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Show (Copyilglit, 1858, 19(N, fcy . It. Crockett.) '' CHAPTER XV. The Face That Looked Into Joan's. Tho chamber to which tho Duchess Joan was conducted by her hostess had evidently been carefully prepared prepar-ed for her reception. It was u large, low room, with a vaulted roof of carv-en carv-en 'wood. Tho work wns of grent merit and evidently old. A tnblo with a llttlo prle-Dleu stood In the corner, screened by a curtitln which ran on a brazen rod. A Roninn Drevlnry lay on a velvet-covered table beforo the crucifix. Joan lifted It up and her eyes fell on the words: "Hy a woman he overcame. Hy a woman ho was overcome. A woman was onco his weapon. A woman Is now become the instrument of his ilcfeat. Ho (lndeth thnt the weak vessel cannot be broken." "Nor sliall It!" said Joan, looking nt tho cross beforo her, "by the strength of Mary the Mother, the weak vessel shall not he broken!" As Bhe stooped to blow out tho last candle, u motto on the stem caught her eye. Joan took tho cnndlc out of its socket nnd rend tho inscription word by word "Da pneem, Uomlnc, In dlebus nos-trls." nos-trls." It wns her own scroll, tho motto of tho reigning dukes of Hohensteln a Grange 'one, doubtless, to bo that of u lighting race, but,- nevertheless, her father's and her own. Whnt did her father's motto, the device of her houso, upon this Ilnltlc Island, fur from tho highlands of Kernsberg? Had these wastes onco belonged to men of her race? And this woman, who so regally played tho mistress of this strange hurmltngc, who wns sho7 And as Joan of Hohensteln blow out the cnndlc sho mused In her henrt concerning these things. ' Tho Duchess Joan slept soundly, her dnrk, boyish head pillowed on tho full rounded curves of an arm thrown behind her. On tho IltUe velvet-covered velvet-covered tnble bcsldo the bed wero her belt and Its dependent sword, a faithful faith-ful companion In Its sheath of plain black leather. Under her pillow, nnd within Instant reach of her right hand, wns her father's dagger. In their chamber In tho wing which looks toward tho north the threo captains cap-tains lay wrapped In their mantles, Jorlnn and Boris answering each other nasally, in alternate trumpet blasts, like Alp calling to Alp. Werner von Orseln nlono could not sleep, nnd after ho had sworn nnd kicked his noisy companions lu the ribs till he wna weary of tho task, ho rose and went to tho window to cast open tho lattice. The nlr within folt thick and hot. As Wernor set his face to the opening quick flashes of summer lightning light-ning flnmed alternately white and lilac across tho horizon, pnd ho felt the spit of hailstones In his fnco, driving level llko bo many musket-balls when tho Infantry Arcs by platoons. Above, In the vnultcd chamber, Joan turned over on her bed, murmuring murmur-ing uneasily in her sleep. A white face, which for n quarter of nn hour had been bent down to her dark head as It lay on tho pillow, was suddenly retracted Into tho darkness nt Uic glrl'B slight movement. Again, apparently renssurcd, tho Bhadowy visage approached as tho young duchess lay without further motion. Suddenly, nnd for no apparent appar-ent reason, Joan's eyes opened, and she found herself looking with bewilderment be-wilderment Into, n face that bent down upon her, a whlt'o faco which somehow seemed to hang suspended ( A white fnee which somehow seemed to hang suspended In the dark above her. ''' In the dork nbovo lior Tlio features wero lit up by tho pulsing lightning which .shone In the wild eyes and glittered glit-tered an a , knlfeblado about tho ban-.die ban-.die of which woro clenched, tho tons? fingers of a hand equally detached. lu a moment Joan's right hand hnd grasped tho dagger under tier pillow, Her left shooting upward, closed on tho arm which held tho threatening steel. Almost without rising from her bed sho projected herself upon hr . enemy, and she jfelt her Augers sln.1 'iTcop Tn tho soft 'curves' of u woman's throat. w '' ..' ,Then a sKrleky long and terrible, Inhuman J and threatening', fang through'' tn6 houso. As Joan Overbore her nsBallant upon tho floor, the door "dpcn'c'rtT niiirglahYKg' "OrS ward Bho saw the Wordless Man stand on the threshold, a caudle In one hand and a linked sword In tho other. The terrlblo cry which had rung In her cars had been his. At sight of him Jonn unclasped her Angers from tho throat ot tho. .woman, who .bad been her hostess nnd rose slowly to her feet. The old man rushed forward for-ward and knelt beside tho prostrate body ofhls mistress. At the same moment there came tho sound of quick footsteps running up tho stnirwny. Tho door ucw open and Werner von orseln ourst in, nltio sword In hand. "What Is tho meaning of this." ho shouted. "Who hnB dared to harm my lady?" "Go down and bring a cup of wine!" commanded Joan ns soou ns ho appeared. ap-peared. And Werner von Orseln departed de-parted without a word to do her bidding. bid-ding. Meanwhile the Wordless Man had raised his mistress up from tho ground. "Carry your mistress to that couch I" said the young duchess, pointing point-ing to the tumbled bed from which n few minutes before sho had so hastily launched herself. Whilst ho wns thus engaged Werner Wer-ner enmo in quickly with a silver cup In his hand. Joan took it Inslnntly nnd going forward for-ward sho put It to the Hps or tho woman wom-an on the bed. Putting .out her hands tho woman took the cup and drank It slowly, pausing between thb draughts to draw long brenths. "I must have strength," eho said. "I havo much to sny. Then, Joan of Hohensteln, thou shall Judgo between theo nnd me!" Tho color came slowly back to the woman's pnlo face, nnd, nfter a little, sho mlsed herself on tho pillows. Joan stood motionless nnd uncompromising uncompro-mising by tho crcat iron ilncs of the chimney. "You nre waiting for me to speak, nnd 1 will spenk. You havo a double right to know all. Shall It be told to yourself alone, or In the presence of this man?" Sho looked nt Von Orseln as sho spoke. I "I have no secrets In my life," said Jonn, "there Is nothing that. I would hide from him. Savo onq thing!" Sho added the last words In her heart. Thero was an Interval of sllenco In tho room, Ailed up by the hoarse, ,' persistent booming of tho storm without with-out nnd tho shuddering shocks of tho, wind on the lonely houso, Then tho womnn spoko ngnln in a low, distinct voice. ( ' "Slnco It Is your right to know my , name, I nni Theresa von Lynar who have also a right to call myself, 'of j Hohensteln' and your dend father's, widow!" In an instanb the roservo' of 'Joan's sternly equnl mind was broken up. She dropped' her sword clattering on tho fioor nnd stnrted angrily townrd the bed. : "It Is a Ho most foul," sho cried. I "my father lived unwed for mdny 1 years nay, ever slnco my mother's , death, who died In giving mo life, ho novor so much ns looked on woman. It Is a thing well known In tho Duchy!" ; Tho woman, did not nnswer directly. "Max Ulrlch, bring tho silver ens- ket," Rhe srild, tnkuig from her neck ' n llttlo silver, key. Tho Wordless Man, seeing her 1 nctlon, came forward nnd took tho liey. j Ho went out of 'the ''room, nnd after nn intorvnl which seemed Interminable he returned with n peculiarly shaped casket. Tho woman touched a spring with well practiced (hnnd, nn.d. a roll of pnrchment fell upon tho bed. With n Btrnngo smllo sho gave It to Joan, beckoning her with an upward nod to npproach. , ' Joan took the crackling parchment. It had threo seals attached to it nnd tho' Arst part was in her father's handwriting. hand-writing. "I declare by theso presents "that-11 havo married, according to tho customs cus-toms 6f Hohcnstoln nnd tlio laws of tho empire, Therosa von Lynnr, daughter of tho Count yon Lynar of Jutland. Hut this innrrlago shall not, by nny of Its occasions or consequents affect tho succession of my daughter Jonnun. to, tho Duchy .of Hohensteln nnd tho Principalities of Kornsborg and Mnrlenfeld. To which wo subscribe our names ns conjointly ngreelrig thore'td In tho presenco of His High Eminence the Cardinal Adrlnn, Archbishop Arch-bishop of Cologne jnnd Elector of tho Holy .nomnn Empire." After her Arst shock of surprise, wna oyer Jonn noted carefully the dnto. It .wns, ono year after her own blrthnnd theroforo the llkef period nftor tho dorith of her molller,' tho openly nc-'knowldgcd nc-'knowldgcd Duchess df Hohensteln. Jonrr folded this, parchment arid handed It back, Thpn sho stood silent waiting for an explanation. Tho woninnj took up her pnrablo calmly, llko ono who has Ions compre-' liondcd that Beh n cflsts must ono day nrrlvo, and who knows her part thoroughly, ' "I, who spenk to you, ani Thbrean von Lynar. Your father saw me Arst nt tho co-omiflon of our" Into sovereign, sover-eign, Christian, King of Donmarlr. .And JYeJoyejL.m)o,jMipthor. For,.wnpy years,, at..Casto, Xynnr. and. also nt. this place, allcjdtlm Horraltugo of tho Dunes, Henry of Kernsberg and I dwolt In such YapjirtTpss lisiTnortalsj seldoni know. Rut thero camo a spring' when my brother, boing, like yWrinh'of. a-Tibf"ond' passionate man, quarreled with Duke Henry, threatening to go before the Diet ot the Empire If I were not Immediately acknowledged duchess, nnd m;.spn Maurice Von Lynar riTn'do the "Heir of Hohensteln. Hut I, being truo to my onth and promise, lefjt my brothel nnd nbodo here alone with my hus .band when ho could escnpo from his dukedom, living llko a simple squire nnd his dnmo. Then In nn evil day I sent my son to my brother to train ns his own son In nrms and the arts of war. But ho, being at enmity with my husband, mado ready to, carry the lad before tlio .Diet of tho Elnplfe, that(ho might bo deckired.helr, t,q Ills father. TlTen In his nnge'ri Henry the Lion rose nnd swept QnBtlo Lynai with Ard nnd' swordj leavlng none, alive but this boy only, whom ho meant to tnko home and train with hlf captains. Hut on' the wny home he reeled In tho snddlo and passed ere he could, speak a word, even tho name of thoso ho loved. So tho boy remained re-mained n cnptlvo at Kernsberg, called by my brother's name, and knowing oven to this day nothing of his father." Theresa von Lynnr sat up and for n llttlo spaco rested hor hands on her lnp ns sho went on. "Then ray son, whom, not knowing, you hnd tnkfln pity upon and raised to honor, nnd who ia now your faithful "It's a tie most foul!" she cried.,, scrvnnt. sent a secret messenger thnt you w6ul'd como to nbldo Secretly with i me till a certain dnrk day had over- (' passed Kernsberg. And then thero sprang up In my heart a dreadful conceit thnt ho loved you, knowing young blood nnd jienrlrig 'the fame of your benuty, and I was afraid for the greatness of tho sin that ono should lovo hts sister. "I thought, being a womnn nlone. nnd ono nlso who had given nil freoy up for lovo's sako, that ho would cei tnlnly lovo you even as I had love'tl And a strango terrible anger nnd mud-ness mud-ness enmo over me, darkening m soul, For n moment I would havo slnln you. Hut I could not. because you wero asleep. And, oven as you stirred, I heard you speak tfi'ennm0 ol a man, ns, only ono who loves can speak It. Tho name was" "Hold!" cried Joan of tho Sworo Hnnd. "I bollovo you I forglvo you." "The name," continued "Theresa von Lynnr, "was not that pf my qn! And now." Bhe''contlnuad; nlowly rising from tho couch to her height, "I nni ready. I bid you slay mo for tho evil deed my heart was wlljlng for n moment mo-ment to dp!" Jonn'looked nt'her full In.tho eyes U for tho space of n breath. Then bud- denly sho. held out her hand and I npswerpd Ijko hor, father's daughter 1 "Nay," sho said, '"I only marvel that I you did not strlk6 mo to tho heart, I t.bfcauso of' your son's loss nnd my I father's slnj" ' I (To bo continued.) I |