The Princess Dehra Part 38

And to his surprise she took his arm; and when the others' backs were turned, she looked up and smiled, the impudently provoking smile he had suffered under so long, and had at last punished.

"My compliments, Monsieur Ralph, on your adroit proficiency,"-and the tone and manner were as provoking as the smile-"it is quite unnecessary to refer to what it proves."

"As much so, as to refer to what enables one to recognize proficiency,"

he agreed.

"And if all the men I know are like you, sir-"

He bent down.

"Now that is an inference I'm curious to hear."

"Do you want them to be like you?" she asked, eyes half closed and glances sidelong-"because, if you do, it would be rather easy to oblige you-and may be not unpleasant-and I can begin with His Highness of Lotzen-truly it's a pity, now, I ruined my frock so needlessly this morning, in the j.a.ponica walk;" and giving him no time for reply, she dropped his arm and glided quickly into the chair the bewigged and powdered footman was holding for her.

No mention of the Twisted Pines was made until the coffee was being served; then the Princess motioned for the liqueur also to be put on the table, and dismissed the servants.

Drawing out her case, and lighting a Nestor, she smiled at the Archduke, and at his nod pa.s.sed the cigarette across;-and when Colonel Moore looked inquiringly at Mlle. d'Essolde, she shrugged her pretty shoulders and gave him hers.

"You know what it implies, Elise," Dehra remarked.-"No?-then ask Colonel Moore to tell you sometime-now, we're to hear the explanation that explains-the Tale of the Veiled Lady of the Inn," and she looked at Armand....

When he had finished, the Princess offered no comment, but frowned and played with her cigarette; and the Archduke, ever glad for any excuse to look at her, and very ready to be silent the better to look, watched her in undisguised devotion.

"What's the plot behind it?" she demanded, suddenly; "I can't make it out-it's absurd to fancy that woman honest, though I'm perfectly sure Lotzen has the Book. But why-why should he want to show it to us? Not out of love nor friendship, surely; nor bravado, either; our dear cousin isn't given to any such weakness. So it must be simply a rather clumsy attempt to lure you to the Ferida for slaughter-and that, again, seems unlikely; for Ferdinand isn't clumsy, nor would he want you murdered in his Palace; and as to the provision that you need not go-or that you may take a dozen with you if you wish-and if you don't go, that she preferred Colonel Moore, or some one with brains and a sword-all that, I say, is too amazingly inconsistent with anything except entire honesty for my poor brain to solve."

"Don't try, my dear," the Archduke laughed. "We will give you the solution to-morrow."

She laid aside her cigarette, and, folding her arms on the table, surveyed him in displeased surprise.

"Surely, Armand, you don't mean that you are going?" she asked.

He nodded, smilingly.

"Why not?" he asked-"the Colonel and I, with a few good blades, and the Veiled Lady's promise to protect us."

"But it's absurd, perfectly absurd, for you to take such risk. At the best, you are obligated only to look, to make no attempt to-night to recover the Book; and at the worst you can only fight your way out of the trap. In the one case, Colonel Moore can do the looking as well as you-in the other, their plot to kill you will have failed and your subst.i.tutes will be given some excuse by Spencer and let go in peace-oh, it's worse than absurd for you to go, Armand,"-she saw from his expression that her argument was futile-"and you know it, too; and you're going only because you like the excitement, and to show Lotzen, like a big boy, you're not to be dared."

The Archduke laughed at her indulgently.

"May be I am, little girl," he said; "but I've made up my mind to fight this business out myself, and that sends me to the Ferida to-night. I'll take every precaution--"

"Except the proper one of staying away," she interrupted. "You're struggling for a Crown, man, and mad rashness has no place in the game.

Play it like Lotzen, in the modern way, not like the Middle Ages-he uses its methods, true enough, but lets others execute his plans and face the perils."-She put out her hand to him.-"Come, dear, be reasonable," she begged; "be kind; even the wildest idea of leadership does not obligate you to go."

He took her hand and held it, with the firm, soft pressure of abiding affection, looking the while into her fair face, flushed now with the impetuous earnestness of her fear for him.

"I think it does, Dehra," he said gravely. "It is our duty to the country to find the Laws and settle the Succession at the quickest possible moment--"

"Yes, it is, but--"

"And there are but three in the Kingdom who have ever seen the Book, you and Lotzen and myself; and there must be no question as to its absolute identification, before you as Regent resort to force to recover it-force that may necessitate the taking of the Ferida by a.s.sault. Therefore, dear, I must go, for I must see the Book. a.s.sume, just for ill.u.s.tration, that Colonel Moore brings a description that seems to correspond to the Laws; you, as Regent, formally accuse the Duke of Lotzen of having the Book and demand its instant surrender; and upon his indignant denial that he has it, and his offered readiness to have his Palace searched, you order me, as Governor of Dornlitz, to have my rival's residence invaded and subjected to the ignominy of a mandat de perquisition; or, again, he may deny the Book without demanding a search, and submit to it only under protest; or he may refuse to permit the search and oppose it by force.

And whichever the case may be, the Book will not be found-he will take very careful precaution, as to that, you may be sure. And what will my position be then, with the House of n.o.bles?-when our only explanation, for such fruitless insult, is that some one saw a book, which he described to us, and which we thought was the Laws. Indeed, though it hadn't occurred to me before, it may be just such a condition that he is playing for--"

"But, my dear Armand," the Princess interrupted, "would it be any advantage even if we could say that you saw it?"

"An incalculable advantage, Dehra; I know the Book-there could not be any chance for mistake; and it would then be my word against Lotzen's, an even break, as it were; whereas, otherwise, it will be his word against our guess. Yet, indeed, in this aspect, it's very doubtful if we ought to resort to open measures against him, even if I saw the Book. It would be a question for careful consideration and counsel with all our friends-and it is but right that I should be able to a.s.sure them that I, myself, saw it, and recognized it beyond a doubt. It's worth all the danger it may involve; though I don't antic.i.p.ate any-the more I think, the more I believe we have solved the riddle. Lotzen wants some one to see the Book-he much prefers it shouldn't be I; he fancies I will gladly send a subst.i.tute; and he takes me for a hot-headed fool, who then will promptly play out for him the rest of his game, landing him on the Throne and myself beyond the border."

The Princess had listened with growing conviction that he was right; now she turned to Moore.

"And what is your best judgment?" she asked.

"That His Highness has the argument," was the prompt reply; "and I confess I was. .h.i.therto of your mind, and urged him, all I might, to let me go in his stead. Now, I am convinced not only that we should verify Mrs. Spencer's story, but that the Archduke must do it."

"And because he has seen the Book, and can identify it beyond doubt?"

"Exactly that, Your Highness; such identification is vital."

Dehra nodded and sipped her cordial meditatively; while Armand watched her in sudden disquiet; he had seen that look on her face a few times only, and it always presaged some amazing decision that was immutable-and not always to his approval. When she raised her eyes, it was with the conquering smile that he had never yet stood out against for long.

"Armand," said she, "you and Colonel Moore have persuaded me; it is right for you to go, and I'll go with you--"

"What! You!" the Archduke cried-"are you crazy, child?"

"Not in the least, dear; only very sensible to your cogent logic-who can identify the Book so well as I, who have known it all my life; you have seen it but once, you know."

"But the danger!"

"There isn't any danger, you said-and if there were, the Regent of Valeria will be the best sort of protector for you."

"But you will have to-go into Madeline Spencer's apartments-may be remain there half the night," he protested.

"And much more seemly for me than for you, my dear, and much less-tempting."

He joined in her laugh, but shook his head and turned to Moore.

"Colonel, will you oblige me by telephoning Mrs. Spencer we shall not be there to-night; word it any way you wish."

"Colonel Moore," said the Princess sharply, "you will do nothing of the sort. The Regent of Valeria requires the attendance of the Governor of Dornlitz and yourself to the Ferida Palace this night-and in the interval, you both will hold yourselves here in readiness."

Armand would have protested again, but she cut him short with a peremptory gesture.

"It is settled," she said; then added, almost vehemently: "surely, you can't think I want to see that awful woman!-but it's the only sure way to block Lotzen's game. The n.o.bles will take my word as to the Book-and so will the Army, and the people, too. No, I must go."

XVII INTO THE TIGER'S CAGE