CHAPTER XIII
THE RED LETTER B
In the Baron's room at the Ritz late that night there was held a secretconference. Two shadowy figures stole down the corridor at midnight andwere admitted to the room, while Prince Robin slept soundly in hisremote four-poster and dreamed of something that brought a gentle smileto his lips.
The three conspirators were of the same mind: it was clear thatsomething must be done. But what? That was the question. Gouroudeclared that the people were very much disturbed over the trick thegreat capitalist had played upon the cabinet; there were sullen threatsof a revolt if the government insisted on the deposit of bonds asrequired by the agreement. More than that, there were open declarationsthat the daughter of Mr. Blithers would never be permitted to occupythe throne of Graustark. Deeply as his subjects loved the young Prince,they would force him to abdicate rather than submit to the desecrationof a throne that had never been dishonoured. They would accept WilliamW. Blithers' money, but they would have none of William W. Blithers'daughter. That was more than could be expected of any self-respectingpeople! According to the Minister of Police, the name of Blithers wasalready a common synonym for affliction--and frequently employed insupposing a malediction. It signified all that was mean, treacherous,scurrilous. He was spoken of through clenched teeth as "the bloodsucker." Children were ominously reproved by the threatening use of theword Blithers. "Blithers will get you if you don't wash your face," andall that sort of thing.
There was talk in some circles of demanding the resignation of thecabinet, but even the pessimistic Gourou admitted that it was idle talkand would come to nothing if the menacing shadow of Maud ApplegateBlithers could be banished from the vicinity of the throne.Graustarkians would abide by the compact made by their leading men andwould be content to regard Mr. Blithers as a bona fide creditor. Theywould pay him in full when the loan matured, even though they werecompelled to sacrifice their houses in order to accomplish that end.But, like all the rest of the world, they saw through the richAmerican's scheme.
The world knew, and Graustark knew, just what Mr. Blithers was after,and the worst of it all was that Mr. Blithers also knew, which was moreto the point. But, said Baron Gourou, Graustark knew something thatneither the world nor Mr. Blithers knew, and that was its own mind.Never, said he, would Maud Applegate be recognised as the Princess ofGraustark, not if she lived for a thousand years and married Robin asmany times as she had hairs on her head. At least, he amended, that wasthe way every one felt about it at present.
The afternoon papers had published the brief statement prepared byRobin in the seclusion of his stateroom on board the _Jupiter_immediately after a most enjoyable hour with Miss Guile. It was a curtand extremely positive denial of the rumoured engagement, with theadditional information that he never had seen Miss Blithers and wasmore or less certain that she never had set eyes on him.
A rather staggering co-incidence appeared with the published reportthat Miss Blithers herself was supposed to be somewhere in Europe, wordhaving been received that day from sources in London that she hadsailed from New York under an assumed name. The imaginative Frenchjournals put two and two together and dwelt upon the possibility thatthe two young people who had never seen each other might have crossedthe Atlantic on the same steamer, seeing each other frequently and yetremaining entirely in the dark, so to speak. Inspired writers began toweave a romance out of the probabilities.
On one point Robin was adamantine. He refused positively to have hisidentity disclosed at this time, and Gourou had to say to thenewspapers that the Prince was even then on his way to Vienna, hurryinghomeward as fast as steel cars could carry him. He admitted that theyoung man had arrived on the _Jupiter_ that morning, having remained inthe closest seclusion all the way across the Atlantic.
This equivocation necessitated the most cautious rearrangement of planson the part of the Baron. He was required to act as though he had noacquaintance with either of the three travellers stopping at the Ritz,although for obvious reasons he took up a temporary abode therehimself. Moreover, he had to telegraph the Prime Minister in Edelweissthat the Prince was not to be budged, and would in all likelihoodpostpone his return to the capitol. All of which stamped the honestBaron as a most prodigious liar, if one stops to think of what he saidto the reporters.
The newspapers also printed a definite bit of news in the shape of adespatch from New York to the effect that Mr. and Mrs. William W.Blithers were sailing for Europe on the ensuing day, bound forGraustark!
However, the chief and present concern of the three loyal gentlemen inmidnight conclave was not centred in the trouble that Mr. Blithers hadstarted, but in the more desperate situation created by Miss Guile. Shewas the peril that now confronted them, and she was indeed a peril.Quinnox and Dank explained the situation to the Minister of Police, andthe Minister of Police admitted that the deuce was to pay.
"There is but one way out of it," said he, speaking officially, "andthat is the simplest one I know of."
"Assassination, I suppose," said Dank scornfully.
"It rests with me, gentlemen," said the Baron, ignoring thelieutenant's remark, "to find Miss Guile and take her into myconfidence in respect--"
"No use," said Dank, and, to his surprise, the Count repeated the wordsafter him.
"Miss Guile is a lady. Baron," said the latter gloomily. "You cannot goto her with a command to clear out, keep her hands off, or any suchthing. She would be justified in having you kicked out of the house. Wemust not annoy Miss Guile. That is quite out of the question."
"By jove!" exclaimed Dank, so loudly that his companions actuallyjumped in their seats. They looked at him in amazement,--the Count withsomething akin to apprehension in his eyes. Had the fellow lost hismind over the girl? Before they could ask what he meant by shouting atthe top of his voice, he repeated the ejaculation, but lessexplosively. His eyes were bulging and his mouth remained agape.
"What ails you, Dank?" demanded the Baron, removing his eyes from theyoung man's face long enough to glance fearfully at the transom.
"I've--I've got it!" cried the soldier, and then sank back in hischair, quite out of breath. The Baron got up and took a peep into thehallway, and then carefully locked the door. "What are you locking thedoor for?" demanded Dank, sitting up suddenly. "It's only a theory thatI've got--but it is wonderful. Absolutely staggering."
"Oh!" said Gourou, but he did not unlock the door. "A theory, eh?" Hecame back and stood facing the young man.
"Count," began Dank excitedly, "you remember the big red letter B onall of her trunks, don't you? Hobbs is positive he--"
Count Quinnox sprang to his feet and banged the table with his fist.
"By jove!" he shouted, suddenly comprehending.
"The letter B?" queried Gourou, perplexed.
"The newspapers say that she sailed from New York under an assumedname," went on Dank, thrilled by his own amazing cleverness. "There youare! Plain as day. The letter B explains everything. Now we know whoMiss Guile really is. She's--"
"Maud" exclaimed Quinnox, sinking back into his chair.
"Miss Blithers!" cried Gourou, divining at last. "By jove!" And thuswas the jovian circle completed.
It was two o'clock before the three gentlemen separated and retired torest, each fully convinced that the situation was even more complicatedthan before, for in view of this new and most convincing revelationthere now could be no adequate defence against the alluring Miss Guile.
Robin was informed bright and early the next morning. In fact, he wasstill in his pajamas when the news was carried to him by the exhaustedDank, who had spent five hours in bed but none in slumber. Never in allhis ardent career had the smart lieutenant been so bitterly afflictedwith love-sickness as now.
"I don't believe a word of it," said the Prince, promptly. "You've beendreaming, old chap."
"That letter B isn't a dream, is it?"
"No, it isn't," said Robin, and instantly sat up in bed, his face veryserious. "If she shoul
d turn out to be Miss Blithers, I've cooked mygoose to a crisp. Good Lord, when I think of some of the things I saidto her about the Blithers family! But wait! If she is Miss Blithers doyou suppose she'd sit calmly by and hear the family ridiculed? No, sir!She would have taken my head off like a flash. She--"
"I've no doubt she regarded the situation as extremely humorous," saidDank, "and laughed herself almost sick over the way she was foolingyou."
"That might sound reasonable enough, Dank, if she had known who I was.But where was the fun in fooling an utter outsider like R. Schmidt? Itdoesn't hold together."
"Americans have an amazing notion of humour, I am reliably informed.They appear to be able to see a joke under the most distressingcircumstances. I'll stake my head that she is Miss Blithers."
"I can't imagine anything more terrible," groaned Robin, lying downflat again and staring at the ceiling.
"I shouldn't call her terrible," protested Dank, rather stiffly.
"I refer to the situation, Dank,--the mess, in other words. It _is_ amess, isn't it?"
"I suppose you'll see nothing more of her, your highness," remarkedDank, a sly hope struggling in his breast.
"You'd better put it the other way. She'll see nothing more of me,"lugubriously.
"I mean to say, sir, you can't go on with it, can you?"
"Go on with what?"
"The--er--you know," floundered Dank.
"If there is really anything to go on with, Dank, I'll go on with it,believe me."
The lieutenant stared. "But if she _should_ be Miss Blithers, whatthen?"
"It might simplify matters tremendously," said Robin, but not at allconfidently. "I think I'll get up, Dank, if you don't mind. Call Hobbs,will you? And, I say, won't you have breakfast up here with me?"
"I had quite overlooked breakfast, 'pon my soul, I had," said Dank, alook of pain in his face. "No wonder I have a headache, going withoutmy coffee so long."
Later on, while they were breakfasting in Robin's sitting room, Hobbsbrought in the morning newspapers. He laid one of them before thePrince, and jabbed his forefinger upon a glaring headline.
"I beg pardon, sir; I didn't mean to get it into the butter. Veryawkward, I'm sure. Hi, _garcon!_ Fresh butter 'ere, and lively aboutit, too. _Buerre!_ That's the word--buttah."
Robin and Dank were staring at the headline as if fascinated. Havingsuccessfully managed the butter, Hobbs at once restored his attentionto the headline, reading it aloud, albeit both of the young men werecapable of reading French at sight. He translated with great profundity.
"'Miss Blithers Denies Report. Signed Statement Mysteriously Received.American Heiress not to wed Prince of Graustark.' Shall I read theharticle, sir?"
Robin snatched up the paper and read aloud for himself. Hobbs merelywiped a bit of butter from his finger and listened attentively.
The following card appeared at the head of the column, and wassupplemented by a complete resume of the Blithers-Graustark muddle:
"Miss Blithers desires to correct an erroneous report that has appearedin the newspapers. She is not engaged to be married to the Prince ofGraustark, nor is there even the remotest probability that such willever be the case. Miss Blithers regrets that she has not the honour ofPrince Robin's acquaintance, and the Prince has specifically stated inthe public prints that he does not know her by sight. The statements ofthe two persons most vitally affected by this disturbing rumour shouldbe taken as final. Sufficient pain and annoyance already has beencaused by the malicious and utterly groundless report." The name ofMaud Applegate Blithers was appended to the statement, and it was datedParis, August 29.
Thereafter followed a lengthy description of the futile search for theyoung lady in Paris, and an interview with the local representatives ofMr. Blithers, all of whom declared that the signature was genuine, butrefused to commit themselves further without consulting their employer.They could throw no light upon the situation, even going so far as todeclare that they were unaware of the presence of Miss Blithers inParis.
It appears that the signed statement was left in the counting-rooms ofthe various newspapers by a heavily veiled lady at an hour agreed uponas "about ten o'clock." There was absolutely no clue to the identity ofthis woman.
Instead of following the suggestion of Miss Blithers that "sufficientpain and annoyance already had been caused," the journalists proceededto increase the agony by venturing the hope that fresh developmentswould materialise before the day was done.
"Well, she appears to be here," said Robin, as he laid down the last ofthe three journals and stared at Dank as if expecting hope from thatmost unreliable source.
"I suppose you will now admit that I am right about the letter B," saidDank sullenly.
"When I see Miss Guile I shall ask point blank if she is MaudApplegate, Dank, and if she says she isn't, I'll take her word for it,"said Robin.
"And if she says she is?"
"Well," said the Prince, ruefully, "I'll still take her word for it."
"And then?"
"Then I shall be equally frank and tell her that I am Robin ofGraustark. That will put us all square again, and we'll see what comesof it in the end."
"You don't mean to say you'll--you'll continue as you were?" gaspedDank.
"That depends entirely on Miss Guile, Boske."
"But you wouldn't dare to marry Maud Applegate Blithers, sir. You wouldbe driven out of Graustark and--"
"I think that would depend a good deal on Miss Guile, too, old chap,"said Robin coolly.
Dank swallowed very hard. "I want to be loyal to you, your highness,"he said as if he did not think it would be possible to remain so.
"I shall count on you, Dank," said Robin earnestly.
"But--" began the lieutenant, and then stopped short.
"Let me finish it for you. You don't feel as though you could be loyalto Miss Blithers, is that it?"
"I think that would depend on Miss Blithers," said Dank, and thenbegged to be excused. He went out of the room rather hurriedly.
"Well, Hobbs," said Robin, after his astonishment had abated, "what do_you_ think of it?"
"I think he's in love with her, sir," said Hobbs promptly.
"Good Lord! with--with Miss Guile?"
"Precisely so, sir."
"Well, I'll be _darned!_" said the American half of Prince Robin withgreat fervour.
"Tut, tut, sir," reproved Hobbs, who, as has been said before, was aprivileged character by virtue of long service and his previous callingas a Cook's interpreter. "Are you going out, sir?"
"Yes. I'm going out to search the highways and by-ways for Bedelia,"said Robin, a gay light in his eyes. "By the way, did you, by anychance, learn the name of the 'andsome young gent as went away with'er, 'Obbs?"
"I did not, sir. I stood at his helbow for quite some time at the GareSt. Lazare and the only words he spoke that I could hear distinctly was'wot the devil do you mean, me man? Ain't there room enough for youhere without standing on my toes like that? Move hover.' Only, ofcourse, sir, he used the haspirates after a fashion of his own. Thehaitches are mine, sir."
"Is he an American?"
"It's difficult to say, sir. He may be from Boston, but you never cantell, sir."
"Do you know Boston, Hobbs?" inquired the Prince, adjusting his tiebefore the mirror.
"Not to speak it, sir," said Hobbs.
The day was warm and clear, and Paris was gleaming. Robin stretched hislong legs in a brisk walk across the Place Vendome and up the Rue de laPaix to the Boulevard. Here he hesitated and then retraced his stepsslowly down the street of diamonds, for he suspected Miss Guile ofbeing interested in things that were costly. Suddenly inspired, he madehis way to the Place de la Concorde and settled himself on one of theseats near the entrance to the Champs Elysees. It was his shrewdargument that if she planned a ride on that exquisite morning itnaturally would be along the great avenue, and in that event he mightreasonably hope to catch her coming or going. A man came up and took aseat beside him. br />
"Good morning, Mr. Schmidt," said the newcomer, and Robin somewhatgruffly demanded what the deuce he meant by following him. "I have someinteresting news," said Baron Gourou quietly, removing his hat to wipea damp brow. He also took the time to recover his breath after somerather sharp dodging of automobiles in order to attain his presentposition of security. Even a Minister of Police has to step lively inParis.
"From home?" asked Robin carelessly.
"Indirectly. It comes through Berlin. Our special agent there wires methat the offices of Mr. Blithers in that city have receivedinstructions from him to send engineers to Edelweiss for the purpose ofestimating the cost of remodelling and rebuilding the castle,--in otherwords to restore it to its condition prior to the Marlanx rebellionfifteen years ago."
There was a tantalising smile on the Baron's face as he watched thechanging expressions in that of his Prince.
"Are you in earnest?" demanded Robin, a bright red spot appearing ineach cheek. The Baron nodded his head. "Well, he's got a lot of nerve!"
"I shudder when I think of what is likely to happen to those architectswhen they begin snooping around the castle," said Gourou drily. "By theway, have you seen Miss Guile this morning?"
Robin's cheeks were now completely suffused. "Certainly not."
"She was in the Rue de la Paix half an hour ago. I thought you might--"
"You saw her, Baron?"
"Yes, highness, and it may interest you to know that she saw you."
"The deuce you say! But how do you know that it was Miss Guile. You'veno means of knowing."
"It is a part of my profession to recognise people from givendescriptions. In this case, however, the identification was renderedquite simple by the actions of the young lady herself. She happened toemerge from a shop just as you were passing and I've never seen anyone, criminal or otherwise, seek cover as quickly as she did. Shedarted back into the shop like one pursued by the devil. Naturally Ihung around for a few minutes to see the rest of the play. Presentlyshe peered forth, looked stealthily up and down the street, and thendashed across the pavement to a waiting taxi-metre. It affords mepleasure to inform your highness that I took the number of themachine." He glanced at his cuff-band.
"Where did she go from the Rue de la Paix?" asked Robin impatiently.
"To the Ritz. I was there almost as soon as she. She handed anenvelope--containing a letter, I fancy--to the carriage man and droveaway in the direction of the Place de l'Opera. I have a sly notion, myPrince, that you will find a note awaiting you on your return to thehotel. Ah, you appear to be in haste, my young hunter."
"I am in haste. If you expect to keep alongside, Baron, you'll have torun I'm afraid," cried the Prince, and was instantly in hisseven-league boots.
There was a note in Robin's rooms when he reached the hotel. It was notthe delicately perfumed article that usually is despatched by fictionalheroines but a rather business-like envelope bearing the well-knownwords "The New York Herald" in one corner and the name "R. Schmidt,Hotel Ritz," in firm but angular scrawl across its face. As Robinripped it open with his finger, Baron Gourou entered the room, but notwithout giving vent to a slight cough in the way of an announcement.
"You forget, highness, that I am a short man and not possessed of legsthat travel by yards instead of feet," he panted. "Forgive me forlagging behind. I did my best to keep up with you."
Robin stared at his visitor haughtily for a moment and then broke intoa good-humoured laugh.
"Won't you sit down, Baron? I'll be at liberty in a minute or two," hesaid, and coolly proceeded to scan the brief message from Miss Guile.
"Well," said Gourou, as the young man replaced the letter in theenvelope and stuck it into his pocket.