Graustark

  XIV. THE EPISODE OF THE THRONE ROOM

  "This is the throne room. Allode!"

  The Princess Yetive paused before two massive doors. It was the nextafternoon, and she had already shown him the palace of a queen--thehovel of a pauper!

  Through the afternoon not one word other than those which might havepassed between good friends escaped the lips of either. He was allinterest, she all graciousness. Allode, the sturdy guard, swung openthe doors, drew the curtain, and stood aside for them to pass. Intothe quiet hall she led him, a princess in a gown of gray, a courtier intweeds. Inside the doors he paused.

  "And I thought you were Miss Guggenslocker," he said. She laughed withthe glee of a child who has charmed and delighted through surprise.

  "Am I not a feeble mite to sit on that throne and rule all that comeswithin its reach?" She directed his attention to the throne at theopposite end of the hall. "From its seat I calmly instruct gray-hairedstatesmen, weigh their wisdom and pass upon it as if I were Demosthenes,challenge the evils that may drive monarchs mad, and wonder if my crownis on straight."

  "Let me be ambassador from the United States and kneel at the throne,your Highness."

  "I could not engage in a jest with the crown my ancestors wore, Mr.Lorry. It is sacred, thou thoughtless American. Come, we will drawnearer that you may see the beauty of the workmanship in that great oldchair."

  They stood at the base of the low, velveted stage on which stood thechair, with its high back, its massive arms and legs ashimmer in thelight from the lofty windows. It was of gold, inlaid with preciousstones--diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and other wondrousjewels--a relic of ancient Graustark.

  "I never sit in the center. Always at one side or the other, usuallyleaning my elbow on the arm. You see, the discussions are generallyso long and dreary that I become fatigued. One time,--I am ashamed toconfess it, I went to sleep on the throne. That was long ago. I manageto keep awake very well of late. Do you like my throne room?"

  "And to think that it is yours!"

  "It is this room that gives me the right to be hailed with 'Long livethe Princess!' Not with campaign yells and 'Hurrah for Yetive!' How doesthat sound? 'Hurrah for Yetive!'" She was laughing merrily.

  "Don't say it! It sounds sacrilegious--revolting!"

  "For over three years--since I was eighteen--I have been supreme in thatchair. During the years of my reign prior to that time I sat there withmy Uncle Caspar standing beside me. How often I begged him to sit downwith me! There was so much room and he certainly must have grown tiredof standing. One time I cried because he frowned at me when I persistedin the presence of a great assemblage of nobles from Dawsbergen. Itseems that it was a most important audience that I was granting, but Ithought more of my uncle's tired old legs. I remember saying, through mysobs of mortification, that I would have him beheaded. You are to guesswhether that startling threat created consternation or mirth."

  "What a whimsical little princess you must have been, weeping andpouting and going to sleep," he laughed. "And how sedate and wise youhave become."

  "Thank you. How very nice you are. I knave felt all along that some onewould discern my effort to be dignified and sedate. They say I am wiseand good and gracious, but that is to be expected. They said that ofsovereigns as far back as the deluge, I've heard. Would you really liketo see me in that old chair?" she asked.

  "Ah, you are still a woman," he said, smiling at her pretty vanity."Nothing could impress me more pleasantly."

  She stepped carelessly and impulsively upon the royal platform,leaned against the arm of the throne, and with the charming blush ofconsciousness turned to him with the quickness of a guilty conscience,eager to hear his praise but fearful lest he secretly condemned herconceit. His eyes were burning with the admiration that knows nodefining, and his breath came quick and sharp through parted lips. Heinvoluntarily placed a foot upon the bottom step as if to spring to herside.

  "You must not come up here!" she cried, shrinking back, her handsextended in fluttering remonstrance. "I cannot permit that, at all!"

  "I beg your pardon," he cried, "That is all the humble plebeian can say.That I may be more completely under this fairy spell, pray cast aboutyourself the robe of rank and take up the sceptre. Perhaps I may fallupon my face."

  "And hurt your head all over again," she said, laughing nervously. Shehesitated for a moment, a perplexed frown crossing her brow. Then shejerked a rich robe from the back of the throne and placed it about hershoulders as only a woman can. Taking up the scepter she stood beforethe great chair, and, with a smile on her lips, held it above his head,saying softly:

  "Graustark welcomes the American prince."

  He sank to his knee before the real princess, kissed the hem of her robeand arose with face pallid. The chasm was now endless in its immensity.The princess gingerly seated herself on the throne, placed her elbow onthe broad arm, her white chin in her hand, and tranquilly surveyed thevoiceless American prince.

  "You have not said, 'Thank you,'" she said, finally, her eyes waveringbeneath his steady gaze.

  "I am only thinking how easy it would be to cross the gulf that liesbetween us. With two movements of my body I can place it before you,with a third I can be sitting at your side. It is not so difficult afterall," he said, hungrily eyeing the broad chair.

  "No man, unless a prince, ever sat upon this throne," she said.

  "You have called me a prince."

  "Oh, I jested," she cried quickly, comprehending his intention. "Iforbid you!"

  The command came too late, for he was beside her on the throne ofGraustark! She sat perfectly rigid for a moment, intense fear in hereyes.

  "Do you know what you have done?" she whispered, miserably.

  "Usurped the throne," he replied, assuming an ease and complacence hedid not feel. Truly he was guilty of unprecedented presumption.

  "You have desecrated--desecrated! Do you hear?" she went on, paying noattention to his remark.

  "Peccavi. Ah, Your Highness, I delight in my sin. For once I am a power;I speak from the throne. You will not have me abdicate in the zenithof my glory? Be kind, most gracious one. Besides, did you not once crybecause your uncle refused to sit with you? Had he been the possessorof a dangerous wound, as I am, and had he found himself so weak that hecould stand no longer, I am sure he would have done as I have--sat downin preference to falling limp at your feet. You do not know how badly Iam wounded," he pleaded, with the subtlest double meaning.

  "Why should you wound me?" she asked, plaintively. "You have no right totreat the throne I occupy as a subject for pranks and indignities. I didnot believe you could be so--forgetful." There was a proud and pitifulresentment in her voice that brought him to his senses at once. He haddefiled her throne. In shame and humiliation he cried:

  "I am a fool--an ingrate, You have been too gentle with me. For thisdespicable act of mine I cannot ask pardon and it would be beneath youto grant it. I have hurt you, and I can never atone. I forgot how sacredis your throne. Let me depart in disgrace." He stood erect as ifto forsake the throne he had stained, but she, swayed by a completereversal of feeling, timidly, pleadingly touched his arm.

  "Stay! It is my throne, after all. I shall divide it, as well as thesin, with you. Sit down again, I beg of you. For a brief spell I wouldrule beside a man who is fit to be a king but who is a desecrator.There can be no harm and no one shall be the wiser for this sentimentaldeparture from royal custom. We are children, anyhow--mere children."

  With an exclamation of delight, he resumed his position beside her.His hand trembled as he took up hers to carry it to his lips. "We arechildren--playing with fire," he murmured, this ingrate, this fool!

  She allowed her hand to lie limply in his, her head sinking to the backof the chair. When her hand was near his feverish lips, cool and whiteand trusting, he checked the upward progress. Slowly he raised his eyesto study her face, finding that hers were closed, the semblance of asmile touching her lips as if they were in a happy
dream.

  The lips! The lips! The lips! The madness of love rushed into hisheart; the expectant hand was forgotten; his every hope and everydesire measured themselves against his discretion as he looked uponthe tempting face. Could he kiss those lips but once his life would becomplete.

  With a start she opened her eyes, doubtless at the command of themasterful ones above. The eyes of blue met the eyes of gray in a short,sharp struggle, and the blue went down in surrender. His lips triumphedslowly, drawing closer and closer as if restrained and impelled by thesame emotion--arrogant love.

  "Open your eyes, darling," he whispered, and she obeyed. Then their lipsmet--her first kiss of love!

  She trembled from head to foot, perfectly powerless beneath the spell.Again he kissed a princess on her throne. At this second kiss her eyesgrew wide with terror, and she sprang from his side, standing before himlike one bereft of reason.

  "Oh, my God! What have you done?" she wailed. He staggered to his feet,dizzy with joy.

  "Ha!" cried a gruff voice from the doorway, and the guilty ones whirledto look upon the witness to their blissful crime. Inside the curtains,with carbine leveled at the head of the American, stood Allode, theguard, his face distorted by rage. The Princess screamed and leapedbetween Lorry and the threatening carbine.

  "Allode!" she cried, in frantic terror.

  He angrily cried out something in his native tongue and shebreathlessly, imploringly replied. Lorry did not understand their words,but he knew that she had saved him from death at the hand of her loyal,erring guard. Allode lowered his gun, bowed low and turned his back uponthe throne.

  "He--he would have killed you," she said, tremulously, her face thepicture of combined agony and relief. She remembered the blightingkisses and then the averted disaster.

  "You--what did you say to him?" he asked.

  "I--I--oh, I will not tell you," she cried.

  "I beg of you!"

  "I told him that he was to--was to put down his gun."

  "I know that, but why?" he persisted.

  "I--Ach, to save you, stupid!"

  "How did you explain the--the--" He hesitated, generously.

  "I told him that I had not been--that I had not been--"

  "Say it!"

  "That I had not been--offended!" she gasped, standing stiff andstraight, with eyes glued upon the obedient guard.

  "You were not?" he rapturously cried.

  "I said it only to save your life!" she cried, turning fiercely uponhim. "I shall never forgive you! Never! You must go--you must leave hereat once! Do you hear? I cannot have you near me now--I cannot see youagain. Ach, God! What have I given you the right to say of me?"

  "Stop! It is as sacred as--"

  "Yes, yes--I understand! I trust you, but you must go! Find some excuseto give your friend and go to-day! Go now!" she cried, intensely, firstputting her hands to her temples, then to her eyes.

  Without waiting to hear his remonstrance, if indeed he had the powerto utter one, she glided swiftly toward the curtains, allowing him tofollow at his will. Dazed and crushed at the sudden end to everything,he dragged his footsteps after. At the door she spoke in low, imperativetones to the motionless Allode, who dropped to his knees and muttereda reverential response. As Lorry passed beneath the hand that held thecurtain aside, he glanced at the face of the man who had been witness totheir weakness. He was looking straight ahead, and, from his expression,it could not have been detected that he knew there was a man on earthsave himself. In the hall she turned to him, her face cold and pale.

  "I have faithful guards about me now. Allode has said he did not see youin the throne room. He will die before he will say otherwise," she said,her lips trembling with shame.

  "By your command?"

  "By my request. I do not command my men to lie."

  Side by side they passed down the quiet hall, silent, thoughtful, thestrain of death upon their hearts.

  "I shall obey the only command you have given, then. This day I leavethe castle. You will let me come again--to see you? There can be noharm--"

  "No! You must leave Graustark at once!" she interrupted, the tones low.

  "I refuse to go! I shall remain in Edelweiss, near you, just so long asI feel that I may be of service to you."

  "I cannot drive you out as I would a thief," she said, pointedly.

  At the top of the broad staircase he held out his hand and murmured:

  "Good-by, your Highness!"

  "Good-by," she said, simply, placing her hand in his after a moment'shesitation. Then she left him.

  An hour later the two Americans, one strangely subdued, the othercurious, excited and impatient, stood before the castle waiting for thecarriage. Count Halfont was with them, begging them to remain, as hecould see no reason for the sudden leave-taking. Lorry assured him thatthey had trespassed long enough on the Court's hospitality, and that hewould feel much more comfortable at the hotel. Anguish looked narrowlyat his friend's face, but said nothing. He was beginning to understand.

  "Let us walk to the gates. The Count will oblige us by instructing thecoachman to follow," said Lorry, eager to be off.

  "Allow me to join you in the walk, gentlemen," said Count Caspar,immediately instructing a lackey to send the carriage after them. He andLorry walked on together, Anguish lingering behind, having caughtsight of the Countess Dagmar. That charming and unconventional piece ofnobility promptly followed the prime minister's example and escorted theremaining guest to the gate.

  Far down the walk Lorry turned for a last glance at the castle fromwhich love had banished him. Yetive was standing on the balcony, lookingnot at the monastery but at the exile.

  She remained there long after the carriage had passed her gates, bearingthe Americans swiftly over the white Castle Avenue, and there were tearsin her eyes.