Evening star., 1897-03-13

| a commotion somewhere else In Europe:
| Prince Julian and his manifesto were for
gotten. What did 1t Eean? She wrote a
| 1t was just at this time also that Mr..
| Henry Shum accepted the invitation of the
| Conservative Association of the Hatton
| Garden Division of Holborn Bars to contest
| ton, and that Lady Craigennoch gave
| orders for the complete renovation of her
town house. Both these actions involved. of
| course, some expense, how much 1t is hard
| to say precisely. The house was rather
| large, and the seat was, very safe.
| Prince Julian sat in his library in Palace
Gate. and Mrs Rivers stood beside him,
| her hand resting on the arm Of his chair.
| Now and then the prince glanced up at her
face rather timidly. They had agreed that
matters showed no progress; then Mrs.
i Rivers had become silent.
Has Byers thrown us over?" the prince
| asked at last.
| Hush, hush,' she, answered. in a low
voice. Wait till he's BEEN he's coming
| today" Her voice sank lower still as she
| whispered: He can't have; oh, he cant!'
| There was silence again. few minutes
| passed before the prince broke out fret
fully: I'm sick Of the whole thing. I'm
! them send for me- I can't force myself on
them.''
| She looked down for moment, and
| touched his hair with her hand
'1f this has come to nothing, I'll never
| try again. l don't like being made a fool
| Of"
| Her hand rested for moment on his
| forehead: he looked up smiling.
I'VE can be happy together" he mur-
mured Lets throw up the whole thing
| and be happy together" He caught her
| hand in his. You'll stay with me any
how?'
! ''YCu want me still?'
"You'll do what 1 ask?' he whispered.
| THAT would put an end to it indeed
| she said, smiling.
Thank heaven for it." he exclaimed,
| peevishly.
| servant came in and announced that
Mr.. Byers was in the drawing room.
"s hall 1 come, too?'' asked the prince.
"Oh, no." she answered with a strange
| little laugh What's the use of bothering
you? I'll see him.
Make him say something definite" ="
| urged Prince Julian. Lets have an end
| uf it one way or the other
Very we'll" She bent down and kissed
| him, ard then went off to talk to MIR. By
ers.
The fair boy with the business brains
might have been seriously OF opinion that
| there was something wrong with Byers
| nerve had he seen him waiting for Mrs
| Rivers in the drawing room. waiting to tell
her that the necessary resources were not
forthcoming; he hoped that he need tell
her no more than that; he wished that
he had not come, but he could not endure
the self-contempt which the thought of
TulillIS away Idu DI OuS III Wlll IL, lie must
face her. the woman could do no more
than abuse him. One other thought he
had for a moment entertained-of Oft sring
to let her stand in, as Mr.. Shum had let
Lady Craigennoch: there was hardly any
sum which he would not have been glad to
give her. But long before he reached the
house he mad decided that she would not
stand in. by Cd, l should think not"
he said to himself, Indignantly.
But he had phrase ready for her
He reminded her of the paragraphs. the
rumors. and the manifesto. We have by
those means felt the pulse of the public"
he said. He paused, she said nothing.
The result is not-er-encouraging," he
went or. The moment is not propitous.' >
You prom sed the money if the prince
signed the manifesto. she said.
"Pronised? Oh. well. l said I'd
You PROMISED said Mrs. Rivers.
What's the difficulty noY?
The state of public feeling" he began.
4 know that, We, want the money to
change it, She smiled Slightly. IF the
feeling had oeen with! already we
shouldn't have wanted the money" She
leant forward and asked. :'a1aven't you got
the MOI ey? You said you had
Yes, I've got it-or ! could get it
Yes. Well, them, Why have you
| charged your mind?'' IT.
| He made no answer, and for awhile she
sat looking at him thoughtfuly. She did
| not abuse him, ard she. did not cry
Il want to understands: she said pres
emily. Did you ever mean to give US the
money! g..
Yes, upon my honor Il
Are you sure?' She forced him to look
| her in the face: he was silent. She rose,
| took Japanese fan from side table and
| sat down again: the lower part of her face
Was now hidden by the fan: Byers saw
meen?' she asked. You've made US all
| the prince and his friends and me-look
very silly. How did that help you? l don't
see what you could get out of that"
She looking him
she thought him mad; she could not see
what he had got out of it; it had not yet
| crossed her mind that there had been
money to be got out of it, SO ignorant was
| she. with all her shrewdness, with all her
| resolution.
And l understood that you were such a
clever, far-seeing man." she went on.
| Lady Craigennoch always told me SO; she
| said l could trust you in anything. Do tell
| me about 1t, Mr.. Byers''
Il can't explain it to you" he began.
| ''You-you wouldn't
Yes. l should understand 1t If you told
| me-" she insisted.
If he told her ne was liar and thief
she would understand. Probably she
would But he cid not think that she
| would understand the transaction If he
used any less plain language about 1t. And
| that language was not only hard to use
| to her. but struck strangely on his own
| head and his Cwn heart. Surely there
! must be other terms in which to describe
| his part in the transaction? There We're
plenty of such in the city; were there none
| in Palace Gate?
| Its a matter of business" again he
| began.
She stopped him with an imperious wave
of the fan. Her eyes grew animated with
| sudden enlightenment; she looked at him
| for a moment or two, and then asked,
| Have you been making money out of it
! somehow" He did not answer. How,
| please?" she asked
What does that matter?' His voice
| was low.
| Il should like to hear, please You don't
| want to tell me? But 1 want to know.
! It'll be useful to me to understand
| things like this"
1t seemed to Mr.. Byers that he had to
| tell her; that this was the thing left
| that he could do; the one obligation which
| he could perform. So he began to tell her,
| and he told her, naturally Cor curiously
| since natures are curious) his pride in the
| G, eat coup revived-his professional pride.
| He went into it all thoughtfully; she follow
! ed him very intelligently; he made her un-
derstand what an option" was. what
| differences" what the put" and what
| the call" He pointed out how the changes
| in public affairs might make welcome
| changes in private pockets, and would
| have her know that the secret center Of