Evening star., 1895-09-16


cheating ganester. madame" said he a
smile on his pale face. II choose death
sooner than dishonor Such Is my choice.
What is yours? 1t stands between death
and silence. and no man but your husband
will dare to trust your silence
You dare not kill me-, said she, defiant
ly.
Madame, I dare ilo nothing else. They
may write murderer on my tomb; they
shall rot throw cheat in my living face"
Il will not be silent" cried Osra, spring.
ing to her feet. And rather than be your
wife, 1 would die thousand times. For
cheat you area cheat-a cheat" And
be heard, If any one CHANGED to listen, even
from so far off in the hall. Yet he made
one more effort, seeking to move her by an
appeal to which women are not wont to be
iEsenSible.
"A cheat, yes"' said he. II, Nikolas Of
Festenburg, am cheat. say 1t, though
no other man shall while I live to hear him.
But to gain what Stake?"
Why. my brothers castle of Zenda."
Il swea: 20 you it was not,' he cried,
coming nearer to her. II did not fear los
ing on that cast. but could not endure not
to win Not my stake. madame, but yours,
lured me to my foul play. Have you your
face and yet do not know to what it drives
meny'
IF I have fair face, 1T should inspire
fair deeds" said she. DO not touch me,
sir, do not touch me. I loathe breathing
the same air with you so much as see
ing your face. Aye. and 1 can die. Even
the women of our house know how to die
AT her scorn and contempt a great rage
came upon him and he gripped the hilt
of his sword and drew it from the scab-
bard But she stood still. facing him with
calm eyes. Her lips moved for a moment
in prayer, but she did not shrink
Il pray you," said he, in trembling
speech, and mastering himself for an in
slant. Il pray you," and he could say no
more.
Il will cry your cheating in all Strelsau,"
said she.
Then commend your soul to God for in
one minute you shall die"
Still she stood motionless; and he began
to ccme near to her, his sword now drawn
in his hands. And, coming within the dis
tai ce from which he could strike her. he
paused and gazed into her eyes She an
sw cred him with a smile. Then there was
for an instant the utter stiffness in the
room; and in that instant the bishop of
Modenstein set his foot on the staircase
and came running up. On sudden Osra
heard the step. and gleam flashed in her
eye. The count heard it Also and the
sword was arrested in its stroke. A smile
came on his face. He was glad at the
coming of some one whom he might kill
In fight: for 1t turned him sick to butcher
her. unresisting. Yet he dared not let her
GO to cry his cheating in the streets Of
Streslau.
The steps came nearer. He dropped his
sW ord upon the floor and sprang upon her.
A shrek rang out, but he pressed his hand
on her mouth and seized her in his arms
She had no strength to resist, and he car
ried her swiftly across the room to a door
in the wall He pulled the door open-it
was very massive and heavy-and he flung
her roughly down on the stone floor of
little chamber, square and lofty having
but one small window, high up, through
which the moonlight scarcely pierced. She
turned On his heel and shut the door, And
as he turned he heard man throw him
self against the door Of the room. 1t also
was strong; and twice the man flung him
self with all his fcrce against it, At last
it strained and gave way; and the bishop
of ModensteiE burst into the room, breath
less. And he saw no trace of the princess
presence, but only Count Nicholas stand
Ing. sword in hand, in front of the door in
the wall with a sneering smile on his face,
The bishop Of Modenstein never loved to
speak afterward of what followed, saying
always that he rather deplored than glor-
led In it. and that when a man Of his
sacred profession was forced to use the
weapons of this world it was matter Of
grief to him. not of vaunting. But the
king compelled him by urgent requests to
describe the whole matter, while the prin-
cess was never weary of telling ill that
she knew or of blessing all bishops for the
sake of the bishop of Modensten Yet the
bishop blamed himself, perhaps, If the
truth were known, not for the necessity
that drove him to what he did, as for a
secret and ashamed joy that he detected in
the room now, there was no sign of reluc-
tance or of unwillingness in his face; he
took off his feathered cap, bowed politely
to the count, and. resting the point of his
sword on the floor, asked:
My lord, where Is the princess?"
what do you want here, and who are
you?" cried the count with a blasphemous
oath.
when we were boys together, you knew
Friedrich of Hentzau Do you not now
know the bishop of Modensten?"
Bishop! This is no place for bishops
Get back to your prs ayers. my lord"
TT wants some time yet before mathis"
answered the bishop. My lord, where is
the princess?"
What 10 you want with her?"
Il am here to escort her wherever 1t
may be her pleasure to CO." He spoke con-
fidenty, but he was in his heart alarmed
and uneasy because he had not found the
princess.
Il do not know where she is" said Niko-
las of Fesenburg.
My lord. you le,'' said the bishop of
Moderstein.
The count had wanted nothing but an
excuse for attacking the intruder. He had
it now, and an angry flush mounted in his