The Argosy — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

BY RIGHT OF SWORD. 299 ‘“Ror God’s sake, man, don’t trifle in this way. If you know the facts, as I suppose you do, you’ll know I’m in no mood for bantering courtesy. Why am I torn away by your men by force at the very moment. when my sister is in danger at the hands of the brute who has carried her off? I suppose you know all this? What does it mean, I repeat?’’ ‘*You can understand, perhaps, lieutenant, that as it is two days since my sister referred you to me, and you had left Moscow hastily, she was growing a little anxious. You know something of women in love and their insistent moods.’’ “To Hades with all these plots and intrigues,’’ I cried furiously. ‘‘If you mean that that fiend Devinsky is to have my sister in his power, and I am to sit down coolly and bear it while you talk to me about marriage, you don’t know me. IJ’ll think of nothing, talk of nothing, do nothing, till I either have saved her and killed that villain, or am killed myself.’’ ‘Do you mean that you will set me at defiance?’’ cried the prince, in stern, ringing tones, his eyes flashing at me. ‘‘ That you dare to flout the offers we have made you, and have the hardihood to set the needs of the country below your own little petty personal feelings and wishes? Do you know what that means, sir?’”’ ‘“T care not,’’ I answered recklessly. ‘‘I tell you this to your face. If my sister be not saved at once, I?ll never set eyes on you or your sister again, unless it be that you make me grin at you from behind the bars of some one of your cursed prisons. ‘That is my last word, if it costs me my life.’’ He rose and looked at me sosternly that I could almost have flinched be- fore him if my stake in the matter had not been so great. I never met such a look of concentrated power before. ‘Tf you dare to repeat that, Lieutenant Petrovitch, I will send you straight to the Mallovitch,’’ he said, with positively deadly intensity of tone, pointing. his finger through the window to where the frowning tower of the great prison was visible. ‘“T care not if you send me to purgatory,’’ Icried. ‘‘ Save my sister, or my hand shall rot at the wrist before I lift it in your service.”’ We stood staring intently, dead into each other’s eyes; and he stretched forward a hand to summon those who would carry out his threat. Then he breathed deeply, smiled, and offered me his hand instead. ‘By heaven, you’re the man we want in all truth. Now, I’ll tell you what you ask.’’ He had only been testing me after all, and my wits were so blunt in my agitation that I had not seen through him. ‘‘ Have no fear for your sister,’’ he continued. ‘‘ She is quite safe. My man gave that to Devinsky when he was leaving that puts all doubt on that score aside. She is part of our bargain, and the arm of the state is over her. If you accept my offer at once, your sister herself shall decide that man’s punishment. My object in all this is twofold—to let you feel something of the substance of power that will be yours when you have consented ; and secondly, to test a little more thoroughly your stanchness. I am satisfied now, lieutenant. And I hope you are.’’ Comichbooks (<()