The Princess Dehra Part 49

He drew the Colonel over to the big stone.

"There used to be a crack along the edge here," he said, very low, "where I could listen, and also see a very little, but it seems to have been closed. Shall I swing the stone, sir?"

Moore hesitated. What lay behind the stone? His last look at the library windows, from far down the hillside, had shown no light within; yet was it really so, or was it only that the curtains were drawn? If the Princess would but consent to remain here, at least until he had gone in and inspected. He glanced at her uncertainly, and she read his mind, and shook her head.

"I follow you," she said.

With a sigh, he adjusted his mask; she and De Coursey and Marsov did the same.

"Does the stone move easily?" he asked.

"It did when I used it, sir," said Jessac.

"Can you open it only a trifle at first?"

"No, my lord, once started it must make its swing."

"And if there be something in the way?"

"There never used to be, sir; it was always kept clear."

"Then pray Heaven it is so still." He loosed his sword and shut off the torch. "Open!" he ordered.

"It seems to hold, sir," said Jessac presently; "I can't move it-may I have the light a moment?... Now, I'll try again."

They heard him pushing; gently, then harder, finally with all his strength.

"I can't do it, my lord," he said; "it's either out of balance or has been closed on the inside."

The Princess gave an exclamation of alarm.

"What!" said she impatiently, "it can't be opened?-we have failed?

impossible, it must be opened-try again, Jessac."

"May be it's only jammed," said Moore; "come, I'll help you."

But still the stone refused to stir-suddenly it moved a very little-caught-moved a little more-caught again-then wrenched itself free, with a grinding sc.r.a.pe, and swung slowly around.

They heard it collide with something; the next moment came a terrific crash of shattering gla.s.s, and the resounding clatter of a metal tray.

Moore ground back an oath.

"Close the stone!" said he instantly, "quick, man, quick!"

But though it seemed to take an eternity to shut down, there was not the slightest sound, or other indication that any one had been aroused.

"What shall we do?" he asked the Princess; "that din must have been heard; shall we wait and risk another try, or escape now by the postern before we could be cut off?"

"We will risk another try," said she, at once. "Give the word whenever you wish."

For himself he was well content; his fighting blood was up, and here might be his opportunity to have it out with Lotzen, so he settled back to wait, harkening for the sound of any one coming by the pa.s.sage; the location of the broken gla.s.s would tell the Duke instantly the cause, and his first act, naturally, would be to send a party around to intercept them; though, being a stranger in his own castle, he might not know of the secret way, in which case the accident would have no materially adverse result save, possibly, to startle those within hearing from a sound sleep.

And while they delayed, Moore gossiped in whispers with the Regent, hoping to divert her, if only a very little, from the heavy strain she must be under-the blackness was enough, in itself, for a woman to endure, without the danger. And he marvelled at her calmness and ease, and the light laugh which came at times.

"It's good of you, Colonel," said she finally, "but I think I'm past fearing now. I was horribly afraid at first, and the rats almost made me faint with terror, but now I'm sort of dazed, dreaming, automatic, whatever it is-when the reaction comes, there likely will be hysterics-but that shan't be until all this is ended-it's this inaction that is the most trying."

Moore touched Jessac.

"How long have we been waiting?" he asked.

"Well on to half an hour, sir."

"Then swing the stone."

This time it moved instantly and noiselessly. Moore put his head through the opening and listened;... save for the ticking of a clock, somewhere across the room, there was perfect quiet.... Suddenly it chimed twice; when the last reverberation had died, he stepped carefully inside; the Princess and the others followed.

The library was as dark as the pa.s.sage; with a touch of warning to the Regent, Moore pressed the torch and flashed the stream of white light around the walls-fortune favored them; the room was unoccupied, and every door was closed. Then the light struck the iron safe, and the Princess, with the faintest exclamation of apprehension, grasped her Adjutant's arm and pointed at it. If the Book were in it, their visit would be barren; there was neither opportunity nor means to break inside. For the first time, the idea of failure touched her-she had been so full of a.s.surance, so confident that once in the Duke's library and success was certain.

Even when Moore suggested a safe she had waved it aside heedlessly. Her mind had been centered on the desk-that the Book must surely be in it.

The light reached the big, flat-topped one in the middle of the room; with a quick spring she was at it, and Moore beside her.

Swiftly they went through the drawers-nothing ... nothing ... nothing ...

ah! a bundle in black cloth-she tossed it out and fairly tore loose the strings-a glance was enough-leather-metal hinges-the Book! the Book! at last!

In an agony of delight she flung the cloth around it.

"Come!-come!--"

A shrill whistle-the doors were thrown open wide; in bounded three men, a lighted candelabra in each hand, and behind them a dozen more with rifles leveled. At the same moment, the Duke himself stepped from behind a curtain, and closed the stone into place.

At the whistle, De Coursey, Marsov and old Jessac had sprung to Dehra's side and, with Moore, ranged themselves around her-and now they stood there, five masked figures, swords drawn, the center of a circle of impending death, every man ready to fling himself upon the guns and chance it, but restrained because of her they were sworn to guard.

The Duke gave a chuckling laugh.

"Altogether a very striking picture," he remarked, with a wave of his hand around the room; "the candles-the masks-the swords-the guns-the att.i.tudes;-it is a pity, Cousin Armand, you cannot see it as I do."

"He thinks I am the Archduke," Moore whispered to the Regent; "let him think it."

"Your coming to-night was a surprise," the Duke was saying, "I admit it-I had not expected you before to-morrow at the earliest-my compliments on your expeditiousness." He drew out a cigarette and lighted it at one of the candles-then flung the box over on the desk; "help yourselves, messieurs, la derniere cigarette," he laughed with sneering malevolence.

"Keep perfectly still," Moore cautioned, very low. "If it come to the worst, I'll try to kill him first."

"Did you address me, cousin?" Lotzen asked; "a little louder, please-and keep your hand outside your coat; the first of you who tries for his revolver will precipitate a ma.s.sacre-even poor marksmen can't well miss at such a distance, and on the whole, these fellows are rather skilful."

He smoked a bit in silence, tapping the splintered gla.s.s on the floor with the point of his sword. "Behold, cousin, my preservers-a decanter and some slender Venetian goblets; queer things, surely, to decide the fate of a Kingdom. But for their fall, you would have won. Now--" he glanced significantly toward the ready rifles. "Yet, on the whole, I wish you had waited until another night-it could have been done elsewhere so much more neatly-before you got here-or saw that, the package in the black cloth. You came upon me so suddenly, I had time only to take you-and now that I have you, frankly, cousin, I'm at a loss how to dispose of you-and your good friends.... Come, I'll be generous; choose your own way, make it as easy as you like-only, make it."

A slight stir caused him to turn. Madeline Spencer, in a shimmering white negligee, was standing in the doorway.

"Ah, my dear, come here," he said; "this is altogether the best point of view for the picture: 'The End of the Game' is its t.i.tle-is it not, cousin?"