New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-21
SUNDAY MAGAZINE rOK MAY H. i9'i

feet as the curtain lifted. Another step
would have hurled her into unknown depths
But she did find water. Retreatlng IN panic
toward the aeroplane, she came upon
meager supply cupped in a hollow OF the
rock. It was only the brackish remainder
Of some rainfall; but it served. Had 1t been
a crystal fount, she could not have hung
over it with keener gratitude.
Meanwhile the yelled sun, aim. iinper
feet nucleus Of light, neared ITS zenith ana
TO the ills Of the body were added the rack
and thumbscrcw OF that archinquisltor' the
Mid. She was torn with anxiety as She
pictured the ado at the castle. Long since
they would have missed her. what were
they thinking! To what steps. alter the
revelations Of the night, would her irantlc
aunt be driven What should she say 10
them when Rodoslav took her back! II ne
did take her back Where was he! Drd ne
really know the terrible land she had spied
in that appalling instant on the cliif edge;
Or, even if he knew it, would not this cling
ing white terror distort it beyond recog,,
milton? She believed him lost beyond
doubt. She could with difficulty thrust
away a more tragic possibility. Was the
Great Adventure 10 end at the foot OF
precipice? \ bruised figure
THEN, stumbling through the ghostly
light. a very ghost himself, came Rodo-
slav.
slave you hurt yourself'' Shocked at
the change in him, she sprang to meet nm
"Are you ill;'
"Not in body" he answered, and, brush
t..-...,-l,I,. ur,rlr
"Was it useless TO try 1t in the mist;
she persisted. Couldn't you find your
way
%Yes. | found nv way" He seemed to
drag the words from him. Then, IN passion
ate outburst. Cant you guess the tru'H;
he demanded. Haven't | the look Of
beaten man. Can't you see ! m ruined;
"Ruined," She faltcrcd. "Surcly not that.
If they have discouraged you, these men you
trusted. YOU must find Others to help you.
Don't regret them, she urged, her sorrow
changing to anger. "Be glad you are nd OF
such followers | hope you hcapcd the con-
tempt on them they deserved, called them
the towards that they are''
"No.'
"You let them 90 without word:
He met her eyes. "They were gone before
| came" he said heavily.
Gone There was no one there
"One man, one wretched old man, my own
servant. | went to meet the flower Of Serv-
ian chivalry, the AIarshals Of my army. |
found my coachman!
She was silent before his revelation. How
solace a man who had lost an Empire
With hard, vivid strokes Rodoslav filled
in the picture. sold Nikolai crawled out Of
the bushes as | started up the last trail |
had sent him from Regusa with messages.
You remember him, old Nikolai, the ser
want who came TO meet us at the pier: He
would give his life if asked it. He rsked
it only today He was famished from hiding
in the bushes to warn me. Think Of II! Ny
coachman the only one Of them all, The
others-the Others saved their skins
"Thev were there and went away
"Some Of them. Two or three only. |
don't blame them 50 much. They saw It
was hopeless. They had been tricked too
"Tricked?'
cone man, a man trusted as I've trusted
few, turned infomer. Everything he
learned found its way to those who had
bought him. How Saccarcllo must have
laughed in his sleeve as he watched me. We
played a comedy for his beneht-that's the
truth of it.
The catastrophe was 50 sweeping that it