Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-30
CHAPTER XV.-Continued.


morrow from my path. to stamp out the
satisfied triumph from these time-serving
faces about me. / want to play this
splendid game and remain chief in the
battles Of diplomacy and statecraft.
want my wife to continue In the life to-
which she was born. And I know the
power to accomplish all this lies ready
at my hand; 1 have only to take, Oh, I
am no Galahad or Cincinnatus. no pa
tient despiser of earthly good; no longer
even the iGealist who spun his dreams
on the Nadeja. 1 have tasted of a dan
gerous fountain. and 1 shall thirst for its
purple-tinted water all the rest of my
time. I have no bent, no inclination, for
obscure inactivity
YETI" Allard wondered.
Stanief leaned back and idly picked up
the pen on his desk.
Yet Adrian's coronation takes place
next week. exactly. Are we sufficiently
inconsistent. we others? And / will pass
my life In a castle Of the north, wan
dering over Europe. 1 only spoke to
show you that my days are not serene
either. and why you must go back to
believe he is safe: the secret police
watch him ceaselessly and report to me.
But ! want you near him.
Il will go back now" assented Ailard.
utterly subdued. You are right, l knew
nothing of this. / owe SO much to MIN,
as well as to you. I wish l were a wiser
guardian; THAT automobile
Your automobile, My dear John,
what has it to do with the matter? Or
do you mean that Adrian gave it to you?
l never knew that"
Yes. he gave it to me-" Allard smiled
and frowned together. 1T is nothing, of
course. But / will not leave him again
un.ess you wish or he compels."
THANK you. You are going direct to
the palace"
Yes: he sent me with letter to
madame"
Stanief WINGED, signing One trial he
had not told Allard, yet exile would
have been light thing to bear IL the
fearless child Iria had still walked with
him.
wait and 1 will go with you," he Of
fered. II must have the emperors APP
prevail of these plans for next week.
Have you delivered madame's letter."
Not yet. monseigneur. 1 am afraid
I forgot it,
Give it to me and 1 will leave it with
her in passing. l have not seen her to-
day
1t had come to that point: the cold and
self-contained Stanief sought pretext
in these days to see the delicate face he
loved. The gentle princess was hurting
him as no one else could.
Up in her cream and azure boudoir
Iria was alone when Stanief entered.
She was bending over a table heaped
with water lilies and purple Florentine
irises from the conservatory, herself
quite radiant with their reflected bright
ness as she lifted the heavy petals and
breathed their fragrance. Her back to
the. door, she did not turn at once to see
who came. unannounced.
Look, Marya." she called, gladly and
sweetly. Come here: were ever things
knee deep in the clear pools. like en-
chanted princes. And the lilies-Over
them the dragon flies lowered all day.
and between their stems the goldfish
slept and played"
She moved with the last word and saw
Stanief; a tall, soldierly presence in the
flieree room.
oh" she exclaimed family. pardon.
monseigneur,''
aFor WHAT" he demanded 1T is 1
who should apologize for disturbing you
here. I have letter from the emperor
for you
Thank you. monseigneur." she muir
INJURED. and accepted the massive en-
velope to lay it listlessly on the table.
Stanief looked at her. Like one of her
own slim flowers she stood, her simmer
ing white morning dress leaving her
round throat and arms bare. The full
soft hair was caught In a great coil low
on her neck. she wore no jewel except
the slender gold chain and cross gleam-
ing through the lace at her bosom.
Why are you afraid of me-, he asked,
as If my touch were pain? What has
come between us, Iria?"
Nothing, monseigneur," her fingers in
terlaced in feverish nervousness.
Nothing? 1ria. Iria, will you tell me
now to take you with me into my exile?"
YES monseigneur," came the low re-
ply. but her head dropped.
And you think ! would accept plo, the
himself with a violent effort.
II am sorry" she responded. con-
fusedly. IL have not changed
Then it is I?''
NO. no; please let me go, monseig-
neur.''
'It is who will CO." he answered.
shaken out of self-mastery for once.
-''Iria, do not know who awakened you.
who showed you the truth. perhaps 1t
was my kindly cousin. But 1t is clear
that you have seen. Iria, was your trust
also so weak that it went down before a
breath? Because I loved you. must you
shrink from me? Child. loved you the
first day that you gave me your shy
friendship. I loved you all the months
afterward. and was my care of you less
careful for that? If you could have con-
tinued in your ignorance. would I have
failed your?
Before his passion and grief she re-
treated mute. colorless. her dazed eyes
upon him.
"You"' she gasped. YOU then
suddenly turned and hid her face among |
the heaped flowers.
Il did not hope that you could love
me; / knew better than that. he said |
But I did hope that you would trust |
me. I thought l had earned that much, |
Iria. Let my fancies go, l will undo
this as far as I may. You shall stay In |
the capital or go to your own nome.
whatever you choose. Only this week |
remains. and l lay down both my |
charges. Hush and do not grieve; this
is no fault of yours"
She was sobbing helplessly. her golden
head among the white and purple bios
SONS. He drew a quick breath and /
stood for a moment, struggling to re-
gather around him the poor tattered |
cloak of reserve. But 1t was relief to |
him that she could not see his expression |
when he crossed to her side.
Forgive me-" he said, sadly. II am |
not very wise today. or very kind, I am |
afraid. 1 have loved you; yes. and |
loved Adrian during our quiet years |,
Some flaw In me there must be. that |
neither of you could give me the simple
gift of trust. We will speak of this no
more; somehow l will find way for you.
"A Stanief guards his own"
His voice shook on the sentiment he
would have spoken lightly: STOPPING with
the fierceness of pain suppressed, he
touched his lips to her bright hair.
"You," painted Iria. as the door closed.
YOU monseigneur!
He had gone; only the ver-fringed |
curtain still swayed to tell Of his pas