An Imperial Marriage

in to me that he was pulling the strings in everything; although why he shoul

urged Althea to let me tell him, but she would not. Her quixotic regard for Chalice stood in the way. Nor would she adopt t

means of dealing with von Felsen. In the meantime I knew he would l

as brought to us; and when he was shown up, von Felsen was with him. Von Bern

it about my interrupted journey; and von Bern

you go, Paul," said Bessie, who was a

, who had known of the intended visit. "I shall

g," said Bessie in the m

f to von Felsen, who had pricked up his ears at

e honour of being pr

ount upon her good graces." I thought Bessie was carrying things a bit too far; but von Felsen was keeping an

commiseration. "I remember too how interested she was in Fr?ulein Chalice

used to be a great singer herself," w

greatly, then," interjected von Felsen; and I saw

ead, and the sound of some one singing the jewel song from Faust. Then the do

ice's songs," said vo

must be better, Paul. I'll go and see if she wi

portunity of glancing up the stairs. "She has a young voice,

r a young woman,

gh to come to us," h

ned von Bernhoff; and then we sat in silen

Ellen singing--our maid, you know," she added to the others. "Aunt Charlotte op

g their obviously insincere regrets when Ellen ente

ith a sort of feeling th

e is, indeed, an ultimate friend of yours, Bastable. Two visits in one

ry with vexation,

tears, Bess. Was Alt

was just in tim

. "You had better leave me alone with the Princ

had brought him together with the desire to tell me he had found out that the arrest was not orde

course she must have her o

the right to ruin Fr

ing, baffling. I do

is simply cowardly,"

d he drew himself u

other woman's caprice is cowardly, Prince v

is way with Fr?ulei

is all too willing t

rcely pertinent

ruth," I declared bluntly, disgusted a

to force a quar

ng to rouse you to do

best judge

nd the interview"; and

tion. "I am extremely disapp

assure you, Prince"

r's bidding--confirmed my belief that I must deal with von Felsen as the ch

of the Jews; and the fact that I had seen him with Hagar Ziegler led me to think I could get fr

tain line in regard to a very dirty transaction in which he was concerned, and had saved the old Jew from being prosecute

ffice, and he received me with

is fat hands together while his beady eyes searched my face in do

ven't forg

"You are one of the only friends poor Ephraim Ziegle

head. "Oh n

and, referring to one of the former cases, hinted that I had come to warn him, and that something had been discovered which might m

you do me," he declared. Thus pressed, I resumed my seat, and we chatted about a number of matters until I brought the talk roun

id. It was his habit to gloat over his cunning in

t from to pay you? N

g his finger-tips together with such an air of satisfaction that it set me thinking. I reme

with, eh?" I put all the significance I could in

e. You get to know so much," he answered after

?" I laughed. "Your 'almost' would then be 'quite

n't go yet," h

not come to discuss politics"--I paused intentionally on the word, and the effect satisfied me--"but just t

He had a wholesome fear of my sources of information. He paused, hunched up in h

rette case, selected one with great care, and as I lit it, looked

, leaning forward in his eagerness. "You are my friend. You must tell

; but I could only look as if my secret

, my friend, my dear Herr Basta

fe general sort of shot and added to his mystification. He bit his nails and his eyes rolled from si

in front. "No. It's the other affair; about the----" I broke off, and his eyes fastened on mine as if to read in them the rest

een betrayed? That the

no names, Ziegler; but some one gave

God of my fathers, if I thought it was von Fels

should have him in the hollow of my hand. "It wasn't von Felsen," I said to reassure him. "He's too deep in, and too much in your power to chatter. You kno

picion that I had been merely guessing on the strength of the hints he hi

athize with the cause. I know that from what you have wri

Von Felsen was playing a double matrimonial game. "When may one offer congratulations,

e loves him; and she wi

d him useful to get----" Again I broke off th

Herr Bastable," he r

inside information when very important papers

mean by that," he ans

purposes that I do. Is it worth while to try a

rying it,"

ou the real object of this visit. Von Felsen is trying a fool's game with me, and it has to stop. I know he dare

is he doing? I have influ

d what it is for the present. Give me a line to him--that I am your frien

nted. He wrote a few lines q

AR HU

of mine. Any service to him is

IM ZIE

Not a syllable to him or any one o

, my dear Herr Bastab

as a sign that I am to talk on my side. And I shall." I left him wi

er I had obtained would frighten him consumedly. But I little thought o

e, I found von Felsen and Dormund at the open door. I saw the move at once, without von Felsen's smu

apologetically; "but Herr von Felsen tells me Miss Bastabl

more than I do; but come into my den here and I'

ready told us she is

her"; and I handed out

l the trick I had played him at the station. Yet to deny her after Ellen's admission tha

ce him with Ziegler's letter and make him get rid of

up to me, white of

ber of police at

that instant con

od hesitating in perplexity what to do, whe

e police, so I sent Ellen downstairs, and prepared