The Princess Dehra

by John Reed Scott

  XIV AN ENTICING RENDEZVOUS

  The failure of Colonel Moore to keep promptly his appointment with Mlle.d'Essolde to meet her that morning in the japonica walk was due to aletter that had come to him in the early post, and which had sent him,without a moment's delay, straight to Dornlitz and Headquarters; nor didhe even stop to telephone the Archduke, but left it for one of the youngofficers in the outer office to do.

  The Military Governor received him at once, and with a look ofquestioning concern.

  "Anything wrong at the Palace?" he asked.

  "Nothing, Your Highness," said Moore, with his graceful salute--so unlikeBernheim's stiff motion--"nothing; I brought this letter; it is for you,though sent to me."

  The Archduke took it, without comment--he knew it must be of peculiarimportance to bring Moore in person at that hour. When he had read it, helooked carefully at the envelope, and turning on his desk lamp, he spreadthe letter under it and examined it very slowly and critically; finallyhe re-read it aloud:--

  "'If His Royal Highness the Archduke Armand wish to know the whereabouts of a certain Book, let him be at the Inn of the Twisted Pines at four o'clock this afternoon. No harm is intended; and as a proof he is privileged to bring as large an escort as he desires. If he accept, let him stand in a window of his private office, overlooking the Avenue, for five minutes at exactly noon to-day. This is his only chance; there will be no second letter.

  "'One Who Knows.'"

  "Well," said he, "the writer at least knows how to put up a very enticingbait--'privileged to bring as large an escort as he desires--at fouro'clock this afternoon--at the Inn of the Twisted Pines'--surely, thereis nothing in them to suggest danger, daggers or death.... I think weshall accept, Colonel; what's your notion about it?"

  "If it is a plant," he said, "it's a very clever one--and hence spellsLotzen; but, for my part, I'll be charmed to go with you, whatever itis."

  The Archduke smiled. "Of course you will, you peaceful citizen, and besadly disappointed if there isn't a head for you to hit. It's just aswell I gave you to the Regent, you would be leading me into all sorts ofdanger."

  "And Your Highness has established such a splendid reputation foravoiding danger," Moore laughed.

  "How so?"

  "Did it never occur to you, sir, that the man who would deliberatelyforce a sword fight with the Duke of Lotzen, has won a name for recklesscourage that he can never live down?"

  "But I disarmed him, thanks to your defense to his coup."

  "Small good would my defense have been to one who hadn't the nerve andskill to use it; to fail means death, as you, of course, appreciated."

  The Archduke nodded. "But the public knew nothing of all that."

  "Just so, sir--all they know is that you, in sheer deviltry, took yourchances against one of the two best swordsmen in Valeria; that you won,demonstrated your skill, but it didn't disprove the recklessness."

  "I did not intend it that way, Moore; I assure you I had no idea ofbringing on a fight that night at the Vierle Masque, when I went over tohim and the Spencer woman."

  A broad grin overspread the Irishman's handsome face.

  "You couldn't make a single officer believe it," he said; "and seriously,sir. I wouldn't try. It is just such a thing as your great ancestor wouldhave done, and it has caught the youngsters as nothing else ever could;they swear by you--only last night, I heard a dozen of them toast youuproariously as the next king."

  "Which brings us back to the Book and this letter," Armand remarked;"shall we take an escort?"

  "I'm a rather incompetent adviser, you think; but the very provision thatyou need not go alone, may be a trap to lull suspicion and bring youthere with only an Aide or an orderly. If the letter is honest, it willbe no harm to go well attended; if it isn't honest, you will losenothing, and the escort may be very useful."

  "You are becoming a very Fabius in discretion," the Archduke smiled; "andwe will take the escort." He considered a moment. "Or, rather, we willhave it on hand for need. I'll see to it that a troop of Lancers shall bepassing the Inn a little before four o'clock, and halt there, while theircaptain discusses the weather with the landlord. And we will ride up witha great show of confidence or contempt, whichever way the One Who Knowsmay view it."

  "Shall I tell Her Highness of the letter, and your purpose?" Moore asked.

  "Not on your life, man! She would send a Brigade with us, even if shedidn't forbid our going. I'll get you leave for the afternoon--and not aword to Bernheim, either; he would have nervous prostration, and load medown with a suit of plate-mail and a battle-axe. You and I will just havethis little adventure on the side." He got up. "I tell you what it is,Moore, the pair of us could make a brisk fight of it if we had to--hey,man?"

  The Irishman laughed joyously.

  "And may we have to, sir!" he cried; "may we have to!"--and made asthough he were sending home a finishing thrust.

  The Archduke shook his head. "There can't be any doubt of it; you wouldhave a most dangerous influence over me; it is well you're with theRegent. But for this afternoon, I suggest that you select your favoritesword, and see that it doesn't drag in the scabbard--and half-after-twoat the Titian gate."

  Moore paused at the door.

  "Of course," said he, "Your Highness will wear the steel vest."

  "I'll wear it," was the answer; and the Colonel went out, wondering atthe ready acquiescence, where he had anticipated a curt refusal. Beforehe had crossed the ante-room, the Archduke called him.

  "I saw you were surprised," said he. "I had a little adventure the othernight that you don't know about. Sit down a minute, and I'll tell you ofBernheim's and my visit to the De Saure house at two in the morning."...

  "I always said Bernheim was the man for a close pinch," Moore remarked,at the end, "but he is even better than I imagined. The chest is simplydelicious." He paused, in sudden thought. "And, now, I reckon Iunderstand why Count Bigler has his ear done up in surgeon's plaster. Inoticed it at the Club yesterday, and heard him explain it as a 'sore.'To-morrow, I'll ask him if he caught the 'sore' in the De Saure house."

  "And don't tell Bernheim," said Armand; "if he knows he had such a goodchance at Bigler, and then missed him, it will make him miserable fordays."

  "Days! It will sour him for life. Next to the Duke of Lotzen, the Colonelhates Bigler most."

  When Moore had gone, the Archduke took up the letter and envelope andagain examined them; looked for a water mark--there was none; went overthe writing--man's or woman's he could not decide; postmarked at the mainoffice in Dornlitz at ten P.M. of yesterday; not a scintilla any place toindicate the origin. Well, it did not matter; he would accept the offer;and there was an end of it, now--the solution could come this afternoonat four. So he put up the letter, and pushed the button for hissecretary, quite forgetting to telephone the Princess as to borrowing herAdjutant. Then, after a while, she, herself, called him; and as theyfinished their talk, the bell sounded the first stroke of noon.

  He arose, and hooking the frogs of his dark green jacket, the gold braidof his marshal's insignia heavy on the sleeve, he went over to the largewindow, and raising the sash stood in full view of the avenue.

  It was the hour when it was busiest; on the sidewalks a pushing,hurrying, good-natured crowd, at their mid-day recreation; in theroad-way, a tangled mass of vehicles--not of the society folk, they camethree hours later, but the wagons, and drays and vans of trade andtraffic. He recognized an occasional face in the throng, usually someofficer hurrying to Headquarters for the reception he always held forhalf an hour at noon. To-day it would have to start five minutes late.

  Presently some one caught sight of him, and saluted with raised hat;others looked up, and did the same; and in a moment the crowd was passingin review, the men uncovering, the women greeting him with smiles. Heanswered with bows and hand-waves; and if a bit of satisfied pridestirre
d his heart and warmed his face, small wonder. He was still new inhis royalty; and even if he were not, at this critical period, suchdemonstration of esteem by the general populace would have been verygratifying and particularly welcome. And he stayed a trifle longer thanthe required time; then, with a last bow and a wave of especialgraciousness, he turned away, and rang for the doors to be opened.

  It was the Archduke's rule that entire informality should be observed atthese affairs, and he emphasized it by sauntering around, speaking toeveryone, and not obliging them to go up to him, for a stiff bow and aword. He laughed with this group, joked with another, argued with athird, until not a man but had come under his eye, at least for aninstant, and he under theirs. He had begun the receptions soon after hebecame Governor of Dornlitz, more particularly for the purpose of gettingacquainted with the officers on duty under him; but it was not limited tothem--any one was welcome--and the result had been rather moresatisfactory than even he had hoped for. There was not an official in hisdistrict to whom he had not given a hearty hand-shake and a pleasantword; and as he happened to have a truly royal knack of rememberingfaces, and the names that went with them, many a young lieutenant--andindeed, not a few higher in rank--had gone away with a flattered heartand an ardent enthusiasm, openly proclaimed, for the Marshal-Prince whowould condescend to remember an unimportant subordinate, and seem glad tosee him again, and to tell him so. And the contrast it offered to theDuke of Lotzen's ungracious and domineering ways was little to thelatter's advantage; and the fruit of it had been ripening fast, withinthese last few weeks.

  So, to-day, the room was crowded, and the welcome the Archduke receivedwas such as might have made even Lotzen pause and think, had he seen it.And this thought occurred to Armand; and he ran his eyes over the manyfaces, wondering which of them belonged, to-day, to the Duke's spy; forthat there usually was one present he had no doubt.

  And presently he found him; and, catching his eye, motioned for him toapproach.

  "I am glad to see you, Monsieur le Comte," he said, relieving himselffrom offering his hand by readjusting his sword. "When was it I saw youlast?"

  Count Bigler's lips twitched with suppressed amusement.

  "Here, Your Highness?" he answered, "I am ashamed to confess I haven'tbeen here for many weeks."

  "Yet, surely, Count, I've seen you somewhere since then, and veryrecently, too--where was it?"

  Bigler feigned to think.--"One sees Your Highness so many times, it isdifficult to remember the last ... on the Field of Mars, last Monday,wasn't it?"

  The Archduke shook his head. "No," he said, "no; it was in the evening--Irecall that very distinctly." Then he looked with deliberate inference atthe bandaged ear--"oh, I have it: it was at the De Saure's; you werethere when I came, and you left first and--rather hurriedly. It all comesback to me now. Surely, Count, you can't have forgot such a pleasantevening!"

  Bigler assumed a look of guileless innocence.

  "It is not permitted to contradict Your Highness," he answered, "but Imay, I think, at least venture the truism:--what one has not remembered,one cannot forget."

  "Or restated, my dear Count, to be quite in point:--what is inconvenientto remember, is best denied."

  "Just as Your Highness will have it," Bigler grinned, and impudentlyfingered his ear.

  "And confidentially, Count," said Armand smilingly, "while we are dealingin truisms, I give you these two:--'every man's patience has its limit,'and, 'who plays with fire gets burnt'--fatally."

  Bigler's grin broadened.

  "Is Your Highness the man with the patience or the man with the fire?" heasked.

  "Study it out, sir," said the Archduke, as he passed on; "and let yourmaster help you; the answer may concern you both."

  The last thing before leaving his office, that afternoon, he wrote a noteto the American Ambassador, enclosing the anonymous letter, and tellinghim his intention in reference to it; and adding that if Courtney had notheard from him by morning he should do whatever he thought best. This hedispatched by an orderly; and then, choosing a long, light sword, he rangfor his horse.

  Just outside his door, he met General Durand and stopped for a word withhim; as they separated he saw Ferdinand of Lotzen coming down thecorridor.

  Between them it had long been a salute given and acknowledged, but nowthe Duke halted, fingers at visor.

  "May I have a word with Your Highness?" he said.

  Armand's hand dropped slowly, and he only half paused in his walk.

  "I'm in a particular hurry, cousin," he replied, "won't to-morrow do aswell?"

  Lotzen's eye-brows went up.

  "Isn't to-morrow rather uncertain for--both of us?" he asked.

  "Yes," said the Archduke instantly, "yes, it is; and hence what need oftalk between us, at least so late in the day. Wait until we have ato-morrow."

  "What I wish to say has nothing to do with futures, cousin, only with thepast, with the De Saure house--oh! that surprises you, does it?"

  "Not half as much as the amazing mess you made of it," said Armand.

  "That, my dear cousin, is just what I came to explain," said Lotzenquickly. "I had nothing whatever to do with the silly affair; it was aclever idea, but sadly bungled; I heard of it only the next day, and Iwant to assure you it was not my work--though, as I say, it was a cleveridea--too clever, indeed, to be wasted so fruitlessly."

  The Archduke regarded him in speculative silence;--just what manner ofman was this; and what could be his ulterior purpose in such anastonishing avowal!

  "Will you tell me, cousin," he asked, "why you should trouble to disclaimparticipation in an outrage, whose only offense, in your eyes, was itsfailure?"

  Again Lotzen's eye-brows went up. "I thought you would understand that itis in justice to myself; I would not have you think me guilty of sostupid a piece of work."

  "Doubtless, then, it will gratify you, monsieur, that I never doubtedyour complicity, however much I may have marvelled at the unskilledexecution--you would have arranged it rather differently. Indeed, I wassorry that you, yourself, were not in command. I left a message, bothupstairs and down, that I thought you might understand."

  Lotzen smiled, rather warmly for him.

  "I understood," he said; "your writing was exceedingly legible."

  "And I sent you another message, a little while ago, by the man with thewounded ear," said the Archduke, his eyes upon the other's bandaged hand."I suppose you got it?"

  The Duke laughed and held up his hand, the back and palm covered withplaster.

  "This wasn't made by a bullet, cousin;" he replied; "I got it thismorning from a new pet I was trying to train.--No, I didn't get your lastmessage."

  "Better get it to-day, cousin," said the Archduke, as he turned away;"to-morrow is rather uncertain."