The Princess Dehra

by John Reed Scott

  XVIII ON TO LOTZENIA

  "It is a most amazing situation," said the Ambassador--as he and theArchduke sat in the latter's headquarters, the following morning--"andone guess is about as likely to be right as another. It's difficult tobelieve Spencer honest, and yet she seemed to play straight last night.She is of the sort who fiercely resent a blow and go to any length torepay it. And you think Bigler's interruption was not prearranged?"

  "It impressed me that way," said Armand. "In fact, I'd say I am sure ofit, if I had any but Lotzen or Spencer to deal with."

  "And you saw enough of the book to be satisfied it is the Laws?"

  "To satisfy myself, yes--if that fool, Bigler, had waited a littlelonger, I would have known beyond a doubt."

  "And, as it is, you can't be absolutely certain?"

  "No; at least, not certain enough to make an open issue of it withLotzen."

  Courtney shook his head decisively.

  "It is a great misfortune you were not able to make sure," he said; "forI'm persuaded it was not the Book. As I told Her Highness that day atluncheon, if the Duke ever did have it, he has destroyed it to get rid ofFrederick's decree; and if there were no decree, then he would haveproduced it instantly as establishing his right to the Crown."

  "If that be true--and I grant the logic is not easy to avoid--what was itI saw? I would have sworn it was the Book; it resembled it in everyparticular."

  Courtney's fingers went up to his gray imperial, and for a long while hesmoked his cigarette and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.

  "It is a fine mess," he said, at length; "Spencer mixes it so abominably.What really brought her to Dornlitz?--how long has she been here?--didthe Duke strike her--if there is a plot back of it, why should she havebeen selected to do the open work with you, of all people?--why, ifLotzen have the Book, doesn't he destroy it?--why does he want you to seeit in his very hands?--why, if he haven't the Book, does he want toconvince you that he has?--... If it's a plot, then its object was eitherthe one you suggest: to tempt you to violent measures against him torecover the Book, and so to discredit you with the Nobles when it's notfound; or--and this may be the more likely--to inveigle you into a deathtrap by using the Book as a lure."

  "Either of which," observed the Archduke, "would explain his preservationof the Book."

  "Or sentiment," Courtney laughed. "Her Highness thinks the Duke wouldnever destroy the Laws of his House."

  "I fancy she wouldn't be quite so strong on that now," Armand observed."I wish you had seen her last night; she was magnificent, simplymagnificent.--Richard, she is the Dalberg of us all!--it's she, not I,nor Lotzen, who ought to wear the Sapphire Crown."

  Courtney nodded in hearty acquiescence.

  "And as she may not, it is for you," he said, gravely, "to make her aQueen by wearing it yourself--and, as I believe I've admonished once ortwice heretofore, to do that you must keep alive--dead Archdukes are goodonly to bury."

  "I'm very much alive," the other laughed, "more alive than I've beensince I shed cadet gray."

  "The Lord knows it is not from lack of effort on your part to get killed;you've tempted death in every dare-deviltry you could find--and this DeSaure house affair is the limit--though last night was about as idiotic.The Princess has more discretion in an eye-lash than you have in yourwhole head--but for her, you would be surrounded now by tapers andincense--what fresh atrocity against common prudence will you perpetratenext, I wonder!"

  The Archduke pushed the decanter across.

  "Take another drink, old man," he grinned, "you must be dry, with such awarm bunch of ideas jostling one another for exit--I'll promise to be asdiscreet hereafter as a debutante. I admit the De Saure business appearsfoolish now, but then, at that hour of night, in darkness, rain andstorm, would you, or any other man, have denied a woman's call for help?I couldn't."

  "Nor anything else that promises adventure," said Courtney. "If Lotzendoesn't make an end of you----" he shrugged his shoulders and lit anothercigarette.... "I've sworn a dozen resolves to quit advising you; andthen, every time I see you, you've gone and done some other foolishthing, and I blow off--if you will forgive me this time, and may be a fewmore times, I'll not do it again."

  "My dear Dick," said the Archduke, "the one thing I'll not forgive is foryou not to do it again. You're the only man in all this land who wouldspeak out his mind to me; and do you think it isn't welcome--to havesomething of the old life occasionally?"

  For a while both men smoked in silence, the Marshall thoughtfully, theAmbassador waitingly; and in the midst of it Colonel Bernheim enteredwith a letter for the Archduke, which, he explained, he had justreceived, enclosed in another envelope addressed to himself and marked"Immediate."

  Armand glanced at Courtney for permission, got it, and read the letter:

  "A----

  "We are leaving Dornlitz before daybreak by special train, ostensibly for Paris, really for Lotzen Castle. The Duke guessed instantly why you were in my apartments, and what you saw. We had a fearful scene, and he struck me again--the cur! It is the B.; he admitted it, in his rage--and he has it with him. I am a prisoner now, and compelled to accompany him because I know too much, he says. I'm not asking you for rescue, I can manage him in a few days; but if you want the B. you will know now where to get it. I owe you this, for the fiasco last night, due to that fool, B----, though I don't advise you to follow; Lotzen Castle isn't Ferida Palace, and I can't aid you there; and besides, now, he is bent on your death, and intends to kill you at the first opportunity. I will find some way to have this mailed, sending it to Col. Bernheim so it will reach you promptly and not be delayed by official routine.

  "M. S."

  "3 A. M."

  Without a word, the Archduke passed the letter over to Courtney; andwithout a word Courtney took it, read it twice, and passed it back; andfell to blowing smoke rings through each other.

  "Well," said Armand presently, "when you're satisfied with the rings, andit seems to me they couldn't be bettered, I shall be glad to have youropinion of the letter."

  The other shook his head, and went on with the rings.

  "What is the use?" he answered. "You are going to Lotzenia."

  "I'm sorely tempted, I admit--but I don't know----"

  Courtney flung his cigarette at the fireplace, and got up.

  "Then, if you don't know, I'll tell you what I think,--throw that damnletter into the fire and stay right here in Dornlitz; if you let it lureyou to Lotzenia, you are an unmitigated fool."

  "But the Book!--and Spencer only confirms what my own eyes told me."

  "Lies, lies, rotten lies!" said Courtney. "He hasn't the Book--it's all aplant--you escaped last night because Bigler blundered in, and becausethe Regent was with you--but in that wild land of the North, you willlast about a day, or less. Why don't you forget the miserable Book, for awhile, and get to work on your vote in the House of Nobles?--there iswhere you will likely have to fight it out any way, even if Frederick didmake your decree. Play politics a bit, and you will have Lotzen back inDornlitz on the jump--and the Book with him, too, if he has it."

  The Archduke went over and put his hand on Courtney's shoulder.

  "Dick," he said, "it's something worth living for to have known a manlike you, and to have had him for a friend and companion; and if I don'tfollow your advice you will understand it is because I can't. You havecalled me headstrong; I grant it, it's bred in the bone I think; and I'mnot of those who can sit, and wait, and play politics. I shall find theLaws of the Dalbergs, somewhere, somehow, long before the year is over;and if necessary I'm going to kill Lotzen in the finding--or be killed--"he broke off with a laugh and a shrug. "Positively, old man, I'm ashamedof myself; I seem to have become a braggart and a swash-buckler."

  "Who is the braggart and swash-buckler, my dear Marshal?" asked thePrincess, entering suddenly, with Lady Hel
en Radnor, Mlle. d'Essolde andColonel Moore, "not Mr. Courtney I hope."

  "Unfortunately, no; Your Highness," said Armand. "Candor compels me toadmit that I was characterizing myself."

  She pointed her crop at the decanter, and nodded questioningly to theAmbassador.

  "No," said he, "no; it's only a sudden rush of remorse for deeds past andto come."

  "To come?" said she, and looked at the Archduke inquiringly.

  For answer he handed her Madeline Spencer's letter.

  She glanced at the signature, smiled, and with a word of excuse, shecarried it over to a window; and Armand, chatting with Lady Helen,watched her curiously as she read and re-read it; and then she looked upquickly, and gave him the glance of summons.

  "Have you shown it to Mr. Courtney?" she asked. "Did he say what hethought of it?"

  "He did--and at some length, and also what he thought of me.--Briefly, itwas to the effect that the letter is a snare, and that I'm several kindsof a fool if I let it lure me to Lotzenia."

  The Princess tapped her crop softly against her boot, and considered.

  "Of course," said she, in momentary interruption of her thought, "I knowwhat you think--you think you're going,--but I don't know----" and thetapping of the crop began afresh.... Presently a soft light came into hereyes, and she flashed him the adorable smile. "Are you willing to waitthe year for our wedding, dear?" she asked.

  He bent down over her, as though looking at something in the letter.

  "You know I'm not, sweetheart," he said, "that's why I want to find theLaws--to make you Queen the sooner."

  "Your Queen?"

  "Mine--yes, either here in Valeria, or over the seas in old Hugo'sland--as the Book decides for Lotzen or for me."

  "And do you honestly think, Armand, that he has the Book?"

  "What do you think?" he asked.

  "Women don't think--they have only intuition, and mine says that he has."

  "Then I shall go this night----"

  "And I with you."

  "Then I won't go."

  "Nonsense, dear--why not? Dalberg Castle is always ready, and I shalltake the Household, or part of it. I most assuredly would not let you goalone, to be butchered by our dear and loving cousin."

  He knew it was useless to protest.

  "Well, come along, little woman," he said; "and may be, together, we candevise a way for me to get the Book out of Lotzen Castle."

  She turned upon him, full faced and emphatic.

  "But I'll not go, nor shall you," she declared, "unless you promise youwon't do anything without consulting me. I'm going because you need someone to curb your recklessness; and I have no mind to see you throw yourlife away just because you won't take a dare."

  The Archduke gave her cheek a surreptitious pinch.

  "I promise," he laughed; "you're something of a Dalberg dare-devilyourself when the fever is on--and you're the finest little comrade andcommander God ever made."

  Again she gave him the smile--and they went back to the others.

  "Mr. Courtney," said she, at once, "we are about to spend a short whileat Dalberg Castle, going to-night by special train, with a few members ofthe Household; it will be a great pleasure to Armand and me to have youwith us."

  "I am honored," said the Ambassador, with a grave bow; "I shall be gladto go."

  "Even if you do disapprove," said she lightly--"but, what would you,monsieur! I don't want to imprison Armand, so the best thing I can do isto go along and try to take care of him; and that's where you can helpme."

  "And that, Your Highness, is precisely the reason I'm going," heanswered;--"Warwick will stick to his work to the end."

  "The end!" she exclaimed, with sharp seriousness.

  "In the great Cathedral yonder," he answered.--And the Princess, thinkingonly of the coronation, smiled and glanced with proud faith at theArchduke.

  But to the latter the real inference went home, and sharply.

  "The crypt, you mean?" he muttered aside.

  And Courtney nodded curtly.

  "The crypt I mean," he said. "Even Warwick and Margaret of Anjou togethercould not save the silly Henry."

  But the old, lean-faced Prime Minister did not deal in inferenceswhen--having come at the Regent's summons, from his office in theAdministration wing of the same building--he was advised of the matter,and that he was to assume charge of the government during her absence.

  "Has Your Royal Highness forgot the Chambers meet this day week, and thatthe Regent must open them in person?" he asked.

  "I had forgot," said she, "but I shall return for it."

  The Count shrugged his shoulders.

  "It is not for me to question the Regent's movements," he said; "but ifyou will accept the advice of one who was your father's friend andtrusted servant, and who ventures to think he can, at least in thisinstance, speak with his dear, dead master's voice, you will abandon thisastonishing intention, that can profit nothing to His Highness' cause,and will lead him only into dire and awful danger."

  "Will there be no profit in recovering the Book?" she demanded.

  "You will not recover it in Lotzenia."

  "The Duke has it; I saw it last night."

  The Count shook his head. "I feel sure that Lotzen hasn't the Book; butif you are positive, beyond a doubt, then formally demand it as Regent;if he refuse, take half the Army, if need be, and batter down his Castleand get it."

  The Princess laughed. "Now, Count, you know very well that would be theone sure way not to get it--he would destroy it."

  "And himself with it," said Epping; "for then your testimony would beenough to convict him, and lose him his last chance for election by theNobles. It would be as effective as to find the Book itself."

  "Your plan does not please me for two reasons," she answered, promptlyand decisively. "It contemplates the destruction of the Laws of theDalbergs, which I would rather die than be the cause of; and it wouldpermit the House of Nobles to determine the succession to the Throne, athing hitherto unknown, and to my poor mind subversive of the rights ofmy House. What we want is the Book, and the way to get it is to take itquietly and by stealth. Hence, I was willing that His Highness should goto Lotzenia, and I with him, to see what might be done."

  "In other words," said the Count incisively, "you deliberately stake theArchduke Armand's life for the preservation of the Book."

  The Princess gasped, and her face went white.

  "Don't say it, my child!" the old man exclaimed, "don't say it!--think amoment first--and then forgive me for having let my affection for youdrive my tongue too far."

  And instantly her anger passed; and she went to him and laid her hand onhis, where it rested on his sword hilt--while the Archduke spoke quickly.

  "Your Excellency does not quite appreciate that the Regent is dealingwith a very unruly subject, and one who will not countenance the assaulton Lotzen Castle. Neither Her Highness nor myself could stand before theNobles and affirm on honor and unreservedly that the Duke has the Book,though we think we identified it. But more vital still is the fact that Iwill not consent to any measures which would drive the Duke to destroythe Book. I am determined to establish my right to the Throne by the Lawsof the Dalbergs, and not to owe it to the vote of any man nor set of men.Frankly, my lord, I care so lightly for it, that, but for this littlewoman here, and to make her the Queen which by birth she ought to be, Iwould not lift a finger nor move tongue to gain the Crown. And if we areto have it--she and I--it must be with all its ancient rights andauthority, unsmirched and unimpaired by the politics and obligations ofan election."

  The old Count raised his thin, white hand--his lean face flushed, thefine fire of a hotspur youth glowing in his eyes.

  "Go, Sire!" he said, "go; and win your crown as a Dalberg should--andwould I were young enough to go with you--as it is, I will hold thingsstanch for you here."