XV
A JOB FOR CAPTAIN HERCULES
"His Majesty dies--to-morrow!"
Stafnitz's words seemed to freeze them all stiff where they stood; evenCountess Ellenburg's sobs, which had threatened to break forth again,were arrested in their flow.
"Markart, lock the door leading to the King's apartments. Natcheff andLepage, carry the King into his bedroom; lay him on the bed; stay theretill I call you. Countess, General, I invite your earnest attention."
Stenovics's mind excelled in the waiting game, the slow, tortuousapproach, the inch-by-inch advance of leisurely diplomacy. For him thiscrisis was at first too sudden. The swift and daring intellect ofStafnitz naturally and inevitably took the lead; his strong willfascinated his confederates.
"Is this to be the beginning or the end?" he asked. "For us and ourfriends--which? If we send a courier to Praslok to call King Sergius tohis capital--what then? For you, Countess, and your son, oblivion andobscurity at Dobrava--for all the rest of your life, just that! For you,General, and for me, and our friends--yes, you too, Markart!--our_conge_, more or less civilly given. There won't be more insignificantmen in all Slavna on the day King Sergius enters. But there's no KingSergius yet!"
Stenovics was regaining the use of his brain; his eyes grew distant indeep meditation. Countess Ellenburg looked eager and grim; her lipscould not swear a false oath--well, she was not asked to swear any oathnow. Markart could not think; he stood staring at Stafnitz.
"In half an hour that courier must start for Praslok, if he starts atall. Of all things, we mustn't hesitate."
He had painted the result to them of the coming of King Sergius; itmeant the defeat of years of effort; it entailed the end of hopes, ofplace, of power or influence. There was no future for those three inKravonia if King Sergius came. And Markart, of course, seemed no morethan one of Stenovics's train.
"And if the courier doesn't start?" asked Stenovics. He took out and lita cigar, asking no leave of the Countess; probably he hardly knew thathe was smoking it.
Stafnitz looked at his watch. "Five o'clock! We have twenty-fourhours--it would be risky to keep the secret longer. There's not muchtime; we must be prompt. But we mustn't sacrifice anything to hurry. Forinstance, it would look odd to present the King's orders to BaronessDobrava in the middle of the night! She'd smell a rat, if she's asclever as they say. And so would the Prince, I think. I could have ahundred men at Praslok by midnight, but I shouldn't propose to have themthere before eleven o'clock to-morrow. Well, they could be back here byfive in the afternoon! In the course of the day we'll occupy all theimportant points of the city with troops we can trust. Then, in theevening--as soon as we see how matters have gone at Praslok--we proclaimKing Alexis!"
The Countess gave a little shiver--whether of fear or of eagerness itwas impossible to tell. Stenovics drummed his fingers on the table andturned his cigar quickly round and round in his mouth. Markart hadrecovered his clearness of mind and closely watched all the scene.
The Countess rose suddenly--in strong agitation. "I--I can't bear it,"she said. "With him lying there! Let me go! Presently--presently youshall tell me--anything."
Stenovics laid down his cigar and went to her. "Wait in there"--hepointed to Natcheff's room--"till you're quite composed. Then go to yourown room and wait till I come. Mind, Countess, no sign of agitation!" Heled her out. Stafnitz shrugged his shoulders.
"She'll be all right," he said to Markart with a passing smile.
"I think she was fond of the King," said Markart.
Stenovics returned. "Now!" he said, seating himself again and resuminghis cigar. "You suggest that we still use that order--for the arrest ofBaroness Dobrava?"
"It's signed 'Alexis,' and King Alexis lives till five to-morrow.Moreover, if all goes well, King Alexis lives again for many years afterthat."
Stenovics nodded slightly. "The Baroness comes willingly--or you bringher? At any rate, one way or the other, she's in our hands by this timeto-morrow?"
"Exactly, General. I fail to perceive that this lamentable event"--hewaved his hand towards the King's empty chair--"alters the case asregards the Baroness one jot."
"Not the least--unless you consider that risking our heads on the throwhas any such effect," replied Stenovics; and for the first time hesmiled.
"Once you wanted to play the big stake on a bad hand, General. Won't youput it on the table now, when you've a good one?"
"I'm thinking of a certain strong card in the other hand which youhaven't mentioned yet. Baroness Dobrava is to be in our power by thistime to-morrow. But what will the Prince of Slavna be doing? Stilldrilling his men at Volseni, still waiting for his guns?"
Stafnitz looked him full in the face. "No," he said. "The Prince hadbetter not still be drilling his men at Volseni, nor waiting for hisguns."
"I think not, too," Stenovics agreed, twisting his cigar round again.
"General, do you think the Prince will let Baroness Dobrava come toSlavna without him?"
"I don't know. He might have confidence enough in you; he wouldn't wishto annoy or agitate the King. He might await his summons to an audience.On the whole, I think he would submit--and rely on being able to inducethe King to alter his mind when they met. I'm not sure he wouldn'tadvise her to go with you."
"Well, yes, I confess that struck me, too, as rather likely--or at leastpossible."
"If it happened, it wouldn't be convenient," said Stenovics, with apatient sigh. "Because he would come after her in a day or two."
"But if I were detained by urgent business in Slavna--and we've agreedthat there's work to be done to-morrow in Slavna--another officer wouldgo to Praslok. The order, which I have here, mentions no name, althoughthe King designated me by word of mouth."
"The order mentions no name?"
"No; it directs the Baroness to accompany the bearer. True, at the footmy name is written--'Entrusted to Colonel Stafnitz.' But with care and apair of scissors--!" He smiled at Markart again, as though taking himinto the joke.
"Well, well, suppose another officer goes to Praslok--why shouldn't thePrince trust the Baroness to the care of that officer as readily as toyou? You don't--how shall I put it?--monopolize his confidence,Colonel."
Stafnitz still wore his easy, confidential smile, as he answered with anair of innocent slyness: "Suppose the officer were--Captain Mistitch? Ithink it's just the job for Captain Hercules!"
Even Stenovics started a little at that. He laid down his cigar andlooked at his friend the Colonel for some seconds. Then he looked atMarkart, smiling, seeming to ponder, to watch how Markart was taking it,even to sympathize with Markart on having to consider a rather startlingproposal, on having, possibly, to do some little violence to hisfeelings. Certainly Captain Markart gathered the impression thatStenovics was doubtful how he would stand this somewhat staggeringsuggestion. At last the General turned his eyes back to Stafnitz again.
"That's as ingenious a bit of deviltry as I ever heard, Colonel," heremarked quietly.
"Captain Mistitch is restored to duty. He's of proper rank to performsuch a service, and to command an escort of a hundred men. After all, anofficer of my rank made a certain concession in accepting so small acommand."
"Of course, if the Prince knew you as I do, my dear Colonel, he'd trusther to a thousand Mistitches sooner than to you--"
"But then--he doesn't!" the Colonel smiled.
"He'd regard the sending of Mistitch as a deliberate insult."
"I'm afraid he would."
"He's hot-tempered. He'd probably say as much."
"Yes. And Mistitch is hot-tempered. He'd probably resent theobservation. But you'll remember, General, that the escort is to belarge enough to make the officer commanding it secure against hinderanceby any act short of open and armed resistance to the King's command."
"He'll never believe the King would send Mistitch!"
"Will that make his peaceable obedience more likely?"
"In a moment they'd be at each other's--"
He stopped. "Markart, go andsee if they need anything in there." He pointed to the King's bedroom,where Natcheff and Lepage were.
Markart rose and obeyed. His head was swimming; he hardly yet understoodhow very ingenious the ingenious deviltry was, how the one man was to besent whose directions the Prince could not submit to, whose presence wasan insult, to whom it was impossible to entrust Baroness Dobrava. He wasvery glad to get out of the room. The last he saw was Stafnitz drawinghis chair close up to Stenovics and engaging in low-voiced, earnesttalk.
The King's body lay on the bed, decently disposed, and covered with alarge fur rug. Lepage sat on a chair near by, Natcheff on another in thewindow. Both looked up for a moment as Markart entered, but neitherspoke. Markart found a third chair and sat down. Nobody said anything;the three were as silent and almost as still as the fourth on the bed. Alow murmur of voices came from the next room; the words wereindistinguishable. So passed full half an hour--a strange and terriblehalf-hour it seemed to Markart.
The door opened, and Stafnitz called Natcheff. The physician rose andfollowed him. Another twenty minutes went by, still in silence; but onceMarkart, looking for a moment at his mute companion, saw a tear rollingslowly down Lepage's wrinkled cheek. Lepage saw him looking and brokethe silence:
"I suppose I helped to kill him!"
Markart shrugged his shoulders helplessly. Silence came again. Very longit seemed; but, on looking at his watch, Markart found that it was notyet half-past six.
Again the door opened, and Stafnitz called to them both. They followedhim into the next room. Stenovics was sitting at the table with hishands clasped on it in front of him. Stafnitz took up a position by hisside, standing as though on duty. Natcheff had disappeared. Stenovicsspoke in calm, deliberate tones; he seemed to have assumed command ofthe operations again.
"Captain Markart, I'm about to entrust to you an important andresponsible duty. For the next twenty-four hours, and afterwards untilrelieved by my orders, you will be in charge of this man Lepage, andwill detain him in these apartments. His own room and this room will beat the disposal of yourself and your prisoner, but you must not let theprisoner out of your sight. Dr. Natcheff remains in his room. He willhave access to the King's room when he desires, but he will not leavethe suite of apartments. Beyond seeing to this, you will have noresponsibility for him. The door leading to the suite will be locked byme, and will be opened only by me, or by my orders. I remain at thePalace to-night; under me Captain Sterkoff will be the officer on guard.He will himself supply you with any meals or other refreshments whichyou may require. Ring this hand-bell on the table--no other bell,mind--and he will be with you immediately. Do you understand yourorders?"
Markart understood them very well; there was no need of Stafnitz'smocking little smile to point the meaning. Markart was to be Lepage'sjailer, Sterkoff was to be his. Under the most civil and considerateform he was made as close a prisoner as the man he guarded. Evidently,Stenovics had come to the conclusion that he could not ask Markart toput too great a strain on his conscience! The General, however, seemedvery kindly disposed towards him, and was, indeed, almost apologetic:
"I've every hope that this responsible and, I fear, very irksome dutymay last only the few hours I mentioned. You put me under a personalobligation by undertaking it, my dear Markart."
In the absence of any choice, Markart saluted and answered: "Iunderstand my orders, General."
Stafnitz interposed: "Captain Sterkoff is also aware of their purport."
Stenovics looked vexed. "Yes, yes, but I'm sure Markart himself is quiteenough." It seems odd that, in the midst of such a transaction as thatin which he was now engaged, Stenovics should have found leisure--orheart--to care about Markart's feeling. Yet so it was--a curiouslyhuman touch creeping in! He shut Markart up only under the strongestsense of necessity and with great reluctance. Probably Stafnitz hadinsisted, in the private conversation which they had held together:Markart had shown such evident signs of jibbing over the job proposedfor Captain Hercules!
Lepage's heart was wrung, but his spirit was not broken. Stafnitz'sironical smile called an answering one to his lips.
"It would console my feelings if I also were put in charge of somebody,General," he said. "Shall I, in my turn, keep an eye on Dr. Natcheff, orreport if the Captain here is remiss in the duty of keeping himself aprisoner?"
"I don't think you need trouble yourself, Monsieur Lepage. CaptainSterkoff will relieve you of responsibility." To Lepage, too, Stenovicswas gentle, urbane, almost apologetic.
"And how long am I to live, General?"
"You're in the enviable position, Monsieur Lepage, of being able,subject to our common mortality, to settle that for yourself. Come,come, we'll discuss matters again to-morrow night or the followingmorning. There are many men who prefer not to do things, but will accepta thing when it's done. They're not necessarily unwise. I've done noworse to you than give you the opportunity of being one of them. I thinkyou'll be prudent to take it. Anyhow, don't be angry; you must rememberthat you've given us a good deal of trouble."
"Between us we have killed the King."
Stenovics waved his hands in a commiserating way. "Practical men mustn'tspend time in lamenting the past," he said.
"Nor in mere conversation, however pleasant," Stafnitz broke in with alaugh. "Captain Markart, march your prisoner to his quarters."
His smile made the order a mockery. Markart felt it, and a hatred of theman rose in him. But he could do nothing. He did not lead Lepage to hisquarters, but followed sheepishly in his prisoner's wake. They wenttogether into the little room where Lepage slept.
"Close quarters too, Captain!" said the valet. "There is but onechair--let me put it at your service." He himself sat down on the bed,took out his tobacco, and began to roll himself a cigarette.
Markart shut the door and then threw himself on the solitary chair, in aheavy despondency of spirit and a confused conflict of feelings. He wasglad to be out of the work, yet he resented the manner in which he wasput aside. There were things going on in which it was well to have nohand. Yet was there not a thing going on in which every man ought tohave a hand, on one side or the other? Not to do it, but to be ready toaccept it when done! He was enough of a soldier to feel that there laythe worst, the meanest thing of all. Not to dare to do it, but to profitby the doing! Stenovics had used the words to Lepage, his prisoner. Bymaking him in effect a prisoner, too, the General showed that he appliedthem to the Captain also. Anything seemed better than that--ay, it wouldbe better to ride to Praslok behind Captain Hercules! In that adventurea man might, at least, risk his life!
"An odd world!" said the valet, puffing out his cigarette smoke. "Honestmen for prisoners, and murderers for jailers! Are you a prisoner or ajailer, Captain Markart?"