The Washington times., 1895-01-27

him, caught him by the waist, and, putting
forth his strength, swung him clear and far
into the fishpond. Then, seiziug Tommasino
10y the arm, he started with him at run for
the great hall.
The duke rose, crying loudly, Treason!
Treasonn' But Antonio cried treason
Treason!'' yet louder than the duke ana pres
emily Tommasino, who had frowned at his
pastime being interrupted, fell a-laughing,
and between his laughs cried Treason!
Treasonl'' with Antonio. And at the entrance
of the hall they met dozen pikemen rnn-
ming. and Antonio, pointing over his shoul-
der. called in tones of horror. "Treasoni
treason And TommasDo cried, "The
dukel Help the duke!" So that they passed
untouched through the pkemen, who hesi-
tated an instant in bewilderment. but then
swept on, for they heard the dukes own voice
crying still, "TreasonI Treasonr' And
through the hall and out OF the portico passed
the cousins echoing their cries OF ''Treason!"
And every man they met went whittier they
pointed. and when they leaped on their
horses the very lackey that had held them
dropped the brides with hasty speed and ran
into the palace, crying "Treasonp'
Then Antonio, Tommasino ever following.
and both yet crying, "Treasonr' dashed
across the square. and on the way they met
the pikemen who guarded the Lady Lucia,
and the townsmen, who stood mocking and
snarling at the pikemen, and TO pikemen and
townsmen alike they cried Though Tom
masino hardly could speak now for laughter
and lack of breath1. Treason, trensonr' And
ali TO whom they cried focked to the palace,
crying in their turn, Treason, treasonr' so
that people ran out of every house in the
neighborhood and hurried 10 the palace cry
ing treason and every one asking his
neighbor what the treason was. And thus,
by the time in which man might count a
hundred a crowd was pushing and pressing
and striving round the gate of the palace.
and the cousins were alone on the other side
OF the great square.
''Now, thanks be TO God for that idear'
gasped Tommasino.
But Antonio gave not thanks till his meal
was ended Raising his voice, as he halted
his horse before Lady Lucia house, he called
loudly, no longer "Treason!'' but 'Lucia!''
And she, knowing his voice, looked again
ont from the window. But some hand
plucked her away as soon as she had but
looked. Then Antonio leaned from his horse
with an oath. and ran to the door, and, find
ing it unguarded, be rushed in, leaving Tom
masino seated on one horse and holding the
other. with one eye on Lucia's house and the
other On the palace, praying that by the favor
OF heaven Antonio might come out again be-
fore the crowd around the dukes gates dis
covered why it was, to man crying "trea-
son!'
Now. in the palace OF the duke there was
great confusion. For the pikemen, finding
Robert de Beauregard scrambling out of the
flshpond with u drawn sword in his hand and
his highness crying ''Treasoni" with the
rest of the them, must have it that the traitor
was none ether than Robert himself and in
their dutiful zeal they came nigh to making
an end of him then and there, before the
duke could gam silence enough to render
his account of the affair audible, And when
the first pikemen were informed there cane
others, and these others, finding the first
thronging around the duke and Robert,
cried out on them for the traitors, and were
on the point OF engaging them; and when
they also had been with difficulty convinced,
and the two parties. with his highness and
Robert turned to the pursuit of the cousins,
they found the whole of the great hall utterly
blocked by q coneourse of the toWnsmen, de-
lighted beyond measure at the chance of an
affray with he hated pikemen. who they con
ceiyed m ust, beyond doubt, be the wicked
traitors that had risen in arms against the
dukes life and throne.
Narrowly, indeed, was a great battle in
the hall averted by the duke himself who
leaped upon high seat and spoke long and
earnestly to the people, persuading them that
not the pikemen, but Antonio and Tommasino
We're the traitors, which the townsmen found
hard to believe in part, because they wished
not to believe i'll of Antonio, and more, mas
much as every man there knew-and the
women and children also--that Antonio and
Tommasino, and none else of all the city, had
raised the alarm. But some hearkened atlast,
and with these and solid wedge of the pike
men the duke and Robert with much ado
thrust their way through the crowd and won
access to the door of the palace.
In what time a thousand men may be con-
viEced, you may hope to turn one woman's
mind, and at the instant that the duke gained
tie square with his friends and his guards,
Count Antonio had prevailed ON the Lady
Lucia 10 brave his highness wrath. It is
true that he had met with some resistance
from the steward, who was in Roberts pay,
and had tarried to buffet the fellow into
obedience, and with more from an old gov
erness who, since she could not be buffeted
had perforce to be locked in a cupboard; yet
the better part OF the time had to be spent in
imrlorng Lucia herself At last. with many
fears and some tears she had yielded, and it
was with glad eyes that Tommasino saw the
count come forth from the door carrying
Lucia in his arms, and Others saw him also; ;
for great shout came from the dukes party