Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 108 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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ha to be of any use to a lady of your condi- dee Pray be abated. and excuse me, while I question my steward a moment.” , His voice was calm, his manner as frigid as that of Lorelia was ardent, and the honorable maiden took her seat, rather chopfallen. “Where are the others, Dom Gil?’ asked the duke, in Portuguese. ‘‘ The slavers say they will not sell them till ou have paid the price for the escaping men. They would only let me have the old woman.” It was lucky for the sensitiveness of the Hon. Miss Lawton that she did not understand a word of Portuguese. The duke looked annoyed. ‘** Did you not then pay for them?” ‘I hardly dared, mi senhor. They asked fifty thousand piastres for each, and twice as much for the women.” The Duke of Diamantina looked coldly at his major-domo, ‘*Dom Gil,” he said, icily, “I have never known you to hesitate about an order before. Get me these people, if they have not gone, While you are waiting, they may send them off to Fyzoul Abdallah.” Dom Gil flushed to his temples as he bowed in answer to his employer, and the duke turned away to Clarence saying, in English: ‘*] fear I must trouble my honored guests to come on deck for a little while. These rascals are impudent at times and will not give up a valuable prisoner without a full bargain, Madame, permit me.” CHAPTER VI. LORELIA’S WATCH. He offered his arm to the Hon. Lorelia, who accepted it with simpering eagerness, and the whole party ascended to the quarter-deck, where they found an awning spread and a shower of fine icy spray already filling the air from pumps set in motion as soon as the duke set his foot on the bottom step of the stairs. ‘*Dear me, duke; you have the very perfec- tion of luxury here,” remarked Miss Lawton, as she sunk into a camp-chair in the midst of this Spokane spray. ‘“‘It seems to me that I could live here forever, were I in your posi- tion.” lope. The duke smiled in his usual cool indifferent way. Oj try to make my friends pleased with their reception, madame. Lam glad the yacht meets your wishes.” : Even while he was speaking, his eyes were roaming toward the shore, where the slave dhow was now beached in the mud, while her cargo of blacks was being quickly discharged, sur- rounded by a mob of purchasers, intent on good bargains. Outside this crowd they could seea troop of camels, about thi: ty in number, whereof several were equipped with the broad-winged and curtained litters in which the harem wo- men of rich Arabs are accustomed to ride. The duke looked keenly at these, and com- pressed his lips slightly as he noticed that they were moving off across the mud flat of Tuat to- ward the highlands, by way of the beaten track to Dereeyah. While he was looking, Dom Gil’s boat was nearing the slave dhow, and another boat—one of the common Arab craft—approached the yacht itself. The Hon. Lorelia was full of romantic delight at the picture round her. ‘*T have longed above all things to see Ara- bia,” she declared; ‘‘and this is just too awful- ly nice for anything. Look at those camels, with their funny saddles, like big butterflies. What in the world are they, duke? ‘I fear, madame,” rejoined the duke, grave- ly, ‘‘that one of those camels is carrying off your friend to visit Fyzoul Abdallah, in Deree- 3 ‘*And who is Fyzoul Abdallah?” asked Lo- lia, innocently. we He is the Sultan of Dereeyah, the capital of the Wahabees, madame. he Wahabees, as you are no doubt aware, are the most fanatical of Moslems; and a Christian in their hands is retty certain to be killed if a man; kept ina rem for life, if a woman.” The Hon. Miss Lawton began to look fright- ened, as she ejaculated: “And will they put Helen in a harem, duke? Shall we never see her again?” ; ‘“‘Not if I can help it, madame, and I think I can, not being quite unknown here. Pardon me one moment. I see a person coming on business.” He bowed and went forward to the main gangway, where a little dried-up Arab, meanly dressed, was ae with a profusion of Orien- tal compliments at bis good fortune in behold- ing the ‘‘Golden Prince of all Riches, the illus- trious Lord from the West who had deigned to send for Haroun al Wahabi, to buy of him the Pearl of all Pearls.” The duke cut short his compliments by saying coldly: ‘Show me the pearl. If I have none larger I will take it.” Haroun the Wahabee hesitated. ‘Can I not show it to the Great Lord of all Jewels in private?” The The duke beckoned him apart from the rest, and the Arab produced from a bundle of rags in the recesses of his garments a handsome pearl, of the drop shape so much admired in ear-rings. The duke inspected it quietly and returned it. ‘It isa good one, but I have better. Bring me a match for it, and I will take them. Whose camels are those going to Dereeyah?” The Arab was so taken by surprise by the sudden change of subject that he unguardedly answered: ** Mine, great lord.” ““How much does Fyzoul Abdallah offer for the white woman?” asked the duke, in the same rer stig way, as if not much interested in the reply. iis time the Arab screwed up his wizen face and replied, more guardedly: ‘Does the Lord of Jewels wish to buy her himself?” The duke frowned at him, and the frown transformed his countenance from the 1 grace of Antinous to the pitiless sternness of the ollo, iv If I wish to take her I will but speak a word and kill every man in Tuat ere he can draw his sword. Answer my question.” Haroun cringed in awe before this impertur- bable man, for he knew that the duke spoke the truth. The mitrailleurs of the yacht could have exterminated every living being in Tuat inside of half an hour. The wily Arab sought to make his peace and a good bargain at once by hastening to say: ‘*{ meant no offense, great lord; but the Sul- tan of Dereeyah gave me a commission to find him a white girl, young and handsome, more than a yearago. IfIgiveher up now I have her, I shall be killed by Fyzoul Abdallah’s spies, unless I leave Arabia forever.” The duke nodded gravely. ‘““Isee. Then you must leave it, I will give you enough to take you away. Name your price to Dom Gil, and he will pay you when the girl is delivered.” He returned to the quarter-deck and looked out toshore. The loaded camels were moving rapidly off toward the mountains, and Dom _Gil’s boat was lying on the muddy beach, while that energetic officer himself could be seen hur- rying to and fro among the Arabs on the shore, as if full of business. Haroun the Wahabee scrambled into his boat and was rowed to shore, while the duke return- ed to the quarter-deck and looked at his watch. He stood near the Hon. Lorelia, who was making eyes as usual at the nearest available man—in this case O’Shea—and the sharp eyes of the lady noticed the simplicity of the time- piece, a plain gold case. Full o vanity, she began to lament the fact that her own watch had been injured during her adventures in the water, and inquired: ‘* Is it not safe to say that your grace, amidst so much luxury, keeps a watc er and jew- eler in his train?” ‘I believe so, madame,” was the quietly- courteous reply; but the duke did not seem to be particularly interested in the matter of Lo- relia’s timepiece. ‘‘ I should be desolated, as the French say, if it were spoiled,” remarked the Hon. Lorelia, cone out a magnificent watch incrusted with lamonds. “It was a present from my bro- ther, Sir Lumley Lawton, when he was made Governor of Krishnapoor after the mutiny. You remember the mutiny, duke?” Clarence Hart, who had been quietly watch- ing the Hon. Lorelia and O’Shea with some amusement, had noticed that the sunburnt face of the soldier always assumed an expression strongly akin to hatred when the lady consult- ed her watch, which she did about a hundred times a day. It was a very handsome toy, of French make, a repeater an stop-watch in one, with so many diamonds on the case that it flashed like a single jewel when taken out: and if was a matter of wonder to him how the fair Lorelia had managed to hide it from the slaver’s people. The srg was proud of it with good reason and very fond of displaying it. This time he watched O’Shea to see if the cap- tain would show his usual emotion, but noticed that the Irishman had his eyes fixed on the Duke of Diamantina while Lorelia was speak- ing. ihe Brazilian nobleman, on his part, was still looking out toward the shore, and only pre- tending to listen to the British maiden of uncer- tain age and kittenish manners. “Tell me, duke, did you ever see such a watch as this?” continued Lorelia, piqued at his calmness and holding up the watch. The duke turned his eyes full on her with a serious sweetness that disarmed her, ‘‘ Pardon my inattention, madame, but I was thinking of your friends in danger. I fear we shall have to follow them to Dereeyah,” y ‘But we 109 get them back?” asked the inquiringly. We dial, madame,” ‘Then look at my watch and tell me what you think of it,” she continued. The duke took the toy in his hands with indif- ferent courtesy and looked at it closely, watch- Duke of Diamonds. pat AT ERE A a PNT ATE TENT PNET SEI OER 6) SR Pe ON ed as closely himself by O’Shea and Hart, He returned it with a bow. “It is very nice, madame,” said the Duke of Diamantina, frigidly, and O’Shea gave a deep sigh and muttered to himself: ‘Tt can’t be he, It can’t.” But Clarence Hart, keener by nature and education than the honest Irish soldier, noticed that as the duke turned away he gave one flash of his dark eyes at the unconscious Lorelia, and : in that moment his face seemed to be trans- formed to the likeness of Satan, king of the fallen angels! But his mien was unruffled and his voice as cool as might be imagined of an animated icicle, as he remarked to Clarence: “My dear sir, I am truly sorry for your friends, but I see the camels are far on their way to Dereeyah. I doubt if Haroun can over- take them in time. We must follow ourselves. Can you ride a camel?’ CHAPTER VII. CLARENCE HART’S STORY. CLARENCE was somewhat surprised at the last question of the duke. ‘I suppose I could if I tried. Ihave done a little of everything in my life.” 4 ag duke took him to one side of the quarter- eck. ‘* Pardon the question, my dear sir, but I am interested in your face an nationality, Will you tell me how you, an American, come into these seas? I owemuch to your nation; and if, as I fancy, you are free, I have a proposition te make to you that may meet your views.” Clarence smiled good-humoredly. “ There is but little to tell your grace. My name is Clarence Hart, educated as a physician in Boston, but coming to sea in the navy as soon as I had taken my degree. I went to China in the frigate Mobile four years ago, got tired and resigned my post after two years, and have since been wandering through the East Indies, hunting for a relative of mine who disappeared from Boston before my mother was married. He was her favorite brother and she has never forgotten him.” The duke seemed interested, “‘ And thisrelative—your uncle—what makes you think him in the East?” “*The last my mother heard of him he was in the service of an Indian prince, the Rajah of Krishnapoor. His name was Gilbert Carver, and [ have traced him so far under the Hindoo name of Gilkarvah. He was a tall, thin man with sandy hair, but must be gray now, for he was twenty years old when I was born.” ‘“‘And you think he is living still?’ said the duke, softly, “I hope so, your grace, for my mother’s sake,” was the reply; ‘‘but I sometimes fear I shall never find him. I have heard by accident, from Captain O’Shea yonder, that the rajah, his master, was executed, under circumstances of the most—” He stopped and gazed in some alarm at the duke, whose countenance bad become marble pale, while the hand which still rested on Clar- ence’s shoulder clutched it like a vise. ‘“ Is your grace ill?” he asked, “‘Itis nothing. I am subject to spasms of the heart,” replied the other, hastily. ‘Do not no- tice it, but go on.” His hand relaxed, and his features resumed their wonted serenity as Clarence pursued: “*O’Shea, it seems, commanded the gun de- tachment that killed the poor prince, who gave him some present in his last moments, I don’t know what it was; but O’Shea seems to be very bitter over the fact that it was taken from him by his superiors. From something he let drop, I fancy if may be that very watch Miss Lawton showed us just now.” ‘You are right,” assented the duke, hastily. ‘That is, your conjecture is probably correct. Pray go on, Senhor Hart.” ‘That is nearly all, your grace. T set out from Bombay in the Benares despondiug of ever seeing my lost uncle; and, while there, I met O’Shea and the Lawtons, and we were wrecked, as you know.” “‘Senhor, I thank you for your confidence and will not abuse it,” said the duke, with the stately politeness of a Brazilian noble, the most polished people alive. Clarence hesitated, and a moment later asked wistfully : . ‘Does your grace think that I have any chance of finding my uncle Gilbert? You know these lands well. Is there any chance?” “*My dear sir,” was the kind reply, and the Brazilian’s face fairly beamed with gracious softness, ‘‘good sons like you will always find their reward. Who knows? You may see your uncle sooner than you expect. Is your father yet living?” Clarence sighed. “‘Alas,no. My mother has been a widow ten years.” The duke pressed his hand warmly. “Weare alike in that, too. I am fatherless, for twenty long, long years. Come, senhor, to my proposition. Dom Gil Grabador is my manager, my captain of yacht Tt, steward of rents, my factotom; but Dom Gil has net what you cal} Gomicdoeo (E(o) ‘Ss