The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-13
CHAPTER III.


do you mean to say they are going
to afford US no better accommodation
than this?" 7 demanded, apostrophizing
the powers Of the air, rather than any
definite personality.
But the dark young man took it upon
him to reply. so it seems" said he.
Fortunately, however, the night is
warm, the skies are clear, and to gaze
upon the stars is reputed to be most
elevating for the spirit.
Our officer, his brief but pregnant
harangue concluded, had vanished into
the castle, leaving US corporal and
three privates for guard of honor. -. =
We, The prisoners, gathered together
in the middle of the courtyard, all Of us,
and held a sort of impromptu indigna-
tior meeting. The women were espe-
cially eloquent in their complaints.
Two Of these women l recognized as
having been among my neighbors o. the
doorstep half hour since, and we ex-
changed compassionate glances. The
other four were oldish women, who wore
caps and aprons and looked like do
mestic servants.
Cooks" whispered my comrade.
Some good burghers will be kept wait
ing for their suppers. Oh, what lark"
Our convention finally broke up with
an informal resolution to the effect that,
though we had been most shabbily
treated, there was nothing to be done.
I'VE must grin and bear it. But let
us make ourselves comfortable as we
may, and seek distraction in an inter-
change Of IDEAS" proposed my mate.
He seated himself upon a barrel that
lay lengthwise against the castle wall,
and mot!oned me to place myself beside
him.
You are English?" he inquired in an
abrupt. German way.
"No, am an American"
-Ah, it is the same thing. A tourist?
Have you been long in A-?
Three days"
For heavens sake, what have you
found to keep you here three days?"
Il am a painter, and the town is
paintable.
Still life. Nature morte!" he cried.
1T is the dullest little town in Christen-
dom. But am glad you are painter.
am musician-a fiddler"
Il suspected we were Of the same
general clan" said I.
Did you, though? How funny! But
I also seemed to scent kindred soul"
Here is my card. If we're not be-
headed in the morning, hope we may
see more Of each other, went on.
: He took my card, and, by the light Of
the match he struck for the occasion,
read aloud from it: MIR. Arthur VAIN
wright" pronouncing the English name
without difficulty. Il have no card, but
nv name is Sebastian Roch.
You speak Euglish?" was my infer
ence.
"Oh. yes, speak kind Of English"
he confessed, using the tongue il ques-
ton. He had scarcely trace OF for
eign accent.
You speak it uncommonly well" I
declared.
"Oh, learned 1t as child, and then
I have relatives in England" he ex-
planned.
DO you suppose there would be any
objection to our smoking?" asked.
-Oh. no! let US smoke by all means" :"
offered him my cigarette case. "heE
we had our cigarettes ahre we resumed
our talk.
Tell me, what, in your opinion, is the
truth about Mathilde:" / began. Is
she in voluntary hiding? Or is her
uncle at the bottom OF it,"
"Ah, that is too hard riddle!" ne pro.
tested. Il know nothing about it, and
F. have scarcely an opinion. But l may
say very frankly that | am not one OF
her partisans. She has no worse enemy
than l.
What, Really? I am surprised at
that. l thought all the youth OF Y
were devoted to her"
She's harmless enough little per-
son in her way, perhaps, and l have
nothing positive to charge against her.
Only don't think she is made Of the
proper stuff for reigning monarch.
She is too glddy, too light-headed, sort
of mad cap hoyden. She thinks too lit
tie of her dignity. Court ceremonial is
Infinitely tiresome to her; and the slow,
dead life Of Y she fairly hates.
Harmless, necessary Y she has been
known to call it. She was never born to
be the motionless figure-head Of this
tiny ship Of state; and with such crew!
Oh, you should see the ministers and
courtiers, Dry bones and parchment,
puffed up with tedious German etiquette!
She is too easily bored, too fond OF
amusement. She was born to be Bo-
hemian, an artist, like you or me. l
pity her. Ioor thing,-I pity every one
whose destiny is 10 lnhablt this dreary
principality-butI can't approve OF her.
She, too, by-the-by. is fiddler. She
is said to play the violin very well. My
own thought is-beware of tiddling mon
GTchs.
You hint Nero" said I.
Yes, I've no doubt she'd fiddle over
the ashes of Y with the best will in
the world. Say Nero crossed with a
Haroun -al-Raschid. l fear her reign
would be marred by many queer mid
night escapade, like that OF the merry
| caIiph, only without his intermlSture OF
| wrong-rightinG. She'd seek her own
! amusement solely, though to seek thaI
in Y, pshaw! You might as well
seek for blood in a stone. Oh' she q
! make no end Of mischief. Inc deVil
| hath no agent like woman bored.
That's rather true, I agreed, laugh
! inc. And Conrad-what OF him.:
"Oh, Conrad's beast, a squint-eyed,
| calulating beast, there's no doubt 0!
! that. But beast might make gooc
| enough grand duke; ana, anyhow, 9
beast is all that a beastly little grano
! duchy like this deserves. However, to
; tell YOU my own secret feeling, l don't
believe he'll have the chance to proveit.
Mathilde, for all her ennui, is described
as most tenacious Of her rights, and az
shrewd little body, too, down at the
bottom. That is inconsistent. but