A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

26 A SERVANT OF SATAN. way to a very stern expression. ‘‘Surely you are joking. You don’t mean to tell me that you are here without the per- mission of your superiors?” Frederick bent his head, and did not reply. ‘‘ But are you aware that this is nothing less than an act of desertion?” thundered the general, exasperated by his son’s silence, and starting to his feet. ‘‘ You must be be- reft of your senses, sir, to dare to tell me that a Count von Waldberg has deserted from his regiment. Speak! Ex- plain. I command you!” ‘<T was provoked beyond all endurance by my colonel,” replied Frederick, in short, broken sentences. ‘* We quar- relled, and in a moment of blind passion I struck him a blow in the face which felled him to the ground. I was compelled to make my escape in order to avoid a court- martial.” The general, now as pale as his son, advanced a step to- ward him, and, laying his hand heavily on the young man’s shoulder, said, in a tone of voice which betrayed the most intense emotion: ‘Do you mean to say that you actually struck your su- perior officer! and that, after committing this unpardona- ble crime, you made matters worse by deserting, like a cow- _ ard, instead of at least displaying the courage to remain and face the consequences, whatever they might be? Great God, that I should live to see this day?” Frederick, who by this time thoroughly realized that the only course to adopt lay in throwing himself entirely on his - father’s mercy, muttered, in a low voice: ~The colonel, who has always displayed the most marked dislike toward me ever since I joined his regiment, sum- moned me five days ago, to reprimand me concerning my relations with a ladv who was staying at the inn of our vil- lage—in fact, who had come there on my account.” | «« Ah!” exclaimed the general, ‘“‘I was sure of it. An- comicbooks. co . * « wpa We —s. “4 = 4 “stn 4 » 4 J od