The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-11

he swOre on his honor that unless she
gave him token he would Sin himself.
Goa" said the Princess with great
petulanoe, II wish / had not come !"
Then, / should have been dead by
now dead, unforgiven."
But you will still die ~
eyes, | must still. die, unless
"Sheathe your sword, my Lord. The
sun strikes it and it dazzles my eyes"
"That cannot be; for your eyes are
brighter than sun and sword together. :"
"Than l must shade them with the
leaves"
Eyes, shade them with the leaves, 8"
he whispered Madame, is there no
token of forgiyeness?'
An absolute silence followed for a little
while. Then Osra said,
"Why did you swear on your honor2"
because it is an oath that l cannot
break"
'Indeed wish that had not come, 5"
sighed Princess Osra.
Again came silence. The bough was
pressed down for an instant: then it
swayed swiftly up again; and its leaves
brushed the cheek of NJ. de Merosailles.
And he laughed loud and joyfully.
Something touched my cheek, " said
he.
at mast have been leaf, " said Prin-
| cess Osra.
"Ah, leaf!'
II think so, " said Princess Osra.
Then it was a leaf of the Tree Of
Life, " said NJ. de Merosailles.
81 wish some one would set me on my
horse" said Osra.
THAT you may ride back to the castle
-alone2"
Eyes, unless you would relieve my
brothers anxiety"
cit would be courteous to do that
much, said the Marquis.
So they mounted and rode back
through the forest. In an hour the Prin-
cess had come, and in the space of some
thing over two hours they returned; yet
during all this time they spoke hardly a
word; and although the sun was now set,
yet the glow remained on the face and in
the eyes of Princess Osra; while NJ. de
Merosailles, being forgiven, rode with a
smile on his lips.
'But when they came to the castle,
Prince Rudolf ran out to meet them and
he cried, almost before he reached them,
"Hasten hasten There is not a mo-
ment to lose, if the Marquis values life
or liberty !" And when he came to
them, he told them that waiting wo-
man had been false to NJ. de Merosailles
and, after taking his money, had hid
herself in bis chamber and seen the first
kiss that the Princess gave him and
| having made some pretext to gain hOl-
idaY, had gone to the King who was
hunting near, and betrayed the whole
matter to him.
"And one of my gentlemen" he con-
tinued, "has ridden here to tell me. In
an hour the guards will be here, and if
the King catches you, my Lord, you will
hang as sure as | live"
The Princess turned very pale but NJ
de Merosailles said haughtily, 81 ask
your pardon, sir, but the King dares not
hang me, for am gentleman and a
subject of the King of France"
"Man, man !" cried Rudolf. THE
Lion will hang you first and think of all
| that afterwards Come now, it is dusk.
You shall dress yourself as my groom,
and will ride to the frontier, and YOU
shall ride behind me and thus you may
get safe away | cannot have you
hanged over such trifie.n
Il would have given my life willingly
for what you call trife, sir" said the
Marquis with bow to OSra.
"Then have the trife and life, too, "
said Rudolf decisively. "Come in with
me, and will give you your livery
When the Prince and M. de Nero
sailles came out again on the drawbridge,
the evening had fallen and it was dark;
and their horses stood at the end of the
bridge, and by the horses stood the Prin-
cess.
"Quick p said she, "For a peasant
who came in, bringing load of wood,
saw troop of men coming ov,r the
hill, and he says they are the Kings
guard"
Mount, man !" cried the Prince TO
NJ. de Merosailles, who was now dressed
as a groom. perhaps we can get clear,
or perhaps they will not dare to stop
me"
But the Marquis hesitated little, for
be did not like to run away; and the
Princess ran little way forward and,
shading her eyes with her hand, cried,
''See there; I SEQ the CLEAN of steel in
the dark. They have reached the top of
the hill and are riding down"
Then Prince Rudolf sprang on his
horse, calling again to NJ. de Nero
sailles; "Quick quick Your life hangs
on it -
Then at last, the Marquis, though be
was most reluctant to depart, was about
to spring on his horse, when the Prin
cess turned and glided back swiftly to
them. And let it be remembered that
evening had fallen thick and black she
came to her brother aud put out her
hand, and grasped his hand and said.
"My Lord, forgive your wrong, and
| thank you for your courtesy, and |
wish you farewell"
Prince Rudolf, astonished, gazed at
her without speaking But she, moving
very quickly in spite of the darkness ran
to where M de Merosailles was about to
spring on his horse, and she flung one
arm lightly about his neck, and she said:
Farewell, dear brotherhood pre-
serve you. See that no harm comes to