Part 23 (1/2)
I fear he may have been drowned, or something worse. At any rate he will trouble you no more.”
The face of the girl showed keen distress. ”Poor child!” was all she could say.
”He was not, Highness, exactly a child, you know,” suggested the Minister.
”I was not referring to _him_.”
The Minister's smile returned.
”Then, Highness, perhaps you were referring to the Grand d.u.c.h.ess.”
”I was referring to the Grand d.u.c.h.ess.”
All this time His Excellency never lost his air of respect, but now a somewhat more familiar tone crept into his voice.
”Highness,” he said, ”you will pardon me, I know, if I issue orders in your regard. All is being done by your father's commands, given to me through His Majesty. You know as well as I do that your marriage to this Italian adventurer was impossible. You know that you are next in line of succession, but you do not know something else. You do not know that your father is even now dangerously ill. Your escapade has been hushed up to avoid scandal, for you may be sitting on the throne within a month. You must return to Ecknor, and you must return at once. The easiest way, and the best way, would be to notify the Was.h.i.+ngton papers that you have arrived on a visit to America _incognito_, and that you are now a guest at the Ministry. Though it is already midnight, I have prepared such a statement. Here is it.”
The Minister pointed to a number of sealed envelopes on the desk. ”If you consent to be reasonable, I shall have these dispatched by messenger at once, and to-morrow make arrangements for your entertainment. We shall send you to see some of the cities of the United States before you leave again for Europe. In this way your presence in America is explained. Nothing need ever be said about this unfortunate matter, and I can promise you that nothing will be said about it when you return home.”
It was Ruth's turn to smile.
”You are overlooking one thing, Excellency, and that the most important. I am not the Grand d.u.c.h.ess.”
”Of course, Highness. You have explained that before. It would not become me to contradict you, and yet you cannot blame me for carrying out my orders. If you do not agree to the plan I have suggested, I must put you under restraint. No one will be permitted to see you, and proper arrangements will be made to have you transferred secretly to one of our wars.h.i.+ps, which will be making a cruise--for your especial benefit--to America in the course of a month. A month, Highness, is a long time to wait in restraint, but you must see that there is nothing else for me to do.”
Ruth was obliged to smile in spite of herself at the mixture of firmness and respect in the suave Minister's tones. He was encouraged by the smile.
”Ah,” he said, ”I see that Your Highness will be reasonable.”
Ruth looked him straight in the eye.
”But what if I should convince Your Excellency that you have made a mistake, that I am telling you the truth when I say I am not the Grand d.u.c.h.ess Carlotta?”
The Minister bowed. ”It would be easy to convince me, Highness, if you could produce for me one who is more likely to be the Grand d.u.c.h.ess than yourself. But, alas! could there be two such faces in the world?”
Admiration shone out of the little man's eyes.
”There is no doubt, Excellency,” said Ruth, still smiling, ”that His Majesty was wise in appointing you a diplomat. We shall be good friends even though I have to stay. You are making a mistake, and I am afraid you will have to pay for it. I shall, however, be a model boarder, and possibly even enjoy my trip on the wars.h.i.+p. But I certainly shall not receive your friends at a reception, nor will I permit you to give me the honors due the Grand d.u.c.h.ess. Neither can I produce her. She is probably far away by this time. I will tell you my story, and you may judge for yourself.”
His Excellency bowed profoundly.
”Your Highness is most gracious,” he said. ”Will you permit me to be seated?”
”Certainly, Your Excellency.”
The Minister drew up a chair and sat down, with a low bow, before his desk; but not before he had placed Ruth in a chair where the light would s.h.i.+ne full on her face. He seemed now to be a changed man--almost a judge; and the fingers thrummed on the gla.s.s as they had done during the conference with Wratslav and Ivan.
With a half-amused smile, Ruth began.
”Excellency, my name is Ruth Atheson. You may easily verify that by sending for my uncle, Monsignore Murray, of Siha.s.set, with whom I made my home until he went to college in Rome to study for the priesthood.
I was left in Europe to receive my education. Afterward I came to America to be near my uncle, but I made frequent trips to Europe to visit friends. It was during one of these visits that I first met the Grand d.u.c.h.ess Carlotta, four years ago, at San Sebastian. The remarkable likeness between us caused me, as I have already told you, a great deal of annoyance. Her Highness heard of it and asked to meet me.