Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-17
The Nadness

with the queen. ride out and back; but
trey did not notice the face of the trooper.
And sometimes he saw the princess also,
but she did not look at him, although he
could not restrain himself from looking at
her: but since every man looked at her she
mad grown accustomed to being gazed at
and took no heed of 1t. But once she wore
the ruby necklace, and the breath of the
trooper went quick and eager when he saw
1t on her neck; and a sudden flush of color
spread over all his face, SO that the prin-
cess, CHANGING to glance at him in passing
and seeing the color beneath and through
the dye that stained him, was greatly
astonished, and she refined in her horse for
an instant and looked very intently at him,
yet she rode on again in silence.
That evening there came to the quarters
of the kings guard a waiting woman, who
asked to see the trooper that had mounted
guard at the west gate of the palace that
day, ana when he came the woman held
out to him box of red morocco leather.
saying, 1T is for YOU" But he answered,
1t Is not for me-" and, turning away, left
her And this happened on three evenings.
Then on the fourth day 1T was again his
turn to mount guard at the palace; and
when he had sat there on his horse for
an hour the Princess Osra rode out from
under the portico; she rode alone and the
ruby necklace was on her neck: and she
said:
Il am going to ride outside the city by
the river bank Let trooper follow me
her hand to Lord Harry. and he rode after
her through the streets and out of the
western gate; and they turned along the
bank of the river When they had gone
three or four miles from the city. Osra
halted and beckoned the Lord Harry to
approach her; and he came. But when she
was about to speak and tell him
that she knew him sudden and
he seized her bride and dug his spurs
deep into his horses fianks and both the
horses bounded forward at a gallop. In
alarm the princess cried out, but he did
not heed her. Along the bank they gal
loped; and when they met any one, which
happened seldom (fcr the place was remote
and 1t was now evening". he babe her
cover her face, and she obeyed, twisting
they rode till they came at nightfall to a
bluff of rock high above the stream. Here
Lord Harry suddenly checked the horses
hung himself from the saddle, and babe
the princess dismount. And she obeyed
and stood facing him, pale with fear and
apprehension, but wearing proud and
scornful air. And he cried:
-. rs 1t not well you should die? For you
nfe but to madden men and drive them to
sin and folly"
May" said she, 'to men OF good heart
beauty leads to goodness. From yourself
come the sin and the folly my lord" and
she laid hold of the ruby necklace and
broke the clasp of it, and flung it on the
ground before him. But he took no heed
of it, but seized her hand and drew her to
the edge of the bluff, saying:
1.-The world will be safer if I fling you
down."
Then she looked in his face, and sud-
den pity entered her heart, and she said
very gently: .+'f'
'Sit down, my lord and let me put my
hands on your brow, for 1 think you are
in fever" .-i~ '-'ss.
And he sat down, all trembling and
shaking, like man with ague and she
stripped off her gauntlets, and took his
forehead between her hands; and he lay