Newspaper Page Text
JULY 30, 1904
» SUNNY SOUTH
NINTH PAGE.
best. The gown becomes you, and the fil
is perfect—’’ The gray eyes shone more
brightly because of the shadows beneath
them, and Celete knew they gained that
unnatural sparkle from their tears.
At nine the duke came, trying to as
sume a jocular assurance. At signt of
Charlotte's striking costume he nodded
approval toward Cflete. The girl hung
her head for the part she took in mak
ing Charlotte's misery.
“It is a glorious morning my dear.”
Charlotte had noted his entrance. Now
she glanced up absently.
“Is it?”
“Yes, and here Is something even
brighter.” lie flashed a magntlicent neck
lace of diamonds. Charlotte did not
reach out a hand.
CHAPTER XXII.
The Bridegroom Cometh.
1 early morning the news
of D’Aubant’s flight with
Barbara Klikoff threw lit
tle AVolfenbuttel into a fer
ment of gossip.
“Sly dog,” laughed the
men In private. '-Who
would have thought It—
three months, and no one
to suspect. Ah, these
French—these French.”
And the court ladies—
those who had never been
l tempted, and those who
1 . ne\ ey been caught—shredded the “They are very beautiful: I—was bewll-
' ,nan Tvit h unsparing tongue, for men dered.” She looked down at the scln-
a ised her of beine- heantif.ii ,, tlllatlng stones, shuddered, then laughed,
wondered secretfv how L Yet thP - v "They are superh-and are they really
whe. 5 llow a woman must , mine?”
w • their S ° mad ! y beloved and, wearied ■ "All yours—for the Empress Charlotte.”
, own lack-splrtt lovers, they Ho said it dubiously in spite of hrs laugh,
pondered upon the Chevalier D’Aubant. She gave him a look that he could not
< larlotte could not avoid hearing understand, then lowered her eyes to the
snatches of the discussion which con I K^s again.
stantlv went on - . , hen t.et me see how they will look.” the
c ; who • ,* ’ to wiiot the driver duke hurried on, snapping the clasp
, , spirited D'Aubant and his red- I around her throat .and standing off to ad-
h;i.red woman from the burgomaster's
a a' door—that the tTeeing couple did
n 't -xchange a syllable when they shifted
"""ages at Eilsleben—that the woman
a - a glorious beauty. One thing Char- | "Yes, yes, but you must take good care
name like a far away echo, and stopped
still, deadly still. Her throat choked.
■"iD’-Aubant—D’Aubant,” sl»e called hts
name, and flung herself face downward
across the bed.
The storm passed like an April deluge.
She sprang up and dashed the tears
ftroja ber eyes. “fjelete—delete”—the
maid came instantly—“undress me—there
—never mind folding that dress. I snail
not wear It again. You may keep it for
yourself.” She wound a long loose robe
about her.
“Now, go.”
flours and hours passed—12. I. 2. 3.
'‘harlotte gathered the robe close about
If
nrough
bedside of her aunt. There lay the trou
bled and wrinkled face on Its pillow.
"Poor old aunty.” murmured the girl
kneeling down and kissing the lips that
never scolded her.
Little by little Charlotte crept under
♦ he covering, like a child that wants to
sleep in Its mother’s bed.
la Mar—nothing. I assure you.” D’Aubant
sneered at the other’s anxiety.
“It's not that,^ Henri, and you. know
it; you are not yourself tonight; you do
not know what you ask; you demand a
foolish thing of me, and Insist as if
your very life depended on it—”
“It doe%” D’Aubant Interrupted quietly.
“Then tell me frankly, Henri, why—”
D'Aubant brooded long. There came
a change across his face. He smiled as
he turned toward his friend.
"Alphonse, you are quite right; we
have been good friends too long for
doubts to come between us now. We were
Before the dew had dried on the grass,
news passed from lip to lip In Wolfen-
butotel that their princess would marry
the Russian prince. And by express com
mand of the tsar the ceremony would
take place October 25. at Torgau, the
rP "«M °, U , t . a band. residence of their mutual ally, the King ■ bant continued: “\
What! Arc you not pleased? I thought ; of p 0 ] and 1 about that Klikoff w
you very fond of jewels.” i ' ing to me; I did not
idlng
mi>-c
"They will show to greater advantage
at night." Charlotte suggested mechan
ically. ”1 hope he may like me better
this time."
lot'.e did not hear, a tale brought by
a courier, that D'Aubant had been killed
at Madgcburg—and the woman had fled
alone to Russia.
J 11 ee days of this constant tattle gall
ed >ho gray girl to her very soul. She
knew that every tongue babbled about
tin tffair. she heard their whisperings in
every corner.
Do not speak me of it—1 wish to
"ear no such gossip,” Charlotte had si
lenced on e who cam? to her. So when
-lie approached the scandal-mongers,
tho-> talked listlessly of uninteresting
things.
.Meanwhile every courier brought news
Cnat the tsarevitch and his sullen train
drew nearer Wolfenbuttel.
i harlotte scarcely heard what went on
about her. Her bruised soul writhed be
neath this tale-bearing of which she felt
not to discuss religion." The old man
chuckled with suppressed excitement.
Charlotte made no reply; she seemed to
forget him completely. Her silence gave
the duke a queer feeling of uneasiness,
and lie turned to go. At the door, lie
paused, and came hack.
“Charlotte,” he said, with great ear
nestness, “you understand how much
l this marriage means to me—and to Ger
many.”
perfectly—I will do my duty to
you—and to Germany.”
She spoke with, the quiet decision of a
statesman who considers nothing except
expediency. The dead heart behind her
lips uttered not a sound.
"Celete,” she ordered when the duke
had departed, “ask Aunt Frederica to
come here immediately.”
Charlotte waited beside her window
with one hand hanging loosely at her
side, until Aunt Frederica came tin, fol
lowing the maid.
otie guineren ine iooe v.ose ouuuv , together y ou and I. Alphonse-man
thinner garments. and slipped man know T can t £ The
PHnoess Charlotte is here_I love her.
Alphonse, and—God pity her—she loves
me." He spoke the last three words so
gently, so tenderly, and so low that the
other man scarcely heard them. Dc la
Mar lepned forward.
“Do not pity me, Alphonse. T am hap
pier to love her. and to lose her, than to
win any other woman that lives.”
D'Aubant rose to his feet. “Now do you
understand?”
Tie caught his friend’s puzzled ex
pression, and half comprehended what
was passing in his mind.
“Yes, T know what you think,” D’Au-
“vou are wondering
woman. She Is nothi
ng to me; T did not even know she had
come to Wolfenbuttel, and never desired
to see her again. They tricked me into
■ taking her away to avoid a scandal. At
The fortified city of Torgau lies on the Madgcburg I was seized and sent to
Elbe, some 20 leagues nearer the sea. Thorn—some day T shall tell you.”
as the river runs, than Dresden. Here ! Again the ticking of the clock dripped
King Augustus, of Poland, the Arm ally | Cf^Ttrn here
„ Jf . _ , _ , , . A I escapea fiom l norn and came here,
of Peter, held hi? court at Schjoss Har- T must seP her. Alphone-that is all."
tenfels. Torgau had been named by the ! “What can you do?” De la Mar asked
tsar as the most convenient place for j gently.
him to be present at the marriage. j “God in heaven. Alphonse! Merely to
For two weeks the little city overflowed j see her—to see her—do you. understand
with Russians pressing forward the me yet. , . , , •
... „ . , , De la Mar put an arm about him.
speediest preparations. Behind them, like D>Aubant drop ' pPd hJs vhln into his hands
the storm behind the waves, Peter, a very j and studi(!d thp fire. Unshaven for
denwin of restlessness, urged them ti» ' weeks, gaunt and hollow-eyed, trembling
greater haste. On Saturaay the tsar i and unsteady, he looked little like the
came himself, a whirlwind of energy, to j light-hearted Henri D’Aubant who frank-
see with his own ej#es and finish with his i ly took all things as they came,
own hand I “Where are you lodging, Henri?”
The entire day of Saturday Peter hur- I “ r have taken no lodg,ngs; * reached
CHAPTER XXIII.
The Friendship of De la Mar.
ried De la Mar from one task to another,
and did not dismiss him until late in the
night.
De la Mar had taken quarters in a
house near the castle gates, where he
could the more conveniently dispose the
guard of honor which fell particularly
under his charge.
At three the young Frenchman climbed
the stair to his own apartment, and laid
his hand on the knob.
Wearied with a multitude of worries, he
dragged himself in to catch a few hours’
sleep. By daylight he must be abroad
again. His fire had dwindled to a glow-
Torgau only an hour ago.’
“Then you rest wth me—”
“But—”
"You must get some sleep whilst T
make a place for you in the guard for
tomorrow."
D’Aubant nodde# his acquiescence: he
knew long before this that De la Mar
would do as he asked.
“No. I cannot sleep until this matter
Is settled—”
“It was settled. Henri, when you ask
ed it.”
D'Aubant smiled a. grateful satisfac- 1
tlon, and hy the very pathos of that
smile Tie revealed the tottering weakness
of soul and body.
“Gome. Henri—come with me.” De la
Ing bed. He closed the door behind him I Mar urged, lifting him to his feet and
and turned toward his easy chair, where i half supporting him to the room adjoin-
a pipe lay near at hand. Ten minutes I * n g own.
for a smoke, then to bed. I “ Now ' *n to slpe P whl,!:t T >' m,r
But something moved in the room,
“Outside, Celete.” She pointed to the
herself the target. But these outward door, then composedly faced the older
annoyances were as nothing to the voice- w P r J lan : „ , , . .
less vacancy within j ,. *^ un * I'redcrlca. is It true?” Her aunt , „
Her starved heart had feasted on the : ‘' Yes. 1 my dear.^i^is^trJe’; every one i But s< ? m< * hin * moved ln the room ’ j T'Auhnnt lay like a log where he had
beauties of Paradise where Love walked knows it, but they say nothip* where i an< * a ^ ,ar startoc ^ ‘fallen across the- cot. Do la Mar covered
glorified. She had listened to his songs >' (,u caa hear—or Prince Klikoff, the I “Sergius,” he called, thinking it must | him with a heavy robe closed the door,
"id smiled into his face, yea, had touch- w °man’s uncle.” i be his servant who waited up for him, ! drew a clonk about h!s own shoulders,
ed his very lips, and known the tender her nil 1 ”' s . tir; sbe * rcw whlter - I “Sergius?” In the dim light he sa w a I an d passed out into the night,
pressure of his arms. Then a staggering , n ore lightly—hut’ she safd P notlUng 0 ' 1 '^ f ‘S‘" rP sitting there perfectly silent, his
blindness came, and she groped through "Barbara Klikoff,'" Aunt Frederica con-
lung corridors of solitary silence. tinned, keeping her eyes averted, “was
From her isolated misery she could even jiving with him at' the burgomaster's
smile on those who chattered and who , u * e ' „ The J' tan away together that
I chin In Ills hands.
“Sergins! He must be asleep.” The
man lifted his head, and De ]a Mar saw
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Bond Unholy.
The shtgeish mist filled every chink and
did not understand. Often she felt a
nighty
„ , “Do you know that to be true’”'
n ad desire to scream at them; to torture ■ “There can be no possible doubt. Prince
these .smooth-faoed liars that jeered at j Klikoff went with a party of men to the
her In secret; to make them suiter, to j house and frightened them. They escaped
see If they, too, could smile in the very a hack door. Their first driver took
-y»>- M •>«■>»• B»< >«■»<■«». iron,
the woman s lips. deburg.”
Her heart begged pitifully for some- Charlotte steadied herself against the
tiling that would never come to her window sill. “That ts enough—I wtnt
again. She trembled at the far-away ' n0, ? G of the details.” Her hands were
galloping of a horse and watched eagerly I in front °f ker I sjle
. . . , . \ IUlns them apart with a gesture of de-
for the rider; the sudden opening of a fiance, then wheeled. At the door she
door threw her appealing eyes toward it. turned like a wild thing, and flew back
For despite all that happened, despite her i n £aln.
denials to herself, the woman waited and .??*• a , un I-’ - !T' Gr ® nothing else—
nothing? Hie old woman held her face
away and shook her head.
| a stranger in rough garments, with i crevice In Torgau. Clammy and creeping,
ready; wtiat would he do? He glanced
round at the soldiery and guests.
The duke paused; a louder blare of mu
sic proclaimed the entrance of the tsar.
Peter and Alexis came in together from
the side. The tsar strode like a moving
tower to his position near the altar. There
he turned, faced the protopope, the reti
nue of people, and the guests. Alexis,
nervous and 111 at ease, kept sullen pace
beside his father.
The duke moved forward again with
Charlotte. D’Aubant leaned toward her
breathlessly. She came on and on, her
dull eyes fixed aheard. Would she see
him? She must, he would force her to
•look at him.
For an instant all attention had center
ed on the Russian despot, and few were
j watching the bride. Now she came
! abreast of D’Aubant so close he might
i reach out his Tiand and touch her. He
might have drawn her unresistingly into
his arms. Slowly she turned her head,
inevitably as the earth turns toward the
sun. She stopped still as a statue, and
looked Into D’Aubant’s eyes.
The woman started violently; a glad
cry from the heart died on her lips, but
D’Aubant heard it; she stumbled blindly
to him. D’Aubant had almost caught
her when De la Mar held him back.
“Henri. Henri.” he whispered warningl.v.
There was a quick rusillng In the
throng nearest the girl. Many sprang to
their feet. Had the princess fallen?
What had happened.
"Caution. Henri,” De I-rla Mar swung
to his elbow.
Charlotte lifted her face dauntlessly,
and smiled as If apologizing for a piece
of awkwardnfss. She brushed her train
behind her and passed on.
The duke seemed embarrassed and wor
ried that she should have caught her
foot and stumbled almost at the altar.
High Mass began, In a strange tongue,
and according to a strange cuurch.
Alexis followed the services with passion
ate devotion. The priests frowned to
note that Charlotte gave no heed. To
her It seemed only a confused mumbling
that meant nothing.
After hours and hours the grand chan
cellor, Golovkin, came forward hearing
the imperial crown of Russia. Alexis
and the woman turned and faced the
body of the hall. She stood beside him
and saw him crowned.
With great impressiveness the chancel
lor shifted the diadem to Charlotte. Be
fore her eyes there rushed a great blur
of faces swimming In a muddy sea of
light. Amongst them all she saw but
one.
Suddenly she felt a mighty stillness in
the hall, a stifling concentration. For to
the rear a musket fell rattling to the
floor; a wonaan screamed. Charlotte
trembled. One pair of eyes she saw,
steady as stars, looking into her own.
Golovkin' had been speaking for some
moments of responsibility and power.
Charlotte looked directly at him, but did
not hear.
Then he placed the crown upon her
head. She staggered beneath the ponder
ous weight of gold and jewels. Every
vestige of color faded from her face. Her
form bent like a tender tree; she swayed
and tottered. Then her eyes wandered
past the chancellor to D’Aubant and she
held herself erect with royal pride—her
brows sustained eommandingly the Im
perial diadem of ail the Husslas.
Peter stood gazing at the girl k his arms
folded across his cheat. When she fal
tered under the crown, a bitter smile, half
of contempt, half of disappointment,
showed barbarously plain on his face.
But the girl steadied herself with splen
did nerve and rose to the duties she had
assumed.
Years afterward it was told how hrave-
ly Charlotte met the great responsibilities
which so suddenly came upon her.
! D’Aubant saw it all, heard it all; he
| felt the very beating of Charlotte's heart;
he felt her hand reach out from its over-
| load of gems and creep Into his own.
The lonely tsar drew a long, long
! breath. His huge chest filled like a
. swelling billow to find in th's child <of
Brunswick a soul as dauntless as his
! own. Peter stood with folded arms ln a
i contemplation most profound. h!s * a *o j witness. They scarcely breathed,
i fixed on Charlotte, and a smile of tsar's masterful tone rous»d them-
quiet sadness about his lips. , . -
The wedding service was done, yet no
i one dared rouse him from his reverie.
! The great throng hushed Its murmuring
and grew still as death again. Charlotte
1 felt his searching glance: sne thought of
: D’Aubant, and she smiled.
Instantly the tsar awoke and started
j forward. He Ignored his own carefully
! ordered recessional and took the place
| beside his son's wife. Peter threw hts
. arm hajf about her shoulders, and gent-
; ly led her fratn the hall.
Right or wrong. Peter invariably decided
promptly, and never looked behind him
The younger officers held their eyes away
from a prodigy that it was dangerous to
Th;
_ them:
| “De la Mar, fetcli my son.” and Pete
did not move a muscle in limb or faro
until the unwilling Alexis stood nerore
him.
I "My son. some day you must take up
mv work: you cannot shirk it then. You
should begin at once to learn what tna;
work means. Here are dispatches from
! the Dniester- read them.” Alexis hel I
j out his hand. The tsar wajehed his
j son's perfectly blank expression. An
! ejaculation escaped him. not t'f any new
~ ... . . . . . to. . v. disappointment in Alexis, but of a o<*n
Charlotte s draperies brushed D’Aubant : tuguUg irritation. Alexis showed all to >
plainly that he had not the faintest com
• as she passed. She did not look at him
again: she dared not.
De la Mar gave the order for h!s men
, to file out.
j “Come, come, Henri,” he was obliged to
I whisper before the man heard_him. As
ia part of the well-oiled military machine
• D’Aubant kept his place In ranks.
De la Mar marched his men. dropping
! them off two and two, through the castle
I at different stations. D’Aubant found
himself placed alone at the door between
a large hall and a smaller ante-chamber
: adjoining it. In the larger room musi
cians were already twanginig their In
struments. There was to be a function
of some kind, he did not know what.
It was not long before the room began
prehension or Interest in what he read.
The exasperated tsar snatched the pa
pers Alex* trembled, but his father
did not storm. On the contrary he spoke
very quietly:
"This is ill news and demands our
presence. We leave here together, you
and I. in an hour. Make yourself ready.”
“In—an—hour?" gasped Alexis.
“An hour, and that means precisely
one hour. I shall give orders that, your
wife journey to Thorn where we may
perhaps join her. Thence she goes to St.
Petersburg."
“But I cannot prepare in that time—”
“Then you go unprepared.” Peter's
to fill with gaudv uniforms and strutting patience was short.
plumes. The beauties of Poland. Ger- j Alexis quivered from head to heel with
many and Austria drew from D'Aubant
only a sigh of utter weariness. He lis-
J tended to their babble as one wlfo hears
(the distant lashing of the sea. and wntrh-
j ed every door for Ch.-iiiotte. Then sev-
I ei'al men entered the little ante-room, be-
! hind him. D'Aubant turned, and came
! face to face with Peter. The tsar stopped
j at the door to gaze on the brilliant scene
Several young officers kep* respectifully
in the background.
"CFodunoff. present my respects to the
king and say that I am ready.” The
young man. disappeared.
Peter had not laid aside the simnle
: uniform of his own troop. That mighty
i frame of his irked at decoration or re-
i straint of any kind. Now he stood half
. within the door, and his brow grew dark,
i for he saw his son listening earnestly to
i the protopope, and to Slonski. the fanatl-
i cal priest, who was Peter's most implaca
ble hater.
“Always those cursed priests.” he mut
tered. tfien ordered curtly: "Fender, bid
the tsarevitch attend his wife; it is
time to begin.”
Peter laid his hand on the chancellor’s
arm. “Come with me, Golovkin.” He
I took Golovkin by the arm -"id started
i to leave the room, when De 1a Mar
hurst in and stopped him. He handed the
tsar a. sealed packet and whispered.
“From the Dniester.”
Peter tore open the dispatcli and read
it twice: it was very brief. The muscles
of his face contracted with a fearful
impotent passion. Only on-.e he glanced
into his father's face—the glance of a
wolf that fears to spring. Then he stag
gered Into tlie hall and rushed away.
Peter shrugged his shoulders and turn
ed to other things.
“De la Mar. call Klikoff."
When KlikDff came De Ta Mar would
have withdrawn, but the tsar bade him
wa i t.
“Gentlemen, necessity ealis me imme
diately to the Dniester. De la Mar. pro
vide a carriage for myself and the
tsarevitch, to be ready In an hour. Direct
Kostoff to select an escort of twenty
men under his command. See to it.” De
la Mar vanished.
“Klikoff I look to you that my son
is prepared to accompany me." T^irion
followed Alexis to his quarters. This left
Peter alone with his chancellor.
“Golovkin, it is best that the Tsarevna
Charlotte proceed at once to St. Peters
burg. by way of Thorn. You and Klikoff
will arrange her suite and accompany
her. not later than Tuesday. Wait at
Thorn for advices from me. And see to
it. Go’.ovkin. that the tsarevna receives
all honor and comfort: De la Mar will
command her escort.” Then the tsar
dismissed these matters from his mind
D'Aubant for some time had quite for
gotten the tsar and what was happening
behind him. His eyes and thoughts were
in the other room. There had come a
hurst of triumphal musl": a wide curtain
paroxyism. a twitching and jerking of ! waf! pulled aside revealing Charlotte and
every feature—that unfailing sign of seated together upon a sort of
rage inherited from Ivan the Terrible, ! da jp Here the tsar's messenger had
so the old Russians said. found Alexis and called him away. King
He threw ills arms frantically about Aueustu5l ca me immediately a.nd stood
him. tore down a curtain end trampled | . ,. charlotte The girl never looked
it under foot: then he grasped a slender ' nr » mdiant and hapnv than she did
chair and dashed it to pieces on. the floor. r ;" val rnbes of Russia.
Peter stopped, the struggle writhini? I ‘ n , snid to bp a p „re love match.”
across his face Another momentary , ' women to each other,
pause, and the lines about his month wnispei *.-t-icii i
settled into shape. He had decided, j (TO BE CON IINL - J
straggling beard and fierce eyes.
“Who are you and what are you doing
here?”
The man rose slowly from his chair as
if he moved in a stupor, and fronted
De la Mar.
'God Almighty! D’Aubant!” De la
It smotherrd the three high gables of the
Rathhaus, blotted out the battlements
of the castle and shut every door with a
muffing wall of gloom.
And day began in Torgatl. began with
nothing to mark it. for there was no
dawn. By the hands on the clock Char-
the woman hoped.
On th-? sixth morning after D'Aubant's
flight, Charlotte opened her sleepless
She hated the very sunlight that
“When he conies back, will you tell me
—no, no—do not look at me that way—
he will oomo back. 1 know It.
streamed through her diamond-shaped : no > m >’ child—he will never come
panes and criss-crossed the bed with er- j ba ™' ... , . . .'
ratio marquetry. She had listened dully her throat and & triedToHsp^k.^^^^ *"
to the news of late, caring little when •-j; onlv want ed to know because-be-
ench report brought Alexis nearer. But cause—” she covered her face, and ran
liuw a sun had risoi that would not go from the room.
to rest again until she imt him face to j Aunt Frederica stood gazing after her
tace. Charlotte turned her back to the ''i!} 1 misty eyes.
hght and ciosed her eyes again. ataW nf ^
Why should I care? Why should I | swift,
care? Nothing matters to me now.” . The good old woman, with the grim
The girl sobbed silently on her dampened determination of one who charges a bnt-
ptltow. terv, followed her niece and told iter that
The clock struck. Celete .came bustling D’Aubant was dead—dead in Magdeburg,
in anti threw the curtains wide apart. Then she came out and left Charlotte
Mar staggered back pale and cold, half knew when her marriage morn had
drawing his sword—“D'Aubant!” i comc -
“Yes,—D'Aubant,” the haggard man re- | night before, and for many
piled, walking over to the door and lock- ! n *- e d 1 t s - she had not slept. Tt mattered
ing it carefully. Then he wheeled about. no * * nto w fi at channel she forced her
came toward De la Mar, rested against I ^° A Ug u hts ;, th * y Persistently returned to
the table and scanned the other's face. ° Antoni s love, to D Aubant s death
“in God's name, Henri, what are you ^har otte crouched in bed; she had spent
doing here? And you were not killed at ! hp J: ,3St P 1 *?*- ™ a 1denhood.
Madgcburg'’” Tt was 7 °^ ,ock: ° h - h °w steadily the
, hours passed! Gulda stirred on her
couch in the comer, for Gulda, the faith
ful. had come to her again. Presently
'Gulda sat up. and looked over to Char
lotte's bed.
"Not quite, unfortunately. 1 have fallen '
into my old ways again, and want a
chat with you—you do not relish it, eh,
Alphonse?” D'Aubant seemed making an
effort to trifle with iiis wretchedness.
De la Mar slowly regained composure,
but still stared at the man as if he did
not comprehend; then the pale and pinch
ed face woke him to a fuller understand
ing
“Thank God she sleeps.” the maid lis
tened and lay down again.
Eight o’clock, and the tiring woman
came to robe her for a morning Interview
with the tsar. She bore their dressing
"Sit down, Henri—here, this chair js ! as an unresisting doll.
"Good morning, my Lady—your bath
L ready; what gown will you wear?”
fch e asked cheerily, all in one breath.
“It docs not matter, Celete—anything
will do.”
“Then I shall fetch the dark velvet
gown with the—"
“No, no, Celete—any one but that."
It was the dress that had been made
quite alone.
Alexis tarried along the road, and did
not reacli the castle until nearly night. It
was arranged that Charlotte, the duke
and the counselors should mee.t with him
at 8. At 8. the clock lteelf was not
more punctual than the woman; the clock
wore not a colder face than hers, and
for her to wear before Alexis. Celete its hands moved with little more of me-
stoppe-d her swift untying of the pack- ehanical precision. Charlotte stepped
«*e. , , . ^ - regally into the glare of lights where - - —
“But. my Lady, the duke requested that Alexis sat with the duke, Larion standing full of Russians? You are sticking your
you wear that particular one for the behind his prince. | head into a lion's mouth.”
prince." Celete finished her sentence in Alexl.s glanced up, and his insolently I “Yes, I know, I know,” D’Aubant ans-
spite of Charlotte's protest. careless expression changed to a wonder- wered wearily, as If lie had argued that
“How dare you tell me what I must ing admiration. He stumbled to his feet, , very question with himself. “There's no
wear? I will wear that first gown. ^ awkwardly amazed, and mumbled some- ; sense 1n my coming here—I know that
“But.” Celete made fi ra V e t ® S; D ■ thing. ' j Alphonse, but 1 cannot help it. You do
you wore that one yesterday . The girl dour Highness. she answered most ! not understand-God Jn heaven! Why
was desperately afraid of Charlotte, yet graciously, "we are honored to have you do you force me to chatter like an old
dreaded to disobey an express command again as our guest. Her eyes_wandered j woman at her wash tub’”
she had received from the duke. and she caught Larion’s glance; tha i De Ja Mar's svmpathv asked no oues-
"Fetch me that sown ” Charlotte out man’s wild soul devoured her with mad , Rons £
her off decisively. I shall not lea-\e my desife, and he smiled with the lips of
room today.” j Barbara. Charlotte flinched as she fln-
Her angry glance set Celete to smooth- ished her welcome to the prince,
ing out the discredited gown. Charlotte { Then the prince of Russia stammered
sat perfectly still on the edge of her 1 out his formal proposal. Charlotte ac-
: cepted It ln th° briefest manner. Like
•*fs vonr mistress awake?” Aunt Fred- I Alexis, her only thought was to have
erica called from the door. ! done with the Inevitable at once. It
"Yes auunty ” Charlotte answered with j seemed Incredible that the thing should
prompt gaiety’ springing from bed and all Ire over in a moment. But death is
standing erect’in the center of the floor, swift; ’tis life alone that drags and Un-
Aunt Frederica fidgeted nervously into | 2««
the room, and avoided the others eye
more comfortable; you are weak and ill , The mighty Peter came and went. He
—try some wine—you startled me at It ft only the vague recollection of a huge
first He poured a glass which DAu-. m an with abrupt manners, who drew her
••Drink 1 ' it •’ at . 1 to him. snoke gently, and kissed her
Drink it, De la Mar insisted; “you .
are tired; your eves look as if you had i brow as a father mlf?ht ' dread van-
not slept ln years.” I lahed and she leaned on him Instinctively.
D’Aubant swallowed the wine impa- , They would he friends,
tiently, merely for the sake of peace; it ; When the tsar was gone Charlotte gazed
angered him that he could not keep *his i upon a glorious diamond lying in her
trembling hand from spilling it. | hand. She scarcely remembered when
"Now, D Aubant, tell me how you he had placed it there or what he had
came here. We believed you killed at sa j d
M ”No-I U 'was in prison at Thorn until A “ er tha *' 1 " tprminab, « h(n "' s ' ber
two weeks ago. It is hard to travel ! n ? other anJ th e ’ adle s decked her for
without money, and at night.” ! i* 1 ® bridal.
“Do you not know that this town is
Larion Klikoff surveyed her In astonlsh-
There was an embarrassed silence. Char- 1 nent. Kuno must have been wrong or
loti,, looked from her aunt to Celete, and must have lied tg him-lmpossible that
quickly made up her mind. ! she should have loved D'Aubant; the
3 . , P ™ HV i a v out that new vel- i woman did not live that had auch splen-
wi the nearl trimmings. I did self-control.
“Celet . _
vet gown with the pearl ^
st look m.v best today.
Alexis being relieved of his question
\unt FVederica wheeled abruptly-she ; and Charlotte of her answer, they had
Aunt wne t a no thing else to talk about. The duke
had been adjusting tne cuna chattel unremittingly to both, while the
,,,*7” i Russian lapsed into complete silence. The
"Yes look my best. The crown prince I old duke was delighted beyond his power
comes today—did you not know It?” * ’
iiirTi uiu»>—j— . -,_a
■Well, what of that?” demanded Aunt
Frederica. „ ,
Charlotte’s eyes dropped a moment
then bra vel v held their own. A glimmer
comprehension flitted across Aunt
Frederica’s face; something 1 oCh a r 1 ott
torn or glance told of her desperation.
Aunt Frederica gripped Charlotte by the
W ”Wci!. what of that-wbat If the grown
pince does c-ome today. , , ch
doggo j ai r frightened the older woman.
’‘Surely, n "surely, Charlotte, you cannot
mean to—” . ••
‘■That Is just what I do mean. the
* ot “ p
and went to fetch her knitting. .
When charlotte-returned from her bath,
the smug-faced Celete bjVjj rbaT -i 0 tte
laid out for an elaborate toilet. Charlotte
assisted feverishly. muttered to
“Why should T care?" *he muttered to
herself a hundred times mirveved
The gown was on. and she surveys
herself critically In the very
“Tea, my Lady. You look your very
to conceal It.
“Now that you voung people have
agreed,” he said, “we older heads can
settle upon the terms.” He nodded to
Larion and his own counselors of state.
Charlotte gladly left the room.
When she gained her own apartment!
she sank into a chair. ‘Nine o'clock—I
thought it must be near midnight.”
Celete timidly approached: her mistress
did not see her. Celete almost laid her
hands on the magnificent gown and
jewels which had served their purpose.
“Do you wish to change ’these? Shall
I take—”
Charlotte brushed her aside.
“Go-go away. Why do you stand here
an« ««pe?”
Celete flew from the room and did not
look behind her. Charlotte tottered to a
table. She tore the tiara from her hair,
the .necklace from her throat, dropping
them heedlessly to the floor.
"Well. It la decided-decided just as If
I were a horse for sale, led out, exhibit
ed T>(flight, and sent back to my stall,
leaving them to haggle over the prlcn
But no.” she blazed out In her wrath.
I’ll not be batered: I promised D’Au-
its accompaniment to the two men’s
thoughts. Then D’Aubant began to
speak, without lifting his head.
“Alphonse, do you remember telling me
once on the field of Pultowa, that you
hoped for the day when you could render
me a service? I am ln desperate need,
and come to claim it of you.”
De la Mar reached out his hand and
laid it in D’Aubant’s. “What do you
require ?”
“I must be at this marriage tomorrow,”
D’Aubant answered very slowly and
very quietly.
“But the tsar himself has revised the
invitation lists—he has even excluded
princes of the Brunswick line—you would
be recognized and captured—”
D'A.i bant brushed aside objections with
a most impatient shrug.
"It does not matter; T must be present.
Do not look at me as If you thought me
demented. I am quieter than you. Be
fore you came ln, I sat here planning how
It could be arranged.”
D’Aubant’s voice grew stronger.
“There will be a guard of honor for
Alexis and the tsar?” De la Mar nodded.
“Those men you select?"
"Yes.”
“I must be one of them—the one nearest^
the altar.” D'Aubant closed his hand
with a gesture of decision.
"Impossible, Henri—impossible. The
men have already been chosen, for
weeks—"
“One of them must be displaced, and
myself substituted,” iTAubant asserted
doggedly.
De la Mar became alarmed at the sul
len air with which A’Aubant urged his
demand. Manv attempts had lately been
made on Peter’s life: De la Mar was
sincerely attached to the tsar, and this
man seemed in the mood for any mad
ness.
“Look at me. Henri "Why do you ask
this? What do you intend to do?”
"Nothing to compromise you—nothing
to compromise my dear and cautious
bant. D’Aubant—” the girl repeated the friend, De la Max—my grateful friend, De
Nearly two hundred years before this
Martin Luther himself had consecrated
the castle chapel at Torgau; and the su
perstitious heir of Holy Russia would
have ventured fust as bravely into a
building specially set apart for the uses
of hell. The bigoted protopope who jour
neyed from Moscow to perform the cer
emony, came in terror lest the tsar should
force him within these accursed walls.
Had the tsar suspected half the dis
quietude that this possibly inspired
among his enemies he would perhaps have
had Alexis wedded before.this very al
tar.
But for once Peter refrained from
crushing the prejudices of the priests that
surrounded his son. He caused a tem
porary altar “to be erected in the great
hall of the castle where Alexis might be
gratified by every rite and mysticism pe
culiar Jo the Greek church.
It came gloomily to noon and many bells
were ringing, jangling and strangling ln
the fog. The husheU tread of troops came
up from the street, mingled with the
subdued murmurlngs of a multitude, for
this mid-day darkness hung heavy alike
on bell and human tongue.
The bridal procession moved slowly to
ward the main hall, bearing Charlotte as
a log is pushed ahead of a sluggish
stream. She walked steadily, leaning on
the old duke’s arm. She paused at the
door and felt the pressure of a solemn
silence within.
Then they entered. Who went before,
or who followed her, she knew not.
The murk and mist outside crept
stealthily into the bridal hall. Curtains
of somber crimson across the wondows
shut out ill-omened day. Huge mirrors
reflected thousands of candles, each sur
rounded by a faint halo as if burned
within a charnel house. Draperies hung
in limp ungainly folds; moisture glistened
on helmet, blade and pennon-staff.
People coughed and choked from the
smoke of flaring torches. Afar off, as
Charlotte heard It, there rose a wail of
music.
The bride came on and on, every eye
following her. She stared ahead through
the -curling fog and saw only the confused
massing of lights that blinded her.
Down the long aisle, rigid at his post,
D’Aubant waited. Charlotte came
straight on and saw nothing; D’Aubant
saw only the woman, nothing else. Every
nerve in body and brain grew strong and
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