The Princess Dehra Part 35

She leaned a bit toward him.

"If I show you the Book of Dalberg Laws, will you believe?" she asked.

"That they are the Laws, yes."

She smiled rather sadly.

"The facts will have to prove my honest motive, I see; and I came from Paris, hoping that I could render you this service, as a small requital for the injury I did you a little while ago."

The Archduke laughed in her face.

"And for how much in gold coin of the realm, from some one of my enemies?" he asked.

She put the words aside with another smile.

"I've been in Dornlitz for more than two weeks," she went on; "can you guess where?-yes, I see you can; the only place I could have been, and you not know of it."

"And you mean to say the Book is in Ferida Palace?" said Armand.

"I do."

"And you are ready to restore it to the Regent?"

"No," said she, "I'm not ready to restore it to the Regent; I'm ready to give it to you if I were able, but I'm not-it will be for you to recover it."

"How do you know it is the Book of Laws-did the Duke tell you?"

She laughed her soft, sweet laugh. "Oh, no, he didn't tell me-he has no idea that I know he has it; I saw it by accident--"

"How could you recognize the Book?" he interrupted; "only three people in the Kingdom have ever seen it."

"By intuition, mainly; and by the secrecy with which the Duke handles it-let me describe it:-a very old book; leather-covered, bra.s.s-bound and bra.s.s-hinged; the pages, of parchment-those in front illumined in colors with queer letters, and, further on, more modern writing-it is the Book, isn't it, Armand?"

"Or Lotzen has described it to you," he answered.

She made a gesture of discouragement.

"You are hard to convince," she said-"you will have to be shown-will you take the trouble?"

The Archduke smiled. "Now we come to the kernel," he remarked; "the rest was only the sh.e.l.l. Quite candidly, madame, I'm not inclined to play the spy in Ferida Palace; there are easier deaths to die, though doubtless none that would be more sure."

"You didn't used to be so timid or careful, Armand," she mocked; "there are no dangers other than those of my boudoir-and if you fear them you may send a subst.i.tute-even one of your friend Courtney's secret agents.-For the last few nights the Duke has been going over this Book page by page; his apartments are across a small court from mine, and his private cabinet is directly in view from my boudoir. Send some one there this evening at eleven, and with my field gla.s.s he can see everything the Duke does, and every article on his desk. Surely, that should be enough to satisfy the most suspicious."

"Rather too much," said he; "it brings us back to the question of motive:-why should you, who have had so much of my dear cousin's money, and have enjoyed his kind and courteous hospitality for so long, suddenly turn against him, and betray him?-for believe me, madame, I take no stock in your pretty story of requiting injury, and coming all the way from Paris to help me find the Book."

"But, my dear Archduke, what matters my motive, if you recover the Book-besides, now you can send the police this instant and search the Palace and seize the Book, if it's there, and they can find it-doesn't that in itself attest my honesty?"

"Not in the least. You know very well that I would not venture to take such drastic action against the Duke unless I were sure, not only that he had the Book, but that it would be found-hence it's safe to tell this story. And as your motive-it all comes back to that-can't be to a.s.sist me, it must be to a.s.sist the Duke; and so-" he shrugged his shoulders.

It had never occurred to her that he would be so difficult to convince; she had thought that her bait, and particularly the privilege to send any one to verify it, and her description of the Book, would capture him instantly. But she had failed to appreciate how thoroughly Armand despised her, and how deeply he mistrusted her, and, more than all, how intensely repugnant it would be to accept a service from her, or to have any dealings with her except a outrance.

She bent forward and looked him in the eyes.

"Why might it not be to a.s.sist myself?" she asked-"to revenge myself, if you please, Armand."

"Yes?" he said questioningly.

"Ferdinand of Lotzen and I have come to the parting place," she said with quick bitterness-"the brute struck me yesterday; no man ever did so twice-and none ever once, that I didn't punish promptly. I did come from Paris thinking I might aid you, for some how I was sure he had that book; he was glad enough to have me; and then he was so kind and liberal I-you won't believe it I know, Armand, but it's true-I couldn't bring myself to betray him; nor should I, but for yesterday. Now I want revenge; and I can get it quickest and best through you. There, you have my true motive; and even you should not doubt it, for, G.o.d knows, a woman hates to confess that a man has struck her."

She turned away and looked through the window, her fingers playing nervously on the sill; while the Archduke, doubtful, yet half convinced, glanced at Moore uncertainly.

Instantly the Colonel motioned to accept, and that he would go to the Ferida; and Armand smiled, and indicated that both would go-if any went; then he crossed to the great fireplace and stood before it, staring thoughtfully into the cinders. Suddenly he straightened his shoulders, and faced around-and Moore knew that the decision was made, and finally.

"Mrs. Spencer," he said, "we will lay aside the questions of motive and personality: You, an individual, come to me, the Governor of Dornlitz, and offer information which, if true, will lead to the recovery of an article of great value, that belongs to the Government and has mysteriously disappeared. It is my duty, as Governor, to investigate the story, and I will do it, either in person or by subordinate. If the story be true, and the article in question be recovered by your aid, then you will be ent.i.tled to the proper thanks of the Government and a suitable recompense.-So much for that. But I also wish to a.s.sure you that Armand Dalberg, himself, declines your offer and your aid; and should your information result to his personal profit and advancement, it will be a life-long regret."

She heard him without turning-and Moore thought he detected the faintest shiver at the end; and, in truth, the words and tone were enough to chill even a colder heart than hers.

But when she faced him, it was with one of the soft and caressing smiles she could use with such fatal fascination, and which made Moore catch his breath and stare, though it touched the Archduke not at all.

"I thank His Royal Highness, the Governor of Dornlitz," she said, dropping him another curtsy, "for his consideration and trust, and the promised reward; the latter I decline.... As for Armand Dalberg, I can a.s.sure him he will owe me no obligation: it will give me a life-long pleasure to be the means of causing him a life-long regret."

The Archduke smiled indifferently.

"To that extent, then, I shall feel less obligated," he replied.

"Meanwhile, let us be seated, and receive madame's instruction for to-night. I shall want the Book seen by more than one person-how many can you arrange to admit?"

"How many do you wish?"

"Three, possibly four."

"You may bring half a dozen if you like," she said, "though the fewer, the less chance of failure."

"Very good-how is it to be managed?"

She drew off her gauntlets, and from one of them took a sheet of note paper-stamped with the Duke's arms-on which she had sketched roughly so much of the Ferida and its grounds as entered into her plan. Spreading it out, she explained how they were to gain entrance to her apartments; and that there might be no mistake, she went over it again, cautioning them that it must be followed with the most careful precision. At the end, she gave the map to Moore.

"Of course, I shall not expect Your Highness to-night," she said; "but I hope you will send Colonel Moore; it will be well to have some one who can, if necessary, use both head and sword-though I don't antic.i.p.ate the remotest difficulty in your--"

A volley of cheers from without drowned her voice. It could only be the soldiers, and yet it was such an extraordinary thing, and with the Field-Marshal, himself, within sound, that the two men looked at each other in puzzled surprise; and when the noise not only continued but actually grew louder, the Archduke frowned and went to the window.

And what he saw made him frown still more, and he swore softly to himself, as a man does, sometimes, when unpleasantly surprised and obliged to think quickly, and to act on the thinking, with a heavy penalty awaiting a mistake.

Crossing the courtyard, with Hertz and Purkitz walking on either side, were the Regent of Valeria and Mlle. d'Essolde. And even as Armand stood there, they were out of saddle and Dehra was running lightly up the steps.

"Send Scartman to us in the big room, if you please, Captain," she called-then stopped, her eyes fixed on two horses standing a little way off-a Field-Marshal's insignia on the saddle cloth of one and a Colonel's of her Household on the other. So! so! and they were too busy with appointments at four to ride with them. She caught Mlle. d'Essolde by the arm.

"Look, Elise!" she said, "look at those saddle cloths yonder."