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"Oh!" gasped Lorry, kissing the h the last line There was no signature, but in every word he saw her face, felt the touch of her dear hand, heard her ti for him-for him alone Rapture thrilled him from head to foot, the delirious rapture of love He could not speak, so overpowering was the joy, the surprise, the awakening

"Obey!" whispered Quinnox, his face agloith pleasure, his finger quivering as he pointed coly toward the letter

"Obey what!" asked Lorry, dully

"The last line!"

He hastily reread the last line and then deliberately held the precious iven all he possessed to have preserved it But the last line commanded: "Burn this at once and in the presence of the bearer"

"There!" he said, regretfully, as he cruers and turned to the silent watchers

"Her criloss, sententiously

"The Princess corily, "when she trusts four honest men"

"Where is she?" whispered the prisoner, with thruood woloss, shortly "But will you obey her co "I dare not disobey n, I suppose"

"We obey her because we love her," said the captain of the guard

"And for that reason, I also obey But can this thing be acco explanations and possible complications? I will not obey if it is likely to place her in an e position"

"She understands perfectly what she is doing, sir In the first place, she has had ood old betrayer of an official trust

"You advised her to command you to allow me to escape?"

"She commanded first, and then I advised her how to command you Axphain may declare war a thousand times over, but you will be safe That's all we--I mean, all she wants"

"But I cannot desert eance fall on hi when the proper time comes And noill you be ready at the hour mentioned You have but to follow the instructions--I should say, the commands of the writer"

"And be free! Tell her that I worship her for this Tell her that every drop of blood in s to her She offers me freedom, but makes me her slave for life Yes, I shall be ready If I do not see you again, good friends, remember that I love you because you love her and because she loves you enough to entrust a ,--the commission of an act that may mean the downfall of your nation" He shook hands with them fervently