A Dash for a Throne

  CHAPTER XVIII

  AFTER THE ABDUCTION

  "This is my revenge, Herr Fischer."

  The words were spoken in an angry, taunting voice, quite loud enough formany people round us to hear, and they looked at us in the broadestastonishment.

  They recalled my scattered wits.

  "Captain von Krugen, what is the meaning of this?" I demanded in aquick, stern tone of the man who was staring in abject helplessbewilderment at the woman who had thus tricked us so cleverly.

  "I am absolutely at a loss----" he began; but I cut him short.

  "You have betrayed your trust, sir, and God alone knows what theconsequences will be."

  Meanwhile the cries for the Queen Minna were growing in volume andechoing all around us, and I saw the Baron Heckscher look across at me.The men about the throne had unmasked. I thought rapidly. It was no usewasting time in reproaching or abusing the woman who had fooled us. Wewere in a mess which might ruin not only my scheme, but the whole of us.While the people were still shouting for the Queen, I hurried back towhere Praga was standing, and in a few words told him what had occurred.

  "She is the devil. I feared something. I'll----"

  "Don't waste time. We have one strong card yet, and must keep possessionof it. You are still true to me?" I asked.

  "As true as death, I'll show----"

  "Then you must do this. Return at once to Friessen with all possiblespeed--you and Captain von Krugen. Take the duke away anywhere, andlodge him in a place of safety. If neither of you can think of a betterplace, carry him to Gramberg; but one of you will probably know of someplace where he can be kept as a hostage. If I cannot hold him prisonerour last hope is gone."

  "She will never say----"

  "I trust no woman again in a thing of this sort. Put him where shecannot tell any one where he is. You will have to ride all the way, Iexpect. No matter. Take the best horses in the stables here and ridethem to a standstill, if necessary. You must go at a hand-gallop thewhole way: or perhaps you can get a special train to Spenitz. Anything,but for God's sake go--and at once. You can deal with the womanafterward."

  I called up von Krugen, and gave him the hurried orders.

  "Remember at any cost to keep him a prisoner, and let me know where heis."

  These were my last words to the two, and spoken with almost fierceearnestness. As I turned from them I beckoned Steinitz to me.

  "I am going to speak to that woman in a dark domino. When I leave herwatch her as you would watch the devil, and let me know where she goesand to whom she speaks."

  I went back to Clara Weylin.

  "Will you give me an interview presently?" I asked, very quietly, addingsignificantly, "It will be safer."

  "I am not afraid of you," she replied scornfully.

  "It will be safer," I repeated.

  "I don't wish to speak to you."

  "It will be safer," I said for the third time; and then I crossed theroom to where the men clustered about the throne were waiting for me.

  "Where is the Countess Minna?" asked Baron Heckscher; and he could notrestrain the evidence of his feeling of triumph.

  "I regret that the Countess Minna von Gramberg is unable to be present.Baron Heckscher has known for some hours that this would be the case." Isaid this loudly enough for those about us to hear, and a glance intothe man's face told me that he knew of my sudden disappointment, and wasenjoying his triumph supremely. I kept out of my voice and manner allsigns of alarm or anger, and added quietly to the baron, "You had betterannounce her indisposition, and stop this clamor."

  On seeing me cross to the throne those who were leading the chorus tookup the cry for Minna with redoubled energy.

  "I will not answer for the effect of the disappointment," he said.

  "Yet you will have to," said I, with a look he could not fail tounderstand.

  "I don't understand you," he returned hotly.

  "I will not fail to make my meaning quite plain," I retorted. "And youmay not find the course so clear as you think."

  "What message shall I have announced?"

  "That the Countess Minna von Gramberg accepts the high mission to whichshe is called, but that to-night she is too unwell to be present," Ianswered; "and let the message be given at once."

  "We can't do that," he replied, seeing my object--to bind him to thispublic acceptance of the throne by Minna. "She must be here in person tomake that possible."

  "If that is not done and at once," I cried, going close to him andspeaking the words between my teeth, "I myself will proclaim the factthat the man who was here a minute since was not the King, but yourdummy, and that the whole thing is a farce got up by you and thesegentlemen. You will then have to bring back the King himself, and youcan judge as well as I how he will view the acts that have been donehere to-night, and reward the actors."

  "You dare not play the traitor in that way!"

  "Dare not? I dare do more than that," and I clipped my words short as Iwhispered them into his ear. "I dare stand up now and tell the wholestory of your double treachery, for I know it all: and, by God! if youthwart me any farther I'll make my words good to the last letter."

  I meant every syllable of the threat, and I made this perfectly plain inmy manner. Whether the man was actually afraid for himself I know not;but he saw clearly enough that any such sensational statement made by meat that juncture would inevitably result in the complete overthrow ofthe scheme for which he had worked so hard.

  "I don't affect to understand your meaning," he said; "but one way is asgood as another to put an end to a scene that must be ended somehow."

  "Then give the instructions, and let the people see that they come fromyou," and I drew back.

  He called the man who had been acting as herald, and spoke to him in anundertone; and the latter was turning to the people when I interposed.

  "As this is the first utterance from the Queen, you had better have thetrumpeters call for silence, and let the herald end the declaration withthe formal prayer, God save the Queen."

  This was done, though the men round me frowned in angry dissent; and assoon as the announcement had been made the signal was given, the bandstruck up for the dancing to recommence, and the throng of people beganto melt away from the dais on which we had all been collected.

  So far, I felt I had done the best I could to repair the disconcertingsmash-up of my plans, and already I had in my thoughts a rough idea ofthe line I would take later with the baron and his friends of theOstenburg interest. They had outplayed me at my own game, and had dealtme a shrewd and clever stroke, which must have completely defeated mebut for the fact that I had kidnapped their man, the Duke Marx. For themoment everything must yield to the necessity of keeping him secure, andthus for some hours at least I dared not say a word to let them knowwhat I had done with him.

  I calculated that von Krugen and Praga would take about five hours toget to the place where he was concealed, and they would need at leastfurther four or five hours to get him to some other spot. That at theleast. I had given them a difficult piece of work, but they were bothresolute and indeed desperate men, and I had ample confidence that,given sufficient time, they would overcome the difficulty. It was nowpast midnight, and I reckoned, therefore, that I must hold my tongueabout the duke until the following morning.

  In the mean time I had the problem of Minna's whereabouts to solve. Imust also ascertain whether the woman had told anything of the partwhich she and Praga had played together in getting hold of the duke.

  I looked round the room in search of her, and, not seeing either her orSteinitz, I was moving off the dais to make a tour of the rooms to findher, when the two men Kummell and Beilager stopped me.

  "You promised an explanation of your conduct," said the former in acurt, angry tone. "Be so good as to give it."

  "You will have an ample explanation later, gentlemen. Matters of greatermoment are pressing me now."

  "Nothing could be of greater moment than the reason for the C
ountessMinna's non-appearance here to-night; for that statement about herindisposition was, of course, untrue."

  "It was untrue, as you say. But until the whole matter can be told it isa waste of valuable time to discuss a small part of it," I answeredcoolly, although the insult in his tone and words was more than galling.

  "I differ from you, and demand an explanation at once--or I shall drawmy own conclusions."

  "That is at your discretion. You have taken a course throughout thiswhich makes you largely responsible for the result."

  "Do you insinuate that we are in any way responsible for spiriting awaythe countess?" he asked hotly.

  "I must decline to discuss this with you in your present frame of mindand temper. Your manner to me is an insinuation and an insult."

  "You will have to discuss it all the same, or I will publicly insult youhere, in the presence of the whole room."

  The hot-headed fool was likely to spoil everything.

  "That must also be as your indiscretion prompts you," I returnedsharply. "If you think you will serve the interests of my family bywrangling here, and causing me to run you through the body afterward,take your own course. But you will do far better to keep a sharp watchon the man who has apparently been duping you--I mean BaronHeckscher--and try to thwart the deep scheme he has laid."

  "I believe you to be a traitor; to have worked openly for the CountessMinna, and secretly to have intrigued against her; and that you havekept her out of the way purposely in the interests of the Ostenburgfamily. You are a spy; nothing better."

  "And you are a foolish little man, whose sight is as short as yourtemper, and whose wits are as dull as your silly suspicions are keen.You are the dupe of the Baron Heckscher."

  "You shall answer to me for this--or at least you should, if you wereworthy of consideration."

  He was so angry and excited that he could scarcely keep from striking,and this last insinuation of his had leapt out in his exasperation.

  I had been expecting something of the kind, and it prepared me for theline which the rest would take later; but at that moment I caught sightof Steinitz, moving among the crowd in the distance, and I put an end tothis altercation promptly.

  "When you know the facts, sir, you will be far more ready to apologizeto me than to challenge me. But if you should then wish this matter togo forward, you will not find me in the least unwilling."

  I bowed ceremoniously and, putting on my mask again, hurried away afterSteinitz.

  It was quite clear now that these men had got hold of some tale from thetwo lawyers about me, and the baron was quite shrewd enough, in order toseparate from me the only two men among the leaders who were reallyloyal to Minna, to turn it to good account by proclaiming me a spy inthe Ostenburg interest.

  It was an exceedingly plausible story to account for my having keptMinna out of the way. In the mean time my anxiety on her account wasgrowing very keen, and had I not known that happily von Nauheim was laidby the heels and, as I sincerely hoped, badly hurt, I should have beendesperate enough. As it was, however, I held a hostage for her safety,and I was eagerly impatient for the moment to come when I could show thebaron the real strength of my position.

  Steinitz pointed out to me the actress, who had thrown off her domino,and was standing in the middle of a group of men and women laughing andtalking merrily. I shouldered my way among the promenading dancers to aspot near her, and then stood forward that she might see me. As soon asshe caught sight of me she threw a glance of angry defiance in mydirection, and, turning her back, recommenced her gay chatter with hercompanions. But I was in no mood to let her trifle with me nor to allowher to think she could treat me as she pleased. I went up and requestedan immediate interview.

  "Can't you see that I am engaged? My dance card is full," she replied,with supercilious nonchalance.

  "The business that I have with you cannot wait," I said firmly. "And ifyou cannot give me a private interview, I shall be compelled to discussit here and now in public."

  She looked at me to see if I were in earnest, and apparently came to theconclusion that I was, for with an angry toss of the head she said:

  "I can spare you three minutes until my next dance."

  I led her to one of the many luxurious cosy corners of the place.

  "You have taken a very bitter revenge, and a very cowardly one, for noreal offence," I said. "Is your anger satisfied with the one stroke, oram I to look for another?"

  "I warned you that you had made an enemy of me."

  "And you have made the warning good. Have you done anything else? Youknow I refer to your work to-day at Friessen."

  "If I can harm you I will."

  "And Praga?"

  "I hate you!" she cried, with intense bitterness.

  "You have given ample proof of that. Have you betrayed him in regard tothat affair of to-day?"

  "I shall not tell you. Who are you that you should cross-question me inthis manner? I am no servant of yours."

  "Have you told the people for whom you have to-night tricked me that youhave decoyed the Duke Marx into the hands of those who, if need be, willtake his life?"

  I struck home with this thrust; and she glanced about her in manifestalarm.

  "Don't speak like that," she cried in a hurried whisper. "There is nofear of anything of that kind."

  "You mistake," I answered shortly and sternly. "If anything happens tothe girl whom you have betrayed to-night, the man whom you lured awaywill pay for it with his life; and I myself will explain every detail ofyour share in the matter."

  It was a little cowardly to play on her fears in this way; but it wasnot my own safety--it was Minna's--I was fighting for.

  The woman's agitation increased with each word.

  "It must not be. It shall not be. You dare not," she cried.

  "There is no dare not in schemes like these," I answered grimly.

  "But I was promised there should be no violence."

  "You had not then played us false and worn that domino."

  "I will go at once and tell all I know," she exclaimed excitedly.

  Good. She had not told.

  "It is too late. You were the decoy, but the duke is now in the hands ofmy men, and no power on earth can save him if I but issue the order. Doyou think I do my work so poorly as to leave him where you, or thosewhom you send, could find him?"

  She sat, her fingers interlocked and her eyes staring in a fixed, setgaze of abject fright, while her breath came and went with quick catchesof agitation.

  "You have played the subtle part of double treachery, and you will findit deadly dangerous," I went on sternly.

  It was necessary to frighten her thoroughly for the object I had, and Ilet a couple of minutes pass in silence, while this conviction of herdanger forced itself home. Then I opened the door of relief.

  "It rests with you to save his life, and your own, and Praga's," I said.

  She was too panic-stricken to act, and the hope in her face at my wordsmade me rejoice.

  "Save the Countess Minna von Gramberg. Help me to find her."

  The light died out as suddenly as it had come.

  "I cannot. I know nothing of her whereabouts."

  "Tell me all you know about this trick by which you personated her."

  At that moment a man dressed as a Venetian gondolier approached to claimher for a dance.

  "I must know everything at once," I whispered hurriedly. "You mustrefuse him."

  It was a test of my power. If she went off to dance I should accept itas a sign of defeat.

  "I must not refuse. I dare not," she said nervously.

  "You understand what it means," I replied in the same undertone.

  The man came up, and the nervous movements of my companion's fingersshowed me something of her agitation.

  "This is our dance, I think," he murmured, bowing.

  "Yes, I--yes, it is," and she half rose from her seat, but then sankback again. "But I am not quite well enough to dance. I am sitting
herefor the cooler air. Please excuse me."

  "Permit me to sit it out with you then," he said, and he turned towardme as if expecting me to give way.

  I did not budge, of course, but stared out in front of me as if I hadnot seen his look.

  "I am sorry, but--a friend has--has brought me some important--news, andit has distressed me--and I wish to continue the conversation."

  It was as clumsy an excuse as any child in her teens could have mumbledout, and given in a manner altogether unlike her own. But fortunatelythe man took umbrage at the obvious slight, and with a stiff bow wentoff.

  I had won again.

  "Now you can tell me all you know."

  "Wait a moment. Let me be quiet, or I shall faint."

  She was now trembling violently, and I sat waiting until she should haverecovered her self-composure sufficiently to tell me the news I wasburning to learn.