A Prince to Order

for some little time in conversation. As they were about

arelessly. "Shall I ne

t seems to me it would be just as well

lau

shall be disturbe

get you one," O'Hara insisted.

court. The portier was not visible, but at the foot of the narrow stairway to the right a

uietly, respectfully; "he met with an accident and has come b

rey stood sile

he queried, rec

Villieurs. His leg is broken in two places, and he is

t, that there must have been some mistake or misunderstanding as to his departure. If he had meant to desert his charge he would not under any circumstances have acted in this fashion. Perhaps-indeed it was quite possible-he had left a letter which some stupid French s

laying, as it were, a sort of brief tattoo on the panel with his knuckle

rough rocky narrows. His body seemed dropping through interminable space, gaining momentum with every foot of its fall, but shooting straight, straight downward without a swerve; the lights flashing152 by him, the winds roaring past him as he sped. An agony of apprehension seized him. He was going to be crushed to atoms; mangled, broken, distorted. He tried to raise his arms, to clutch at the impalpable, but they were held down as if by leaden weights. To bend a k

le way at his sides, and his feet bound together with cords that cut cruelly into the flesh of his ankles. He realised then that he had153 been led into a trap and had been sandbagged or otherwise assaulted as he entered it. His mind was still busy

nd sinister, bloodshot eyes. The two were standing near an open window and the larger man had in his hands a thick hempen rope, one end of which Grey observed was knotted about the heavy post of an old-fashioned mahogany bedstead which stood against the

dow for a moment, and on drawing in his h

haste with your knot. I'm not

nd his partner repli

r and the knot must be strong. There's plenty of time. He won't come t

nervous apprehension; "we have been here too long as it i

rapping now and she'll hold all right. Some wrap it seven ti

erious, sounded on the door. The younger man started nervously, but15

t mean?" he

r replied, agitatedly

hat candle," he commanded. Though he spoke very lo

the door, repeated blows

z la p

m in his room had set out in search of him. But how, he wondered, could he have traced him here? And then he th

, too, of many feet. Still, the men within made no sound. Th

as a general ominous murmur like low growl

bang! resoun

t once or I'll break i

t his gag, contorted his mouth, tugged at his arms, but coul

voice was sonorous, "perhaps they have gone. Escaped

s O'Hara spea

couch and dropped his bound body to the floor

bigger of his two compani

l. There was a crackling, splintering sound of wood rent apart, and through the157 aperture thus made, in the dim l

the window, and the rope from the bedpost was stretched t

races, realising their danger, were even more speedy. As his head shot out into the night the strain on the rope relaxed and there came up from the darkness below a patter of feet on t

e others158 were cutting the cords that bound his limbs. For a moment the American's view of the Irishman's broad back was cut off by those surrounding him, but the next min

aided him to a chair. His head was aching splittingly and his legs and arms were numb. For a little while he was lost to everything save

ly. "Get down to the street, every one of you. Mo

ck as the other five made a hasty exit, "is

d!" yelled Grey, exci

in augmented numbers, with O'Hara accompa

and then seeing Grey very white, he exclaimed: "Are you hurt

answered, with a forced smile; "it was a pret

here was very little, however, that anyone could tell him. Grey described his ass

w. Then a messenger was sent to arouse the portier, who had been abed for an hour or more, and w

pearance who gave the name of Schmidt. His brother and a friend would

ll or short?" a

rugged his sta

know," h

dark o

onsieur," he repeated

what

should conjecture, mons

aid more than room rent," he said to O'Ha

se this opinion. Not a penny of his money had been touched; his watch and chain were still in his possession, as