-her remorseless murderer, and a
thrice-damned villain!"

And he sprang forward to renew the combat. I stepped quietly,
unflinchingly between him and Heliobas.

"Stop!" I exclaimed; "this cannot go on. Zara herself forbids it!"

The Prince paused, and looked at me in a sort of stupefaction.

"Zara forbids it!" he muttered. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I went on, "that I have seen Zara since her death; I have
spoken to her. She herself sent me here."

Prince Ivan stared, and then burst into a fit of wild laughter.

"Little fool!" he cried to me; "he has maddened you too, then! You are
also a victim! Miserable girl! out of my path! Revenge--revenge! while
I am yet sane!"

Then pushing me roughly aside, he cast away his sword, and shouted to
Heliobas:

"Hand to hand, villain! No more of these toy-weapons! Hand to hand!"

Heliobas instantly threw down his sword also, and rushing forward
simultaneously, they closed together in savage conflict. Heliobas was
the taller and more powerful of the two, but Prince Ivan seemed imbued
with the spirit of a hundred devils, and sprang at his opponent's
throat with the silent breathless ferocity of a tiger. At first
Heliobas appeared to be simply on the defensive, and his agile, skilful
movements were all used to parry and ward off the other's grappling
eagerness. But as I watched the struggle, myself speechless and
powerless, I saw his face change. Instead of its calm and almost
indifferent expression, there came a look which was completely foreign
to it--a look of savage determination bordering on positive cruelty. In
a moment I saw what was taking place in his mind. The animal passions
of the mere MAN were aroused--the spiritual force was utterly
forgotten. The excitement of the contest was beginning to tell, and the
desire of victory was dominant in the breast of him whose ideas were
generally--and should have been now--those of patient endurance and
large generosity. The fight grew closer, hotter, and more terrible.
Suddenly the Prince swerved aside and fell, and within a second
Heliobas held him down, pressing one knee firmly against his chest.
From my point of observation I noted with alarm that little by little
Ivan ceased his violent efforts to rise, and that he kept his eyes
fixed on the overshadowing face of his foe with an unnatural and
curious pertinacity. I stepped forward. Heliobas pressed his whole
weight heavily down on the young man's prostrate body, while