I do the Lord's Prayer."

"Do you remember the fourteenth paragraph?"

"The fourteenth paragraph? Thank God we have nothing to do with that."

"Why 'thank God'?"

"Because the fourteenth paragraph has to do with state's prison
offences; it declares null and void any marriage, if either of the
contracting parties has committed such an offence."

The mystery was clear to Blanka now.

CHAPTER XI.

THE DECISION.

Gabriel Zimandy came to the princess one day with a very downcast mien.

"Our case makes no headway," he lamented, "and the reason is that your
advocate is a Protestant. Now there are two ways to remedy this: either
you must dismiss me and engage a Roman Catholic lawyer, or I must turn
Roman Catholic myself. The latter is the shorter and simpler expedient."

Blanka thought him in fun, and began to laugh. But Zimandy maintained
his solemnity of manner.

"You see, Princess," he went on, "I am ready to renounce the faith of my
fathers and incur the world's ridicule, all to serve you. I am going
this morning to the cardinal on whom the whole issue depends, to ask him
to be my sponsor at the baptism."

The princess pressed his hand warmly in sign of her appreciation of his
devotion.

In a few days the lawyer carried out his purpose and was received into
the Church of Rome. The newspapers gave the matter considerable
prominence, and it was generally expected that the godfather's present
to the new convert would be a favourable decision in the pending divorce
suit. And, in fact, a week later the decision was rendered. It was to
the following effect:

The husband and wife were declared divorced, but with the proviso that
the latter should never marry again, and the former not during his
divorced wife's lifetime. Thus the coffin-lid was closed on the young
wife, who was, as it were, buried alive; but in falling it had caught
and held fast the bridal veil of the Marchioness Caldariva, who could
not now hope to be led to the altar so long as the princess remained
alive. Had there been in this some malevolent design to wreak vengeance
on the two women at one stroke, the purpose could not have been better
accomplished.

The further provisions of the decree of the Roman Curia were of
secondary importance. Prince Cagliari was required to pay to Princess
Zboroy--for Blanka retained her rank and title--an annuity of twelve
thousand ducats, to give over for her use as a dwelling one wing of the
Cagliari p