Page 108 (1/1)

It was an old e His beard and hair were not all grey, but he had grotesquely brown and wrinkled flesh His stuff robe hung in straight folds about his singularly erect figure, and there was in his bearing the dignity of one who has understood all fine and gentle things, all things of quietude But his look was vacant, as if the mind were asleep

"Why have you not waited?" he repeated ally "Why have you not sent for me?" and his eyes questioned one and another, and rested on the face of the prince upon the dais, with Olivia by his side The guard, whoe old man had eluded, hurried from the borders of the rooth of the hall toward the prince's seat

"Do you not know?" he cried as he went, "I am Malakh Read one another's eyes and you will know I auards closed about hiht hi him, and he did not resist But as speech was renewed another voice broke the e knew that this was Olivia's voice

"No," she cried--but half as if she distrusted her own strange ie saw the prince's look question her He himself was unable to account for her unexpected intercession, and so, one would have said, was Olivia She looked up at the prince al table, and back to the old man whose eyes were upon her face

"He is an old , "let hiave a curious i that he did in obedience to inertia rather than in its defiance, indicated souards, and they led old Malakh to a stone bench not far fro about him without surprise

"It is well," he said si--but not that the oldto find the very ue--Balator explained the man

"He is a poor mad creature," Balator said "He walks the streets of Med saying 'Melek, Melek,' which is to say, 'king,' and so he is seeking the king But he is mad, and they say that he aleeps, and therefore they pretend to believe that he says 'Malakh,' which is to say 'salt' And they call him that for his tears Doubtless the princess does not understand Her Highness has a tender heart"