A Son of the Immortals

, sprawled listlessly in Marulitch's flat in the Avenue Victor Hugo, and, though it was evening, each was reading "The

a column headed: "Our dear Alec, day by day." It ought to be an interesting record to these two men, yet it

ung the paper aside

ear Alec and his doings day by day! A nice pair of fools

all far when his luck changes. It may be to-morrow, or next week; but he must experience a reverse.

ulitch. "What else

nds had nicknamed "le beau Comte," did not fail to catch the contemptuous note of that purred answer; he sprang up from his chair, ransacked a cupboard, and threw

ghed harshly. "Why should we quarrel?

re

the first move beautifully.

iftly and looked at the door

and hands its officers to the police; Alec attends the funeral of Theodore and Helena, and takes over their servants and debts; Alec tells the Sultan that he exists in Europe only on sufferance; Alec draws a map of Kosnovia and decorates it with railways; Alec bathes in the Danube at six, breakfasts at seven, attends a christening at eight, a wedding at nine, a review at ten, a memorial service in the cathedral at eleven, lunches at twelve, receives provincial deput

was in the lobby, and it was easy to see by his innocent face that his prese

tened a moment, and unfolded the damp

that King Alexis will marry a Montene

l, of c

is un

ill marry Mirabel. By Heaven! if

Beliani, wholly unmoved by Marulitch's vehemence. "Now,

iance on Stampoff

stantine. If Stampoff tells our young Bayard everyth

e that the Greek was remarkably nonchalant for one who had wit

e?" he managed to

provided Stampoff k

e the coronation

finance him; did finance Stampoff in fact. We are unknown personally to the officers of the Seventh. That w

ping somethi

mplicitly. I have seen that type of fool backing the red, staking his six thousand francs on every c

wins twenty times can we

d Beliani. "But let it pass. I thought you

too; but Alec has mea

right. One of these days you will find him chaffing the Hohenzollerns, and that is dangerous jesting in the Balkans. If he loves a girl in P

pining for honest government

that the Assembly votes for railways, education, forestry, and the like. Wait till he reduces the staff of the army and the secretaries. I know Delgratz and Kosnovia, and he does not. He will win the people, it is true; but he will alienate the men who can twist the people this way and that to suit their o

t girl to

d such confidence in Beliani's judgment that h

ve. It seemed to show the man's real nature. In repose his f

repute among his friends. Perhaps the girl is built on the same lines, and we don

er. He will marry her, you short sighted one-marry her, and thus alienate every Slav in the Balkans. I have turned this thing in my mind constantly since I recovered from the first shock of his achievement, and I am fairly cert

ded canard that bracketed his name with that of a woman he had never seen. Count Julius read, and made a ha

ose neighbor and rival, contains a dozen definite circles that seldom overlap. The woman Julius had seen with Alec in the Louvre was not on Princess Michael's visiting list, of that he had no manner of doubt. Therefore, from his point of v

here must he pick it up again. But the hunt demanded the utmost wariness. If he startled the quarry, he might fail at the outset,

, a record of crass stupidity made lurid at times by a lightning gleam of passion, justified the belief that Alexis would follow the path that led Theodore, and Ferdinand, and Ivan, and Milosch to their ruin. Each of these rulers began to reign under favorable auspices, yet each s

, and keep in the back

tle wit. At the outset, luck favored him. Somehow, it is always easier to do evil than good, and the lon

as the Spanish artist's own duplicate of the picture, though Poluski was unaware of the fraud; and twenty-three adorned the high altars of various continental churches, where they edified multitudes happily ignorant of the irre

ibly be acquainted with such a remarkable looking habitué of the gallery as Joan. Instead, therefore, of appealing to one of the officials,

llery most days, mon

monsieur,"

d to be here at this hour, and I noticed a young lady copying one

ch picture she was c

I think," and Julius point

ribe her,

ant, charming in ma

ieur," he said; "but that sort of girl doesn't usually earn her

e was not alone that morning. In fa

He was in no mind to discuss

ur," said he carelessly. "All that i

He is not

re i

day. And the thing is urgent. I have a commission to offer, a good one. If y

xplain, m

ll gladly pay for

ive, ten fra

o be mistaken. Julius was wa

esire to meet the lady in person. An art connoisseur, who admires her work, wishes to send her to a cathedral in a distant city to copy a painting. He will pay well. He offers traveling expenses, hotel bill, and five thou

come a connoisseur?" de

im credit. "It was in Monsieur Delgrado's company I saw the fair unknown," he

ntine Saint Peter hangs

think

and expenses. Not bad. I'm a pr

blundered egregiously at the first step in the negotiation. What would Beliani say? This wizened elf of a man had seen clear through their precio

ore the lady leaves Paris, and the balance when the picture is delivered. Further, he will bear the expenses of any one who accompanies her,-a relative, or

teeth, and the action annoyed Julius so

ncerity, monsieur!" he snapped. "Pr

rancs like that! I hum or whistle when I am thinking, and just now I

urs?" reto

sts, at

es the

let us meet

is all i

in Delgratz," said Felix dryly. "Moreover, it will clear the air if I tell you that the

is the person actually int

oubt about it when King Ale

crimson with amazement. "If you tell her that you will defeat

? What, then, becomes of

there to copy it, not t

hat sort of thing! I am the wrong man for it. If you doubt me, ask some one who has heard of Felix Poluski. You see, Count Julius Marulitch, I am far more open than you. I knew you all the time, and as to your motives, I can guess a good d

ani

ise, I must paint all day and trust to th

us produced a hundred-fran

" he said. He began to fold his easel and put away his b

ange Kings speedily in Delgratz nowadays, and their taste in saints may follow suit. But, courage! I

horoughly of the artistic commission offered to Alec's fair companion of that memorable morning. He must put the best face on his blund

swered easily. One clue might lead to another. To-morrow, when t

heir morning refreshments; but he passed them with a nod and made for the fat proprietress throned behind a high desk. When she caught sight of him, a certain air of fir

asked Felix, who had

eventy-five," s

ke it thirt

arket bills are to be met whe

as decided that you shall

re, not a centime

of the Jewel Song from "Faust." As applied to the earthly tabernacle of madame's generous soul, the effect of that

e me the railway timetable; for I have far to go ere I return, whe

wealth. Not once in many years had he owned so much at one time, since he always drew small sums on account of his pictures and kept himself going hand-to-mouth fa

d Englishman, I supp

o would be a King!" He hurried out, climbed into a

ior of a ramshackle cab that had carried him from Melun to the edge of the forest. Now, a cab drive of several miles, plus a journey from Paris, was a

ed, "have you br

e mademoiselle

f any

gns, if that is

has se

hom even Kings must bow; I represent Saint Peter! But even an apostolic dynamitard must eat. I am starving, having sacrificed my

hour for luncheon was long past; but she hurried to the empty dining room and wa

ere is no sense in asking me to chew the wretche

a letter from Alec this morning. It was sent to me from my lodgings, and, what between that and the extraordinary t

ts that convulse an unconscious world, sometimes agonizing mountains, at others perplexin

for his nimble brain was beginning to see the connection between Alec's letter and

opping his bantering tone and l

ity be dreamed of?" she

his throne. It is some sport of the gods, I suppose, a superhuman jest, perhaps the touch of farce that makes tragedy more vivid, since even that colossal Shakespeare of yours thought fit to lighten Hamlet by introducing a comic gravedigger. Be that as it may, Joan, you are Alec's Queen, and, as he cannot come for you it follows that you must g

hat are y

cathedral at Delgratz. He will pay double, four times, the money if only you will consent to go there. Why? Because he believes that Alec is infatuated about you, and that the mere hint of marriage with one who is not a Slav princess will shatter the th

I make everything clear to you, when I show you how and by whom the killing of Theodore and his wife was engineered, you will begin to understand the fantastic trick that Fate played when she sent her emissary to

it is im

ou don't lo

word from his lips-wel

n the

you. Perhaps, under other conditions,

hy

e he is

ugh to become a man first. Frankly, Joan, I like Alec, and I think he ought

ittle Pole's persistence was breaking down the barrier that she had striven to erect against her l

ight, and I think they are beginning to like me; but I can see quite plainly that they will not be content until I am married, and hints are being thrown out already that th

n a telegram. I am horribly busy, of course (for details see daily papers), and this must be the most extraordinary love letter ever written; but what does that matter when you and I understand each othe

the neighborhood of the Pont Neuf. Dare she risk it? The question had tortured her ever since the early morning. It was not that the prospect o

e true, he was the most original minded monarch that ever reigned. She was quite sure that his answer to any evasive reply on her part would be a public announcement of

oking at her steadfastly. In this dilemma he was her only

We have never met. How can I say to his mother, 'Your son wants me to marr

ined the distinction. Believe me, too, Alec has the very best of reasons for consulting no one in his choice of a wife. Now, Joan, be brave! When all is said and done, it should be far more pleasant to marry a King than fling a bomb at him, and I have m

ng in the Louvre he was able to announce that Miss Joan Vernon had accepted the commissio