The Puppet Crown [116]
of his present residence. The archbishop instituted the latter inquiries, because it was urgent and necessary he should know."
Fitzgerald became enveloped in gloom.
"And your credentials, Monsieur?" said the duchess. "You have them, I presume?"
"I came as a private gentleman; a telegram to my minister in Vienna will bring indorsement."
"Ah! Then you shall be locked up. I can not accord you recognition; without the essential representations, I see nothing in you but an impertinent meddler. To-morrow evening you shall be conveyed to Brunnstadt, where you will reside for some time, I can assure you. Perhaps on your head will rest the blood of many gallant gentlemen; for within another twenty-four hours I shall declare war against Leopold. This will be the consequence of your disloyalty to your word." And she moved toward the door, the others imitating her. Fitzgerald, more than any one else, desired to get away.
And one by one they vanished. Once the countess turned and threw Maurice a glance which mystifled him; it was half curtained with tears. Presently he was alone. His eye grasped every object. There was not a weapon in sight; only the bayonets on the table, and he could scarcely hope to escape by use of one of these. A carafe of water stood on the table. He went to it and half emptied it. His back was toward the door. Suddenly it opened. He wheeled, expecting to see the troopers. His surprise was great. Beauvais was leaning against the door, a half humorous smile on his lips. The tableau lasted several minutes.
"Well," said Beauvais, "you do not seem very glad to see me."
Maurice remained silent, and continued to gaze at his enemy over the tops of the upturned bayonets.
"You are, as I said before, a very young man."
"I killed a puppet of yours last night," replied Maurice, with a peculiar grimness.
"Eh? So it was you? However, Kopf knew too much; he is dead, thanks to your service. After all, it was a stroke of war; the princess, whose little rose you have, was to have been a hostage."
"If she had refused to be a wife," Maurice replied.
Beauvais curled his mustache.
"I know a good deal more than Kopf."
"You do, certainly; but you are at a convenient nearness. What you know will be of no use to you. Let us sit down."
"I prefer to stand. The honor you do me is too delicate."
"O, you may have no fear."
"I have none--so long as my back isn't turned toward you."
Beauvais passed over this. "You are a very good blade; you handle a sword well. That is a compliment, considering that I am held as the first blade in the kingdom. It was only to-day I learned that formerly you had been a cavalryman in America. You have the making of a soldier."
Maurice bowed, his hand resting near one of the bayonets.
"You are also a soldier of fortune-like myself. You made a good stroke with the archbishop. You hoodwinked us all."
Maurice did not reply.
"Very well; we shall not dwell on it. You are discreet."
Maurice saw that Beauvais was speaking in good faith.
"You have something to say; come to it at once, for it is trying to watch you so closely."
I will give you--" He hesitated and scratched his chin. "I will give you ten thousand crowns as the price of your silence in regard to the South American affair."
A sardonic laugh greeted this proposal. "I did not know that you were so cheap. But it is too late."
"Too late?"
"Doubtless, since by this time the authorities are in possession of the interesting facts."
"I beg to differ from you."
"Do as you please," said Maurice, triumphantly. "I sent an account of your former exploits both to my own government and to the one which you so treacherously betrayed. One or the other will not fail to reach."
"I am perfectly well aware of that," Beauvais smiled. He reached into a pocket, and for a moment Maurice expected to see a pistol come forth. But he was needlessly alarmed. Beauvais extracted two envelopes from the pocket and sailed them through the intervening space. They
Fitzgerald became enveloped in gloom.
"And your credentials, Monsieur?" said the duchess. "You have them, I presume?"
"I came as a private gentleman; a telegram to my minister in Vienna will bring indorsement."
"Ah! Then you shall be locked up. I can not accord you recognition; without the essential representations, I see nothing in you but an impertinent meddler. To-morrow evening you shall be conveyed to Brunnstadt, where you will reside for some time, I can assure you. Perhaps on your head will rest the blood of many gallant gentlemen; for within another twenty-four hours I shall declare war against Leopold. This will be the consequence of your disloyalty to your word." And she moved toward the door, the others imitating her. Fitzgerald, more than any one else, desired to get away.
And one by one they vanished. Once the countess turned and threw Maurice a glance which mystifled him; it was half curtained with tears. Presently he was alone. His eye grasped every object. There was not a weapon in sight; only the bayonets on the table, and he could scarcely hope to escape by use of one of these. A carafe of water stood on the table. He went to it and half emptied it. His back was toward the door. Suddenly it opened. He wheeled, expecting to see the troopers. His surprise was great. Beauvais was leaning against the door, a half humorous smile on his lips. The tableau lasted several minutes.
"Well," said Beauvais, "you do not seem very glad to see me."
Maurice remained silent, and continued to gaze at his enemy over the tops of the upturned bayonets.
"You are, as I said before, a very young man."
"I killed a puppet of yours last night," replied Maurice, with a peculiar grimness.
"Eh? So it was you? However, Kopf knew too much; he is dead, thanks to your service. After all, it was a stroke of war; the princess, whose little rose you have, was to have been a hostage."
"If she had refused to be a wife," Maurice replied.
Beauvais curled his mustache.
"I know a good deal more than Kopf."
"You do, certainly; but you are at a convenient nearness. What you know will be of no use to you. Let us sit down."
"I prefer to stand. The honor you do me is too delicate."
"O, you may have no fear."
"I have none--so long as my back isn't turned toward you."
Beauvais passed over this. "You are a very good blade; you handle a sword well. That is a compliment, considering that I am held as the first blade in the kingdom. It was only to-day I learned that formerly you had been a cavalryman in America. You have the making of a soldier."
Maurice bowed, his hand resting near one of the bayonets.
"You are also a soldier of fortune-like myself. You made a good stroke with the archbishop. You hoodwinked us all."
Maurice did not reply.
"Very well; we shall not dwell on it. You are discreet."
Maurice saw that Beauvais was speaking in good faith.
"You have something to say; come to it at once, for it is trying to watch you so closely."
I will give you--" He hesitated and scratched his chin. "I will give you ten thousand crowns as the price of your silence in regard to the South American affair."
A sardonic laugh greeted this proposal. "I did not know that you were so cheap. But it is too late."
"Too late?"
"Doubtless, since by this time the authorities are in possession of the interesting facts."
"I beg to differ from you."
"Do as you please," said Maurice, triumphantly. "I sent an account of your former exploits both to my own government and to the one which you so treacherously betrayed. One or the other will not fail to reach."
"I am perfectly well aware of that," Beauvais smiled. He reached into a pocket, and for a moment Maurice expected to see a pistol come forth. But he was needlessly alarmed. Beauvais extracted two envelopes from the pocket and sailed them through the intervening space. They