Show IiI I t if i d t I r I i j 9t I I Anther of A Prisoncx or Zcnda 1 Copyright 1S4by Anthony Hope iI i I CHAPTER II I Count AiUoiiio aud the Traitor Prince i l Of all the dec is that Count Antonio Monte Velluto did during the time t fJt he was an outlaw in the Ihills a price having been set on his head by Duke Valentsne there was none that made greater stir or struck more home to the hearts ot men howsoever they cfhose tc look upon it than that which lie performed oix the high lull thats faces the wicket gate Sn the west side of lie city and is called now < the hill of Duke Paul Indeed it was the act of a man whose own conscience was Ms sole guide and who made the law wMch Ills own hand was to carry out Jphat it had been a crime in most men vht can doubt That it was a crime Jn him all governments must hold and the same I take at must be the teaching of the church Yet all men iheld it not a crime although they had iwt ventured it themselves both from the greatness of the person whom the deed concerned and also for the burden bur-den that it put 011 the conscience of him that did iL Here then is the story of it as it Is < old tooth in the houses of the nobles and in peasants cottages While Count Antonio still Uvelt at the court and had not yet fled from the wrath aroused in the duke by the counts attempt to carry off the Lady Lucia the dukes irard I thc nuptials of his highness had been celebrated wttn great magnificence I I ygl universal rejoicing and the feasting i feast-ing and exultation had been most happily i hap-pily renewed at the birth of an infant I rine u year later Yet hea was I price paid for this gift of heaven lor her highness the duchess a lady of rare grace and kindliness survived tht birth of her son only three months and then died amid tha passionate mourning of the people leaving the duke a pre to bitter sorrow Many say that She had turned his heart to god had she but lived and that it was the loss of her that soured him and twisted his nature If it be so I pray that he has received pardon for all his sins for his grief was great and hardly to be assuaged even by the I dove he had for the little prince from i whom he would never be parted for an fhouri he could contrive to have the boy with him and in whom he saw with pride the heir of Ins throne I Xow in the joy of itlhe wedding and the grief at the duchess death none had more ostentatious sagn of sharing than his highness brother Duke Paul Yet hollow alike were his joy and his sorrow in that tflie duchess left to her husband a dear memorial of their brief union Paul rivaled the duke in his caresses and this affected love for the < boy but he had lived long in the hope that his highness would not marry and that he himself should succeed him in his place and this hope he could not put out of his heart Nay as time passed and the baby grew to a healthy boy Pauls thoughts took a Mill deeper hue of guilt It was no I QngEr for him to hope for his nephews wMh nor ten to meditate how the should bring it about < One wicked imagining led on as it is wont in our Einfjul nature to another and Satan 1 N fpred in Pawls ear that tne duke i i mself Was short of 40 by a year that to wait for power till youth was gone was not a bold mans part and that to contrive five childs death leaving l1s father alive was but to double the risk without halving the guilt Thus was Paul induced to dwell on the death of both father and son and to pay to h mst if that if the father went first the son would easily follow and that with one cunning and courageous stroke the path to the throne might be cleared Win the beginning of the second year ot Count Antonios outlawry his highness high-ness was most mightily incensed against bum not merely because he had so won the affection of the country coun-try folk that none would < i tray his hiding place either for threats or rewards re-wards but most chiefly by Teason of a certain act which was in truth more of Tomma < 5inos doings than of Ant An-t nios For Tommasino meeting one of the dukes farmers of taxes had lightened him of his fat bag of money sayingr fhat he would uimselfl assume the honor of handing what was fairly due to his highness and had upon that scattered threefourths of < the spoil among the poor and sent the beggarly remnant privily by night to the gate of the city with a writing There is hone among thieves who then may call princes thieves And > this writIng writ-Ing had been read by many and the report of it spreading through the city had made men laugh Therefore the < ukc had sworn that by TIO means should Antonio gain pardon save by delivering hat insolent young < robber t > the lords of justice Thus he was sjkghly pleased when iiis brother sought i ta in the garden for he sat in his wonted place under the wall by the fish pond and bade him listen to apian a-pian whereby the outlaws should be ibroTient to punishment The duke took his Mttle Eon upon his knees < and pra < d his brother to tell his advice You could not bring me a sweeter gift than the head of Tommasino said he stroking the childs curls and The child shrank closer into his arms for the child did not love Paul but I feared hint Antonio knows that I love your I highness said Paul seating himself 44t212 seat toy the duke but he knows I I also that I am his friend and a Ito I I-to the Lady Lucia and a man of tender I ten-der heart Would it seem Ito him deep i treachery if I should go privily to him and tell him how that on a certain day ron would go forth with your guard to amp in the spurs of Mount Agnino I leaving the CItY desolate amd that in l the night of that day I could contrive that Lucia would come secretly to t agate a-gate and that it should bet open for her so that by a sudden descent she might be seized and carried safe t6 his hiding place Before = aid could come from vour highness But what should the truth be asked Talentine t 4 c The truth should be that while part of the guard went to the spurs of thet nount the rest should lie in ambush close inside the city gates and dash out on Antonio and his company It is well if he will believe Then Paul laid his finger on his brothers arm As the clock in the tower of the I cathedral strikes in the morning of the fifteenth of the month do you dear brother be In your summer house at the corner of the garden yonder i and I will come thither and tell you if he has beieved and if he has come For by th > nI shall have learnt from II him his mind and we two will go straightway rouse the guards and lead the men to their appointed station sta-tion and when he approaches the gate wj can lay hands on him How can you come to him for we know not where he is hid Alas there is not a rogue of a peasant peas-ant that cannot take a letter to him Yet when I question them ay though I beat them they know noth jug cried Valentino in chagrin Truly the sooner we lay him by the heels the better for our security Shall it be then as I say sir So let it be said the duke I will await you in the summer house Paul perceiving that his brother had no suspicions of him and would await him in the summer house conceived his task to be already half done For his plan was that he and Antonio I should come together to the summer house but that Antonio should lie hid I I till Paul had spoken to the duke then I Paul should go out on pretext of bid ding the guard make ready the am bush and leave the duke alone with Antonio Antonio then suddenly springing forth should slay the duke while Pauland when he thought ori I I this he smiled to himself would so contrive that a body of men should bar I Antonios escape and straightway kill Jiim Thus should he be quit both of I his brother and Antonio and no man I would live who knew how the deed I Was contrived And then said he I doubt whether the poor child bereft be-reft of all parental care will long escape es-cape the manifold perils of infancy Thus he schemed and when he had made all sure and noised about the dukes intentions he himself set forth alone on his horse to seek Antonio He rile till he reached the entrance of the pass leading to the recesses of the hills Then hedJFmounted and sat down on th ground and this was at noon on the 13th day of the month i He had not long been sitting when a face peered from behind a wall of moss covered rock that fronted him and Paul cried hIs it a friend A friend of whom mean you my lord came from the rock Of whom else than of Count An tonio cried PaulA Paul-A silence followed and a delay then two men stole cautiously from behind the rock and in one of them Paul I knew the man called Bena who had been of the dukes guard The men knowing Paul bowed low to him and asked him his pleasure and he commanded com-manded them to bring him to Antonio I They wondered knowing not whether I he came from the duke or despite the I duke but he was urgent in his commands com-mands and at length they tied a scarf over his eyes and set him on his horse and led the horse Thus they went for an hour Then they prayed him to I dismount saying that the horse could no further and go though Pauls eves saw nothing he heard the whinny and smelt the smell of horses Here are your stables then said he and dismounted with a laugh Then Bena took him by the hand and the other guided his feet and climbing up steep paths overboulders and through little water Courses they went till at I I A 1 I II Patti A < Auloiiio Left Him length Bona cried We are at home my lord and Paul tearing off his bandage found himself on a small level spot ranged round with stunted L windbeaten firs and three huts stood in the middle of the space and Cone C-one of the huts sal Tommasino composing com-posing a sonnet to a pretty 7 > easant girl whom he had chanced to meet i that day For Tommasino had ever a I hospitable heart But seeing Paul l I I Tommasino left his sonnet and with I I a cry of wonder sprang to meet him i and Paul took him by both hands and saluted him That night and the morning that followed Paul abode with Antonio eating of good cheer and I drinking the > good wine that Tomma i sina who had charged himself with the care of such matters put before him whence they came from Paul i asked not nor did Tommasino say more than that they were offerings to Count Antonio but whether offerings of free will or no he said not And during this time Paul spoke much with Antonio privily and apart persuading him of his friendship and speaking most pitiful things of the harshness shown by Valentine his brother to the Lady Lucia and how the lady grew > ale and pined and pined so that tr the physicians knit their brows over her and the women said no drugs irould patch a broken heart Thus ha < 1 o < inflamed Antonios mind with a great rage against the duke so that he fell to counting the men he had and Wondered won-dered whether there was force to go openly against the city But in sorrow Paul answered that the pikemen were too many But there is a way and a better said Paul leaning his head near fo Antonios ear A way whereby you may come to your own again and rebuild re-build your house that the xluke has burned and enjoy the love of Lucia and hold foremost place in the duchy What way is that asked Antonio in wondering eagerness Indeed 1 am willing to serve his highness in any honorable service if by that I may win his pardon and come to that I long for His pardon When did he pardon sneered Paul To know honest men and leave them to their honesty is the last great gift of villainy But Paul had It not and new he unfolded to Antonio the plan that he had made saving as needs not be said that part of it whereby Antonio himself was to meet his death For a pretext he alleged that the duke oppressed the city and that he Paul was put out of favor because he had sought to protect the people and was fallen in great suspicion Yet judging judg-ing Antonios heart by his own he dwelt again and longer on the charms of Lucia and of the great things he would give Antonio when he ruled the duchy for his nephew for of the last crime he meditated the death of the child he said naught then professing to love the child When the tale had begun a sudden start ran through Antonio An-tonio and his face flushed but he sat still and listened with unmoved face his eyes gravely regarding Paul the while No anger did lIe show nor wonder nor srorn nor now any eagerness eager-ness but he gazed at the prince with calm musing glance as though he onsidered of some great question put before him And when Paul ended his tale Antonio sat yet silent and musing mus-ing l But Paul was trembling now and he stretched out his hand and laid It on Antonios knee and asked with a feigned laugh that choked in the utterance ut-terance Well friend Antonio is it a clever I Plan and will you ride with me Minute followed minute before An I tonio answered At length the frown Vanished from Iris brow and his face grew calm and set and he answered Duke Paul saying I It is such a plan as you my lord alone of all men in the duchy could make and I will ride with you Then Paul in triumph caught him by the hands and pressed his hands call Ing him a man of fine spirit and a true friend who should not lack reward And all this Antonio suffered silently and in silence still he listened while Paul told him that a path led secretly from the bank of the river through the wall to the summer house where the duke was to be Of this gate he alone save the duke had the key they haut b ha-ut to swim the river and enter by this gate Secreting Antonio Paul would talk with the duke then he would go and carry off what remained of the guard over and above those that had gone to the hills and Anto nio having done his deed could re turn by the same secret path cross the river again and rejoin his friends And in a short space of time Paul would recall him with honor to the citv and give him Lucia to wife And if there be a question as to the hand that dealt the blow there is a rascal horn the duke flogged but a few days sincea steward in the pal ace He deserves hanging Antonio for a thousand things of which he is guilty and it will trouble me little to hang him for one whereof he chances to be innocent And Duke Paul laughed heartily I will ride with you said Antonio again Then it being full midday they sat down to dinner Paul bandying many merry sayings with Tommasino Anto nio being calm but not uncheerful And when the meal was done Paul drank to the good fortune of their ex pedition and Antonio having drained his glass said May God auorove the issue and stairghtway bade Tommas Jiio and aiartolo pre < to prepare ride with him Then Paul being blindfolded the climbed down the mountain paths till they came where the horses were and thus as the sun began to decline set forward at a fair pace Duke Paul and Antonio leading by some few yards while Tommasino and Martolo having drank well and sniffing sport in front of them sang jested and played pranks on each other as they passed along but when night fell tney became silent even Tommasino grew grave and checked his horse and the space between them and the pair woo led grew greater so that it seemed to Duke Paul that he and Antonio rode t alone through the night under the shadows of the great hills Once and I again he spoke to Antonio first of the scheme then on some light matter but Antonio did no more than move Ms head in assent And Antonios face was very white and his lips were close hut It was midnight when they reached the plain the moon till now hidden by the mountains shone on them and see ing Antonios face more plainly Paul cr1d half in jest half in uneasiness Come man look not so glum about It Tis but the life of u rogue Indeed it is no more said Antonio and he turned his eyes upon the Duke Paul Paul laughed but with poor merriment merri-ment Whence it came he knew not but a strange sudden sense of peril I and of doom had fallen on him The i massive quiet figure of Antonio riding ever close to him silent stern and I watchful oppressed his spirit Suddenly Antonio halted and called to Martolo to bring him a lantern one hung from Martolos saddle and he brought it and went back Then Antonio An-tonio lit the lantern and gave an ivory tablet to Paul and said to him Write me your promise You distrust me then cried Paul in a great show of indignation I will not go until you have written the promise Now Paul was somewhat loath to write that promise fearing that it should be found on Antonios body before be-fore he could contrive to remove it but without it Antonio declared he would not go So Paul wrote bethinking bethink-ing himself that he held safe in his house at home permission from the duke to see Antonio and beguile him tithe ti-the city and that with the witness of this commission he could come off safe ft t even though the tablet were found on Antonio Taking the peril then rather than fail he wrote setting forth the promise he made to Antonio in case Onus he phrased it of the death of his brother And he delivered the tablet tab-let to Antonio and Antonio restoring the lantern to Martolo bestowed the tablet upon him and they set forth again > As the clock of the tower of the cathedral ca-thedral distinctlY booming t in their oars sounded the hour of two they cw l J Jtii came to where the road parted In one direction it ran level across the plain to the river and city and by this way they must go < if they would come I to the secret gate and thence t to the dukes summer house But the second I road left the < plain and mounted the i b ill that faces the wicket gate which 5s now called the hill of Duke Paul And at the parting of the road Antonio Anto-nio reined in his horse and sat silent for a great while Again Paul scanning scan-ning his face was troubled sb that Martolo who had drawn nigh saw him wipe a drop from hife brow and said For what wait we Antonio Time presses l for it has gone 2 oclock Then Antonio drew Paul apart and llxing his eyes on him aid i What of the child What mean you I by the child How does it profit you I that the father die if thechild live Paul deeming that Antpnio doubted him and saw a snare and holding l it better to seem the ant t of villains than to stir suspicion ina man who held him in his hands smJled cunningly cunning-ly l and answered I The child will grow sickly and pine when his father is not alive to care for him I I imit is enough said Antonio and again a flush mounted infhis face and died down again and lelt him pale For some think ale would have turned from his purpose had Paul meant honestly hon-estly by the child I know not At least l the fan murder plbtted against the child made him uttcrjy relentless I Let us go and end the matter urged Paul full of eagerness and again of that strange uneasiness born of An tonios air I Ay we will go on and finish jt said Antonio and with that die leapt down from his horse Paul did the like for it had been agreed that the others with the horses were td await Anto I nios return while the count and Paul went forward on foot and Tommasino and Martolo dismounting also tied the horses ito trees and stood waiting An ht tonios orders Forward cried Paul I Come then said Antonio and he turned to the road that mounted the hill hillIt is by the other road we go said Paul It is by this road said Antonio and he raised his hand and made a uc certain sign whereat the swords of his friends leapt from their scabbards and then barred the way so that Duke Paul could turn nowhere save to the road I that mounted the hill v Then Pauls face grew longdrawn and sallow with sudden fear 1 1 What means this he cried What means this Antonio I It means my lord that you must mount the hiD with me answered Antonio An-tonio even to the top of it whence a man can see the city I But for what That this matter may be finished said Antonio and coming to Paul lIe laid a hand on his shoulder and turned him to the path up the hill But Paul I seeing his face and the swords of Tom masino and Martolo that barred all escape seized his hand saying Before God I mean you true Antonio An-tonio I As Christ died for us I mean you true Antonio Of that I know not and care not yet do not swear it now by Christs I name if it be not true How meant you my lord iby your brother and I I your brothers son Paul licked his lips for they had gone I dry and he breathed as a man pants who has run far and fast one being in his company heard him I say he dreamed yet of it As for Mar 1 tolo he bent his head and crossed himself him-self selfThen Paul threw himself on his I knees before Antonio and prayed him to let him go but Antonio seemed not to hear him and stood silent with fold efd arms Yet presently he said I Take your sword then my lord If I fall these shall not touch you I Thus much I give though it is more I than I have right to give r czi 6 c 1 its f Qii 1a5x71i 4 2l 1 > I 1t1 i 1t1Ii M w r j 1 J o I t Vt I a J jt f t r 1 j Z 14 I aM4 11 J I i 11 1 I b rii nr 7 4 uJ i I PAUL OX IllS ICXEES TO AXTOXIO You are three to one he hissed 1 I We shall be but man to man on the top of the hilV said Antonio I Then suddenly TommasSino spoke unbidden un-bidden There is a priest in the village a i mile away said he and there was I pity in his voice I Peace Tommasino What priest has I I he provided for his brother And Tommasino said no more but he turned away from the face of Duke I Paul yet when he was an old man But Paul would not take his sword but knelt still beseeching Antonio with tears and mingling prayers and I curses in a How of agonized words At last Antonio plucked him from the ground and sternly ibade him mount the hill and finding no help he set out Ms knees shaking ibersKLfa him while Antonio followed close upon him And II I thus Tommasino and iMartolo watched them go till the winding of the path hid them from View wihen ifaptolo felt Lr upon his knees and Tommasino drew a breath as though a load had rested on his chest It was but a short wa > r to the summit sum-mit but the path was steep and the two went slowly so that as they came forth on the top the first gleam oC dawn caught them in its pale light I And the city lay gray and drab below them and the lonely tree that stands to this day upon the hill Swayed in the wind with mournful murmurings And Paul stumbled and sank in a heap upon the ground And Antonio said to him If you will pray and went and leaned against the bare trunk of the tree a little way apart But Paul thinking on mans mercy not on Gods iniwled on his knees across the spaces between and laid hold of Antonios legs And he said nothing but gazed up at Antonio And at the silent appeal ap-peal Antonio shivered for an instant buthe did not t fly the gaste of Paulseyes but looked down on him and answered You must die Yet There is your sword and there a free road to ther cityThen Then Paul let go his legs and rose and drew his sword But his hand Wag trembling and he coud scarce stand Then Antonio gave to him a flask that he carried holding strong waters andj the wretch drinking greedily found some courage and came suddenly at Antonio before Antonio looked for his attack But the Count eluded him and J drawing his blade awaited the attack and Paul siezed again the flask that ha < had flung on the ground and drained it and mad now with the fumes rushed at Antonio shrieking curses and < blasphemies And the sun rose on the i moment that their blades crossed and before its rays had shone a minute An tonio had driven his sword through th howling wretchs lung and Duke Pauii I lay dying on the grassy hill Then Count Antonio stripped off his i doublet and made a piHow of it for Pauls head and sat down by him andi I wiped his brow and disposed his body J with such care as seemed possible Yet he took no pains to staunch the blood or to minister to the wound for his in tent was that Paul should die and not r live And Paul lay some moments on 4 hte back then twisted on the side om o he flung his legs wide and gathered 2 them again under his iboily and shivered 15 shiv-ered turning on his back again and his > 1 jaw fell and he died there on the top of the hill And the Count closed his j eyes and sat by him in silence for j many minutes and once he buried his 1 face in his hands and a single sub shook him 1 But now ft was growing day and he rose and took from the Dukes wait the broad silken band that he wore wrought with golden embroidery on aground a-ground of royal bluE Then he took 1 Paul in his arms and set him upright against the trunk of the tree and encircling en-circling tree and body with the rich I scarf he bound the corpse there and he took the ivory tablet from his belt j and tied the ribbon of the order of SL Prisian that was round Pauls neck I and he wrote on the tablet Witness my hand Antonio di Monte Velluta And he wiped the blade of his sword I long and carefully on the grass till it j shone pure cean and bright agjln u |