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I THE UUINiYlAKfcK 3
OF MOSCOW.
O'
By
SYLVANUS COBB,, JR.
o'!:''':!
1
'Wiiicn tons tis wo nave apno a gooa
net."
- The dark monk f cached forth and
itook the youthful artisan's hand,
"and, with more than ordinary emo
tion, lie said:
"You touch the harp strings of
-the soul with a noble hhnd, my
son, and if any deed o kindncs3
can give me joy it will he a deed
for you. "We may meet agair, and
amtil then I can only say, God bless
and prosper thee."
u With these words the monk turn
ed away, and ere Buric could com
mand presence of mind enough to
'follow him he had gone from the
house. The youth wished to say
something, but amid tho varied
notions that went leaping through
his mind ho could gather no con
nected thouchts,
After the monk was gone nunc
Returned to his bench and resumed
Siis work. He asked his boy if ho
had cer seen the strange man, bo
cfore, but Paul only shook his head
and answered dubiously.
1 "What do you mean?" the gun
Snaker asked, gazing the boy in tb,o
'face. "Do you think you have seen
him before ?"
' "I cannot tell, my master. I may
have seen him before and I may not.
(But surely yotf"w'ould not supposo
ithat my memory would serve you
Letter than your own."
Buric was not fully assured by
this answer. Ho gazed into Paul's
iace, and he fancied he detected
some show of intelligence Micro
Miich had not been spoken. But lie
absolved to ask no more questions
Sit present. He had asked enpugh,
he thought, upon such a subject,
nnd he- made up" his mind to bother
Iiimself 'ho more about it, feeling
sure that if his boy knew" anything
Vhich would be for his master's in
terest to know it would bo commu
nicated in due season. So ho ap
plied himself anew to his work, and
at noon the -pistols were finished.
Toward tlio middle of th"o after
noon, just '-as Buric had finished
(temperinjr smc parts of a sun look
tne PacK door of his shop was open
ed, and two men entered. They
were young men, dressed in costly
rfurs and bo'th of them stout and
good looking. Tho gunmakcr rec
ognized them as the Count Conrad
Damonofl! and his friend Stephen
lUrzen.
"I think J. speak with Buric Nc
vol?" said the count, moving for
ward. 7
"You do1 returned Buric, not at
all surprised by the visit, since pco-
, 'plo of all classes were in the habit
of calling at his place to order
arms.
' Tho cQunt turned a shade paler
"than before, and his nether lip trcm
Tjkd. iut Buric thought that might
be the result jof coming from the
cold, into a warm place. However,
hc was soon undeceived, for the
count's next remark was significant :
"Xn arc acquainted with the JJa
dy.Bpsalind Valdai?" ho said.
"I nm," returned , Buric, now be
ginning to wonder.
"Well, sir," returned DamonofT,
v.'ith much haughtiness, "perhaps
my business can bo quickly and sat
isfactorily settled. It is my desire
to make tho Lcdy Bosalmd my
.wife."
, Buric Novel started at thesp
Vords;"and lie 'clasped life hands to
hide their trcmuUusncas. But he
.was hot long debating upon an answer.
"And tthy havo you como to mo
til. il.lo JnfrtrmnMrm Kir?" ho n9k-
with tlds information, sir?" ho 09k
cd. , 3
"You 6hould know that already.
Do you not love tho lady?"
"Upon my soul, sir count, you
ask mo a strange question. What
tight have you to question me upon
such a theme?"
"The right that every man has to
rnvo the wav for his own risrhb."
renhed Damonolf sharply. "But if i
vou chposo not. to answer lot it pass.
I kuow you do love the lady, and
now I ask you to renounce all
claims to her baud."
"By St. Paul, sir count, your
tongue runs into strange moods of
speech! I renounce all claims to
Bo?nlind Valdai's hand! Was't so
you meant?"
"Ave, sir, prccisclv so?'
"Perhaps you will inform mo '
what' claims I may have Upon tho
lady," Buric returned, with rsomo
tremuTousness in his tone, for, -.tho '
very subject was one that moved
him deeply.
"Buric Novel, you Bhall not say '
that I did not make myself fully
understood, and hence I will ex-'
plain." The count spoke this as '
speaks a man who feels that he is
doing a very condescending thing,
and in tho samo tone he proceeded:
"Tho Lady .Bosalind is of noblo
parentage and very wealthy. My
own station and wealth are equal
with hers my station, at all events.
Sho may possess the undivided right
to more property than I do; but
that matters not. I love her nnd
must have her for my wife. I havo
been to see the noblo duke, licr
guardian, and ho objects not to my
suit, but he informed mo that thcro
was one impediment, and that was
her lovo for you. Ho knows" full
well, as I know, and as all must
know, that she could never become
your wife; but yet ho is anxious not
to interferp too much against her
inclinations. So a simple denial
from you to tho effect that you can
never claim her hand is all that is
necessary. You understand me, I
trust. We seek this only for the fair
lady's own good. Of course you
must be awaro that the duke would
never consent to her union with
you, nnd yet ho would wish to have
your denial to show to Bosalind
when he announces his decision. I
have a paper here all drawn up,
and all that will bo necessary is sim
ply your signature. Here. It is
only a plain, simple avowal on your
part that you havo no hopes nor
thoughts of seeking tho hand of the
lady in marriage." i
As tho count spoko ho drew a pa-'
per from tho boson! of his marten
doublet, and, having opened it, ho
handed it toward the gunmakcr.
But Buric took it not. Ho drew
back and gazed tho visitor stonily
in the face.
"Sir count," ho uttered in a tono
full of noble indignation, "what do
you supposo 1 amr xjo you mean
to tell mo that Olga, duke of Tula,
has commissioned you to obtain
such a renunciation of mo?"
"Stephen," spoko the count, turn-
ing .lp his companion, "you heard
the instructions the duko gave me
this morning?"
Ave " returned TJrzcn, directing
his speech to Buric; "I did hear,
and vou havo stated tho caso plain
ly." "1 may bo as much1 surprised as
yourself,' resumed the dount, haugh
tily, "at lliis'strringc tnsto of tho
duke. Why ho should 'Beck this sig
nal from you Lcnn4pnly imagine
upon his desirc5to' call up no re
grots in tho bosoni of his fair ward.
Ho knows th'at Bh6,wns o'neo inti
mate with you ond.that sho nov
feels a warm"' rVenflJltip for you.
J'ctf'her sako ho would havo this sig
nal from you."
how for her sake?' nskcil
Buric.
"Why," returned .DamonofT, ''do
vnn not see? Bosnlihd in tho Bim
I plicity of her heart )nay think that
ou a mat you nugut umm iu
lovo and out of puro principle grant
H lO JUH miujiij uuwm.v. j "
tho llrst claimant."
"But I never claimed her love,"
said Buric warmly. "If sho loves
mc, Isho loves mo from her heurU
With the nouio uukc x nevr bjioku
but ouce, and then ho came hero
for mc to t'umpcr.his sword. If you
would marry with tho lady, do so,
and if you seek help jH tho work
seek it from those who havo somo
povir in tho matter."' ,
"Yo.u mistake, sir," Uttered tho
count hqtly. "Iv seek not power
now. X only seek a simple word
from one who may havo somo inltvt;
J once, oven as a beggar, having saved
tho lifo of a kinir. may,
through
royal gratitude, wjcld an influence.
Will ypu sign tlio naper?"
Now, all this seemed slraugo to
Buric, and ho knew that there was
something behind tho curtain which
ho was not permitted to knpw. ' Ho
know the proud nnd stubborn duke
well tenough to know that ho never I
would havo sent such a moflsogo ns
this but for somo design more than
had yet appenred. In short, ho
could" not understand tho matter
at all. It looked dark 'nnd com
plex, and its faco was in direct con
flict with thcwnaluro of tho man
from whom it now appeared to ha.vtj
emanated. Buric pondered upon
tins a few moments, and ho mado
up his mind that ho would on nd
account yield an atom to the
strange demand thus made upon
him.
"Sir count,"' ho said'calmly and
surely, "you havo plainly stated
your proposition, and I will as
plainly answer. I cannot sign the
ppcr." '-
r"Hn!" gasped Damonofl! in quick
passion. "Do 3ou refuse ?"
"Host flatly."
Tor a few moments the count
ga?,cd into Buric's fnco as though ho
doubled the evidence of his own
senses.
"It is tho duke'a command," ho
said nt length. I
"The Duko of Tula holds no pow-'
fcr of command over me," was tho
gumnnkcr'ii calm reply. I
"Beware! Onco more, I say, sign
this, paper!" I
"leu but waste your breath, sir'
count, in speaking thus. You have
my answer." .
"By heavens, Buric Novel, you'lj.
sign this 1" tho count cried madly.
"Never, sirl" '
"But look yo, sirrah, hero is my
ivholo future qf lifo based upon my
hopes of union with this fair girl.
Her guardian bids mo got this pa
per of you cro I can havo her hand, ,
And now do you think I'll givo it .
up so' easily? By the saints of heav-1
en, I'll havo your namo to this or J
I'll havo your lifer
"Now vour toncruo runs awav
foWi, you, Bir count. I Jmvo given
you my answer. Bo Euro thnt only
ono inan 0n earth can prevail upon
mo i0 pac0 ,y nnmc upon that pa-
pCr .
"And who is ho?"
T mCnn tho cmncror."
- "Rnt vou will siirn it I" hissed Da
mon'off, turning 'palo with rage.
"Hero it is sign! If you would livo
sigh("
"Perhaps lio cannot write," sug
gestcd'Urzcn contemptuously.
"Then ho may miiko his mark,"
rejoined tlie count in tho samo con
temptuous tone,
"It might not requiro much more
urging tcjinduco mo to make my
mark in a' manner not at al agree-
port his broV BtartTfii?
lHOro Plalnlv out. -Vnn rsraeoma
"But
nuio xo you, sir, ino youm romiu
ed, wlln his teeth .now st' and thp
dark ycniis u
i
upon lnv premises, and you havo
1 1-
sought your purpose. You, lo)v
have your answer, nnd for your own
sake, for my sake, I beg you to
lcavd me." .
"Not until your namo is upon
this paper!" cried DumoswlT, slink-
jn tlio missive furiously and cruin
pang inn uis.iiaiiu. ,
Aro you mad, sir count? ' Dq
you think mo a fool?"
AvD., a consummate quo."-- '
' "Then' returned Buric, with a
curl ofi utter contempt upon his
finolv chiseled lip. f'you nccd;,hav'o
no further dealings with me. Thoro
is my door, sir."
Tor some moments Conrad Da?
monofl seemed unable to speak from
very anger. He had surely somo
deep, anxious purposo in obtaining
Buric's namo to thnt paper, and to
bo thus thwarted by a common arti
san was maddening to ono whp
based nil his forco of chnrctcr upon
hia tlllo.i i" - .! .
fro nn co.TnjruED.l I
Wi tb i IM Km wnmmm ufw
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in?
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