The King's Mirror. Anthony Hope

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СКАЧАТЬ laugh came from the Countess as she brought me a high footstool. I tried to jump down in time to stop her, but she would not let me. Then she knelt herself on the stool, her knees by my feet.

      "What beautiful military boots!" she said.

      I looked down listlessly at my shining toes. She clasped her hands, crying:

      "You're a beautiful little king! Oh, isn't it lovely to be a king!"

      I looked at her doubtfully; her pretty face was quite close to mine. Somehow I wanted very much to put my arms round her neck, but I felt sure that kings did not hug countesses. Imagine Krak's verdict on such a notion!

      "I'm not a king for my own pleasure," said I, regarding my hostess gravely. "I am a king for the good of my people."

      She drew a long breath and whispered in English (I did not understand then, but the sound of the words stayed with me), "Poor little mite!" Then she said:

      "But don't you have a lovely time?"

      I felt that I was becoming rather red, and I knew that the tears were not far from my eyes.

      "No," said I, "not very."

      "Why not?"

      "They—they don't let me do any of the things I want to."

      "You shall do anything you want to here," she whispered. I was very much surprised to see that her bright eyes had grown a little clouded.

      "We've no kings in my country," she said, taking my hand in hers.

      "Oh, I wish I'd been born there," said I; then we looked at one another for a minute, and I put out my arms and took hold of her, and drew her face near mine. With a little gulp in her throat she sprang up, caught me in her arms, kissed me a dozen times, and threw herself into the big chair with me on her knees. Now I was crying, and yet half laughing; so I believe was she. We did not say very much more to one another. Soon I stopped crying; she looked at me, and we both laughed.

      "What babies we are, your Majesty!" said she.

      "They might let me do a little more, mightn't they? It's all Krak, you know. Mother wouldn't be half so bad without Krak."

      "Oh, my dear, and is Krak so horrid?"

      "Horrid," said I, with grave emphasis.

      The Countess kissed me again.

      "You'll grow up soon," she said. Somehow the assurance comforted me more from her lips than from Victoria's. "Will you be nice to me when you grow up?"

      "I shall always be very, very fond of you," said I.

      She laughed a funny little laugh, and then sighed.

      "If God sends me a little son, I hope he'll be like you," she whispered, with her cheek against mine.

      "He won't be a king," said I with a sigh of envy.

      "You poor dear!" cooed she.

      Then came my mother's clear, high-bred voice, just outside the door, descanting on the beauty of the Count's parterres and orangery. A swift warning glance flew from me to my hostess. I scampered off my perch, and she stood up in respectful readiness for the entrance of Princess Heinrich.

      "Don't tell mother," I whispered urgently.

      "Not a word!"

      "Whatever they do to you?"

      "No, whatever they do to me!"

      My mother was in the room, the Count holding the door for her and closing it as she passed through. I felt her glance rest on me for a moment; then she turned to the Countess and expressed all proper admiration of the gardens, the house, and the whole demesne.

      "And I hope Augustin has been a good boy?" she ended.

      "The King has been very good, madame," returned the Countess. Then she looked in an inquiring way at her husband, as though she did not quite know whether she were right or not, and with a bright blush added, "If you would let him come again some day, madame!"

      My mother smiled quite graciously.

      "You mustn't leave me out of the invitation," she said. "We will both come, won't we, Augustin?"

      "Yes, please, mother," said I, relapsed into shyness and in great fear lest our doings should be discovered.

      "Say good-bye now," commanded the Princess.

      I should have liked to kiss the Countess again, but such an act would have risked a betrayal. Our adieu was made in proper form, the Countess accompanying us to the door. There we left her curtseying, while the Count handed my mother into the carriage. I looked round, and the Countess blew me a surreptitious kiss.

      When we had driven a little way, my mother said:

      "Do you like the Countess von Sempach?"

      "Yes, very much."

      "She was kind to you?"

      "Very, mother."

      "Then why have you been crying, Augustin?"

      "I haven't been crying," said I. The lie was needful to my compact with the Countess; my honour was rooted in dishonour.

      "Yes, you have," said she, but not quite in the accusing tones that generally marked the detection of falsehood. She seemed to look at me more in curiosity than in anger. Then she bent down toward me. "What did you talk about?" she asked.

      "Nothing very particular, mother. She asked me if I liked being king."

      "And what did you say?"

      "I said I liked it pretty well."

      My mother made no answer. I stole a look at her handsome clean-cut features; she was frowning a little.

      "I didn't tell her much," said I, aiming at propitiation.

      "Much of what?" came sharply, but not unkindly. Yet the question posed me.

      "Oh, I don't know!" I murmured forlornly; and I was surprised when she turned and kissed me, saying:

      "We all love you, Augustin; but you have to be king, and you must learn how."

      "Yes," I assented. The thing was quite inevitable; I knew that.

      Silence followed for a little while. Then my mother said:

      "When you're ten you shall have a tutor, and your own servants, Augustin."

      Hastily I counted the months. There were nine; but what did the proposal mean? Was I to be a free man then?

      "And we women will leave you alone," my mother went on. She kissed me again, adding, "You don't like us, do you?"

      "I like you, mother," I said СКАЧАТЬ