Show BANNER SERIAL FICTION she painted ai nied her face A daf tow and aue 0 av DORNFORD YATO YATES 0 D hid ua CHAPTER VII M the festival held that evening in Tra cerys medici boom was one of such cuch intimate splendor 9 f matter and mind that though I 1 subscribed to ito it when first I 1 awoke the next morning I 1 wondered if it was not a dreim dream 1 I 1 sat between two old masters on the left of the duchess of whelp and andi the right of the countess of brief each glowed with the sterling quality of 0 a forgotten age lost arts art made up their being sheer beauty lived with kindness sheer brilliance beamed with good wu hlll and each admiring the other was thus exalted their natural royalty was duly served powdered if foot oot men in 5 scarlet c 1 alet livery stood b behind ivery every e chair h gold plate winked upon the table the choicest fare was perfectly presented and there I 1 will swill leavean leave an event which neither herrick nor 1 I will ever forget for that evening we two hobnobbed hobnob bed with the stuff that queens we were remade made of in olden days that herrick found instant favor I 1 need not say indeed old harry and he were as good as a play tor for asi as I 1 have said before his address was beyond compare and if I 1 think that each of them whetted the others wit when dinner casdone was done herrick and I 1 were leftwitch left with orders to jon the ladies in ten minutes time and when that had gone we were led to a glorious salon whose six I 1 cent century dry tapestries filled the eie eye though the evening was wa warm a fire of logs had been lighted upon the hearth before this the duchess was resting upon aon a mighty chaise longue and elizabeth was was standing beside a jamb of the fireplace one of her beautiful hands on the chiseled stone regarding the leisurely flicker dicker that hovered above a hillock of roie rose gray ish ash As the door closed behind us 1 1 11 I ordered 11 haye your car said old harry for halt half past ten that gives us justh just half alfan an hour which should be enough ive one or two things to say I 1 and ill say them 1 I think we all know where we are and whore where we ie shall be next tuesday ai five on no account gryto try to conceal that behave we have already met that way madness lies we have haie all met here tonight for or thievery the very first time let no one be at ease except tor for richard richar exon 1 I 1 dont think anyone will hlll oh ob madam iii adam protested herrick Herr lck dont interrupt said paid old harry besides e fidei be at ej ease with a gaggle of elders discussing the wrath to come come 1 I very near laughed and elizabeth covered her mouth if you feel uneasy richard al ways remi remember maer at once that though brief is doing the honors you are elizabeths Elizabit hs guest and th that at I 1 think should brink bring your confidence e bail back louwill you will take your man winter with you and I 1 shall take three seri servants ants to look after me one will be parish that excellent english page whom you have already seen should need arl arise we can communicate through them with all convenience veni venie ence nei tell the police thai you have been invited to brief as you understand to meet me that will above all suspicion such is chii this snobbish world orld one thing more As luck will have it elizabeths mothers jewels were held by the firm arm of goldsmiths whom I 1 have always employed bauble and levity you probably know the naree name she has therefore written bothern to them thern to say that by my advice she will vall have the gems gams reset and desiring them to be ready with new designs design s against her coming to london in six weeks time that letter will liend end the ball flying and since she gave this address the reply will come to this house and will go on to brief by hand in my private bag and ana now can anyone think of anything else elie because if they can let us have it tor for better or worse W we es shant bant see each other again until ti we we strut on to the stage t there Their ewas was a a little silence very good said old harry and now I 1 want to see mr herrick alone take your leave of me richard and then make the best of the terrace until mr herrick appears elizabeth will go with you I 1 stepped to her side madam I 1 said 1 I have much mach to thank you for 1 I dont know about that thal never mind ive much enjoyed your visit and th atia a thing I 1 can say to very few guests 11 thank youit madam I 1 put her hand to my llis lips 1 I hope yaure youre not very tired tired be damned said old harry 1 I never felt so 10 fit in my iny life 1 till tuesday madam thi the duchess smiled and nodded andi and I 1 followed fouled elizabeth out of if the band handsome somi chamber arid and presently i into the air elizabeth led the way to tiie the bead of thi the tep it U your doft doln she he sai laid dl ir V r which Is absurd said bald 1 I she ashes road mad about you my dear you gave her the lead I 1 had a claim upon her how could she fall all rn me e when you upon whom I 1 had none had done so much mua ashook I 1 shook my head you must thank yourself I 1 said gald 1 I sawn saw yoland that aw was enough and acwith as with me lowith her the kings ring got you in side aide butonne but bu tonce once you were in well supposing RUP Posing asked for the moon she might have told you off but when she he was through gb shed have sent for for a pair of steps elizabeth laughed then she slid ne fier r arm through mine 1 I wish I 1 was going with you ive been so happy at raven and 4 4 I 1 Y 1 J f f what ayou make of this he be said the firearm fire arm rai has gone if 11 this morning id dreamed that I 1 8 hould nt come back 1 I 1 I have gone it may have been out of order but I 1 know id jump at the chance to do it again ive muc much h enjoyed my weekend week end with a couple of men miss you terribly euza eliza beth sit in the meadow tomorrow ill think of you there close to the stream by yourself between lunch and tea and it if I 1 can ill sit here heie at the headon head of the steps oh and please be very careful and always go armed remember h be knows where you are and the woods wood about raven haven are thick 1 I promise I 1 said and on tuesday on tuesday ill see you again and I 1 on on wednesday well ride before breakfast natural enough besides be my job to entertain you as a guest ill never be easy I 1 said when youri youre out of my sight here I 1 know that youre safe but at brief 11 1 I drew in my breath can you trust your maid I 1 think she should sleep in your suite perhaps youre right ill see what old harry says id be easier elizabeth you see by day I 1 can always be within call but by night I 1 cant and if you 1 want me to 6 sleep well do as I 1 ask my lady lifted her head to the lambent sky you pyou dont look back back she said do you when youve put your hand to the plow blow youre not going dorest youve me out ot of the wood men dont lay down their honors before their time and then they lay them down I 1 said slowly and go io their way there was a little silence what way shall you go richard idrew I 1 drew myself ui up 1 I dont know perhaps john herrick will heip bep me mi we might do something together until lord naseby dies but ill always be at your service only have to t 0 call me ill always come why do you say that richard because jou you have made me me your servant for as long as ellve I 1 live I dont want you to be my servant I 1 laughed then you have hava your eyes or your I 1 mouth or your beautiful ways you yoi doveas i you do oi or throw a smile over your shoulder oi or push back your hair from your tei temples ples with one of our lovely hands and you have your nature which makes mabesa a man w want ant to pay tribute with all bli bis heart and what does he betin jet in return b hea paid in advance said caid L I 1 that very question shows that you dont understand to baa his to 40 r with you alst Is to run into debt your debt and ad at once ones instinct is to do what little one can to pay you bick back elizabeth raised her eyebrows im afraid youre an idealist richard and a mistake my dear red leid lead lane should have shown you but then therom the complete ideall idealist t never ver learns if it makes you happy to set get me u up in ila a nichi niche why then you must have your way ill smile upon you from there and sometimes when youre not looking I 1 might climb down and be a good looking girl with the usual human passions a weakness for animals and a definite love of dress she plucked blucke d at her frock cari can there any good thing comi come out of salz burg my dear you wait if you like the look ot of me now get up and walk at briet brief there spoke old harry sold said 1 but not elizabeth 11 she whipped her arm out ot of mine and started aside what ever ayou mean I 1 set my hands on her shoulders and turned her round that you are a work of nature and she is a work of art and iau you cannot play on her piano and she cannot play on your pipe I 1 think you only did it toto to to make me alter my focus coctis and see that youre not the nonsuch I 1 think you are but it only upsets me my lady and do any good 1 I know youve got failings you must have because youre of flesh and blood but youre rather exceptional the heaven such grace did lend her that she might admired be well you must let me admire you in my own way all right said elizabeth meek ly but dont bring me garlands richard I 1 bear that you wicked girl you better and theres john coming say good goodby by nicely quick Q I 1 she had put up her beautiful mouth and I 1 had bad stooped and kissed it before I 1 knew where I 1 was it was half past one in the morning before we once more approached raven and remembering old harrys words I 1 found myself thanking god that elizabeth was not with us and would not have to td run such a gauntlet again thus thinking upon the matter I 1 presently grew quite sure that we were to be attacked and since 1 I was driving I 1 made herrick ua take mi my pistol lecause because tor for once in a way he had left bis behind on the bed he said our alarms were without foun foundation d we w were ere noi not fired llred upon and raven was fast asleep and since we were very tired we shared a bottle of 0 beer and stumbled upstairs I 1 had bad put on my pajamas w when hen herrick Herr lck opened my door whit what diou makeba make of this he said the firearm fire arm has gone gone said 1 I si staring hiaring gone said herrick As I 1 told yo you ujust lust now I 1 left lt it out on the bed well the beds been raide made so 80 0 of f course it had to the be moved but its not ilithe room it must be said L youve missed it come and see said herrick Herr lck and led the way for full five minutes we sought it and sought it in vain at length brenda must have ito it said L I 1 the things not here 1 I dont think likely said herrick Herr lck in view of what winter said and yet I 1 can hardly believe that percy elbert the good would steal it way and tell me another thing why do these crises arise when one is so drunk with sleep that one can hardly stand up with that he sank heavily down on the toot foot of his bis bed As he did so a deafening explosion made me jump out of my skin and in one most frantic convulsion herrick herrack leapt upward and outward as though propelled by some spring my god said 1 I and ripped the quilt from the bed twelve inches from the toot foot of the bedstead a broad arrow ruck in the blanket declared that below the blanket something had moved I 1 turned to herrick are you all right his hands clapped fast to his seat well im still the a same a me shape said herrick it if what you mean but you cant sit down on a land mine and be as good is as you were someone was running on the landing TO BE CONTINUED |