Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

BORROWED PLUMES. able to ensnare. fidence that, as Count Vaudreuil, your con- duct will bring honor to an already honored name!” The flattery expressed in word and tone banished from George Strong’s mind the fact that comparatively little had been said of the plans of the personage. He blushed, hated himself for doing so, tried to speak, stammered. “‘ D-dash it all, sir, you’re on! It will be a lark. And as we are both strangers here, nobody need ever know.” The private secretary rose, lifted his hat, bowed and extended a lavender-gloved hand. “Tt is of an intelligence I should have expected, monsieur,” he said. “ There re- mains but a single detail—yet an impor- tant one.” He hesitated, anxious to choose the right phrasing for a matter of some delicacy. He recognized in the young American one who was as truly a man of breeding and family as those who claim noble blood, and he was solicitous not to offend him. “In the matter of expenses, as I have indicated, there will be no reasonable limit. But even so, there are certain items that cannot well be reckoned upon one’s hotel bill without embarrassment. The count would wish you to feel as unhampered as he is himself; and this bespeaks a certain amount of pocket money—I do not sug- gest it in the form of a salary, but as a proper part of our agreement that—”’ George interrupted, his face flushing. It _ was well enough, as a harmless escapade, to change identities with the count for a brief time; but under no circumstances would he permit himself to incur even the suspicion of becoming anything like a gentlemanly mendicant! Europe was full of such. Men who accepted gratuities which they did not really earn in any manly way, and whose origin was thinly disguised by various euphonious terms. The prank, as such, ap- pealed to him; he felt besides a sympathy with the unknown young nobleman who wished, naturally enough, to throw off the. shackles of convention and disport himself as freely as any American. “No money,” he firmly negatived. “TI You have my fullest con- 661 must in order to carry out my impersona- tion adopt a rather luxurious style of living. But it must not extend to anything like an allowance! That is final.” The secretary bowed, respectful compre- hension showing in his eyes. “Then let us repair to a café and bind our bargain with a sirop! After which I will have the-honor to escort you to the Hotel of the Three Queens, where you may consider yourself already to be a guest. The name of your hotel, by the way, is derived from the fact that three ex-queens have as a matter of fact, retired to it to spend their declining years. Each of them died there, and was accorded a magnificent fu- neral.”’ “Well, here’s hoping Count Vaudreuil has everything but the funeral,” George grinned. Il. Five days had passed since George Strong had entered the Hotel of the Three Queens as Count Vaudreuil. He occupied an ornate suite on the entresol, overlooking the Champ Elysées, an apartment which had sheltered famous princes of state, church, and finance. In its great canopied bed several world figures had passed away; a fact which impressed without especially cheering him. It had at first been great fun. A certain deference had always been paid to him as the son and heir of his father, and he was enough of a good American to dislike it. But this was different. To begin with, it was only play acting. For a little while he was to taste the vicarious satisfaction of royal lineage. It would be an experience to remember all through life. And that was that! It was an occasion, merely to be served by the incomparable Sauerbraten, his bor- rowed valet. It has been said that there are three sexes: men, women, and valets. Sauerbraten knew all tongues, all that there was to know about clothes, food, social usage, transportation, interior decoration, what was going on that gentlemen should not miss. There was in his manner toward George nothing that he could detect to show that the valet regarded him as other Eomicbooks o)