The Traitors Part 50

It was obvious that Reist was moved. A spot of colour burned in his cheeks, and he glanced for a moment at his sister as though for guidance. She too was agitated. Brand turned to her.

"Countess," he exclaimed, "will you not add your words to mine? I come here as your friend. The King is guiltless of all offence towards you.

Plead with your brother. Beg him to ride with me to the King."

She laid her hand softly upon his.

"My friend," she said, "you have spoken like a brave man and an honest man, and both my brother and I respect you very much for it. But you are a stranger here, and we are Thetians. We know our country and her needs better than you. We do not believe that Ughtred of Tyrnaus is the man to save her. He is too, what you call in the west, democratic for an ancient kingdom. The heart of the people is not with him. As for Domiloff, we do not trust wholly to him. We are not quite so blind as you would have us believe. Yet we need friends--and, believe me--we shall know how to reward them. Stay here with us, Mr. Brand. We will try to treat you so that you shall never regret it."

The upward glance of her dark eyes was eloquent enough, but Brand only shook his head.

"I am for the King," he said.

"And I," the Duke of Reist said, with a sudden vehemence, "am for my country. Mr. Brand, you are answered. You have my permission to repeat the whole of our conversation to the King. Now as to yourself. You are a brave man, and I do not care to see harm come to such. Leave this house at once. Marie will show you an exit from this side. You are in danger from which even I am powerless to protect you."

"I thank you," Brand answered, taking up his hat. "Your friend Domiloff is, I suppose, still anxious as to my whereabouts. And in all probability--here he is."

CHAPTER XLII

There was a sharp tap at the door. Marie and her brother exchanged quick glances. Brand stepped forward, but Marie waved him back.

"Who is there?" she called out.

"It is I, Baron Domiloff," was the suave answer. "I regret very much to intrude, but I have urgent business with your friend Mr. Brand. Can I come in?"

She hesitated. After all, any attempt to keep him out must be futile.

"You can come in," she answered.

The door opened, and Domiloff entered. He bowed low before the Countess, but there was an evil smile upon his lips when his eyes met Brand's.

"This is a very fortunate meeting, Mr. Brand," he declared. "It saves us the trouble of searching for you. Only an hour ago, my dear sir, the Countess and I were speaking of you."

"So far as the Countess was concerned," Brand answered, dryly, "I am honoured."

Domiloff shrugged his shoulders. He turned to Nicholas with a smile which was meant to be good-humoured.

"Mr. Brand imagines perhaps that I bear him some ill-will for that previous little _rencontre_ between us, in which, by the bye, I must admit that I had very much the worst of it. I can a.s.sure him most sincerely that it is not so."

Brand shrugged his shoulders.

"We have met since then, Baron Domiloff, I think," he said, "and even you must admit that a revolver bullet through one's hat is scarcely a message of good will."

Domiloff was bewildered. Was this a joke, or was his friend--his very good friend, Mr. Walter Brand--under some hallucination? Brand turned from him impatiently.

"The matter is not one which will repay discussion," he said.

"Countess, I regret that I must offer you my adieux."

Domiloff held up his hand.

"One moment," he said, persuasively. "We are all three here together now, and the opportunity is too excellent to be lost. The Duke of Reist, the Countess, and I have something in common to say to you. You will spare us a few moments--and your best attention, my dear Mr.

Brand."

"By all means," Brand answered. "'Something in common' to say to me sounds interesting. I am at your service."

"It concerns the daily letters which you cable from here to London on behalf of the newspaper to which you are attached," Domiloff said, slowly.

"Indeed," Brand answered. "I am flattered that you should have troubled to read them."

"From a literary point of view," Domiloff admitted, "they are admirable. Politically I regret to say that we find them mischievous."

Brand laughed scornfully.

"Perhaps you are not altogether an impartial judge," he remarked.

"Will you proceed, please?"

"Those letters, I am afraid, must be discontinued," Domiloff said.

Brand stared at him.

"Don't talk rubbish," he exclaimed. "'Must be discontinued,' indeed!

Why, I consider your objection to them the highest compliment which I could possibly receive. As if anything which you could say would make me alter my views."

Domiloff smiled. It was a very faint, but a very evil smile.

"It is not," he protested, "what I might say, but what I might do. I take it for granted that either the Duke of Reist or the Countess has spoken with you on this matter, and I will not therefore waste my breath. It is sufficient to tell you this! Your present att.i.tude is harmful to what we consider the best interests of Theos. You must either undertake to send no more cables or remain here as our prisoner."

Brand glanced towards the Countess, and in his eyes there was a merciless inquisitive light.

"So I am in a nest of conspirators," he remarked, dryly. "There is no longer any doubt about it. I do not know, Baron Domiloff, what magic you use to pervert honest men, but your success is certainly astounding. Now let me pa.s.s."

With a quick movement his revolver flashed out, and Domiloff was covered. Perfectly self-possessed, the Russian bowed, and stood away from the door, but Brand reached it only to be confronted by half-a-dozen naked sabres. The landing was held by a small company of Russian soldiers.

"For the protection of the Russian Emba.s.sy," Baron Domiloff remarked, sardonically. "Now, Mr. Brand, will you put your revolver away, and listen to reason?"

Brand turned to Marie. He was white with rage.

"Countess," he demanded. "I entered this room at your invitation. Was this arranged for? Is this a trap of your setting?"

A little cry of pain broke from her lips. She recovered herself almost immediately.

"Did I know," she asked, "that you were coming?"

He was silent. In his heart he had already absolved her.