Part 46 (1/2)

The Archduke put up his field gla.s.ses and, turning to the Princess, waved his hand toward the open country, and around to the Castle behind them.

”So, dear,” he said, ”this is home-the Dalberg aerie and its feeding grounds. I like them well. And particularly do I like the way the nest itself has been kept up to the time in comforts and appointments.”

”Do be serious, Armand,” she protested; ”haven't you any sentiment! Look at the wonderful blue of the Voragian mountains; and the s.h.i.+fting shadows on the foot-hills; and this spur, and Lotzen's yonder, trailing out from them like tendrils of a vine; and the emerald valley, streaked through the center by the sparkling Dreer; and the fair lands to the south, as far as eye can carry, and yet farther, league upon league to the sea-yours, my lord, all yours-the heritage of your House-the Kingdom of your Fathers.”

”You have forgot the loveliest thing in all the landscape,” said he, ”the one thing that makes the rest worth while.”

She sprang from him. ”No, sir, not here on the wall in view of the bailey and every window; confine your sentiment at present to the inanimate portion of the landscape.”

He went over and leaned on the parapet beside her.

”I fear I have quite too much sentiment,” he said; ”I have already expended far more than you would believe-on the Castle, and the mountains, and the valley, and all the rest. Now I'm done with it, except for animate objects; the business we have in hand promises to be sufficiently occupying. Yonder is the Book; and how to get it, and quickly.” He leveled his gla.s.ses at Lotzen Castle and studied it a long time.... ”A pretty hard proposition,” he remarked. ”Have you ever been in it?”

”Unfortunately, no; but Major Meux has been Constable here for two years, and surely must have been there often-yonder he is now, by the gate tower.”

The Archduke caught Meux's glance and motioned for him.

”Major,” said he, ”can you give us an idea of the plan of Lotzen Castle?”

”I can do better than that, Your Highness, I can show you a plan, drawn to scale and most complete. I came upon it in the library only last week.

It's more than a hundred years old, but I think it is still in effect accurate.”

”I wonder how it happens to be here?” said the Princess, with the peculiar curiosity of a woman as to non-essentials.

”At the time it was made Lotzen was also a Royal Castle,” the Constable explained; ”it was very natural to deposit the draft here with the King's own records.”

As they crossed the main hall, they chanced upon Colonel Moore, and, taking him with them, they went into the library-a great, high-ceilinged room, on the second floor of the keep, the walls hidden by ma.s.sive, black oak cases, filled with books and folios, in bindings of leather stamped with the Dalberg Lion-and from a shelf in a dark corner the Constable brought a small portfolio, made to resemble a book, in which the draft was folded.

”This is admirable,” the Archduke remarked, examining it with the trained eye and instant comprehension of the engineer officer; ”it could not be done better now.... See, Dehra, it is the whole fortification, as plain as though we were on the high tower, here-” indicating on the draft.

”I suppose so,” she smiled; ”but to me it looks only like a lot of black lines, flung down at random and with varying degrees of force; sort of an embroidery pattern, you know.”

Armand, bending over the sheet, did not hear her.

”What did you make out of this, Major?” he asked; ”there seems to be nothing on the key to explain it-might it be intended to indicate a secret pa.s.sage from the second floor of the keep to the postern?”

”That puzzled me also,” said Meux, ”but your explanation, sir, seems very likely.-Possibly old Jessac might know something; he has been here for more than seventy years, as a boy, and upper servant, and steward, and now as sort of steward emeritus and general reminiscer; and he has the legends and history of this castle at his tongue's end.”

”Yes,” said the Princess, ”if anyone know, it's Jessac, and I think he served for a time in Lotzen Castle-have him here, Major, if you please.”

The old man came, tall, slender, shrivelled of face, white and thin of hair, yet erect and vigorous, despite his almost four and a half score years. They raised men, and kept them long, in the tingling, snapping, life-giving air of the Voragian mountains.

”Don't kneel, Jessac,” the Regent exclaimed, giving him her hand.

He bent and kissed it with the most intense devotion.

”My little Princess! my little Princess!” he repeated; ”G.o.d is good to have let old Jessac see you once more before he dies.” Then he straightened, and, turning sharply toward the Archduke, scanned him with an intentness almost savage. Suddenly his hand rose in salute. ”Yes, you're a man, and a Dalberg, too-the finest Dalberg these old eyes ever saw.”

And Armand understood, and went to him, and took his hand, and held it.