Show oaky of by anthont ilore author of of the of copyright 1916 anthony hope It awkins chapt Cli apter lw mi hrca ahree r j 1 11 HE king d and pride T hail had qui quivered ered under the threat of a cruel blow the charge ainge w ded bardi bardl leis 1 deeply he ile e gard hh body servant with the trustful affect tion which grows on nil nit indolent man in course ot or years of countless days dayios of consul thic trusting relying on oil QUO one ever p went eer ready always trust worthy I 1 lind had been with him nearly thirty yean years there is anns us birday a secret of the kings which be he had not known and kept at last hid bid he turned A trul torl 1 had find failed to allow for thil human side alde of the matter bow much more alone tin the revelation would make tho the king feol feel how more exposed ind bel help pleam leaa juat just moreover when sickness alck neca mada bli invaluable servant more indispensable still A forlorn dignity the kings simple question la Is it true Lt inge Lepa geB impassivity vani blied lie ITO too wan was deeply moved the sense of guilt was ou on him of guilt hid his master it drove him on beyond itself to a my against those who had goaded him into bis his disobedience whose whoso action and plans had made hi hit 4 disobedience right for right now he believed and felt it ills tal with Zer berkovitch kovitch had crystallized hie his sus ans pl eloris into confident certainty certainly lie ile was carried beyond thinking of what effect his outburst might have on hai own fortunes fort unea or how it night might di atress the already harassed king he ile back fl ercel at lila tits accuser all his na lional of at passion finding vent in the torrent or words ho he poured forth la in excuse or justification he lie poke hia his native french very quickly one word jostling Jo etling over another his arms lying dying like windmills and bis his bair hair bristling as it seemed alth defiance ye yei i ite wit true air lr I 1 disobeyed your majesty for tho the first time in lit thirty vor the first time in my life ekr sr I 1 did iti it and why because it waa was right because it was for honor I 1 wa was angry yest I 1 had been scolded because count alexis bade mo me call him printe wincel and you beard me do it yea yes I 1 was angry waa was it my fault lind had I 1 told him bo he waa was a prince nol who had told him be he was a prince dont nik me air aek ask somebody clae else for my part I 1 know well the difference bo be tween ono one who la Is n prince and one alo I 1 Is not oh oil ini im not ignorant of that I 1 know too the difference differ cuco between one who la Is a queen and od one who Is not gotoh ob with tie me adit ait oit respect to aime hi lit 1 but I 1 know it and I 1 re to it doe does everybody else re member 10 t he ile topped for a moment and slid clutch el ed at hia his tiff stiff tight collar as though to wrench it away from hie his neck and let the stream of his unada flow even more freely nalle bile be he paused nobody spoke Ste norles heavy rate gaze waa wait on the king tVa eyes on the cell lex aua the countess coun tesi looked cared seared had they made a mistake nih take would it have been better to run the risk of what lepage could dol do the kings hands were on the table in front of him they trembled whew where they lay why the prince to know because then ho he so go on his journey tits aa journey titter the german lie ile faced Steno now boldly and defiantly pointing a at him yea yes they wanted bhim to go to yea yes they did why air to marry a princesse prin cessa a great princess was that what they wanted eh eb but it would have bave been teen little use for caunt cu int alexis to ask me to call him a prince r then and mm la Is countesse Coul tesse with the 1 I utmost respect to mroe la comess Comes sc she ho wanted a great princess here oh ob ebe she wanted that mightily to be sure surer the king stirred unea uneasily gily in his chair sir will you listo listen ri to hiell him the Coan teis broke in ills 1 answer was cold 1 I to every man before I 1 order hm to be punished I 1 yr yei they wanted bini him to go ye certainly t for be he iraln his men at volana Vola nl trains hm them to his big guns bhea the be luen are trained and t tbt be guris guns have come comewell well C call all co count alexis a prince then will even they who taugie him to think himself I 1 a prince ob oh yes they wanted him to got and anil h aff r go if he lie knew jour your majesty was as ill lie ile loves your majesty tu yea yeal but it he hated you 0 tull would he be 11 1 01 with a sudden torn turn he was rout rouba idon on Steno again and threw throw out bis his arms as though to looka the prince embrace a P picture la is away the CUDS guns are come the king dies who rom manda lu in the belac who governs slavna lit wa was hick to the king with another swift turn may stay I 1 answer ulet ilay I 1 till the mother of prince in the P alae 81 elivna is ruled bj the friendt of ills fits vol ce fell to an nit ironical murmur and the prince N 1 far tar off beekler neek iiii a grout prInce sir do yon you see the pl picture ture ity suddenly lo lowered Pred lib his eyes from the belling anil and looked at the gea little inan with a it smile sub su b imagination in lit the ants ball hall tie lie hilf under his tits breath the hiie rebuked hs tits levity nor Indor indorsed sod tle lu insinuated entire satire lie ile took no notice at all ilia ills eyes were fixed on hid tits still tirs ir 7 lianda hands att spoke in it calm smooth wice absolutely air I 1 believe bellee the nans honest he said m ith an inflection of 0 glod humored prise one seeg how ito fi got the idea ideal im sure hes genuinely demoted to your and to the prince as we all arc are lie ile acet see something gothi on which be he doc aitt understand tie knows something Is going on that lies ignorant of lie ile knows the unfortunate condition nf of your Inal majesty estyle health iles like a burne forgive me in charge of a eick sick child he lie thinks eiery everybody body but himself has design on oil his charge its it really natural however absurd but it surel makes ibo the precaution I 1 biggest cd ed cen more necess necessary aryl if he be went about spreading a tale like this the line was clever cleverer far than the countess rage cleverer than Staf nitz c e airily r bitter dueer hut but of it too 00 the kins king tr ok no notice lepage took no more than lay in a very scorn MI smile lie ile leaned doii toward the motionless dull faced icing king and aid in his earthey wanted him to go yes did they want him to como come back again sir air lie ile bent a little lower and almost how lone long conid his journey have taken air elra how long ionic would it have taken taker him to get back if it lu in ease of need ono one more question be he did not ask in words but it waa was plain enough without them long can your majesty count on living 1 at last the king raised hl head and looked round on them alis 1 eyes were heavy and glassy tola this man baa has been my trusted servant for many ninny many years you general Sten oNles acs have been my right hand roy my other self colonel Staf nitz Is high in my confidence and lepage li 1 only tuy tar servant 1 I meek stand no higher than any other of or your majest yi servants except la in so far fir ni its the nature of my services rises me a claim said Sten ovies dut but theres one here who stands far nearer tp me than any one who stands nearer to me than any living being abe must know of ahls thing if it ua its true if it its being done her hand band must bo be foremost among the hands eliat file 1 doing it ills eyes fixed themselves thema elvea on the face la Is it true he lie asked sir how can you ask how can you listen trae true its a malignant la in vent venti loni helm because I 1 re proved him film aw im angry I 1 no but its ate true for all that silence lepage am I 1 to take your word wont against the coun courteaay counte tester aay markart n silent to all 1 abb scene thought that Le levides viges game wai was up 1 bo ho could doubt what the embt es word would be probably lepage too thought that he nas as beaten that ho h was vas i 1 ruined man for he played a desperate carithe card the last tard ardef of a bank bupt player yet it was guided by shrewdness and by the intimate knowledge which his years of residence in the palace had given biro him lie ile knew the king well and be knew the count ess ellenburg hardly less thoroughly 1 I peak speak truth sir air as I 1 believe it but I 1 cant expect you to take my word against the countess I 1 have too nachi respect for nime la Coul countesse tesse to ask that ol 01 agulan he lie bent down toward the king the king looked up pt t him ste simile came back into the mind in ft a low soothing noo thing tone laage made hi hl throw his bis last sime la Cora tesse Is of great pitty if mcce ia 1 comte Lom tesee will take a solemn oath nell then im content ill eay any I 1 was uns in latti fats ken honest I 1 declare sir air but bult Steno ralsa his bead head wibb jert jerk smiled scornfully iii U was thinking that lepage was not after all a very resourceful fellow ar AO oath eath grent heavens oaths were la in the daye work ork when you put your band to affairs like this out but here ste novica movies was wiser and lepaga was wits shrewder Fla general leed from an all experience rather one orie sided tho otaw two ln iw the pe tal cae case when oatha oaths were mentioned soloan oath oaths Steno scented danger the king kan knew his tits wife too and he was profoundly n affected con convulsed vu tied to the depths of his mind the thion sounded true it had a horrible sound of truth he ile 11 the countess denial dental solemn ai as it could be framed that would restore the confidence which was crumbling from beneath his tormented bewildered mind can car anybody sect to that ho be asked slowly if I 1 eay any it ill relieve 11 mv lulad ve 0 hnud im illi it sk k L in III III yu kam if ii 11 ill relieve it 11 tit 4 ill mind ll 11 lick sick mill s ar if 1 slin rl sk 11 1 little better mul tind old her I 1 if asir tined 1 of or bikit i if if sone one of them dered to obi I 1 conid could plau 11 unless tin the comit her tier self and aud mho she dared not in bis lils prea prem nt lit mood the king ling would not accept the pl pd of her dignity against it heu geould bet set the indulgence due to a ekk 14 rebellious fancies could coull she foi rot her dioutt di gutt sake deny hini him whit would make him sleep ho ile looked nt at her something lit I 1 her tier taw face to strike bini him ns its strange A bort bart of f quiver ran through his body ho lie seemed to pull himself together with nil an effort As lie spoke to her tier hie tits colre pounded rounded faint and ever eier so to alight ly blurred youle youve heard lepage and I 1 know that speak the truth to me on your oath the truth about the t thin h in nearest to the heart of a dying min nearest to the heart of your dying hits band aou oil lie on oath to i dying ilku your husband tind your king ling for I 1 am dying you hae 5 still but end you believe that some sonie day you and I 1 will stand together before tho throne As yon you all ill answer to too heaven in ili that day Is this true was it in your heart and in the heart of or these men to keep roy my son the heir of or my in house from ba bis 4 throne Is it truo true As you shall aisner to god cod for your soul la Is there any truth in lit it rhe woman went gra in the face a sheet of 0 gray paper seemed drawn over her cheeks checks her narrow lips showed a pile red streak across it her prayers choso laborious ingenious ious plausible prayers helped ber her nothing here 1 I at thia this time sir the countess countes 9 will bo be had bad been driven to this ile feared greatly not a soul heeded him every eye now was as on the woman sho she struggled ebo struggled to lie ile she struggled to do what she believed avoult bring perdition to her soul her tier voice was forced and ba harsh arsh when nt at last she broke silence As I 1 shall answer in that day As you shall answer to god for your soul in ili that day the king repeated she gave a wild glance at Ste novica seeking succor finding to i refuge her eyes cane carle back to the kingo face ae As I 1 shall answer E iry word came fortu forth by its own self with its separate birth pang pangs is I 1 a ball answer to god for my soul she stopped there was silence allence while to a man might count ten she threw her bands hands above her head and broke into a violent torrent of sous sobs 1 I cant 1 I 1 cant they beard heard her say through I 1 her tumultuous weeping the king suddenly 1 I canet I 1 started ta arted back in hn hl chair crant I 1 as though somebody had offered to strike him you couyou you you my wife you you whom I 1 trusted trusted truit trusted ed like ab ah ie in that lepage did I 1 hear right ly she eh swear with the utmost respect to mine I 1 a Comte she hf could not swear sir mr the king sprang to its tits fet fett gol gorl he cried they their all nit ro sethe countess counte shaken with unconquerable sobe sobs hut but tb next moment the king mad made a quick indr a w of the breath like a nun man suddenly prIc pricked krit bv some sharp thing he ile drop pod rot back n his chair ilia ills head hend fell to meet alc bands hands on the table in front the bands hands were palma palms downward and his forehead on bis his knuckles there was a pause then lepage onried from the room crying dr Na heff dr ste wiped his bl brow Staf Stat nitz raised his 1 head with n queer look took at the king and hin hl shaped for a whistle the countess co entes sob seemed 1 as though frozen her bole hole frame was wan rigid the king did not more came in ill lepage who followed cloeta shut th door after mm him they both wh went to the ki kin there wao silence whit itte beff nis mii do bis his 1 in a couple of rain min utes be turned round to them SonI ethIng has taw au wd ed hia hl majest majesty strone strong agitations Y yes ans answers weri 4 lea ies said Nat chetT he lie cl alej re J hl his throat and intner doubt illy at the tb coun teea vu well asketh threw out tits liandi shrugging his shoulders vrr ever ao 0 o slightly 1 I regret to tiny that tin thil effect la Is the worst possible i majesty lit I 1 dead silence agian 1 n strangely rangdy at brok Staf nitz sprang acress the nou mon n ou ith a bound ille 11 i ants ami and cs aught the ph by the shoulder 01 not ol he lie said not for twenty four hours yet ill 1114 HM ile tomorrow ITO BR ar C 0 ITI MED 1 ii i nil |