Part 22 (1/2)

”Well, so much the better; between you, the trick should be turned; though, as a matter of abstract justice, it's your particular work.”

”And I shan't s.h.i.+rk it,” said Armand-then he laughed-”on the whole, I'm something of a savage myself; Lotzen hasn't got all of it for the family, it would seem.”

Courtney shrugged his shoulders. ”We all are savages at the core-it's only a question of the veneer's thickness.”

”Of its thinness, I should say. However, now that you have saved my precious life, and dedicated me to care and prudence and to killing my enemies, we can get down to business. You had something to tell me.”

”I have told you,” said Courtney. ”I wanted to show you that note and save your precious life.”

The Archduke picked up the paper, and read it again.

”May be the party who wrote this,” he said, ”can help you answer the question I came to ask: what brought Lotzen to the Summer Palace, this afternoon; and, in particular, why did he go into the King's library?”

Courtney lit a fresh cigarette and watched the match burn to a cinder.

”Isn't your second question the answer to the first?” he asked.

”Doubtless; but what's the answer to the second?”

Courtney shook his head. ”I pa.s.s-unless you can give me some details.”

”Here's everything I know,” said Armand. ”Moore, as Adjutant to the Regent, occupies part of the King's suite as his quarters. This afternoon, he went out, leaving open the corridor door of the library. A little later Mademoiselle d'Essolde saw Lotzen come from the library-subsequently he met Moore and casually remarked to him that, as he pa.s.sed his quarters, the door being open, he had taken the liberty of looking at His late Majesty's portrait, which he wished to have copied.”

Courtney considered a bit.

”It's really most interesting to study your cousin's methods,” he said presently. ”He seems to take particular pleasure in telling one what he knows will not be believed. It was quite absurd to offer such a fool explanation, if he really wished to explain-and none knows it better than Lotzen. It was just as though he had said to Moore: 'Tell the Archduke Armand, I've been in the library, I've accomplished what I went for, and he may go to the devil, with my compliments.'”

”That's very well, as an exposition of Lotzen's methods,” said Armand; ”but what concerns me is his motive; what was it he went for?”

”The Book of Laws, possibly,” Courtney replied.

”Nonsense-he knows it's not in the library-if it were, I would have had it days ago.”

”And how does he know you haven't got it?”

”How! Because I'd have produced it to prove my t.i.tle.”

Courtney smiled. ”Certainly you would-if it proved your t.i.tle; but if it didn't?”

”You overlook Frederick's decree.”

”No, I don't-you overlook the fact that no one has ever seen that decree, and that Lotzen is ent.i.tled to a.s.sume it was not executed-that the whole story is fabricated, and that you have made away with the Book in order to throw the election into the House of n.o.bles; and so to have a chance for the Crown, when, in reality, you are ent.i.tled to none.”

”Lotzen understands perfectly that Dehra told the truth,” said Armand; ”and that I've not got the Book-for my part, I'm almost ready to accept her notion that he has it.”

Courtney leaned back in his chair, and studied the smoke rings he sent whirling upwards.

”I can't agree with you,” he said; ”indeed, since his visit to the library, I'm more convinced than ever that he hasn't the Book. He pretends to have it, so as to mislead you in your search.”