Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-10
The Romantic Prince
By Rafael Sabatini
eopyrGht 1879 By North


"Ah! BAIL" he snorted, and stopped
for his cloak, which lay upon the ground
where he had let it fall. He snatchcd &c
up viciouSly, as II TO vent upon the
garment the impotence and hl-hurlor
by which he was assailcd.
"Blasphemer! she answered him.
you jeer at things you do not under
stand"
DO ~" he leered at her. "Then
Give me peacel" she interrupted in
a voice of pain. IT will hear no more.
l beg that you will leave me-"
He made shift to Go so, but without
the intention. He had yet another card
to play He shrugged like man re-
signed. adjusted his cloak, and flung
one wing of It over his left shoulder to
swathe him. Then he took up his hat.
He bowed in silence and moved to
the door Midway thither he checked.
He turned and looked at her across the
wintry gloom of the chamber and the
dark furnish ngS on which the freight
fiickered He sighed and his long.
sallow face was sorrowful. He took
one step toward her, leaned forward
and his voice was eagerly persuasive.
Come, madam, give me token to
Count Anthony, and leave the rest to
me-"
Whom do you name?" she cried, her
voice strained and harsh.
He feigned surprise at so much emo
ton. Count Anthony of Guelders."
What has he to do in this?"
"He might have everything to do II
you would but follow my advice"
''Your advice?" Horror pervaded her
soul, such horror and such dread as she
had never known in all her trials. Con-
trolling herself she asked him: why
do you name him now? Why did you
not name him before?"
II did From the outset. He is the
grand master of Burgundy, newly APP
pointed. He is second in power only
to the duke. and what he wills the
duke is easily persuaded to perform.
Give me token that will bring him to
you, so that you may make your prayer
to him, and I'll warrant"
"Neverl Neverl Neverl" Her vehe-
mence startled him. and dashed his
rising hopes. She advanced upon him,
q wild creature now. frantic with fear
and shame and horror. Never, do you
hear me, master fool? He is"
She broke off, Even in her agitation
she perceived how unnecessary 1t was
to give the fool her confidence, to tell
him that Count Anthony of Guelders
was the one man in the world TO whom
she could not appeal. the one man
whom she could never bear to see again,
the one man whom she could wish
should never know her shame and her
defilement. She desired if possible to con-
tinue to live in his memory as he had
known her in Walcheren. If that we're
not possible, If knowledge of the events
must come to him. at least let him
never again behold her, let her hide
herself from him, the only man who
had power to revive her shame so that
Il must scorch her up and shrivel her
tii ashes.
But of this she said nothing to the
fool. Something of 1t he guessed, how
ever, from the abrupt manner in which
her Self-control had slipped from her,
from the terror that had glittered in
her eyes.
She controlled herself now, to be scar
ed by new thought. 1t was to Count
Anthony of all living men that this
creature proposed that she should sell
herself for justice. But swift on the
heels of that sudden anger with the
fool came pity. How little he knew
his world, after all, this apostle of evil.
to judge Count Anthony man to be
so bought
Go. SIR" she dismissed him. There
| Is no more to be said between us"
He departed, vexed and crestfallen.
Things were not to run the course he
had planned for them. Here were des-
TIMES which he had thought to shape
with his thumbs as a potter shapes his
pots. But unexpected elements had been
present in the clay, elements unusual
in the clay of humanity as Kuoni knew
1t. All was not done yet. BY no means.
But the consummation toward which he
aimed, so far as the Sire de Rhynsault
was concerned, would not be quite so
POLITICALLY humorous as he had intended.