The silver messenger., 1907-01-01

nave DeeH IIuluB Win tiCAh "N-
jest as never was, it would have been
Goodbye, my forsaken brother! JOY
be with you on this your bridal jour
ney. Take Prince Ivan with you, and
Conrad and l will keep the kingdom
against your return with your prize
gentled on your wrist"
So, smiling and kissing her hand,
the Princess Margaret waved her
brother and Prince Ivan off. The
Muscovite turned often in his saddle
as if to carry with him the picture she
made of saucy countenance and dainty
figure as she stood looking up into
the face of the Cardinal Prince Con-
rad.
What in heavens name is the
meaning of all Chis--I do not under
stand in the least?" he was saying.
Haste you and unrobe, Brother
Con-" she said; this grandeur Of
yours daunts me. Then, in the sum
mer parlor, will tell you ALL"
II cannot go back to Courtland dis
| honored," said Prince Louis to Ivan of
Muscovy, as they stood on the green
bank looking down on the rushing
river, broad and brown, which had SO
lately been the Fords of ALA. The
river had risen almost as it seemed
upon the very heels of the four hun
dred horsemen of Kernsberg, and the
ironclad knights and men-at-arms who
| followed the Prince of Courtland
could not face the yeasty swirl of the
flood.
Prince Ivan stood a moment silent.
Then his eyes glanced over his com
panion with a certain severe and
amused curiosity. If there was any
thing so contemptuous as that eye
blink in the open scorn of all the
burghers of Courtland, Prince Louis
was to be excused for any hesitation
in facing his subjects.
The matter of Prince Wasp's medi-
tation ran somewhat thuswise: "Thou
man, fashioned from a scullion's nail
pairing, and cooked upon a horse, what
can l make of thee? Thou, to have a
country, a crown, a wife! Gudgeon
eats stickleback, jackpike eats gud-
geon and grows fat, till at the last the
sturgeon in his armour eats him. l
will fatten this jack | will feed him
like the gudgeons of Kernsberg and
Hohenstein, baited with a dainty fly
indeed, black-tipped, with sleeves gay
as cranes wings, and answering to
the name of my lady JOAN But wait
u must be wary, and have a care
lest l shadow his water"
So saying within his heart, Prince
Wasp became exceedingly thoughtful
and of demure countenance.
my lord" he said, this days
work will not go well down in Court
land, 1 fear mel"
Prince Louis started quickly as the
Wasp's sting touched him.
"And, pray, Prince Ivan" he said.
what could l have done that have
left undone? Speak plainly, since you
are so prodigal of smiles suppressed.
so witty with covert words and shoul-
der tappings!"
"My Louis" said Prince Wasp, lay
ing his hand upon the arm of his com
panion with an affectation of tender
YOU
not. And if l speak harshly, it is only
that love not to see you in your turn
fouted, mocked, scorned, made light
of before your own people!
Ever since came first to Court
land with the not dishonorable hope
of carrying back to my father a prin-
cess of your house, none have been so
amiable together as you and l. We
have been even as David and Jona-
than"
The Prince Louis put out a hand,
which apparently Ivan did not see, for
he continued without taking it.
"Yet what have l gained either of
solid good or even of the lighter but
not less agreeable matter of my lady's
favor? So far as your sister is con.
cerned, have wasted my time. If
consider a union of our peoples. al.
ready one in heart, your brother
works against us BOTH the Princess
Margaret despises me, Prince Conrad
thwarts u.s."
81 think not So" answered Prince
Eouis-'I cannot think so of my broth,
er, Wlln All ms IdullS. conrad is q
brave soldier, good knight, though
as is the custom OF our house, it is
his lot to be no more than a prince
bishopl"
The Wasp laughed a little hard
laugh, clear and inhuman as the snaI
and rattle of Spanish castanets.
Louis. my good friend, your sim
plicity, your lack of guile. do you
wrong, most grievousl You Judge
others as you yourself are. Do you
not see that Conrad, your brother
must pay for his red hat? He mus
earn his cardinalate. And the clear
ambition of your brother is TO make
you chief cat's-paw pontifical. Con
! slider 1t. good Louis"
| And the Prince of Muscovy twirlet
1 his moustache and smiled condescend
1 ingly between his fingers. Then, a:
If he thought suddenly of something
else. and made new calculation, h,
laughed a laugh. quick and short q;
| the bark of a dog.
"Hai" he cried, truly we ordeI