Show love or deaths rafael sabatini balini Sa service 0 0 40 t 40 10 MM M M n d lili mm n tn in the background stood crucible and alembic and above these an array of shelves laden with phials coffers and retorts but of all this she had the most fleeting and subconscious of impressions all attention of which she was capable was focused upon the man himself she was too as one in a dream so bewildered had her senses grown by all that she had witnessed speak madonna the magician calmly urged her 1 I am here to do your will it was encouraging and would have been still more encouraging had she but held some explanation of the extraordinary tra manner of his advent still overawed over awed she spoke at last her voice unsteady 1 I need your help said she 1 I need it very sorely it Is yours madonna to the entire extent of my vast scle science rim you you have great learning she half questioned half affirmed the limitless ocean he answered modestly Is neither so wide nor so deep as my knowledge what aliat Is your need she was mastering herself now I 1 and it if she faltered still and hesitated it was because the thing she craved was not such as a maid may boldly speak of she approached her subject gradually you possess the secret of great medicines said she of elixirs that will do their work not only upon the body but at need upon the lery spirit madonna he answered soberly 1 I can arrest the decay of age or compel the departed spirit of the dead to return and restore the body blodys s life and since it Is natures law chat that the greater must include the less let that reply suffice you dut but can you she pau paused sed then impelled by her need her last fear forgotten now that she was well embarked upon the business she rose robe and approached him can you command love she asked alii and gulped can you compel the cold to grow impassioned i the indifferent to be filled with longings can you can you do this he pondered her at some length Is tills your need lie he and there was wonder in his voice yours or an others it Is my need she answered low my own ile he sat back ando andi further considered the pale beauty of her the low brow the black lustrous tresses tresse 5 in thel their golden net the splendid eyes ey esthe lie alluring mouth the noble hel height ht and shape magic I 1 have to do your will at need he said slowly but surely no such magic as Is 1 natures Ta tures own endowment of can h hi you resist the 4 sorcery or of those lips arid and eyes this man for whose subjection you debare my aid alas I 1 ne ile thinks not of such things ills mind Is set on war and armaments ills his only mistress is am botlon bation I 1 ills his name the sage imperiously riou sly what Is his name his name and his condition she lowered her glance A faint flush tinged her cheeks she hesitated taken taen by a fluttering panic yet she dared not deny him the knowledge lie he demanded lest vexed by her refusal he should withhold his aid his name she falcet faltered ed at length la is lorenzo castrocaro Castro caro a gentleman of urbino a iao who serves under the bariner banner of the duke of val 11 A blind to beauty blind to such warm loveliness as yours madonna cried corvinus so anomalous a being such a natu rae will require great ine medicine dicine opportunity has served me none too well slie she explained almost in self defense indeed circumstance Is all against us my father la Is the castellan of st leo devoted to duke buldo baldo wherefore it Is natural that we should see but little of one who serves under the banner of the foe and so I 1 tear fear that lie he may g go 0 his ways unless I 1 have that which will bring him to me in despite of all Cory corvinus inus considered the matter silently awhile then sighed 1 I see great difficulties to lo tie be Jivu overcome come said that wily mage but you can help me to overcome them ills his gleaming eyes considered her it will be costly he be said that to me D do 0 you think ill count the cost in such a matteri matter I the wizard drew back frowned and wrapped himself in a great dignity understand me said he with some asperity this Is no shop where things are bought and sold my knowledge and my magic are tit at the service of all humanity these I 1 do not sell I 1 bestow thorn them freely and I 1 Z 0 11 1 1 1 I see great difficulties to be overcome said the wily mage N 1 ivul tee fee mi ail attio amo need alieni put but it if I 1 give so much so very much it cannot be expected that I 1 should give more the drugs I 1 have assembled from all corners of the earth are often of great price that price it Is yours to bear since the medicine Is for your service you have such me dicle cle then she cried her hands clasping in sudden increase of hopeful hopefulness nesi he nodded ills his assent love philters phil are common things enough and easy of preparation in the main any rustic ling hag who deals in witchcraft and preys on fools can brew one the contempt of his tone was withering cut but for your affair where grent great obstacles roust must be surmounted or eer the affinities can be made to respond a drug of unusual power Is needed such a drug I 1 have though little of it for in all the world there Is none more difficult to obtain its chief component Is an extract from the brain of a rare bird avis carissima sima of africa with feverish fingers she plucked a heavy purse from her girdle and splashed it upon the table it fell against the grinning skull and thus cheek by jowl with each other lay lifes two masters death and gold fifty ducats dubats du cats she panted in her excitement will that suffice sul tice perhaps erli aps said he entirely disdainful should it fall something short I 1 will myself add what may tie lacking and with contemptuous fingers eloquent of his scorn of mere profit he pushed the purse aside a thin thing of no account in this transaction transact ioli she began to protest th that at more should be forthcoming cut but lie he nobly overbore over bore her protestations ile he rose reve revealing aling ills his broad black girdle that c clasped I 1 a ped his scarlet robe about ills his waist all figured with the signs of the zodiac wrought in gold he stepped to the shelves and took from one of them a bronze coffer of some size with this he returned to the table set it down opened it and drew forth a tiny phial a slender little tube of glass that was plugged and sealed it contained no more than a thread of deep amber fluid a dozen drops at most ile he held it up so that it gleamed golden in the light this he said Is my aureus aur eura my golden elixir a rare an and d very subtle potion sufficient for your need abruptly he proffered it to her with a little cry of gratitude and joy she held out avid hands to take the phail but as her fingers were about to close upon it lie he snatched it back and raised a hand impressively to restrain her attend to me he bade her his glittering eye regarding her intense intensely ly to this golden elixir r 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 in a measure as the moon continues to grow so will his passion mount and abide in him and before that same moon shall have be 1 gun to wane that thai lorenzo castrocaro Castro caro will come to you though the whole world lie ile 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 hand and a forbidding look he stemmed her gratitude ile he smote a little gong that stood by there was the sound of the opening door the curtains parted with a clash and the white robed nubian ap appeared salaaming sala aming on the threshold waiting to her madonna blanca bianca bowed to the great I 1 magician and departed overawed over awed by the majesty of his demeanor she had passed out and still the nubian waited on the threshold waited tor for the man he had admitted with her cut but corvinus knowing naught of his slaves motive for lingering bade him harshly whereupon the curtains were drawn together again and the door was closed lett left alone the magician flung off the great mantle of overawing over awing dignity descended from the lofty indifference to gain natural enough in one who Is master masier of the ages and became humanly interested in the purse which madonna blanca bianca had left him drawing I 1 wide the file mouth ot of 14 it lie heem DUed t OULU ule uie badt page of his book of magic he spread the glittering mass and fingered it affectionately chuckling in his bis red beard and then quite suddenly his chuckle was echoed by a laugh short abrupt contemptuous and sinister with a startled gasp cor corvinus inus looked up his hands spreading to cover and protect the gold his eyes dilating with a sudden fear a tear fear that swelled at what he saw before him in 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 prey to a terror greater far than any it had ever been his lot to inspire in others the wizard stared at the dread phantom and assumed not unnaturally it must be confessed that here was satan come to claim his own at last there fell a pause corvinus attempted to speak to challenge the apparition pari tion but courage failed him terror struck him dumb presently the figure advanced silent footed menacing and the wizards knees were loosened under him ile he sank gibbering into his high backed chair and waited tor for death with hell to follow at least you see he knew what he deserved the apparition halted nt at last before the table within arms length of corvinus and a voice came to break the awful spell a voice infinitely bockin mocking 7 yet unquestionably reassuringly human greetings thrice magel mage it said it took corvinus some moments to realize that his visitor was mortal after all and some further moments to recover some semblance of self possession an incipient chagrin clin grin mingling with the remains of his tears fears loe lie j spoke at last who art thou he cried the voice which he would fain have rendered bold high pitched and quavering the cloak opened displaying a graceful well knit figure in sable vel yet vet that was wrought with golden arabe arabesques s ques from a girdle studded with great fiery rubles hung a lon long and heavy dagger whose hilt ana and scabbard were of richly chiseled gold on the backs of the black velvet gloves diamonds hung and sparkled like drops of water to complete the somber splendor of the mans apparel one of the hands was raised to pluck away the and disclose the youthful aquiline and very noble countenance of cesare borgia duke of val and romagna Ito magna corvinus recognized him on the instant and recognizing him was far from sure that things would have been worse had his visitor been the devil as he had at first supposed my ily lord he cried profoundly amazed profoundly uneasy and thinking aloud in his consternation he added the question foolish in a master of all secrets how came you in III 1 I too know something of magic said the tawny headed young duk and wn lop err ln in L hi laiq voia ind and la jn the smile he fie sent upon the t h wizard ile he did not think it necessary to explain that all the magic lie he had employed had been to enter as if in attendance upon madonna blanca bianca do de and then to slip silently behind the black arras with which to serve his purpose of deception messer corvinus hung his walls but the magician was not duped who makes the imago image does not worship it the truth the pr precise alse truth troth 0 of f magic was known undoubtedly to corvinus and it therefore follows that lie he could not for a moment suppose that the means by which the duke had gained admittance had been other than perfectly natural ones anon amon the nubian should be keenly questioned and it if necessary as keenly whipped meanwhile the duke himself must claim attention and coryl corvi nus knowing himself a rogue was far from easy but it 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 discomfiture he smiled now as inscrutably as aa 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 standing he combed his long bifurcate board beard betwixt your magic and mine magnificent ent there Is some difference he said with sly suggestion 1 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 tho the dead to life it Is rightly said my lord re replied plied the wizard with assurance lie he was becoming master of himself again you have tested it cesare in myrrus three years ago I 1 restored life to a man who had been dead two days lie ile Is still living and will testify your tour word suffices me said the duke and the irony was so sly that corvinus was left wondering whether irony there had been at need no DO doubt you would make proof of it upon yourself corvinus turned cold from head to foot yet En answered boldly of very necessity at need I 1 would Valenti nois sighed as one who Is content and corvinus tool took heart again you ton 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 an and d very costly as you may perceive magnificent t derived no doubt from the brain of some rare bird of africa the duke mocked him D dy Y not so much as a flicker oft of the he eyelid did corvinus acknowledge th the e hit not so magnificent he replied im wy lr tt it 1 as s derived jeom from ll 11 continued next week |