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.