Part 19 (1/2)

She stood i down at hiry flush upon her cheeks, triuone hard with any subject who had dared to accuse her The Ahtly clasped upon the glea white and rounded arm, was the bracelet of iron

CHAPTER IX

THE DUEL

The aspect of the night had changed when Ellerey and his companion left the palace Fleecy clouds raced across the sky, veiling the face of the ht fitful and uncertain

The air struck cold after the war his cloak a little closer round hiht and to the business he had in hand

He asked no questions, and with his eyes bent on the ground followed his companion mechanically The cause of the quarrel interested him more than the issue of it Why had Baron Petrescu drawn him into this duel? It had obviously been carefully planned, and the insult deliberately given at ahis life in jeopardy He could only assume that her Majesty's schemes were, to so other interests to serve, he was bent on incapacitating hi the mission he had undertaken That the Baron had any personal quarrel with him he did not believe

Ellerey's coht

Each tiether for a lanced quickly at Ellerey He was the ht for our work,” he said, presently ”We should have been wiser to have waited until ,” Ellerey answered

”Are you a skilful swordsman? The Baron is”

”Is he?” said Ellerey, indifferently ”I have soie of o?”

”To tell the truth, I hardly like the rendezvous,” was the answer ”It is a stretch of sward behind an obscure tavern in this part of the town Did I not know the Baron to be an honorablein such a place Your decision to fight to-night made our choice limited”

Ellerey stopped and looked about hihfare with tall, dark houses on either side The neighborhood looked particularly uninviting

”Where are we?” he asked suddenly, re of his co the service he had so readily offered he ree very ith the rest of Baron Petrescu's behavior

”Beyond knowing that we are in the purlieus of a lower part of the town and on the outskirts of the city, I am as puzzled as you are”

”You seeree so such a place as this Which way now?”

”To the bottom of this street, where we are to wait The Baron's friend will meet us there”

”We will keep the appointment so far,” said Ellerey shortly ”I came to meet Baron Petrescu, but I am not minded to step blindly into a nest of cut-throats” He strode on as alert now as he had been indifferent before, and it was not until they had nearly reached the end of the street that his coht yonder we are to wait You do not trust me, Captain Ellerey?”

”I have not said so”

”That ado that aspect of the case had not presented itself to me, but on reflection I can hardly wonder at your distrust The circuainst you, I should hardly have called your attention to the strangeness of the rendezvous I have, however, a better guarantee of lishman I like this affair as little as you do; but if you are ht beside you should there be any attempt at treachery

There's my hand upon it”

It was not the words, but the manner in which they were spoken that convinced Ellerey, and he took the hand held out to hiive ht yonder, you say”

The light caht have been placed there as a signal, or soht be ruining her health and sight by it It must, at any rate, have been very constantly there, or it would not so readily have beenAs they went toward it, the figures of twoin the shadow of the wall One advanced to meet them, and addressed hiret this unusual mode of procedure, but it is unavoidable under the circuht May I request that you will follow us in silence?”