Chicanery

“ To vice, innocence must always seem only a superior kind of chicanery. ”

“ But over and beyond all that can be written on the subject—inventiveness is a personal matter, beyond all formulas—the true general must be able to take in, deceive, decoy, delude his adversary at every turn, as the particular occasion demands. In fact, there is no instrument of war more cunning than chicanery; ”

“ So we accepted Bill’s offer, and strikes out for Washington.
“Says I to Andy, when we get located at a hotel on South Dakota Avenue, G. S. S. W. ‘Now Andy, for the first time in our lives we’ve got to do a real dishonest act. Lobbying is something we’ve never been used to; but we’ve got to scandalize ourselves for Bill Humble’s sake. In a straight and legitimate business,’ says I, ‘we could afford to introduce a little foul play and chicanery, but in a disorderly and heinous piece of malpractice like this it seems to me that the straightforward and aboveboard way is the best. ”

“ Threads which should lie smooth and straight alongside of each other and make no confusion, get all snarled, and twisted, and thrown crosswise of each other by just a little breeze of influence, or some slight impulse on one side. And so it fell next day.
Mrs. Powder, who had also been at Newport, and left it three days before Wych Hazel, had engaged her and Mr. Falkirk to lunch for this very day, the next after their arrival. That was one thread, not necessarily touching, one would say, the grand event of the day, which was Rollo's coming and visit at Chickaree. ”

“ Chicot alighted on his feet, and one of the men gave him a thrust immediately. Thanks, however, to Gorenflot's coat of mail, the blade broke like glass.
"He has armor!" cried the soldier.
"Pardieu!" said Chicot, cutting open his head with a blow of his sword.
The other began to cry out, thinking now only of defending himself, but, at the second pass, Chicot laid him by his comrade; so that when the door was burst open, the officer saw through the window his two sentinels lying in their blood, and Chicot running quietly away.
"He is a demon; he is steel proof!" cried he. ”

“ Of Chico nothing had been heard since the morning, months before, when his master had left him in the office of the War Department. One's heart ached for the faithful little mate, as she brooded forlornly on the window ledge, refusing to pay the slightest heed to any bold fellow who dared make overtures to her.
His bird was much in Andrea's thoughts as he paced back and forth each night upon his beat and, gazing into the sky in his lookout for aeroplanes, he would strain his eyes for a speck that might resolve itself into Chico's wings. ”

“ At last the news was spread that the duke had sent an ambassador. At this the king grew pale with anger, and the minions swore that he should be cut to pieces, and a piece sent to all the provinces of France as a specimen of the king’s anger. Chicot said nothing, but he reflected. Now the king thought much of Chicot’s reflections, and he questioned him about them.
“Sire,” replied he, “if your brother sends an ambassador, it is because he feels himself strong enough to do so; he who is prudence itself. Now, if he is strong, we must temporize with him. ”

“ Chico had no appetite for food, but parched with thirst drank feverishly.
"Eat! can't you?" The man spoke roughly. What on earth was the matter with the pigeon to be so obstinate? "Hang it, if he won't eat," he exclaimed aloud, "he'll starve to death before I can get him to the War Department."
With that he fairly forced the spiritless head into the pile of kernels on the floor, but without avail; the bird, heart-broken, refused to open his beak. His tail feathers drooped more mournfully than ever, and his captor, thoroughly out of patience, angrily thrust him back into his prison. ”

“ Sir Chichester's voice sagged again. He contemplated the little parcel swinging by a loop of string from Martin's finger. His face became a little stern. "That's a bad habit, Hillyard," he observed, shaking his head. "It will grow on you—nicotine poisoning may supervene at any moment. You had better begin to break yourself of it at once. I think so."
"Chichester!" cried Millie Splay. "What in the world are you doing?"
Sir Chichester was gently but firmly removing the parcel from Martin's hands, whilst Martin himself looked on, paralysed by the aggression. ”

“ Each development reveals a fresh crime, and evokes renewed wonder at the miscreant’s resourcefulness. As fertile in the closet as he was ruthless in the camp, Chichester may be regarded as the embodiment of those vices which, amongst the people he oppressed, made a byword of the rule he represented and the creed he sought to spread. ”

“ Besides, what harm if he does talk nonsense to Madame de Monsoreau? He is the gallant of the family, you know.”
“I am lost!” murmured the count, trying to go away. But Chicot detained him.
“Keep still; mordieu! you shake the king’s chair. Mort de ma vie, your wife will be quite happy with the prince to talk to, and M. Aurilly to play the lute to her.” Monsoreau trembled with anger.
“Quietly, monsieur,” continued Chicot; “hide your joy, here is the business beginning; you should not show your feelings so openly; listen to the discourse of the king.” ”

“ Chicot laughed; the poor monk fancied he had received the blows given to Mayenne.
“You laugh, M. Chicot.”
“I do, animal.”
“Then I shall live?”
“Perhaps.”
“You would not laugh if your Gorenflot was about to die.”
“It does not depend upon me, but on the king; he alone has the power of life and death.”
At this moment lights appeared, and a crowd of embroidered dresses and swords shining in the light of the torches.
“Ah! Chicot! my dear Chicot, how glad I am to see you,” cried the king.
“You hear, good M. Chicot,” whispered Gorenflot, “this great prince is glad to see you.” ”

“ Staggering back, he clutched the bushes, unmanned.
"Look yonder!" cried Chicot, pointing downward. "Now what do you say—is he a devil, or not?"
Swiftly racing along the narrow valley far below, was the form of the wild-man. To reach this, he must have descended the precipice, and that seemed beyond mortal skill to accomplish.
Wonderingly the emigrants watched him until he disappeared upon the further hill, then they slowly retraced their steps toward camp. The sun was far down in the west, and they had found no trace of the deserters. ”

“ True, he had been in a hospital once, when he had been knifed in pinching Luigi Lombardo the Dago killer, but—
"What kind of a sanitarium?" he demanded.
The eagerness flashed out in her eyes then and she bent toward him and spoke rapidly in a low, meaning tone.
"For the insane, sir. Have you ever seen any crazy people? If you have you never can mistake them, no matter how clever and cunning they are. There is a look in their eyes that gives them away to those who know."
"I've never run up against a case of insanity." ”

“ Indeed, it was almost unthinkable that a couple of hours could produce so vast a revolution in a man. Here was a reporter who had come, without being asked, to interview Sir Chichester Splay, and the baronet would not see him! The incongruity struck Sir Chichester himself.
"Perhaps it will seem rather impolite, eh, Luttrell? Rather hard treatment on a man who has come so far? What do you think, Hillyard? I suppose I ought to see him for a moment—yes." Sir Chichester raised his voice in a sharp cry which contrasted vividly with the deliberative sentences preceding it. ”

“ Chicot opened one eye.
“Ah, you were wrong to call me, Henri,” said he; “I was dreaming that you had a son.”
“But listen.”
“To what? You say enough follies to me by day, without breaking in on my nights.”
“But do you not hear?”
“Oh, oh! I do hear cries.”
“Do you hear, ‘What will the king say?’”
“It is one of two things—either your dog Narcissus is ill, or the Huguenots are taking their revenge for St. Bartholomew.”
“Help me to dress.”
“If you will first help me to get up.”
“What a misfortune!” sounded from the antechamber.
“Shall we arm ourselves?” said the king. ”

“ Martin sought to retrieve his cigarettes, but Sir Chichester laid them aside upon a high mantelpiece, as if Hillyard were a child and could not reach them.
"No, don't disappoint me, Hillyard! I am sure that you, too, can rise above a temptation. Why should I be the only one?" ”

“ The most unique resort in this Bohemia of the nether world was at Chicory Hall, where my particular gang had established itself.
It was a basement at the corner of Fourth street and Bowery. Originally a bakeshop, it had been unoccupied for some time, until a coffee merchant rented it to prepare his chicory there. One man constituted the entire working force of the plant, and it so happened that Tom Noseley, the chicory baker, was imbued with sporting proclivities.
Do not let us forget that, at the time, the prize-fighter was a man of consequence to the youths of the East Side. ”

“ Leo and Natty, however, trudged on bravely in our midst; and often indeed, when ascending steep places, took the lead. Chickango, who knew the way, having often before traversed it, was of great use. He also kept a watchful eye on either side of the path, especially when we were crossing valleys, lest a leopard or lion might spring out on us, or any huge serpent might lie across our path. At length we reached a lofty plateau, or table-land, which Chickango informed Senhor Silva extended a long way to the south. ”

“ CHICO HAD WON. It seemed as if he could scarcely believe his senses. He looked around for his uncle only to find he had leaped the railing and was shaking hands with the judges, and pointing to Andrea as the owner of the bird. On every side could be heard excited comments, and the American, just behind, was holding forth at a great rate:
"I knew it—I knew it all the time; he doesn't make the show some of 'em do, but look at his breast! Look at the length of his wings, and his eye! There isn't a bird here with such a keen eye as he has! ”

“ Of being jester to a monk. Confiteor—I repent, mea culpa, it is a great sin.”
“No sacrilege, wretch.”
“Ah! I would rather he shut up in a cage with lions and apes, than with a mad king. Adieu, I am going.”
The king locked the door.
“Henri, you look sinister; if you do not let me go, I will cry, I will call, I will break the window, I will kick down the door.”
“Chicot,” said the king, in a melancholy tone, “you abuse my sadness.”
“Ah! I understand, you are afraid to be alone. Tyrants always are so. Take my long sword, and let me take the scabbard to my room.” ”

“ An arrow of silver shot through the air, and in another instant Chico was in his nest.
"Urra! Urra!" the boy shouted, throwing his cap into the air; then boisterously seizing his pet, "You did it, you did it! Chico, old bird! My, but I'm proud of you!" Then remembering that Paolo had said there would be a message concealed about the bird's leg, his hand felt for the closely wound bit of tissue paper, and tense with excitement he shouted aloud Chico's first message:
"Evviva Italia!" [Footnote: Long live Italy!] ”

“ As we got round, we found that the black had narrowly escaped being crushed to death; indeed, as it was, his legs appeared to lie almost under the monster’s back. We drew him out, however, and to our satisfaction found that he was still breathing. Chickango said that he belonged to the Bakelés, and was probably a chief hunter among them. As, however, we were much nearer our own abode than their village, Stanley and I agreed to carry him with us, somewhat, I fancied, to Chickango’s astonishment. “Oh! he black fellow, he die ”

“ Andrea started guiltily as the old caretaker stepped in the door, but drew himself up proudly at the sharp inquiry:
"Is it possible that you are feeding Chico?"
"No," was the quick reply, "I am only talking to him. Surely there isn't any harm in that!"
"No harm at all," the old man answered; "and now I propose to take him to the Rialto and there give him his freedom, while you wait here and see if he knows enough to come home. Notice the time by the big clock; if he returns promptly, you may reward him with a good breakfast and plenty of water to drink, for he will be thirsty." ”

“ Ah, Maman! no excuses!! Je vous connais. Economy is the motive!—She has never escaped the fear that unless one saves all one's sous one may die in indigence.”
“Chicory, Blanche? What do you say of chicory?” the old lady inquired, leaning an ear towards her grandchild. “Mais c'est très sain, la chicorée. Ca rafraichit le sang.—If you drink chicory every day in your coffee”—and now it was an eye she turned, half closed in sagacious admonition, on the startled Giles—“you will not need to purge yourself, my young man.” ”

“ Then I am to understand you do not like the promise of things at Chickaree?'
'What do you take to be the promise of things here, at present, Mr.
Falkirk?'
'Quite beside the question, Miss Hazel. Am I to tell this man you don't want the house in Fiftieth street?'
'I should prefer another house, I think,' said Hazel gravely. 'Mr. Falkirk, I had a letter from Kitty Fisher this morning, and she sends you her love.'
Mr. Falkirk gave an inarticulate grumble.
'You may throw it back to her, my dear; her own love is all she cares about; and as I don't care about it, we are suited. ”

“ The executioner took his place, a few steps away, sighted his rifle at the painted heart, a puff of smoke, a sharp report, a gush of blood, and Polar Bear had atoned for his crime. Chiquita turned to Jack and asked:
"Is there another nation in the world where their criminals return of their own accord to suffer the death penalty?"
Most of the summer vacations of her college life Chiquita spent among the forests, crags and parks on the Ute reservation or in her mountain home near Middle Park. ”

“ Martin Hillyard returned to the hall, and found Sir Chichester with the doctor, a short, rugged Scotsman. Dr. McKerrel was saying:
"There's nothing whatever for me to do, Sir Chichester," he said. "The poor creature must have died somewhere about one o'clock of the morning." He saw Sir Chichester with a start fall once more to reading the paragraph in the Harpoon, and continued with a warmth of admiration, "Eh, but those newspaper fellows are quick! I saw the Harpoon this morning, and it was lucky I did. ”