The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-03-30

even refused.
The wine was brought. AS the waiter poured it
out | looked across at her and said:
This is a festival"
She glanced at me and wonderingly at the shark
ling glass. Then she laughed.
'Oh, yes- see. OF course
She lifted her glass.
Here's to the festival!' cried. princess! 1
don't know your name, but l think l shall call you
Princess"
She put her glass down again, and brought her
dark eyes to meet mine. feared for a minute that
l was in for a snub. She seemed satisfied, raised
her glass high and flashed a smile at me.
And you shall be the swineherd! Here's to the
festival, Swineherd!"
was ready to be even swineherd to a princess
with so adorable a mouth. We drank. we talked
OF many things-of operas, OF dances, OF pictures.
She knew all Europe.
My curiosity was getting out of hand. The things
she said gave me no clue. BY the time the waiter
had left us with a flaming omelette between us 1t
had mastered me.
Il suppose" l %ventured, as l poured out blue fire
with a spoon, the swineherd may not ask how it
comes about that the Princess is sharing a crust
under his humble roof, instead of banqueting with
the bold bad magician of her fathers court whom
she had arranged to meet"
She took the plate l handed.
The swineherd may never question the doings of
the Princess" She reproved me with gentleness.
He may only jolly we'll thank his stars?' She
nodded.
nUR waiter was an admirable man. knew him
- from OF old. He brought the coffee and liqueurs
green chartreuse and yellow mixed, in honor of
the festival-and shut the door after him with a
marked discreetness. We were alone, l guessed, for
the next two hours if we chose to stay.
She put her elbows on the table and rested her
chin on the backs OF her i~ntertwisted fingers. The
isn't it?" she said.
Ripping" l agreed. 1 was looking into those
eyes, and wondering what that sparkle meant. She
met me bravely. / slipped the liqueur and let it
steal softly over my tongue. The noises from the
street We're faint. There was a dreamy atmosphere
about the room.
She lifted her coffee cup.
Il WISH" she said, sit wasn't always so much
nicer to do the things one mustn't"
Il suppose it's because doing things one mustn't is
risking consequences | suggested. Its a form of
gambling"
And the higher the stakes the more exciting.
They are high for me-" she added.
Princess l suggested, you're very mysterious.
How can you be SO tantalizing?"
1 heard again the delicious ripple of her laugh.
She dropped her arms across the table, and her
hand fell, with little soft palm upwards, near mine.
| dropped a grape into it. She rolled it round and
round as she went on.
Our not knowing anything about each other
makes it much more-rippng, as you call it. 1t is
like carnival. For instance, if we knew each other
! couldn't do that" and she threw the grape back
at me. caught it with one hand, and her slim
fingers with the other. She pulled gently to re-
lease them.
Don't" I said. "This is carnival-and a carnival
swineherd and a carnival Princess may do as they
choose"
The little frown that had come disappeared again.
Oh, yes-of course. | forgot she looked re-
fectively at her hand in mine. y think the carni-
val idea is so right. People who lead dull lives
have to break out somehow. And most of life is
Gull-at any rate mine is"
And mine" said |. Nothing ever seems to hap
pen. / sometimes long to drop plump into the mid
die of a really romantic and tremendous adventure,
as the men in Anthony Hopes books have the luck
TO do. There's not even the chance OF a fight these
days unless you choose to stand up with a row OF
other fools to be shot down by a gunner who can't
even see you"
She thought for a minute. Then she lifted her
dark eyes to mine, and there was a depth in them
that had not been there before.
Would you really like an adventure OF that
sort?"
.Oh! Wouldn't II"
She spoke very softly. cone day might be able
TO give you one. Would you come to me if / called
you?"
Through the gates of hell!' said |, in my char
acter of carnival swineherd