lly.

"Our dear mother," mimicked Zouroff, in mocking accents. "You and your
mother have always held together against me; you always held against
my dear father in the old days."

"Of whom you are a worthy son," flashed the Princess, with an angry
gesture. She had poignant memories of those old days, when her mother
had suffered untold indignities at the hands of Prince Zouroff the
elder, indignities which had bitten into the souls of both wife and
daughter. Boris was the only member of the family who reverenced the
name of his father, for the very simple reason that he partook of his
worst qualities.

And then a softer mood came to her. After all, he was her brother, son
of the same kind, gentle mother. She went across to him and placed a
hand upon his shoulder.

"Be reasonable, Boris, and prudent. I can guess more than you think. I
am sure you are playing a very dangerous game. Be certain on your side
that your opponents are not stronger than you."

But Zouroff was in no mood to listen to the tender expostulations of a
woman, especially a woman whom he despised as much as his sister, this
frail girl who took after her gentle mother, who had in her none of
the iron qualities of his brutal father.

He flung her aside, and spoke in a grating voice.

"You will leave the Palace, will you? Yes, you shall, but when and how
I choose. There is your own little comfortable Castle of Tchernoff.
Perhaps if I sent you there, it might cool your hot blood."

The Princess flamed up. "You dare not think of such a thing. Brute as
you are, you would not dare to do it."

"We shall see. Remember I am still your legal guardian," cried the
Prince, with a mocking laugh, as he left the room.

The interview had sobered him. All that was now working in his mind
was, first, a scheme of revenge upon La Belle Quero; second, a milder
scheme of revenge against his sister.

An hour later Peter, the valet, reported himself to General Beilski
and obtained his free pardon by a full confession. And the General,
waiting for further developments, stayed his hand for the moment.

CHAPTER XXI

Needless to say that Nada was very much alarmed by the threat which
her brother had flung at her when she spoke of leaving the Palace.
She tried to reason herself into the belief that her fears were
groundless. In their not infrequent quarrels he had more than once
threatened to lock her up in that gloomy castle in order to bring her
to her sens