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Show 1 (Cop) right, 1S98, 190, fcy a 11. Ciockctt.) CHAPTER XV. The Face That Looked Into Joan's. Tho chamber to which tho Duchess Joan wns conducted by her hostess had evidently been carefully prepared prepar-ed for her reception. It was a Inrge, low room, with a vaulted roof of carv-en carv-en wood. Tho work was of great merit nnd evidently old. A tnblo with a llttlo prle-Dleu stood in tho corner, screened by a curtain which ran on a brazen rod. A ltoman Hrovlary lay on n velvet-covered tablo beforo tho crucifix. Joan lifted It up and her eyes fell on tho words: "Hy a woman ho overcame. My a woman ho wns overcome. A woman was onco his wenpon. A woman Is now becomo tho Instrument of his defeat. Ho flndeth thnt tho weak vessel cannot be broken." "Nor shall It!" said Joan, looking at tho cross beforo her, "by the strength of Mary the Mother, tho wenk vessel shall not ho broken!" As she stooped to blow out the last candle, a motto on the stem cnught her eye. Joan took tho candle out of Its socket nnd road the Inscription word by word "Da pacem, Domino, In dlcbus nos-trls." nos-trls." It was her own scroll, the motto of tho reigning dukes of Hohenstoln n trango one, doubtless, to bo that of a fighting race, but, nevertheless, her father's and her own. L Whnt did her father's motto, tho evlcu of her house, upon this Haltlc stand, fur from tho highlands of PKornsbug? Mud these wastes onco bolonged to men of her race? And this woman, who so regally played tho mistress of this strungo hermitage, who was she? And ns Joan of Hohenstoln blew out the candle sho mused In her heart concerning these things. Tho Duchess Jonn slept soundly, her dark, boyish head pillowed on tho full rounded curves of nn nrm thrown behind her. On-the llttlo velvet-covered velvet-covered tnblo Uesldo tho bed wero her bolt and Its dependent sword, n faithful faith-ful compaulon In Its shenth of plain black leather. Under her pillow, nnd within instant reach of her right hand, was her father's dagger. in their chamber In tho wing which looks toward tho north tho three captains cap-tains Iny wrapped In their mantles, Jorlan and Ilorls answering each other nasally, In nlternato trumpet blasts, llko Alp calling to Alp. Werner von rjflAuSjonocould rot sleep, and 1 I I I 1I1 III I fcleReir hTir Isy companions In the ribs till ho Vas weary of the task, ho roso and Bent to tho window to enst open tho attlco. Tho air within felt thick and lliot. As Werner sot his fnco to tho opening quick (lashes of summer lightning light-ning flamed alternately whlto nnd lilac across tho horizon, and ho felt the spit of hailstones In his fnco, driving lovel llko so many musket-balls when tho Infantry fires by platoons. Above. In tho vaulted chamber, Joan turned over on her bed, murmuring murmur-ing uneasily In her sleep. A whlto fnco, which for a quarter of an hour had boon bent down to her dnrk head ob It lay on the pillow, was suddenly retracted Into tho darkness nt the girl's slight movement. Again, apparently reassured, the shadowy vlsngo approached ns tho young duchess Iny without further motion. Suddenly, nnd for no apparent appar-ent reason, Joan's ecs opened, nnd who found herself looking with be. vtldcrmont Into a face that bent Blown upon her, n white fnco which 'somehow seemed to hung suspended A white face which somehow seemed to hang suspended In the dark above her. In the dark nbove her Tlio features wero lit up by tho pulsing lightning which shor.e In the wild eyes and glittered glit-tered on a knlfehlndn about tho ban-dlo ban-dlo of which were clenched tho tense fingers of n hand equally detachel. In a moment Jonn's right hand had grasped tho dagger under her pillow Her left shooting upward, closed on tho nrm which held the threatening steel. Almost without rising from her bed she projected herself upon her enemy, nud the felt her lingers sink dcop In tho soft curves of a woman's throat. Then a shriek, long nnd terrible. Inhuman and threatening, rang through tho house. As Joan overbore her assailant upon the floor, the door opened, nnd glanrlng upward vho taw (ho Wordless Man stand on tho threshold, a candle In one hand nnd a linked sword In the other. Tho terrible cry which had rung In her ears had been his. At Bight of him Jonn unclasped her fingers from tho throat of the woman wbo had -'jcen her hostess nnd roso slowly to her feet. Tho old man rushed forward for-ward and knelt beside the prostrate body of bis mistress. At tho same moment there came tho sound of quick footsteps running up tho stairway. Tho door flew open and Werner von uncta mirst In, also sword In hand. "What Is tho meaning of this." ho shouted. "Who bns dared to harm my lady?" "Go down nnd bring n cup of wine!" commanded Jonn as soon as he appeared. ap-peared. And Werner von Orseln departed de-parted without a word to do her bidding. bid-ding. Meanwhile the Wordless Mnn had raised his mistress up from tho ground. "Carry your mistress to that couch!" said the young duchess, pointing point-ing to the tumbled bed from which n few minutes beforo she had so hastily launched herself. Whilst ho was thus engaged Werner Wer-ner camo In quickly with a silver cup In his hand. Jonn took it Instantly and going forward for-ward she put It to the lips of the woman wom-an on the bed. Putting out her hnnds tho woman took tho cup nnd drank It slowly, pausing between the draughts to draw long breaths. "I must havo strength," bIio said. "I havo much to say. Then, Joan of Hohrnsteln, thou shall Judge between theo nnd me!" Tho color enmo slowly bnrk to tho woman's pale fnce, and, nftcr n little, sho raised herself on tho pillows. Jonn stood motionless nnd uncompromising uncompro-mising by the great Iron dogs of tho chimney. "You are waiting for mo to speak, nnd I will spenk. You havo a double right to know nil. Shall It bo told to yourself alone, or In tho presenco of this mnn?" Sho looked nt Von Orseln ns sho spoke. "I havo no secrets In ray life," said Joan, "thero Is nothing that I would hldo from him. 8nvo ono thing!" She added the last words In her heart. Thero was nn Interval of sllcnco In Iho room, filled tip by tho hoarse, persistent booming of tho storm without with-out nnd tho shuddering shocks of the wind on tho lonely house. Then tho .ivotnnn spoko agnln In a low, dlstlket' voice. "8lnco It is your right to know By j name, I nm Theresn von I.ynnr vlio havo nlso a right to call myself l Hohenstoln' nnd your dead fathojs widow!" J In an Instnnt the rcscrvo of Joan's sternly equal mind wns broken up, She dropped her sword clnttorlng on tho Jloor nnd started angrily toward the bed. ( "It Is n-llo most foul," sho cried.' "my father lived unwed for mnny ' years nay, ever sltico my mother's I I dentil, who died In giving me life, ho never so much ns looked on woman. I 1 It Is a thing well known In tho Duchy!" ( Tho woman did not answer directly. "Max Ulrlch. bring the sliver cas-! kot." sho snld. tnklng from her neck j n llttlo silver key. Tho Wordless Mnn, seeing her! 1 action, camo forward nnd took the key. I ' Ho went out of tho room, nnd after an Interval which seemed Interminable he returned with n peculiarly shaped casket. Tho woman touched n spring with well practiced hand, nnd n mil of pnrchmt'nt fell upon the bed. With n Ktrnngo smlln she gave It to Joan, beckoning her with nn upward nod tri nppronch. Jonn took tho crackling parchment. It had threo seals nttnehed to It nnd ho first part was In her father's hnnd-writing. hnnd-writing. "I declnro bj these pn'sents that I j linvi) married, according to the cus- I touis of llohensteln nnd tho laws of ' iho wnplre. Theresa von I.ynnr. I daughter of tho Count von I.ynnr of Jutland. Hut this ninrrlngo shall not, 1 i any of Its occasions or consequents affect the succession of my daughter Jonimn to the Duchy of Hohonsteln nnd the Principalities or Kernsbergnnd Mnrlenfeld. To which wo subscribe our names ns conjointly agreeing hereto In tho presenco of Ills High Kmlnence the Cardinal Adrlon, Arch-bishop Arch-bishop of Cologne nnd Klcctor of the ' Holy ltoman Kmplro." , After her first shock of surprlso wns ' over Joan noted carefully tho dalo. It ' was 0110 year after her own birth, and ! therefore tho llko period after tho death of her mother, the openly nc-l.uowidged nc-l.uowidged Duchess of Hohenstoln. I Joan folded this parchment and , hnnlod It back. Then sho stood silent wultlng for nn explanation. The woman took up her parnblo calmly, like one who has long comprehended compre-hended that such n crisis must ono day arrive, and who knows her part thoroughly "I, who spenk to you. am Theresa von I.ynar. Your father saw mo first nt the coronation of our late sovereign. sover-eign. Chrlstlun. King of Denmark. And we loved one another. For many jears at Castlo I.ynar. and also at this place, culled tho Hermitage of the Dunes. Henry of Kernsborg and I dwelt In such happiness as mortals seldom know. nut there camo a spring when my brother, bolng, like jour fsiher s hot and rlonate -. 'I mnn, quarreled with Duko Henry. I threatening to go beforo tho Diet of (he Kmplro If I wero not Immediately I ncknowiensod duchess nnd my son Maurice von I.ynar mado tho holr of I Hohonsteln. Hut I, being true to my oath nnd promise, left my brothel and nbodo hero alono with my bus I band when he could escape from his I dukedom, living like a simple squire nnd his dnmc. Then In nn evil day I sent my son to my brother to train I as his own son In nrms and the arts; I of war. Hut he, being nt enmity with my husband, mado ready to carry the lad before the Diet of tho Empire, that ho might be declared heir to his father. Then In his anger. Henry the I I.lon roso nud swept Castle Lynnr B with fire and sword, leaving none .HsB alive but this boy only, whom ho tH meant to take home nnd trnln with his F captains, Hut on the way home he reeled In tho snddlo and passed ere I ho could spenk a word, even tho name I of those he loved. So the boy ro- I malned n captive at Kcrnsberg, called I by my brother's name, nnd knowing even to this day nothing of his father." I Theresa von I.ynar snt up and fot I a llttlo space rested her hands on her lap as she went on. "Then my son, whom, not knowing, you hnd tnken pity upon and raised to honor, nnd who Is now your faithful "It's a lie most foul I" she cried. servant, sent n secret messenger thnt you would come to abldo secretly with me till n certain dnrk day bad overpassed over-passed Kcrnsberg. And then thero sprnng up In my heart a drcadfut conceit that he loved you, knowing young blood nnd hcnrlng tho famo ot your beauty, and I was afraid for tho greatness or tho sin thnt ono should lovo his sister. "I thought, being a womnnl, nlone, and ono nlso who hnd given nil freely up for lovo's snko, thnt ho would ccr ! talnly love you even ns I had loved And a strango terrible anger and mad-I mad-I noss came over me, dnrkcnlng my soul. For n moment I would have slnln you. Hut I could not. because you wero nsleep. And, even as you stirred, I heard you spenk the name ol n mnn, ns only ono who loves can speak It. Tho nnmo was" 1 "Hold!" cried Joan of the Sword 1 Hand. "I bellovo you I forglvo you.' "The name," continued ThcrcBa von I.ynnr, "was not that of my son! And now," sho continued, slowly rising from tho couch to her height, "I nm rendy. I bid you sloy mo for tho evil deed my heart wns willing for a mo-t mo-t ment to do!" Jonn looked nt her full In tho eyes for tho space of n brenth. Then suddenly sud-denly sho held out her hnnd nnd answered llko her father's daughter "Nay," sho snld, "I only mnrvel that you did not strike me to the heart, becnuso of your son's loss nnd my father's sin!" (To bo continued.) |