Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
CHAPTER xIx-Continued.

S1A1 En- 0x0-SOAAIAASASo
He looked into the depth of her dark blue
eyes-eyes that were steeled to pity. Like
for like they seemed to say: she would
show him the same mercy that he wouio
have shown her, though in truth Lorelie
thought not of herself. but OF the dead Eric
Marville, so cruelty wronged both by her
father and herself Eric Marville. who had
generously refrained from claiming the
peerage justly his in order that the present
earl might enjoy it. And he had received
his death-stroke from the hand of the very
man whom he had benefited! Was this
case for pity!
"By yon tapestry, silent witness OF the
deed, 1 adjure you, speak! Whose skull Is
this?"
A portion of the arras within view OF the
earl was clutched from behind by an unseen
hand, and was suddenly rent in twain from
top to bottom with short, ripping souno,
then came the fall of some duh pody
Though nothing was seen by the audience),
followed by a faint soughing like an ex-
piring breath.
The earl shook convulsively. The very
sounds that had accompanied the 1aii OF ms
With slow motion Lorelie raised her hand
to her head. The earl followed her action
with his eyes, wondering what new terror
was in store for him. Drawing the broken
stiletto pin from her hair, she placed the
fragment of the blade within the orif1ce OF
the skull. where it remained. the ]eweieu
hilt projecting above, and gl1tterlns Will
weird effect. u.
..T3y the very stjletto that let out the life
of your victim 1 adjure you. speak! Whose
skull is this?"
She was determined to have her answer
and that openly.
In darkness and secrecy the deed had been
wrought amid brilliant light and before
crowd of hearers the truth should be pro
claimed. Like some struggling Vlctlm III the
torture chamber, who doggedly speech
less, is forced onward to the rack tnal
will soon wiring the confession from fls
reluctant lips so the earl, in dumb agony,
felt himself drawn onward TO tell the
dread secret of his life
The jeweled hilt of the stiletto protrud'
ing from the skull exercised a fascina-
ton over him; he could not take his gaze
from it; like a cleaning eye 1t seemed 10
be commanding him to admit his guilt
Idris, attentive to every variation IN the
face of the earl. saw that he was SINKING
into a cataleptic state. Unable 10 OBTAIN
the required confession in any other way.
LoreIie had resorted to her knowledge of
hypnotism, and had found the earl power
less to resist her mesmeric influence
Speak. Whose skull is this?" she asked
once more.
MY brothers."
The earl spoke like an automaton, In a
tone cold, mechanical, passionless-a tone
he maintained throughout the whole OF
MS subsequent dHSWeTluS.
A wave of surprise passed over the audi
ence. Till that moment 1t had not been
known that Urien Ravengar. the preceding
earl. had had more than one son.
when did your brother dep
''Twenty-one years ago.
I'm what place did he die?"
'In the interior of Ormfell."
How came he to dep
II killed him.
At this answer a thrill pervaded the as
semby. Half-articulate screams arose
from the ladies. From fair jeweled hands
play bills and books of the words slid
to the floor There they lay unheeded, be-
ing no longer required. The sham-tragedy
was over: a new and unrehearsed drama
of real life was taking place before their
eyes. and the. audience bent forward to
War. with troubled look, rose at this
point and made an attempt to stay Lore
lies action
Let down the curtain" he cried to an
attendant in the wings. What DEVILS
work is this?'' he continued, turning fiercely
upon his wife. LET it cease! Restore my
father to his normal state. You have mes
merized him. and mistress of his mind.
you are making him say whatever you
wish. Do you think that any one here be-
lieves him?'
One word from her, one imperious ges-
ture, one flash Of her eyes, was sufficient
to quell WARS opposition.
"Malvazia" she whispered. pointing to
the sapphire cup.
The viscount shrank back, knowing that
the hour of his fall and humiliation was
at hand.
Let none intervene" said Lorelie, adj
dressing her audience with quiet dignity.
And during the remainder of the scene
there was neither movement nor sound on
the part of the spectators. not even from
Idris and War, the two persons most in
terested in the dialogue.
In cold, measured tones IIorelie proceed
ed with her merciess catechism.
"WaS he a younger brother?'
my senior by three years.
"Why was he not acknowledged by your
father the late earl?''
HE was the son of secret marriage
marriage with a village maiden named
Agnes Marville."
"Where can the record of this marriage
be found?
IN the parish church of Oakhurst in
Kent"
"Your father did not tell this Agnes that
he was peer Of the realm: and. as soon as
while she was still living he made a second
marriage, which, therefore. renders your
own birth Legitimate. Is not this SOP
Yes"
when did the son of this Agnes discover
that he was the rightful heir of Raven
hall?"
ION attaining manhood
what course did he take?"
HE wrote a letter TO my father to the
effect that as that father had repudiated
him In infancy he on his part would accept
the reuudiation."
And so, waving his just rights, he went
to live in Brittany under the name of Eric
Marville. Why did you, too, leave England
about the same timer"
THE letter written by Eric fell into my
hands and caused a quarrel between my
father AMI myself.
Ibid you. when abroad, ever see your
half-brother?
During his trial stood among the spec
tators."
did you not make yourself known to
him?"
mo, for 1 hated him.
did you show your hatred in any way?"
II secretly promised his prosecuting
counsel large sum if he should secure a
conviction"
"How long did you remain abroad?"
''Ten years.
"And by strange coincidence on the very
night of your return to Ravenhall your
brothers yacht went down in Ormsby race
You believed he had gone down with 1t,
till"
It'll he surprised me in OrmfelI as 1 was
in the act of removing the treasure"
LET us hear what took place."
Eve quarreled. He had discovered the
part had played In the trial at Nantes, and
also that 1t was 1 who had taken the
runic ring from his wife. He threatened to
assert his claim to the earldom, and so I
struck him down with stletto hafrpin,
the only weapon I had upon me at the
time