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Show . THELION'S WHELP f Byprof Cromvvoll's Tlmo ' .rY AMELIA E. BARk. Author of "The Bovv of Orang-o Klbbo." "I. TMx, and tha Other One." Tno Maid of Maiden Lie," Eto. fffeP""1" M ' D...M. Ma & Company. All tlcliu raMrvetl.) CHAPTER IX(Continued.) "This Is nil Vfiy flnc indml." said Mrs. Swaffham, alniot weeping in her nnger, "but you nml not pralso this man to.me. Hc iM gllim tll0 King of England, nnd turned out tho English Pnrllnnieiit, and pray what next? ' Ho will make himself King and Elizabeth Gramwoll Queen. Shall wo Indeed bow, down to them? Not . I, for one." "Bo "at penccj Mnrtha," said Oon. Swaffham, "hero are things to consld- , or of fan greater Import than tho . Cromwell womgm How tho nation will take this (Mir remains to be seon." . "I look for mecrvless wrath and .Tain babble, anf threats heard far and wfae,''-BnId Doctor Verity. "Tho .picoplo,hnvo btjqn slven what they :vantod, and.twerity to one they will now nay-sayiall they hae roared for. That would bo like the rest of tholr ways." K . For once Doctor Verity was wrong. This master-sirokd- of Cromwell's wont straight tbJhe heart of London. "Not a dog barked against It," said Cromwell to hla' friends, and ho was to all intents' and purposes right. Thoso who callpdjlt "usurpation" confessed con-fessed that It was nn usurpation of capability, In placo of one of Incapn-bllity. Incapn-bllity. j CHAPTER X. Rupertfand Cluny. I Wlion tho Jovoraj arrived in Paris, they went Immediately to the beautiful Hotol do Fransac, which Sir Thomas had rontcd for their resldenco while In tho city. . Ono nfterngoniatlhfa stood at a window watching tho-ciowds passim? Hncessnutly. Ttthtt right was tho palace of tho great King Lodls, and 'not far away tho palace of his Eminence, Emi-nence, tho great Cardinal Mazarln. Sho was dre8seil for her lover, nnd waiting his arrival, her bouI flashing from hor watching eyes, her whole "Tako your life from my hand." sweet body at attention. When to ordinary or-dinary ears thero would havo boon nothing to glvo notice, Matilda hoard a stop. Sho lot Jano'8'le.ttor drop to hor foot and stood facing the door with hands dropped and tightly claspod. A moment later tho footsteps were very distinct; they were ascending the stairway quickly, peremptorily. A perfectly per-fectly ravishing light spread ltsolf ovor Matilda's faco. Thon tho door flow open and Prince Rupert entorod; "entered," however, being too small a word, for with tho opening of tho door hq was on his knees at Matilda's foot, his arms were round hor waist, she had bent hor fnco to his, they woro both near to weeping and know It not, for lovo must weqp w'hen It snatches from some hard Fnto's control con-trol tho hours that yoars havo sighed for. Rupert loved Matilda. All the glory and tho sorrow of his youth woro In that love, and as ho knelt at hor foot In his prlncoly, soldierly splendor thoro wa3 nothing lacking In the. plcturo of romantic dovotlon. "Adorablo, ravishing ravish-ing Mata!" ho cried, "at jour feet I am paid for my life's misery." And Matilda loaned towards him till their handsomo faces touched, and Rupert could look lovo into her( dyes, soft and languishing with an equal affection. affec-tion. For a Httlo while tholr conversation was puroly personal, but-tth'olr own intorosts were bo blont with public affairs that it was not possible to separate them for any length of time. "We hnve ohl nil our enrgoos," ho snld triumphantly, "in splto of old Croinwoll'8 romonatrunooH. What can Cromwell do? Will he go to war with Franco for n morchnnt's bill of lnd-Ing?" lnd-Ing?" "I will toll you something. Ruport. I had a letter to-dny from my friend, Mistress June Swaffham. Sho says hor lovor, Lord Cluny Neville, must be In Paris about this time, and tliut ho will, call on mo. Ho Is on Cromwell's Crom-well's business; there Is no doubt of It.". . "What Is the nppcaraneo of Neville? I tlilnlcl saw him this morning." Thon Matilda doscrlbod the young lord, nqd tho particularity of hor knowledge regarding his eyes nnd hair nnd volco'nnd mnnnor did not please Prince Rupert. "A- very haughty youth," said Rupert Ru-pert when tho conversation was resumed. re-sumed. ''He was with the Cardinal this' morning. ' And now I begin to remember his business wus such as In a manner concerns us. 'Twns about a merchant ship which that old farmer on King Chnrlcs' throno wants payment pay-ment for. My mon took It In fair fight, and ltls against all usago to glvo back spollsi" Thoy talked of thoso things until Rupert's engagements called him away, then they rose, and leaning towards to-wards each other, wnlkcd slowly down tho long splendid room togothor. Sho went then to find her uncle and aunt. But tio quickly noticed in thorn nn nlr of anxiety and gloom, and II, annoyed her. "Is anything particularly wrong, nunt? Havo I been making some troublo again?" i .''Sir Thomas Is very unhappy, niece. Ho has henrd nows that frightens Him, nnd we nro longing to bo In tho peaco and safety of our own homo." 4,'You are "going1 to loso n little gold, and so you are wretched, and must 1 go to tho Clty-o't-the-MlRorablo." "I am not going to lose a penny." I ( "Wall, thon?" ' - -c - ' r Jit C fm" ' "Thero mny bo troublo becnuso of this vory thing, nnd I do not want to hoJln Paris with tho two women I love hotter than myself If Cromwell nnd Mazarln como to, blows. I might be taken from, you. I should vory Hkoly besent to 'the Bastllo; you would not wish that, Matilda?" "Dear uncle, shall wo not return by Tho Haguo?" "Ho. Lord Novlllo Jma promjsod to do my business there. It Is only n matter of collecting a thousand pounds from my merchant; but ho Is going to tako chargo of your aunt's Jowelsi and you had hotter trust yours also with him." "I will not trust anything I possose to Lord Neville. Nothing!" "It Is enough." answered Lady Jev-cry. Jev-cry. "Matilda cannot wish to put'ln-dangor put'ln-dangor your liberty or Jlfo." " "My Happiness is of loss' consequence, conse-quence, nunt." "Certainly It Is;" nnd thoro was such nn nlr of finality In Lady Jov-ory's Jov-ory's volco that Matilda roso nnd wont to her .own npnrtmonts to continue her complaints. This sho did with passionate feollng In n lottor to Prince Rupert, In which sho oxprossod w..u out stint her hatred of Lord Neville nnd hor doslro for his punlsnmont. Rupert wns well Inclined to honor her wish. Ho had scon tho young Commonwealth Com-monwealth messenger, nnd his handsomo hand-somo person arid patrician mnnnor had glvon him a moment's envious look back to tho days when he also had been young nnd hopoful and full of faith In his own great future. JBhBBb -t LBBH Ho had not long to wait for nn BBB9 opportunity to meet Nevlllo. Wlillo. '- PBBI ho was plajlng billiards the following BBBJ af torooon w ith, the Duke of York, his BBB i equerry arilvofl nt the Palais Royalo BBBj 1 with his horse. Neville had taken tlio' BBB I northern rond 'out ot the city, andt BBfl ! was piemitnubly llio homeward rbatl. BH Rupert followed quickly, but Novlllo jBBfl was a swift, steady rider, and ho was BBJ not overtaken till twenty miles had BBB boon covered, nnd the daylight was jBBJ nearly lost In the rndlnnce of the full BBB moon. Ruport put spurs to his horao. BBfl passed Neville at n swtft gallop, thon JBBH suddenly wheeling, rnme nt a rush BBB towards him, cntchlng his bridle as ! BBH "ou will alight. I havo a quarrel to jBBJ settle with you." BBH "On wnat ground?" BBfl "Say It Is on tho ground of your BBJ mistress. I nut Enrl do Wick's friend." BBH "I will not fight on such protonlo. BBfl My mistress would deny mo'if I did)" BBfl "Fight for your honor, thon." BBfl Nevlllo fnughod. "I know bettor. BBfl And before what you call Honor, I put BBU "Then fight for the papers and; pBfl money In your possession. I want BBfl 3 BBH "Ha! I thought so. You aro a rob- BBfl bcr. It seems. But 1 warn you tha? I BBfl am u good swordsman." BBfl "Heaven nnd hell! What do I care? BBfl If you do not alight at once, I will BBfl slny your horso. You shnll fight me, BBfl hero nnd now, with or without pre- BBfl BBfl Then Nevlllo flung himself from his BBfl horse and tied tho nuimal to a tree. BBfl Ruport did likewise, nnd tho two men BBfl rapidly removed such of their gar- BBB ments ns would Interfere with their BBfl bloody play. They were In a lonely BBI road, partially shaded with great trees. BBB Not a human habitation was visible, BBfl and thero woro no seconds to sco jus- BBfl tlco done In tho fight, or securo hojp BBfl after It, If help wuh needed. But. at BBfl this time tho lnck ot recognized for- BBfl mnlllles was no Impediment, to -tho BBB duel. Ropert quickly found that ho had BBfl met his match. Nevlllo left him not a BBfl moment's breathing space, but never BBB followed up Ills nttneks, until nt 'last BH Ruport called out Insolently, "When BH nro you going to kill moi - BBB The angry Impntlcnco of tho inquiry -v"BBJ probably Induced a moment's caroloss- BBfl Incus., and Rupert did not notice that In BH tho stntggle ttieir ground had luBon- BBJ slhly been changed, and Novillc now BH stood directly lu front of a, lara-UAaipBBJ Nor heeding tho Impediment, RupciBBBsBBJ mndo a florco thrust with the point BBJ of his sword, which Novlllo evaded BBJ by n vault to one side, so that Rupert's BBJ sword Btrlklng tho treo, Bprnng from Bfl his hand nt tho Impact. As it foil to BBJ the ground, Nevlllo reached it first, BBJ and placed his foot upon It, Rupert BBJ stood still and bowed, gravely. Ho BBJ was at Novino's mercy, and ho iridl- BBJ cntod his knowledge ot this lnct by BBJ tho proua stillness of his nttltude., ' BBJ "It wns an nccldont," said Nevlllo, BBJ "nnd an nccldont Is God's part in miy BBJ nffnlr. Tako your life from my haml, BBJ I have no will to wish your death." BBJ Ho offered his unnd ns ho spoko, nml BBJ Ruport took It frankly, nnsworlng: BBJ ' 'Tie no disgrace to tako Hfo from Bfl one so gallant nnd generous, nnd 1 BBJ am glnd that I can repay tno fnvor4of BB your clomoncy;" then ho almost wills- pBJ pored In Cluny 's car three' words, and BBJ tho young man started visibly, and BBJ with groat hasto untied his horso.,? BBJ "Wo would better change horses;" BBJ snld Ru)ort; "mlnu Is a B-irb, swlt Bfl as tho wind," ' BBJ But Cluny could not mako tho B chnngo proposed withoiu somo delay, Bfl tills papers nnd Jowels being bestowcil BBJ In his saddlo linings. So with a gqdtl BBJ wls'h tho two mon parted, and thoro BBJ was no anger botween them ndmlra- BBJ Hon nnd good-will had tnkon Us place. BBJ Novlllo hastened forward, as ho had Bfl been advised, nnd Rupert roturned to BBJ Pnrls. He knqw Matilda was, expect- BBJ Ing him; nnd ho pictured to himself BBJ hor dlu'appolntmqnb nnd anxiety at his BBJ non-nppearnuce. Yet ho was physically BBJ exhausted, and ns soon as ho thrqw BBJ hlmsolf upon a couch ho forgot all his Bfl wonrlness and nil his anxIetloB lu a BBJ deep sleep. BBJ Early noxt morning ho wont to Ma- Bfl BH "How could 'you so cruelly dlsap- BBJ point mo?" she cried. "You seo now BB that our time Is noarly gono; in a BBJ few 'hours wo must part, perhaps tor- BBJ BBJ "My dearest, lovollest Mata, I was BJ about your ploasttru. 1 was following BBJ Lord Novlllo. nnd ho took mo further BBJ than Loxpucted." BBJ "Lord Nevlllo ngnln! Tho man js (BH nn Incubus I Why did you follow H "You wlshod me to glvo him a los- BH son. Hc wns going homeward. I had BBJ to rldo Inst night, or lot him escape. Bfl By my troth, I hnd only your ploasura BBJ In "Oh, but tho prlco paid was too - BB great I I had to glvo up your society BB for hours. That Is a loss I shall BB mourn to tho end ot my life. I hopo, BB then, that you killed him. Nothing BB less will sufllco tor it." BH "I was out ot fortune, us I always BB am. I had an accident, and was at BB his morcy. He gnvo mo my Hfo." BB (To bo continued.) BB BBHtBL. V v IbbbI |
