A Dash for a Throne

  CHAPTER XII

  MY SCHEME DEVELOPS

  I took von Krugen into my confidence as to my discoveries and plans. Ishowed him the documents I had brought back from Munich; told him of mymeeting with Praga; the secret history of the duel which had ended youngGustav's life; and, at the close, invited him to say plainly what hethought of the counter-scheme, and of our chances of carrying itthrough.

  "It is about the only chance," he said, "and once on the throne there isno reason why the countess should not stay there."

  "On the contrary, there are two overpowering reasons--her owndisinclination, and the attitude of the Imperial authorities at Berlin."

  "There may be a third," he growled into his beard, looking sharply atme.

  "What is that?" I asked, though I could almost guess his meaning. But heturned the question adroitly.

  "That her Majesty would have little wish for a royal marriage with animperially selected consort chosen by Berlin. Her Majesty has a heart,unfortunately, and God bless her for it."

  "That will be all as she pleases," said I quietly. "At any rate, ourpurpose is to give her the opportunity of declining the throne, and tosave her from these villains who would hound her down."

  His face grew as dark as night.

  "God! if that villain ever dares to cross her path again, I'll run mysword through his carcass, if I die the next minute; and if he doesn'tcome near her, I'll seek him out the moment this business is through,and make him fight me. He has put not one but a thousand insults onme--and he a traitor all the time. And to think the Prince believed inhim implicitly to the last. And so did I."

  "Maybe the Prince had not the private knowledge of the man that I had,nor had you," I said unguardedly.

  My companion started and looked at me in such surprise that I saw myblunder in a moment.

  "You had known him previously?" he asked slowly.

  "I had known of him," I answered in a tone of indifference. "It's a longstory, and I may tell it you some day."

  "It is not for me to question your Highness, of course, but I shouldnever betray a confidence," he replied, piqued, as I thought, that Isaid no more; and for the moment I was hugely tempted to tell him thewhole story.

  It might be enormous value to have a stanch ally in my full confidencefor the task I had to carry through; but, on the other hand, I could nottell how such a man would care to take his orders from an ex-play-actor,and I decided that I dared not run a risk at such a crisis. So I held mytongue, and sat as if my thoughts were busy with our plans.

  "There is much to do, captain," I said at length, "and we must waste aslittle time as possible in consultation. In the first place, we have tokeep open a means of communicating with Praga. Are you too well knownin Munich to go backward and forward?"

  "I fear so; but there is Steinitz. He is scarcely known at all there;but he has not yet returned from where you sent him."

  I had forgotten altogether about him and his mission; and, now that thematter was recalled to me, the length of his absence gave me an uneasytwinge. There must be some very serious cause for so long a delay.

  "He should have been back some days ago," I replied slowly. "Probably hewill be here to-day or to-morrow, at latest, and that will be in timefor our purpose. I myself shall return to Munich in a day or two; but Ihave purposely made no appointment as yet, and shall make none till theeve of my going, because, if my absence from here were to be known inadvance, it might probably be the signal for some attempt against theCountess Minna."

  "How shall you foil the attempt when it does come?" asked von Krugen.

  "By vigilance mainly; but I mean also to appear to play into this BaronHeckscher's hands, while in reality forcing them. I shall see him andtell him that all here will be in Munich two days before the Court ball.That will give them time to make their plans to strike during those twodays. Further, my present idea is that for the whole of those two daysthe character of the countess shall be doubled; this waiting-maid ofhers will be dressed precisely as she herself is dressed the whole time,and, except when any one comes to the house who is in the house, and whoknows the countess on sight, the girl will be the countess to every one.This means that the servants we take with us must be strangers, withthe exception of one or two on whom we can rely implicitly. And I dependon you to make the selection."

  "There are several here for whom I would answer as for myself; but isn'tthere a risk in so long a doubling of the parts?"

  "Maybe; but we must be content to take it. My object is so to arrangematters that we ourselves shall virtually select the moment when theywill try to get hold of my cousin. Thus I shall make it quite plain tothem that during every moment of every hour she is in Munich she will bestrictly watched and guarded by us; but I shall manage to let a weaklink appear in the chain, and I have chosen this one. During the twodays I shall give it out that my cousin is not well, and can onlyreceive one or two persons. But there is to be a reception at the palaceby the King on the afternoon of the day of the Court ball, and I shalllet it appear that our vigilance must be relaxed on the return drivefrom the palace to the house. It will seem an excellent opportunity forthem. But while the countess shall go herself to the reception, I shallarrange for the maid to take her place on the return drive with theBaroness Gratz, and my cousin will make a sufficient change of dress inthe retiring-rooms to enable her to leave the palace unknown."

  "But the Baroness Gratz?"

  "You have no doubt of her loyalty?" I asked sharply. "Speak out plainlyif you have."

  "None in the least. I have no cause. I meant, what of the danger toher?"

  "There will be little or none. They may indeed be glad to let her getaway, while they will do her no harm even if they keep her prisoner. Butthe points in favor of such a scheme outweigh all against it. It willsuit both them and us to have the abduction made as close to the time ofthe ball as possible--them, because we should then have no time to makea disturbance; us, because the shorter time we have to keep watch overvon Nauheim to prevent his finding out the deception the better. A fewhours later we shall be absolute masters of the situation."

  "It's a scheme that stirs one's blood," cried von Krugen warmly. "Butthose few hours will be anxious ones."

  "Meanwhile the Duke Marx will have been caught in the toils set for him,and will be in our power; the King will be taken at the ball, and thusour whole course will be clear. The mimic ceremony of abdication willtake place, the cry will be raised for the Queen Minna, and just whenthey are chuckling that she cannot be found I shall lead her forward andput her in the place of honor, and make some sort of speech in hername--probably to the effect that she will take time to consider hercourse. They will be thus caught like rats in a hole they themselveshave undermined; and there will be a pretty tableau."

  "And then?"

  "Well, our first step will be to look out for ourselves. The attack onme and you will commence at the moment they believe they have outwittedus; and the danger will spread to us all the instant they find we haveoutwitted them. But our holding of their duke as a hostage will disarmthem."

  "You are sure of Praga, and that he can get hold of the duke?"

  "I am sure of no one but you," I returned; "and of nothing except ofthings as they occur from hour to hour. We can only lay our plans anddo our best to carry them out; but in such a case any instant may seethe unexpected happening, and the shipwreck of the best laid scheme. ButI like Praga's lever--a woman is a most useful mechanism when youunderstand how to use her; and when I left Praga every vein of his wasburning with a raging lust for revenge. And he is a Corsican. But ifthat part of the scheme fails, we must patch up another way, that's all.I mean to be stopped by nothing."

  "By Heaven, but you're a man I love to follow!" cried my companion, hiseyes kindling with enthusiasm.

  Then I saw his expression change, and he peered curiously at me.

  "And to think you've never been anything but a student. One might thinkyou had lived in the atmosphere of intrigue all your
life. The Princelittle knew you. He believed you were a milksop. How he would have lovedyou for a man after his own heart. Some one must have been lying to himsorely about you."

  "Dead slanders are of no import to us, captain, nor living flatteryeither," I said shortly. "We have to plan out our respective work and toset about doing it."

  And with that I told him precisely that part of the plan which wouldfall to his share, and gave him suggestions as to the best way ofcarrying it out. When I had fully instructed him, I sent him away, andmapped out in my thoughts the further developments I had yet to plan.

  The absence of Steinitz gave me much uneasiness. It seemed so grosslyout of perspective that a big scheme such as was on hand should beendangered by a trumpery little matter like the selling of a couple offarms. Yet that was the fear I had. If Steinitz had been able to findvon Fromberg and to give him my message, he ought to have been back longsince; but if he had not found the man, I could not stop the sale of theproperty. Yet if it went on it was almost certain that the old lawyerwould in some way get into communication with the men who were sellingthe place for von Fromberg, and my identity would at once be questioned.

  I would have paid the money, of course, willingly enough; but obviouslyI could not buy an estate from myself. Again, I could not get over thedifficulty in any such way as I had employed with Praga--that it was afreak.

  The more I considered the thing the easier it appeared to me that Imight be tripped up and exposed through it; and when the whole of thatday passed without the return of Steinitz, my anxiety grew fast.

  He arrived on the following afternoon, but he brought no relief withhim. He had not found von Fromberg. He had gone to Charmes, and hadarrived there after the wedding had taken place, and then he had set outto follow the bride and bridegroom on their tour. He had traced themfrom hotel to hotel, to Nancy, Bar-le-Duc, Rheims, Amiens, and thence toParis; but in the French capital all sign of them was lost, and aftermaking many useless inquiries there he had deemed it best to return tome and bring back the letter. I told him he had done right, but theincident added to my disquiet. It was such a contemptibly little thing,and yet, like a poisonous pin-prick, it threatened to gangrene the wholeventure.

  To add to my annoyance and perplexity, moreover, the old lawyer came tome again on the following day to tell me that further negotiations hadtaken place for the sale of the farms, and he pestered me to knowwhether I really meant to sell them out of the family, and whether theCount von Nauheim, as the Countess Minna's future husband, ought not tobe told of the matter. His manner showed that he had a suspicion thatsomething was being kept from him, and he resented it strongly.

  It was obvious, of course, that if he went to von Nauheim the latterwould jump at the chance of giving me trouble, and that if anysuspicions were even hinted to him the results might be exceedinglyawkward. Yet I could do nothing; and I was so irritated by the lawyer'spersistence that I sent him away with a sharp reply that if he wished toretain my business he had better mind his own.

  I could see he was vastly astonished at this and I more than halfrepented my words, but he had gone before I had quite recovered mytemper. It was unbearable, however, that just when I had all the weightof a really important crisis on my shoulders I should be worried by atrumpery thing of this sort. I let him go, therefore, and tried todismiss the matter from my thoughts, while I went on with the completionof my plans.

  Everything else went as well as we could have wished. Minna herselfentered heart and soul into the work, and in the many interviews we hadduring the next few days I could not have wished for a more loyal andtrusty ally. Our little confidential conferences drew us very closetogether, moreover, and I saw with great delight that her spiritsbrightened.

  The preparations for the critical work in Munich occupied her so fullythat her thoughts were taken away from the grief caused by the death ofher father, while the belief that success in our venture would open up anew life for her by freeing her from the marriage with von Nauheim andfrom the dreaded responsibilities of the throne raised hopes whichbrought with them happiness such as she had not known for months.

  "I owe it all to you, cousin," she said once, for she grew to speak withabsolute candor and unrestraint to me. "If only you had come to Grambergearlier, I am sure you would have persuaded my father to abandon thescheme altogether; although I think sometimes that----"

  "Well?" I asked when she paused.

  "That it is a good thing you did not come earlier."

  Her eyes were laughing, and the light in them was a pleasing thing tosee.

  "Perhaps it is. But why do you think so?"

  "You have a way of making unpleasant things pleasant; and you might havepersuaded me to do what he wished."

  "There are not many women who would need much persuasion to be a Queen."

  "Without conditions, perhaps."

  "There is one condition I would never have advocated," said I, raisingmy eyes to hers. "But you will be a Queen after all, and we your humbleservants, wishful only to obey your royal commands."

  "I have settled one of the first uses I shall make of my power," shesaid, looking up and speaking as if seriously.

  "And that will be?"

  "You will be the object of it. I shall issue an order in council--PrivyCouncil."

  "Privy Council! You are getting learned in the jargon of State. I amafraid your Privy Council will be a very small one."

  "Yes," she cried, nodding her head and smiling. "We two. And the orderwill be that my chief councillor shall tell me all the story of hislife. If you won't tell it to your cousin, you must tell it to yourQueen. And I know there are secrets in it. You think I don't take noticeof you, I suppose; and never know when your thoughts are slipping awayto the past and never see that you fence with my questions, and glideaway so cleverly from the little traps I lay. You mustn't think becauseyou would make me a Queen that I have ceased to be a woman--and, being awoman, to be curious."

  "We have no time in these days----"

  "There you go," she laughed. "I know what you'll say. You never think ofthe past because you are so busy thinking of all this business; thatwhen a man is planning a big scheme like this, and has all the detailsto arrange, he has no time, etc., etc. But you have a secret, cousinHans--a secret that is never out of your thoughts; that has nothing todo with all this fresh trouble and intrigue; that took you away from thecastle for two days just after you arrived; and that has written itslines on your face. That may be because you can find no one to tell itto. Of course you think of me only as a girl--you self-contained strongmen always do that--and that I should make no sort of a friend to betrusted with secrets. And yet----" she paused, and laying her handgently on mine said softly and wistfully, "you have done so much for meI should like to be a little help to you. Can I, cousin? I'm not Queenyet, you know, and cannot command. I'm only a grateful girl, and can dono more than ask."

  I was not a little disconcerted to find that she had been watching me soclosely, and I could not remain untouched by the last little appeal. ButI could not reply to it.

  "You are a stanch little comrade," I answered. "But we must put off thestory until the Queen commands," I answered, smiling.

  "That is at least an open postponement, if not a frank refusal. But theQueen will command, cousin. I want to know why you would not come hereat the first; what made you change your mind; how it was that all ourideas about you were wrong; why you are so different from what we allexpected--oh, there are a thousand questions that sting the tip of mytongue with the desire to ask them."

  "You think a student cannot also be a man of affairs?" I said, dividedbetween pleasure at her interest in me and perplexity at her questions.

  "But you are not even a student. You never open a book; you never quotethings--ah, now you start because I have watched you. I can read youreyes, although you think you can drape them with the curtains ofimpassiveness. But your wit is not always on guard to draw the curtainsclose enough. Yes, that's better; now they are sayin
g nothing."

  All this time she had been looking straight into my eyes, and laughingin gleeful triumph. And I found it embarrassing enough. Then she changedsuddenly, and said:

  "Does my teasing worry you and weary you, cousin? I can school mycuriosity if it does. But you will tell me all some day?"

  "Is that schooling it?" I asked, and she laughed again. "Yes, I willtell you some day what there may be to tell. But it could do no good todo so yet."

  "Is it a sad secret?" she began again after half a minute's silence, andwould no doubt have gone on with her pretty cross-examination had wenot, fortunately for me, been interrupted by a servant, who brought wordthat Steinitz, whom I had sent to Munich, had returned, and was askingto see me instantly.

  "I hope there is no trouble?" said Minna, looking alarmed.

  "I anticipate none; no more, that is, than that we must break off ourconference."

  "You have given me your promise," she said.

  "I ought to have made a condition--that you do not read me quite socarefully," I answered lightly as I rose.

  "Then I have read aright? To me your eyes are as books."

  "Yet you must be careful how you read them," said I.

  "Why?"

  "You may chance on the chapter with your name at the head."

  "I wish I could," and she laughed and her eyes brightened. "I would givethe world to know whether it is headed Queen of Bavaria or cousin Minna.Which is it? Tell me, at least, so much."

  "It may be neither," I answered ambiguously; but she seemed tounderstand something of my meaning, and to be pleased, for her cheekswere aglow with color as I hurried away.

  Steinitz was awaiting me impatiently.

  "There is ugly news, your Highness," he said shortly. "I saw Praga earlythis morning, and he bade me urge you to hurry at once to Munich. Hehas got wind of a move on the other side, which he prefers to tell toyou alone. He will meet you to-morrow at noon where you met before, andhe declares that the strictest vigilance must be used in regard to thecountess, especially while you are away from the castle, and that yourvisit to the city should be made with the greatest secrecy."

  "He told you nothing more of what he had discovered?"

  "No more than I say. But I gathered his meaning to be that an attempt ofsome kind is imminent to get the countess out of our hands here."

  This was likely enough, but I did not take so serious a view of thematter as Praga, because I felt that when I had explained our movementsto Baron Heckscher he would be almost sure to select the moment when thething could apparently be done with the least risk of discovery, andthat would be at the last moment, when Minna returned from the palaceafter the reception.

  At the same time I would go to Munich. I had already planned to go thereon the following day in any event, and had announced my intention; but Isettled to start at once. I sent for von Krugen and told him, charginghim to keep the strictest watch over Minna; and after a very briefinterview with her, in which she showed the liveliest concern for mysafety, mingled, as it pleased me to think, with regret at ourseparation, I started with Steinitz on what I knew might be a criticalexpedition.