The San Francisco call., 1901-12-22
HERBLE2T.S STONE g. GO.


pointment, his breast heaved and his fin
gers twitched.
Il have the happiness of your sovereign
at heart as much as my own,'' he said.
"She will never want for devotion, she
will never know a pain."i
you are determined, then, to adhere to
your original proposition?" demanded the
Count.
"She would have married Lorenz TO save
her land, to protect her people, Am not
as good as Loreuz? Why not give-" be-
gan Gabriel. viciously, but Yetive arose,
and with cleaning eyes and flushing
cheeks interrupted him.
go! 1 will not hear you-not one
word!"
He passed from the room without an
other word. Her court saw her standing
straight and immovable, her white face
transfgured.
XXIII-THE VISITOR AT MIDNIGHT.
Below the castle and it's distressed oc-
cupants, in a dark, damp little room,
Grenfall Lorry lived year in a day. On
the night of the 18th, or rather near the
break of dawn on the 18th, Captain Quin-
nox guided him from the dangerous
streets of Edelweiss to the secret passage
and he was safe for the time being. The
entrance to the passage was through
1nclosed the park A stone doorway, so
cleyerly constructed that it defed detec-
tion, led to set Of steps which, in turn,
took one to long narrow passage. This
ended in a stairway fully a quarter of
mile from its beginning. Ascending this
stairway one came to secret panel,
through which, by pressing a spring, the
interior of the castle was reached. The
location of the panel was in one of the
recesses in the wall of the chapel, near
the altar. 1t in this chapel that Yet
i've exchanged her male attire for a loose
gown weeks before, and the servant who
saw her come from the door at an un-
earthly hour in the morning believed she
had gone there to seek surcease from the
troubles which oppressed her.
Lorry was impatient to rush forth from
his place of hiding and to end all sus-
pense, but Quinnox demurred. He begged
the eager American to remain in the pas
sage until the night of the 18th, when, all
things going well, he might be so fortu-
nate as to reach the Princess without
being seen. 1t was the secret hope of the
guilty captain that his charge could be
induced by the Princess to return to the
monastery, to avoid complications He
promised to inform her Highness of his
presence in the underground room and to
arrange for a meeting The miserable fell
low could not find courage to confess his
d1Sobedience TO his trusting mistress.
Many times during the day she had seen
him lowering near, approaching and then
retreating, and had wondered not a little
at his peculiar manner.
And so it was that Lorry chafed and
writhed through a long day Of suspense
and agony. QuinnCx had brought to the
little room some candles, food and bed
ding but he utilized only the former The
hours went by and no summons called him
to her side. He was dying with the de-
sire to hold her in his arms and to
hear her voice again. Pacing to and fro
like Gagged animal, he recalled the ride
in West Virginia, the night in her bed
chamber, the day in the throne room and
more delicious than all, the trip to the
monastery. In his dreams, walking or
sleeping, he had seen the slim soldier
had heard the mufFled voice and had felt
the womanly caresses. His brain now
was in whirl. busy with thoughts Of
love and fear, distraught with anxiety
for her and for himself bursting with
the awful consequences of the hour that
was upon them. What was to become OF
him? What was to be the end of this
drama? What would the night, the NOR
row bring about?
He looked back and saw himself as he
was year ago in Washington, before
she came into his life, and then WON
going through these strange, improbable
scenes, these sensations. 1t was o'clock
in the evening when Quinnox returned to
the little room. The waiting one had
looked at his watch a hundred times, had
run insanely up and down the passage N
quest of the secret exit, had shouted
aloud in the frenzy of desperation.
Have you seen her?" he cried, grasp
ing the newcomers hand.
81 have, but, before God, could not
tell her what had done. Your visit Will
be a surprise, 1 fear shock
''Then how am 1 to see her? Fool! Am
1 to wait here forever"
'Have patience. 1 will take you to her
to-night-aye, within an hour. To-mor-
row morning she signs away the northern
provinces, and her instructions are that
she is not to be disturbed tonight Not
even will she see the Countess Dagmar
after 9 o'clock. 1t breaks my heart to
see the sorrow that abounds in the castle
tonight. Her Highness insists on being
alone, and Basot, the new guard, has or
ders to admit no one to her apartments.
He is ill and 1 have promised that a sub
stitute shall relieve him at IL o'clock.
You are to be the substitute Here IS
a part of an old uniform of mine and
here is a coat that belonged to Dannox,
who was about your size. please exchange
the clothes you now have on for these.
apprehend no trouble in reaching her
door, for the household is in gloom and
the halls seem barren of life"
He threw the bundle a chair and
Lorry at once proceeded to don the con-
tents. In very short time he wore,
instead Of the cellkeeper's garments,
a neat fitting uniform of the royal
guard. He was trembling violently,
chilled to the bone with nervousness, as
they began the ascent of the stairs lead
ing to the chapel. The crisis in his life.
he felt, was near at hand.
Under the stealthy hand of Quinnox the
panel opened and they listened intently
for some moments. There was no one in
the dimly lighted chapel and they made
their way to the door at the opposite end.
The great organ looked down upon them
and Lorry expected every instant to hear
it burst forth in sounds of thunder. 1t
seemed alive and watching their move
ments reproachfully Before unlocking
the door, the captain pointed to a lance
which stood against the wall near by.