The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
THE sun, SUNDAY, DECEMBER ~. 1897.


/ was in the act to drink it when M. dc Pcrren'
court spone; SIR he said, calmly. "Have ]
tho Kings permission to tell Mr.. Dale a secret
concerning nee b1Ee sn of York looked up with a frown,
the King turned 10 M. de Perrencourt as IL IN
doubt. tho Fronchman met MS glance ana
nO mi. dc Porrcnc0urt is our guest said the
NJ ds Perrencourt having thus obtained por.
mission when was his will denied himD leaned
one hand on the table and, bending across
toward me. said In slow, calm, yet impressive
'om nTbe King. sir. was wearled with business
and pSrched with talking; Of his goodness he
detected in me the same condition. SO he bede
my good friend and his good subject, Mr.. Oar
Eellt, furnish him WITH z o Say;nS OF Avn %in fSS sh Kin MT:
Collar was shut and tho cellarman in bed, but
praying the King to honor him by drinking his
he King loved and such as he hoped to put
before his Majesty, at supper presently. Then
frs answered that he was indebted for 4
10 his good friend, Mr.. Simon Dale, who would
be honorod by the Kings drinking II,
"Why, it's my own wine, thenl' l cried,
'" aHO spoke tho truth, did hei", pursued M.
tent BY You TO Mr., DarrclIi'
wine Was out and / sent him some bottles Of
W. my NJ knew for what hc needed itl'
I had forgotten for the moment what Robert
Gnlu. ana tSllHttu III my Iuiio"Sis Hls uo a VI
r'Af0 sSin 1SSNs said i, ]; sthat j, told m, me Mr..
Darrell aTe tod SfPs SoS th sSi H he asked k iP sharply Mn5S MN
"Yes. 1 remember that" said i, now thor
oughiy bewiidered by tho history and the cate
NJ. do Perreneourt said nothing moro, but
s his eSbss were ex s,rei sSs on HIS H. 'I sia mcen q confused Pnf5 4
me and I looked round the table. Often at
such moments the morest trifies catch, our at,
ta,tia, a,I fnr tho frat fffpn I nhEnryaI
that a little Of the wine had been spilled on the
polished, oak of the table, and wherei II had fallen
/ noticed the change and. wondered for an
idle second how It came that wine turned a
polished table dull. The thing was driven
Drink, sir, drink"
Strained with excitement. ! started at the or
der. and spilled some Of the wine from the cup on
my hand. felt a strange burning where it fell.
but S SSgin taG No KING msr srif Rc;c %RFlnk ms SiT Wandering
comedy, whatever 1t might mean, 1 bowed. cried
my nS0q lip ssv0 X {so It H toaachSsd them aMa rf I saw yh Ss ShS nc
hide her eyes with her hand and NJ, dc Perren.
court lean further across the table. while q short
quick gasp of breath came from where Darrell
stood by my side.
/ knew how to take of n humber of wine.
No %sippings and swallowings for me. ! laid
my tongue well down in the bottom Of my
mouth, that the liquor might have fair passage,
and thre tW b mS head tS back ss as You fSo seS I hen d do lin
only water. Then I tilted the cup. and my
mouth was full Of the wine. I was conscious OF
a taste in It, n strange, acrid taste. Why, it was
poor wine; turned, sour; 1t should go back to-
morrow; that fool Jonah was a fool in all things;
and ! stood disgraccd for offering this acrid
stuff to a friend. And he gave 1t to the King!
1t was the cruelest chance. Why
Suddenly, when had sqlped down but one
right across the table. Yet I saw him dimly,
for my eyes seemed to grow glazed and the
room to spin round me. the figures at the table
taking strange shapes and weird, dim faces, and
sea roared there. and not on Dover beach.
There was a woman's cry, and n mans arm shot
out ut NC. felt a sharp blow on my wrist, the
cup was dashed from my hand on to the stone
wine made a puddle at my feot. | stood there
for an instant, struck motionless, glariry into
the fare that was opposite to mine. II was NJ.
de Pcrrcncourts, no longer calm. but pale and
ly. The King and his companions were fused In
a shifting mass of trunks and faces, the walls
raced round. the singing of the sea roared and
fretted in my ears. / caught my hand to my
heard a chatter as though of a sword falling to
the floor. arms were stretched out to receive
me. and / sank into them. hearing u murmur
close by me, Simon. SimOn!'
left me, a loud, proud. imperious. voice, the
voice that speaks to be ohcyed. whose asser.
ton brooks no contradiction. 1t rang In my
ears, where nothing else could reach them, and
was the voice OF NJ. dc Perrencourt. and it
seemed that he spoke to the King Of England;
BROTHER" he'cried. "by my faith in God. this
gentleman is innocent. and his life is on our
heads, If he lose it,"
1 heard no more. Stupor yelled me round in
an impcnetrable mist. The figures vanished,
the tumultuous singing ceased. A great silence
,ncompassed me. and all was gone.