An Imperial Marriage

  CHAPTER XIX

  VON FELSEN GAINS HIS END

  I entered the room just when matters had reached the crisis. Althea,very pale and troubled, was sitting near the window and von Felsen stoodover her dictating his terms. He had wrought upon her fears until shewas on the point of yielding.

  He resented my interference, therefore, fearing lest I should cause herto change her mind, and he turned on me angrily. "There is no need foryou to come here, Herr Bastable. You can do no good."

  "I could not keep away. So much depends upon Fraeulein Althea'sdecision that I must know it at once." I spoke like one distracted withdoubt.

  A gloating, boastful, confident smile, for which I could have kickedhim, was his reply.

  Althea shuddered at it and then turned to me. "What else can I do, Mr.Bastable?"

  I flung up my hands and sighed distractedly. "This cannot be necessary.Herr von Felsen must give us a little time in which to think. I havestill influence, and I must go and see what I can do."

  "If you leave the house it will be to go straight to prison," hedeclared with a sneer.

  Althea winced again at this. "You see, I must do it."

  "You coward," I cried to him. Then I started as if an idea had justoccurred to me. "I can stop you. I had forgotten. You are pledged tomarry Fraeulein Ziegler. She shall know of this at once"; and I turnedas if to hurry from the room.

  "Stop," he shouted. "Leave this room and that instant I will call inthose outside."

  I stopped obediently, as if baffled and frightened. Then I gave anotherlittle start and shot a furtive, cunning glance at him.

  "You said just now you didn't want me in the room," I said slowly.

  He looked at me very searchingly. "You stop here. I can read yourthought easily enough, but you won't fool me. Neither you nor any onehere will leave this house until Fraeulein Althea is my wife.Understand that."

  I did not reply, but sat down and began to finger my moustache, movingmy eyes about as if thinking of some means to outwit him. "We shallsee," I said with a repetition of the cunning smile.

  "Mr. Bastable!" said Althea, in a tone of appeal.

  "No, no, no. There must be some other way. I am not afraid formyself." Then I laughed. "If we are not to leave the house then, thereshall be no marriage. There shall be none here, that I swear. Let comewhat may, there shall not. You are driving me to bay, von Felsen. Havea care, man, what you do." I spoke without passion, but the suggestionof threat in my tone drew his eyes upon me and started his suspicions.

  Althea was completely puzzled by my conduct, and I was glad to see that.If I could mislead her, after what I had said that morning, I was sureto be successful with the grosser wits of von Felsen.

  "Herr von Felsen has proposed that the marriage shall take place herethis evening, and it--it must be so," she said after a pause.

  "No, no, it shall not," I cried quickly; and then as quickly, and withapparent inconsistency, changed my note. I clenched my hands and shot aglance of intense malevolence at him. "Wait. I agree. Yes. Come herethis evening then. On second thoughts it will be best so. I'll seethat everything is ready for you then. Yes, yes, this eveningand--here."

  He read this as I wished. "No, thank you," he answered with a knowingshake of the head. "I'm glad you reminded me in time. We'll have itwhere it will be a little safer. I shall have to trouble you to come tomy house, Althea. I've no intention to have the marriage wind up with afuneral"; and he nodded again at me with a chuckle at having so cleverlyread my thought.

  I endeavoured to portray the picture of outwitted cunning. "Oh, youneedn't be afraid of coming here; and it will be much more convenient."

  "You mind your own business," he blurted out.

  "If the thing has to be done at all, it should at least be done with theleast trouble to Fraeulein Althea. That means here," I protested.

  "There will be plenty of trouble if it isn't done," came the retort witha bullying smile. "Now, please, Althea, your answer?"

  Her face was a mask of troubled perplexity as she pressed her handstightly together. She shot a look of appeal at me.

  "You needn't look at him. He can't help you."

  I jumped up with a heavy sigh, made as if to rush out of the room,remembered myself, and went to the window and stared out. Von Felsenlaughed.

  "I agree," said Althea in a low, trembling tone.

  I groaned, and von Felsen laughed again. As if stung by the laugh to alast protest, I turned round. "How do you know that this man will keephis word?" I cried desperately to Althea. "He hates me, and his firststep when all is too late may be to betray me."

  "I thought you didn't care about yourself," he sneered. That I should bein a condition of abject fear about myself appeared natural enough tohim, no doubt.

  "Fraeulein Althea!" I exclaimed, as she did not reply at once.

  "He has pledged his word, Herr Bastable."

  "His word! what is that worth?"

  "You needn't let yourself be scared out of your wits, at any rate," hesaid with another sneer. He was enjoying his triumph intensely, and thesight of my fear was the best part of it, apparently. "If the Baron andAlthea are pardoned, who's going to hurt you? You'll be all right," hedeclared contemptuously.

  "I'm not thinking of myself," I replied vaingloriously, but putting anote of relief into my voice. "But there's the rest of his promise."

  "Are you a fool? Do you think I am likely to let my wife be prosecutedas a traitor? You know what Herr Borsen told you. You are only tryingto deceive Althea by this rot."

  "Your wife? But she will not be your wife when she leaves here. Havethe marriage here, as you proposed at first. There will be someguarantee then that you mean to run straight."

  "The marriage will be where I say," he answered angrily.

  "It must be as he wishes, Mr. Bastable. What do you wish?" she askedhim.

  "I shall come for you at seven o'clock." I gave a start at this, and heturned on me sharply. "No, I shan't be fool enough to enter the house,thank you. I shall wait for you in the carriage, Althea; and if a singlesoul except you attempts to leave at the same time, there'll be trouble.That's all."

  "A very gallant groom," I sneered. But Althea interposed with a gestureof protest. "There are some hours of grace yet," I muttered.

  "And the house will be carefully watched all through those hours. Don'tforget that. I shan't run any risks. I shall be here at seven then," headded to Althea, and moved toward the door.

  I started as if to follow him, but he stopped me. I believe he wasafraid I should shoot him.

  "You stop here, thank you. I can find my way out as I found it in."

  I fell back a step as if frightened, and he left us.

  "Oh, Mr. Bastable," cried Althea, the instant his back was turned,almost overcome by the scene.

  I put my fingers to my lips, I thought he might linger a while tolisten.

  "He has us at every turn. My God, I shall go mad, I believe," I criedin a voice loud enough to reach him if he were there; and I thought Icould catch the sound of a chuckle outside.

  A minute afterwards we heard the front door slammed, and I went out tobe sure that he had really gone. Then I hurried back to Althea.

  "Wasn't that just lovely?" I asked with a smile. "Don't look sofrightened. I was afraid to tell you my plan for fear that if you hadit in your thoughts you might not have been able to prevent hissuspicions being aroused. You must forgive me that. Everything hasgone splendidly."

  "I don't understand in the least," she cried, in her infiniteperplexity. "You agreed to it all."

  "Did I not tell you not to believe your eyes if you saw me agree?"

  "Tell me now, everything."

  "Of course I will. Stand up here a moment." She came to me and westood before the mirror. "Once before, this morning, we were standingtogether just as we are now and I happened to look in that glass. Itsug
gested a thought. See if anything is suggested to you."

  She looked and turned to me as she shook her head. "I don't understandin the least."

  "You are a tall girl and I am not a very tall man, so that our height isnearly the same. You are broad-shouldered for a girl; I am the reversefor a man. If I were dressed as you are, the difference would beimperceptible."

  "But I am dark and you are fair--and your moustache!"

  "Any sort of dark wig will alter the hair. Bessie bought one thismorning. A razor will deal with the moustache. A touch or two on theeyebrows and a veil, fairly thick, will do the rest. I am going toborrow your dress for the evening's entertainment."

  "Oh, Paul!" she cried, catching my arm, the name slipping out in heragitation.

  I laid my hand on hers and took it gently into mine. She left it there.

  "Did you really believe I would let you marry that brute? My dear, Iwould take his life first. This was all make-believe just now. Ifrightened him from having the marriage here--he thought I should killhim if he did--because it is necessary that I should be at his houseto-night."

  "But the danger to you?" she murmured.

  "Is as straw to iron compared with the danger to him. To-day I couldhave spoken a word which would have brought him cringing to heel likethe cur he is."

  "Why didn't you?"

  "Almost I spoke it, when he was blustering here. But I have a stillbetter plan. Put away all your fears, and let me see a smile in placeof all that pain and agitation. I tell you surely that by to-morrow allthe clouds will have passed."

  "I am only afraid for you," she whispered.

  "And I--well, I will tell you when I have succeeded what other feelingthan fear I have had about you in all this time."

  Her answer was a smile, almost as if she knew.

  For the moment the words trembled on my lips, but I pressed them back.We stood the while in silence.

  "It has been so terrible that I can scarcely dare to hope," shemurmured, her voice unsteady.

  "Hope! For what, Althea?" I whispered.

  She raised her head and our eyes met. All was clear to us both then.

  "You may hope, Althea. I am sure."

  Instinctively I stretched out my arm, and of herself she came to me andlaid her head on my shoulder.

  "You know what I have hoped, then?"

  "Paul!" Just a sigh of happiness and full content.

  "You love me? Ah, Althea!"

  I lifted her head from my shoulders and took the sweet face between myhands, and then our lips met in the lingering ecstasy of love's firstkiss.

  "My dearest!" I whispered.

  A little fluttering sigh of delight escaped her as her head was againpillowed on my shoulder; and in that realm of love's entrancing bliss weremained oblivious of all save our own rapture, and heedless each ofeverything except that together we had come into our own kingdom ofhappiness and perfect understanding.

  We were roused by the sound of footsteps approaching the room. Altheadrew away from me in tremulous confusion, her eyes shining radiantly,her colour mantling her cheeks.

  It was my sister. "I was just coming for you, Bess," I said hurriedly,meeting her as she entered.

  "I couldn't think where you were. You were awfully quiet"; and shelooked from one to the other doubtfully, and then went toward Althea.

  Althea turned quickly on her approach, and kissed her very lovingly, andput her arms round her waist. And seeing her eyes, Bessie understood.

  "Oh!"

  Her glance at me was an eloquent substitute for anything more. And thenin her turn she put her arms round Althea and hugged her.

  "I'm going to my room, Bess; come to me presently," I exclaimed, andleft them together.

  At first the sense of the rapturous happiness which had come to mefilled my thoughts to the exclusion of all else, and it was onlyBessie's arrival that called me down from the clouds.

  She was a good chum but not usually demonstrative. Now, however, shecame straight up to me and kissed me. "It's just lovely, Paul; but ofcourse I've been expecting it; and you two have been a long time comingto an understanding."

  I laughed. I was in the mood to laugh at anything. "All right," I saidinanely.

  "Ah, you don't understand women, Paul, or you'd have seen as plainly asI have that Althea has cared for you ever so long," she saidsententiously.

  "Where is she?"

  "Gone upstairs to her father. That's the only part I don't like in it.But poor Althea can't help that. And now, haven't we a lot to do yet?One of the three must be practical and think of things; and Altheacan't. Oh, Paul, I never saw anything like her delight."

  "Yes, I suppose one must be practical even at such a time"; and then weplunged into the discussion of my make-up for the evening's business.

  She had brought Althea's dress down with her, and she fitted on theskirt and made such alterations as were needed. I kept it on, in orderto accustom myself to it and be able to walk without tumbling over it.I should wear it over my own things of course as I knew that I must beable to get it off when the need arose.

  The bodice proved impossible, however; so Bessie cleverly improvised asubstitute; and we arranged that I should wear a short cloak of herswhich would come just below my waist. And she so contrived everythingthat I could readily reassume my own garb.

  When all was finished I went up to my room to shave off my moustache,and we laughed long and heartily together at my clumsy efforts to followher instructions about holding up the skirt in getting upstairs.

  It might have been a sort of mad frolic we were planning instead of thegrim business which I knew that night would see.

  Then came the face make-up and the arrangement of the wig, hat and veil;and while Bessie was intent upon this, I slipped a loaded revolver intothe pocket of my jacket, to which I had arranged ready access.

  "I declare, you make quite a pretty girl, Paul; but you're dreadfullyawkward. You must take shorter steps or you'll be found out the instantyou leave the house," said Bessie, turning to survey the effect a momentlater.

  "Thank goodness there are only a few steps to walk in any event. Theonly tough part will be in the carriage with the beggar. By Jove, it'sclose to the time. I'd better be ready in the drawing-room."

  Just as we reached the room, Ellen met us. She took me for Althea, andwas so astonished at seeing her dressed for the street that sheexclaimed: "Are you going out, miss?"

  I did not open my mouth and went on, but Bessie replied: "Yes, Ellen. Acarriage is coming directly for Fraeulein von Ringheim"--since Althea'svisit to the police when I had been taken away, we had dropped allattempt at concealing her name--"and when it arrives you will just cometo this room and tell her."

  "I could scarcely keep a straight face with Ellen," she said as shejoined me.

  "It took her in anyhow, and that's hopeful; and now I'll spend the lastfew minutes in practising this infernal walk."

  I managed it better after a time, and I was in the middle of thepractice when Althea came down. For the moment she mistook me for afriend of Bessie's, and was going out quickly when she recognized herown dress.

  "I declare I shouldn't have known you, Paul."

  I walked up to her with the little mincing gait and held out a glovedhand. "I hope you are well," I said in a falsetto voice. I saw howreally anxious she was about the thing and was resolved to treat it as ajoke.

  But Althea was too overwrought to see any but the dangerous side of theaffair. "I hope no harm will come to you," she exclaimed fervently.

  "There is not the slightest fear of anything of the sort. But theremustn't be three of us in the room when Ellen comes in or she'll takeone of us for a ghost. And the time's up."

  She came very close to me and I saw she was trembling. "I pray to Heavenall will be well," she cried earnestly.

  "Within five minutes of our reaching his house I shall have that fellowon his knees. And now, you must go, or I shall be tempted to upset allthese
beastly arrangements on my head and--well, you know," I laughed.

  At that moment we heard the sound of the carriage and she hurried awayupstairs.

  Then I saw how my sister had been hiding her real apprehension under alight laughing humour. "It will be all right, Paul? You are sure?" sheasked, her lip trembling.

  I replied in the same light vein as to Althea. "Unless the fool triesto kiss me in the carriage, or I give myself away, I cannot fail. Ishall be back again in a very short time; and remember what I toldyou--you may have to rush off by the mail to-night. Be ready."

  Ellen opened the door then and announced that the carriage had come.

  "Good-bye then, Althea," exclaimed Bessie, most naturally. "And withall my heart good luck."

  She walked with me as far as the front door to cover my burlesque of agirl's gait, and I tiptoed quickly across the pavement, entered thecarriage, and leaned forward to wave my hand to her.

  The next moment the door was shut and we started.