Sir William Magnay

“ Count, have you no sense of decency?”
A dazed feeling came over her. It was only by an effort that she kept her mind clear. Although she spoke boldly she felt trapped and powerless.
“Is it nothing to me to lose Royda?” Zarka exclaimed passionately. “Girl, can you not recognize [279] your own work? That if I forget grief and decency it is for love of you? That I am not master of myself, have no feeling but my mad love for you? Philippa, will you kill me as you have killed her? I cannot live without you! If I am to be alive at sunrise to-morrow it must be as your husband!” ”

“ We have a score to settle. You are undeniable as a wrestler; now let us see if you are equally admirable with edged tools.”
“If you think I am going to fight a duel with you, Count, you are greatly mistaken,” answered Von Tressen.
“But you will have to fight me before you leave this place,” Zarka returned. “It is not the custom among Hungarian gentlemen to maul one another like drunken fishwives. We leave that to the tumblers at our fairs and the dancing dogs. The world is too small to hold us both. There is your sword.” ”

“ Ah, Osbert, if you had only known the strange fear with which the Count inspired me you would see how I must have hated him to have had the courage to refuse to be his wife.”
“That is all over now,” he said caressingly.
She gave a little shudder.
“If I could think so. But I fear.”
“You need not fear now, dearest,” he said reassuringly.
“It is not for myself, but for you,” she returned. “Zarka is vindictive and cruel; he will never rest till he has revenged himself for his defeat to-night.”
“He is utterly discredited now,” Von Tressen urged. ”

“ She found herself in a shrubbery, so thick as to be almost impassable, but by dint of feeling her way she pushed along a concealed path which gradually grew less dense, and after a while led her into comparatively open woodland.
The storm had passed away, the stars were shining between the masses of light drifting cloud, and the air had never seemed to Philippa so fresh as now after the tension of the scene in the great rock-chamber, and the close atmosphere of the long passage. ”

“ The nearly horizontal rays of a setting September sun, red with the promise of a brilliant resurrection on the morrow, struck full against the great elevated timber-line, where, at any rate for a space, European civilization seems to be held in check by the appalling ruggedness and grandeur—the insurmountable wildness of self-assertive nature. The parting glory falling directly on the fringe of the great coniferous belt, threw into more striking relief the blue-black intensity of the forest depths. ”

“ THE EYES IN THE CLEFT
The giant trees of the great forest streaked the velvety glades with their lengthening shadows as the autumn sun touched the broken outline of the mountain screen and sent the last of its blaze sweeping through the valley and flooding its alleys with purple light. A solitary ray, finding, as it were, the clue to the maze where the forest was thickest, stretched with insistent brilliance across a natural arbour which lay in the most sheltered recesses of the woodland depths. ”

“ As she turned the glitter fastened on her face, which was convulsed with tearless grief. It had seen scorn there and anger, but usually the calmness of self-control and indifference. Never a softer emotion. And as the glitter marked this it seemed to coruscate.
“You will make amends,” Zarka said, taking a step to intercept her.
She stopped short, as though to avoid coming in contact with him.
“How? What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean, Philippa. You know what you can do.”
“No, no!” she exclaimed in shocked repugnance. “How can you speak of that now?” ”

“ Avoidance does not necessarily imply fear. Why will you persist in thinking that? You must have faith in me, Osbert.”
He could hardly resist that appeal backed by the love that was in the look she gave him. “I am offending again; how can I ask for pardon?” he said lovingly. “Only if you knew how I long for [159] the end of this mystery—for there surely is a mystery, Philippa—to call you mine before the world, to defy and triumph over this scheming fellow, Zarka, you would not be hard on me. I want the sunshine for our love, not to have to lurk with it in the shade.” ”

“ Everything seemed in a vortex of doubt and danger. It was more than Philippa could bear, and at last she resolved that, come what might, she would make a bold effort to see her lover without delay. Might not he be in danger too? Zarka had boasted of his power, and of his unscrupulous people. If he could put one man out of the way, why not another? Yes, she would seek Von Tressen at all hazards. ”

“ So she stood, a superb specimen of womanhood, with an expression of quiet courage on her face, handling her rapier with natural grace: it was as though a lion were opposed to a leopard; both were in earnest, yet perhaps hardly conscious that the result of this unwitnessed duel might mean murder.
In a moment their light rapiers had touched, and at the contact all Royda’s fury, which had lately been restrained, seemed to rush forth at her very sword’s point. ”

“ Von Tressen retorted, “have no intention of submitting to any interference, even from Count Zarka.”
“Then you defy me?” the Count cried, with an ugly scowl.
Von Tressen smiled. “I hope there is no question of defiance, Count,” he replied coolly. “But if you mean to suggest that you expect me to be afraid of you, I must ask you to excuse me.”
“You are a bold fellow,” Zarka returned, with, at any rate, the semblance of coolness. “No man has ever yet successfully defied Aubray Zarka. If you think it worth while to try to be an exception do not blame me for the consequences. ”

“ Grouped round the little building with an air of expectancy were several men and women, decked out in all the elaborate finery of their picturesque native costume. They were members of a community of forest dwellers, their homes lying in various hamlets scattered sparsely over those regions of wood and mountain. A curious fierce race of grown-up children, whose customs and superstitions seemed too hardy to be ever withered by the breath of civilization. ”

“ I have power; power of will, power of gold! And my power shall not be mocked. In me the heart to desire is one with the power to have. So, my genius—angel—devil, whate’er you be, in these desperate passes, give me my desire; the brain, the will, the courage—for fair or foul, harden my heart, strengthen my hand. Be with me now, as I shall be with you hereafter. Zarka!”
He shouted the last word in half mocking exaltation, and as he ended the apostrophe the spectral form seemed to bend over him and the cloudy presence to surround and envelop him. ”

“ The great rock-hewn room, the array of still, mail-clad figures, standing like ghostly spectators of a more singular combat than the wearers of the armour in life had ever witnessed, the line stretching away into the obscurity of the farther end of the room, while the half light was reflected by the burnished plates of the nearest figures on to the two women, warm and panting with life and excitement, confronting each other in what might be deadly combat. ”

“ Philippa cried. “Zarka, you coward! You shall never marry me against my will!”
“I hope not; but I am bound, much against my will, to bring some pressure to bear. It is for your good. I do you no harm; where is the dishonour in my proposal? That you shall be my wife, my queen?”
[282] “I tell you, no! I will never marry you.”
“You shall never marry any other man. Consider the position in which you stand. You leave Rozsnyo in custody as Royda d’Ivady’s murderess, or you stay here as my wife.” ”

“ IN THE DEPTH OF THE ROCK
She threw one down at Philippa’s feet. But the other made no suggestion of taking it up.
“What nonsense! What madness!” she exclaimed indignantly. “Please show me the way and let me go. I have had enough of this place.”
“Not till I please,” Royda flung back. “You shall never go, if I can help it, for I mean to try to kill you. I tell you,” she went on, in an access of fury provoked by Philippa’s calmness, “you shall fight. If men can, why not we? I have no skill in fence, so we may be equal there, unless you have, and even then I am content. ”

“ Von Tressen’s face was troubled. It was clear he felt far from satisfied. But what more could he urge? His expression darkened as though a cloud of gloom had drifted over him. For some moments there was silence. Then Philippa laid her hand lovingly on his arm.
“Osbert,” she pleaded; “you are unkind to me; unkind to let these suspicions run in your mind. Can you not trust me? Is your love so shallow that [158] it cannot believe my word against all appearances? Does it ask so much that I must prove to you that I love you and hate Zarka? How can I do that?” ”

“ And your lover will doubtless share your fate.”
Whatever her feelings were, she repressed them and kept silence.
“One word,” he pleaded more vehemently as he thought her yielding, “one little word, promising to be my wife, and this awful danger shall pass from you. I swear it! Yes; if I have to shoot that mad fellow yonder with my own hand. I have power here and men who live but to do my will, men who would not hesitate at the risk of their lives to sweep danger and fear from the path of their queen and mistress. My wife! Philippa, you cannot refuse. ”

“ Do not shoot!” then there was a rustling in the undergrowth, and next moment a man appeared, no less a person than Count Zarka. Count Zarka, with hand extended warningly, eyebrows elevated, and a grin of concern and apology.
“A million pardons, mein Herr!” he cried, coming eagerly forward. “I am too stupid. Heaven be thanked that I missed you. I deserve for my carelessness never to touch a gun again. But I have been watching for a boar that has its lair hereabouts, and I had no idea that any human being but myself was within a league of the place.” ”

“ D’Alquen called, in a loud whisper.
The masked one threw out his hands in an impatient gesture.
“Ah!” he cried, in a voice trembling with excitement, “it is you, Abele D’Alquen, or am I dreaming? Heaven be thanked! You have come to release me.”
“If we can manage it,” his kinsman returned. “At least, if we do not my life shall pay for our failure.”
“Ah, you have others with you?” the Prince exclaimed.
“Yes; two friends who have been working for your release.”
“Thanks, thanks,” he cried, and the fervour of his tone contrasted oddly with the hideous stolidity of the mask. ”

“ Zarka rode on through the wild forest region at a rate in keeping with his impatience, until, having gone perhaps some half dozen miles, he slackened his pace and turned along a rough bridle-path which would bring him by a circuitous way back to Rozsnyo. He had pursued this path for about a mile when he came to a clearing in the woodlands and upon an unexpected scene. In the midst of the open space stood a half-ruined building which, from a certain peculiarity in its architecture, had clearly been, at any rate at one time or another, designed for a chapel or oratory. ”

“ Zarka made an exclamation of impatience, but with wonderful self-control he gave no further sign of anger.
“We have talked long enough,” he said, crossing the room. “We shall never understand one another till we are man and wife.”
As he spoke he pushed away the tapestry which ran noiselessly on its rod, disclosing a pair of Gothic doors of polished oak. At a push these swung silently back revealing the private chapel of the castle, lighted up as for service. Behind the altar rails stood a man in robes, and with book in hand. ”

“ For the world will hardly believe that you wore the red roses by accident, not design. And—I do not wish to alarm you, but it is necessary to realize and face the situation—the effect on the Prince’s family and friends must be bitter enough to lead to danger to yourself.”
“Danger!” the girl echoed scornfully. “I am not afraid, knowing that I have done nothing to deserve their ill-feeling. What do you mean by danger, Count? It is, as you say, best to know how one stands.”
Zarka affected to hesitate, as shrinking from a truth which might alarm her. ”

“ Then as she turned again to her companion, he saw in her eyes a look of dread which did not tend to mitigate the feelings he entertained towards the lord of Rozsnyo.
“You had better not be curious about Count Zarka,” and as she spoke the name she lowered her tone almost to a whisper. “He is a dangerous man and, I fear, unscrupulous. You will only bring harm on yourself by seeking to know too much of him.” ”

“ Zarka ordered his glass to be refilled, then carelessly turned his attention to the newcomer, and conceived a shrewd idea as to his identity. The astute Count was right in his surmise. It was the man who had shot the boar, he who called himself Abele d’Alquen.
“I always maintain,” Zarka observed, as though resuming a subject interrupted by the accident with the glass, “that the less a man speaks the safer he is. It is best to know nothing; it is next best to keep others ignorant of what we know.” ”

“ Zarka smiled indulgently. “You are a young man, Herr Lieutenant, and your natural chivalry makes you incredulous. But if you lived a thousand years in the world you would still have much to learn of women’s ways.”
“Possibly,” Von Tressen returned; “but in this instance I am concerned only with one woman. And I say you have no right without proof to associate Fräulein Harlberg with this escapade.” ”

“ Say you are right and she is not dead, but alive a hundred leagues away, then why are you here? You are hopelessly compromised. Another alternative presents itself, and a worse one. To-morrow morning you are a disgraced woman—or Countess Zarka.”
Philippa could make no reply; her heart was over-full of indignation and bitterness. The man was too strong for her, and in his pitiless strength was driving her surely to her doom. She felt more and more her own weakness pitted against him, the futility of her struggles. ”

“ In front of a draped and decked-out altar, which accorded strangely with the crumbling walls, the broken windows and the general dilapidated state of the building, in two rudely-fashioned open coffins, hung by loving hands with flowers, lay a young man and a young woman, dressed in their full native costume of the gayest colours, with which the deadly ashen hue of their faces and hands made a sad contrast. Death had so refined their features that they seemed of a superior class to the assembly of their relatives and neighbours ”

“ So, not without the grosser signs of the sudden lifting, this time with one accord, of scores of furry heads and ears, the warning cry of pigeons behind the dark foliage, and the sudden swift rush of the lately indolent tree-partridge, would a human being have felt constrained to look expectingly towards the fringe of the wood, the natural line of which was now broken by the figure of a man. ”