thoughts smiled bitterly"
No, Monsieur said he, Il am neither as
mad nor as generous as / seem. The duel ]
profier you is possible and feasible both, as you
will see in q moment. Bring me a pack OF
cards from the smoking room, Ejadinks,' ad-
dressing one of the gentlemen who still stood
beside him, and place me at table. Now, Mon.
de Mirskow, motioning me with Q perfectly
calm and afsble air 10 place myself opposite to
him, we will play together a game of ecarte
the stakes to be the life of the loser If luck
goes against you, before IL o'clock tomorrow
nnes man of honor, you will blow out your