The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

296 put the duke’s revolver in the breast pocket of my coat, first examining 1t to see that it was in perfect condition. My coat was large and loose, as was the stvle in that day, and the weapon showed up not conspicuously. Another ring at the door bell, louder and more impatient. Armed, confident, I opened the door. It was not Nolan. The man who stood before me, smi- ling and bowing pleasantly enough, was -uncommonly reminiscent of some one whom I had seen previously; yet I could not place him, and so gave the credit for the fancied likeness to my immediate association with the Duke de Soria and his enemies. For the fellow was dark-skinned and dark of eye, a Spaniard by the look of him. He was very well clothed, with that extreme of fashion which attracts no attention, and bore himself with an air of blood, of distinguished lineage. He had a heavy mustache, I remem- ber, and spectacles very slightly colored, indicating a weakness of the eyes. The card he handed me bore the words: HERNANDEZ LESTRADE, K. G. F. The Spanish Washington, D. C. tion, Knowing him then for the person to whom the Duke de Soria had wired the morning before, I welcomed him and asked him to enter. I told him that I was very glad to see him; as, in truth, I was. Through him, it might be that I conld escape from my embarrassing po- sition as the involuntary host of the duke’s corpse. He appeared immensely and genu- inely shocked when I told him of the death of the old gentleman, and of the tragic and inexplicable circumstances attendant upon it. Speaking in very fair Enghsh, with the slightest traces of an accent, he expressed his sorrow at the untimely fate which had overtaken his old friend (so he termed the Duke de Sorta), snd his concern that I should be so in- voluntarily involved in the unfortunate od THE ARGOSY. affair. He was under a thousand ob- ligations to me, he said, for my extreme kindness; he and his were at my service for life. The disposition of the body, he told me, would be the care of the Spanish legation. The Prince de Montebiancia was a man of no ordinary importance in Spain; the honors that should be done his remains would be out of the com- mon. I confess that I was relieved ; ;my path was cleared of this embarrassment, at least. Perhaps I thanked him effusively. The circumstances, the Senor Le- strade led me to understand, attending his friend’s demise were painful to the extreme; it was his duty, as a represen- tative of the Spanish government, to keep the matter as quiet as possible. Through his influence he had no doubt but that the fact of the murder might be suppressed, and further embarrass- ment saved the Senor Plympton. But he must ask the Senor Plympton to put himself to the too great trouble of recounting the adventures which had led up to the homicide as minutely as possible. To this I was nothing loath. I gave him a history of the case—or as much of it as [ knew—-in the fullest detail. “What do you make of it, sir?” I asked him, when I had made an end to mv story. “ What motive can you as- cribe for these two heinous crimes? What He raised a small, well-formed hand deprecatingly. “ But, senor,” he protested, “it is but little that I know. True, I have called the Duke de Soria my friend, but that is hardly the truth. The differ- - ence in our rank, our station, would put a friendship, as you use the word, out of the question. ‘“My compatriot, rather let us call him. What slight knowledge of the duke I possess, believe me, 1s entirely at vour servi sam I.” He bowed, and I murmured thanks. “The principality of Montebiancia,” he continued, “is a small, independent state in the Pyrenees, under the joint protectorate of Spain and France—as is, 1f you remember, the republic of Andorra. ECOMMIC OO CO