Arizona republican., 1899-01-30
nmeTieaD
 ..Pusb.&
BY EDGAR FAWCETT.
Continued From Yesterday.)


 the y.ay of asking only certain guests diaGuated him. Like all tho receptions given by his mother since her appear i-acc n lis realm. it positively rocked with what he held to be the worst | crocds Cf caste. There were present GcvCr2I noblcs, on this particular occa- sion. who had only dcigncd to come, as Clarimond well knew, at the eager so- licitation of the princess. They were mostly men past middle age. and their youn% king had hcrriled them by his libcralisrI25. They held his person Ga- cred. end were inEcxiblc in their fealty to him, never forgetting that their an- cestors, through centuries back, h2d fought and died in the service of his. But they abhorrcd. his modcrnity of ideas. and had suffered keen pangs at the audacious changes wrought in their land. Political no less than social and physical. these changes had affect ed them with mingled melancholy and horror. Two or thrcCG of them hod chosen to hide their chagrin amid the gaveties of Paris, where their great wealth and princely Saltravian birth had secured welcomes for them among the most exclusive sets. One of these I1tLeI- 1 Hlslu tiDOltI lOIIF years Oltl- with black flashing eyes, olive skin and little curly beard and IaOustache, held an exceptional position as cousin twice removed from the king. His fortune was very large, and he passed most of his year in the French capital, whence he had but lately returned. He had been for long time past one of the bit tercst of the 1nalcontcnts; he was iras-
 I T l.. al. III interiors While the king had made his first tour through the ballroom every eye had sought his own and every head lad bowed. But it had struck him. however vaguely. that this partic lar noblcman had bowed with certain distinct stiffness. As Clarimond now drew near his mother, he fixed his eyes full on the handsome, swarthy face at her side, and said, with an accent of quiet good humor:
 ''Ah, Philibert, so you're back once again?" At the same moment he put forth his hand.
 Prince philibcrt advanced, and taking the kings hand in his own with g, rev ercnt droop of the head, firmly, even res onantly, kissed it. \ smile of proud pleasure swept over the face of Princess Brindisi. Tl:is was the inme- Inorial usage of the Saltr2vian court for a peer or pccrcss, on returning after an absence and being addressed by the king, to give his hand an Obeisant kiss.
 But Clairmond, meanwhile, grew white with anger He had long ago forbidden all such forms of self-humili- ation on thc part Of lis courtiers. n and what l:c had just done favored of the most overt defiance.
 The cryst,.l-gray eyes of the king met the dark and brilliant ones of his sub ject. ''Princc." he said. with some curtness, T supposed you were aware that dislike. and indeed have vetoed, all this flourish on the part of my friends
 Philibert, while he stood moveless as 1 q statue with both hands behind him, and while he looked, in his evening dress, decorated by several orders that bctolzened his great rank, figure of striking distinction, answered, com posedly and gravely:
 Pardon nc, your majesty. but only fulfilled a usage that is many centuries old''
 This answer, in the circumstances, bristlcd with clear revolt. The king | started and looked at his mother, who | gently inclined her head, as if in com plete approval of the words just uttered.
 Taking few quick steps toward the princess, and passing Philibert's un- stirred figure, Clarinond leaned his lips close to the lady's check and shot out one low, determined sentence: You have gone too far, madam-too far, as you will perceive!''
 In another moment he turned and spoke to Philibert.
 You arc insoleHt," he said, land most . Eoari1gly SO"
 Tho prince gave . slight shudder, and seemed about to respond.
 Not . vvord.'' commanded the king, ! and his voice, tho.Ga loud, was wholly 1 calm. q G;sr-liss you iron t.1c palace. Do not presume to enter it again, on pain of c--ilc."
 Philibcrt a5ocd as if irrcsolute, end then, growing almost gIaStly, staa- mered fs1'tA il reply:
 If I rTCro 2 syvOrl, a5 my fore fathers did, l would break i5 and drop the fragments at your majesty feet
 With glittering eyes, the king curled his lip. ''Bottor if you thought less about dcportilg yourself lil-o the pet tenor in French grand opera, mon sieur, and spent your heroics in q more wholesome form. There arc thrOngs of hungry beings in Saltravia that need the forty thousand francs am told you flung away on single night, last month, at a Parisian gaming table"
 These words, pronounced with bell like clearness, penetrated far. Tk3 gucSts who heard ti-em rapidly whispered tlsc-a to others who had not heard i dead silence followed, while tEc Iadie3 Euddled together in alarm, and the gentlemen (Iaostly all quite ,.oa7x- 4n 4l,1.r,vzy 411prq1eOly-c~ I,a4v-ae,, |