The Weight of the Crown   By: Fred M. White (1859-)

by

FRED. M. WHITE

Author of "Tregarthen's Wife" "The Robe of Lucifer" "The Crimson Blind" etc.

Illustrated

R. F. Fenno & Company, Publishers 18 East Seventeenth Street, New York City

Ward Lock & Co. Limited: London 1906

Copyright 1904. By Transatlantic Press, Ltd.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE I WITHOUT A FRIEND 7 II A DESPERATE VENTURE 18 III ON GUARD 30 IV THE WARNING LIGHT 36 V DEEPER STILL 43 VI THE PERIL SPEAKS 49 VII "UNEASY LIES THE HEAD" 55 VIII THE VERY MAN 61 IX "PONGO" 72 X A FRIEND AT COURT 78 XI IN THE GARDEN 84 XII A PRODIGAL SON 90 XIII THE MODERN JOURNALIST 96 XIV BAFFLED! 102 XV THE SEARCH 108 XVI WAS IT RUSSIA? 114 XVII A BOW AT A VENTURE 120 XVIII WATCHING 126 XIX THE QUEST OF THE PAPERS 132 XX A SPECIAL EFFORT 138 XXI "FOREWARNED, FOREARMED" 144 XXII THE TRAIL GROWS 150 XXIII GENERAL MAXGREGOR 156 XXIV AT THE WINDOW 162 XXV AN UNEXPECTED HONOUR 168 XXVI LOYAL SILENCE 174 XXVII LECHMERE TO THE RESCUE 180 XXVIII THE POWER OF THE PRESS 186 XXIX IN MAXGREGOR'S CHAMBERS 192 XXX HER FRIEND, THE QUEEN 198 XXXI A SURPRISE FOR JESSIE 204 XXXII NO TIME TO LOSE 210 XXXIII THE FISH ON THE LINE 216 XXXIV A ROYAL ACTOR 222 XXXV A RACE FOR A THRONE 228 XXXVI ANNETTE TELLS A STORY 234 XXXVII CROSS PURPOSES 240 XXXVIII ON BROKEN GROUND 246 XXXIX IN THE CAMP OF THE FOE 252 XL THIN ICE 258 XLI ANNETTE AT BAY 264 XLII THE COUNTESS RETURNS 271 XLIII IN SEARCH OF THE KING 277 XLIV DEAD! 283 XLV CHECK! 289 XLVI MATE IN TWO MOVES 295 XLVII THE SITUATION IS SAVED 301 XLVIII THE PAPERS AT LAST 307 XLIX LOVE AND ROSES 313

THE WEIGHT OF THE CROWN

CHAPTER I

WITHOUT A FRIEND

The girl stood there fighting hard to keep back the tears from her eyes. The blow had been so swift, so unexpected. And there was the hurt to her pride also.

"Do I understand that I am dismissed, Madame?" Jessie Harcourt asked quietly. "You mean that I am to go at the end of the week?"

The little woman with the faded fair hair and the silly affectation of fashion was understood to say that Miss Harcourt would go at once. The proprietress of the fashionable millinery establishment in Bond Street chose to call herself Madame Malmaison, though she was London to the core. Her shrill voice shook a little as she spoke.

"You are a disgrace to the establishment," she said. "I am sorry you ever came here. It is fortunate for me that Princess Mazaroff took the proper view so far as I am concerned. Your conduct was infamous, outrageous. You go to the Princess to try on hats for her Highness, and what happens? You are found in the library engaged in a bold flirtation with her Highness's son, Prince Boris. Romping together! You suffered him to kiss you. When the Princess came here just now and told me the story, I was "

"It is a lie," Jessie burst out passionately. "A cowardly lie on the part of a coward. Why did not that Russian cad tell the truth? He came into the drawing room where I was waiting for the Princess. Don't interrupt me, I must speak, I tell you."