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Show S1LVE1R iTlIsnDlIfiiiindl CHAPTER XXI. E1XCEPT that for many hours a uy 1 at lu n gloomy twl- ffilf "K'". I was well treated. I LJiaiii was well fed and war allow. I'd to walk for u certnln time each day upon the ramparts-well guarded course. I had hoped to i-atcli n glimpse of Darlii during my dully constitutional,' hut the hope was not fulfilled. I think It Is possible that Oiwtn might have so arranged matter us to grunt me this request had I nuked lilru. but I dared nut do ho Her beauty might savo her. My love might coudemn her. So I led Costa to believe that she was uo more to mo than uuy other woman. In my lonely hours I wns not Idle. I examined my cell, Its tloors and Its walls and tho locked trap In the corner. cor-ner. The walls and the floor were hopeless. Such solid masonry would vlcld but slowly to a company of men with all appliances at hand. But the trap attracted ma It wns n way nut I knew, even If It were only dead men who took It. I wonder how often and how long 1 have stood gazing nt the trap, fascinated by tho thoughts It gavo rise to. I lost count of time. Days nnd nights passed, and I knew that I had been a prisoner for a long while. An Imaginative Imagi-native man might have hoped that he had been forgotten. I knew my enemies ene-mies too well to think so. nnd Costa .van constantly advising mo regarding the future. He seemed to enjoy sitting n my fell, nnd If bis conversation was not of the most conolltiK kind It helped help-ed to pass some weary hours. I have never been able to make up my mind what the Spaniard's tme feelings toward to-ward me were, whether ho hnd some sort of respect for me or whether It delighted him to speak of tho grow-some grow-some tortures which wero In store for me. lie came one evening Inte Inter than was his wont nnd with him came O'Uynn. My quondam friend hnd evidently recovered, for he walked vigorously, and his arm looked capablo of wielding u good sword again. "It Is tomorrow," said Costa, fixing tho torch In the ring In the wall. "What Is tomorrow" "Your trial. We are Just In Vada-snrn. Vada-snrn. We give a man u trial generally. general-ly. It seems to mo a useless wuste of time. It comes to tho same thing In the end." I thought this qultu probable. "Shall 1 be allowed to speak?" I asked. "Oh, yes, but It would bo well to have a caro what you say, eh, captain?" cap-tain?" Thus directly appealed to. O'Kyan, who had stood silently with folded arms, burst out laughing. "I might Bay too much to please that rascally companion of yours, is that ItV" I asked Costa, nodding contemptuously con-temptuously toward O'llyan. "Hascall" exclaimed tho Irishman ex. cltedly "Steady." Costa Interposed. "You will doubtless have the pleasure of witnessing your enemy's discomfiture, hut It N not for you to administer the punishment." The city turned out to see mo on the morrow when I was tnken from "I Ait HO TllAlTOlt." the fortress to tho palace. Tho king wns hurro-iuded by his court nnd was Miking and laughing with thoso about him. A callous assembly It was to try a man for his life! At a llttlo distance from me stood Darla. very pnlo nnd very beautiful. Uad my courngo faltered for n moment tho sight of her, Arm. resolute nnd fear-loss, fear-loss, would have Q'led mo with new strength Tii her I bowed; to tho king I madu uo obclsaui u Near tho king sat Count Vascu nnd next to tho count Lndy Aldrlda. The count was pale-perhaps pale-perhaps by reubon of his recent MGHT r ''3 Copyright, 1907. by R. F. Fenno & Co. M J wounas. i.miy Aiuriu.i looked as it tno proceedings thoroughly amused her. How dlfUcult.Boiue Christian laws nre to obeyl How could I help hating this woman nnd this man? Then tho smiles went from the king's face, and those around htm were silent si-lent "Madame," he wild, turning to Darin, i "there Is little need for us to tell you of what you urc m-disou In Drussen land there cannot be two rulers It has pleased you to set yourself up against your rightful king and with the help of traitors to their king and their country to defy us for this long season, bringing war where peace Bhould be. At your door Ho In heaps the men who have fullen In defense of their country, nnd their blood cries to us to be uvenged. Are there any words that can say aught In your defense? If so. speak them. This court shall Judge you, not we. nnd truly your fair face should find many a one to dent out lenient Judgment." "I nm no traitor." Tho words came firm and clenr. uo suspicion of trembling lu her voice. She wns as much a queen now as when I had first seen her, surrounded by her knights. "I stand here princess of Drussen-Innd." Drussen-Innd." sho said. "Tho fortuno of wnr places me here standing, while tho rent traitor remains seated In my presence You, who call yourself tho king, nre uo king, uor aro you established here In Yndasara by tho will of true Drus-scnlanders Drus-scnlanders You are king only by tho help of these paid foreigners, whose very names and country are unknown to you. For the Judgment of your court I caro nothing." "We shall find means to subduo thnt bold spirit within you. mndame." said the king. 'To kill It. not to subdue It." she answered. an-swered. "So have many spoken. Words come easily. But let us arguo n little, ma-dame. ma-dame. In your accusations be Just We nre not all foreigners. Am I not a Drusseulnnder?" "One I should -have delighted to honor bad you been truo to your country coun-try nnd your sovereign, ' wns tho answer. an-swer. I expected to see the king become savago. but ho astonished mo by laughing laugh-ing heartily. There was something of our own Chnrles II. about this monarch. mon-arch. If an answer were rendy enough he could appreciate It, even if It were ngalnst himself. "See what wp have lost. By being a king we forego the happlntfss of being honored by a queen Whnt will you say then nii'dnme. of Count Vnscn? Surely he N n true Drusseulnnder since he Is your kinsman?" "There nre no words fitting. You nnd your assumption of majesty 1 can understand. You have fought me face to face, a determined struggle In which you bavo won. It wns treachery, treach-ery, Indeed, but it was treachery open to the suu. if treachery cuu he honest, hon-est, yours was. But for tho man who hides his treachery behind a smile, who works in secrot to destroy thoso ho professes to honor; for the false friend, the coward who daro not bo an open enemy, thcro aro no w-.nl Gnther all the scoundrels there ale m Drusscnland together, tako from each ono tho meanest trait ho has, and of these traits build you up u man. Even then shall you havo n man I would rather claim kindred with than with Count Vasea." "It seems you aro a dangerous friend." said the king, turning to him. "Your majesty has not fouud me so" "Truo. You see, mndame. It Is well sometimes to usro similar weapons to those used by an adversary. If your enemy sends u spy we, too, must do tho samo or our Ignorance may lose 113 tho dny. Count Viisen has received harsh language from your lips. What havo you to say to your knight tliero? True, bo. wis faithful to you, but b Just no Is a spy By n Uo he entered Yndasara. Ynda-sara. He betrayed his friend, one Captain Cap-tain O'ltyan, who Is wlih us to bear witness against him. More bo attempted at-tempted to kill him. What harsh words hav6you for thnt man thcro?" Tho king's finger, pointed at me, STABU IiMkflir caused all eyes to turn toward me; Ia rla's also. I "Gather the best In Drussenland," sho said slowly. "Tako what Is bravest, I truest, from them all and make me it man. A great Drusseulnnder Indeed , would he be. yet head and shoulders over him would rise Sir Vcrrnll Clinton Clin-ton Verrall-my knight of the Silver Star." I For some moments thcro was silence, and no Voice was raised to sneer at tho character which had been given me I I "You have it powerful ndvocato. Sir i Knight," said the king presently, "but there Is another side to tho question l which condemns you deeply." ' I "I nm not worthy either of such high praise, your majesty, or such deep con-, con-, damnation." , I "You are modest ns well as valiant i It would seem." j "I lay claim to being an honest gen-I gen-I tlemnn. Tho world holds no higher distinction." i "Do honest meu lie?" ho asked se-, se-, vcrely. "You did. else had you not I entered Yadnsnrn the first tlmo." "Pnrdon. your highness. It wns Captain O'ltyan who gnvo certain ac-j ac-j counts of me. which satisfied you. In j truth, my coming to tho city was in j tho naturo of a flight from my enemies." ene-mies." i I wns not dlsiosod to spnro O'ltyan. i Why should I be? I "A vnllaut knight docs not fleo from his enemies." said tho king1 i "I fled from a would bo assassin-Count assassin-Count Vusca." J "Truly, count, you hnvo grievous charges laid against you." "Who would believe tho word of a spy?" said the count savagely. ; "That Is well spoken. Sir Knight A spy! What say you to that?" ; "Even what your majesty said Just now. It is wise to handle similar weapons to those used by nn enemy. , In the princess' enmp there was not one spy, but n hundred. Ever since I came to Drussenland Count Vnsca and his friends havo been working to betray be-tray the princess. Sho bad not been hero now to hear your Judgment had not that scoundrel turned against her In the dny of battle, sealing n long season of treachery by n crlmo that nny mini must revolt nt, that your majesty must hnto." "You nre here to defend yourself. Sir Knight, not to nccuso our friends " i "I have no defense." I answered. "I hnvo fought for the princess I serve. I have done what n mini can do. and my conscience acquits me. But I have a word for your majesty. If you will give me leave." "Are words from such n mnn worth i your majesty's intention?" said Vasea , "When this man came to Driisscnlnnd ho inndo great promises. Ho spoko bonstfully that he would place the princess on the throne In Yndasara. ! that ho would find the treasure whlih. 1 It is said. Is hidden lu this Innd. This man has accused mo of treachery, but i my deepest sin Imh been In throwing i In my lot with wiser men rather than be carried away by the boastful prom ' Ises of n deceiver." I "That Is not all your sin. Count Vns-i Vns-i ca." I said. "Your majesty has ac-j ac-j cepted tho frendshlp of n mnn who. while he fawns upon you. Is plotting your ruin." The count laughed contemptuously "Tho proof." said the king, rising i from his chair "Captain O'ltyan can gle It you." j "The count spoke wisely when ho said that your words were not worth our attention We have heard that story from rnptnln O'Hynn's lips The captain hnx i-nufesKcd that he was in error Ills real for our safety nnd some personal dislike to tin- count, fos tered by yourself Sir Knlirht. made him hasty In his Judgment Their i hands have met In confession nnd for- I glveness. Is this nil yon hnve to soy?" "One man's word ngalnst another's j Is poor security for truth," I answered. I "I would that I could prove the truth of my words nt the sword's point with tho count, with O'ltyan or any other man who doubu mo." To bo Continued. |