Part 5 (1/2)
”No. Pardon me, my friend! Not rash. Merely honest. That is all! He is a very honest young man indeed. It is unfortunate that he is so; a ploughman may be honest if he likes, but a prince--never!”
De Launay was silent.
”I will now destroy a world”--continued Von Glauben, ”Kings, emperors, popes, councillors and common folk, can all perish incontinently,--as--being myself for the present the free agent of the Deity concerned in the matter,--I have something else to do than to look after them,”--and he took up the gla.s.s vessel containing the animalculae he had been watching, and cast it with its contents into a small stove burning dimly at one end of the apartment,--”Gone are their ambitions and confabulations for ever! How easy for the Creator to do the same thing with us, Roger! Let us not talk of any special danger for the King or for any man, seeing that we are all on the edge of an eternal volcano!”
De Launay stood absorbed for a moment, as if in deep thought. Then rousing himself abruptly he said:--
”You will not see the King, and speak with him before to-morrow night?”
”Why should I?” queried the Professor. ”His wish is a command which I must obey. Besides, my good Roger, all the arguments in the world will not turn a man from having his own way if he has once made up his own mind. Advice from me on the present matter would be merely taken as an impertinence. Moreover I have no advice to give,--I rather approve of the plan!”
Sir Roger looked at him; and noting the humorous twinkle in his eyes smiled, though somewhat gravely.
”I hope, with you, that the experiment may only prove an amusing one,”
he said--”But life is not always a farce!”
”Not always, but often! When it is not a farce it is a tragedy. And such a tragedy! My G.o.d! Horrible--monstrous--cruel beyond conception, and enough to make one believe in h.e.l.l and doubt Heaven!”
He spoke pa.s.sionately, in a voice vibrating with strong emotion. De Launay glanced at him wonderingly, but did not speak.
”When you see tender young children tortured by disease,” he went on,--”Fair and gentle women made the victims of outrage and brutality--strong men killed in their thousands to gain a little additional gold, an extra slice of empire,--then you see the tragic, the inexplicable, the crazy cruelty of putting into us this little pulse called Life. But I try not to think of this--it is no use thinking!”
He paused,--then in his usual quiet tone said:
”To-morrow night, then, my friend?”
”To-morrow night,” rejoined De Launay,--”Unless you receive further instructions from the King.”
At that moment the clear call of a trumpet echoing across the battlements of the palace denoted the hour for changing the sentry.
”Sunset already!” said Von Glauben, walking to the window and throwing back the heavy curtain which partially shaded it, ”And yonder is Prince Humphry's yacht on its homeward way.”
De Launay came and stood beside him, looking out. Before them the sea glistened with a thousand tints of l.u.s.trous opal in the light of the sinking sun, which, surrounded by mountainous heights of orange and purple cloud, began to touch the water-line with a thousand arrowy darts of flame. The white-sailed vessel on which their eyes were fixed, came curtseying over the waves through a perfect arch of splendid colour, like a fairy or phantom s.h.i.+p evoked from a poet's dream.
”Absent all day, as he has been,” said De Launay, ”his Royal Highness is punctual to the promised hour of his return.”
”He is, as I told you, honest;” said Von Glauben, ”and it is possible his honesty will be his misfortune.”
De Launay muttered something inaudible in answer, and turned to leave the apartment.
Von Glauben looked at him with an affectionate solicitude.
”What a lucky thing it is you never married, Roger! Otherwise you would now be going to tell your wife all about the King's plans! Then she, sweet creature, would go to confession,--and her confessor would tell a bishop,--and a bishop would tell a cardinal,--and a cardinal would tell a confidential monsignor,--and the confidential monsignor would tell the Supreme Pontiff,--and so all the world would be ringing with the news started by one little pretty wagging tongue of a woman!”
A faint flush coloured De Launay's bronzed cheek, but he laughed.
”True! I am glad I have never married. I am still more glad--of circ.u.mstances”--he paused,--then went on, ”which have so chanced to me that I shall never marry.” He paused again--then added--”I must be gone, Von Glauben! I have to meet Prince Humphry at the quay with a message from his Majesty.”
”Surely,” said the Professor, opening his eyes very wide, ”The Prince is not to be included in our adventure?”