Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

A CROWN world’s eyes—my money, his rank. But . neither of us really wanted what the other had to give. So this great misunderstanding had to go on. ‘I am satisfied with things as they are.” ‘You are more than generous,” he said in a changed voice. ‘I will try to be less offensive to you.” ‘We must demand nothing of each oth- er,” I retorted coldly. ‘‘ That is the only way.” Just then Bunch opened the door. She did not see the king, who had his back to her and was hidden by a tall flower stand. “* Liz, what is Julia Gray’s address?” she called out. “ Golfrington Hall, Yorkshire,” I an- swered. “ Give her my love, if you’re writ- ing, Bunch.” She shut the door again, and I found the king’s eyes fixed on me in a supremely puzzled way. “It’s extraordinary,” he _ said, ‘“ how, when you speak English, you remind me of some one—and I can’t think who.” — Poor Elizabeth! She couldn’t even in- terest him except as an unrecognized echo of Betty Fane. CHAPTER XV. A SCENE AND AN EXPLANATION. HE next evening there was a fare- well gathering at the De Chante- relles. I had already met the prin- cess in the morning in a shop in Monte Carlo, and she had taken the opportunity of telling me that she was sure Miss Fane, the dancing instructress, had been with King Peter at the time of his accident. “ He is really getting near the limit,” she had added. ‘“ Going about openly with a common creature like that! And then send- ing for the Delsarte on the top of it! My dear Elizabeth, I don’t envy you.” “Don’t you?” I had retorted rather sharply. And her lovely eyes had flashed a look of venomous hatred into mine before she could control herself. ‘“‘T do not think,” I added, “ that it does any good to discuss these matters.” FOR SALE. 895 ““T have thought it only friendly to let you know,” she had retorted. IT had expressed my thanks somewhat ironically, I am afraid, and we had dis- cussed hats and jumpers. I little thought that that evening I was to look into her very soul. It was like this. Bunch and I, owing to a mistake in our clocks, arrived at the De Chanterelles villa quite a quarter of an hour too early for dinner. The servants said the princess had not come down yet, and the prince had had to take to his bed with a bad cold. None of the other guests had ar- rived. But his majesty was in the garden. Bunch subsided into a chair with the New York Herald. ‘Go and talk to the king in the garden, Liz,” she said. “ I’m sure he’d like you to. You're just a little bit too standoffish, I think. It would never do to let him think you’re jealous of the Delsarte woman. I’m sure we’re awfully lucky to have got over that awkward business without any fuss or gossip. Do go into the garden, Liz.” I did as she said. I hardly knew why. I should have nothing to say to the king; he could have nothing to say to me. Only stilted small talk. I must explain the De Chanterelles villa garden. I have already said it was not large, and, to make up for that, it was very much terraced and cut up; and at the bottom of it there were dense hedges of ilex, clipped like we clip box and yew at home, and forming a kind of maze. In the center of these hedges was a pool, surrounded by a bank of gay flowers, and on two sides of it were marble seats. I walked down, expecting to find the king - somewhere at the end of the garden, watch- ing the last rays of daylight fading in the west. I had just passed through an arch in one of the hedges when I heard a voice— the princess’s. ‘“‘ How can I help being jealous? are driving me mad, Peter!”’ There was a hysterical note in her voice. She had no control over herself. 1 was just going to come back to the house, when the king spoke. You “You must not be foolish, Laline. You know that I have to marry.” COMmiIcoooks.conm