The National tribune., 1906-10-04

ed to hear me say Yes to that" she
said.
would Yes be true?"
YES" I just heard her breathe, and
she went on in an instant: ''Be careful,
Rudolf; be careful, dear. He will be
mad now"
What. Michael? If Michael were
the worst
What worst is there?"
There was yet a char ;e for me. Con-
trolling myself with a mighty effort, I
took my hands off her and stood yard
or two away. 1 remember now the note
of the wind in the elm trees outside.
"If I were not the King" I began;
eff / were only a private gentleman"
Before I could finish her hand was
in mine.
'If you were a convict in the prison
of Strelsau you would be my King"
she said.
And under my breath I groaned,
God forgive mel" and holding her
hand in mine, I said again:
eff 1 were not the King"
Hush, hush!' she whispered. 81
don't deserve tt don't deserve to be
doubted. Ah, Rudolf does a woman
who marries without love look on the
man as 1 look on you?"
And she hid her face from me.
there together; and !. even with my
arm about her, summoned up what
honor and conscience her beauty and
the tolls that l was in had left me.
"Flavia," / said in a strange, dry
voice that seemed not my own, II am
not"
AS I spoke-as she raised her eyes
to me-there was a heavy step on the
gravel outside, and a man appeared at
yrrtfa aI<s,.-
Flavia as she sprang back from me.
My half-fnished sentence died on my
lips. Sapt stood there, bowling low, but
with stern frown on his face.
"A thousand pardons, sire" said he,
but his Eminence the Cardinal has
waited this quarter of an hour to offer
his respectful adieu to your Majesty"
1 met his eye full and square,: and
read In it an angry warning. How long
he had been listener 1 knew not, but
he had come in upon us in the nick Of
time.
I'VE must not keep his Eminence
waiting" said I.
But Flavia, in whose love there lay
no shame, with radiant eyes and blush
Ing face held out her hand to Sapt. She
said nothing, but no man could have
missed her meaning who had ever seen
woman in the exaItation of love. A
sour, yet Sdu, SHllle passed over the old
soldiers face. and there was tenderness
In his voice as. bending to kiss her
hand, he said:
I'm Joy and sorrow, in good times
and bad, God save your Royal High
ness!"
He paused and added, glancing at me
and drawing himself up to military
erectness:
But before all comes the King-God
save the King!'
And Flavia caught at my hand and
kissed II, murmuring:
amen! Good God, ameni"
We went into the ballroom again.
Forced to receive adieus. was separat-
ed from Flavia; everyone, when he left
me, went to her. Sapt was out and in
of the throng, and where he had been
glances. smiles and whispers were rife.
doubted not that, true to his relentless
purpose, he was spreading the news
that he had learned. To uphold the
crown and beat Black Michael-that
was his one resolve. Flavia myself
aye, and the real King In Zenda, were
pieces in his game: and pawns have no
business with passions. Not even at the
walls of the palace did he stop; for
when at last handed Flavia down the
broad marble steps and into her car
us. and we were welcomed with deaf
ening cheers. What could 1 do? Had
l spoken then they would have refused
| to believe that was not the King; they
might have believed that the King had