Show bf y 5 P C R 0 C I 1 Q at all Z e kw X cy d copyright 1898 1900 by 8 it cinchett ca Cio chett CHAPTER the dropping of a cloak and so with the mounted guard ot of his own coo Cosa a aclis before him and behind prince 1 ivan van carried his bride to church through the streets of 0 her nativo native city the gi gaoat cat doors of the cathedral had bad been aten thrum thrown n m wide ide open and the leath era curtain with withdrawn dramn the altar candles and the lamps a awing in the choir winked no blighter than yellow willow leaves seen through an autum mat aal fog but as the cortege dismounted the oron began to roll and the people within rose with a hush bush like that which follow B the opening of a window at above the alla alia the Bono ious diapason of tho the great instrument dis disgorged gorged itself through the doorway in ili wave move alter wane wae of bound the margaret found heiselt adalu on lifar feet upheld on either cither side by brother and lover she was at alist somewhat dazed daled with mith tile the lush bush of accumulate disa disasters 9 slowly IY tier her mind came back Mat maurice irice where was mas maurice she turned about tile small ebes es of prince ivan black as sloes aloes were 1001 lug ing into alo hers she bated beted now it was mas her own wedding these two tier her brother end and tier her enemy were ca trying out their threat they had brought bi ought tier her to the cathedral cathe dial to wed tier her against tier her will to the man she hated but the teiei could not she would mould tell them aheady she was wai a but then if she told ethni that they would mould ilde back and kill him better that she hould perjure herself condemn herself to hell bell than that better anything than that but what was vas she to do as ever a poor girl so bo driven margaret iou must come with us into the cathedral it VMS mat the voice of 0 her brother it Is necessary that the prince should wed med you now it has too long been and now he be can delay no longer besides the black death Is in the city and this Is the only hope to escape comel come it was waa on the up tip of margarets tongue to cry out with ith wild words even as she hart had done at the door of the river parlor but the thought of maurice of the torture and the death silenced her she lifted her eyes and there at tile the top of the steps were mere the dignitaries of the cathedral wait lug ing to lead the solemn procession I 1 will go she said she laid her hand band on her brothels arm and began the ascent of the long night flight of stairs but even as she did so behind her there broke a wave of sound the crying of many people confused and multitudinous like the warning which runs along a crowded thoroughfare when hen a wild charger escaped from bonds th along with frantic flying harness and lot at the foot of the steps clad biorn licad head to foot in a cloak cloah the sick princess joan she whom tile the black death had bad stricken tr icken leaped front from her foaming teed bleed and drawing sword followed cleif irely ely up the stairway after the he marriage procession the cossacks Cos sachs or of the Mus muscovite coIte guard looked at each other not knowing whether to stand in her way or no hold there the pursuer shouted as 83 she set act toot foot on the lowest step lord surely that Is no womans comans voice whispered the people who stood nearest and their lower jaws dropped CL a little faither in sheer won derment dement up the m wide ide steps of the doni dom flew the tall woman in the flowing cloak her face was pallid as death but her eyes were more brilliant and her lips red at the sight bight of the naked sword ivan plucked the blade A aiom om all 4 to 1 IF 00 N 1 I am her husbands hus bandl acla stile bide and louis lonis strank a little be N hind d his sister Tit ason lie labeled nabat hat Is this la Is it madness or the frenzy of the dark black death the princess margaret argaret Al cannot be married cried the seeming princess to me margaretl margaret I 1 will stay slay the man mho lays a hand on you obedient to that word mord margadet Marga iet of courtland broke from between her brother and prince ian ban and ran to the tall woman moman 1 saina aan her bro on her breast T 4 prince of co continued mInued calm and nd immovable V aad ud chy h he e ailed in atone full of colite contempt rapt aby hy cannot the biln cess tret be married ja f because s lid ad the theroman woman la in the long cloaks fin a at her A W t neck she is married already I 1 am her husband V the long blue cloak chloal fell to the ground and the he wk clad lil in close fitting squires squire a dress stood be fore their astonished eyes A long low murmur gathering and sinking surged about the square prince louis gasped margaret clung to her lovers arm and for the space or of a score of seconds the whole world stopped bie breathing athing prince ivan twisted his mustache as it if he would mould pull it out by the roots so he be said the princess la ili mar tied Is she and you are her hus bus bandt band whom god hath joined and the rest of it well we shall see me be shall see seel he spoke gently meditatively at al roost most caressingly yes cried the tha Spat hawk defiant ly we married yesterday by father clement tile the princes chaplain in the presence of the most mo it noble leopold von Des dessauer satier high councillor ot of plassenburg Plass enburg and my wife the joan where iq 19 she gaped louls louis so greatly bewildered that he had not yet begun to be angry ivan of put out his hand band genta friend he said 1 I will unmask this pla acting this la Is not your wife riot not tho the woman you wedded and fought for not the lady joan of Holi hollenstein enstein but some baseborn base boiu boin brother who having her face hath planed tier her part to mock moch and cheat and deceive us both he turned again to maurice von ton 1 I think we have met before sir he said with his usual suave courtesy 1 I have therefore ther there etoie foie a double debt to pay hither I 1 lie he beckoned to the guards who lined the approaches I 1 presume sir SO BO true a courtier will mill not brawl beffie ladles ladies you recognize that you aro are in our power your sir the looked all about the crowded square then he snapped his sword over his knee ance and threw the pieces down on the stone steps you ate aie right t I 1 will not fight vainly it lure ire lie he sa said I 1 d 1 I 1 know it it is useless but lie ha raised tits his oice notes be it known to all men that my name Is maurice Maur lre count on loon and that the princess margaret Is my lant lawfully fully wedded wife shat cannot then marry ivan of the prince laughed easily and spread his hand matli v ath gentle depreta lion as the guards seized meled the spar hawk and foicey him a little spa space c e from the clinging hands of the prin cess I 1 am an easy man lie he suld said gently as lie he clicked his flagger dagger to and fro in its sheath when I 1 like a woman I 1 would mould as lief marry tier her widow as m maid aid I 1 prince conle continued lion iian turning to the ve e are keeping these theae holy men needlessly as mell ft ell as aa disappointing the good folk of courtland of their spectacle there is no need that we should stand here any longer we have matters to discuss with v ith this gentleman and ills his wife have I 1 your leave to biang them to gether in the we may have something flom ething to say to them more at leisure I 1 but the prince of courtland made mad no answer ile he his big hand an and began to descend tho the stairs towards the malting horses prince lian han turned toward magilee you will mill follow andar r escort of these gentlemen of my staff he said with smiling equality of courtesy there la Is na need to intimate family affairs beffie beffi e half the i abble of courtland ile he bowed to maurice as if he be had been inviting him blin to a feast maurice looked about the crowded square ovel the petitions of the cossac Co s lie he knew theta was no hope either in flight or in ret resistance istance all the a approaches p pro aches to the square had been filled up ill with armed men I 1 will AM follow lie ho answered we have had to do with the summer palace by the river a building bull ding of no strength and built more as a pleasure house for tho the princely prince Y family than as it a place of anent bibi habitation tation dut but the castle of court lind mas a structure of another sort set on a low tok lock in the centea 0 of the he town its vails rose continuous wath its foundations equally massive and impregnable to the height ot of over geenty feet vol foi the first twenty dye hiither ri ither window nor grating broke the glint of that mighty wall of rode rock above thal line only a few half closed eloRed with iron bats bais eilden evidenced ced the fact that a great had his dwelling da elling with in the main entrance to tha abe castle was as a gateway closed by a grim iron toothed cullis then a tunnel led to another and yet et stronger bt ronger defense a deep natural fosse osse which surrounded the rode rock on all sides and over which aich a dr drawbridge ambridge con ducted into the courtyard of the castle the Spar hak know knew very well that he was wag going to tits ills death as he ha rodo rode through the streets of the city ol of kurtland ourt land but none would have tits dis coveted front from tits his bearing that there was vaa aught upon hla his mind of graver concern than the fit of a doudiet doii ulet or perhaps the favor of a maid of 0 honor dut but with the princess mar garet it will waa dir different ferent in these last crowded hours houra she had quite lost her get old gay de defiant flan ifer her whole heart as fazed on and the teara eara would not be bitten back athen she sha thought of th to 0 o wllis ile he haq ai fe w awni going with so BO manly a courage nd so fine an air they dismounted lle mounted in the gloomy court yard and maurice slipping quickly from hla his saddle caught mar garet in hla his arms as she dropped nervously from the saddle she clung citing to him closely knowing that it might be uti tor lot the the last time maurice maurice she blia murmured can you forgive met me I 1 have brought you to this hush sweetheart he answered la in her par be my own dear princess do not let them see be tny ray brave brava girl they cannot didde chlde our love come I 1 beg of boti said the dul acet voice of prince lion ian behind them 1 1 I would not for all courtland Cou Court rlland lanA break in upon the billing and cooing of such turtledoves turtle doves were it not that their affection blinds them to the fact that the men at arms arma and scull scullions ions are wit nesses to these pretty demonstrations tarry a little sweet valentines ialenti lines nes time and place wait for all things 11 tho the princess commanded herself I 1 7 till death cleath do you part quickly in another moment she was waa Ig margaret argaret of courtland even the prince of might spare a lady his insults at such a time she bhe said the prince baled abaied his head and bom bowed ed low nay he said very courteously you mistake princess princena aa maegaret Mai garet I 1 insult ou not I 1 may you taste but that Is a different matter yet even that may amend my lly quarrel Is with tills this gentleman and a nd it Is one of some standing I 1 believe 1 I my sword Is at your service sirl airl said bald maurice von lynar firmly again you mistake returned the prince more suavely than ever you have no sword A pi pil laoner and it if I 1 may say so without offense a spy taken cannot fight duels the P prince rine e 0 of o f courtland must settle abir matter lian ahon his la is satisfied I 1 boball most wll wil lingl take up ray my rel with whatever is left of the most noble count von fanar to this maurice did not reply but with margaret still beside him he ha fol loed prince louis up the narrow ancient stairway called from its ita shape ahe couch into the gloomy audience chamber of the castle of they reached the hall and then at laba as though ic ie stored to power bv his surroundings prince louis found his tongue A guard lie he riled ailed hott hoff Kampen feldt conduct the prin prim cess to her ch charob arnber pr and do not permit her to leave it without my permission I 1 would speak with ehlt fellow alone I 1 ivan hastily crossed over to louis and whispered in hla his ear car in the meantime ere the soldiers ot of the guard could approach appi margaret cried out in ili a loud lond clear voice 1 I tako take you all to witness that 1 I margaret ot Court lind am the wife of this roan man maurice von lynar count von loen he ha Is ray MY wedded husband and I 1 lovo him with all my heartt heart you have hae forgotten the rest fair princess suggested prince ivan subtly till death ou oti do part to be continued |