Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

210 Guests and priests, who had heard the song of the swords, were gathered in a frightened knot about the parlor door. Se- rene stood clutching at its casing, her face as white as the silk of her bridal gown. At sight of the viscount she moaned, then saw me following, and ran to meet me, and in her joy bruised her tender arms on my steel shell. Mark was leaning against the wall of the corridor, and trying to appear unconcerned. He gave me a strange look. Long after- ward he told me that by listening near the door he had followed the course of events in theJittle room. ‘“ And I would give a hundred crowns to know the stroke which disarmed You, master.” I would give a thousand. M. d’Orsang sent a servant to tell Thie- baud that he might put his muskets down. “There is a palfrey outside,” he said to me. ‘“ It was to have carried Mme. d’Or- sang ”—his rough voice broke a little—‘‘ to Paris. Permit that I present it to made- moiselle, Y—” A tremendous din at the front of the /o- iel interrupted him. Oaths and loud cries were mingled with the trampling of many hoofs on the graveled drive. Through the doorway and into the hall came first the viscount’s gentlemen guests, and behind them a jostling rabble of servants and men- at arms, M. d’Orsang’s and my own. Téte Grise was one of the first to reach me. “ The king has come,” he said. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE STARS SHINE CLEAR, re HE king!” A dozen voices near me echoed the words. I ran to one of the par- lor windows. Two companies of the royal horse, led by captains whom I knew well, had entered the viscount’s grounds. One troop was de- ployed across the lawns in a semicircle which included the /détel and its drive. The other had dismounted and was forming in good order for an advance toward the build- ing. Detached troopers were catching the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. horses which my men had abandoned. At one side the thirty riders whom D’Epernon had loaned me sat their saddles in a dis- ordered group, astonishment writ large upon their faces. Beside the captain of the men who were preparing to march across the lawn was a small, wide shouldered man whom I had followed too often not to recognize him. These things I saw in a glance, and my soul sank within me. I had failed. My high resolves had come to nothing. We were trapped. Had we been in the saddle and upon the road, there might have been a chance to escape; for the king’s horses were weary and ours were fresh. But fighting here could mean only defeat and death. It was the stubbornness of the viscount that had done it; and in my heart I cursed him for it, not knowing how soon he was to make amends. Serene—the king would take her! By God, he should not! At my feet lay a musket, left there by one of M. d’Orsang’s servants. In my madness I stooped and seized it. “ Hilaire!’ My God, not that!” Serene had followed me to the window. She seized my wrist and clung to it with the strength of aman. In my unreasoning frenzy I tried to shake her grip. Two other _ hands closed upon the musket barrel and wrested the weapon from me. “ Not if you kill me, my captain!” It was the voice of Torinaz. He pitched the musket out into a flower bed. Over the sorcerer’s shoulder I saw the confused medley of wedding guests and fighting men standing tense as statues, every eye upon me. “See, captain,” Torinaz continued, “though we have failed, we have still one hope.” “ What—a miracle of God?” I laughed in his face. “No; but one of His sacraments.” Torinaz waved his hand toward the priests. In my excitement I failed to take his meaning, and glared at him dully. My lady took my hand. ‘“‘ He means, Hilaire—oh, surely even the king would respect your wife!” Gomichooks (E)