The Fate of a Crown

form disappear through the doorway. A moment later I was in the

ing my way down the iron staircase and along the passage. Reaching the domed chamber a strange sight met our view. Both traps

t with a small lamp in one hand and a great bundle of papers in the other. As she reached t

a daughter of mine should be guilty of so vile an act!” As he spoke he struck her so sharply a

and leaped into the vault to r

ith one quick movement dashed down the heavy plate of steel. I saw her place the ring in its cavity and he

give me the ring! He will suffocat

instant she dashed the lamp into my face. It shivered against the wall, and as I staggered

ed it into ashes with my bare feet. Then, smarting from the sting of

mbled up the iron stairs until I reached the study, where I set the alarm be

my smarting flesh, and as the astonished servant

d bring her to me—by force if neces

ce, and Lesba’s great eyes met my own with a quick 105look of comprehen

Can you not understand?

m aside and ran through the house in frantic search for the murderess. The ro

he was mounted upon our swiftest horse, and knows every

he fellow a soft ha

saddled him myself. Make for the station at Cruz

azza; and as, half-dazed, I mounted the horse, she

“Dom Miguel is locked up in the vau

oulder I saw her still standing on th

d at the thought of my impotency and shuddering at the knowledge that de Pintra was slowly dying in his t

ried a st

d the horse back upon his haunches I caught the gleam of a revolv

peal of li

id the horseman, gayly; “whit

I recognized

lt!” I almost screamed in my agitation;

ered. “And where

s fled

n. “Do you know, Senhor Harcliffe, it somehow reminds me of a story my nurs

man is dying!” I cried, ma

rn case and calmly s

repeated, striking a match. “By the

ress before she can bo

as Dom Miguel been imp

es, a half-ho

hree. But no longer. I know, for I planned the vault myself. And the station at Cr

r as the truth was thus brutally thrust

ost. Should Madam Izabel deliver the key to her husband or to th

ve a rope around one’s neck and to kick the empty air?” He blew a cloud of smoke from his mouth and watched i

two men rode out from the shad

uz. Take there the train for Rio. Present the Ameri

bowed

agerly, “can you not yoursel

will do all that can be done to assist you. For myself, I think I shall ride on to de Pintra

d me. Indeed, the man wa

g whether or no to put myself under Paol

ough his own neck is in jeopardy.” He looked at his watch. “If you delay longer you will m

on, and the next moment, all irresolution vanishing, I put spurs

tomb of steel. And under my breath I cursed the heartless sang froid of F

lloped on; “the cad! the trifling coxcomb! Can no

ing my master, senhor,” said o

e caused me to turn a

med, “you are

antry. “But if you were applying those sweet names to Senhor Paola, I assure you that you wrong him. For three years I have been his ser

in a hoarse voice, “and I agree with you that he is cold a

ld he linger to eat a breakfast and kiss his sister good morning, whe

ther shrugged his should

but coming to a rough bit of road that obli

ened. My friend Figgot, here, is a bit of a detective, and if we ar

ots, senhor,” said

rs and described the cutting of the emerald that alone could release the powerful bolts. They heard all without comment, and how much of my story was new to them I had no knowledge. But of one t

113morning even while smarting from the burns upon my breast and arms, and heart-sick at the awful fate of my beloved leader—even now perishing amid the records of the great conspiracy he

ole, stumbled, and threw

d myself sitting up and supported by Sergeant Ma

lay,” grumbled Marco,

. No bones were broken,

ide, now

together mounted the other. My own steed had

station nearest to de Pintra’s estate was Cuyaba; but by riding straight to Cruz one saved nearly an hour’s railway journey, and the train for Rio could often be made in this way when it was

her to give up the ring. And if she rode to Cruz she must await there the coming of the train we also hoped to meet. In either event I planned, as soon as the ring was in my possession,

d require five hours, and long before that time the prisoner’s fate would have overtaken him. But

. We dashed up to the Cruz station in time to see the train for Rio disappearing in the distance, and to c

examine it. The station master came from his

animal just in time 116to take the express for Rio. The gentleman also wanted the train? How sad

n, perhaps, a lingering hope of saving Dom Miguel had possessed me. But with the ring on its way to Rio and t

ation master had disappeared. I found them in the little house writ

of the messages I fou

f Mazanovitch himself. Ah, how he will cling to the dear lady! She is clever—ah, yes!

the gentleman

Minister of Police, and Mazanovit

e to do?” I ask

ion, we have transferred to them, for a time, all our worrie

paining me terribly and that my right side seemed pierced by a thousand red-hot needles.