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Show JOANsSliDlfflD n moimIh nm uwi b 8 K Crock.lt) CHAPTER XI. Continued. Buddculy tin re in--nl a mr over i Clio people who crowded the spacious , Oom Plat or Couriland The many- ( Beaded pnrtl colored throng of worn J, en' (all col H ga fluttering riband 3 men' tcltet reps gallant while I feather (hat ahltlcd llki the pennulu 1 Hun of n knli Idnxcopc nil at unco 1 llxed Itself into a M-ii (if white feces 5 from whlrh priscntly arose forest I of arms, nourlahlnx kerchief and ' toiling cap To 111 in aiicrevded it deep inoiith roar of biirghcrlsh wcl oome uch an (he reigning Prince had never lienrd rnlstd In hi on honor I . "Conrad Prime Conrad' (lod bless our Prince-Cardinal" The legitimate ruler of Courtland standing where Joan had left him with lila stlm-walstod M moot-lie men , tor behind hlin. half turned to look And there on the highest place alood j lit brother In the earlet o( bla new dignity a it had come from the Pnpe himself, tils red hlrettn held In bla band, ami lila fair and noble head ' erect ai lie looked over the folk to where on the slopo ahote the city cadet lie could mill ee the aim glint ', md apnrklo on the cuirasses and lane beada of the four hundred riders of Kerntlicrg. 1 1 nt een na the Prince of Courtland looked back at hla brother, the whit er of (he lomp(er atno(o (he lalter'i I or. "Had Prince Conrad been In our (dare and yon behind the altar rail", think you ilia l (he Dtichci Joan would hate tied so cavalierly?" , lly (hla (line the young cardinal had descended till be stood on the other fide of the Prince from ltan of Mil-covy, Mil-covy, M "You lake horso to follow your brldoT" hn queried, smiling. "I It a fashion of Kernabcrg brides thus to B steal awny?" m Ijmls of Court land broke out In a B sudden oerbolllnK fury B "This Is your doing'" lie cried; 'I fl know It well From her first coming B my brlilo had set herself to scorn me I My sister know It You knew It. You smile ns at n Jest Yon would Imte B ull tho loto of my lfe the rule of my folk, as well ns the acclaim of these city awlne Listen The Rood H Prince Conrad! God suto tho noble Prlncol' II Ik worth lltlng for fator H tuch na this " 1"l!rothcr of mine," sold the young man gently, "as you know well, I never nev-er set eyes iion tho nnblo I July Joan beforo. Never spoko word with her. hold no communication by won or pen." "You were constantly with tho old fox Dessnuer. the entoy of Plasscn-burg Plasscn-burg who came from Kernsberg, bringing with him Hint slim secretary, lly my faith, now, when I think of It. Prlnco Ivan told me last night ho was as llko till" madcap girl as pen to pea snrnn II) blown b tnrd brother, doubtless!" ('(inr.nl shook his head Ills brother had doubtless gone irnmentarll) distract dis-tract wllh his trout Us "Nay. deny It not! And smile not either lest I spoil the s)mmctr of that faco for your mummery and pro cessions Aye. If I lime lo underllo ten j cars' Interdict for It from your friend tho most llol) Pope of Homo!" "Do not forget there Is another church In my country, which will lay no Interdict upon ou, Prince IjiuIs," laughed Ivan of Muscuty. "Hut to horso wo loso time!" "nrolhcr," sold the Cardinal, laying ila hand on his brother's arm, "on my word as n knight ns a Prince of tho church I know nothing of tho matter. mat-ter. I cannot even guess what has led you thus to accuse me1" Tho Princess .Margaret camo at (bat moment out of the cathedral and B "This Is your dolngl" he cried. rati lrupoluoml) to her fatorlte broth S Ho put out his hand She took it Bl and Instead of kissing his bishop b B ring, na In strict etiquette she ought to lime done, she cried out 'Conrad, do BB you know what thai glorious wench had donoT Dared her husband's an B thorlty at the church door, leaped Into the saddle, whistled up her men, cried to all these Courtlund gallants, 'Catch mo who can!' and lo! ut this moment ' Bl tho Is riding Urn lain for Kernsberg Bfl and now our Ivouls must catch her A B glorious wedding! I would I had heen by her side." "So. then, madam ou knew of BJ this?" said her elder brother, glower lag upon her from lienenih his tieaty brows 'Na)'' trilled the ga Princes 'I onl) wish I bad Then I too would hae been riding with (hem such a Jest as tieer was II would hate been Oood live m forsaken brother' Joy be with yon on this your bridal Jour Hoy Take Prince Ivan wllh you and Conrad and I will keep (he kingdom against your return with your prlie gentled on nur wrist ' fto smiling and kissing her band, the Princess Margaret watod ber brother and Prince Ivan off The .Muscovite turned often In his saddle as if to carry with him tho picture ahe made of aancy countenance and dainty figure aa she stood looking up into tho faco of the Cardinal Prince Con rad "What In beaten s name la the meaning of all thin I do mil under stand In the lean be was saying "Haste you and unrobe Brother Con," she said, 'this grandeur of yours dauntl me Then. In the sum mer parlor, I will tell you all'" "I cannot go back to Courtland ills honored," said Prince IjjuI to I tun of Muscovy as (he) stood on the green bank looking down on the rushing rlier. broad and brown, which bad so lately been (he Cords of Alia the riter bad risen almost aa It feuiacd upon the cr heels or the four hun died horsemen of Keriisherg, and the Ironclad kulgbta and men-alarms who followed the Prince of Coiirtbtnd could not face the least) swirl of the Stood. Prince ltan alood a moment silent Then hla eye glanced over his com I'Siilou with n certain set ere and amused curiosity ir (here was anything any-thing so contemptuous as that eye-blink eye-blink In the ojhii scorn of all the burgher of Courtland, Prince IjjiiIs was (o be excused for any hesitation In facing his subjects The mailer of Prime Wasp's meditation medi-tation ran somen hai thiiawlse 'Thou man. fashioned from a scullion's nail (Hiring, nnd cocked upon n horse what can I make of thee' Thou, to hate n country, n crown, a wife! dudgeon eats stickleback Jackplke eats gud geon and grows fa I ill! m (he last the sturgeon In his nrmour eats him. I will fatten this Jack. 1 will feed him like tho gudgeons of Kernsberg and llohenstcln, bulled with a dainty fly Indeed, black tipped, with sleete gay as cranes' wings, and unswcrlng to tho namo of 'my lady Joan.' Hut wnlt I must bo wary, nnd hnto a care lest I shadow his water." So laying within his heart, Prlnco Wasp became exceedingly thoughtful and of a demuro counlenance. ".My lord," he snld, "this day's work will not go well down In Court-land, Court-land, I fear me!" Prlnco 1-oiils starlet! quickly as tho Wasps sting touched lilin 'And, lira). Prince It an." he mild, "what could I hate done that I have left undone Hpeuk plainly , since )ou are so prodigal of smiles suppressed, I so wltt) with cotert word and shoul der tnpphfKS' ' "My Iouls,' said Prlnco Wasp, laying lay-ing his hand upon tho arm of his com-' com-' patilon with an affectation of tenderness, tender-ness, "I llout you not I mock you I not. And If I speak harshly, It Is only (hat I lote not to sco you In your turn flouted, mocked, scorned, miido light of beforo your own people! I "liter since I camo first to Court , land with tho not dishonorable hope of carrying back to my father a prln-. prln-. cess of your house, none havu been so j amiable together us you uud I. Wo , have been otcn as Datld and Jonathan." Jona-than." Tho Prlnco IjiuIh put out a hand, which apparently ltan did not see, for ho continued without taking It "Yet what hate I gained cither of solid good or eten of tho lighter but not less agreeablo matter of my lady's fator? So far ns your sister is con rcrncd, I hate wasted my time If I consider rt union of our peoples, nl ready one In heart your brother works against us both, (ho Princes Margaret despise me Prince Conrad thwarts us." 'I think not ni" nnswered Prlnco I.outs "I cannot think to of my brother broth-er Willi nil his faults Conrad Is a bruto soldier, a good knight though, as Is tho custom of our house, lt Is his lot to bo no more than a prince-bishop!" prince-bishop!" The Wasp laughed n lllllo hard laugh, clear and Inhuman as the snap and rattlo of Spanlrh castanets Iiuls, my good friend your simplicity, sim-plicity, your lack of guile, do you wrong, most gtiotous' You dudgo others as you yourself are l)o you not sen that Conrad your brother. must pay for Ills red hat? He must (arn his cardlnulalu And the clear ambition of your brother Js lo make tou chief cat's paw pontifical Can Killer It, good Louis " And the Prlnco of Muscoty twirled hi mnustncho and smiled condescend Jngly between his lingers Then, as If lie thought suddenly of something else and made a new calculation, he laughed a laugh quick and short us the bark of a dog "Ha!" he cried "truly we order things belter in my counlr) I hate brothers, one, two. three Thoy are grand dukes, highnesses tery serena One of Ihem has this protlnce. another anoth-er this sinecure, yet another walls on my father My futhtr die and I well, I am In my fall -r place What will my brn'he - -one hlghnestM thenT They tilll t '' one of the clearest read iiod the est for Hie frontier, or by the UW Icon of Moscow, there will very speedily be certain new isbWi I" "' funeral vault of my father." The Prince of Courtland started "This thing I eonld never ImM"1 of Conrad my brother. He love He eter cared bill for hi book, now that he Is a priest he hath forsworn for-sworn knighthood and toMmem"" and wars ' . "Poor Louis' said ltan. sadly. to sco that once a soldier nlway tiddler Hut '(Is a good '' ! erous bllndnes of the eye H" "J1" already (he lote of your people, lie ha won already the tolce thai tpeaM from every altar and preahytery. I" a little whin he ha battered W tour power for hl cardinal' hat. M may be made a greater than yourtetr an elector of (hi empire, the rlgm fJVvH -,,mB "jSj "i JLa--S, mi ' Sleed on the green bank looking down on the ruthlng river, hand mm of Hlxms a hi uncle Adrian was before hltn " ' I am sure that Conrad would do nothing against his fatherland or to the hurt of bla prince and brother!" said Prince Ijiul. tint he ke In n watering tolce like one more than half convinced "Again ' continued ltan. without heeding him "there Is your wife I am sure dial If he hnd been the prince and you Ihe priest well she I ad nol slept this night In the Castle of Kernsberg'" "ltan, If you lote me bo llent cried the tortured Prince of Court land, selling his blind to his brow "This Is mero Idlo dreaming of a fool How learned you these things I mean, how did Ibn thoughts come Into your mlmlt" "I learned Iho mnttcr from the Princes Margaret, who In the brief spare of a day became your wlfo' con fldante!" "Did Mnrgaret tell It you?" The Prince ltan laughed n short, self depreciatory laugh "Nay truly." ho said, smiling sadly, "you and 1 nre In nno despite, Louis Your wife scorns you me. my sweetheart sweet-heart l)ld Margaret tell mo? Nay. terllyl Yet I learned II, neterth' less eten more certainly because she did It so vehemently Hut. nftcr nil, I dare say ull will end for tho best " 'How no" demanded Prince Louis haughtily "Why. I bate heard dial your paps nl Homo will dlssolte (his marriage, which Indeed Is no more than olc la name Ho tins done moro than that already for hi own nephew. He will nhsolvo your brother from hi vows Then you ran be tho monk and he the king There will be a now marriage, mar-riage, at which doubtless you shsll hold the service book and he the ladt's hand Then wo shall hate no riding back to KcrnsbcrK, with four hundred Inner, at a word from a girls scornful mouth And the Alia doa thero may rise or fall nt Its pleasure, and neither hurt nor hinder any!" (To be continued I |
