The Lighted Match

"Benton, why did you save me?"

The American answered with quiet candor.

"I went into it," he said, "because I feared the danger might threaten

Cara. Once in, only a murderer could have turned back."

"So I thought." Karyl nodded his head, then he turned and paced

restively up and down the path between the fountain and the balcony. At

last he halted fronting the American.

"I wish to God, Benton, you had let that traitor Lapas and his

constituents touch their damned button. I wish to God you had let them

lift me, amid the stones of do Freres, into eternity! But that wish is

uncharitable to Von Ritz and the others who must have gone with me." The

King broke off with a short laugh. "After all," he added, "of course, as

you say, you couldn't do it."

Benton shook his head. "No," he said, "I couldn't do it."

Again Karyl paced back and forth, and again he stopped, facing the

American.

"Benton, it is hard for two men to talk in this fashion. Perhaps no two

other men ever did. I find myself a jailer to the woman I love--Oh, yes,

I am also imprisoned by Royalty but that does not alter matters." The

voice shook. The gauntleted hands were tightly gripped, but the speaker

went steadily on. "And you love her!"

For an instant Benton looked at the other, hesitant. Then realizing the

unquestionable sincerity with which the King spoke, he answered with

equal frankness.

"Pagratide--over there--I thought I could enter Paradise. I did look

into Paradise. Then I had to set my face back again to the desert--and

in the desert one has only memory and hunger and thirst."

"Yours is hunger and thirst--yes!" exclaimed the King of Galavia. "But

mine is the hunger and thirst of Tantalus."

There was a low pained exclamation from the balcony and both men wheeled

in recognition of the voice and the shadow that divided the band of

light in the doorway.

The Queen stood on the low sill and though her head and figure were only

sketched in shade against the tempered luminance at her back her

exclamation told them that she had heard. She stood in the unbroken

sweep of her Court gown. Her slim hands gripped the ermine which fell

from her shoulders to the floor and slowly crushed it between clenched

fingers. About her head the light touched her hair into a soft nimbus.

Karyl stepped impetuously forward and held out his hand to lead her into

the garden. Benton, who had involuntarily started toward the balcony at

the first sight of her, caught his lip in his teeth and halted where he

stood.

The girl remained for a moment, astonished at the sight of the two men,

incredulous of what she had heard.