CHAPTER XIII
THE PLOT
The doorway of Gabriel Dasso's house stood open and the gleam of yellowlight that cut into the darkness showed old Pieto the groom holding bythe bridle a horse that seemed by its steaming hide to have been hardridden and but newly arrived. Lieutenant Mozaro slackened his steps ashe mounted the hill, asking himself what visitor this could be thatrode in haste to Dasso at so late an hour.
Remembering the business of his own visit he drew back into the shadowof the stable yard of a little _posada_ that stood nearly opposite. Itwas striking eleven down in the town and the inn had done its businessof the day, and, save for a little square of light in an upper storey,was in darkness. Gaspar leant against the gate-post and watched thehorse standing with outstretched neck and drooping head, and the formof the groom silhouetted against the glow of the hall. Old Pietolooked now and again, with a show of impatience, within the house,thinking, no doubt, of the interrupted supper awaiting him below stairs.
Perhaps a quarter of an hour passed--it seemed longer to the manwaiting in the stable yard--when the booted and spurred figure of ayoung man came out upon the doorstep. He stood there a moment drawingon his riding-gloves, and turned and spoke to the master of the housewho stood behind him, just within the hall. The young rider took thereins from old Pieto and swung himself gracefully into the saddle. Hebent down for a final word or two, then brought his horse sharply roundand with a dig of the heels set him at the hill that led inland.
Mozaro was about to leave his retreat when he heard the window of theinn open. From his point of vantage in the shadow, he saw a heademerge--a round bullet-shaped head that took the attitude of listening.It remained motionless until the clatter of the horse's hoofs upon thecobbled street died away, then it turned a face full upon the spotwhere he stood, and Mozaro gave a start as he remembered that he hadnot put out his cigar. The face was a strange one to him, and he knewthat Detti, the host of the Three Lilies, did not entertain manyguests. Moreover, it was not the face of a native of San Pietro. Amoment the stranger regarded him fixedly, then with a muttering in alanguage that was certainly not Spanish, but was undoubtedly a curse,the window was slammed shut and the light extinguished.
The lieutenant turned towards the house opposite. Old Pieto haddisappeared, but Dasso still stood upon the doorstep looking anxiouslyalong the road towards the town. As Mozaro came out of the shadow hegave a start, then greeted him eagerly. He drew him inside and closedthe stout oaken door.
"There has been great news to-night," he said, and led the way to thelibrary.
The two men seated themselves at the table on which was strewn a fewofficial-looking papers.
"Enrico is worse, Gaspar; I have just heard from the Palace that he maygo at any time. The doctors wonder at his vitality."
"Threatened men live long."
"Yes, and there's another proverb, I believe, about it being hard tokill a weed--Enrico may laugh at the doctors yet. But," went on Dasso,"we must be in readiness. Miss Baxendale must be secured or silenced."
Lieutenant Mozara looked straight in the elder man's eyes.
"You mean the Princess Miranda, Dasso."
The other looked up quickly.
"Ah, then you have heard?"
"I have heard enough to know that. I have played the spy well," andthe sallow face lit up with an evil grin. "I have suspected the factsfor two days now."
He drew his chair closer to Dasso's.
"And what is more, they are waiting for the same signal as you are.When the guns at the Palace boom out the death--well--it'll be thedevil take the hindmost."
Gabriel Dasso rose and paced nervously up and down the room, biting hismoustache. It seemed to him that here was a grave danger, and hecursed the luck that had brought Miranda to life at the time when hisplans seemed so prosperous--when success seemed assured. Then athought occurred to him and he pulled up sharp before the man who wassitting drumming his fingers on the table.
"It seems to me, Gaspar, that you have taken up my cudgels verythoroughly. Your expression when you spoke of her Royal Highnesswasn't a very pretty one. You don't like the lady, eh?"
"No, curse her--I don't."
"So. That's how the land lies. That accounts for your keeping yoursuspicions to yourself for two days. It seems to me," and his voicegrew hard, "that Lieutenant Gaspar Mozara has had a fish of his own tofry."
"You can keep your taunts, Gabriel. I neither understand them norappreciate them. I am with you in this matter, body and soul--does notthat suffice?"
"It is everything, my dear boy. We won't quarrel. Hate is a goodweapon. I hope you have not put the princess out of temper with you?"
"Miranda and I are the best of _friends_. I thought it better that weshould be. We motor together to-morrow morning. Doesn't that suggestanything to you, Gabriel?"
"My dear Gaspar, it suggests so many things that I'm bewildered."
"Will the news of Enrico's relapse reach the town to-night?"
"It's hardly likely--my source of information is a private one."
"I'm calling for the lady at nine. The news mustn't reach Venta Villabefore then, or she will be kept in readiness."
For some little time neither of the men spoke, then Dasso leant overand whispered the plot that had occurred to his fertile and evil brain.
"You will call with the car at nine, as arranged. After a spin twicepast the villa to allay any suspicion of the girl being long away, youwill suggest a run to Alcador. The road is a good one, and you canopen out to any speed. About ten miles out you will see--no doubt youknow it--a castle, one tower of which shows up from a little forest ofpines.
"You will here pretend that something is amiss with the engine. Youwill descend, and while she is watching you at the bonnet, a man willenter the tonneau from behind. A chloroform pad will do the rest.Pieto and his wife will be at the castle, which belongs to a distantrelative of mine, to receive the guest."
"An excellent plan, senor, but what will they say to me?"
"That's only the first half of the plan. You will turn the car and runback to where four miles from here the road winds ledgewise, round thewestern spur of the Yeldo hills. There is a low stone wall here, andthe curves are dangerous. You will stop here and alight, and set theempty car at full speed at this wall. It will give way easily, and theriver, which runs at this spot in a series of falls and rapids, will doall that is needed in the way of evidence."
Mozara opened his mouth to speak, but Dasso held up a silencing hand,and went on: "You will then throw over the cloak and hat that the girlwas wearing, and walk on to a cottage which you will see a littlenearer the town. Here you will be met by a friend of mine who willtransfigure you. Immediately afterwards a cart will leave the cottagecontaining poor Lieutenant Mozara. His arm will be in plaster ofParis, and his clothing will be torn to ribbons and blood-stained. Abandage will be wound around his poor head." Senor Dasso laughed."His will have been a narrow escape.
"Search will be made and the wrecked car discovered. Sympathy will goout to the friends of the late Miss Baxendale, whose body will bestated to be in one of the deep holes which abound in the RiverArdentella. And so for the second time this person's death will beannounced."
"And what will you do with her ultimately?"
"In that we must be guided by circumstances. I see no reason why, ifthe lady be reasonable, she should not in the long run go free, ifnot--" he shrugged his shoulders--"I would be generous to her in theway of money, and once on the throne I fear nothing. Spain will see tothat."
"And what of her friends?"
"I'll find a way to crush that worm Sydney, while as for the woman--Idon't know who she is, a paid companion, no doubt--I don't think shecounts."
To Mozara the scheme sounded good. He was not at all anxious to playthe part of invalid for long, but, as Dasso pointed out, his injuriescould turn out less serious than was at first supposed. Again, he didnot like losing the
car. But it was revenge that smoothed the way forhim. He thought of the proud disdain that had shown in Miranda's facethat morning, and it was enough.
An hour later old Pieto and a sour-looking woman, who, by thediscourtesy he showed her, was presumably his wife, set out in acovered cart and made their way inland. Again, a little later, two menwho had spent an hour with Senor Dasso left and took the same road.
The Princess Galva: A Romance Page 13