The Colonel of the Red Huzzars

by John Reed Scott

  XVI

  THE PRINCESS ROYAL SITS AS JUDGE

  Dehra was alone in her library, and she came forward with both handsextended.

  "It has been a long day, Armand," she said.

  I took her hands and kissed first one and then the other.

  "Yes, dear one, it has been a long day," I said.

  I led her to a chair and stood before her. She held up her hands andregarded them critically. Then she looked up at me with quizzical eyes.

  "You like my hands?" she asked.

  "Yes, dear."

  "Better than my lips?"

  "No, dear."

  "Well, one might think so. But, if you don't, then sir, I'm waiting."Her peremptoriness was very sweet.

  I had gone there determined to take no lover's privileges until thecloud I was under had been removed. But, what would you! I was notstone, nor ice--and, no more was the Princess.

  "You are a very imperious little sweetheart," I said, and kissed her;and whether once or twice or oftener does not matter.

  She drew me down on the arm of the chair.

  "I know what was in your mind, dear," she said; "and it's very good ofyou; yet, we settled all that last night. I don't care a rap for thatwoman."

  I let my fingers stray softly through her hair.

  "Not even if she have legal proof I am her husband?" I asked.

  "You mean that certificate," she cut in. "Have you seen it?"

  "Courtney has; and it's very regular and very formidable."

  She tossed her head sharply.

  "It certifies a lie. I wouldn't believe a hundred of them."

  "You're a wonder, Dehra; a perfect wonder," I said. "Why should youtrust me so?"

  She looked up with one of those subduing smiles.

  "I don't know, dear," she said. "I have not bothered to analyze it.It's enough for me that I do."

  "And enough for me, too, sweetheart," I said and bent and caressed hercheek.

  When I raised my head, the King was standing in the doorway. I sprangup and saluted.

  "I assume you were not expecting me," he remarked, looking straight atme.

  "Your Majesty's logic is faultless," I replied--and I saw the Princesssmile.

  He came nearer and let his eyes search my face a moment.

  "Can you say as much for your conduct just now, my Lord Duke?" hedemanded.

  I gave him look for look.

  "If judged upon the true facts I can," I answered.

  He studied me a moment longer; then, motioned to a chair. As I made totake it, Dehra caught my hand.

  "Sit here, Armand," she commanded, touching the arm of her own chair.

  I hesitated; and the King regarded her in stern surprise. Then Ismiled a negation and went on to the place Frederick had indicated.Straightway, Dehra got up and, coming behind me and leaning on thechair back, she put her arms about my neck.

  I reached up and took her hand--then, arose and stood beside her.

  "You see, Your Majesty," said she, with calm finality, "I know the truefacts."

  For a space, Frederick's face remained absolutely expressionless; then,it slowly softened.

  "It seems to me there are a few facts which I, too, might, possibly, bepermitted to know," he said.

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  "It was to tell Your Majesty those very facts that I sought anaudience, this evening," I said.

  Just then a clock began to chime slowly the hour. The king waiteduntil the last stroke--the seventh--had sounded, then, he nodded.

  "I am listening, Marshal," he said briskly.

  It might be that, after one has asked twelve or thirteen fathers for adaughter, in marriage, he has got sufficiently hardened to confront thefourteenth with, at least, a show of indifference; but, as this was myfirst father, I admit I was a trifle uneasy along the spine; and,somehow, my voice seemed to get lost in my throat, and the words werevery reluctant in coming. I suppose Frederick saw my embarrassment forhe smiled broadly.

  "Come, Armand," he said; "pull up that chair. I suppose we may notsmoke here," he added; "though I think I detect the faint suggestion ofa miserable cigarette," and he looked at the Princess.

  Dehra took a tiny jeweled case from somewhere about her gown andoffered it to the King.

  "Will Your Majesty try a Nestor?" she said.

  Frederick shook his head in repugnance.

  "His Majesty, most certainly, will not," he said.

  "But His Majesty's daughter will--with his permission."

  Frederick laughed. "Or, without it, if need be," he said. "She is avery headstrong young woman, Armand," he observed to me.

  "So His Highness has already done himself the honor to tell me," saidshe airily.

  "Good!" said the King. "I admire his pluck."

  Dehra blew a cloud of smoke at me.

  "So do I," she answered.

  Then she went over and kissed the King.

  "Be nice to Armand," she whispered (but loud enough, for me to hear)and left the room, flinging me a farewell from her finger tips, as Iheld back the portiere.

  And Frederick continued to smile, and my courage grew proportionately.I came straight to the point.

  "May it please you, Sire," I said, "I have the honor to pray the handof the Princess Royal in marriage."

  The King's smile faded; and his eyes travelled slowly from my head tomy feet and back again to my head, for all the world as though I wereon inspection-parade.

  I knew what was in his mind and my courage evaporated instantly. Ibegan to feel like a soldier caught with uniform awry and equipmenttarnished.

  "Do you give me your word, sir, that you are free to marry her?" hedemanded, suddenly.

  "On my honor, as an officer and a Dalberg," I answered.

  Instantly his manner changed.

  "That's quite enough, lad," he said. "If the Princess wants you--andit would seem she does--I shall not say her nay. Maybe, I am ratherglad to say yes."

  I tried to thank him, but he would not let me.

  "It's a matter for the two most concerned to arrange," he declared "Inever did fancy these loveless royal marriages. They are very littlebetter than false ones." Then he laughed. "Tell me about this one ofyours," he said, "the 'true facts' as you called them."

  So, I told him, in detail, of the supper in the Garden, the astonishingaccusation of the Spencer woman, and of what I knew concerning her inAmerica. It was a long story, but Frederick's interest never dulled.At the end, I handed him the copy of the marriage certificate and thecablegram to Courtney. He read them very carefully; then smokedawhile, in silence.

  "I suppose you have your own notion as to this woman's motive?" he said.

  "Yes," I answered.

  "Do you care to give it to me?"

  I let him see my hesitation.

  "Well, I think it is not entirely revenge," I said.

  "It might even be that she is only playing the cards someone else hasdealt her," he said significantly.

  I smiled and made no answer.

  "They are mighty strong cards, Armand," he said.

  "And a mighty strong player holds them," I added. "More's the pity."

  He nodded. "I saw the lady this afternoon in the Park. I rather fancyalmost any man would be quite willing to have her claim him as herhusband."

  "And, therefore, her story will be very generally accepted," I said.

  "Doubtless--it's far easier to accept it than to disbelieve it."

  "Consequently, if it please you, Sire, let my betrothal to Her RoyalHighness remain secret until this woman's claim has been thoroughlydisproved."

  Frederick thought a moment. "You are entirely right," he said; "and,particularly, since, under old Henry's Decree, she would be your legalwife--assuming, that is, that you had married her." Then he smiled."You see, sir, the very thing you were so insistent upon, now works toyour disadvantage. If it were not for that Decree you could laugh atthis woman. I could simply pronounce her morgan
atic, and you would bequite free to marry Dehra, at once."

  But I shook my head. "I must bring Dehra a clean record," I said; "andI have no fault to find with that Decree. But for it, I would not behere--though, neither would Madame Spencer," I added inadvertently.

  The King stared at me.

  "You don't think she knows the Decree," he exclaimed.

  "I think she never heard of the Laws of the Dalbergs," I answered. "Imean that it was my being here that brought her."

  Again the King smiled.

  "What you mean is that she would not be here but for the fact that byHenry's Decree she would be your lawful wife and I powerless tointerfere."

  I made no answer. I was rather anxious for him to pursue the premiseto its conclusion.

  "You see where that deduction leads," he went on: "only Dehra andLotzen know the Laws of our House."

  "I ask Your Majesty to observe that I have made no deduction," I said.

  He stopped short and looked at me, a moment.

  "Quite right," he said; "and it's proper you should not to me. But, Isuppose you will concede it was not the Princess."

  "Certainly," I agreed.

  "Ergo--it must have been----"

  "I stop at the Princess," said I.

  He sat silent, frowning very slightly.

  "If I were quite sure that Lotzen were the instigator of this plot, Iwould remove him utterly from the line of succession and banish himfrom the Kingdom."

  I thought it a proper time for me to be very quiet.

  "In the meantime, however, I shall send that infernal woman packingover the border by the quickest route," he said vehemently.

  "I trust not, Sire," I said. "As Governor of Dornlitz, I gave orders,this morning, that she be not permitted to leave the Capital."

  "But, she's an American subject!" he exclaimed. "She can't be heldprisoner."

  "If she's my wife, she's a subject of Your Majesty."

  "True! But why do you want to keep her here?"

  "To give time to investigate her doings since I became an Archduke," Isaid. "I may not marry Dehra in the face of that certificate and oldHenry's Decree; and, since the Alderman is dead, only through MadelineSpencer herself can the falsity of her claim be shown. Every momenthere she must act her part and be under our constant surveillance.Sometime, she is sure to make a slip or forget her lines. But, let herbe at large and, with plenty of funds at her command, she will be awill-o-the-wisp, to be followed over the world for years--and her slipswill be few and very far between, and with no one there to note them."

  "Very good," said Frederick; "keep her or send her, as you seefit--only, don't embroil me with America, if you can avoid it."

  "There is no danger," I assured him. "Courtney says he will notinterfere, so long as she claims to be my wife."

  Frederick laughed. "Courtney's a friend," he said heartily.

  "None better lives," I replied.

  He lit a fresh cigar and studied the coal, a bit.

  "I wish you would tell me," he said, "whether you have any evidenceconnecting Lotzen with this matter."

  "Not a scrap nor a syllable," I answered promptly.

  "Has he ever exhibited any ill will toward you?"

  "None, whatever. On the contrary, he has been uniformly courteous andconsiderate--and I have told you of his action, last night, at thesupper."

  "All of which is just what he would do if he were guilty," was theanswer. "No, no, Armand; your refusal to implicate Lotzen does youcredit, but this attack on you comes at such an opportune moment, forhim, that he may not escape the suspicion which it breeds. I don'twant to believe him guilty, yet----" and he raised his handsexpressively.

  Then the portieres parted and the Princess stood in the doorway.Frederick saw her.

  "Come in, Your Highness," he said.

  She crossed to him and patted his cheek.

  "Have you been nice to Armand?" she asked.

  "He seemed to think so. I told him he might have you."

  "You dear old father!" she exclaimed; and slipping to his knee, shegave him a long hug.

  "Hold on, daughter; there are two conditions," he said. "One is thatyou order Armand about, now, instead of your Father."

  "Oh, don't worry about me, Sire," said she, "I'm quite able to orderyou both."

  "There's not a grain of doubt of that. But, you would better hold offon Armand until you have him safely tied up; he may rue bargain."

  "I fancy I can wait that very short time," she laughed, looking at me.

  "But, maybe, it won't be a very short time," the King remarked.

  She tossed her head.

  "It's the woman's privilege to fix the day."

  "Which brings me to the second condition," said he; "that, until thepresent wife, which some one seems to have provided for Armand, hasbeen eliminated, not only may there be no marriage, but the betrothal,itself, must remain a secret with us three."

  "But she's not his wife!" Dehra exclaimed.

  "No," said the King, "she is not his wife. If I thought she were,there would be no betrothal."

  Dehra's small foot began to tap the floor.

  "I have told Armand I don't care a rap for that woman," she answered."And if, as Your Majesty admits, she is not his wife, why should she bepermitted to control the situation to her own liking?"

  The King looked at me with an amused smile.

  "There, sir," said he, "you see what an unreasonable little womanyou're seeking to marry."

  I leaned forward and took Dehra's hand.

  "I think I rather like this particular sort of unreasonableness," Isaid. Then, to her, I added: "But I must endorse His Majesty's secondcondition."

  She frowned; then seated herself on one end of the high writing table.

  "I am prepared to hear your arguments, messieurs," she said. "Prayproceed and be brief."

  The King nodded to me.

  "You have the opening," he said.

  So, I explained the whole matter, as best I could, and the reasonswhich moved the King and me in our decision as to the betrothalremaining secret and the marriage deferred.

  Dehra heard me through without comment; then she turned to the King.

  "May it please your Honoress," said Frederick, "I cannot do more thanendorse and support all that my colleague has so ably presented. Weappeal to the Court's well-known sense of propriety, and throwourselves upon her mercy."

  "We have been much impressed by the argument of the learned counsel,"said Dehra, in formal tones, "and, while not agreeing with all that itcontained, yet, we are disposed to regard it, in the main, as sound.The second condition is therefore sustained.--But, I wish I could tellthat woman what I think of her!" she exclaimed.

  "God forbid!" the King ejaculated.

  Dehra went over and kissed him.

  "You're a dear," she said.

  Then, she came across to me.

  "And what is he?" asked Frederick, with a laugh.

  She drew back quickly.

  "According to his argument, he is only my cousin, the Grand DukeArmand," she answered.

  "But, you said you did not agree with part of my argument," I objected.

  "Did I?--Well, then, that must have been the part," she said.

  The King arose.

  "I think it's time for me to go," he said.