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Show ' LOVE or DEATH I yvHAT HAS GONE BEFORE In Urblno, Italy, when It was nil(.r control of Cesare liorKki, famous- commander nml stuUM-ninn stuUM-ninn a crafty rotvuo, Corvlnua Tilsmeglstus. Is flourishing as a fortune toller, dispenser of pol-s(in3 pol-s(in3 and wleldor of nllcKi'd supernatural su-pernatural powers. To him comes in great privacy the I.ady ISIunca j,' Floravantl, beautiful rlauRli-tcr rlauRli-tcr of the Hon lord of Castle San Leo, which Is holding out against ,'(,, 'power cf Cesare Borgia. As ,he enters she sees entering with her a mysterious figure. Biac.a asks the Borcerer for an elixir which will gain for her the love of one Lorenzo Castrocaro, who serves under Cesare liorgia. Cor-clnus, Cor-clnus, for a large sum, tiives her a tiny phial, with directions tor using its contents. CHAPTER I Continued With a little cry of gratitude nml joy site held out avid hands to take he phial. But as her fingers were about to close upon It, he snatched It back, and raised a hand impressively impres-sively to restrain her. "Attend to me," he bade her, his flittering eye regarding her intensely. To this golden elixir you shall add two drops of your own blood, neither more nor less; then contrive that Messer Lorenzo drink it in his wine. But all must be done while the moon Is waxing; and, iu a measure, as-the moon continues to grow, so will his passion mount and abide in him. And before that same moon shall have befit be-fit to wane that Lorenzo Castrocaro trill come to you. though the whole world lie between you, and he will be your utter and absolute slave. The present is a propitious time. Go, and be you happy." She took the phial, which he now relinquished, and broke into thanks. But imperiously, by a wave of the band and a forbidding look, lie stemmed her gratitude. lie smote a little gong that stood by. There was the sound of the opening floor. The curtains parted with a clash, and the white-robed Nubian appeared salaaming on the threshold, waiting to reconduct her. Madonna Iiianca bowed to the great magician and departed overawed by the majesty of hia demeanor. She hid passed out, and still the Nubian raited on the threshold waited for the man . he had admitted with her. But Corvinus, knowing naught of his slave's motive for lingt-eing, bade him harshly, begone; whereupon the curtains cur-tains were drawn together again, and the door was closed. Left alone, the magician flung oil the great mantle of overawing d'.jnity, descended from the lofty indifference to gain, natural enough in one who .Is master of the ages, and became humanly hu-manly interested in the purse which Madonna Eianca had left him. Drawing Draw-ing wide the mouth of it, he emptied the golden contents onto the vast page of his book of magic. lie spread Hie glittering mass, and lingered it affectionately, chuckling in his red beard. And then, quite suddenly, his chuckle was echoed by a laugh, short, abrupt, contemptuous and sinister. With a startled gasp Corvinus looked up, his hands spreading to cover and protect the gold, his eyes dilating with a sudden fear, a fear that swelled at what he saw. Before hii-, In midchamber, surged a tall figure all in black black cloak, black cap and black face, out of which two gleaming eyes considered him. Trembling in every fiber, white of cheek, his mouth and eyes agape, a I"'ey to a terror greater far ti.an any il had ever been his lot to Inspire in ethers, the wizard stared at the dread Wianiom, and assumed not unnaturally unnatu-rally It must be confessed that here ns Satan come to claim his own at h,st. There fell a pause. Corvinus attempted at-tempted to speak, to challenge the apparition. ap-parition. But courage failed him; terror struck him dumb. Presently the figure advanced, ilent-footed, menacing ; and the wiz-nrds wiz-nrds knees were loosened under him. He sank gibbering into his high-backed c,,air, and waited for death with hell to follow. At least, you see, he knew w,,t he' deserved. Tle apparition halted at last, before "'e table, within arm's length of Cor-vnus, Cor-vnus, and a voice came to break the awful spell, a voice Infinitely mocking W unquestionably, reassuringly hu-Duin. hu-Duin. "Greetings, Thriee-Mage !" it said. It took Corvinus some moments to realize that his visitor was mortal, ft-r all, and some further moments ,0 recover some semblance of self-Possession. self-Possession. An Incipient chagrin min-pll'iK min-pll'iK with tlie remains of his fears, he 5Pol;e at last. ''Who art thou?" he cried, the voice r , th he would fain have rendered ""'d. high-pitched and quavering. Tl,e .cloak opened; displaying a Efaceful, well-knit figure in sable vel-Tlt vel-Tlt that was wrought with golden 'fabi'squeE. From a girdle studded ''' great fiery rubies hung a long "u heavy dagger, whose hilt and Cihbard were of richly chiseled gold. D the banks of the black velvet oves diamonds hung and sparkled e drops of water, to complete the n,ler splendor of the man's apparel. of the hands was raised to pluck ';y Hie vizor and disclose the youlh-t youlh-t aquiline and very noble cotinte-''"ce cotinte-''"ce of Cesa,e Borgia, duke of Val-W1 Val-W1 J'lols and Komagna. ( "rMnns recognized him on the In-"u. In-"u. ami recognizing him was far ,l" Rure that things would have By Uafacl Sabatini tCooyrlcht.) WNU Sorvlce been worse had his visitor been the ;l(-vil, as he had at first supposed. M.v lord!" he cried, profoundly amazed, profoundly uneasy And thinking aloud In his cons'ternation' he added the question, foolish In a master of all secrets: "How came you "I, too, know something of mtglc" said the tawny-headed young duke and there was mockery In his voice nnd In the smile he bent upon the wizard. He did not think It necessary to explain ex-plain that all the magic he bad employed em-ployed had been to enter as if in attendance at-tendance upon Madonna Bianca de' Floravanti, and then to slip silently behind be-hind the black arras with which, to serve his purpose of deception, Messer Corvinus hung his walls. But the magician was not duped, "ho makes the image does not worship wor-ship It. The truth the precise truth of magic was known undoubtedly to Corvinus, and it therefore follows that he could not for a moment suppose that the means by which the duke had gained admittance had been other mm Corvinus- Turned Cold From Read to Foot. than perfectly natural ones. Anon the Nubian should be keenly questioned, ques-tioned, and If necessary as keenly l.!pped. Meanwhile, the duke himself him-self must claim attention, and Corvinus Corvi-nus knowing himself a rogue was far from easy. But if he was not easy at least he was master of an inexhaustible store of impudence, and upon this he made now a heavy draft. To cover his momentary mo-mentary discomfiture, he smiled now as Inscrutably as the duke. Quickly he thrust the gold back into the purse, never heeding a coin that fell and rolled away along the floor. He tossed the purse aside, and, retaining his seat what time his highness remained re-mained standing, he combed his long, bifurcate beard. - "Betwixt your magic and mine. Magnificent, Mag-nificent, there is some difference," he said, with sly suggestion. "I should not be here else," replied the duke; and abruptly he proceeded to the matter that had brought him. "It is said you have found an elixir that restores the uead to life." "It is rightly said, my lord," replied the wizard with assurance. He was becoming master of himself again. "You have tested itV" quoth Cesare. "In Myprus, three years ago, I restored re-stored life to a man who had been dead two days. He is still living, and will testify." "Your word suffices me," said the duke; and the irony was so sly that Corvinus was left wondering whether irunv there had been. "At need, no doubt, you would make proof of It upon yourself'.'" Corvinus turned cold from head to foot, yet answered boldly of very necessity ne-cessity : "t need, I would." Yalentinois sighed as one who Is content, and Corvinus took heart again. "You have this elixir at hand "Enough to restore life to one man Just that and no more. It is a rare and very precious liquor, and very cent" "S TU may pereelve. Magnia- "Oerlved, no doubt, from the brain of some rare bird of Africa?" the duke mocked him. Bv not so much as a flicker of the eyelid did Corvinus acknowledge the hit. "Not so, Magnificent," he replied Im-perturbab!. Im-perturbab!. "It s derived from " "No matter!" said the duke "Let me have It!" The magician rose, turned to his shelve,,-, and sought there awhile. Presently he came back with a phial containing a blood-red liquid. "It 1.1 here," he said, and he held the slender vessel to the light, so that It glowed like a ruby. "Force apart the teeth of the dead man, and pour this draft down his throat. Within an hour he will revive, re-vive, provided the body has first been warmed before a fire." Valentinois took the phial slowly lu his gloved fingers. He considered It, his countenance very thoughtful. "It cannot fail to act?" he questioned. ques-tioned. "It cannot fail, Magnificent," replied re-plied the mage. "No matter how the man may have died?" "No matter how. provided that no vital organ shall have been destroyed." "It can conquer death by poison?" "It will dissolve and dissipate the poison, no matter what Its nature, as vinegar will melt a pearl." "Excellent!" said the' duke, and he smiled his cold, inscrutable smile. "And now another matter, Thrlce-Mage." Thrlce-Mage." He thoughtfully fingered his tawny beard. "There is a rumor afoot in Italy, spread, do doubt, by yourself to further the thieving charlatan's trade you drive, that the Sultan Djem was poisoned by the Holy Father, and that the poison a poison so subtle and miraculous that it lay lne-t in the Turk for a month before It slew him was supplied to his holiness by you." The duke paused as if for n reply, and Corvinus shivered again In fear, so coldly sinister had been the tone. "That is not true, Magnificent. I have had no dealings with the Holy Father, and I have supplied him with no poisons. I know not how Messer Ljem may have died, nor have I ever said I did." "How, then, comes this story current; cur-rent; tnd your name in it?" Corvinus hastened to explain. Explanations Ex-planations were a merchandise with which he was well stocked. "It may be thus : Of such a poison I possess the secret, and some there have been who have sought It from me. Hence, no doubt, knowing that I have it and conceiving that It was used, the vulgar have drawn conclusions, conclu-sions, as the vulgar will, unwarrantably." unwarrant-ably." Cesare smiled. " 'Tis very subtle, Trismegistus." And be nodded gravely. "And you say that you have such a poison? What, pray, may be its nature?" "That, Magnificent, is secret," was the answer. "I care not. I desire to know, and I have asked you." There was no heat in the re.loinder. It was quite cold deadly cold. But it had more power to compel than any anger. Corvinus fenced no more; he made haste to answer. "It consists chiefly of the juice of catapuce and the powdered yolk of an egg, but its preparation Is not easy." "You have it at hand?" "Here, Magnificent," replied the mage. And from the same bronze coffer whence he had taken the love philter the golden elixir he drew now a tiny cedar box, opened it, and placed It before the duke. It contained a fine yellow powder. "One drachm of that will kill thirty days after it has been administered, two drachms in half'the time." Cesare sniffed It and eyed the mage sardonically. "I desire to make experiment," said ; he. "How much Is here?" "Two drachms, highness." The duke held out the box to Corvinus. Cor-vinus. "Swallow it," he bede him calmly. The mage drew back In an alarm j that almost argued faith in his own I statement. "My lord!" he cried, aghast. ; Swallow It," Cesare repeated, without raising his voice. Corvinus is caught! Can he wriggle out of It? What does he do? (TO BE CONTINUED.) |