Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-27
The Romantic Prince
By Rafael Sabatini
oODyrsht 1872 North Metropolitan


tall windows glowed with golden light.
to them. The scent of roses hung
about them on the tepid air. 1t was
moment of mutual anguish neither
should ever forget.
Then he spoke quietly, almost coldly
in a great dignity. ut but remains.
madam, to crave your pardon for my
presumption, for all that unwarrant-
ably assumed concerning you. And yet
and yet -" His voice warmed
aagin. stimulated by the memories he
reviewed. "And yet that presumption
was not unwarranted. You suffered It;
you listened to words whose import
could leave you in no doubt: you made
no attempt to check the course of an
alteration that was revealed so plainly"
DON'T" she begged him, anguish in
her voice. "Of your pity, say no more"
But he was pitilesS. IT must.
must understand this thing, or I shall
never understand anything again.
told you it was your call that had
fetched me out Of England back to
your side"
She answered him now and answered
him by instinct in his own language.
"You heard 1t then because you listened
for it. You might have heard 1t again
at any time from the hour you left me
until I saw you in Bruges, walking be-
side the litter Of the new duchess,
knight of the Golden Fleece, and was
told you were the Prince Of Guelders.
From that moment I called you no
more because, knowing at last who you
were, knew you were not for me-"
He put his hand to his brow. "And
you thought
"You have guessed my thought" she
told him sadly; what else was to
think?"
"But did you not reason? Did you
not ask yourself why, If were as vile
as that, had I not remained In the
endeavor to complete my my con-
quest?"
ooh, yes. I asked myself that.
forgot nothing. / found the answer In
the assumption that something had
happened to remove you suddenly;
something beyond your power to resist,
perhaps an awakening of conscience in
one who was reputed Of high knightly
worth, devout and pure of life"
At the end of little pause in which
he stood silent, miserable, detected, she
touched his arm. "Shall we go in now,
my lord? My husband will be wonder
ing at my absence"
"Your husbandI" he cried. "Danvelt"
He uttered the name contemptuously.
There was a dull, unreaSoning anger In
his soul. This bright, delicate. almost
ethereal girl who would have graced a
court, to be subject to that boorish
dullard. He drew her on by the arm,
and she suffered it, He possessed some
power over her to which she would
never have opposed resistance. There
was q Semi-circular seat of stone by the
fountain. To this he led her, and under
the suasion of his will she seated her
self while he sank down beside her.
But to marryl" he protested. ITO
marry and so suddenly That Is what
yet do not understand. You do not
love him, Johanna. You love me-"
"Ah, let me CO." There was real
anguish in her voice, as there was In
his, though anguish Of another kind
when he made answer:
"I must not utter truth? Because
Of q contract into which your lips have
entered, am to play comedy with you
and you with me, and make believe
that we are each to each as any other
man and woman. That is what you
ask me to believe. But truth Is truth,
and it must prevail above all shams.
And love Is the greatest truth in all the
world; 1t Is the force that nothing
mortal can resist, a white-hot flame
that devours all make-believe."
eft cannot devour my marriage"
she answered firmly.
Can 1t not? It could If 1t were
strong enough, true enough, If 1t needed
nothing but itself, as love should"
She rose at that, shaking of the
spell he seemed to weave about her.
She stood straight and tense beside
him. And her voice came firm and
challenging.
"Be plain, my lord" she babe him.
"You spoke of truth just now, and how
1t must prevail. Let it prevail here,
and tell me what are you asking me
to do?"
The question stunned him. What
was he asking her to do? She was fast
bound by certain legal ties that made
her Danvelt'S possession, possession
undisputable in honor.
He found the answer at last in his
romanticism, in his idealism, and it
had this virtue at least, that it was
sincere.
what am I asking? Something SO
vague, impalpable and abstract that
the world would mock me for desiring
1t. Hold me in your thought. I'll go
my ways, nor trouble you again, who
have troubled you so much and so
clumsily."
He was startled and thrilled by the
fall of tear upon his outStretched
hand. He bore it to his lips. Her
answer followed, faltering a little.
THAT you may have. because can
be ever in my thoughts. As I con-
ceive that you would have me be, so
shall seek to mold myself. Night
and morning you shall have place In
my prayers. That is all I have to give
you She paused moment, then
for the first time spoke his name
Anthony"
He bowed his head in silence and In
silence at last they retraced their steps.