DOI Artikel:
Lee, Vernon: Prince Alberic an the Snake Lady: to H. H. the Ranee Brooke of Saràwak$nElektronische Ressource
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26393#0314
310 Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady
books and clothes given) into the bargain. But then, had not
Alberic spoken as if he were perfectly sure from what quarter all
his possessions had come ? This reminded the Jester of the allusion
to the Duke Balthasar Adaria ; Alberic had spoken of him as
unhappy. Was it, could it be, possible that the treacherous old
wretch had been keeping up relations with his grandson in secret,
afraid—for he^ was a miserable coward at bottom—both of the
wrath of his three counsellors, and of the hatred of his grandson ?
Was it possible, thought the Jester, that not only the Jesuit and
the Dwarf, but the Duke of Luna also, had been intriguing
against him round young Prince Alberic ? Balthasar Maria was
quite capable of it ; he might be enjoying the trick he was playing
to his three masters—for they were his masters ; he might be
preparing to turn suddenly upon them with his long neglected
grandson like a sword to smite them. On the other hand, might
this not be a mere mistake and supposition on the part of Prince
Alberic, who, in his silly dignity, preferred to believe in the liber-
ality of his ducal grandfather than in that of his grandfather’s
servants ? Might the horses, and all the rest, not really be the
gift of either the Dwarf or the Jesuit, although neither had got
the credit for it ? “ No, no,” exclaimed the Jester, for he hated
his fellow servants worse than his master, cc anything better than
that ! Rather a thousand times that it were the Duke himself
who had outwitted them.”
Then, in his bitterness, having gone over the old arguments
again and again, some additional circumstances returned to his
memory. The black groom was deaf and dumb, and the peasants
it appeared, had been quite unable to extract any information from
him. But he had arrived with those particular horses only a few
months ago ; a gift, the peasants had thought, from the old Duke
of Luna. But Alberic, they had said, had possessed other horses
before,
books and clothes given) into the bargain. But then, had not
Alberic spoken as if he were perfectly sure from what quarter all
his possessions had come ? This reminded the Jester of the allusion
to the Duke Balthasar Adaria ; Alberic had spoken of him as
unhappy. Was it, could it be, possible that the treacherous old
wretch had been keeping up relations with his grandson in secret,
afraid—for he^ was a miserable coward at bottom—both of the
wrath of his three counsellors, and of the hatred of his grandson ?
Was it possible, thought the Jester, that not only the Jesuit and
the Dwarf, but the Duke of Luna also, had been intriguing
against him round young Prince Alberic ? Balthasar Maria was
quite capable of it ; he might be enjoying the trick he was playing
to his three masters—for they were his masters ; he might be
preparing to turn suddenly upon them with his long neglected
grandson like a sword to smite them. On the other hand, might
this not be a mere mistake and supposition on the part of Prince
Alberic, who, in his silly dignity, preferred to believe in the liber-
ality of his ducal grandfather than in that of his grandfather’s
servants ? Might the horses, and all the rest, not really be the
gift of either the Dwarf or the Jesuit, although neither had got
the credit for it ? “ No, no,” exclaimed the Jester, for he hated
his fellow servants worse than his master, cc anything better than
that ! Rather a thousand times that it were the Duke himself
who had outwitted them.”
Then, in his bitterness, having gone over the old arguments
again and again, some additional circumstances returned to his
memory. The black groom was deaf and dumb, and the peasants
it appeared, had been quite unable to extract any information from
him. But he had arrived with those particular horses only a few
months ago ; a gift, the peasants had thought, from the old Duke
of Luna. But Alberic, they had said, had possessed other horses
before,