Clementina

ong. He jumped out of bed and pushed open the door of his parlour. There was

hour?" as

, at the little poster

he tim

in

This he passed, but a hundred yards farther on he turned down a side street and doubled back upon his steps along a little byway between small houses. The line of houses, however, at one point was broken by a garden wall. Under this wall Wogan waited until a clock struck ten, and while the clock was still striking he heard on the other side of the wall the brushing of footsteps amongst leaves and grass. Wogan tapped gently on a little door in the wall. It wa

, who took it and devoutly kissed the signature. Then

xpect again the impossible of you. But here, alas, your speed for once brings us no profit. Y

ose to

yself was once put to that necessity." The words took the Chevalier c

d not rescue

one man

shade of the lamp to throw the light fu

jesty to expect the

udacity of the exploit and the imperturbable manner of its proposal caught hi

nfidence was the first requisite. In reality, however, Wogan was not troubled at this moment by any thought of failure. It was not that he had any plan in his head; but he was fired with a conviction t

in his walk and looke

your Emin

ally charming," said the Cardinal, with a foppish de

ood that he had a

e exclaimed with all the indignation

uth. You write poetry too, I believe

nal would be sure to ruin his chance of obtaining the Chevalier's consen

strip him of Sicily, he's England's henchman. He dare not let the Princess go. We know

e world stop if Gen

scaffold i

ds I have no leaning towa

t, though he might think him absurd. The Che

impos

decision this second time. Wogan pressed h

reets, and took refuge in a cellar, where he was discovered. From the cellar in broad daylight he fought his way to the roofs, and on the roofs he played such a game of hide-and-seek among the chimney-tops-" Wogan broke off from his story with a clear thrill of laughter; it was a laugh of enjoyment at a pleasing recollection. Then he suddenly flung himself down on his knee at the

again doubtfully to the Cardinal, who said with his pleasant smile, "I will wager Mr. Wog

e the more readily in that your Eminence cannot win, though you may los

choly. And, indeed, while he was still laughing the Chevalier caught him by the arm as a friend might do, and in an outburst of confidence, very rare with him, he sai

to shame when I bring her Ro

e was spoken now in an accent of hesitation. Moreover, he sat down at a table, and drawing a sheet of paper

enue of trees in front of the house; on the opposite side of th

ted the word

tinued the Chevalier, "are impriso

rded, sir?"

read again f

ners' windows. They keep watch night and day. Bes

hat h

orning. The same

t the magistrate

ugh she l

in. The Cardinal reg

shall hear Farini. There is t

watchfully about the house; he heard them calling "All's well" each to th

eaudoux, her

A

on on his tongue he hardly dared t

doux is allowed

e dayl

"The box will be the best box

e Cardinal, "on the f

d back to t

s. I can leave Bologna before a soul's astir in the morning. No one but Whittington saw me to-day,

down upon the table. "Here's a blow that we m

rd, sir, that I'll dream it t

it;" and at once Wogan remembered his one crowning argument. It was so familiar to his thoughts, it had lain so close

when a child amongst her playmates had a favourite game. They called it kings

valier

into Wogan's eyes, making s

e two men stood looking each

f you will, but to both these men omen

pointing," cried Wogan. "Sir

ilence. Then he said suddenly, "Go, then, and

nd, asking him to entrust the rescue of his daughter into Wo

ake," said the Chevalier. "I wil

d, "there is a horse I left this morning six miles this

ou," said th

. He stole upstairs and made his preparations. These, however, were of the simplest kind, and consisted of half-a-dozen orders to Marnier and the getting into bed. In the morning he woke before daybreak and found Marnier alr

But then as they passed the mouth of an alley a man came suddenly out and a

a thicket of trees and the chimney-tops of a low house embosomed amongst them. He rode on, secure in the secrecy of his desperate adventure. But tha

cul-de-sac and secluded amongst trees. At the door he asked whether her Ladyship was yet visible, and was at once shown into a room with lo

" she said with

than your Ladyship

" said she, stifling a yawn. "Could one,

the passage. When he turned back into the room her Ladyship had kicked the s

she aske

a seat on the s

from the Chevalier bidding me not to mention that I saw him in Bologna

en she nestled back upon the sofa and bit the

of Mr. Wogan," sh

on made n

ll succeed," she continued with

ed nor contradicted. He

What is it that gives a man audacity to att

ady s

us love," said

on nodded

warmly of the Pri

t their curve. Her eyes bec

," she sa

wonder," sai

d flung shadows, swift as ripples, across the sunlit gra