THE COUNTESS' DIAMOND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 26 February 1907, Page 4

THE COUNTESS' DIAMOND.

(In Three Chapters.)

CHAPTER 11, (Continued).

Parloff got up, drew a knife from its sheath, at his back, and turned the handle himself. The Countess from over by the fireplace said, 1 " Come in." The door opened, and a tall young {ellow stepped into the room with a smile on his face which froze there when ho saw who were waiting for him. He tried to retreat, but Parloff had closed and locked the door, and stood on guard, with his weapon raised ; so he thrust his hands into his trousers pockets and looked coolly round him. But meanwhile the Countess war staring at him with a face of horroi " You," she burst out at last, " you ! Why have you come here ? " " Because you sent for me to make my adieux." " I did no such thing. Colonel Bicne, believe me, I expected someone else. You had better go." The newcomer looked relieved. " I urn in the way it appeal's. Well Countess, let it be au revoir, and not adieu. I suppose we shall meet next week in Petersburg. Captain Parloff, I'll trouble you for the key of the door."

" You shall have it after our business is done," said Parloff. " But for tho present we shall ask you to stay with us until some formalities have been gone through—Ah"—of a sudden the man had been seized from behind, gagged, and thrown to the ground. The Countess came forward, her face as white as paper, her hands stretched out convulsively. " Monsier Parloff," she said, " Dimitri, Messieurs, take care what you do. This is not the man I expected. He has not betrayed our Cause, It is some other. . .

The English M.P. at the table looked up. " Pardon me, Madame," he said, " but you are mistaken. The proofs are here amongst these papers, in black and white. There is unfortunately no doubt about the matter." " But Colonel Biene is my friend." " There is no room," said the Englishman, " for private sentiment in a question like this. If traitors were not weeded out, the Cause would break up in a week." ParloS rapped for silence. " Time is passing," he said, " we have little to waste. -The knout has been decided on—l think sixty lashes will suffice." "My God," cried the Countess, " sixty will kill any man."

" Not a soldier of Colonel Biene'a constitution," said the man with the pock-marked face, and he took up the whip and ran the thong with its rings through his fingers. "It has been my unfortunate duty to administer this punishment before, and for the sake of all who are here I will see that it does not kill. But in the next five minutes Colonel Biene shall earn an experience thqt pill last him for the rent of his life."

The Countess sank into a chair, and buried her face in her hands. The men who had pinned Biene to the floor lifted him to his feet and stripped ofi the upper part of his dress. They then reared a sofa on end, against the wall, and lashed him to it, by ropes from the wrists and ankles. Then they stood aside, the pock-marked man with the knout took up his position, and Parloll addressed the prisoner.

" Colonel Biene," he said, " the plan of campaign which this Society of ours has made against the Czar of tbo Russias has been entirely . frustrated by the malignant treachery of one of our members. Not only has the credit of our Cause been damaged, but the severity of the Russian police' towards our sympathisers has been immensely increased. To you all this is owing, and by the rules of our association, which you accepted to the full when you first became a member, you have earned the death penalty. You thought to evade us, but our reach is long, even though sometimes it may be hampered. We have seized you here, and you will be given your lesson. Do you acknowledge that it has been earned ? "

The prisoner shook his head vio lently.

Ah, said Parloff. ' l l will give you one more chance, and you will find it profitable to speak the truth. I ask you, Olaf Biene, do you con less to having delivered the secrets of this Society to the Russian police ? " Again the prisoner shook his head in denial.

" Very well," said Parloff, " then, lor your obstinacy, I add ten more lashes to your sentence, making it now seventy in all—you may begin." the pock-marked man stepped back and measured the distance in his eye 1 hen he threw tip his arm, and sent the ringed lash of the knout whistling through the air. It fell on the bared muscles of Colonel liiene's shoulders with a sickening splash, but how ho took the blow I could not see. The Countess had sprung across the room, and stood before him.

This must not go on," she said P®°ting. " That man is innocent." " Madame, by these papers—" began the Englishman at the table. " Pah, they are forged." I am afraid we cannot accept that statement now as evidence." " But I give you my word, Colonel Biene is not guilty." " Then you can doubtless lay your hand on the culprit 1 " She looked round the room with wild eyes. ' I could," she whispered. " You mean to say that some one else now here betrayed the plot to the Petersburg police ? " hesitated and then nodded. Then you will have the kindness to mention a name, and show vour I proofs." "

She hesitated again, and shuddered violently. She tried to speak, but could not. Then she slowly raised a forefinger and pointed to herself Dimitri sprang up, facing her. "My bod, Soma, he cried. " You 1 Do you know what this means ? You must be dreaming ? Sonia, you must be mad ! You cannot get Biene off this way; they will knout you in this

I know what I am saying," she answered huskily, " and I know what it will cost. But I cannot help that now. I have earned it." Parloff gave an order, and the prisoner was cast off from the whipping block and gl ven his clothes. They reS, ♦ gag fTOm Hs mouth bu t to spoke not a word. Tho room hung m silence, but from outsido dimmJT o^ 11 ® ■ j Um 0f London, dimmed by the windows. °, nly -°n?,? p pealP eal did tho Countess make. Oh, she eaid, " will you not have mercy on me because I am a woman?" But Parloff shook his head, and no one lifted a voice for I mercy.

(To be Continued.J