Part 23 (2/2)

She stood in the entrance, sht in her boudoir exa-table She was clothed as she had been on the throne; a rope girdle held her single gar to her knees

Her arms and shoulders appeared marvelously white, but theyacross to her with a single bound In another moment his arms were round her; she barely subave him her lips, then drew herself away and crossed todoubt

But that was no time for hostilities, and I took the hands in ers

”A visit from the queen!” I said with a smile ”This is an honor, your majesty”

”A doubtful one,” said Desiree ”First of all, ratulate you on your savoir faire Par Bleu, that was the part of a man!”

”But you!” cried Harry ”What the deuce did youto play the black? I tell you, that was a shabby trick Most unpleasant lance; she was plainly surprised to find Harry in ignorance of what had passed between us that evening in the camp on the mountain Wherein she was scarcely to be blae of the ways ofto know you, Paul,” she said, looking intofroain

”For Heaven's sake, don't talk riddles What does thather fingers playfully on his lips They were seated side by side on the granite couch; I stood in front of them, and there flitted across rounds of the Antlers at Colorado Springs, when Desiree and I had had our first battle

We talked; or, rather, Harry and Desiree talked, and I listened First he insisted on a recital of her experiences since her reckless dash into the ”cave of the devil,” and she was er, for she had had no one to talk to for many days, and she was a woman

She found in Harry a perfect audience

Her experience had been much the same as our own She, too, had fallen down the unseen precipice into the torrent beneath

She asserted that she had been carried along by its force scarcely more than a quarter of an hour, and had been violently thrown upon a ledge of rock It was evident that thisbefore the stream reached the lake where Harry and I had found each other, for we had been in the water hardly short of an hour

She had been found on the ledge by our hairy friends, who had carried her on their backs for many hours I remembered the sensations of Harry and ave a shudder of sympathy as Desiree described her own horror and fear, and her one attereat violence, evidently recognizing the preciousness of their burden They had carried her as gently as possible, but had absolutely refused to allow her to walk At regular intervals they gave her an opportunity to rest, and food and water

”Dried fish?” I asked hopefully

Desiree nodded, with a hter

Then of the elevation to her evident authority Brought before the king, she had inspired the most profound wonder and curiosity Easy, indeed, to understand how the whiteness of her skin and the beauty of her form and face had awakened the keenest admiration in the breast of that black and hairy monarch He had shown her the most perfect respect; and she had played up to the role of Goddess by displaying to the utmost her indifferent conteeneral and evasive, and when pressed with questions she refused details She declared that nothing had happened; she had been fed and fawned upon, nor been annoyed by any violence or unwelcome attentions

”That is really too bad,” said I, with a smile ”I was, then, h!” said Desiree ”That is hardly witty For a ti bored And yet--”

”Well?”

”I--don't--know They are mine, if you knohat I mean Eh, bien, since you ask me--for I see the question in your eye, friend Paul--I am content If the world is behind me forever, so be it Yes, they are unattractive to the eye, but they have power And they worshi+p me”