The King of Alsander

ddle

Jim

stuc

este

ock

know Norman's guide, for he showed

e, O last courtier of th

devote his life to rescue the house of the Kr

men. We need such men as have made Alsander what it is. Tell m

form of address, did not know what to reply. "He is in the middle ages. For him this hall is still hung with cloth of gold, but he knows

not whisper so much to him in my presence

vaguely wondering if h

oul treachery and foul black magic. But it shall end. I will no longer be the sport of a thing who flaps his wings in my face. But his hour has come. No more scales and fins for me. Listen closely. I will whisper to you the vital secret. I had it in a dr

e there i

n my cause, to fight for me, and to

's kingdom," said Norman, keeping up the spirit of the thin

rved the King. "Come you from North or Sout

your Majesty,"

ll swear you have no lies upon

it please yo

e you K

squire, yo

since you alone have proffered your service to a deserted and broken King, I am filled with good intentions towards you and propose to bestow upon you

uncomfortable in that there was somethi

s of a young child at play. Solemnly and almost gracefully, with the wooden sword that a wise supervision allowed

e with them, and troops of beautiful women will kiss my hand. Every morning I will hunt to the sound of the horn-up the valley, down the valley, after the wild boar. Every evening we will eat his succulent flesh in this my ancestral hall. We will fill this room with pageantry yet, and hold such a feast as this cracked ceiling has not supervised for many a long ye

ecstasy to fear and wen

k. I would not pass another night like yesternight, with his eyes staring in through my head. He is

me, young Englishman," he added in an aside, "I am willing

turned and looked back from the door they saw that the King had again

ut in the garden aga

penny magazine: and now my head is turning, and I am walking not like a man in a dream, but, what is worse, like a man in a paint

the Secret of the Picturesque. For no

But there, do you think I didn't know it all

n I intended to let you know. By 'it' I mean either the Secret of the Picturesque or what yo

r: talk plain sense

plain enough. What is

me and h

a dead secret. But if you are in earnest and willing to talk on the higher plane,

perate bewilderment, and eager to

ad as the King and ne

d Poet, "and I will illustrate my mean

waiting for a word of acquiescence from Norman,

he way. So intent was he on their diverting frolics that while crossing a narrow bridge of planks he nearly fell over into the river, and as time went on, and the pathway began to ascend the hillside more abruptly, I wondered if he was not beginning to find their company a little tedious. For while one of them buffeted him over the eyes with her playful wings, the other flung her robe, for amusement, round his naked body, and embarrassed his movements. However, he got rid of their teasing very soon, and at a point where the path entered a dense forest and they had no room to spread their wings I s

a steep snow slope, at the top of which a black rock rose sheer out of the snow; let into the rock was a glittering brass door. So he refused to dawdle, and, gripping the hand, he began climbing at once. The women summoned all their courage and followed on fo

take with him the girls of the dragonfly wings, for the sake and memory of their old and sweet companionship. The poor fairie

ation,' said the person to whom the han

,' they cried both together, and bent forward trying to pass i

ts beauties stood listening behind the door. He heard the whistling of a scourge and gasps of pain. Then quiet; the door opened, and there

d," said Norman. "But does i

" said the old man, "you would acquire the

ad the New

s is phi

acquired a great reputation. But as for the connexion of the parable and your remark, I conceiv

it as miniature beauty. The other fable of the picturesque I have no need to write; it is written over

turesque which is

said the

le Sir, but why are you so

the love of the tourist who comes to photograph the ruins. Oh! I have wor

, sadly. "After what you have shown me I

owled the old man. There is more hope radiating from a wayside shrine of

s," he rejoined, "Alsander is no place for an Englishman. I have had enough of

on?" There was real dism

rst train

: sit on this bench a moment, let me talk to you in earnest. O you cannot possibly be allowed to go at once. Do you not realize the deep seriousness that li

o. But as for work, I prefer to find it for myself. And without wishing to offend you, I want to leave this p

our head like clouds before I permit

of Menodoron off me months ago at Blaindon. You are the tramp who sent me to Alsander. And now you have got

bench and confronted the

s the reply. "Come, I pro

adve

nd obey me as you trusted and obeyed me before-the greybeard with the blue eyes. Did my adv

y. But the time has come for me to go. I hav

h his stick. "Some pretty wench, is that

guessed

first-then ask the heart. Love's ways are folded in the mind. Second-rate poets may walk in their gardens prelassing up and down, singing you songs of the scholar that loved a farmer

at Goddess as

and many other powers besides. But, believe me, your difficulty is not a disaster, and

one, my Poet. However, if you promise me good sport

ents," smiled the old man, "and they both weigh pretty w

ich

ecrecy concerning what you have seen this afternoon, including the

course I give you my word of honour to keep s

care to let you know is that if you prove your mettle you

s that it? But how am

d you wi

is to be my immediate conduct. How am I to

, walk, sleep, and flirt a little

that

ich I would like you to perform. I want you by gradual degrees to raise a little mystery about yourself. I want you to insinuate with a hint here and a whisper there that you are a personage,

, what a ver

our tasks, and that you have not already been too explicit concerning your origin and identity. Play the lost

in's game," said N

be ashamed of mummery. If you don't like it leave it: but I should be ex

lances propped on their drowsy bodies. The castle square was deserted as ever. Halfway across the old man stopped-

ur great and secret scheme has enriched me, no doubt I shall make her a very magnificent p

edral and ask to see fine presents for fine ladies. He buys stolen goods,

ontains all sorts of trash, and the other day I found a few old boo

eap. They have no intrinsic value if you want to sell them again. But he has all sorts of treasures; I can

stent on the question of the present. He then wondered why he had gone, and then, as minutes went on, he wondered why he had not returned. He looked

ring on the fantastic events of the afternoon, "in th