Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

86 THE ARGOSY. “And you mean, I suppose, that all the prince’s wealth will pass to the daughter.” “ That is the prince’s will. And you weren’t in time to get him to alter it, you see,’ he sneered; but I let the sneer pass for the moment. “Then you will be the head of the family in all but the name, the husband of the daughter, the owner of the wealth, and the guardian of its honor? ” “You can put a point with the clearness of a lawyer,” he said. “Have you then fought the man who killed the son, Gustav?” As I asked the question I kept my eyes fixed steadily on his; and all his bluster could not hide his discomfiture. “These are things you don’t understand,” he said bruskly. “ There is much behind—too much to explain to you.” But if you say that my cousin Gustav was murdered; that you know this to be so; that fighting is your business; and that you are the guardian of the family’s honor, why have you not called the murderer to account? ” “I tell you you don’t understand these things. We don’t manage matters like a parcel of swaggering student duels.” “ Apparently not,” I answered, in a studiously quiet tone. “ Students would say in such a case that you did not fight because—you dared not.” “ You speak with a strange license, and if you are not careful you will get yourself into trouble,” he cried furiously, trying to frighten me with a bully- ing stare. “ You won't find every one ready to make such allowances for your gaucherie as Iam. You will have the goodness to withdraw that sug- gestion.” “ I will do so with pleasure the moment I know you have challenged the man you calla murderer’; or have repeemed ; in his presence what you have said about him to me.’ His surprise at this unexpected tone of quiet insistence on my part was almost laughable; but he tried to carry it off and bear me down with his bois- terous, bullying manner. “You had better take heed how you presume on my forbearance toward one in your position, or even the fact that you are nominally a member of the family will not prevent me from giving you a pretty severe lesson.” “You mean, I suppose, that although you dared not challenge the man who killed Gustav, you think you might tackle me with impunity. That is not a very high standard of courage;” and I shrugged my shoulders and curled my lips in contempt as I added: “ If that is all the protection the Gram- berg honor can rely upon, God save the family’s reputation.” The sneer drove him mad, and the blood rushed to his face until every one of his coarse features plowed with his passion. “With the prince lying dead in the castle this is not the time for such a matter to be settled; but I will not suffer such an insult, even from you, to pass unpunished. Why should you seek to force a quarrel on me at stich a time? ” “You forget, the quarrel is of your making,” I answered coolly. “ The moment you entered this room you insulted me by saying I had come here for what I could get, and sneered that I was too late to induce the prince to GOH GoOOO ‘SS COLNT