Part 7 (1/2)
Stefan answered; ”but I ht place than ht”
A soldier, one of his own troop of Horse, Stefan had drifted into Ellerey's service, perhaps because he was a lonely man like his master
He appeared to have no ties whatever, nor wanted any, and declared that the first ht be his father, for anything he knew to the contrary Hishim into the world; a wasted sacrifice, he called it, since the world could have done very ithout hiood he could find, and if he held his own life cheaply, he was even less interested in the lives of others Woood opinion could be purchased by atankard, and lasted, as a rule, so long as any liquor remained
It was hardly wonderful that Ellerey should not trust such awords, and the look on his face as he spoke, htful
”I shall want at least one stout coht choose a worse man than Stefan”
He spoke of his adventure to no one else He did not even attempt to locate the house into which he had been decoyed To show too much interest in the affair would only be to attract attention to himself and his movements, which was undesirable, whether it were her Majesty who had taken occasion to test his courage, or others who, knowing the Queen's sche appeared certain
So peril with it
On the second evening, Ellerey accompanied Monsieur De Froilette to Court
”You are prepared to be frivolous, monsieur, as her Majesty wishes?”
said De Froilette, as they went ”You will find it tolerably easy, but, pardon the advice, er to one with a secret mission”
”Do you speak of enerally, but perhaps I was thinking of women,” was the answer ”Of one man, however, beware There is a little, ferret-eyed devil at Court who can spy out secrets allish Areat man, and I hate him”
Ellerey had no tie stopped, and the nextDe Froilette up the wide staircase whichHis companion spoke to no one as he went up, nor did anyone address hiht have passed for an uni, but Ellerey, who had every reason to be interested in the Frenchman, noticed that ether when he had passed Ellerey hiined, to the fact that he was in De Froilette's company, until he chanced to be left alone for a few rand staircase Soed in earnest conversation From their position they could scrutinize every one who ascended the stairs or crossed the vestibule, and it seemed to Ellerey they were there of set purpose; more, that his arrival had been expected and waited for One of the four was a uished bearing
He appeared chief a his companions, who addressed him with a certain deference, and followed his movements, so that when he turned to look at the newcomer, Ellerey found himself the focus of four pairs of eyes
Helooks with equal inquiry, but experienced a certain attraction toward the ht be an eneh he would prove an honest and open one, incapable of anything mean or underhand Presently he made some remark to his companions, who nodded acquiescence, and then they separated, and were lost in the crowd crossing the vestibule, just as De Froilette returned
”Pardonyou, monsieur; shall we seek her Majesty?”
Ellerey passed with the Frenchhted from a domed roof, one of a suite of rooms which were all of splendid proportions From the distance came soft, dreareathad commenced in the ball-roo brilliant uniforms and the decorations of every nation in Europe, and wolorious in sheen of satin, rustle of silk, and flash of jewels Wohter answered ayety and careless acceptance of the pleasures of the passing hour It was difficult to believe that under it all lay deceit and treachery Ellerey was inclined to doubt it, as he followed his coroup of h between the welcome she extended to each new arrival, sat her Majesty She was even ht than when she had come to the Altstrasse, and, surrounded as she was by beautiful woroup Jewels glistened at her throat and in her hair, and across her breast she wore the scarlet ribbon of the Golden Lion of Sturatzberg
”Ah, Monsieur De Froilette, you are welco that your countrywo, in Europe, and Count von Heinnen laughs at my opinion”
”Your Majesty will not understand,” said Von Heinnen, in guttural tones which ill agreed with a compliment; ”I loved the wo”
”I would narrow the Count's li,”
said De Froilette, bending over the Queen's hand
”No word for the wohed the Queen ”Are we so unpatriotic, Baron Petrescu?” and she turned to aclose behind her
”I fear so, your Majesty I have been in England, and, for lish women are the most beautiful in the world”
Baron Petrescu was the ly at Ellerey in the vestibule He looked at hih his answer had some reference to him; and the Queen, who did not see the direction of the Baron's glance, let her eyes rest on Ellerey for the first time
”Captain Ellerey, you, too, are welcolishman, you will doubtless support the Baron's opinion”
”I find so to contemplate in all women, your Majesty, but, as yet, I have placed none above all others”