Adventure, June 1911 — page 72: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

258 only the truth from my lips. “I was what you thought me—though I think that now I am somewhat better. Well, I came to Verona and entered the Prince’s service. One day I went to the palace to take leave of him before marching for an attack on a Paduan fortress. And then, suddenly, I saw you for the first time.” A startled look crossed her face. saw—me?r” she murmured. “Yes,” I said, “‘I saw you, standing in the alcove of a window, with a jeweled lute in your hands. You wore a dress the color of dull gold, and had pearls on your neck and in your hair. A little crowd of gentlemen were all about you, and you were singing a soft catch of song. I could repeat it word for word; it has rung in my ears ever since, in battle, in quiet, even in my dreams, When you had finished, all the room ap- plauded you, and you smiled in a proud, in- different fashion and tossed the lute away. As you did so our eyes met. I suppose you noted me no more than if I had been a picture on the wall, but it was otherwise with me. J went on into the Prince’s closet, and he was greatly angered because I seemed to pay no heed to what he told me. Faith, I could not have listened to him then had he possessed the tongue of an angel!” The Princess had straightened herself slightly. “I do not understand, Sir John,” she said, with pride and displeasure entering her voice once more. “You are surely wasting words. What matter when you saw me first?”’ “Be patient, Princess,” I answered, with a slow smile. ‘‘When you know the truth you will see that I deserve some kindness from you—and I ask as my rewafd only this one hour, and the right to tell you freely what is in my heart.” She sank back in her seat, looking at me with the same strange air of perplexity and trouble. “‘As time went on,’ I continued, “I saw you often. Many a time you passed me on the streets, riding out to the hunt, or with a falcon on your wrist. Sometimes I saw you in the'palace garden, walking among the flowers, or plucking roses and lilies. More than once I watched when the Prince led you out to dance. And always, always, from the first moment when my eyes fell on you, IT loved you with my whole unworthy heart!’ ‘Sir John Hawkwood!” she cried sharply. ‘“How dare you say such words? How dare “You 3 fore me always. Adventure you speak of love tome? You, a mercenary, an adventurer!’”’ Her softness was gone now, and the scornful lady of the past looked at me once more from her lovely face. “VES, a mercenary, an adventurer, unworthy, God knows, to touch! your finger,’ I answered soberly. ‘But yet a lover, worshipping you with as deep and reverent an affection as any crowned king or mighty hero ever gave his lady. I had no thought that you would ever learn it, no hope that I might ever win you. believed that I would never even stand face to face with you and change words on in- different subjects. Knowing well how far I stood below you, I had no wish to lower you by any contact with me. And yet whenever I might I gazed on you from a distance, and suffered silently and endured proudly—and loved. you with all my heart, with all my heart!” “Vou loved me—you? A tanner’s son?”’ she cried. It seemed to me that now there was less anger in her tones, though she strove hard to make them cruel. ‘IT am the son of a tanner,” I answered, “vet I love you as never man loved woman before! I could recount to you the tale of each day Isaw you. Once, asI passed you, a clasp fell from your sleeve, and I raised it and placed it in your hand. You thanked me coldly, not glancing at me, and my heart beat until it hurt my side. Since the day when first I saw you, your face has been be- I saw it in camp when I lay before the fire, and longed to sleep and could not for the pain in my soul. I saw it as I rode into battle, and it so maddened me that at times I prayed for a straight sword- thrust to end my useless life and all its agony. Night and day I saw you, in the streets, in the palace, in the conflict, in the open country——” ‘Say rather in the tavern!” she mocked disdainfully. But her voice was faint now. ““Yes,-in the tavern, too,” I said, “when I sat over the cups till dawn. Does that offend you? Itis true. And many a night I drank till I lost all knowledge, only be- cause the dull pain in my heart was beyond my bearing and I could not endure the proud, indifferent gaze your eyes turned on me. You were part of my life, Princess— you were with mein my best moments and in my worst ones. You have made me pay for all my sins—never doubt it! When I S (C@ (COMMICLOO©