Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

A CROWN I met King Peter’s eyes, steady, contem- plating me gravely. For the first time I thought he looked his age. His boyishness had vanished. He looked like a man with vast responsibilities. He looked like a man who had suddenly become aware of things that he had ignored. And I knew. that Laline de Chanterelle could never have been anything to him. And I saw again as in a vision the mysteri- ous, luminous white face of Fay Delsarte. Of Betty Fane that night I dared not think. In all sincerity I had sentenced her to death. When I looked at King Peter’s face, with its new sternness and purpose, I was con- vinced that what Elizabeth Cleveland had done as Betty Fane he would never forgive. I must say I admired Laline de Chan- terelle during the rest of that evening. Her maid must have been a magician and she herself a thoroughbred through and through. She came down after an incrédibly short delay, fair, exquisite, bejeweled, full of charming apologies. The king sat by her side at dinner, and she sparkled and thrilled, piquant, provocative, a most enchanting piece of Dresden china loveliness. Once or twice in life it has come to me to know that there is no gayety so Bay as that of a broken heart. My farewell to King Peter was very brief. We. were alone together for a few moments in a room behind the drawing room. The bridge tables were breaking up. Some one was strumming on the piano. Glasses were being clinked at the buffet in the dining room across the corridor. This party was to be followed by a general exodus. The king was leaving early in the morning. The De Chanterelles were follow- ing him to Florania. Bunch and I were off to Paris to arrange about a portion of my trousseau. “ You made the princess’s excuses,” the king said to me in a low voice. ‘“ May I ask how that came to pass? But perhaps ‘I can guess. You found her coming from the garden. Don’t trouble to deny it. I can see in your face that you overheard that unpleasant scene. I am grateful for the influence you must have exerted over her.” 7 A FOR SALE. S97 T could not find words to answer him. “Would you tell me the truth—did you overhear us?” The direct question I had to answer in the affirmative. ‘I think I owe you an explanation.” His voice was very formal, but his eyes looked into mine with quite a new expres- sion—candid, quietly determined that I should believe what he said. “ Whatever I say will sound mean and I am afraid un- generous. I must trust to your sense of justice. 1 am not in love with the princess. I wish you to know that. If I had been, I would not have stayed under her roof either in London or here. I would not have offered you such an insult.” I suppose I was slightly off my balance owing to the excitement of the evening. I laughed, as I answered: ‘Thank you, I am sure you mean well. I shall not think any more about it. But surely it is not necessary for us to speak of love as it exists between ordinary men and women. You have already told me that you intend to lead your own life. I have acquiesced in the position.” His blue eyes were fixed on me even more gravely—almost pleadingly. ‘““T was contemptible when I said that. I wish to be to you as good a husband as any ordinary man is to his wife. I—I have committed follies, but I see them now as ‘they are. I have treated you very badly. You have been more than generous in re- turn. You have taught me a lesson. It is true that we must live without love.” ‘““Why do you speak of love?” I inter- rupted harshly. “It is so superfluous.” “IT can’t quite explain,” he answered, “ but I feel to-night that I want you to know. I have only loved one woman in my life. I want there to be no falsehoods between us. We shall not meet again until just before our marriage. It would be as unfair to leave you to think I am heart- whole as to give you the impression that I am Mme. de Chanterelle’s lover. The woman I speak of is not in your world, and I shall never see her again. I felt I had to tell you this to-night.” My eyes were brimming with tears. I turned away so that he could not see me. comniclsoo! (©