Evening star., 1895-09-16

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bishop stood. Shifting his sword to his
left hand. he struck the bishop on the face
with his gloved hand. The bishop smiled
ana aIns turned n the other cheek to Count Mix
oias, who struck him again with all his
force, 80 that he reeled back, catching hold
OF the open door to avoid falling; and the
blood started dull red under the skin of
his face. But he still smiled, and he bowed
saying:
II II find nothing about the third blow in
Holy Scripture
At this instant the Princess osra, who
mad been half stunned by the violence with
whlch N1kolas had thrown her on the
moor, came to her full senses, and, hearing
the bishops voice, she cried out loudly for
nelp. he, hearing her, darted in an instant
across tne room and was at the door of the
little chamber before the count could stop
MIN. he pulled the door open and Osra
sprang aS out to him, saying:
save me! Save me!'
You are safe. madame have no fear"
answered the bishop. And, turning to the
| count, he continued. Let ns go outside.
my lord. and discuss this matter Our dis
princess"
And man might have read the purpose
IN MS eyes. though his manner and words
were gentle; for he had sworn in his heart
tnat the count should not escape.
But the count cared as little for the pres
ence or the princess as he had for her dig
nifty, her honor. or her life; and now that
she was no longer wholly at his mercy but
cape, his rage and the fear of exposure
iashed him to fury; and, without more
talking. he made at the bishop, crying:
You first and then her! I'll be rid Of the
pair of your
The bishop faced him. standing between
Princess Osra and his assault; while she
| shrank back little, sheltering herself be-
hind the heavy door. For, although she
had been ready to die without fear, yet the
sight of men fighting frightened her and
she veiled her face with her hands, and
II-o tod 10
s~ords to the the sound of
very happy, and setting his cab on his
head with jaunty air, he stood on guard.
FOR ten years or more he had not used his
sword, but the secret of its mastery seemed
TO revive, fresh and clear i'll his mind, and
let his soul say what it would his body re-
1olced to be at the exercise again: so that
ms blood kindled and his eyes cleaned in
the giee OF strife. Thus he steped forward
guarding himself, and thus he met the
counts impetuous onset; and he neither
nlnched nor gave back, but finding himself
noialng his own he pressed on and on, not
violently attacking and yet never resting
ana turning every thrust with a wrist Of
iron. And while Osra gazed with wide eyes
and close-held breath, and Count NikoIas
muttered oaths and grew more furious,
the blshop seemed as gay as when he talk
ed to the king, more gaily. maybe, than
bishops should. Again his eye danced as
IN IN the days when he had been called the
drove Count Nikolas back and back
Now behind the count was window
which he had himself caused to be enlarged
ard made low and wide, in order that he
might look from 1t over the surrounding
country, but in time of war it was covered
with close and strong iron grating But
now the grating was off and the window
open; and beneath this window was fall Of
seventy feet or hard upon IL into the moat
below. The count looked into the bishops
face and saw him smile, and suddenly he
recollected the window and fancied that 1t
was tie bishops design to drive him on to
1t so that he, could give back no more; and
since he knew by now that the bishop
was his master with the sword, des-
pairing rage settled uIon him, and, de-
termining to die swiftly since die he must
he rushed forward, making a desperate
lunSe at his enemy But the bishop parried
the lunge, ard, always seeming to be about
to run the count through the body again
close to the opeping of the window. Here
Nikolas stood, his eyes glaring like
madmans; then a sudden devilish smile
spread over his face.
''Will you yield yourself, my lord?" cried
the bishop. putting restraint on the wick
ed impulse to kill the man, and lowering
his point for an instant.
In that short moment the count made
his last throw; for all at once, as 1t seemed
and almost in one motion he thrust and
wounded the bishop in the left side of his
bcdy, high. in the chest near the shoulder
and, though the wound was slight, he
blood flowed freely; then, drawing back
way up and flung it like a javelin at the
princess, who stood still by the door,
breathlessly watching the fight BY an ace
1t missed her head. and it pinned tress of
her hair to the door and quivered deepset
in the wood Of the door. When the bishop