By Wit of Woman

  CHAPTER XXVII

  "THIS IS GARETH"

  I was in the act of going to the Duke and my fingers were all but onthe handle of the door, when I recalled the idea which had flashed uponme an hour before when with Gareth, and instantly I resolved to actupon it.

  Running back into the room where I had been with Count Gustav, I wrotetwo lines to his Excellency.

  "I have made one mistake. Count Gustav's marriage is legal. Gareth isreally his wife. Let the Duke know this."

  I sent James Perry in with this note to the General and a message thatI would be with him in one minute.

  Then I ran up to Gareth. The poor child was sick from the suspense;but I noticed with intense satisfaction that she had been filling upsome of the weary time of waiting by making herself look as pretty aspossible.

  "Is he here, Christabel? Oh, how my heart beats."

  "Yes, dear, he is here. He is with your father now, telling him all;and you are to come with me to the Duke." I put it so intentionally,that she might believe Gustav had expressed the wish.

  "What do we not owe you, Christabel?" she cried, kissing me tenderly."But I'd rather see Kar--Gustav, first. I've been practising that nameever since you left me; but it sounds so strange. The other will comeout first."

  "Try and remember it with the Duke, Gareth. It doesn't matter with anyone else so much."

  "Oh, I can't go to him. I can't. He is such a stern and terrible oldman, so--Gustav says. I got it nearly right that, time, didn't I?" andshe laughed.

  "It will soon come quite naturally, dear. Are you ready? He may notlike it if we keep him waiting."

  I looked at her critically, gave a touch or two to her fair hair, andkissed her. "You look very beautiful, Gareth."

  "I feel very frightened," she said, and clung to me as we went down thestairs. I believe I was almost as nervous as she could have been; forI was indeed drawing a bow at a venture. But I dared not let her guessmy feelings, lest she should run back upstairs.

  So I took her hand and pushed on steadily, and when James opened thedoor of the room I led her right across to where the Duke sat, and,with my heart thumping against my ribs I said, just as I had thought tosay:

  "This is Gareth, Duke Ladislas."

  His bird-like face was as black as a night-storm. His keen eyeswatched us both, glancing swiftly from my face to Gareth's, and fromher back to me as we hurried across the room. The heavy brows werepent, and when we stood in front of him there came an ominouspause--like the calm when the storm is to burst.

  Gareth was so frightened by this reception that the clutch of herfingers tightened on mine. I felt her trembling and saw her colour go,as she flinched with a little gasping catch of the breath all eloquentof fear.

  His Excellency had risen at our entrance, and I saw him stare with astart of astonishment at Gareth, and from her to the stern old Duke;and then he lowered his head and closed his eyes, and I noticed that heclenched his right hand. He feared as much as I did for the result ofmy experiment.

  The silence was almost intolerable; those vulture eyes fixed withdeadly intentness upon us both, and the hard unyielding face set in thestern, cold, impassive, expressionless scrutiny.

  Bitterly I began to repent my rashness, when a great change came,wrought by Gareth.

  With surely one of the happiest instincts that ever came to a child,half helpless as she was with fright, she slipped her fingers from mineand, throwing herself on her knees at the Duke's feet, she caught hishand and held it and looked up frankly in his face and cried:

  "Throwing herself on her knees at the Duke's feet."]

  "It was all my fault, sir. I pray God and you to forgive him."

  Just that; no more. No tears, no wailings, no hysterics. Just thefrank statement of what her pure, innocent, simple heart believed to bethe truth--the whole truth as it seemed to her; as no one looking downinto her eyes could doubt.

  The Duke could not. I did not look for emotion from him. He stareddown at her; but gradually I saw the furrows on the forehead relax, andthe eyes soften. Then the lids shut down over the glitter, his freehand was placed gently on the golden head, and bending forward hekissed her on the forehead.

  "Gareth."

  Then his Excellency did what I could have kissed him for doing; for Iwas past thinking what to do just then.

  "I wish to speak to you," he whispered to me; and we both crept awayout of the room as softly as though we had been two children stealingoff in fear from some suddenly discovered terror.

  The moment we reached the room where I had spoken to Count Gustav, hisExcellency surprised me. "You knew it, of course; but how? You arewonderful, Christabel!"

  "Knew what?"

  "Do you mean you did not know? Then it is a miracle. I thought youknew and had planned it; and I marvelled that even you had courageenough for such a daring stroke."

  "I drew a bow at a venture; and don't understand you."

  "Do you tell me that you believed any mere pink and white young girlpicked out at random would make an impression upon that crusted mass ofself-will, obstinacy, and inflexibility of purpose? You--with yourkeen wit and sense of humour, Christabel!"

  "You could see the impression for yourself, surely," I retorted.

  "This is positively delicious! I really must enjoy it a little longerwithout enlightening you. You do really believe that the Duke wasmelted because that child is very pretty and has innocent eyes? Youmust give up reading us humans, Christabel; you really must, afterthis."

  "It seems strange to such a cynic, I suppose, that innocence can pleadfor itself convincingly to such nature as the Duke's!"

  "You intend that to be very severe--but it isn't. Innocence, asinnocence, would have no more chance with Duke Ladislas, if it stood inthe way of his plans, than a troutlet would have in the jaws of ahungry pike. The humour of it is that you should have thoughtotherwise, and actually have--have dangled the pretty troutlet rightbefore the pike's nose."

  "It has not been so unsuccessful."

  "I am sorry for you, Christabel," he answered, assuming the air of astern mentor; "but it is my unfortunate duty to administer a severecorrective to your--what shall I term it--your overweeningself-confidence."

  "I have given you considerable enjoyment at any rate."

  His eyes were twinkling and he shook his forefinger at me withexaggerated gravity. "I am afraid that at this moment, very muchafraid, you are rather puffed up with self-congratulation at the resultof this master-stroke of yours."

  "It is more to the point to think whether it will succeed."

  "Oh yes, it will succeed; but why, do you think? Not because of thatchild's innocence or pretty pink and whiteness; and certainly notbecause the Duke was in any mood to be impressed. Now, there is aproblem for you. When I gave him those three lines you sent into me,his fury was indescribable. Not against Gustav, mark you: he stands byhim through any storm and stress--but against the wife. He wasspeechless with suppressed rage; and right in the midst of it in youcame with your--'This is Gareth'--and you know the rest. There's theriddle; now, what's the answer?"

  I thought closely, and then gave it up. There was obviously someinfluence at work which I did not understand. "You have your wish.You have pricked the bladder of my self-conceit; I've been floatingwith somebody else's life belt, I see that."

  "Do you think you feel sufficiently humble?"

  "Yes, quite humiliated," I admitted with a smile.

  "Then, I'll tell you. The clue is to be sought for in the years oflong ago. The Duke has been married twice; and his first wife wasnamed Gareth, and the only child of the union was Gareth also; justsuch a girl as that sweet little thing you brought into him to-day--andso like both the idolized dead wife and dead child as to bring right upbefore him in living flesh the one dead romance of his life. Now yousee what you did?"

  "What will he do?"

  "I should very much like to know. I am afraid you have got your way,and that he'll
accept her as his daughter; and then--phew, I don't knowwhat will come next. Only recently a very different sort of marriagehad been planned for Gustav; one that would have strengthened theposition as much as that child there will weaken it. I don't envy theDuke his decision. How does Gustav feel toward her?"

  "I believe he still cares for her--but you know him."

  "I wish I could think there was happiness for her. Those whom the godslove, die young--I'm not sure that if I were the gods, I wouldn'tchoose that solution."

  "It is not for you to settle, fortunately, but for the Duke."

  "True; but he can only give her Gustav--and that may be a long, longway different from happiness." He paused and with a slow smile added:"This may affect you as well."

  "I am thinking of Gareth just now."

  "The same thing--from a different angle, Christabel, that's all. Ifthis marriage is publicly recognized, Karl will be again theacknowledged heir; the axis of things will be shifted; and the motivefor the Duke's promise to you last night will be gone. It will be hardif you should have done so great a right and yet pay the price. It iswell that you are strong."

  "I have the Duke's word."

  "Can you keep water in an open funnel?"

  I turned away with a sigh and looked out of the window. His Excellencycame to my side and laid a hand very gently and kindly on my shoulder.A touch of genuine sympathy.

  "Almost, _I_ could hope, Christabel--but thank God, I am not the Duke.I was a very presumptuous old man--only a day or two back---but youhave made me care for you in a very different way. I am presumptuousno longer; and all that I am and all that I have shall be staked andlost before I see injustice done to you."

  "I know what a friend you are."

  "Pray Heaven, this may not be beyond our friendship."

  I could not answer him. I stood staring blankly out into the gardenrealizing all that was behind his words. I knew he might have spokenno more than the truth; and that in gaining Gareth's happiness, I hadventured my own future.

  Not for a moment did I distrust Karl; but I knew the influences whichmight be brought to bear upon him. If Gustav was no longer to bepreferred as the Duke's heir and Karl was not to be allowed to foregohis rights as elder son, our marriage became impossible.

  I had worked for this, I know; had planned that it should be; hadforced it home upon Karl himself; and had even found pleasure in thethought of the sacrifice it involved.

  But since then I had taken to my heart such different thoughts. TheDuke had with his own hands swept away the barrier to our marriage; andKarl himself had shown me within the past hour how much it was to him.

  It is one thing to stand outside the Palace of Delight and, in theknowledge that admission is impossible to you, be firm in a refusal toenter; but it is another and a very different thing, when the gatesstand open and your foot is already on the very threshold and lovinghands are beckoning to you with sweet invitation to enter, to find theportal closed in your face, and yourself shut again in the outerdarkness.

  It is little wonder, therefore, if my heart began to ache again indread of the cold solitude which threatened to be the reward for myshare in that day's doings.

  It was all quite clear to me, as I stared out into the garden, seeingnothing that was actually there; nothing but the troubled forms whichmy thoughts assumed. And although I murmured and rebelled against itall, I knew in my heart that at the last neither Karl's desires normine would be allowed to decide what should be done.

  My kind old friend, discerning the struggle that was taking place in mythoughts, left me at first to fight it out in my own way, but presentlycame, and in the same sympathetic way laid a hand on my arm.

  "You must not take too black a view, Christabel," he said. "It may allbe yet for the best. I thought only to prepare you."

  "It is over," I said, with a smile. "I have taken my decision. Itshall be as the Duke decides."

  "I know how it must be with you," he replied, very gently.

  The kindness of his manner seemed in some strange way to hurt mealmost; at least it made me conscious of the pain of everything; and Ilowered my head and wrung my hands in silence.

  Then a door opened in the hall.

  "Christabel, Christabel!" It was Gareth's voice, sweet and glad.

  "Go to her, please, I--I cannot for the moment."

  He went at once and did what was of course the best thing to do--hebrought her to me.

  "The Duke wishes to see Gustav alone," he said. A glance at his facetold me my plan had succeeded.

  Gareth caught my arm nervously. "I heard angry voices in one of therooms, Christabel--my father's and Kar--Gustav's. What does it mean?"

  "All will be well now that you have seen the Duke, dearest. Stay herea minute until I come for you."

  I believed it now and felt very happy as I kissed her and she kissed mein response.

  "I owe it you, Christabel," she whispered. "I will wait."

  I went out with the General and closed the door upon her.

  "You must do all that may have to be done now," I said, weakly. "Ihave finished, and can do no more. Count Gustav is there with ColonelKatona and Count Karl. Will you fetch him?" and I pointed to the roomfrom which the sounds of voices loud in anger were to be heard.

  But even as I spoke, the door was flung open violently, and ColonelKatona and Gustav came out.

  "No, by God, no, you are too great a villain," cried the Colonelfiercely, and then seeing who was with me, he stopped abruptly.

  In the pause I glanced through into the room and saw Karl staring afterthe other two.

  Our eyes met, and he flung up his hands with a gesture of consternationand despair.