The Argosy — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

Far Normandy. 319 seemed to spring up from nowhere on to the roof of a little lodge on the left, and the voice of the dragon was heard. ‘What do you want?” it said, very sternly and abruptly. “We want to see the chapel,” we replied, in the sweetest tones at our command. “Impossible,” was the answer. ‘No one is admitted after dark. The gates are closed.” * But we want you to open them for us. You must make us the one exception to your rule. There is no rule without an exception, you know.” Then suddenly there was a step forward, and a female head bent over the roof. It was quite a Romeo and Juliet scene, H. C. whis- pered—and I was only too happy that he should play Montague to such a Capulet. “Who has the temerity to make such a request?” asked this Juliet, in apparently the extreme of wrath. ‘“‘ Who bids me unbar the gates, as though he were a monarch of the House I acknow- ledge ?” “We are not monarchs,” we humbly replied. ‘‘ But we admire and respect your House. We recognise the divine right of kings ; we believe in hereditary monarchy. We should not wonder if your House —— ” “Do you think it will ever reign again?” The dragon’s voice trembled as she asked the question. We felt we were about to con- quer. But our answer must be oracular. Tt may well be,” we replied. ‘‘ Greater wonders are seen every day. Justice is sometimes delayed, but triumphs in the end. Those who live longest see most. We are travellers. This 1s our first visit to Dreux ; it may be our last. We should be disconsolate if we did not pay our respects to the tomb of your House. It is in your power to admit us.” There was a deep sigh: a murmured “If I thought they would reign again I should die happy;” a head suddenly withdrawn ; another interval of silence; and then the great gate swung open, we passed within, and the gate closed behind us. ‘There stood the dragon, a bright lamp in hand, smiling and amiable ; a dragon no longer. “You are strange people,” she said. ‘‘ You have mesmerised me. { do not know what your influence is, but I feel bound to obey you. I have never done this for anyone before; I shall never do it for any- one again. Follow me.” And we followed this feminine Diogenes. Her step was light, her carriage was noble. Her lamp gleamed out weirdly in the darkness, faintly lighting up the trees and shrubs about us; casting ghostly shadows around. It was a strange experience, and we felt curiously about it. But it possessed sufficient of the unusual to make it interesting ; was tinged with a romance that redeemed it altogether from the commonplace, ) CoOnniclooolkks (SO) mM