Part 35 (2/2)
”You have heard the news, Saxe Leinitzer?”
”I did not know of any news,” the Prince answered. ”What is it?”
”Brott has refused to join with Letheringham in forming a ministry. It is rumoured even that a coalition was proposed, and that Brott would have nothing to do with it.”
The Prince looked into his winegla.s.s.
”Ah!” he said.
”This is disturbing news,” the Duke continued. ”You do not seem to appreciate its significance.”
The Prince looked up again.
”Perhaps not,” he said. ”You shall explain to me.”
”Brott refuses to compromise,” the Duke said. ”He stands for a ministry of his own selection. Heaven only knows what mischief this may mean.
His doctrines are thoroughly revolutionary. He is an iconoclast with a genius for destruction. But he has the ear of the people. He is to-day their Rienzi.”
The Prince nodded.
”And Lucille?” he remarked. ”What does she say?”
”I have not spoken to her,” the Duke answered. ”The news has only just come.”
”We will speak to her,” the Prince said, ”together.”
Afterwards in the library there was a sort of informal meeting, and their opportunity came.
”So you have failed, Countess,” her host said, knitting his grey brows at her.
She smilingly acknowledged defeat.
”But I can a.s.sure you,” she said, ”that I was very near success. Only on Monday he had virtually made up his mind to abandon the extreme party and cast in his lot with Letheringham. What has happened to change him I do not know.”
The Prince curled his fair moustache.
”It is a pity,” he said, ”that he changed his mind. For one thing is very certain. The Duke and I are agreed upon it. A Brott ministry must never be formed.”
She looked up quickly.
”What do you mean?”
The Prince answered her without hesitation.
”If one course fails,” he said, ”another must be adopted. I regret having to make use of means which are somewhat clumsy and obvious. But our p.r.o.nouncement on this one point is final. Brott must not be allowed to form a ministry.”
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