from without, saluting as the massive gates creaked upon
their hinges and protesting that further haste had been impossible.

"Let every traitor crave mercy!" the Admiral thundered as he crossed the
drawbridge with his cavalcade: "and on your knees crave pardon of your
outraged Queen as we descend."

"Signori!"--to the Knights of the Golden Spurs--"await us here--none
less loyal may stand on guard."

* * * * *

To-day the entire armament of the fortress was less than of wont; for
Rizzo and Tripoli, secure in their victory and confident that there
would be no uprising since none had yet been attempted, had not
hesitated to take a considerable following with them to secure the
surrender of the other citadels of Cyprus "_by order of the Queen_." For
was not Rizzo the happy holder of many pretty bits of parchment signed
by the hand of "Caterina Regina" herself and attested by the royal
signet of Cyprus--which to disobey was treason? It would be a pretty
farce to insist upon the potency of that trembling signature wrested
from the captive Queen when she had worn no semblance of power--a farce
to which the Neapolitan schemer was fully equal.

None but a man who knew the famous stronghold of Famagosta so intimately
as did the Admiral of Cyprus could thus quickly have made sure that the
surrender was complete and that no secret reserves of men and arms were
kept back for further intrigues. To swear in those who would stand for
Cyprus--to banish the mercenaries of Naples and all who were in
sympathy with them to the dungeons below--to make sure of the color of
the guards at port and passage--was not so much longer in the doing than
in the telling.

And yet, to the young Queen and Margherita the moments had seemed hours:
they stood close together; straining every faculty to interpret the
meaning of the commotion below, within the fortress, alternating between
hope and fear as, at intervals, the cries of the people reached them
from the piazza, indistinct and broken by the thickness of the walls;
now and again a fierce imprecation rising above the tumult--yet surely
there were tones of loyalty--voices calling for "Caterina Regina!"

Caterina's strength was well-nigh spent--she had suffered so much; she
caught the hand of Margherita in agitation as the tramp of footsteps
echoed through the corridor nearing the door of her chamber, and
Margherita laid her other hand on Caterina's with an almost