Graustark

  XXIV. OFF TO THE DUNGEON

  The tableau lasted but a moment. Gabriel advanced a few steps, hiseyes gleaming with jealousy and triumph. Before him stood the petrifiedlovers, caught red-handed. Through her dazed brain struggled theconviction that he could never escape; through his ran the miserablerealization that he had ruined her forever. Gabriel, of all men!

  "I arrive inopportunely," he said, harshly, the veins standing out onhis neck and temples. "Do I intrude? I was not aware that you expectedtwo, your highness!" There was no mistaking his meaning. He viciouslysought to convey the impression that he was there by appointment, aclandestine visitor in her apartments at midnight.

  "What do you mean by coming to my apartment at this hour?" shestammered, trying to rescue dignity from the chaos of emotions. Lorrywas standing slightly to the right and several feet behind her. Heunderstood the Prince, and quickly sought to interpose with the hopethat he might shield her from the sting.

  "She did not expect me, sir," he said, and a menacing gleam came tohis eyes. His pistol was in his hand. Gabriel saw it, but the staringPrincess did not. She could not take her eyes from the face of theintruder. "Now, may I ask why you are here?"

  Gabriel's wit saved him from death. He saw that he could not pursue thecourse he had begun, for there was murder in the American's eye. Like afox he swerved and, with a servile promise of submission in his glance,said:

  "I thought you were here, my fine fellow, and I came to satisfy myself.Now, sir, may I ask why you are here?" His fingers twitched and his eyeswere glassy with the malevolence he was subduing.

  "I am here as a prisoner," said Lorry, boldly. Gabriel laughedderisively.

  "And how often have you come here in this manner as a prisoner? Midnightand alone in the apartments of the Princess! The guard dismissed! Aprisoner, eh? Ha, what--a prison!"

  "Stop!" cried Lorry, white to the lips.

  The Princess was beginning to understand.

  Her eyes grew wide with horror, her figure straightened imperiously andthe white in her cheeks gave way to the red of insulted virtue.

  "I see it all! You have not been outside this castle since you left theprison. A pretty scheme! You could not marry him, could you, eh? He isnot a prince! But you could bring him here and hide him where no onewould dare to think of looking for him--in your apartments!"

  With a snarl of rage Lorry sprang upon him, cutting short the sentencethat would have gone through her like the keenest knife-blade.

  "Liar! Dog! I'll kill you for that!" he cried, but, before he couldclutch the Prince's throat, Yetive had frantically seized his arm.

  "Not that!" she shrieked. "Do not kill him! There must be no murderhere!"

  He reluctantly hurled Gabriel from him, the Prince tottering to hisknees in the effort to keep from falling. She had saved her maligner'slife, but courage deserted her with the act. Helplessly she looked intothe blazing eyes of her lover and faltered:

  "I--I do not know what to say or do. My brain is bursting!"

  "Courage, courage!" he whispered, gently.

  "You shall pay for this," shrieked Gabriel. "If you are not a prisoneryou shall be. There'll be scandal enough in Graustark to-morrow to starta volcano of wrath from the royal tombs where lie her fathers. I'll seethat you are a prisoner!" He started for the door, but Lorry's pistolwas leveled at his head.

  "If you move I'll kill you!"

  "The world will understand how and why I fell by your hand and in thisroom. Shoot!" he cried, triumphantly. Lorry's hand trembled and his eyesfilled with the tears of impotent rage. The Prince held the higher card.

  A face suddenly appeared at the door, which had been stealthily openedfrom without. Captain Quinnox glided into the room behind the Prince andgently closed the door, unnoticed by the gloater.

  "A prisoner?" sneered Gabriel. "Where is your captor, pray?"

  "Here!" answered a voice at his back. The Prince wheeled and foundhimself looking at the stalwart form of the captain of the guard. "I amsurely privileged to speak now, your Highness," he went on, addressingthe Princess significantly.

  "How came you here?" gasped Gabriel.

  "I brought my prisoner here. Where should I be if not here to guardhim?"

  "When--when did you enter this room?"

  "An hour ago."

  "You were not here when I came!"

  "I have been standing on this spot for an hour. You have been verymuch excited, I'll agree, but it is strange you did not see me," liedQuinnox.

  Gabriel looked about helplessly, nonplussed.

  "You were here when I came in?" he asked, wonderingly.

  "Ask Her Royal Highness," commanded the captain, smiling.

  "Captain Quinnox brought the prisoner to me an hour ago," she said,mechanically.

  "It is a lie!" cried Gabriel. "He was not here when I entered!"

  The captain of the guard laid a heavy hand on the shoulder of the Princeand said, threateningly:

  "I was here and I am here. Have a care how you speak. Were I to do rightI should shoot you like a dog. You came like a thief, you insult theruler of my land. I have borne it all because you are a Prince, but havea care--have a care. I may forget myself and tear out your black heartwith these hands. One word from Her Royal Highness will be your deathwarrant."

  He looked inquiringly at the Princess as if anxious to put the dangerouswitness where he could tell no tales. She shook her head, but did notspeak. Lorry realized that the time had come for him to assert himself.Assuming a distressed air he bowed his head and said, dejectedly:

  "My pleading has been in vain, then, your Highness. I have sworn to youthat I am innocent of this murder, and you have said I shall have a fairtrial. That is all you can offer?"

  "That is all," she said, shrilly, her mind gradually grasping hismeaning.

  "You will not punish the poor people who secreted me in their house forweeks, for they are convinced of my innocence. Your captain here, whofound me in their house to-night, can also speak well of them. I haveonly this request to make, in return for what little service I may havegiven you: Forgive the old people who befriended me. I am ready to go tothe Tower at once, captain."

  Gabriel heard this speech with a skeptical smile on his face.

  "I am no fool," he said, simply. "Captain," shrewdly turning to Quinnox,"if he is your prisoner, why do you permit him to retain his revolver?"

  The conspirators were taken by surprise, but Lorry had found his wits.

  "It is folly, your Highness, to allow this gentleman and conqueringPrince to cross-examine you. I am a prisoner, and that is the end of it.What odds is it to the Prince of Dawsbergen how and where I was caughtor why your officer brought me to you?"

  "You were ordered from my house once today, yet you come again like aconqueror. I should not spare you. You deserve to lose your life for theactions of tonight. Captain Quinnox, will you kill him if I ask you toend his wretched life?" Yetive's eyes were blazing with wrath, beneathwhich gleamed a hope that he could be frightened into silence.

  "Willingly--willingly!" cried Quinnox. "Now, your Highness? 'Twerebetter in the hall!"

  "For God's sake, do not murder me! Let me go!" cringed the Prince.

  "I do not mean that you should kill him now, Quinnox, but I instruct youto do so if he puts foot inside these walls again. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, your Highness."

  "Then you will place this prisoner in the castle dungeon until to-morrowmorning, when he is to be taken to the Tower. Prince Gabriel mayaccompany you to the dungeon cell, if he likes, after which you willescort him to the gates. If he enters them again you are to kill him.Take them both away!"

  "Your Highness, I must ask you to write a pardon for the good people inwhose house the prisoner was found," suggested Quinnox, shrewdly seeinga chance for communication unsuspected by the Prince.

  "A moment, your Highness," said the Prince, who had recovered himselfcleverly. "I appreciate your position. I have made a serious charge,and I now have a fair pro
position to suggest to you. If this man is notproduced to-morrow morning I take it for granted that I am at liberty totell all that has happened in this room to-night. If he is produced, Ishall kneel and beg your pardon."

  The Princess turned paler than ever and knew not how she kept fromfalling to the floor. There was a long silence following Gabriel'sunexpected but fair suggestion.

  "That is very fair, your Highness," said Lorry. "There is no reasonwhy I should not be a prisoner to-morrow. I don't see how I can hope toescape the inevitable. Your dungeon is strong and I have given my wordof honor to the captain that I shall make no further effort to evade thelaw."

  "I agree," murmured the Princess, ready to faint under the strain.

  "I must see him delivered to Prince Bolaroz," added Gabriel mercilessly.

  "To Bolaroz," she repeated.

  "Your Highness, the pardon for the poor old people," reminded Quinnox.She glided to the desk, stunned, bewildered. It seemed as though deathwere upon her. Quinnox followed and bent near her ear. "Do not bealarmed," he whispered. "No one knows of Mr. Lorry's presence here savethe Prince, and if he dares to accuse you before Bolaroz our people willtear him to pieces. No one will believe him."

  "You--you can save him, then?" she gasped, joyously.

  "If he will permit me to do so. Write to him what you will, yourHighness, and he shall have the message. Be brave and all will go well.Write quickly! This is supposed to be the pardon."

  She wrote feverishly, a thousand thoughts arising for every one thatshe was able to transfer to the paper. When she had finished thehope-inspired scrawl she arose and, with a gracious smile, handed to thewaiting captain the pardon for those who had secreted the fugitive.

  "I grant forgiveness to them gladly," she said.

  "I thank you," said Lorry, bowing low.

  "Mr. Lorry, I regret the difficulty in which you find yourself. It wason my account, too, I am told. Be you guilty or innocent, you are myfriend, my protector. May God be good to you." She gave him her handcalmly, steadily, as if she were bestowing favor upon a subject. Hekissed the hand gravely.

  "Forgive me for trespassing on your good nature tonight, your Highness.

  "The five thousand gavvos shall be yours tomorrow, Captain Quinnox," shesaid, graciously. "You have done your duty well." The faithful captainbowed deep and low and a weight was lifted from his conscience.

  "Gentlemen, the door," he said, and without a word the trio left theroom. She closed the door and stood like a statue until their footstepsdied away in the distance. As one in a daze she sat at the desk till thedawn, Grenfall Lorry's revolver lying before her.

  Through the halls, down the stairs and into the clammy dungeon strodethe silent trio.

  But before Lorry stepped inside the cell Gabriel asked a question thathad been troubling him for many minutes.

  "I am afraid I have--ah--misjudged her," muttered Gabriel, now convincedthat he had committed himself irretrievably.

  "You will find she has not misjudged you," said the prisoner, grimly."Can't I have a candle in here, captain?"

  "You may keep this lantern," said Quinnox, stepping inside the narrowcell. As he placed the lantern on the floor he whispered: "I will returnin an hour. Read this!" Lorry's hand closed over the bit of perfumedpaper.

  The Prince was now inside the cell, peering about curiously, eventimorously. "By the way, your Highness, how would you enjoy living in ahole like this all your life?"

  "Horrible!" said Gabriel, shuddering like a leaf.

  "Then take my advice: don't commit any murders. Hire some one else."

  The two men eyed each other steadily for a moment or two. Then thePrince looked out of the cell, a mad desire to fly from some dreadful,unseen horror coming over him.

  Quinnox locked the door, and, striking a match, bade His Highnessprecede him up the stone steps.

  In the cell the prisoner read and reread the incoherent message fromYetive:

  "It is the only way. Quinnox will assist you to escape to-night. Go,I implore you; as you love me, go. Your life is more than all to me.Gabriel's story will not be entertained and he can have no proof. Hewill be torn to pieces, Quinnox says. I do not know how I can live untilI am certain you are safe. This will be the longest night a woman everspent. If I could only be sure that you will do as I ask, as I beg andimplore! Do not think of me, but save yourself. I would lose everythingto save you."

  He smiled sadly as he burned the "pardon." The concluding sentencesswept away the last thought he might have had of leaving her to bearthe consequences. "Do not think of me, but save yourself. I would loseeverything to save you." He leaned against the stone wall and shook hishead slowly, the smile still on his lips.