Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-30
The Romantic Prince
By Rafael Sabatini


IN properly constituted court and ac-
cording to the forms of the law"
I'm Walcheren I am the law, and
wherever sit in Judgment is properly
constituted court. administer here
the high justice and the low in the
name OF my master the Duke of Bur-
gundy. You waste my time, man, with
your bubbles Will you answer nv
questions, or will you not?"
Il will not. I deny your Jurisdiction"
You'll deny 1t all you please, but
1t shall be exercised. Take of his
boots"
What will you do?"
Put you to the question, in a homely
fashion and with the means imme-
diately to hand" And Rhynsault
waved eloquentiy towards the FIRE.
You dare not. I am noble, sirl"
you may be noble. But you'll burn
as easily as churl. OF with those
boots of hist"
Livid. but resolute. Van Borselen
answered him. You may roast me
piecemeal, sir. But not a word shall
you have from me-"
ITO It'll" The governor began, when
kuoni interposed, increasing his legs
and leaning forward, his elbows on his
bony knees.
Perhaps If he perceived your justi-
fication, excellency, he would be less
obstinate"
Il care nothing for his obstinacy.
have broken the obstinacy Of taller
men"
"Ay, ay. but justification is justifica-
ton; and, II it may be had, 1t were
premature to proceed without It,"
The governor looked at the fool. The
fool returned the glance with that
steady, unblinking stare which seemed
at times so full of meaning. With an
If1(l ataVsVV u -
fools suggestion. He ordered the men
to take the prisoner out and wait with
him.
What now2" he growled when he
was alone with Kuoni.
The fool rose. That man Is right
when he says that the tale would bear
an ugly sound in the ears of the duke.
Van Borselen Is noble, after ALL and his
family Is powerful. It's counting trou-
BILE to treat him as If he were a greasy
merchant"
How else are we to react the TRUTH"
Find first some scraps of evidence
TO justify your measures. Do you
dream that men can engage in treason
In stronghold such as this, and never
leave scrap of evidence behind them?
Search, gossip, search! Ransack the
castle from rampant to dungeon, and
see what you find. Isn't, that what we
came for?" :.
The search was much more quickly
fruitful than they could have hoped.
In Borselen's closet they found papers
locked away in a chest a bundle of
letters any one of which would have
served to hang the man who had sent
it as well as Van Borselen, who had
| received 1t, and some sheets covered
with figures, which Rhynsault tossed
aside as of no consequence, but to
| which the fool devoted some study.
1t proved the very simplest CIPHER
a cryptic writing that would not long
have puzzled a child; the numerals
stood for letters and stood for them in
the order of the alphabet. The fool,
who had considerable clerkly skill, and,
indeed, some scholarliness, sat late into
the night, transcribing them. What at
last he bore to his master was O fairly
complete account Of the nature Of the
| plot, the funds subscribed, the arms to
be provided, the number of men to be
counted upon in each district, and q
| list Of the leaders with whom lay the
responsibility of giving those men the
signal when the moment came.
.t R'hy yns,U dubbed rubbed his hands In
leaders would be laid by the heels.
The conspiracy, thus deprived Of
guidance, might safely be left to perish
by itself.
You've done well, Kuoni," he COM
mended the fool
1T is my habit" said the fool.
"Oh, not always" The governor
liked neither the look in his dark eyes
Sometimes you are clumsy because you
| love jest too we'll"
That's what I'm for, gossip"
"Ay, ay; in season. Now this eve
ming. so that you might vent your
cursed humor, you warned Van Bor-
Selen too soon Of what was coming to
him, with the result that he all but
had his dagger in my throat" He took
up his whip as he spoke and loosened
the thong. The FOOLS weak frame was
shaken with sudden fear. His counte-
nance lost its habitual impassivity. IT
thought to amuSe you." ne shrieked as
the lash, hard-driven, cut him about
the neck and body.
"Oh, it amused me-" Rhynsault as
sured him. But had been less
prompt with my hands, the laugh
might have been with Borselen. I
meant to lay your bones bare for that
FOOLS trick Of yours. But you've
served me well since, and so I'll show
you mercy, and give you no more than
a reminder to let your jests be less
dangerous to me In future"
The reminder took the shape Of three
AAASAO AAoAASos VAC Aoob Va COlICQ
about the fools white face, and broke
the skin.
sol" The governor flung aside his
whip. THAT will sufice tonight. Away
with you, you whimpering cur"
The fool hobbled out without another
word. He was accustomed to be thus
punished for his shortcomings. He
sought his bed. and pain and rage kept
MIN awake until 1t was time to rise
again. Yet next morning, when he
came to break his fast at the governors
table, he had resumed his impassivity.
and save for the angry crimson wheal
that marked the track Of his masters
whip across his pallid face, save for the o.
dark stains under his eyes which this
morning were deeper and darker than
usual, there was no sign about him or
in his bearing or manner to suggest
what he had undergone. And his evil,
malicious wit flowed freely, especially
later In the morning when the Bur-
gundian lieutenant sat In Judgment
upon the Knight Of Borselen and four
others Of those who had supped with
them last night who were implicated
by the letters found.
Borselen asked that he should be
sent for trial to the duke by virtue of
his knightly rank. but that appeal the
governor disregarded His secretaries
drew up the indictments and attached
TO them the justiflcative documents, TO
be forwarded to the duke. Borselen and
his four convicted companions In trea-
son were hanged that same afternoon
on gallows In the market-place OF
Arnemuiden.
The business done, Rhynsault and
his lances rode on to We're, as the first
stage Of a progress which had for OBJ
ject to deal summarily with those
whose treason was revealed by the
papers found In Borselen's castle. On
the FOOLS advice, he proceeded in such