Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924 — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

120 clasped behind him, walking up and down the room, or standing in an inspired atti- tude, or pausing at a table upon which stood two bottles of old Medoc with the chilly, damp cobwebs still clinging about them, and from which he poured a glass from time to time, the nobleman dictated line by line to Randal, who sat in a corner, quietly attentive, scratching down the words with a hasty quill the instant they were uttered. “What will you «say of her, Randal?” asked the master, coming to a halt in his pacings. “Your grace, it is far from me to—” ‘No hypocrisy, rascal! You have opin- ions. Every man has where a woman is the subject. Your lame beggar who knows nothing more than the price of oranges feels free and able to pass an opinion about a queen; for the worst of those who go in trousers feel, in some devilish fashion, that they are able to speak down to the best that dress in skirts. Am I right?” “T have no doubt that some—” “* Nonsense! I say, you have seen her. 11] have your opinion!” “T should say, then, that the lady is generally considered extraordinarily proud, your lordship.” “Proud she is. It is grained in her to the bone. Proud, then, and witty?” ““T have not heard it.” “ And you will not. Is she lovely, Ran- dal?” . “She is—unusual, your grace.” “ Unusually odd in face and figure. There is the sum of the vixen, then—a proud termagant, stupid, ugly, and distinguished only for her loose manners and her self- esteem. ‘Then answer me a riddle.” “To the best of my ability.” “Tell me, admirable Randal, why I am dolt enough to waste this evening compos- ing a poem which the fool cannot under- stand when I deliver it to her hands?” “T have only the ability to guess, sir!” “ Guess, then, and be damned!” “Tt is because another person, of the greatest distinction, has chosen to honor the lady with his attentions—” “ Randal, you are profound. That is it. It is because Old Rowley has chosen to ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. waste time on this creature that I see something in her. Any deer is worth a man’s marking when it lives in the king’s park. Am I right?” ~ “Most unquestionably, sir.” “Then my time is not wasted.” “May I dare to suggest—” “ Out with it! What will you say?” “That your time may be worse than wasted. His majesty has a hard way with those who venture to poach upon his own—”’ “A hard way with any but me. But I bear a charmed life with him. A charmed life, Randal, because I fought and starved and went through beggary for his sake in the old days—but in the meantime, where is Lascelle?”’ ‘““T have sent for him, sir. I have put upon him your express command, and he has vowed to come to you this day.” “It is already nearly night. Does the dog dare to put me off?” “That is not possible, sir.” “Tell me, Randal—for you have made the fullest inquiry about him—is this Las- celle indeed such a mighty bide?” ‘“ He is considered matchless.”’ ‘““So I have heard—so I have heard! Would God I were five years younger and in exercise—I should test the sharpness of that matchless point. But perhaps he dares not show his face since he killed poor young Godfrey.” “IT believe that there is no fear of harm coming to him on account of that; at least, not from the crown’s officers. Old Godfrey, the squire, came and fell on his knees and begged the king for justice.” ‘Did he do so?” “This morning. And the king vowed to him that Lascelle should not escape from the kingdom alive.” * What!” “But after Godfrey went off, his majes- ty explained to some about thhim that it would be a pity that so able a swordsman should ever leave the realm, though there was no reason why he should die in it until age took him off—or a better fencer. The rumor has it that Old Rowley intends to use Lascelle in some of his own affairs. He has rivals to chastise.” COMICOOOkKS (C@