Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

The Making of the Morning Star He glanced sidewise at the set face of the youth and emptied his goblet, then laid his hand on the shoulder of the woman. “Do you make shift to alter the mind of our stubborn vassal; perchance he will listen to reason from other lips than ours——’”’ Seeing that Robert frowned, he thought for a moment. “What then is the sum of your ransom?” “Two thousand broad pieces of gold.” “Horns of the fiend! ’Tis the release of a baron of the rea A smile touched the lips of the knight. “My lord, having fought against Long- sword, it chances that the Saracens do hold me to be greater than I am.” <x, THE demand of the vassal was a a AA) justone. By the feudal laws Robert was bound to serve in the wars of Montserrat, and to come mounted and fully ar med at the summons of his lord. For this service, instead of a fief and lands, Hugo had appointed him castellan of An- tioch, granting him the payment and per- quisites of his office—for though the En- glishman was young for such responsibility he had shown his ability to handle the de- fense of a stronghold against siege. If Hugo had been taken captive, Robert would have been obliged to raise his share of the marquis’ ransom. So he had sworn when he placed his hands between the knees of Hugo, and his lord was equally bound. The marquis flung himself back in his chair with an oath, and Mistress Bengli studied the jewels on her fingers, a slight frown creasing her smooth forehead. “Two thousand bezants!” he muttered. “Tt passes reason—to raise such a sum for a mere punctilio, a splitting of hairs. Mort de ma viel Shall we mortgage our souls to swell the wallets of filthy unbelievers. Ih?” The woman close to his ear spoke softly, and the Italian shrugged. “You went to Egypt on no mission of mine, Longsword; and, now I think of it, you are cursed with wandering. Let the matter stand for the nonce, and we will talk of it at a better time.” “Not so, lord,” objected Robert at once. “If you can not advance to me the entire sum, I must make shift to find a share of it, and perchance sell my office of castellan.” ‘Pardon, messire,” put in the Venetian, Guiblo, “you are no longer castellan, for the king hath appointed ariother.” Il “Who?” “Aye, now it comes to my mind,” laughed the marquis, “our new monarch eut of France hath brought with him a vassal who hath rendered loyal service to the State. Believing you dead, he did appoint Messer Guiblo here castellan.” The thin Venetian bowed. “T regret the mischance suffered by the youth, “and I would that he had seen fit to endeavor to advise his liege of his situation while in Egypt.” “TI give you thanks for your courtesy,” responded Robert, frowning; and Guiblo’s eyes narrowed. The Englishman had not kept his disap- pointment out of his voice. True, he could not quarrel with the turn matters had taken. The king whose standard he had followed, Baldwin, had died in the last years when Jerusalem had been lost, and the ~ baron who had been chosen to succeed him was a favorite of the French king. But now, unless the marquis aided him, as hé was bound to do, Robert would have no means of raising his ransom in Palestine. And not a man present at the table doubted that the Englishman would keep his promise to return to Damietta and his captors if the sum were not raised. “My lord,” he asked, answer—yea or nay?” . Hugo curled an oiled ringlet around his forefinger and sucked in his lips. Silence fell on the company, and Mistress Bengli exchanged a quick glance with Guiblo. “Alas,” she sighed audibly, ‘‘our table doth lack of gaiety since the coming of Sir Robert. Will your Grace permit me to answer the Englishman?” “Aye,” quoth Hugo, pleased. “Let us hear the judgment of Diana. Pardt, Sir Robert, it would have availed you more to urge your suit more gallantly. Then the madonna might have smiled upon you— for you are comely enough to win favor with the fair.” “The fairest face in Palestine,” mured the Hospitaler a little vaguely. “And now,” she added, “having heard the plea of the vassal, we must take counsel of the learned. How now, O seneschal and merchants—are not we in the hands of the money-lenders? Hath his Grace of Mont- serrat such a sum where it can be called in and rendered into gold?” “what is your mur- . Piculph, the Lombard. seneschal, had COnmiclboooks C (© 5}