The Princess Dehra

attention seemed to bother him no longer, and he even took the trouble to acknowledge the salute of the guard who paced before the main stairway; whereat the man stare

Council-go in and close it softly behind him. Dropping the lock, he went to the door of the private cabinet (which was between the library and the room used for the Council meetings)

ned the walls; the furniture was of the massive Empire style, but the desk was a big, oblong, flat-topped affair that had been made over Frederick's own design-and which more than compensated in utility for what it lacked in artis

king was of the sort that needed no examination to prove it, for he passed over letters and written documents without a glance at their contents. It was not on the desk and he began on the drawers, none of which was locked. One after

e as I entered,' was what she said ... and if it were a fresh blotter it might tell the story." He went over to the vault

ickly behind one of the window curtains; and its swaying had not ceased

d the box; the entry of Adolph; the opening of the vault; the valet's return with the box; his dismissal; the locking again of the vault. But what then happened always puzz

y seen him?... Impossible; even the window did not show through the tapestry; and he had been against the wall.... His gloves-had he let them lie somewhere?... no, they were drawn through his sword belt.... He studied the desk top-the floor-the chai

vant was familiar with the combination of the lock, that only the King and Dehra were supposed to know! If so ... the bolts shot back, the door opened, and the valet disappeared in the vault.

of the King, the escutcheon, on the top of the heavy gold frame, almost against the ceiling. Under it was a tall, straight-backed chair, with high arms; and, mounting o

fingers-he gasped-his eyes widened in terrified amazement-his face took on the gray pallor of awful fe

thought you were alone." He sat down in the revolving chair. "May I trouble you

he tone of the other's voice, but his hand still tremb

ou seem a trifle shaky, sit down and rest" (indica

beyed, then opened the Laws and t

nd that it had not been destroyed by the servants who cared for the desk. He would have been amply satisfied with the faint chance it might give him of guessing the decree from the few words the mirror would disclose. But, now, he had no need

ee; first rapidly, then slowly,

, why should he not demand a reward, if it were not offered?-demand it discreetly, to be sure, but none the less demand it. And, as the Duke read, and re-read, the reward piled higher, and visions of Paris (it is strange how, under certain conditions, the thoughts of a certain sort of people turn to Paris as instinctively as the needle to the Pole)

said Lotzen, "dreami

ord," he answer

ded him in fro

d, "Paris! has ever

ds, my lord-the music a

l with your Paris and its Boulevards!...

The reward was not piled qui

hy

d replace it in the box."-The rewa

e the Laws of

er how chilly the room had got. It h

garded him

"tell me how you managed it

is face; it was expressionlessly pi

will believe

ph! surely-a valet

n, his voice husky, full of quavers and sudden stops; while the Du

-and presently he dropped asleep.... I came to the room a number of times, and always that Book stared at me, and my curiosity as to the decree grew hotter every minute. After a while, the King awoke and told me to put the Book in the box and return it to its place in the vault-then he went over

the combination?

ieur ... I had picked up the n

im a bit of pap

hand and labored motions.... "Thank you;"-glancing at the paper and dropping i

leave the Book in the vault, there was no place to conceal it, and he was sure to go in there in the morning. What was to do, monsieur? I listened-everything seemed quiet; I opened the door very slowly-no one was in the room-I stepped out, and the King's portrait confronted me-I stared at it a moment, frightened as though it were my master-then, of a sudden, I knew I had found the hiding place, and I sprang up and put the Book behind the picture.... And in the morning, monsieur, I forgot the Book-forgot it until His Majesty had gone to th

ere you about to

monsieur, and return it

oked at him

muttered.... "I thought you g

didn't need it;-and it was a good play to give it up at once. Never h

ed the littl

nd tried the closed lid of the box; it lifted to his hand-and out on the desk dr

" he concluded, picking

ned; then he stared knowingly at the Duke-"monsieur

beyond a quick, sidelong glance, drumming with his finger tips softl

ppose, Adolph?" he r

s, my lord, I did; but that is

ded, his eye

ted in his chair, locked and unlocked h

, at length, "we m

" he answered, getting up and stepping back.

ropped the Book into the box, Ferdinand of Lotzen whipped out his sword, and, with th

h sank forward; and the box lo

lowly drew out the blade and wiped it on his handkerchief; whi

n at him and shru

didn't concern you!"... He stooped and turned the

N SLIPPED F

-wood, that grew to within a foot of the palace wall, which at that point was blank. Fortune was still his friend, it seemed; and, with a smile, he carried the valet's

e rearranged the curtains

eyes fell upon the box-"Locked!-

n the Laws, but its weight was amazing for its size.... Then he saw the open vault, and what to do was plain-he would follow the valet's plan. None now would look in the box, and, for a time, the Book would be

Laws. He studied it a moment ... made as though to tear it ... then folded it and put it in the inside pocket of his jacket. A last glance around the room assured him that everything was as he had found i

g so opportunely," he said