THE HEART OF PRINCESS OSRA By ANTHONY HOPE Author of "The Prisoner of Zenda" In Preparation "PHROSO" By the Author of this Volume [Illustration: "'KILL HIM FOR ME, THEN; KILL HIM FOR ME.'"--_Page 239._] THE HEART OF PRINCESS OSRA BY ANTHONY HOPE AUTHOR OF "The Prisoner of Zenda" "The Dolly Dialogues" Etc. _with numerous full-page illustrations_ BY H. C. EDWARDS New York and London Frederick A. Stokes Company PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1895, 1896 By A. H. Hawkins Copyright, 1896 By Frederick A. Stokes Company Copyright, 1895, 1896 By S. S. McClure, Limited CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE. I. The Happiness of Stephen the Smith 1 II. The Wager of the Marquis de Mérosailles 51 III. The Madness of Lord Harry Culverhouse 79 IV. The Courtesy of Christian the Highwayman 100 V. The Sin of the Bishop of Modenstein 131 VI. The Device of Giraldo the Painter 175 VII. The Indifference of the Miller of Hofbau 201 VIII. The Love of the Prince of Glottenberg 226 IX. The Victory of the Grand Duke of Mittenheim 258 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. "'Kill him for me, then; kill him for me'" _Frontispiece_ "'Take her and be happy'" 11 "Stephen stood on the threshold with his staff in his hand" 37 The physician receives Princess Osra 56 "'Madame, if you will, you can do me a great service'" 101 "With either hand he drew a silver-mounted pistol" 114 "She asked the officer why a throng of people hastened to the city" 118 "'My lord, where is the Princess?'" 160 "He drove his sword into his body, and the Count gave back before it" 165 "He walked with his head down and his eyes on the ground" 171 "He took it and drained it" 204