The Argosy — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

116 Princess Eleanor. become unconscious ; but the earnest expression of the face never relaxed. With his eyes fixed on mine he waited for an answer. “On the contrary,” I replied, “I am the only one who does not doubt your innocence. But I wish you to explain your strange behaviour.” ‘There never was anyone unhappier than I am,” he cried. “The only way of showing my gratitude to you is forbidden to me. I am bound to silence by a word of honour.” “A word of honour?” I asked: and began thinking, as from the face, pale with the loss of blood, I looked to the arm he wore in a sling. The truth flashed upon me as if by inspiration. I saw it all. Wer- dan had stolen the picture for his uncle. He had found some pretext by which he got a copy from Walter. To think a word binding in such a case was madness. I walked up to him, forced him to remain seated, and then spoke to him in a tone which was certainly not a whisper : “‘ Werdan is the villain! You knew not a word of the fraud until my brother discovered it. You copied the picture without an idea what was to be done with the copy. Deny that if you can.” He turned away, covered his face with both hands, then whispered, *¢T cannot tell you an untruth : it is so.” “Then you are not bound by any word of honour! The duel has freed you from your promise.” He looked up at me again, his eyes glistening as if wet with tears. I sat down opposite to him, and after a while asked him to tell me all. All was as I had imagined—all but the agony he suffered in that dreadful hour. “What I felt during that short time,” he said, “could alone excuse the look with which I presumed to meet your eyes. Without that hour, the secret of my heart would have been for ever hidden from Princess Eleanor. On my knees, I shall beg your forgiveness—shall pray that, through the fault of that moment, the doors of my paradise be not closed upon me for ever. A friendly word from time to time is all I ask.” He had risen from his seat and turned from me as he spoke the last words. I could hold back no longer. In an instant I was at his side. I laid my hand on his shoulder, and, half unconsciously, I poured forth the longest speech I have ever made : “So that is your opinion of me? Of course, being a srincess is reason enough to enable anyone to be for months the object of a modest, but passionate devotion; to see the development of an incomparable talent, combined with every noble quality—and yet remain untouched. And when he who owns all this risks his name, his honour, aud even his love, for no other purpose but to. be)true to a comicbooks.com |