Part 29 (1/2)
”Yes, shout!” said the archduke quickly.
The chauffeur rose to his full height in the car and bellowed: ”Zerbst!
Zerbst! Zerbst!”
No answer came to the call; no one came from the path to the knoll.
In three minutes the archduke was grinding his teeth in a black fury.
Then with an air of inspiration he cried: ”I shout--you shout--all ad vonce!”
”Every little 'elps,” said the chauffeur politely.
With that they both rose to their full height in the car and together bellowed: ”Zerbst! Zerbst! Zerbst!”
No answer came to it; no one came from the path to the knoll.
On his sunny bank on the side of the knoll Sir Maurice said carelessly: ”He seems to be growing impatient.”
”He isn't calling us. And it's no use our going back without either the princess or the count,” said Miss Lambart quickly.
”Not the slightest,” said Sir Maurice; and he drew her closer, if that were possible, to him and kissed her.
To this point had their cooperation in the search for the princess and their discussion of everything and certain other things ripened their earlier friends.h.i.+p. They, or rather Sir Maurice, had even been discussing the matter of being married at an early date.
”I don't think I shall let you go back to the Grange at all. They don't treat you decently, you know--not even for royalties,” he went on.
”Oh, it wouldn't do not to go back--at any rate for to-night--though, of course, there's no point in my staying longer, since the princess isn't there,” said Miss Lambart.
”You don't know: perhaps Zerbst has caught her by now and is hauling her to her circular sire,” said Sir Maurice. ”The Twins can not be successful all the time.”
”We ought to go and search those caves thoroughly,” said Miss Lambart.
”That wouldn't be the slightest use,” said Sir Maurice in a tone of complete certainty. ”If the princess is in the caves, she is not in an accessible one. But as a matter of fact she is quite as likely, or even likelier, to be at the Grange. The Twins are quite intelligent enough to hide princesses in the last place you would be likely to look for them. It's no use our worrying ourselves about her; besides, we're very comfortable here. Why not stay just as we are?”
They stayed there.
But the archduke's impatience was slowly rising to a fury as the minutes that separated him from the one-fifteen slipped away. At ten minutes to one he was seized by a sudden fresh fear lest the searchers should be so long returning as to make him late for lunch; and at once he despatched the chauffeur to find them and bring them without delay.
The chauffeur made no haste about it. He had heard of the caves on Deeping Knoll and had always been curious to see them. Besides, he made it a point of honor not to smoke on duty; he had not had a pipe in his mouth since eleven o'clock; and he felt now off duty. He explored half a dozen caves thoroughly before he came upon Miss Lambart and Sir Maurice and gave them the archduke's message. They joined him in his search for Count Zerbst, going through the caves and calling to him loudly.
The one-fifteen had gone; and the hour of lunch was perilously near.
The face of the archduke was dark with the dread that he would be late for it. There was a terrifying but sympathetic throbbing not far from his solar plexus.
Every two or three minutes he rose to his full height in the car and bellowed: ”Zerbst! Zerbst! Zerbst!”
Still no answer came to the call; no one came from the path to the knoll.
Then at the very moment at which on more fortunate days he was wont to sink heavily, with his mouth watering, into a large chair before a gloriously spread German table, he heard the sound of voices; and the chauffeur, Miss Lambart and Sir Maurice came out of the path to the knoll.