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Show I I I I : 1ms mm wm (Cop) right, 1898, 1800, by B. II. Crockett.) CHAPTER XXII. The Dropping of a Cloak. And bo, with the mounted guard of Ills own Cossacks before him and bo-hind, bo-hind, Prlnco Ivan carried his brldo to church through tho streets ot her native na-tive city. The great doors of the cathedral had been thrown wldo open and tho leathern leath-ern curtain withdrawn. Tho altar candles and tho lamps a-swlng In the choir wlnked-no brighter than ycllov willow leaves booh through an autumnal autum-nal fog. Ilut as tho cortcgo dismounted dismount-ed tho organ began to roll, and tho people within rose with a hush llko that which follows tho opening of a window at night above tho Alia. Tho sonorous diapason of tho great instrument disgorged Itself through tho doorwnjr In wove after wavo of sound. Tho Princess Margaret found herself again on her feet, upheld on either sldo by brother and lover. She was at first somewhat dazed with tho rush of accumulato disasters. Slowly her mind came back. Maurlco whero was Maurice? She turned about. Tho small, glittering eyes of Prlnco Ivan, black as Hloes, wero looking Into hers. Sho remembered remem-bered now. It was her own wedding. These two, hor brother nnd her enemy, were carrying out tholr threat. They had brought her to tho cathedral to wed hor, against her will, to tho man she hated. Out thoy could. not. She would tell' them. Already sho was n but then, if siio told them that, they would rido back and kill him. Better that sho should jiorjuro hcrsolf, condemn herself to hell, than that. Detter anything than that. Ilut what was sho to do7 Was ever a poor girl so driven? "Margaret, you must como with us Into tho cathedral." It was tho voice of her brother. "It Is necessary that tho Prlnco should wed you now. It has too long been promised, and now he can delay no longer. Besides, tho Dlack DunUi Is in thu city, and this Is tho only hopo to escape. Como!" It was on tho tip of, Margaret's tonguo to cry out with wild words, even as sho had dono nt tho door of tho river parlor. Hut tho thought of Maurlco, of tho torture and tho death, ' silenced her. Sho lifted hor oyes, and 1 there, at tho top ot tho stops, wero tho dignitaries of tho cathedral watt ing to lead tho solemn procession. "I will go!" sho said. Sho laid her hand on her brother's rm, nnd began tho ascent of tho long night of stairs. But ovon as Bho did so, behind hur thero broke n wavo of sound tha crying of many, people, confused and multitudinous, llko tho ) .' warning which runs along a crowded thoroughfaro when a wild charger escaped from bonds threshes along with frnntlc flying harness. And lo! it tho foot of tho steps, clad from head c foot In n clonk, tho sick Princess loan, sho whom tho Black Death had itrlckcn, leaped from her fnnmlng ttecd, and drawing sword followed fiercely up the stairway after tho ! narrlago procession. The Cossacks of :ho Miicovlto guard looked nt each jtber, not knowing whether to stand I ai her way or no. "Hold, there!" tho pursuer shouted, is sho set foot on thu lowest step. "Lord! Suroly that Is no woman's voice!" whispered tho peoplo who itood nearest, and their lower Jaws Iropped a little further in shoor won-lerment. won-lerment. I- ' Up tho wldo steps of tho Dom flow Jio tall womnn In tho flowing cloak. Hor faco wns pallid as death, but her yos were brilliant nnd hor lips red. At tho sight of tho naked sword 9rlnco Ivan plucked tho bludo from "I am her huibandl" bis sldo and Louis shrank a llttlo be- Shtnd his sister. "Treason!" ho faltered. "What Is this? Is It sudden madness or tho frenzy of the Black Death?" "The Princess Margaret cannot bo married!" crlod the scorning Princess, "To mo, Margarot! I will slay tho man who lays a hand on you!" Obedient to that word, Margaret of Courtland broke from between bor brother and Prlnco Ivan and ran to tho tall woman, laying her brow on her breast. Tho Prlnco of Muscovy - continued calm and immovable. "And why?" he asked in a tone full of contempt. "Why cannot tho Princess Prin-cess Margaret bo married?" "Becauso," said the woman In the lost cloak, fingering a string at her neck, "she is married already. I am her husband!" The long blue cloak fell to tho ground, nnd the Sparlmwk, clad lu close-fitting squlro's dress, stood bo-foro bo-foro their astonished eyes. A long, low murmur, gathering and sinking, surged about the square. Prlnco Louis gasped. Margaret clung to hor lover's nrm, nnd for tho spaco of a score of seconds the wholo world stopped breathing. Prince Ivan twisted his mustncho as If he would pull It out by tho roots. "So," he said, "tho Princess Is married, mar-ried, Is sho? And you are hor husband? hus-band? 'Whom Qod hath Joined' nnd tho rest of It; Well, woshnl! seo, we shall see!" He spoko gently, meditatively, almost al-most caressingly. "Yes," cried tho Sporhawk, defiantly, defiant-ly, "wo were married yesterday by Father Clement, the Prince's chaplain, In tho presence of tho most noblo Leopold Leo-pold von Dessauer, High Councillor of Plnsscnburg!" "And my wlfe-lho Princess Joan, whero Is sho?" gasped Prlnco Louis, bo greatly bewildered that ho had not yet begun to be angry. Ivan of Muscovy put out his hand. "Gently, friend," he said: "I will unmask this play-acting sprlngald. This Is not your wife, not tho womnn you wedded and fought for, not tho Lady Joan of Hohonsteln, but some basehnrn brother, who, having her face, hath played her part, to mock and cheat and deceive us both!" Ho turned again to Maurice von Lynar. "I think wo liavo met before, Sir Masquer," he said, with his usual Buavo courtesy: "I have, therefore, n double dobt to pay. Hither!" He beckoned to tho guards who lined tho approaches. "I presume, sir, so truo a courtier will not brawl beforo ladles. You recognize that you are In our power. Your sword, sir!" Tho Sparhawk looked all about the crowded square. Then he snapped his sword over his knee and throw tho pieces down on tho stono steps. "You are right, I will not fight vainly vain-ly here," he said. "I know It Is useless. use-less. But" he raised his voice "bo It known to nil men that my namo Is Maurice, Count von Loon, and that tho PrlncosB Margaret- Is my lawfully wedded wife. Sho cannot then marry Ivan of Muscovy!" Tho Prince laughed easily and spread his hand with gentlo deprecation, depreca-tion, as the guards seized tho Spar hawk and forced him a little space 'from the clinging hnnds of tho Princess. Prin-cess. "I am an easy man," ho said gently, as ho clicked his dagger to and fro in Its sheath. "When I.llko a woman, I would as lief marry hor widow as maid! "Prince Louis," continued Ivnn, turning to tho Prince, "wo nro keeping these holy men needlessly, as well ns disappointing tho good folk of Court-land Court-land of their spectacle. There Is no need that we should stand hero any longor. Wo have matters to "discuss with this gentlomnn and his wlfo. Have I your leave to bring them to-gether to-gether in the palaco? We may havo something to say lo them more at leisure." But tho Prlnco of Courtland mode no answer. He moved -his hnnd nn-grlly nn-grlly and began to descend tho Btalrs towards tho waiting horses. Prlnco Ivan turned townrd Mnurlcc. "You will follow under escort of theso gentlemen of my staff," he Bald with smiling equality of courtesy; "thoro Is no need to discuss Intlmnto family affairs beforo half tho rabble of Courtland. Ho bowed to Maurlco as if ho had been Inviting him to a feast. Maurlco looked about tho crowded square, over tho pennons of the Cossacks. Ho know there wns no hopo either In flight or In resistance All tho approaches ap-proaches to tho squaro had been filled up with nrmed men. "I will follow!" ho answered briefly. Hlthorto wo havo had to do with tho summer palaco by tho river, a building of no strength, nnd built moro ns a pleasuro houso for the princely family than as a place of permanent habitation. But tho Custlo of Court-land Court-land was a structure of another nort. Set on a low rock In tho center of tho town, Its wnlls roso continuous with Its foundations, equally massive and Imprcgnnblo, to tho height of over soventy feet. Kor tho first twen-ty-flvo neither window nor grating broko tho grim uniformity of that mighty wall or rock. Above that lino only a few small openings half-closed with Iron bars evidenced tho fact that a great prlnco had his dwolllng.wlth-In. dwolllng.wlth-In. The main entrance to tho Cnstle was through a gateway closed by a grim Iron-loothed portlcullls. Then a short tunnel led to another and yet stronger defense a deep naturnl fosso which surrounded tho rock on nil sides and over whloh a drawbridge conducted con-ducted Into tho courtyard of the castle. Tho Sparhawk knew very well that ho was going to his death as he lode through tho streets of tho city of Courtland, but none would havo discovered dis-covered from his bearing that there was aught upon his mind of graver concern than tho fit of a doublet or, pei haps, the favor of u pretty maid ot honor. But with tho Princess Margaret Mar-garet it was different. In tbeso last crowded hours she had quite lost her old gay defiance. Her whole heart was fixed on Maurice, und tho tears would not be bitten back whon she thought of the fate to which he was going with so manly a courage and so fine an air. Thoy dismounted In tho gloomy court yard, and Maurice, slipping quickly from his Raddle, caught Margaret Mar-garet In his arms as she dropped nervously from the saddle. Sho clung to him closely, knowing that It might bo for tho last time. "Maurice, Maurice," she murmured, "can you forgive me? I havo brought you to this!" "Hush, sweetheart," he answered In her car; "bo my own dear princess. Do not let them see. Bo my bravo girl. They cannot dlvldo our love!" "Como, I beg ot jou," said tho dulcet dul-cet voice of Prince Ivnn behind them; "I would not for nil Courtland break In upon tho billing nnd cooing of such turtledoves, were It not that their affection blinds them to tho fact that tho men-at-arms and scullions are wit-' nosses to theso pretty demonstrations. Tarry a little, sweet valentines time and place wait for all things." T,ho Princess commanded herself tlPw - H-.-.J "Till death do you part." quickly. In another moment sho war Margaret of Courtland. "Even tho Prlnco of Muscovy mlghl npnro a lady his Insults nt such a time!" sho said. The Prince bared his head and bowed low. "Nay," ho said very courteously; "you mistake, Princess Margaret. 1 Insult you not. I may regret your taste but that Is a different matter. Yet even that may amend. My quarrel Is with this gentleman, and It Is ono of some standing, I believe." "My sword Is nt yodr service, sir!" said Maurice von Lynar, firmly. "Again you mistake,", returned the Prlnco more suavely than over; "you havo no sword. A prisoner, nnd (If I may say so without offense) a spy tnken rodhand cannot fight duols. Tho Prlnco of Courtland must Bettlo this matter. When his Justlcer Is satisfied I shall most willingly take up my quarrel quar-rel with whatever Is loft of tho most noblo Count Maurlco von Lynar." To Oils Maurlco did not reply, but with Margaret still beside him ho followed fol-lowed Prlnco Louis up tho narrow ancient stairway cnlled from Its shapo Tho Couch, Into the gloomyattdlenco chamber of tho Cnstle of Courtland. Thoy reached tho hall nnd then nt last, as though restored to power by his surroundings, Prlnco Louis found his tongue. "A guard!" ho cried; "hither, Borg-hoff, Borg-hoff, Knmpcnfeldt! Conduct tho Princess Prin-cess to her privy chamber nnd do not permit her to leave It without my permission. I would speak with this fellownlone." Ivan hastily crossed over lo Prince Louis and whispered in Ills car. In tho meantime, ere tho soldiers of tho guard could approach, Margaret cried out in a loud-cIear voice, "I tako you all to witness that I, Margaret of Courtland, nm tho wlfo of this man, Maurlco von Lynar, Count von Locn. Ho Is my wedded husband, a"nd I love him with nil my henrt!" "You hnve forgotten tho rest, fair Princess," suggested Prlnco Ivan, subtly "till death you do part!" (To be continued.) |