"'See, then, Lal Lu, what this means for me; what it means for thee.'

"'Oh!' repeated the girl with curious emphasis, 'what it means for thee, I know; but what it means for me'--and she paused with disconcerting deliberation as she added--'thou hast not said.'

"'Everything, my own!' exclaimed the prince with generous ardor--'everything! Thou hast but to command and thy will is done.'

"'Everything?' re-echoed Lal Lu with a questioning stress which the prince could not ignore--'everything?'

"'I have said,' replied the prince.

"'Am I then to be thy queen?'

"For a moment, a vital moment, the prince hesitated, but brief as the pause, scarcely the durance of an eye-flash, Lal Lu saw it, and gazed upon the prince with a disconcerting directness as he added, with the haste we note in the accused who attempt to distract suspicion by the utterance of glib generalities:

"'My queen! Thou art always that!'

"'Hold, Prince Otondo!' exclaimed Lal Lu as the prince seemed about to surrender to an impulse to clasp her in his arms--'hold! Thy answers suit me not. Reply, then, to this: Thy wife--am I to be thy wedded wife?'

"An expression like that of a peevish child tantalized by obstacles intruded to enhance its appreciation of favor withheld brightened his eyes and sent sullen lines converging in his forehead.

"His hands clenched and opened; a faint suggestion of disdain curled his thin lips; the amiable inclination of his figure was transformed to an erect intolerance--and Lal Lu was answered.

"When the unfortunate girl could no longer doubt the unlovely evidence provided by the prince, and apprehended the humiliating significance of his hesitation, a majesty surer than his own, a presence superb in its elevation, encompassed her, and she gazed upon the perturbed man with an expression from which every trace of tenderness appeared to have vanished.

"With an angry sweep of his arm, as if to banish with a peremptory gesture the kneeling envoys of compunction, manliness and nobility, the prince stepped forward.

"'What is that?' At this moment the gong in the passageway responded to three measured strokes.

"'Confusion!' muttered the prince. 'What does this mean?' and turning abruptly, he hastened to the doorway, swept aside the curtains, and revealed the trembling figure of the wrinkled crone who had quitted the apartment at his entrance.

"'What now?' cried the exasperated prince as he fixed his eyes, vivid with rage at the unwelcome interruption, upon the miserable creature.

"In reply the woman raised her shriveled hand, with a gesture that was not without its weird impressiveness, and pointed to his apartments.

"'Speak!' he demanded with a modification of his intensity, which he perceived deprived the waiting-woman of the power of speech.

"'A messenger,' she croaked, 'from the palace of the moghul; he must speak with thee at once.'

"With one long glance of such concentrated determination that it caused the beautiful girl to tremble anew, the prince vanished through the portal and hastened along the passageway.

"Scarcely had he departed when the demeanor of the waiting-woman underwent a startling transformation.

"An incredible degree of energy quickened in the recoil of her bent form to a disproportionate erectness of stature.

"Beneath level, unwavering lids, her eyes emitted gleams which had pierced the retreating figure with deadly viciousness had they been poniards.

"The servile vanished, the abject; and she stood, the silent embodiment of evil, restrained purpose.

"The next instant, with an angry gesture that was vaguely significant of future requital and present impotence, the vindictive creature swept aside the curtains and re-entered the room leading to the apartment occupied by Lal Lu.

"As she approached the disturbed beauty, the tension in her mien relaxed, and she regarded the _distrait_ countenance before her with a glance that was anything but unfriendly, in so far as it was possible to determine the nature of the sentiment in hiding behind that austere visage.

"Directly she stood by the table which Lal Lu had interposed as a sort of barricade against advances of her impetuous lover, and with an attempt at a smile, which could as readily find acceptance as a repentant scowl, this singular being inserted her hand in the folds of the tunic which defended her parchment bosom, and produced from that barren demesne a folded missive, which she placed in the hands of the astonished Lal Lu.

"With trembling haste she exposed the inner surface of the paper, and with a glad heart and filial trust read:

"'Be not afraid; relief is at hand.'

"There was no signature; none was needed.

"In a moment Lal Lu recognized her father's familiar chirography, and as she reflected upon his well-known sagacity and resourceful boldness, her hope and courage renewed their belated assurances.

"'Who gave you this?' she asked.

"The waiting-woman, after a brief hesitation, in which inclination and restraint left their disturbing traces, replied:

"'That I must not reveal.'

"'At least,' insisted Lal Lu, whose quick glance had detected the irresolution of the instant preceding, 'at least, tell me this: Was it my father?'

"'No,' replied the other promptly. With a barely perceptible grin of amusement at this ingenuous betrayal of the author of the few words which had awakened such animation, she added:

"'One sent by him, it may be.'

"'True,' assented the girl.

"'And now,' exclaimed the woman with a return of her vindictive aspect, which the harassed beauty, unaware of its inspiration, witnessed with vague misgiving and a futile attempt to associate herself with its ugly manifestation; 'and now, I would ask a question of you.'

"'Yes?' responded Lal Lu, perplexed at the baleful emphasis which preceded this announcement.

"'Well, then,' continued the woman with startling and uncompromising abruptness, 'am I wrong in thinking that you would defend your honor with your life?'

"Before the astonished Lal Lu could reply, or encouraged, it may be, by some subtle confirmation in the look which shot from the distended eyes of the young girl, the eccentric speaker, again inserting her hands in the folds of her tunic, withdrew a short, slender poniard, at sight of which Lal Lu recoiled.

"'Ha, ha!' laughed the withered creature mirthlessly as she gazed with unsmiling eyes upon the shrinking beauty. 'Be not afraid; this weapon is intended for you, but not to your hurt.'

"'What, then?' asked Lal Lu breathlessly, unable to adjust the peaceful assurance of the grim-visaged woman with the menace of the glittering blade.

"'Listen!' exclaimed the woman impressively: 'I know Prince Otondo of old; he meditates no good for you. Were I in your place, I would receive his detested advances upon the point of this blade. Your protestations he will not heed, but this'--and the speaker advanced the dagger with a savage gesture which caused a shudder to pervade the trembling frame of Lal Lu--'this is an argument he can understand.'

"'Oh,' cried the terrified girl, 'I could not!'

"'You could not?' repeated the other with chilling emphasis. 'Ha, ha!

you could not! But you will submit to the advances of this monster!

"'Believe me, you are not the sole object of his regard.

"'There have been others caged within these walls who have been less obdurate than you, or whose resistance has availed them nothing.'

"'Alas!' exclaimed Lal Lu with an inexpressibly melancholy accent, as she considered the empty pedestal from which her ideal had fallen, and recalled with a shudder the caress which she had permitted and bestowed in that fervid interview with the prince. 'Can this be true?'