Part 31 (1/2)
”With the Lion and a Brigadier's commission as a punishment,” the Regent answered.
”He wanted to go back, and it was I that kept him.”
”It's a misfortune-more than a misfortune; it's almost a calamity-my dear Elise, if ever again your Colonel get so proper an excuse to kill that devil, pray don't intervene.”
”I'm sorry-very sorry, I'm almost criminally stupid.”
”Nonsense, dear,” said the Princess; ”there will be other chances-meanwhile, what happened?... Bit him! Oh, delightful, delightful!”
The other gave a s.h.i.+ver of repugnance.
”Disgusting, I should call it, now-I did it in the frenzy to be free. I shall never forget the horrible thing.”
”Nor will he-you've marked him for life-the pity is it wasn't his face.-Go on; what happened then?”...
”The nasty brute,” said Dehra, when she had heard the last detail-”and save for the punishment you yourself administered, he, for the time, must go scatheless; you cannot permit such a story to go through the Court and the Clubs; and you may be quite sure he won't tell it.” She struck her hands together vehemently. ”Lotzen! oh Lotzen!-Some day, Elise, your lover or mine is going to be granted the blessed privilege of putting a sword through his vile heart.” She sprang up. ”Come, dear, you need diversion-we will ride; and if I can get the Archduke, we'll take your Colonel, too.” She went to the telephone.... ”Is that you, Armand?”-when the recall bell rang.... ”This is Dehra-Elise and I are off for a ride; if you can go with us, I'll have Moore go, too.... Bother your important appointment; break it.... You can't?... We can be back by four o'clock.... Have matters to see to; will they occupy all the afternoon?... They will?... And you need Moore, also?-all right, take him-what is your appointment?... Can't tell me over telephone?... Tell me to-night-well, I suppose I can wait-come for dinner.... Yes, stupid....
Good-bye, dear.”
She hung up the receiver. ”You heard, Elise; neither of them can go. I should hate to be a man and always busy. Come, we will go ourselves, and make an afternoon of it-and stop at the Twisted Pines for tea.”
XIV AN ENTICING RENDEZVOUS
The failure of Colonel Moore to keep promptly his appointment with Mlle.
d'Essolde to meet her that morning in the j.a.ponica walk was due to a letter that had come to him in the early post, and which had sent him, without a moment's delay, straight to Dornlitz and Headquarters; nor did he even stop to telephone the Archduke, but left it for one of the young officers in the outer office to do.
The Military Governor received him at once, and with a look of questioning concern.
”Anything wrong at the Palace?” he asked.
”Nothing, Your Highness,” said Moore, with his graceful salute-so unlike Bernheim's stiff motion-”nothing; I brought this letter; it is for you, though sent to me.”
The Archduke took it, without comment-he knew it must be of peculiar importance to bring Moore in person at that hour. When he had read it, he looked carefully at the envelope, and turning on his desk lamp, he spread the letter under it and examined it very slowly and critically; finally he re-read it aloud:-
”'If His Royal Highness the Archduke Armand wish to know the whereabouts of a certain Book, let him be at the Inn of the Twisted Pines at four o'clock this afternoon. No harm is intended; and as a proof he is privileged to bring as large an escort as he desires. If he accept, let him stand in a window of his private office, overlooking the Avenue, for five minutes at exactly noon to-day. This is his only chance; there will be no second letter.
”'One Who Knows.'”
”Well,” said he, ”the writer at least knows how to put up a very enticing bait-'privileged to bring as large an escort as he desires-at four o'clock this afternoon-at the Inn of the Twisted Pines'-surely, there is nothing in them to suggest danger, daggers or death.... I think we shall accept, Colonel; what's your notion about it?”
”If it is a plant,” he said, ”it's a very clever one-and hence spells Lotzen; but, for my part, I'll be charmed to go with you, whatever it is.”
The Archduke smiled. ”Of course you will, you peaceful citizen, and be sadly disappointed if there isn't a head for you to hit. It's just as well I gave you to the Regent, you would be leading me into all sorts of danger.”
”And Your Highness has established such a splendid reputation for avoiding danger,” Moore laughed.
”How so?”