Adventure Magazine Cover — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

The Way of Sinners ‘“‘Ah!” says heatlast. ‘“H’m. It sounds well. But—as to the countess.” ‘“‘What of her?” I asked. “Well,” asks Matteo, “‘is she to be with us? I mean—” ‘“‘She is to be with me,” I told him. ‘‘As for aiding in the command of the troop, of course she will not. She will be no concern of thine.”’ “Not so fast. If we are together, we are together, young man; my business may suffer from thy faults. Meseems that if thou marry the lady, the nobles will be hostile to thee—to us; and if not, the more so.” “‘The purpose of this alliance,” I told him coldly, “is that at last, and first among all our kind, we may be able to defy nobles, instead of truckling to them; a business which (according to report) doth not much suit thy taste.” This reminded him of the duke; and he tore forth an oath, agreeing that it was even SO. “With such an army as we shall have,”’ I went on, “and with such commanders, we should be nobles ourselves; aye, and higher than that.” “It is possible,” says Scarlatti, his eyes lighting, and fixing on me in friendly fash- ion. ‘‘But—this doth not touch upon the countess.”’ “Your pardon,” says I, ‘‘but bethink you. When I dared beard you in your own tent, in the midst of your own camp, forthwith it was clear that there was a woman in the matter. Bethink you farther, I beseech; that here you have been more years in the trade than I have lived; yet this thought of 9 commanding nobles, instead of being com- * walls and defenses, so to say; I was assured manded by them, is new to you.” He considered me. “Thou wouldst say, that ’tis she inspires thee to such ambition, and that without her—?” I burst into protestations, the which, after some few seconds, old Scarlatti shut off by placing his hands firmly on my mouth. “Very well, very well, very well,” says he. “In the name of modesty, cease. Quite so. Aye. We will try it, at least; we will re- heve your castle, and then we may discuss the alliance more at length.” I gripped the old man’s hand until he winced, and demanded when we should start. “Oh, two days hence,” says he carelessly. 163 “Two days? But in the name of God, man, the garrison is in sore straits! Con- sider that they are left without me, and—” ‘Consider also,” says Matteo testily, “that my troop consisteth not of two men and one horse, and that it is in camp, not on the march. I say two days, and that is hastening; if thou dost think thyself able to move the column sooner, why, thou’rt welcome to try.”’ “Dost thou commission me to make what speed I may?” His wise old eyes narrowed. “T commission thee to nothing, waiting the union with thy troop,” says he slowly. “But what thou canst do, thou mayest.” I had to stab one man for insubordina~ tion; but Scarlatti’s band was ready to march by evening of the same day; and leaving Costecaldo for the castle, I per- ceived the old man eyeing me sidewise, admiringly, as we jingled ahead of the troop. CHAPTER XVI THE ROUT WAS in the mood to perform prodigies joyfully; left tomy com- mand, that troop, accustomed to move ‘slowly and portentously in the old style, wouldhavemadea forced march rivaling the best of my own trained men; but when Scarlatti forbade this feat out of pride and on account of the cost of horse- flesh, I remained gay, and to his apologies opposed a bland certainty that all would be well. I believed it, to boot; for since my victory over the old man, the kingdom in- habited by Anita and myself had grown that Fate favored us; and had I thought of it, I should certes have furbished up my belief in God, so that I might assure myself that He was on our side. Overflowing, I said something of this to old Matteo, expecting that he would think me mad, and prepared to laugh inwardly at his own sad sanity; but he was not as- tonished; nay, it was myself that remained amazed—at his cool understanding of my condition of mind. “Aye,” he said (this was on the second day of our march, when we were near our journey’s end), “that is a common error of youth; love gives it an unnatural strength, and forthright it assumes that a similar COnmiclboooks.c©