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"Then you will .tell him an awful lie; for he wasn't doing any such thing.” “I swear he was!” "And I swear he wasn’t; there now!” “How do you know that? Remem- her! You say you can swear. How can you do so it you do not know‘ what tbs; Veto doinz f"- The poor old creature was beyond her depth. She could tell a falsehood on a small scale. but she knew not how to carry off a calm. placid decep- tion. Moreover. she was fully per- suaded that the marquis knew much, much more than he really did. She was in an agony of terror and alarm, and the longer she hesitated the more utterly demoralized she became. “Are you going to answer me 1’" “Marquis! you have no right to ask me about the private affairs of my mistress. I will tell the duke how you_treat me." "Do 30. my dear old madam, and I will tell him that the painter was mak- ing love to your mistress under your very_ eyes. “i do know Qhat they were doing, end nobody could have been more in- nocent at all harm!" fog»! Noy_ I nndegstnnd. The “Then answer me this.” This time the marquis spoke in a low tone. but with a deeper and more diabolical threat. with a grip on her wrist and that same searching look into her shrinking. frightened eyes, “What were the painter and the princess do- ing this afternoon? You know very well he was not painting. Don't stop to frame a lie! I want the truth! I want you to tell me just what you knowâ€"no more. no less.” “Well. you can answer me again. And I tell you. Madelon. I am serious. Think the matter over. Picture it to yourself. Thus it would be: One day â€"and on a day not far distant if you do not take careâ€"the duke will ask you. ‘Where is the princess 'I’ and you can only answer. ‘She is gone !'â€"ayeâ€" gone off with Signor Zanoni! Have you thought ? How does it appear to you? Would you like for such a thing to come to pass ?" "I'shall not ansfi'er you. It is too ridiculous. You are only trying to frighten me." “Oh, Marquis! How can you say such a thing. As though I needed to prove my friendship for that dear child!” "You hinted at such a thing once before. and I answered you." “Mudelon!” Answer me this!" He spoke in an abrupt, threatening tone, looking her in the eye as though he would look into her very soul. “Now. would you like to see the Princess Isa- bel di Varona elepeâ€"run awayâ€"with the low-horn. poverty-stricken lazar- one of a painter !” “Steffafio Farnese. he isn’t a lazar- one and you know 11: "' “Never inind that. Now would you like to see it ?" As it was, however. the marquis found her. At about the time when she usually began to think of her niB'ht's rest he stationed himself at a point in an upper corridor, which she must pass. and there, upon the stroke of the half-hour after nine, he met her. She saw him and sought to avoid him; but he was too quick for her. “No. no. dear old friend! You must not think to give me the slip in that fashion! I have taken too much trou- ble to find you to suffer you to :run away from me now. My dear, good old Madelon. of what are you afraid? If you will listen to me for just one lit- tle minute I will convince you that it is for your own interest that I wish to speak. I think you would wish to retain the good opinion of the duke." “You know I would.” “'l‘hen prove it by being frank and truthful. Prove it by proving your- self a true friend to the Princess Isabel." vâ€"vâ€"â€" vâ€"wv â€"â€" “â€" That he would ask her before the marrow. she did not even dream: 'She knew his habits; and the Spending of the evening hours at home was not one of them. Had she called to mind the fact that the duke had planned to bed one of his light. friendly recep- tions on that very evening she might have been more on her gwd. VVUU“ -- I “H“ _V _“‘- -â€"â€"_ not only with respect. but gratefully. f The effect of these few simple words And that. perhaps. might not be all. : upon the marquis had been wonderful. Never before had she sat in Signor Zan- ; He seemed to collapseâ€"to suddenly uni's presence; never before had .she Ii wilt. and dI‘OOP. and quake. Hi3 limbs looked squarely and searchingly into shook; his whole frame shook. and the his eloquent magnetic face. She had . terror in his face was startling. lBut found something in it that had attract- ; it was only for a little time. He soon 8d herâ€"something that had led her to : became strong again. and the terrified trust and like him, and she felt in her , expression had left his dark visage. heart that she would be his champiqn. f but in its place had come a 1001‘ Of With this feeling she earnestly dealr- f vengeanceâ€"of dire and deadly hatredâ€" ed to keep herself out of the way of ! that boded ill to somebody. the Marquis Steffano. She knew that It had been upon his tongue to howl he would question her closely, and she knew tooâ€"though she did not to her- self acknowledge itâ€"that she was not fitted to cope with him. She was but an humble dependent. while he was a noble of Parma and own brother of the powerful duke. She was resolved that on the next morning she would take shelter. at as early an hour as back upon the woman in hot anger and gross profanity. but he had restrained himself. for which he was thankful. He dld. more than that. lBeingdeterminL ed. if possible to gain the whole truth. he held his peace until he was able to speak calmly. and even pleasantly. “Forgive me. Madelon." he said, with a smile. “if I startled you. But when possible. in the society of the princess you.told me that the princess had been and not leave her until they had made telling my story to a strangerâ€"the ‘ their visit to the studio. g_ story of my unhappy youthâ€"it made]l A change had come over our good Old duenna. She had been. previous .to this last visit at the painter's studio. inclined to feel hurt at the slight put upon her. as she felt it to be. but, a change had been wrought. She was now in sympathy with her dear young mistress. and. moreover. her feelings toward the painter himself had become softened and friendly. She had convers- ed with him. and he had listened to her. not only with respect. but gratefully. And that. perhaps. might not be all. Never before had she sat in Signor Zan- Uni’s presence; never before had she looked squarely and searchingly into his eloquent. magnetic face. She had found something in it that had attract- ed herâ€"something that had led her to trust and like him. and she felt in her heart that she would lre his Champiqn. -, _ vu, Jvu U“ L how curious I am to know wh painter thought of me. Of co must have said something. 1 --_-â€" vvv-J vvvlu Dual: was spoken about ouâ€"every word, and not a thing was said that you could have foupd fault with.” "She had just told about the coming of the old priest, Father Paul, and the Wonderful story he had to tell of the princess and her little son. That’s you." “Oh, she was telling of my mother?" "Of your mother and yourselt, as it afterward turned out. butâ€"" “Bless you, no. She hadn’t said a word about you. Your name hadn't en mentioned no more than as though there had never been such a person in existence. So you needn't borrow any trouble. I heard every word that was fiern-n ALA-- ‘- The fhough “And how, if I may ask, happened you to join them at all ?” He asked the question as mildly and pleasantly as it was in his powev to do. She had once lost her head, and she was now lost completely. She answer- ed blindly, without thought, the simple truth: “I went to tell her that it was time for us to go home." “And you found her telling our story to the painter"? “I told you onceâ€"yes." “How far had she got when you came upon the scene ‘?” [Butâ€"Marquis! I wasn't there when she began. If I had of been it would not have happened. [Butâ€"but," she cried. when she caught the sudden gleaming of Steffano's black eyes and the closing of his vengeful lips. “you mustn't blame the princess. She meant no harm. If Signor Zanoni askedâ€"her; to tell him about it. how was she to refuse ?” fication to make it appear that she had been present at the whole inter- VleW; and she might have carried 1t out to the end with very little thought and circumspection. [But an unfortun- atehmoment for her was at hand. .And thus, by dint of close and PO“ tient questioning. without again 108- mg his temper, and a careful keeping out of sight of his ill feelings. he 800‘ ceeded in drawing from her a true! {10" count of the whole affair. 'She was careful to take to herself her full share of responsibility. In fact, she suffered it to appear that she hadgiven to the painter a vast deal of information that she never gave at .1! in] “Forgive me, Madelon," he said, with a smile. “if I startled you. But when you told me that the princess had been telling my story to a strangerâ€"the story of my unhappy youthâ€"it made me really angry. But, that is past and gone. Now tell me, how came she to tell it? You owe me that, and I know you will not. refuse me." To? 99““ 11015." “No!” fairly shrieked the irritated old woman, feeling that her time of triumyh had oome. “It was your story, the story of your life. that she was telling! Now what do you think? Aha! You don’t like it. eh ?" triumphantly. “It was the princess herself was telling the story! Ho. ho! You are not so wise as you thought you were." “Mercy on us! \Vas the dear prin- ‘cess so long in telling the story of her own Iife'g" ma .uuueuue or ms mwmng look and his captivating speech." “But." said the duke, struggling .to throyv off the tear that was coming up- on hlm. “you know that Madblon is al- ways with her." “Bah! You are not serious, brother. _â€"â€"â€"â€"-v_ wu “v qu'VULUu. “My dear Antonio. I fear it is your- self who is possessed; but I will awaken you if I can. Stop! Listen to me tore. moment. and be candid. \Vill you call to mind the girl's peculiarities of dis- position and self-education. You know how romantic she is, how prone to hero. worship. You have heard her rhapsod- ies on the heroes of the old crusades. Aye, she worships a hero wherever she can find him. And now turn to this painter. Mark you, my brother, I do not like the man; yet I am forced to admit that he is the handsomest of fea- ture and of form, and one of the most intellectualot all the men I ever knew. And mtothts men's society the tender- The dulfe Hid-hot. start; he gave no token of astonishment. His look was onggf entire unbelief. __â€". vv--'â€"v “Oh, Steftano! what freak is this? What manner of hallucination hath possessed you?" TheOmarquis. was calm and unruffled. H?,,meP1Y snnled as he answered: The younger man bent his head for a few moments. as though in deepest thought. At length he looked up and said, with a show of heartfelt feeling; “Antonio, I can swear to you, if you wish my oath, that the princess has given her loveâ€"the deep and passionate love of her heartâ€"to the plebeian pain- te_t;._Juan Zanoni!" . The duke regarded the speaker with a look of pained surprise. “Brother. you do not mean. that any scandal has arisen?" “It is worse than scandal. sire; scan- dal can be frowned down and made harmless; but this of wnichI speak must be handled delicately, at least so far as the princess is concerned. God bless and save her!" “I tun only interested for you, my brother. But I will not keep you in suspense. You have not forgotten what Count Denard has said to you touching his troublesâ€"his fears that our fair cousin, Princess Isabel, might become infatuated with the handsome painter ?" “My dear Antonio," returned the marquis, with an earnestness and sober- ness unusual to hi1n., “I could not; give myself to pleasure until I had seen you and put off a. load from my mind that is worrying me." “Marquis, do you not see how Isuf- fer? Out with it! \Vhat have you to tell me?" He found the duke in the same small anteâ€"room where we have seen the twain once before, in the act of putting away a lot of papers which he had been prohafbl Y7 overlooking. ”Siefleno! what in the world can it be? Am I interested'?’ As the last words fell from his lips the great cathedral bell of the Assump- tion. in its deep and solemn tones; pro- claimed the hour of ten. That was the duke’s usual time for presenting him- self at his social receptions, and Stef- fano wished if possible to see and speak with him before he should have left his private closet. “Aye, I have it," he muttered, as he turned in the new direction. “Let me have his consent to the experiment, and if I do not open his eyes, then call' me dunce." "AhI'how is an; Steffano? I have been making myself very easy and con- tent in the assurance that you were en- teytgining my guests." I “San Maroo! he has my life. as Isabel knows it. laid bare. He knows all she could tell him. He knows too much. I have no time to waste. Shall I put a stop to her visits at the studio? And there must be no more conference be- tween those two. Luckily, before they had come to my! part in the story old Madelon was with them. and in her presence the man would be guarded. but when they next meet, without the duenna to overhear. what notes and data may they not rake up and com- pare? By heavens! Imust open the eyes of the duke and set Guiseppe to thinking. If I can work upon him as I think I can [may bring down my two birds atasingle shot !" At this pailâ€"f hevcaught his breath and started as though a ghost had sud- denly arisen and confronted him._ .“By heavens!" he exclaimed, with a fierce smiting together of his heavy hands, “it has gone further than I thought! What were they doing all that time alone together, and not a touch of a brush to his canvas? AsI live, I believe she loves him! She has given her heartâ€"and “ill give herself if she can. And he will grab the prize! He would be a fool if: he did not. I'd wager my life that they have already talked _of flight. Aye. butâ€"" v- -v- “Q. ng‘u‘u wrvv‘-v The marquis stood and watched her until she had disappeared, and stlll stood, gazing into the vacancy she had last fiilled. So for a time; and than be cast a quick glance around, to assure himself that he was 810113: uvuu. “You are right. It was none of mlne, at all events. Thanks once more. my dear Madelon. Good-might!" ‘ "It's the most sensible word you have SPOKen. marquis, ancl I repeat 1t with all my heart. Good-mghtl' And with that spiteful speech the duenna turned upon her heel and strode away wi_tl_1 all possible SPQed° : 1..J L-.. uu. ."It waist“: anybody'sfault. With a. vm dictum snappmg of he; e Mid an angry parsing of her 11959 don't know as it was any And," yes body's busi- you are suntan. te- “You, good Madelon; and I am gra ful, too. I suppose you saw. t‘he ti]; ment your eyes fell ’on the canva it had not been touched at that gitting'? However, that wasn’t. the prmcess s fault.” - ‘l Aflj', youflare “wig" he meant. older than that. Now I hope But perhaps the strangest of all the array of silent masters who followed the Christ of the Great Power was a little girl of some 12 summers. clothed in her communion robes, weird and ghostly apparel for this the dark hour before the dawn. Her eyes were blind- folded, and, unlike the hoods of the Nazarenes, there was not left the smallest aperture through which she might look to choose and pick her way. She carried a golden chalice in one hand. while with the other she groped and felt her way. Every now and then. misled by the deceiving echo of There had been no detaulters among the ,old gallant's heirs. and. though the present bearer of the proud name 18 a perfumed and scented pollo, a dude of Seville society. he too, did not shrink from the sacrifice necessary to keep- ing the money in the family. And I regret to say that. as he came meek- 1y along in this strange guise. his ap- pearance excited much amusement among the other pollos. whose inheri- tance had come to them without so unpleasant a condition; and at the sight of his bruised and bleeding feet much money was wagered on the ques- tion of whether he would be able to lead the cotillion at the Duke of Alba's onnEastenMonday. I’enam-e l’alcl Ivy Twenty «Niel-mums In Full"! :0 Vow. But there is one muffled figure that bears the heaviest cross, and walks painfully with unshod and shackled feet over the uneven stones, who, ow- ing to the strange and peculiar pen- ance he performs, cannot hope to en- joy the anonymity of his brother peni- tents. The self-imposed penance of the fathers in Seville would seem even as the weight of their sins, to be visited upon their children unto the last gen- eration of their seed. At least, it is true that the traggering youth be- fore us is the twentieth of his name and line who has done vicarious pen- ance for the sins of his forefather. a celebrity of the sixteenth century. who looked “on beauty charming" with the eyes of Don Juan Tenodio. He was finally captured, the legend relates, by a Barbary corsair and carried a pris- oner to Oran. where, manacled and chained, he spent many along and weary day wishing that he were dead. But while he pined hopelessly in pris- on he made a solemn vow that, should he ever regain his liberty, he would walk bare-footed and humbly bearing his cross behind the Christ of the Great Power in every madrugada. or morn- ing procession, and, further, he vowed that he would make the annual accom- plishment of this vow a charge upon his estate for all time by providing that, should any one of his male dew scendants fail in its performance, his' portion of the estate should go to em; rich the foundation of a convent. l “Be it so. brother. But remembér your promise. Be kind and gentle." The duke arose from his seat and took a turn across the room. In a far corner was a small cupboard, the door of which he Opened, and took thence a bottle and two glasses, and set them on the table. In utter silence the wine was poured out; in silence drank._ A little later he said, wearily: “Heavens and earth ! for what do you take me? I have never breathed it to him. He is as ignorant of the whole matter as you were half at; hour ago." [fly word that'I will never allude to the subject againâ€"never. Surely you can; have no _objection [:9 .th_at.'_"_ “Is Count Deharo enlisted with you in this affair ?" “Dear brother; do you not know me well enough to know that I could not do that 3" “But, Steftano. what is it you mean? What course will you pursue ?" The marquis gave a few moments to thought. and then replied: “Antonio, listen. I will speak the painter's name in her hearing. I will speak of him kindly and in a friendly spirit, and you shall mark the effect of the words upon her. If I do not con- vince you that her heart is given whol- ly and entirely_ to Zanoni I give you “Steffeno,” he said, after a long and painful time of reflection. "I cannot be- lieve it. I know you are sincere. I can see it in your face; but. I can not be- lieve." “Dear brother. may I convince you?" “How?" “Never mind the how. If you will give me permission, I will this very evening convince you that I an} right vâ€"WV vâ€"v “I will not have her imposed upon, nor harshly _t_reatec_i. Remegntgepthat. " child of the noble Fernmuld have she could do this thing it would mean a clinging, forever after. to the low- born lover in preference to her own devoted kindred. A STRANGE VOW. To be Continued and dearly_ lpved I‘lw l-llswlrk hard in Ipnglaml the In" in IIII‘ World. The capacity of Elswick yard lam. land is greater than that of anym in the world. Among the vessm; present in evidence at l‘llswick are in O'Higgins, Chilean \xar ship. justm pleted General Banqmedana. Chm training ship, on the stocks, wit. it launched in about 1' our weeks: Hai-li and Hai-Chi. protected cruisers tv: to the order of China. sister ships completed, mowed in river; 'lakasagt Japanese cruiser, nearly complete Assama, Japanese armored cruisers 700 tons, nearly complete; Tuit' Japanese armourel cruiser. sister» above; unnamed cruiser, preparing: Japan. not quite laid down; Turde' jold, Norwegian battle ship, watt to be delivered; Albany. cruiser for Brazil. but bought by L'nited Sta now plating, launched in three mon ,. Don Carlos 1., Portuguese WOW“ cruiser just launched; l’at-tOius.thirt class British cruiser. built 10 am alty design, ready in about amontt. torpedo boat destroyer of large 51,11?” 80 thirty knots. not. ordered. Nell: completed before the end of their; and if not previously bought “1”, into stock; another torpedo destro'y; same size as above. but fittetl :1 Parsons turbines. to go lhlrllft ‘ knots, to be finished this year. , named cruiser. 4,300 tons, to be 13:13 ed shortly '. not ordered: 183?? {gm class battle ships unnamed. 19.1!” I“ being built for the Japanese .115”in will be the largest battle Shlp leaped structed. will havea Phenom???” and. notwithstanding her Eff“,1 will pass through the suez (and. CLE in the mar ORDER YOl'R COAL .\‘tt\ PORE THE PRICE AURA g to allllOIZl; w 'l: mflepnred to do all k . illlisofli t 9 and Houselit ld Lam, ll the very Lowest Rates. Blflflh ”nun ‘ ”"' ’ er". Pin. a" . v BIOOd and N {0' “1‘ “1:: 33.410)“ bf"?! 3" 333:“ (-1 M d “R'Wafd “(123.2: V ictofi‘ 8'“ Th. .. look “W0! “’°‘ A" Nerve Pills) that in three I gene. strong. remoVCd all nermust uilt up my pb sical system and m strong and we 1. 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