Avon Modern Short Story Monthly #36 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

ere: on HISTORICAL NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENT | ey honour, the poor woman suffered herself to be led, more dead than living, to the altar in the Duke’s private chapel, and there, scarcely knowing what she did, she became the wife of Captain Claudius von Rhynsault, the man she had most cause to loathe and hate in all = the world. oe Rhynsault had ordered a great banquet to coladacate his nuptials, Bh for on the whole he was well satisfied with the issue of this affair. But as he left the altar, his half-swooning bride upon his arm, the _ Duke in person tapped his shoulder. “All is not yet done,” he said. “You are to come with me.” The bridal pair were conducted to the,great hall of the Prinssenhof, where there was a great gathering of the Court—to do honour to his nuptials, thought the German captain. At the broad table sat two clerkly fellows with quills and parchments, and by this table the Duke took his stand, Arnault beside him—in peacock-blue to-day— and called for silence. | . “Captain von Rhynsault,” he said gravely and quietly, “what you have done is well done; but it does not suffice. In the circumstances of — this marriage, and after the revelation we have had of your ways of thought and of honour, it is necessary to make provision against the — future. It shall not be yours, save at great cost, to repudiate the wife you have now taken.” “There is no such intent—” began Rhynsault, who misliked this — homily. The Duke waved him into silence, “You are interrupting me,” he said sharply. “You are a wealthy man, Rhynsault, thanks to the favours I have heaped upon you ever — since the day when I picked you from your German kennel to set you where you stand. Here you will find a deed prepared. It is in the form of a will, whereby you bequeath everything of which you are to-day possessed—and it is all set down—to your wife on your death, or on the day on which you put her from you. Your sigDenEE, is re- quired to that.” The captain hesitated a moment. This deed would fetter all his future. The Duke was unreasonable. But under the steady, com- pelling eyes of Charles he moved forward to the table, and accepted the quill the clerk was proffering. There was no alternative, he J00KS (9) com - d » a vy. © 6-nae < (E(@) r . LAGS By" aa 4 * oy et F