People will think we are quarrelling. Calm
yourself, my boy."
"You set a task for me and I obey. You urge me to do my duty by
Graustark. You tell me I am a handsome dog and irresistible. She will
be overwhelmed by my manly beauty, my valour, my soldierly bearing,--
so say you! And what is the outcome? I--I, the vain-glorious,--I am
wrapped around her little finger so tightly that all the king's
horses and all the king's men--"
"Halt!" commanded his general softly. "You are turning tail like the
veriest coward. Right about, face! Would you surrender to a slip of a
girl whose only weapons are a pair of innocent blue eyes and a
roguish smile? Be a man! Stand by your guns. Outwardly you are the
equal of R. Schmidt, whose sole--"
"That sounds very well, sir, but how can I take up arms against my
Prince? He stands by _his_ guns--as you may see, sir,--and, dammit
all, I'm no traitor. I've just got to stand by 'em with him. That rot
about all being fair in love and war is the silliest--Oh, well,
there's no use whining about it.
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