Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

g2 Adventure “Ercole is down,” said he. ‘‘Why should the Frenchman let him up again? But if he will he may.” So they left it to Silvain to decide. “Why, my lords,” he cried, “how should I refuse a knight who would prove himself upon me? Let us ride it, I pray you.” When Lodovico heard that, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled. ‘Here is a gambler!’ quoth he. “Having won all the stakes, he will set them all on another cast.” ‘“‘A dear mad fellow,” said the Lady Beatrice. ‘I pray that he loses. That would be perfect.”’ But he did not lose. Ercole came on a fresh horse and Silvain on the charger that had carried him in all his courses. Ercole rode at a great pace and aimed at Silvain’s helm and struck it, indeed. But Silvain, going soberly, bent forward to the shock and the lancepoint glanced up and away, and Ercole, having made ready for a heavy blow which did not come, reeled in the sad- dle as Silvain’s lance met his shield. He was thrust from his horse easily like a bad rider and heard men laugh as he fell. And once more the heralds proclaimed him van- quished. . “T pray you, sirs,’”’ said Silvain, “‘ask if any other knight will come against me that I may help him to win honor.” But Lodovico stood up and cried — “Enough, enough! Sir Silvain de St. Lo, we judge you victor. For you have con- quered by skill in arms and by courtesy. You have the honor of this trial.” Then the marshals came to Silvain and took off his helmet and led him between them to the Lady Beatrice and he knelt at her feet, and she put over his head a golden chain, and there were trumpets for him and shouting. we IN THIS manner Silvain came to 7 lodge in the castle of Milan. For —=— Lodovico, as the custom was, made him the guest of honor at a banquet and then would not let him go, swearing that he could not afford to lose a knight of such prowess. It seemed to Silvain that the trial at arms had been planned to discover a champion for Lodovico’s service, and he was content. But the only task offered him was to amuse the Lady Beatrice. She took pos- session of him; she would not tire of making him talk. In her bower, a place of white marble and ebony and silver, she lay on a couch, hthe and beautiful in a gown that clung rosy about her and left white shoulders and bosom bare. She set her hands behind her head, hidden in her golden hair and laughed at him. “What do you want of the world?” she said. ‘You have lived your life, winning fortune for other folks, and your youth goes by and you have no joy of it and——”’ “Lady, I have never known man nor wo- man who lived happier.”’ “Then look at me!” she cried. “Indeed that would make any man happy.”’ “By my faith, it has made some men wretched, Silvain,’’ she smiled. “Look at me, then. I have all things at my desire, riches and honor and power. And you are a lonely, poor knight, who has won nothing by all his striving and must die naked as he was born.” ‘““So must we all,”’ Silvain said. “But I shall have lived my life. You will have had nothing of yours.” “By God’s grace, I have done some little things,’’ Silvain said gently. ‘‘And I have done nothing? Is that it? Why, child, the world will talk of Beatrice of Milan when you are dead and dust. I have had power over men. But let me be what you say. I have done nothing, I am nothing! Then in God’s name why do you come to serve me?” “IT serve those who need, lady. For the joy of the venture and the honor.” She flung out her white arms and pointed at him: “He saves others! himself he will not save!’ And she laughed. ‘‘A saint you are, not a knight nor a man.”’ It was there or thereabouts that Lodovico came in. He was with them before they knew it, for he hada stealthy manner. He looked from one to the other; there was no sign of what he thought on his handsome dark face, but he said with a clank of mockery: ‘““You amuse my wife, sir. You are more fortunate than I am.” ‘‘Why he thinks he is,’ said Beatrice. “T have never known a man so pleased with himself. Show him all that you have, my lord, and he will say, ‘I thank you; I had rather be Silvain de St. Lo.’ ” “He is happy,” said Lodovico. comicbooks.c© in