e gaze did not make itself felt, and draw an answering look from
the pale, worn queen, who, it was very evident, was making every
particle of her strength work, to carry her through her part. Roger
noticed, with an excitement almost equal to Olive's, that as she
advanced to unite the lovers' hands, that she cleared her throat huskily
and grew even yet paler in the tent-lights, and that twice she opened
her lips before any sound crossed them. The next moment Olive had sprung
to her feet, as with the first words:--

"Hand to hand, and heart to heart--"

The voice ceased, a thin stream of blood crossed the queen's white lips
and the curtain was rung down in a hurry, as she fell back into the
gypsy's arms and was carried off.

"This way, give me your arm," said Roger, pausing to say nothing else as
they left the box and made their way through the dim little hall to the
stage door. It was locked, and the most imperative and repeated knocks,
failed to bring any response; and pitying the trembling eagerness that
made Olive cling to his arm, he turned back, making all possible haste
through the auditorium. The greater part of the audience still kept
their seats to hear what would follow, but several were leaving, so that
their hurrying through was hardly noticed, though neither gave it a
thought. Just as they turned into the alley-way, from which the stage
entrance led, a hack was seen to drive hurriedly from the door, and
Olive's trembling strength almost forsook her, as she gasped out--

"That is she--they are taking her away,--and we do not know where!"

But it only took a moment to find where, to call another hack, help
Olive in, to shout: "To the Virginia!" and then to be rattled off,
through the darkness, in frantic haste; as cabby realized, from the
excited order, that greatest speed was wanted.

Olive spoke no word through that drive, but the moment the hack stopped
before the hotel, she sprang from it, and rushed into the house,
appealing eagerly to the first one met--

"Where is she--the lady they have just brought in?"

"The actress? Miss Clare? Third floor, but I don't know the number."

Olive turned to see Roger coming in with a tall, kindly faced man, who
hurried up stairs, while Roger said to her:

"It is the doctor, we will follow him;" and together they went up,
through the dim halls, and climbing the steep stairs, until they saw him
enter a door, around which several curious persons stood, and th