A Royal Prisoner

  CHAPTER III

  THE TRAGEDY OF THE RUE DE MONCEAU

  Susy d'Orsel, tired of waiting for her royal lover, was sound asleepbefore the fire in her bedroom. Suddenly she was awakened by a loudnoise. Still half asleep, she sat up listening. The sounds came from thestairs. Mechanically Susy glanced at the clock, which marked the quarterafter three.

  "I'll bet it's him, but how late he is!"

  As the sounds drew nearer, she added:

  "He must be as drunk as a lord! After all, Kings are no better thanother men."

  She quickly passed to the outer door and listened.

  "Why, it sounds as if there were two of them!"

  A key fumbled in the lock, then the owner of it apparently gave up thetask as hopeless and began ringing the bell.

  Susy opened the door and Frederick-Christian staggered in followed by aman who was a total stranger to her.

  The latter, bowing in a correct and respectful manner, carried himselfwith dignity.

  The King bubbled over with laughter and leaned on the shoulder of hislady-love.

  "Take off your overcoat," she said, at length, and while he wasattempting to obey her, she whispered:

  "If your Maj ..."

  Before she could finish the sentence the King put his hand over hermouth.

  "My ... my ... my dear Susy ... I'm very fond of you ... but don't beginby saying stupid things.... I am here ... incog ... incognito. Call meyour little Cri-Cri, Susy...."

  "My dear," she replied, "introduce me to your friend."

  "Eh," cried the King, "if I'm not forgetting the most elementaryobligations of the protocol; but after fourteen whiskeys, and goodwhiskey, too, though I've better here.... Susy don't drink any, sheprefers gooseberry syrup ... queer taste, isn't it?"

  Susy saw the conversation was getting away from the point, so repeatedher request:

  "Introduce me to your friend."

  Frederick-Christian glanced at his companion and then burst outlaughing:

  "What is your name, anyway?"

  Fandor did not need to ask that question of the King. The moment he hadset eyes on him in Raxim's he recognized in the sturdy tippler hisMajesty Frederick-Christian II, King of Hesse-Weimar, on one of hisperiodic sprees. It was this fact which had made him break his rule andindulge freely himself.

  With a serious air he explained:

  "Sum fides Achates!"

  "What's that?" cried the King.

  "Exactly."

  Susy d'Orsel now thought both men were equally drunk. She fancied theywere having fun with her.

  "You know I don't want English spoken here," she said drily.

  The King took his mistress round the waist and drew her to him.

  "Now don't get angry, my dear, it's only our fun, and besides it's notEnglish, it's Latin ... bonus ... Latinus ... ancestribus ... the goodLatin of our ancestors!... the Latin of the Kitchen! Cuisinus ...autobus ... understand?"

  Turning to the journalist he stretched out his hand:

  "Well, my old friend Achates, I'm jolly glad to meet you."

  "Achates isn't a real name," cried Susy, still suspicious.

  "Achates," explained Fandor, "is an individual belonging to antiquitywho became famous in his faithful friendship for his companion andfriend, the well-known globe-trotter, AEneas."

  "Come and sit down," shouted the King, as he rapped on the table with abottle of champagne.

  "Hurry up, Susy, a plate and glass for my old friend, whose name I don'tknow ... because, you see, he's no more Achates than I am."

  "Oh, no, Madame," Fandor hastened to say, "I couldn't think of puttingyou to the trouble, besides spoiling the effect of your charming table.In fact, I am going home in a few moments."

  "Not on your life," shouted the King, "you'll stay to the very end."

  "Well, then, a glass of champagne, that's all I'll take."

  By degrees Susy had become reassured in regard to the young man.Although slightly drunk, his polite manner and good form pleased her.She took her place on the divan beside the King. Fandor sat oppositethem and lighted a cigarette.

  Suddenly Susy rose from the table.

  "Where are you going?" demanded the King.

  "I'll be back in a moment ... something must be open. I feel a draughton my legs."

  "Why not show us your legs!" cried Frederick-Christian, and turning tothe journalist added:

  "She's built like a statue ... a little marvel."

  Susy returned.

  "I knew it! The hall door was open. I hope nobody has got in."

  The King laughed at the idea.

  "If anyone did, let him come and join us, the more the merrier."

  "I thought I heard a noise," continued Susy, but the King made her sitdown again beside him and the supper went on.

  As she drank glass after glass of wine, she became more and more amiabletoward Fandor. And since the King paid little attention to her caresses,she began a flirtation with the journalist in order to pique him.

  This brought a frown from the royal lover, and Susy amused herselfbetween the two men until supper ended and they all adjourned to herboudoir.

  Fandor, who had now become more sober, decided it was time to take hisleave.

  "Suppose you both come and lunch with me to-morrow, will you?" he asked.To this they agreed and it was finally arranged that Fandor should calland pick them up at one o'clock the following day.

  The journalist felt his way downstairs in the semi-darkness and was justabout to ask the concierge to let him out when he was startled byseeing a heavy form fall with a thud onto the ground of the inner court.

  With a gasp of alarm the young man rushed forward and quickly realizedthat he was in the presence of a terrible tragedy.

  Lying on the ground, inert, was the body of Susy d'Orsel.

  The unfortunate girl had fallen from the third floor.

  Without hesitating, he lifted the body and finding no sign of life,cried loudly for help.

  But the entire house was asleep.

  What was to be done?

  Immediate action was necessary. After a moment's pause, he decided totake the unfortunate girl back to her own apartment. Arrived at thedoor, he found it locked on the inside. After ringing for some time, itwas opened finally by the King. At the sight of Susy apparentlylifeless, her head hanging backward, the King staggered to the wall.

  He wanted to ask a question, but the words stuck in his throat.

  Fandor entered the bedroom and laying Susy down attempted to undo hercorset.

  "Vinegar and some water," he ordered.

  The King between his drunkenness and his alarm was quite useless, andthe journalist, after applying a mirror to the girl's nostrils and lips,with a gesture of despair exclaimed:

  "Good God, she is dead!"

  However, being unwilling to risk his own judgment, he started to thedoor to seek aid.

  At this moment a violent knocking began and a voice from the hall criedout:

  "What's the matter? Is anyone hurt? I'm the concierge."

  "The concierge! Then, for Heaven's sake, Madame, get a doctor.Mademoiselle d'Orsel has killed herself, or at least she is very badlyinjured."

  The words were scarcely out of Fandor's mouth when the rapidlydisappearing footsteps of the concierge were heard clatteringdownstairs. Frederick-Christian, in a dazed condition, stood in thedining-room, mechanically drinking a liqueur.

  "Look here, what does this mean?" cried Fandor.

  The King looked at him with intense stupefaction, trying, it seemed, toco-ordinate his faculties. Then, with a greater calmness than in hiscondition seemed possible, he replied:

  "Why, I haven't the least idea."

  "But ... what have you done since I left you? You were both seated sideby side on the sofa. How did Susy d'Orsel come to fall out of thewindow? What have you done?"

  "I don't know. I didn't budge from the sofa until you rang the bell."

  "But ... Susy!"

  "She left me for
a moment. I thought she had gone to see you out."

  "That's impossible ... she didn't leave you ... it's you who ... forGod's sake, explain!... It's too serious a business."

  The King seemed unable to take in the situation. Fandor determined totry a shock. Going close to him he spoke in a low voice:

  "I beg your Majesty to tell me."

  This had an immediate effect. The King staggered back and stared,wide-eyed.

  "I ... I don't understand."

  "Yes," insisted Fandor, "your Majesty does understand. You know that Iam aware in whose presence I am standing. You are Frederick-ChristianII, King of Hesse-Weimar... and I, your Majesty, am Jerome Fandor,reporter on _La Capitale_ ... a journalist."

  The King did not appear to attach much importance to Fandor's words.Peaceably, without haste, he put on his overcoat and hat. Then, pickingup his cane, he moved toward the door.

  "Here! what are you doing?"

  "I'm going."

  "You can't."

  "Yes, I can; it's all right, don't worry, I'll arrange matters."

  The King appeared so calmly confident that Fandor stood dumbfounded.

  Here certainly was an individual out of the common! The journalist hadseen many strange happenings in his adventurous career, but never had hecome across such an amazing situation. For now he had no doubt of theguilt of the King. What, however, could have been the motive of suchodious savagery? Was it possible he had taken seriously the innocentflirtation between Susy and himself? Had the King taken vengeance uponhis mistress in a moment of jealous insanity?

  No, that was out of the question.

  In spite of his intoxication, Frederick-Christian seemed to be a man ofnormal temperament, and of a kindly disposition. His face betrayed noneof the characteristics of the drink-maddened.

  The young man was about to question Frederick-Christian further when thehall door bell rang sharply.

  Fandor quickly opened the door and let in two policemen.

  "Is it here the tragedy took place?"

  "What! You know already?"

  "The concierge notified us, Monsieur."

  Then turning to his companion:

  "See that no one gets out."

  "But I've sent for a doctor.... I must go and find one," cried Fandor.

  "That has already been attended to. We are here to ascertain the facts,to make arrests. Where is the victim of the crime?"

  As Fandor took the officer into the bedroom he expected at every momentto hear some exclamation at the discovery of the King. But the latterhad mysteriously disappeared.

  The officer surveyed the body of the young woman and seemed in doubt howto begin his interrogatory. Suddenly his attention was diverted to thevestibule, where whispering was going on.

  Both men quickly returned to the hall door and Fandor overheard thefinal words of a third person who had entered the room, evidently theconcierge. She was saying:

  "It must be 'him' ... only treat him politely ... he isn't like anordinary ..."

  Upon seeing the journalist the old woman stopped abruptly and made him adeep bow.

  "Ah, it's you, Madame," cried Fandor, "well, have you brought a doctor?"

  "We're looking for one, Monsieur," replied the old woman, "but to-nightthey seem to be all out enjoying themselves."

  One of the officers turned to Fandor and spoke with evidentembarrassment.

  "It might be better if Monsieur would tell us exactly what happened. Onaccount of possible annoyances ... besides, the business is tooimportant ... and then the Government ..."

  Fandor explained briefly all he knew. He was careful not to mention theKing by name, leaving it to his Majesty to disclose his own identitywhen the time came.

  "Then Monsieur means to say that a third person was present?" one of theofficers asked.

  "Of course!" replied Fandor.

  "And where is this third person?"

  The officer looked decidedly skeptical and the journalist began to growuneasy.

  "He was here with me just now; probably he's in one of the other rooms.Why don't you search?"

  But the search disclosed nobody.

  What on earth had become of the King? thought Fandor. He couldn't havejumped out of the window. The servant's staircase came into his mind,but the door to that he found locked.

  "It is useless for Monsieur to say more; kindly come with us to thepolice station."

  "After all, Monsieur was alone with the little lady," added theconcierge.

  Fandor went rapidly to the dining-room. He would show the three placesat the table. But suddenly he remembered his refusal to take a plate.There were only two places laid.

  The two officers now held him gently by each arm and began to walk awaywith him.

  "Don't make any noise, please," they urged, "we must avoid all scandal."

  Without quite understanding what was happening, Fandor obeyed.