lse note, but, to his consternation, was informed by the money-lender
that, in a moment of financial embarrassment, although the note was not
yet due he had presented it to Manasseh, who had promptly discounted it.
Benjamin Vajdar felt capable of murdering the broker. A noose now seemed
placed around his neck, and the end of the rope was held by the man
whose sister he had just wronged so shamefully.

The new secretary's appearance in the prince's household served to
hasten the impending outbreak between the recently married couple. One
afternoon Blanka left the house and fled to a friend of hers in Hungary,
whence her petition for a divorce soon led her, her friend, and her
lawyer, as we have already seen, to Rome. The decree which was in due
time issued from the Vatican, that, so long as his divorced wife lived,
the prince might not marry again, was a serious check upon certain pet
schemes cherished by the Marchioness Caldariva.

* * * * *

To return to the latter's boudoir, where she and her willing tool were
bending over the cipher despatches, after long and fruitless search they
came upon a name familiar to them both,--Adorjan. It appeared that a
certain Adorjan of Toroczko had gone out to parley with the insurgent
forces then besieging the town, and they had seized him and held him
prisoner. A second Adorjan had followed to ransom his brother, but he
too was detained. Finally there came a third brother,--Manasseh.

"Ah, at last!" cried the marchioness, eagerly.

It appeared that this third Adorjan was on his way home from Italy, and
was accompanied by his fiancee, whom he left in care of his brother
Aaron while he himself sought the insurgents' camp. He too was seized
and imprisoned, and preparations were made for the execution of the
three brothers; but in the morning, by some means or other, he succeeded
in persuading his captors to release all three of their prisoners and to
give the whole party, including the young lady, Princess Blanka Zboroy,
a safe-conduct to Toroczko, while the insurgents themselves dispersed to
their homes.

"But go on!" urged Rozina; "what occurred after that in Toroczko?"

"Nothing further is said about Toroczko," answered the other.

"Have you no spies there?" demanded the marchioness.

"No, there are no informers in Toroczko. There was one, but you have
made him your slave."

"And you can sit there so calm and cool!" cried the woman, in a passi