CHAPTER 10
A Great Chance for a Villain
It was the custom that the Prefect of Police should send every afternoona report to me on the condition of the capital and the feeling of thepeople: the document included also an account of the movements of anypersons whom the police had received instructions to watch. Since I hadbeen in Strelsau, Sapt had been in the habit of reading the report andtelling me any items of interest which it might contain. On the dayafter my adventure in the summer-house, he came in as I was playing ahand of _ecarte_ with Fritz von Tarlenheim.
"The report is rather full of interest this afternoon," he observed,sitting down.
"Do you find," I asked, "any mention of a certain fracas?"
He shook his head with a smile.
"I find this first," he said: "'His Highness the Duke of Strelsau leftthe city (so far as it appears, suddenly), accompanied by several of hishousehold. His destination is believed to be the Castle of Zenda, butthe party travelled by road and not by train. MM De Gautet, Bersonin,and Detchard followed an hour later, the last-named carrying his arm ina sling. The cause of his wound is not known, but it is suspected thathe has fought a duel, probably incidental to a love affair.'"
"That is remotely true," I observed, very well pleased to find that Ihad left my mark on the fellow.
"Then we come to this," pursued Sapt: "'Madame de Mauban, whosemovements have been watched according to instructions, left by train atmidday. She took a ticket for Dresden--'"
"It's an old habit of hers," said I.
"'The Dresden train stops at Zenda.' An acute fellow, this. And finallylisten to this: 'The state of feeling in the city is not satisfactory.The King is much criticized' (you know, he's told to be quite frank)'for taking no steps about his marriage. From enquiries among theentourage of the Princess Flavia, her Royal Highness is believed to bedeeply offended by the remissness of his Majesty. The common people arecoupling her name with that of the Duke of Strelsau, and the duke gainsmuch popularity from the suggestion.' I have caused the announcement thatthe King gives a ball tonight in honour of the princess to be widelydiffused, and the effect is good."
"That is news to me," said I.
"Oh, the preparations are all made!" laughed Fritz. "I've seen to that."
Sapt turned to me and said, in a sharp, decisive voice:
"You must make love to her tonight, you know."
"I think it is very likely I shall, if I see her alone," said I. "Hangit, Sapt, you don't suppose I find it difficult?"
Fritz whistled a bar or two; then he said: "You'll find it only tooeasy. Look here, I hate telling you this, but I must. The Countess Helgatold me that the princess had become most attached to the King. Sincethe coronation, her feelings have undergone a marked development. It'squite true that she is deeply wounded by the King's apparent neglect."
"Here's a kettle of fish!" I groaned.
"Tut, tut!" said Sapt. "I suppose you've made pretty speeches to a girlbefore now? That's all she wants."
Fritz, himself a lover, understood better my distress. He laid his handon my shoulder, but said nothing.
"I think, though," pursued that cold-blooded old Sapt, "that you'dbetter make your offer tonight."
"Good heavens!"
"Or, any rate, go near it: and I shall send a 'semi-official' to thepapers."
"I'll do nothing of the sort--no more will you!" said I. "I utterlyrefuse to take part in making a fool of the princess."
Sapt looked at me with his small keen eyes. A slow cunning smile passedover his face.
"All right, lad, all right," said he. "We mustn't press you too hard.Soothe her down a bit, if you can, you know. Now for Michael!"
"Oh, damn Michael!" said I. "He'll do tomorrow. Here, Fritz, come for astroll in the garden."
Sapt at once yielded. His rough manner covered a wonderful tact--andas I came to recognize more and more, a remarkable knowledge of humannature. Why did he urge me so little about the princess? Because heknew that her beauty and my ardour would carry me further than all hisarguments--and that the less I thought about the thing, the more likelywas I to do it. He must have seen the unhappiness he might bring on theprincess; but that went for nothing with him. Can I say, confidently,that he was wrong? If the King were restored, the princess must turn tohim, either knowing or not knowing the change. And if the King were notrestored to us? It was a subject that we had never yet spoken of. But Ihad an idea that, in such a case, Sapt meant to seat me on the throne ofRuritania for the term of my life. He would have set Satan himself theresooner than that pupil of his, Black Michael.
The ball was a sumptuous affair. I opened it by dancing a quadrillewith Flavia: then I waltzed with her. Curious eyes and eager whispersattended us. We went in to supper; and, half way through, I, half mad bythen, for her glance had answered mine, and her quick breathing met mystammered sentences--I rose in my place before all the brilliant crowd,and taking the Red Rose that I wore, flung the ribbon with its jewelledbadge round her neck. In a tumult of applause I sat down: I saw Saptsmiling over his wine, and Fritz frowning. The rest of the meal passedin silence; neither Flavia nor I could speak. Fritz touched me on theshoulder, and I rose, gave her my arm, and walked down the hall into alittle room, where coffee was served to us. The gentlemen and ladies inattendance withdrew, and we were alone.
The little room had French windows opening on the gardens. The night wasfine, cool, and fragrant. Flavia sat down, and I stood opposite her. Iwas struggling with myself: if she had not looked at me, I believe thateven then I should have won my fight. But suddenly, involuntarily, shegave me one brief glance--a glance of question, hurriedly turned aside;a blush that the question had ever come spread over her cheek, and shecaught her breath. Ah, if you had seen her! I forgot the King in Zenda.I forgot the King in Strelsau. She was a princess--and I an impostor.Do you think I remembered that? I threw myself on my knee and seizedher hands in mine. I said nothing. Why should I? The soft sounds of thenight set my wooing to a wordless melody, as I pressed my kisses on herlips.
She pushed me from her, crying suddenly:
"Ah! is it true? or is it only because you must?"
"It's true!" I said, in low smothered tones--"true that I love you morethan life--or truth--or honour!"
She set no meaning to my words, treating them as one of love's sweetextravagances. She came close to me, and whispered:
"Oh, if you were not the King! Then I could show you how I love you! Howis it that I love you now, Rudolf?"
"Now?"
"Yes--just lately. I--I never did before."
Pure triumph filled me. It was I--Rudolf Rassendyll--who had won her! Icaught her round the waist.
"You didn't love me before?" I asked.
She looked up into my face, smiling, as she whispered:
"It must have been your Crown. I felt it first on the Coronation Day."
"Never before?" I asked eagerly.
She laughed low.
"You speak as if you would be pleased to hear me say 'Yes' to that," shesaid.
"Would 'Yes' be true?"
"Yes," I just heard her breathe, and she went on in an instant: "Becareful, Rudolf; be careful, dear. He will be mad now."
"What, Michael? If Michael were the worst--"
"What worse is there?"
There was yet a chance for me. Controlling myself with a mighty effort,I took my hands off her and stood a yard or two away. I remember now thenote of the wind in the elm trees outside.
"If I were not the King," I began, "if I were only a privategentleman--"
Before I could finish, her hand was in mine.
"If you were a convict in the prison of Strelsau, you would be my King,"she said.
And under my breath I groaned, "God forgive me!" and, holding her handin mine, I said again:
"If I were not the King--"
"Hush, hush!" she whispered. "I don't deserve it--I don't deserve to bedoubted. Ah, Rudolf! does a woman who marries without love look on the
man as I look on you?"
And she hid her face from me.
For more than a minute we stood there together; and I, even with my armabout her, summoned up what honour and conscience her beauty and thetoils that I was in had left me.
"Flavia," I said, in a strange dry voice that seemed not my own, "I amnot--"
As I spoke--as she raised her eyes to me--there was a heavy step on thegravel outside, and a man appeared at the window. A little cry burstfrom Flavia, as she sprang back from me. My half-finished sentence diedon my lips. Sapt stood there, bowing low, but with a stern frown on hisface.
"A thousand pardons, sire," said he, "but his Eminence the Cardinal haswaited this quarter of an hour to offer his respectful adieu to yourMajesty."
I met his eye full and square; and I read in it an angry warning. Howlong he had been a listener I knew not, but he had come in upon us inthe nick of time.
"We must not keep his Eminence waiting," said I.
But Flavia, in whose love there lay no shame, with radiant eyes andblushing face, held out her hand to Sapt. She said nothing, but noman could have missed her meaning, who had ever seen a woman in theexultation of love. A sour, yet sad, smile passed over the old soldier'sface, and there was tenderness in his voice, as bending to kiss herhand, he said:
"In joy and sorrow, in good times and bad, God save your RoyalHighness!"
He paused and added, glancing at me and drawing himself up to militaryerectness:
"But, before all comes the King--God save the King!"
And Flavia caught at my hand and kissed it, murmuring:
"Amen! Good God, Amen!"
We went into the ballroom again. Forced to receive adieus, I wasseparated from Flavia: everyone, when they left me, went to her. Saptwas out and in of the throng, and where he had been, glances, smiles,and whispers were rife. I doubted not that, true to his relentlesspurpose, he was spreading the news that he had learnt. To upholdthe Crown and beat Black Michael--that was his one resolve. Flavia,myself--ay, and the real King in Zenda, were pieces in his game; andpawns have no business with passions. Not even at the walls of thePalace did he stop; for when at last I handed Flavia down the broadmarble steps and into her carriage, there was a great crowd awaitingus, and we were welcomed with deafening cheers. What could I do? Had Ispoken then, they would have refused to believe that I was not the King;they might have believed that the King had run mad. By Sapt's devicesand my own ungoverned passion I had been forced on, and the way back hadclosed behind me; and the passion still drove me in the same directionas the devices seduced me. I faced all Strelsau that night as the Kingand the accepted suitor of the Princess Flavia.
At last, at three in the morning, when the cold light of dawning daybegan to steal in, I was in my dressing-room, and Sapt alone was withme. I sat like a man dazed, staring into the fire; he puffed at hispipe; Fritz was gone to bed, having almost refused to speak to me. Onthe table by me lay a rose; it had been in Flavia's dress, and, as weparted, she had kissed it and given it to me.
Sapt advanced his hand towards the rose, but, with a quick movement, Ishut mine down upon it.
"That's mine," I said, "not yours--nor the King's either."
"We struck a good blow for the King tonight," said he.
I turned on him fiercely.
"What's to prevent me striking a blow for myself?" I said.
He nodded his head.
"I know what's in your mind," he said. "Yes, lad; but you're bound inhonour."
"Have you left me any honour?"
"Oh, come, to play a little trick on a girl--"
"You can spare me that. Colonel Sapt, if you would not have me utterly avillain--if you would not have your King rot in Zenda, while Michael andI play for the great stake outside--You follow me?"
"Ay, I follow you."
"We must act, and quickly! You saw tonight--you heard--tonight--"
"I did," said he.
"Your cursed acuteness told you what I should do. Well, leave me here aweek--and there's another problem for you. Do you find the answer?"
"Yes, I find it," he answered, frowning heavily. "But if you did that,you'd have to fight me first--and kill me."
"Well, and if I had--or a score of men? I tell you, I could raise allStrelsau on you in an hour, and choke you with your lies--yes, your madlies--in your mouth."
"It's gospel truth," he said--"thanks to my advice you could."
"I could marry the princess, and send Michael and his brother togetherto--"
"I'm not denying it, lad," said he.
"Then, in God's name," I cried, stretching out my hands to him, "let usgo to Zenda and crush this Michael and bring the King back to his ownagain." The old fellow stood and looked at me for full a minute.
"And the princess?" he said.
I bowed my head to meet my hands, and crushed the rose between myfingers and my lips.
I felt his hand on my shoulder, and his voice sounded husky as hewhispered low in my ear:
"Before God, you're the finest Elphberg of them all. But I have eatenof the King's bread, and I am the King's servant. Come, we will go toZenda!"
And I looked up and caught him by the hand. And the eyes of both of uswere wet.