Принц і жебрак
A Victim of Treachery
Hewassentout,inHugo’scharge,incompanywithaslatternlywomanandadiseasedbaby,tobeg;buttheresultwasnotencouraging—hedeclinedtopleadforthemendicants,orbeapartytotheircauseinanyway.
Thusseveraldayswentby;andthemiseriesofthistrampinglife,andthewearinessandsordidnessandmeannessandvulgarityofit,becamegraduallyandsteadilysointolerabletothecaptivethathebeganatlasttofeelthathisreleasefromthehermit’sknifemustproveonlyatemporaryrespitefromdeath,atbest.
Butatnight,inhisdreams,thesethingswereforgotten,andhewasonhisthrone,andmasteragain.This,ofcourse,intensifiedthesufferingsoftheawakening—sothemortificationsofeachsucceedingmorningofthefewthatpassedbetweenhisreturntobondageandthecombatwithHugo,grewbittererandbitterer,andharderandhardertobear.
Themorningafterthatcombat,HugogotupwithaheartfilledwithvengefulpurposesagainsttheKing.Hehadtwoplans,inparticular.Onewastoinflictupontheladwhatwouldbe,tohisproudspiritand‘imagined’royalty,apeculiarhumiliation;andifhefailedtoaccomplishthis,hisotherplanwastoputacrimeofsomekindupontheKing,andthenbetrayhimintotheimplacableclutchesofthelaw.
