Accustomed as the medical man was to every variety of painful case of lunacy, his face betrayed some signs of surprise and compassion as he listened to the story of the unhappy Lucia’s loss of reason, but he expressed no opinion, simply bowing as he rose to obey the entreaty of the bridegroom that he would see the princess. “Pardon me, if I stay here until you come back to me,” said the prince, his ashy face showing only too plainly the suffering at his heart. “I dare not accompany you. I love my wife ardently, passionately--and----” “Remain here,” gently replied the medical man. “I shall not keep you long in suspense.” The prince flung himself face downward on a lounge as his valet conducted the doctor from the room. He began to fear that this awful shock would end in depriving him of reason. Throbbing pulses surged like waves in his ears, and his senses threatened to desert him. The slow-dragging minutes went on, on, on, steadily, monotonously, and at length the prince felt he could not remain thus supinely waiting any longer. In reality, half an hour had elapsed from the moment he was left alone, but it seemed like many hours. Rising, he was about to go to the salon, but as he raised himself, the portière was drawn aside, and the physician stood again before him. The sad, grave face told its own tale, but the prince could not be satisfied. “Doctor, how have you found her? What news do you bring me?” he cried desperately. “The worst. Reason has utterly fled, never, I fear, to return. There has been some fearful pressure on the brain and nervous system. It would be as well to have a consultation, however, for sometimes these difficult cases are deceptive.” But his judgment was only too firmly established on further inquiry. Lucia adhered to her crazed resolve not to utter a word, though her frequent terror and fixed look showed that she still believed herself closely watched by the figure she imagined she had seen in the chapel at the Russian embassy. But she had caused a terrible suspicion of the truth to dawn in the mind of the last victim of her ruthless ambition. The prince reflected upon the subject until he arrived at a tolerably correct surmise of the facts of the case. A man of prompt resolve and speedy action, he at once settled in his mind the course he should pursue, when he had recovered from the stunning effects of his first horror. For a few days Lucia was to remain in her own apartments while the further inquiry was conducted, then he would take her to Switzerland, and there place her in a pretty, secluded villa among the mountains, guarded and waited upon by a trustworthy band of servants, under the immediate direction of Finette, who agreed to accompany her ill-fated mistress. This was done. From time to time, the prince went to see her; but she displayed the most utter indifference toward him, and never once gave the slightest sign of recognition.