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Show I THE LION'S WHELP I A Story of Cromwell's Tlmo . BY AMELIA E. BARR- ' Author of "Tho Dow of Oranfo Ribbon." "I. Tliovi and tho Other Ont," I "Tho Maid of Maiden Lnc," Lie. I (Copjtlcht !W1, hi Dodi!, Meait & Compaur. All rillits reserved.) CHAPTER IX (Continued.) "This Is nil very fine Indeed," said Mrs. Swaffham, almost weeping In her" anger, "but you need not praise this man to mo. He hns slain tho King of Kngland, and turned out tho Kngllsh Parliament, and pray what next? Ho will make himself King nnd Elizabeth Cr'owfoll Queen. Shall wo Indeed bow down to them? Not I, for one." J -v "Do nt pcco, MjVX11'" 8al,, fon Swnfflinnv'''horo ti&lmvp to consider consid-er of fnr greater - jHHLthan tho Cromwell women. 'BW P'f nation Will take this .-'rcmans to bo seen." J "I look for mdafidjapvrath nnd vain babble, and threats henrd fnr and wide," said Doctor Verity. "Tho pooplo havo beonglven what thoy wanted, and twenty to ono they will now nay-Bay nil thoy havo roared for. That would bo like tho Test of their ways." For onco Doctor Verity was wrong. This masterstroke of Cromwell's wont straight to tho heart of London. "Not a dog barked against It," said Cromwoll to his friends, nnd ho was to all intonts nnd purposes right. Thoso who called It "usurpation" confessed con-fessed that it was an usurpation of capability, in placo of ono of Incapability. Incapa-bility. CHAPTER X. Rupert and Cluny. When tho Jevorys arrived In Paris, thoy went Immediately to tho beautiful Hotel do Fransac, which Sir Thomns had rented for their rcsldenco whllo In tho city. Ono afternoon Matilda stood at a window watching tho crowds passlne; Inces8antly. To tho right was tho palaco of tho great King Louis, nnd not rar away tho palace ot his Eminence, Emi-nence, tho great Cardinal Mazarln. Sho was dressed for her lover, and waiting his arrival, her soul flashing from hor watching eyes, her whole "Take your life from my hand." sweet body nt attention. When to ordinary or-dinary enrB thoro would havo been nothing to givo notice, Matilda heard a step. Sho lot Jano's lottor drop to hor feet and stood facing tho door with hands dropped and tightly claspod. A moment later tho footsteps wero very distinct; they wero nscendlng tho stairway quickly, peremptorily. A perfectly per-fectly ravishing light spread ltsolf ovor Mntllda'6 raco. Then tho door flow opon nnd Prince Ruport entered; "entered," however, being too small n word, for with tho opening of tho door ho wns on his kneos nt Matilda's feet, his arms wero round hor waist, Bho had bent hor faco to his, thoy wero both near to weeping and know it not, for lovo must weep when It snatches from somo hard Fnto's control con-trol tho hours that years havo sighed ror. Ruport loved Matilda. All the glory and tho sorrow of his youth woro in that lovo, and as ho knelt at her foot in bis princely, soldierly splondor thoro was nothing lacking in tho picture of romantic devotion. "Adorablo, ravishing ravish-ing Mata!" ho cried, "at your foot I am paid for ray llfo's misery." And Matilda leaned towards him till tholr handBomo faces touched, and Rupert could look lovo Into her oyes, soft and languishing with an equal affection. affec-tion. For a llttlo whllo thoir conversation was purely porsonal, but tholr own Interests wero so blont with public affairs that It was not posslblo to separate them for any length of time. "We havo sold all our cargoes," ho Bald triumphantly, "In spite of old Cromwell's remonstrances. What can Cromwell do? Will he go to war with Franco for n merchant's bill of lading?" lad-ing?" "I will toll you something, Rupert. I had a letter to-doy rrom my friend, Mlstross Jano Swaffham. Sho says hor lover, Lord. Cluny Neville, must bo In Paris about this tlmo, nnd that ho will call on me. Ho Is on Cromwell's Crom-well's business; there Is no doubt of It." "What is tho appearance of Nevllio? I think I saw him this morning." Then Matilda described the young lord, and the particularity of her knowledge regnrdlng his eyes nnd hnlr and voice nnd manner did not pleaso Princo Rupert. "A very haughty youth," said Rupert Ru-pert when the conversation was resumed. re-sumed. "Ho was with tho Cnrdlnal this morning. And now I begin to remember his business was such ns In n manner concerns us. 'Twas about a merchant ship which that old farmer on King Charles' throno wants payment pay-ment for. My men took It In fair fight, and 'tis ngnlnst all usago to give back spoils." They talked of thoso things until Rupert's engagements called him away, then they rose, and leaning towards to-wards eacli other, walked slowly down tho long splendid room together. Sho went then to find her undo and aunt. Hut Bho quickly noticed In them nn air of anxiety nnd gloom, nnd It. annoyed hor. "Is anything particularly wrong aunt? Hnvo I been making some troublo again?" "Sir Thomas Is very unhappy, niece. Ho has heard news that frightens him, and wo aro longing to bo In the penco and safety or our own homo." "You aro going to loso a llttlo gold, and so you nre wretched, and miiBt go to tho Clty-or-tho-Mlscrable." "I nm not going to loso a penny." "Well, then?" "Thero may bo troublo bocauso of this very thing, nnd I do not want to bo In Paris with tho two women I love bettor than myself if Cromwell nnd Mnzarln como to blows. I might be tnkon from you. I should vory likely bo sent to tho nastllo; you would not wish that, Matilda?" "Dear undo, shall wo not return by Tho Hnguo?" "No. Lord Novillo has promised to do my business there. It is only n matter of collecting a thousand pounds from my morchant; but no Is going to tako chargo of your aunt's Jowels, nnd you had hotter trust yours also with him." "I will not trust nnythlng I possess to Lord Ncvillo. Nothing!" "It Is enough," answered Lady Jov-ery. Jov-ery. "Matilda cannot wish to put in dangor your llborty or life." "My Happiness Is of loss conso-quonco, conso-quonco, aunt." "Certainly It Is;" and thoro was . an nlr ot finality In Lady Jov-oiy'b Jov-oiy'b voice thnt Matilda roso nnd wont to hor own npartmonts to continue her complaints. This sho did with passlonnto Tooling In a lottor to Princo Rupert, in which sho oxprossod w....-out w....-out stint hor hatred or Lord Neville nnd hor doslro ror his punlsnmont Rupert wns woll Inclined to horor hor wish. Ho had soon tho young Commonwealth Com-monwealth messenger, and his handsome hand-some person and patrician manner had given him a momont's onvlous look back to tho days when ho also had been young and hopeful nnd full of faith In hla own groat future Ho hnd not long to wait for n opportunity to meet Ncvillo. While ho was playing lillllatds tho following afternoon with tho Duko of York, his equerry arrived nt tho Palais Royale with his horse. Neville had taken the northern rond out of the city, and It was picsumubly tho homeward road. Rupert followed quickly, but Ncvillo was a swift, steady ilder, nnd ho was not overtaken till twonty miles hnd been covered, and the dnyllght was nearly lost In tho radiance of tho full moon. Rupert put spurs to his horso, passed Neville ut n swift gallop, then suddenly wheollng, came at a rUBh towards him, catching his brldlo as they met. "You will alight. I havo a quarrel to scttlo with you." "On wunt ground?" "Say It Ib on the ground of your mistress. I nm Enrl do Wick's friend." "I will not fight on such pretenso. My mistress would deny mo if I did." "Fight for your honor, then." Ncvillo laughed. "I know bettor. And boforo what you call Honor, I put Duty." "Then light for tho papers and; money in your possession. I want them." "Hal I thought so. You aro a robber, rob-ber, It seems. Hut I wnrn you that I am a good swordsman." "Heaven and hell! What do I caro? If you do not alight at onco, I will slay your horao. You shall fight mo, hero nnd now, with or without pretenso." pre-tenso." Then Neville flung hlmscir from his horse and tied tho animal to n tree. Ruport did likewise, and tho two men rapidly removed such or their garments gar-ments as would Interfere with their bloody play. Thoy wero in a lonoly road, partially Bhaded with great trees. Not a human habitation was visible and there were no seconds to seo Justice Jus-tice dono in tho fight, or securo help after it, If help wns needed. But at this tlmo tho lack of recognized formalities for-malities was no Impediment to the duel. Report quickly found that he had met his match. Neville left him not a moment's breathing spaco, but nover followed up his nttneks, until at last Rupert called out insolently, "When aro you going to kill moi Tho angry impatience of tho Inquiry probably Induced a moment's carcloss-nesB, carcloss-nesB, and Rupert did not notice that In tho strugglo tneir ground had Insensibly Insen-sibly been changed, nnd Novillo now stood directly In front of n largo tree. Not heeding tho impediment, Ruport mndo a fierce thrust with tho point or his sword, which Novillo ovndcd by a vault to ono side, so that Rupert's sword striking tho troo, sprang from his hand nt tho Impact. As it fell to ' tho ground, Nevllio reachod It flrst, and placed his foot upon it. Ruport stood still and bowed gravely. Ho wns at Novlno's mercy, and. ho Indicated Indi-cated his knowledge of .this lact by tho proua stlllnncs of his attitude. "It was an nccident," said Nevllio, "and an nccident Is God's part In nny affair. Tako your llfo from my hand. I havo no will to wish your death." Ho offered his nnnd as ho spoko, and Rupert took it frankly, nnsworlng: " TIs no disgrace to tako llfo from ono so gallant and generous, nnd I am glad that I can repay tno favor ot your clemency;" then he nlmost whispered whis-pered in CIuny'B ear threo words, and tho young man started visibly, and with great hasto untied his horso. "Wo would bettor chango horses," said Rupert; "mlno Is a B-.rb, swift as tho wind." But Cluny could not mako tho chango proposed without, some delay, his papers and Jowels being bestowed In his saddle linings. So with a good wish tho two men parted, and thoro wns no anger botwoen them ndralra-tlon ndralra-tlon nnd good-will had taken Its placo. Novillo hastened forward, as ho had been advised, and Rupert returned to Pnris. Ho know Matilda was expecting expect-ing him, nnd ho pictured to himself her disappointment and anxiety at his non-appearance. Yet ho was physically h exhausted, and as soon ns ho thiow n himsolf upon a couch ho forgot all hla I weariness and all his anxictios in a B deep sloop. K Early next morning ho went to Ma- Uj tllda. I "How could you bo cruelly dlsap- ft point mo?" she cried. "You bco now tg thnt our tlmo Is nearly gono; In a I few hours wo must part, perhaps for I ever." "My dearest, loveliest Matn, I was ' about your ploasure. I was following 8 1 ord Novillo, and ho tcok mo further B than I oxpoctod." I "Lord Novillo ngaln! Tho man Is g) an Incubus I Why did you follow V. him?" h "You wished mo to glvo him a los- I son. Ho was going homeward. I had ' i to rldo last night, or let him escape. I By my troth, I had ouly your ploasure In mind." "Oh, but the prlco paid wns too greatl I hnd to give up your society for hours, That Is a loss I shall mourn to tho end of my llfo. I hope, then, that you killed him. Nothing loss will sufllco for It." "I was out of fortuno, as I always am. I had an accident, nnd was at his morcy. Ho gave mo my life." (To bo continued.) |