Year: 1867

"tood, goodt' said the madman, rub ping his hands gleefully. "And then when he is dead, will cut off his head, and carry it to my friend the mandarin and he will give me his magic ring-hii cats eye, ring, that is worth a kings ran som; and we will sail across the sea yor and together; and you will be mine, my own. for ever! Shall it not be sop

 It. shalls my Pietro!'' answered Cyrills boldly: An! you don't know how much shall love you. But we have no time te lose: Thornhurst will be here presently and l must hide you at once"

 "Yes-yesl behind the curtains" saic Fastina eagerly.

 "No, not behind the curtains" said Cy rila, t' because the first thing that Thorn hurst will do after coming in will be te draw back the curtains and fasten the win dows. Let me consider where will be the best place to hide you?' She paused, and with her finger, on her lips, look round the room, as if in search of hiding place Fastani was holding her other hand, an6 pressing it low and again to his lips.

 'tI have itp' she said at last. Nothing could be better You shall h: d } yourself in this chest;'' and she ran across the room, laughing gaily, and dragging the Italian after her, and flung open the lid of the old carved chest. "See-you have plenty o1 room; and tliere, will be this advantage in hiding here, you will be able, yourself un seen, to witness the whole of my little drama from beginning to end-from your private box, you know. "A little pun that, is it not? l really won't let you kis' my hand any more.) You must keep tht lid open, about quarter of an inch-no more, and presently you will see Thorn hurst come stepping in through one of thes' windows. aYou will see him kiss me---fo the last time, you know, so you must no be angry. Then he will go round and fast en the windows, then he will yawn ant stretch himself, then he will seat himsel in his easy chair, and ask for his meer schaum and a cup of coffee. But you mus not stir till you see his eyes close, and hi head droop back on the chair.-And now sir, to your hiding place. If you love me don't delay. for Thurnhurst may be here a any moment. No-not a single kiss now but as many as you like afterwards. Why can't you tie those lanky limbs of yours in to g knot? A little lower, please. So that is better

 She was just lowering the lid of the ches gently over him when he struck it up sud denly with his arm. 'Cyrilla," he said something whispers to me that my friend the mandarin, would like me to do thi. deed myself. Perhaps the Dog star

 "Hush!'' exclaimed Cyrilla with start '"The king of pellicans is coming this way I hear his footsteps. Hide-hidev' She tried to press the lid down on him as she spoke; but his suspicious ever on the alert was reused in an instant, and with all his strength he strove to keep himself from be ing shut in; but his strength was of little avail in the position in which he then was Cyrilla flung herself bodily on to the chest and in spite of the madman's efforts, little by little, inch by inch, the lid came down upon him, his poMer to struggle against it in proportion the closer it shut him in. Suddenly he changed his position and be. fore he could recover himself, the lid had shut him in completely, and the same ins tant the iron staple in the body of the chest shot up through slit in the lid. The mo ment she saw it Cyrilla's instinct pointed out toher the only method by which Fasti na could be retained prisoner, for her boo fly strength was all but exhausted, The iron bar that should have passed througl the hole in the staple, and have kept tn, chest fast shut, was broken away, and al that Cyrilla could now do was to push her thumb, through the staple and use it as th' bar had been used.

 The footsteps on the gravel outside wer, coming nearer; and presently, Theodor Thornhurst, cigar in his mouth, and with merrier twinkle than usual in his eye steppedin through one of the French win dows

 Not moment too soon. "Saved! saved!' said Cyrilla as her eyes met those of hel husband, and then she sank fainting by the side of the chest. The painter was cautious man as we'll as brave one; he heard strange noises proceeding from the interior of the chest, and at the moment ot releasing Cyrilla's poor bruised thumb, he slipped his pocket knife into it's place Then lifting hiswife in his arms, he carried her into another room, and summoned the servants to her assistance. Armed with revolver, he then went back to the chest and lifted up the lid, but Fastina was half suffocated by this time and was drag ged out by Thornhurst more dead thal alive.

 Ultimately the Italian was reconsigned te the place from which he had escaped; bu long time passed before the painters wifi, recovered thoroughly from the effects o that terrible hour