Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

710 “I am very much obliged for your loan: It shall be returned to-night.” CHAPTER IX, A QUARREL AND A VENTURE. HE hundred francs were returned that night with a short note from the king saying that he would have to be away for a few days. : Life went on as usual, all the hollow gay- ety, the constant, restless passing from one ‘amusement to another. Nothing in that world seemed stable and worth while to me but Bunch, who could be as gay as anybody, but who had her own resources as well, her books and her work and the charm- ing and witty correspondence that she kept up with her regiment of friends in all parts of the world. ‘ King Peter came back, and the Princess de Chanterelle at once took the opportunity to get a téte-d-téte with me. ‘* 1’m sure he’s been with Mme. Delsarte,” she said in that confidential way that I simply loathed, because I knew she had not my interests at heart in the least. ‘“‘ He pretended he was going to Paris, but I know for a fact that he lunched at her villa yes- terday. I simply /ave to tell you, Elizabeth. I think it’s carrying it a bit too far. I put myself in your place.” ‘““T daresay you mean it kindly,” I ‘an- swered, “but I wish you wouldn’t talk about the king to me.” She opened her eyes in pretended amaze- ment. “T can’t understand you. If it were I, I would much rather know than be made a complete fool of. I would thank anybody for telling me. One knows these things are done, of course, but under one’s very eyes— it is disgusting!” And in her fretful words I recognized her own heart fever. She was insanely jealous of Mme. Delsarte herself. She knew she had no cause to be jealous of me. But she wanted to make me unhappy, all the same. She hated me for being even the official bride of the king. I wired to my lawyers to hurry up the settlements, and, if they could not, to place ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. a certain sum of money at the disposal of King Peter at once. I told them to do it in the way they thought best, but it must be done immediately. That afternoon, for the first time, I saw King Peter and Fay Delsarte together. They were driving in a closed car. Her white, luminous beauty was startling. He was leaning to her and talking in a most animated way. He did not even see me. The next day I had a dinner party. There were several important people in- vited. Almost at the last moment the king excused himself in writing. _ “ Depend upon it she sent for him,” whis- pered Laline de Chanterelle to me. I raged silently. The next day there was a luncheon at the De Chanterelles. King Peter had not returned. Laline informed me that she knew for a fact he had been with Mme. Delsarte. Her brother had tak- en an American girl to see the strange, deso- late rock village of Eze, and on one of the lonely mountain paths that led from her villa he had met the king and Mme. Del- sarte In country clothes, looking as if they had been for a long walk. King Peter called on me about six o’clock that same afternoon. I was alone—Bunch had had a touch of fever and was keeping her room. ““T much regret having seen so little of you these last few days,’ he began. “I have been very busy with matters relating to my country.” “So I understand,” I replied. JI was wrought up to a pitch of excitement. I had been nursing my indignation in secret. It was consuming me. He must have caught my meaning, for he looked at me in almost disdainful offense. “There are matters that have to be at- tended to,” he said. ** No doubt,” I retorted. “T am afraid I have in some way dis- pleased you,” he said very quietly. “Oh, no,” I answered as airily as I could. ‘‘ In what way could you do that?” ““T should be very sorry to do so.” “Why? Have you not constantly re- minded me that there is nothing personal about our bargain? Purely business!” T emphasized on the word business. CoMmicoooks (S@)