The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

36 A PERUVIAN PARADISE. “Tt is even so, Imozene,’’ he replied, the unfamiliar sounds falling from his tongue haltingly. ‘‘I would not tell thee what was not true.’’ She sighed a little and let her head fall so that the waving black hair hid her face. ‘‘I cannot understand why thou camest hither, my lord,’’ she said. ‘‘Ts there anything my poor people have which thy people have not? Have they not gold, and treasures ?’’ , ‘Ves. Many of my people have riches of which thou hast never dreamed. But I am poor.’’ ‘Thou wilt want for nothing here,’’ returned the girl simply. ‘‘ My people count not gold as did those cruel men who camie to our land so many, many years ago.’’ She looked searchingly into his face again. ‘‘’Thou art a warrior ; thou art handsome; thou knowest—oh, so much? ‘Thou art rich here.’’ ‘“’Fhou wilt make me vain, Imozene,’’ he said, laughing a little. ‘Thou art not like the men of my tribe,’’ she went on. ‘‘ Thou art as +) much a man, yet thou art tender, and the red blood mounts to thy cheek like a woman’s. Our men are fierce and wild. Is it because thy people are better than mine? It is not because thou art not brave; I know thy courage, oh, my lord.’’ , ‘‘It is because we have learned more while the years have passed,’’ said Keeth. ‘‘ Our young men are not taught to fight and kill. They learn peace- ful pursuits. Yet they can fight when there is need.’’ ‘‘ And are there no warriors among them?’’ ‘‘ Ves, there are warriors. But all have not to be warriors to be called men,’’ ‘‘ Here my people are ashamed of a man who is neither warrior nor priest. The women will not look at him. What do the women of thy land say to the men who do not fight? Do they not scorn them ?’’ ‘‘ No, princess. It is not considered beneath them to dig in the gardens as the women do here.’’ Imozene shook her head in wonder. ‘Then she raised her face suddenly and, looking into Keeth’s eyes, asked : ‘* Are there beautiful women in thy land, my lord ?”’ “Yes.” ‘‘ How do they look? Are they as beautiful as the men ?’’ And she looked at him “frankly. ‘Thou hast too high an opinion of the men’s beauty, oh, princess,’’ replied Keeth. ‘Thou and the man thou callest ‘Ford’ art as handsome as my own people. ‘Thou art far handsomer than Gonnatzl, and he is my own cousin, and will be priest when my grandfather dies. But thy other servant—he is so round, and red, and fat !’’ andthe girl laughed like a chime of silver bells over the thought of poor Fitch’s personal appearance. ‘‘ Now tell me of thy women, my lord. Are ¢hey beautiful? ”’ ‘‘ Some of them are,’’ responded Keeth hesitatingly. ‘‘ Are they as beautiful as I am?’’ she asked frankly. - ‘‘ Gonnatzl says I am beautiful ; but perhaps thou dost not think so, my lord?”’ (E@) Eomicbooks