Show ij S r 7 T v l s I C c eg COP On QU the way to Rome Rot Honor SYNOPSIS S ill u train tr slows down dow and two monks enter r furtively to leave leae at an another another another other slowing down dowl further on They leave on Ol the floor of the th carriage a ring with a large gem foor carved caned with wih the Crescenzi arms ann Honor wears it in Rome and several people who see it show shaw a startled interest Prince rince I Caesar a roue asks aks to be permitted to handle it i and looks distinctly spiteful when wizen he is i refused reused Princess Princes Flavia Crescenzi a beautiful young lady relates the history of the ring and au of her he family ending with an appeal for its return Honor HOlar without hesitation restores the jewel The princess princes invites Honor H olor to become her companion Thinking the ring is still sti in Honors Honors posses possession possession sion Prince Princ Caesar has her kidnapped and sol confined in an az al old ld castle near Rome The timely arrival of the thc princess releases her he and mId frightens off the prince The next morning moring all al the exits of of the castle are found to be barred and mId the party are prisoners Honor H o 1 r has discovered and is exploring a secret way wy out oil Honor H olor finds more than a friend in Alaric Vaughan 1 an al Englishman who helped her in ina il ila a difficulty on her journey to Rome CONTINUED FROM LAST LT SUNDAY SUAY CHAPTER Continued r HEY were dusky dUsk and dim but as she grew gew accustomed acc tomed to the twilight on k them she went on more confidently The steps were of ot stone worn and old and ad crooked she had F to take care where she stepped stopped Down Dow and down and down At last they came to a stop atop A A door barred the end e a d She S h e eI I could see the filtering of ot i outside light II I I g Ii h t through I 1 the keyhole and the t h e tJ IIII cracks crack about It I t Outside must be air and freedom I and daylight She put putout putout r 1 out a hand and touched 1 It I It I gave under her herI I touch to her astonish astonishment astonishment T ment ment She pushed harder hardly haly daring to fancy fanc It would woud open but It iti i grated on rusty hinges and widened enough to lot let her squeeze herself hersel out She stood In such unfamiliar surroundings that for tor a moment she was bewildered and did not know inow where she was wa Then Ten she looked up through t the he screen of shrubs and umbrella pines that closed about her and saw the castle towering tar far above her head She was below the bald rock that held It perched on Its Is top She was on a level 4 With wih the surrounding ground She pushed her way through the branches und and nd twigs twig covered with green geen leaves that snapped back Into her face as she pressed through them In a moment or two she came to the edge of the little wood and saw before her a wind windIng windIng Ing log road te that stretched across the empty campagna like the trail of ot a snake It I was this way Caesar had gone then trai By this way he might return secretly at any time Here only there was no locking or bolt bolting boltIng ing jug This hidden passage was so secure that he had hadnot hadnot hadnot fastened not feared they tey would find It I He had left lef It un unfastened unfastened There far across the campagna campagna Jay J ls Rome It seemed like a friend friend In the silence and desolation of this gaunt and gloomy place a a refuge to turn to If i those th se unseen mysterious dangers danger she could not help fearing should threaten them It I was with wih a sense of warm comfort that Honor I nor turned and made her way back through the tiny used how often and often ofen In the wicked Old days of ot these Crescenzi for purposes they hid from the light Rome lay layover over there and there was Mr Vaughan the one person In Inthe inthe inthe the world she could trust to help her If I help became a 8 I necessity All Al the way way back up the steep flight fight that seemed endless to her breathless climbing climb ng the thought went with her as a of ot comfort comfort Mr lIr Vaughan was still sUI within reach Her fears seemed foolish In the broad streaming sunlight that lit lt the dreary rooms with a sense of ot gay hilarity Yet the withdrawal of ot the servants the fastening of the outer doors and gates what could they mean but that Prin Princess Princess Princess cess Flavia was a prisoner in her uncles castle caste end and nd that Prince Caesar kept leet the key keyThe ke keThe keyThe The princess came out of ot her room holding papers In her hand nand as Honor reached the door She put up her hand had and pushed back the beautiful hair from her forehead a little wearily I have had papers to sort and read through for my mr uncle she said They needed his seal and ad I promised them at the Vatican before the end of the week It I is a a tiring tring work this hot to study tudy statecraft and trying tring to understand it it Where have have you been 1 On the terraces terra es for a run I hope hone or sitting In the garden grden behind the court courtyard courtyard yard ard 1 I 1 could not get out There is something I want to tell tel you ou Did you ou know that the outer doors are all alt fastened and that the porters porter and servants are gone cone CHAPTER The Motor OR an Instant the princess looked startled started then FOR she smiled Her head went up proudly and she looked regal It I Is Caesars doing of course V she said He Is afraid of having it I known that you OU were brought here and searched search and so he has got rid of ot alt all the people who knew about It I It I is just one of ot his foolish attempts to be cleverer than other people people Ho He le was afraid I should hear and of ot course coure he thinks you ou have gone He Be does not dream that we have hae met mat met But Honor was not satisfied It I seems to me meto meto meto to mean more than that she said Do you realize realise that th t it I makes you a prisoner here in your own castle caste That hat you cannot get out Without breaking down doors and through fastenings that are too strong for you rou to battle with wih you and I and the maids I dont know why the prince has done this but it I must certainly be his work and it i cannot mean moan any an thing but harm to you You said yourself that he is la your worst enemy I r shall not want to leave the castle caste till tl word comes to me from Rome flomo that I am to go The prin princess princess cess smiled again too securely Honor could not but think It I will wi amuse Caesar to think he has shut me up and I am his prisoner It I will wil keep him quiet quiet Meanwhile he cannot hurt us If I we cannot get out he cannot get In to us usI us usI lr I am not so sure of that Honors gravity struck 1 the princess though she Rho still made nade made light of her fears fear Did I 1 not tell tel you that there was some hidden way 4 of ot entrance that the prince made use of ot Now I have hae found it It If I you ou come I will wf show it i to you He can come in or go o out just juat as a it pleases him by this stair staircase staircase case cae She ShO led lee the way wa and the te princess followed tol owed her till ti she he drew aside the tapestry In the hall hal of the Hercules and touched the tha spring in the wall wal When the yawn yawnIng yawnIng Ing lag gap gnp showed showe the princess changed color slightly but she did not give any other sign of ot disturbance You are right she said We could not keep him out if I we had not known of oc this way He might have come coma In upon us at any unexpected moment moment Thank you for finding It I out little friend Now I can pre pro prevent prevent i vent that th t We Ve will wi fasten the door that you say is j at the foot of the staircase But nut I dont think Caesar is likely meely to come back here now that he knows I 1 am amin amIn amin in possession It I was a great impertinence for him 1 to come at all aUto to usa use the place for his own purposes If It I my uncle were not ill 11 he would not have dared But Honors growing uneasiness was waa wa not abated by the princess prncess calmness She did not know what It was she feared feared but there was a o a heavy fear on her Heart This lonely desolate place where any crime might be committed to company with wih a thousand past past crimes The absence of any of ot the princess servants except the few maids and the men servants ervant who had accompanied her carriage The sinister at atmosphere mOShe that lur lurked ed In every corner orner of the vast castle It I all al weighed on Honors Honors heart and and nerves and filled ed her he be with a 8 gloomy oppression oppression Some time in I n the afternoon while the princess was wa taking her inevitable rest which is a part par of all al Italians dolly daily routine Honor slipped sUpped from the boudoir where they had been sitting together and made mae her way down the tha great staircase of marble that ran between the state rooms She had ha taken a sudden resolution she Se had written a letter leter to dr r Vaughan Va ghan and she abe had told him hm of f the te position in which they were I 1 am sure harm harmis is h meant to the princess she ahe wrote She needs a a friend fiend so badly Can you come out here and con consult consult sult suit with mo mu what can be done He was her one friend and helper in Rome She instinctively turned to him for help In her anxiety She knew that if it I he could do anything it would be bedone bedone bedone done quickly and expertly It I would be like a gleam of sunshine only to see him and have hae his advice She made her way down Into the courtyard through the open arch below the staircase She knew the great gates gatea of ot the entrance were wee we e securely locked and bolted for she had tried them Just now But the princess prncess men servants would be in the stables and andone andone andone one of them could mount a horse and ride to Rome with the letter She trembled a little at taking on herself hersel authority to give him orders but the princess would understand when she had explained to her She crossed the wide courtyard skirting the te shadow of ot the grim walls wals to escape the blazing sun and reached the tha range of stables They stood tood silent and hushed The men must be having their afternoon siesta also She opened a door and looked In To her con the stalls that should have held the horses were empty The carriages stood dim in the shadow with dropped shafts but neither harness harneS nor horses were ere to be seen The room where the men should have been sitting or sleeping steeping was empty and silent too What could this mean What had bad become of horses and servants Like a flash fash it crossed her mind that they must have been stolen away that the princess might have no means of ot escape from the palace The prince had seen in her sudden unexpected arrival a move In the game that was in his favor It gave him his chance He could make mke her his prisoner with without without without out the least leat trouble It I was only to take away her horses and her servants and to fasten the gates on the to outside More urgently than before It i was forced on Honor that something must be done without delay to help her princess and to set her free tree She went back to the hall hal of ot the Hercules fired fred with a sudden resolution She drew back the tapestry for the third time that afternoon and nd found the secret spring Down the steep dusky stairs she went rapidly this time for tor she knew where to put her feet feet She was at the bottom almost directly and she opened the heavy door No It I was not fastened as she had feared She looked for tor some means of ot securing It i on the inside but there was none Neither was there wa lock or bolt to prevent any anyone one making his way wa out any more mOte than in Instinctively she went outside searching through the little copse for some big branch of a a tree or some huge stone that she might bring inside the narrow passage and use to block the door As A she gained the edge of the te little thicket of ot um urn brella brela pines and close shrubs she caught sight of a distant whirl of dust on the road that ran Just below the base of the castle caste rock It I was a n road solitary and even by herds of ot goats or 01 flocks of ot sheep She stopped to look at the little dust cloud surprised that any anyone one should be traversing that desolate region scenting fresh danger darger in even so simple a sight As she sight looked she was aware of ot a long low body painted dark red amid the whirl of a dust With something of relief reler red and wonder she ahe recognized that It i was a motor swiftly approaching taking the road past the castle to Rome Rome It I came upon her with a 1 spring of Inspiration Here was her messenger If she could him Sho She scrambled up on o the high bank that that edged the road and tearing her handkerchief from her pocket she fluttered it eagerly making a gesture of entreaty with her other hand The motOr slackened pace sud denly It I was running smoothly but not at excessive speed As It I came almost level with wih her It stopped with the dust cloud floating round It It it and she saw that a a man was Its single occupant He lifted his peaked cap and asked f rather poor Italian Is there any thing wrong Can I be of any use The sight of a hatless young lady waving frantic ally aUy to him to stop at the foot of a rock on which perched a battered old castle caste might perhaps have ac counted for his surprise Are you going to Rome Would you carry a letter for me she asked breathless and coloring carr I have no messenger I thought you mind my asking you He hold out his hand with instant wih politeness Are you ou not English i F He Ha dropped with wih relief Into that language geY Yes Y s I was ws sure Certainly I will wil do it with wih lang pleasure I am going straight to Rome And you I cannot take you there instead of the note I fancied when I saw you that there ther had been some accident For Just a second Honor hesitated Then she colored again agin and shook her head head No she said I 1 cannot leave Va my friend hore here She would be alone If I I 1 went The strange man looked but he bowed bowe again I l will wil do your our commission with wih great pleas ure tire He was preparing to start the car again but he looked up at the frowning height above him Can you tell tel me the name of f this castle caste he said I 1 have no idea where I am am I must have come considerably out of ot my road dinal I It Is the iS Caste Castle Crescenzi It I belongs to the te car carol ol but the princess Prncess is here at present She was unprepared for his start his exclamation Princess Flavia Crescenzi Crescensi My princess Then he checked himself and half hal laughed prncess I 1 mean that I have the tho pleasure of knowing her We Venice met once in Honor stared With Wih open Interest Interest Oh are you the Englishman who saved her life Ufe at the Lido Then te I r have heard of you ou she said I 1 am Lord Has she really told you w realy about me he said sai with wih eagerness She left Venice and I did not know she was going till tl it i was lef too late I have nave never been able to find out a word about her since Inco that tat summer Does Docs she really rely live Uve In this som ber place pace lie Te glanced up at the grim walls above him with Wih a keen interest Interest wals She lives in Rome at the Palazzo Lorenzo She is only here for a little lite time I cannot tell tel you any an thing more except that she is In trouble now and I want help for her That Tat letter leter I asked you to take Is to a friend of mine who will help us He turned It I in his hla hand and glanced at tho the name jn It I Vaughan r I know the man know him rather well wel Ill Il put this In his hands in half an hour Then if I may Ill Il come back bak here at once hal If |