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? THE G?NMAKER | i OF MOSCOW. I ?n s By jj SILVANUS COBB, JR, 3 COXTIXUED PROM SEVENTH PAGE. iopes of union with this fair giri. Her guardian bids me get this pa? per of you ere I can have her hand. ?And now do vou think I'll give it : tip so easily? By the saints of heav ?en, 111 have- vour name to this or Til have your lifeP "Now your tongue runs away ^ith you, sir count. I have given ^you my answer. Be sure that only one man on earth eau prevail upon 3ne to place my name upon that pa? per/' "And who is he?" ."I mean the emperor/' "But yon will sign it!" hissed Ba? monoff, toning pale with rage. *Here it is-sign! If yon would live --sign!" "Perhaps he cannot write," sug? gested Uizen contemptuously. "Then he may make his mark,' rejoined the count in the same con? temptuous tone. . "It might not require much more urging to induce me to make my mark in a manner not at all agree? able to you, sir," the youth return? ed, with his teeth now set and the dark veins upon his brow, starting more plainly ont. <cYou have come upon my premises, and you have sought your purpose. You no^ Laye your answer, and for your own sake, for my sake, I beg you to leave me." "Not un til . your name is upon ibis paper!" cried Damonoff, shak? ing the missive furiously and crum? pling it in his hand. "Ans you mad, sir count? Do you think me a fool?" "Aye, a consummate one." "Then/'\ returned Eurie, with a curl of utter contempt upon his ?mely chiseled lip, "you need haye 210 further dealings with me. There is my door, sir." For some moments Conrad Da monon seemed unable to speak from Tery anger. He had surely some 3eep, anxious purpose in obtaining Billie's name to that paper, and to be thus thwarted, by a common arti? san was maddening to one who> "based all his force of charcter upon bis title. "Sign!" fae hissed. "Fool!" uttered Eurie, unable longer to contain himself in view of such stupid persistence. "Do you ?eek a quarrel with me?" "Seek? I seek what I will have, ^illyou sign?" ''Once more-no !" "Then, by heavens, you shall know what it is to thwart such as mei How's that?f vf As these words passed from the coan t's lif>s in a low, hissing whis? per he aimed a blow with his fist at^Euric's head.' The gunm.ike'r bad not dreamed of such a dastard act, and he was not prepared for it, yet he dodged it sufficiently to es? cape the mark upon his face, receiv? ing the blow lightly upon the side of his head. #But he stopped not to consider now. As the count drew "back Ruric dealt him a blow upon \na brow i?ll?d bini to the floor like a de??d os, k '^Beware, Stephen ?rzen r he .whispered io the count's companion as that individual made a movement as though he would come forward. *H am nni myself now, and you are j safest where you Gre." The man ibu? nd dressed viewed the gunnraker a few moments, and he seemed to conclude that he had better avoid a personal encounter, for Iiis fists relaxed and he moved to the side of his fallen friend and assisted him to his feet. Conrad DamonofT gazed into his antagonist's face a few moments in j silence. His face was ashen pale, and his whole frame quivered. Up? on his forehead there was a livid spot where he had been struck, bot the skin was not. broken. "Eurie Xevel,'* he said in a hiss? ing, maddening tone, "you will hear from me! The mad spirit of a xengeance such as mine cannot be trifled with." And with this he turned away. "Paul," said the gun maker, turn? ing to his boy after the men had gone away, "not a word of this to my mother. Be sure." CHAPTER HI. LOVE. That night Eurie Nevel had strange fancies while waking and strange dreams while sleeping. Long and deeply did he ponder up? on the strange business which had called Count Conrad to his shop, and in no way, under no light, could be get any reason from it. Why be, a youth who had never spoken with the proud duke save once on common business and who was so far down in the social scale should bave been thus called upon to give a virtual consent to the bestowal cf Eosalind Yaldits hand, was be yr?v} Ju* ken. r?r--; but a poor i artisan; she a wealthy heiress a: ! scion of nobility, and she was vu j the legal guardianship of the d whoso word, so far as she was < ? cerned, was law. And, again, ( ? rad Damonof? was a count and puted to be wealthy. To be s he was somewhat dissolute; then, a majority of his comp were the same. Now, if this ec loved the Lady Rosalind and j asked for her hand and the d ! was willing lie should have it, 1 ! had this extraordinary prop< been sent to the poor gunmakerl Ruric asked this question of h self a hundred times. He would gin and iay down all the prem in his mind, and then he would to make the deduction, but no 3 sonable one could he arrive at. ( thought clung to him like a < specter at night, which hope wo make an angel and which fear wo paint a demon. Could it be possi that Rosalind had told her love him and that the duke would ] some deference to it? He tried think so. Hope whispered that might be so, but fear would fo itself in and speak in tones so k that they could not be misund stood. Finally thc youth resoh upon the only reasonable coui He concluded to let the matter ri so far as his own surmises were c< cerned, until he could see Rosaln and that he was determined to do soon as possible. On the following morning, as was preparing for breakfast, saw Olga, the duke, pass by a strike off into the Borodino roi "Now," thought he, "is the time ? the visit to Rosalind/' And as so as he had eaten his breakfast prepared for the visit. He dress well, and no man in Moscow had nobler look when the dust of t< was removed from his brow ai garb. "Paul," he said, entering the sh< where the boy was at work, "I rn; be back at noon. At any rate, su< is my intention, and if either those men c&lis who were here ye terday you may tell them so." "But/' returned the lad, "if th< ask me any questions ?" "Answer them as yon think best "And if they should ask me if ye would fight?" "Tell them that I hold my life i too dear to sell to such as they." "But surely, my master, the com will challenge you." "I think he wilL And," adde Ruric as an entire new fhougl came to his mind, "mayhap he cam here to create a quarrel to that en( By my soul, I think he did." "I am sure of it," said Paul/1 ' . A moment Ernie's frame quivers with suppressed passion. 'Then h said: "Lei them come, and if the come, or if-either of them comes while I am gone, tell them, or him that I am their very humble servan in all things reasonable." Pau? promised, and then the gun maker turned awav. In the hall h threw on his heavy fur pelisse, and having reached the nearest hostelrv he took a horse and sledge and start ed off for Kremlin, within whiei the duke resided. Within one of the sumptuously furnished apartments of the palace of the Duke of Tula .sat Rosaline Valdai. She was a buutiful giri molded , in perfect form, with th( full flush of health and vigor anc possessing a face of peculiar sweet? ness and intelligence; She was onh 19 years of age, and she had been ten years an orphan, lier hair was of a solden hue, and the sunlight* loved to dwell amid the clustering curls. Her eyes, which were of a deep, liquid blue, sparkled brightly when she was happy, and when she smiled the lovely dimples of lier cheeks held the smile even after it had faded from lier lips. There was nothing of the aristocrat in her look - nothing proud, nothing haughty-but gentleness and k>ve were the true elements of her sou!, p.r.i] she could only be happy when ?he knew that she was truly loved. She liked respect, but she spurned that respect which only aims at out? ward show, while the heart may be reeking with vilest sensualism. Rosalind sat there in the apart? ment which was hers for her own private use, and she was sad and thoughtful. One fair hand support? ed lier pure brow, while with the other she twisted thc ends of the silken sash that confined her heavy robe. Thus she sat when the door of her apartment was opened and a young girl entered. This newcomer was a small, fair creature, bright and quick, with that raven hair and those large dark eyes of dreamy light which bespeak the child of Moslem blood. Her name was Zeno bie, and she was now about 16 year? of age. Rosalind's father had pick? ed her up on the battlefield from which the Turks liad fled, and. being unable to find any claimant, lie had brought lier home, then almost an infant. And now she was Rosa? lind's attendant and companion. She loved her kind and gentle mis? tress and would have laid down life itself in the service. "How now. Zenobie?"asked Rosa? lind as she notice the girl hesitate. "There is a gentleman below Mho I would see von,*' thc girl replied. r, "Teil him I cannot see him," said Rosalind, trembling. "But this is Ruric Nevel, my mis? tress." "Ruric!" uttered the fair maid? en, starting up, while the rich blood moimi ed to her brow and temples. "Oh, I am glad he has come! My prayers are surely answered. Lead him h ii h er, Zenobie." The girl departed, and ere long afterward Ruric entered the apart? ment. He walked quickly to where -Rosalind had arisen to her feet, and, taking one of her hands in both his own, he pressed it to his lips. Ee had had a well formed speech upon his lips when he entered the room, but 'twas gone now. He could only gaze into the lovely face before him and murmur the name that sounded so sweetly to his ears. But the emo? tions of his soul became calm at length, and then he spoke with more freedom. "Lady," he said after he had tak? en his seat, "you will pardon me for this visit when you know its cause, and you will pardon me, too, if I speak plain Iv what I have to speak." "Surely, sir" "Oh. eaiJ me Ruric. Let ns at least not forget the friendship of childhood." "Then 1 am not a lady," said Ros? alind, smiling. ?No, Rosalind." "Ah, Ruric!" "As we were in childhood," whis? pered the youth. "In all but years," returned Rosa? lind in. the same low tone. "And I may wear the same im? age in my heart ?" "I cannot cast it from mine if I would." "The image of childhood, dear I Rosalind?" ? "Aye, save that it has grown to manhood, dear Ruric." What more could he ask for love? He had not aimed at this confession so soon, but he put it not from him now. He gazed a moment into the fair maiden's kindling eye, and as he saw the lovelit tear gathering there and the happy smile working its way about the rosy lips and away in the joyous dimples he opened his arms and clasped the fondly loved one to his bosom. "Oh, I.am not deceived in this!" he murmured. "Speak, dearest one." "I cannot forget the love of the happy times agone," the noble girl replied, gazing up through her hap? py tears. "Oh, how many and many an hour have I prayed to God that those days might return and that the one true heart of earth I loved might be mine once more. Ruric, ."by should I hide the truth or why i . it aside ? To me thou art all in KJL I have no one else to love and none to love me else save the noble girl who brought you hither. I can tell you no more." Happy Ruric! Happy at that mo? ment, forgetting all else but the love that gleamed out upon him then, he clasped the cherished ob? ject ardently to his bosom. But the moments flew on, .and at length his mind came to the sub? ject of his visit. "Rosalind," he said, holding one of her fair hands in his grasp, "you know the Count Conrad Damonoff?" "Aye," returned the maiden, with a shudder. "He is here very often, and he has forced himself .upon my companionship when, if he had sense,- he must hare known I liked il not." ' "?Jc is a suitor for your hand, is he not ?" ?*Hc was. but he is not now." "Not noir?" repeated Ruric, with surprise. "What mean your" "Whv, simplv that he lias asked the duke for my hand and that he was answered in the negative." "Did von hear thc duke answer him sc ?" "\o: but so the duke assured me he had done. But what mean you ?" "I will tell you. Yesterday the conni came io my dwelling accom? panied by Stephen Urzen. He had a paper drawn up by the duke's own hand in which ? was made to sly, or, rather, by which the writer said, that he dsclairaed all pretensions to vour liand and that he wished not to marry yon: that he freely gave von up. meaning to seek with? in thc spinn e of his own social circle some companion when he wished. And this 1 was asked to sign." "B> '.he count ?" "Yes. by the duke's orders." "Oh. it cannot be!" uttered tin fair girl, trembling. ."And ht? further assured me that tho tinki* had requested him to ol. tain uiv signature thereto, so ii;;:! [if rni'iht receive your hand witht?::' impediment." "So that the count might receive mv hand?" "Yes." "But the duke assured me only yesterday that I should be troubled no more with the count. May there not be some mistake?" "There can be no mistake on my I part. The instrument was in the ! duke's own hand." i "But you did not sign it?" J "Ask me if 1 took my own life I if 1 made a curse for all I loved." "lt is strange."* thc maiden mur? muren', bowing her head a few mo? ments. "An<i yet," she added, look? ing; up into her companions face, "1 do not think the duke woul treacherous." "He may bc/7 answered R "He knows how lightly our n emperor holds empty titles, perhaps he fears if this matter c to the imperial car and you sh claim the right to marry with w you pleased Peter would grant ; prayer; hence he wished to get claim set aside so that he may 1 a clearer field in which to m Do you know how the duke's ail stand at present?" Rosalind thought awhile ere answered, and then, while a star expression came to her face, 6aid: - "Ruric, I do remember now 1 between the duke and youngra noff there is some matter of disp There is some question of pro' ty" "Ah !" uttered the youth earn ly. "How is that?" "Why, as near as I can un< stand it, there was a dispute tween the duke and the elder Da: noff concerning the ownership Drotzen, the estate on the Don, Kaluga, and since the father's de Conrad has maintained his fan claim. You know the duke and old count married sisters, and i estate belonged to them." "And now," suggested Ru "may not the duke mean to comp mise this matter by giving y< hand to the count and taking Di zen in exchange ?" "Oh, I cannot think so!" ' maiden returned earnestly. "1 duke would not do that. He is ki to me, 1 am sure. He loves me though I were his own child. know he does, for in a thousa ways he has shown it. He is mil ful of my comfort and anticipa my every want. No, no; if he deceiving any one, he must be < ceiving the count." Ruric started as the new sus cion flashed upon him. Had t duke sent Damonoff upon that m sion on purpose to get him into quarrel ? "By my soul," thought t youth to himself, "the duke kno that I have taught the sword ph and he knows that the count wou in this match for me. So he thin in this subtle manner to make i an instrument for ridding him of plague!" But the youth was cai ful not to let Rosalind know of th He knew she would be unhappy she knew that a duel was likely come off between himself and tl count. After some minutes of compar ti ve silence Ruric touched upon point which lay very near his heai "Rosalind," he said, taking bo1 her hands in his own, "there is oi point Upon which we have nevi spoken, and I know you would ha1 I me speak plainly and candidly. Ye know my situation. My father ar your father fought side by side, bi my father fell, while yours returnc to his home. For his eminent ser1 ices your father received a title an a noble estate from the grateful F< odor, while my father was onlv fo: gotten; hence our stations are no widely different. Yet I am not poo: No other man in the empire ca compete with me in thc manufa< ture of arms, and from my labor derive a handsome income. Yo know it all. And now, if other ol stacles . were removed, would yo Sive me VQttr hand and become min for life??''1 i:Ayc, Pairie/' the noble girl an ?.swered, with beaming eyes and joyful expression of countenance '.'Were you reduced to thc lowest es tate of poverty, so long as your gen creus, pure soul ywas free I shouli only be the more anxious to lift yoi up." Oh, my love knows only th heart whereon it is secured, and io my future ot joy I ask only th truth of my husband's love" "Bless you, dearest!" Riirie mur mured, clasping the fair being ; Iiis bosom. And for a long whil Rosalind's head lay pillowed uno. thc shoulder of the man she so tm ly. fondly loved. That was not the time for bring mg forward doubts and fears. Ru ric had many questions in Iiis min? concerning the impediments tba stood in the way of their union, bu he kept them to himself now. A length he arose to take his depar ture, and lie simply said as he dre? the maiden to his side: "You will not allow the duke t give your hand away ?" "Xever, Ruric." "if he asks you for your hand (? bestow upon any of his friends, yoi will tell him" "That my heart is not mine tc give and that my hand cannot go without it." "Oh, bless you. Rosalind, bless you! God keep and guard yon ever." There was one warm, ardent pres? sure of lip to li]), and then Ruric Neve! turned away and was soon in the open court. Here he entered his sledge and then drove to ?he bar? racks in the Khitagorod, wl?erc he inquired for Alaric Orsa, a lieuten? ant of the guard. The officer was quickly found, and as he met Kurie his salutation was M ann and cordial. lie was a young man. not over five and twenty, and one of the finest looking soldiers in the guard. "Alarie," said thc gunmaker after the first friendly salutations had passed. "I may have a meeting with Conrad, Count Damonoff. Tie has sought a quarrel-insulted me most grossly-aimed a blow ;:t my head and I knocked him doun. You can judge as well as I what the result must be.**' "Most assuredly he will challenge you!*' cried the officer excitedly. "So I think/* resumed Eurie calmly. "And, now, will you serve me in thc event ?" "With pleasure/' "I mav refer his messenger to you?** "Yes, surelv. And how shall I act? What will you do?** "Knock him down again under the same provocation/* "I understand. You wish to re? tract nothing ?" "No. Listen; I will tell you all since I seek your aid/* And thereupon Ruric related all that had occurred at the time of the count's visit to bis shop. "Good/* uttered Alaric as the gunmaker finished. "He must chal? lenge you, and then you'll punish him. He's too proud now. He can handle some of his lilytops who as? sociate with him, and perhaps he thinks he can do the same when he comes out among the harder men. But never mind, I will be punctual and faithful." Eurie re?ched home just as his mother was placing the board for dinner. He often went away on business, and she thought not of asking him any questions. CHAPTER IV. THE CHALLENGE. In the afternoon Ruric retired to his shop, where he weDt at work upon a gun which had been ordered some days before. As yet he had said nothing to Paul concerning the affair of the day before since his re? turn from the Kremlin. He asked him now, however, if any one had called. "Only the monk," returned Paul, without seeming to consider that there was anything very important in the visit. '"Do you mean the black monk Vladimir?" asked the young man, starting. '.Tes, mv master. He called here about the middle of the forenoon. He panted one of the small daggers with the pearl haft." "And did you let him have one?" "Certainly. He paid me 4 due-, ats for it and would have paid more had I been willing to take it." "And did he make any conversa? tion?" "Yes. He asked me why the Count Damonoff came here yesterday." "Ha ! How did he know of their visit?" "He was waiting at the inn for a sledge when he overheard the count and his companion conversing upon the subject." "And did he ask you any ques? tions touching the particulars ?" 'Tes-many." "And how answered yon?" "I told him the whole story, from beginning to end. I found that he knew something of their purpose from what he accidentally over? heard, and, rather than have him go away full of surmises, I told him all." "Of the message too?" "Yes, my master. I told him all that happened, from the showing ol the paper which the duke had drawn up to'the departure of the angry man." j "And what did the monk say?" ! Ruric asked very earnestly. "'Why, he said he knew the count and that he was a prou/3, reckless fellow and worth but little to soci? ety: that was all. He did not scev.i to care much about it anyway; only he said he should have done just as I you did and that every law of jus I lice would bear you out. He had j more curiosity than interest, thougb ! I am sure all his sympathies are with you." "Very well," returned Pairie. "It can matter bat little what the mon! ! I thinks about it, though I wouh ! rather have him know the trail: if lie mast know anything, for 1 would not bc misunderstood." "lie understands it all now. yr" master, and 1 trust you are not < ' fended at the liberty I look in tfli? ing him/' "Not at all, Paul; not at all." Herc thc conversation droppc; and the work was resumed ia si? lence. Tt was past 3 o'clock' wno;. Euric's mother came and informe*.! him that a gentleman in the house would speak with him. j 'is it Stephen Urzcn?*' asked the j youth. His motlier said it was. "Then bid him come out herc." Claudia retired, and in a few mo? ments more the .gentleman .**nade his appearance. "Eurie Novel." he said, bowing very stiffly and haughtily. "I bring a message from the Count Damo? noff." "Very well, sir." returned the gunmaker proudly, "1 am ready to rc che it.** Thereupon llrzen drew a sealed note from h\< pocket and handed it lo Ruric, who took it and broke tho ser.!. Mc opened it and read n< fol i lows : Ruric Nevcl-An insult of the nest aggravating naturo has for the time leveled eil distinctions o? caste between us. Vorr b!"o-i alone can wash out the stain. I would not murder you outright, and in no other way but this can I reach you. My friend, the bearer cf this, will make a'l arram* menis. If you dare not meet tue, say so, that all may know who is the coward. DAMOXOFF. When Illirie had read the missive, he crushed it in his hand and gazed ks bearer some moments in the face without speaking. "Will you answer?"' asked Urzem He spoke more softly than before, for lie saw something in the gun maker's face which he dared not provoke. "Are you acquainted with Alaric: Orsa, a lieutenant of the guard?" "Yes, sir ; I know him well." "Then let me refer you to him He will make all necessary arrange? ments, and I shall hold myself bound by his plans. I trust that is satisfactory." 'Tes, sir." "Then you and I need have no more to say." "Only on one point," said Urzen, with some little show of confusion. "You are the challenged party, and you will have the choice of weapons. The count has not mentioned this -mind you, he has not, but I as his friend deem it no more than right to speak of it-I trust you will choose a gentleman's weapon. In the use of the pistol or the gun he is not versed." "'While you imagine I am," said Eurie, with a contemptuous curl of the lip, for he knew that the man was lying. He could see by the fel? low's very looks that DamonoS had commissioned him to broach this matter. "Of course you are," returned TJr zen. "And the count is most excellent? ly versed in the use of the sword, is he not?" "He is accounted a fair swords? man." "Aye; so I thought. But it mat? ters not to me. The thought had not entered my mind before, save that I supposed swords would be the only weapons thought of. However, Orsa will settle it with you. I have given him no directions at all save to serve me as he thinks proper and to act upon the understanding that if I have given offense to the count I would do the same again under provocation. You understand now?"" "I do, sir," returned Urzen in a chok?ug tone. "Then wait a moment, and I wili' give you a message to Orsa." 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