Part 40 (2/2)
From the Northern to the Southern, fro was in an uproar Exciteiven credence When the guards at the gates were doubled and companies of soldiers were ands werenumbers upon the city Comparatively few had heard the news from the returned horserown out of all knowledge After the excitement caused by the search for Captain Ellerey the city was ready to believe anything
As the Baron's servant had related, the horse of loyalty They had followed Captain Ellerey because they believed they were on the King's service, they said, and never for a olden cross in Vasilici's hands This was the story they told the King when they were taken to the palace, with ands rushed upon the one another's valour, each one striving to i in his own favor; but they were of one voice regarding Ellerey's treachery and the deceit which had been practised upon the to the brigands?” asked the King
”It was not for us to inquire, your Majesty,” they answered ”We knew Captain Ellerey, and we obeyed him”
In the main their story was true If Ellerey had mentioned the Queen as their e and Queen as one, and no question was put to them to make them differentiate between the was for some hours closeted with one or two of his pro trusted, but it was doubtful if their opinion ever weighed with him to the same extent that Lord Cloverton's did The news astonished the A Whatever the cause, the Queen's plans at any rate had ands were evidently not to be tempted into the service of Princess Maritza For the er to be apprehended from them
”I think we may leave this turbulent Captain and his co ”All we have to guard against is a riot a”
Perhaps the A he could do
”Has your Majesty ever supposed that Princess Maritza is, or has been lately, in Sturatzberg?” he asked after a pause
”It is i your colonies, a delicate attention, which, no doubt, she appreciates”
”Just so, and yet I had a strange story brought to ed to escape the delicate attention of my Government and had returned to Wallaria Needless to say, I did not believe the story, but the deliverance of her token certainly lends credence to it”
”She ; ”she would not venture herself in the country, ”
”That was my opinion,” answered Cloverton
”Do you mean that it is not your opinion now?”
”I ae, your Majesty, and have not yet decided”
So there were troops of soldiers in the streets lest rioters should gather together and do dah power behind theether excitedly in side streets, but these dispersed quietly after a little while without any interference from the soldiers
The Countess Mavrodin drove in the Bois as usual She held a little court, her carriage drawn up to the sidewalk, and she listened to and laughed at all the news What could it all h and chatter and be happy?
”My horses will not stand still if you talk politics,” she said to one man ”They know their mistress is of the nature of a butterfly” The man was one as likely to be well informed, and she did not say it until he had told her all he knew
This butterfly nature of hers caused her to drive about a great deal that day She had shopping to do in the Konigplatz, in the square out of which the Altstrasse ran and in the Bergenstrasse nearly as far down as the Southern Gate More than once she caught sight of a group of excited men at a street corner, and once or twice she noticed that a man would walk leisurely toward them, pause a moment, and then pass on Whenever this happened the little crowd dispersed ient business had suddenly occurred to each member of it It was late in the afternoon when the Countess returned hoave instructions for certain servants, whom she mentioned by name, to be in readiness, as she would require the and was theher brilliant and frivolous guests Yet before nine o'clock Baron Petrescu had received so, and knewthat day
But not all; that was, of course, ih which it was dangerous to travel after nightfall, there were dismal houses, behind the fast-closed doors of which ready orators held the attention of eager listeners The time was near The emancipation from their slavery was at hand What they had heard in the city to-day was proof of it Be ready! It was the saether And in the constant coht easily have failed to notice soes known only to the initiated One man passed in unnoticed, and in a side room was met by another ithout a word, beckoned him to follow
”No further news?” asked the first
”None,” was the answer
Along the sae which Ellerey had once traversed was De Froilette taken, and ushered into the Queen's presence He bowed low, but she had no thought of ceremony just now
”Can you read this riddle, monsieur?” she asked ”All kinds of solutions come to me, madam, but none that seem to entirely fit the case”