bore a curious cipher-mark like three triangles joined.

He closed the door, leaving us in the wide carpeted hall, the statuary
in which showed us that it was a richly-furnished place, and when a few
minutes later he returned, he conducted us upstairs to a fine gilded
salon, where an elderly gray-haired lady in black stood gravely to
receive us.

"Allow me to present Mademoiselle Elma Heath, Princess," I said,
speaking in French and bowing, and afterwards telling her my own name.

Our hostess welcomed my love in a graceful speech, but I said--

"Mademoiselle unfortunately suffers a terrible affliction. She is deaf
and dumb."

"Ah, how very, very sad!" she exclaimed sympathetically. "Poor girl!
poor girl!" and she placed her hand tenderly upon Elma's shoulder and
looked into her eyes. Then, turning to me, she said: "So the Red Priest
has sent you both to me! You are in danger of arrest, I suppose--you
wish me to conceal you here?"

"I would only ask sanctuary for Mademoiselle," was my reply. "For
myself, I have no fear. I am English, and therefore not a member of the
Party."

"The Mademoiselle fears arrest?"

"There is an order signed for her banishment to Saghalein," I said. "She
was imprisoned at Kajana, the fortress away in Finland, but I succeeded
in liberating her."

"She has actually been in Kajana!" gasped the Princess. "Ah! we have all
heard sufficient of the horrors of that place. And you liberated her!
Why, she is the only person who has ever escaped from that living tomb
to which Oberg sends his victims."

"I believe so, Princess."

"And may I take it, m'sieur, that the reason you risked your life for
her is because you love her? Pardon me for suggesting this."

"You have guessed correctly," I answered. Then, knowing that Elma could
not hear, I added: "I love her, but we are not lovers. I have not told
her of my affection. Hers is a long and strange story, and she will
perhaps tell you something of it in writing."

"Well," exclaimed the gray-haired lady smiling, leading my love across
the luxurious room, the atmosphere of which was filled with the scent of
flowers, and taking off her cloak with her own hands, "you are safe
here, my poor child. If spies have not followed you, then you shall
remain my guest as long as you desire."

"I am sure it is very good of you, Princess," I said gratefully. "Miss
Heath is the victim of a vile and dastardly conspiracy. When I tell you
that she has been aff