Part 39 (2/2)
”This is , monsieur, but--”
”But you do not believe it,” interrupted De Froilette ”I have had a ings
Early in the e to the Captain's servant
Francois, ot into conversation with this servant, a rude soldier with s, but with stanch love for his uard by Ellerey, doubtless, he conceives the possibility that Francois s and binds him and locks him in a cellar The next day Captain Ellerey, a band of horsemen with him, meets a woodman in the forest toward Breslen, and by hi behind his cellar door, of which the wood, and there is Francois _Pauvre garcon_, he was hungry, my lord; and, _ma foi_, he will be very terrible the next time he and that soldier meet”
”On the Breslen road, you say,” Lord Cloverton rehtfully
He had made up his mind quickly
”Probably in Breslen itself by this time I understand there is much dissatisfaction there”
”And Captain Ellerey's object, h such a consideration had not occurred to hi, my lord? I am not in the councils of the Government I know little of the State's difficulties, the plots which threaten, the particular points of danger; but as a private person I should incline to the belief that it has to do with the Princess Maritza I have already told you that she is, or was, in Sturatzberg You do not believe it That is a pity”
”I a to believe it, monsieur,” the A here to-day The gates of Sturatzberg are not so well guarded as they should be”
”That is not iven e of Lord Cloverton and his value to the peace of Wallaria”
With these parting co that he had established his position with the Ambassador, and put him off the real scent at one and the sa was destined to be quickly and rudely dispelled
Soo toward Breslen, but many more set out in the opposite direction and stretched across the country which lay between Sturatzberg and the , was still convinced that the ands in the hills
The despatch of the troops did not surprise Frina Mavrodin That they should go chiefly toward the hills seeands lay there The time since she had returned to find that her ho e Hannah she had stood upright, i alone in the world All the interests and hopes of her life seemed to slip from her and fall into a heap of dead ashes at her feet The Princess had gone Doubtless she had ot her out of the way on purpose It was Du into the Bois; it was Dumitru, probably, who had persuaded Maritza that the time to act had conizant of the fact that her house would be searched; she did not believe that they had gone to escape discovery If such had been the case she would have been taken into their confidence No; the departure had taken place for the furtherance of plans in which she had no part, and which she promptly linked with the disappearance of Captain Ellerey It never occurred to Frina to set watches to warn the Princess should she return She would not return For good or ill she had begun the final oal What were her plans?
What chance had they of success? Frina knehat secret societies nursed the cause of Princess Maritza in the city She knew to a unit what support could be depended upon, knew the exact value of it, the strength and the weakness of it The cause had looked to the hills for support, not without reason, perhaps Were not the athered there rebels, ready to strike a blow at the Governuht
Frina knew that the material for revolt was to hand, but a resolute leader had been lacking Now this want had been supplied by Captain Ellerey It was round Ellerey that the whirl of Frina's eone before the house was searched gave place to the apprehension that she had gone to join Captain Ellerey She saw only a rival in her late guest It was her love for the man which ruled Frina Mavrodin's actions, not her love for the cause It was in this spirit that she ht coe for Ellerey It was in this spirit that, with her maid in attendance, she presently went to visit Baron Petrescu
The Baron's wound had not proved serious, but it had kept hi on a sofa, from which he half rose as she entered She hurried forward to prevent hiely, you were in hts when you were announced”
She inquired about his wound and expressed her regrets in a few prettily turned sentences ”It was nothing,” said the Baron ”The greatest hurt was tofor an opportunity of wiping out the defeat?”
said Frina
”Curiously enough, that idea has not risen upperlishy for the attack which was entleallant swordsman, and I writhe under the fear that he believes that attack was ofof truth in the Baron's words Frina Mavrodin was not surprised She believed that she thoroughly understood him, or would not have visited him
”You would befriend Captain Ellerey were it in your power?” she questioned
”Gladly, for his own sake and for yours Pardon me, Countess, if my own confession slips out with these words Those who love recognize love quickly”
”Was that in your mind when you forced this duel upon Captain Ellerey?”