The Princess Dehra Part 40

They gained the small door unseen, and, with a quiet word of warning, he knocked.

From within came an answering knock, to which he responded with two quick taps, twice repeated; the door opened a little way and Mrs. Spencer's maid peered out; then, a.s.sured, she swung it back and curtsied them inside.

"Suivez de pres, messieurs," she whispered, finger on lips, and hurried down a narrow but rather brightly lighted pa.s.sage, and up a stairway, and into a room on the second floor, where she prayed that they wait until she could announce them to Madame.

"And say to your mistress," the Archduke ordered, "that it is our pleasure not to intrude upon her until everything is arranged as intended."

"If Spencer will respect the request, it will be much easier for you, dear," he said to Dehra; "when we are watching Lotzen, the boudoir will have to be in darkness, and I'll take care that we leave the moment you have seen the Book."

"Do you think she will recognize me?" the Princess asked.

"I don't know; it's hard even to think what she can do or will do."

"At least, it has been easy thus far," she laughed; "almost so easy as to indicate a trap."

The same thought had naturally been in his mind, and he had hoped it would not occur to her.

"Everything has worked so smoothly it rather suggests the reverse," he said confidently; "but whatever happen, you must keep with me or Moore.-Gentlemen, I neglected to say that you will retain your caps until I remove mine.-Lieutenant Marsov, will you oblige me by turning off all the side lights?"

Presently, from somewhere down the corridor, came the ripple of Madeline Spencer's laugh, and the ring of her clear voice.

"Good-night, Monsieur le Comte! I thank you for the dance, and all the rest;"-then in quieter tones: "no, you may not come in; you have annoyed the Duke quite too much to-night, as it is-to-morrow? well, may be-tout a l'heure!" and the laugh again, and the closing of a door.

The Princess looked at Armand and gave a faint shudder, but made no comment.

In a moment the maid returned. "It is as you wish, Monsieur le-Monsieur,"

as the Archduke's gesture stopped the t.i.tle. "Madame awaits you at once."

In the room adjoining the boudoir, the Archduke left the others and went in alone.

Mrs. Spencer curtsied.

"Your Highness honors me," she said.

"Pray, madame," said he, returning her greeting with the curtest of military salutes, "let us eliminate unnecessary ceremony-this is an official visit, made at your particular request; if we are ready to begin, I will call my witnesses."

She watched him smilingly, pressing down the roses that lay across her breast-red roses, on a black gown that ended far below the dead-white neck and shoulders.

"What a cold-blooded brute you are, Armand," she mocked. "Can it be, that the pretty, innocent, little doll, out yonder in the Palace, has found a drop that is warm even when fresh from the heart?"

He looked at her in steady threat.

"Madame, I have told you I am here for but one purpose; beyond that, even in conversation, I decline to go. I tried to make it clear to you at the Inn, how I would come, and why. I do not remember your record, nor even know your name; if I did, it would be my duty to send you immediately out of Valeria, and under escort. If, however, you presume to use this occasion to become offensive, I shall be obliged to remember, and to know."

She laughed scoffingly, and taking a cigarette lighted it.

"As a token of peace," she said softly, and proffered it to him....

"No?-I thought Ferdinand said he had learned it from you and-but, of course, it does make a difference whose are the lips that kissed it."

The Archduke turned abruptly and went toward the door; another such word and he might forget she was a woman. She might be able to show him the Book, but, even could she give it to him, he would not have it, if its price were the Princess on her tongue.

She saw she had gone too far.

"Armand!" she cried, "Armand! stay-I'll be good-I'll be good."-She sprang forward and caught his arm-"Don't go-think of what I can show you."

"Then show it, madame," he answered, facing her and so displacing her hand; "show it; and leave off personalities."

Without replying, she went to a window, and drew the shade aside a little way.

"Yes, he is there," she said, "but Bigler is with him ... ah! he is going-now, we shan't have long to wait."-She motioned the Archduke to her. "See-there shouldn't be any doubt of the identification, if he give you a chance to see it."

He went over and looked. She was right; nor would they need the field gla.s.s to recognize it. Fifty yards away, in the opposite wing, were Lotzen's apartments-his library windows raised, the shades high up, the curtains drawn back; and he, himself, at the big table under the chandelier, a twin drop-light focused on the writing pad.

And even while the Archduke looked, Lotzen arose and from the safe behind him took out a package wrapped in black.

"That's it!" Madeline Spencer exclaimed, "that's it!-Here is the gla.s.s--"

He lingered for another glance, before summoning the others-and Mrs.

Spencer forestalled him.

She ran to the door and flung it wide.

"Come," she said, "come--His Highness needs you."

The Princess had been talking to Colonel Moore, her back to the door; as it opened, she threw up her head, and turned with an eager smile, thinking it was Armand-and so gave Mrs. Spencer a full view of her face.

Then Moore stepped quickly between them and suavely bowed Mrs. Spencer into her boudoir; the next moment the Archduke was there.

"With your permission, madame, we will extinguish the lights," he said, "and raise the shades."

She smiled maliciously, deliberately moving near enough to see the Princess over Moore's shoulder.

"Extinguish the lights?" she laughed, "certainly; darkness will be better for the business, and will conceal-everyone," and herself went over to the main switch at the corridor door and pushed it open.

The Princess caught Armand's hand.

"She recognized me," she whispered.

"Oh, no, dear; you're only nervous," he answered-though he was satisfied she was right. "Keep your hat well down, and don't look at her; the moment you have identified the Book, we will leave; you go with Moore; I'll engage the vixen until you're out of range."

He had led her to a window and raised the shade. The lights from the Duke's library leaped across the garden court at them, but he, himself, was not visible, though on the table lay the package, still wrapped in black as when taken from the safe. Some one came behind them, and Armand glanced over his shoulder-it was Mrs. Spencer, and she was looking at the Princess; nor did she cease, though she knew his eyes were on her; instead, she smiled and shot him a quick glance, and resumed the looking.

He felt Dehra begin to tremble-whether with anger or nerves, he could not tell-and Mrs. Spencer spoke.

"Your Highness' companion is evidently unused to adventures, despite his uniform; he is actually twitching with excitement."

"Or with the temptation of your proximity," Armand replied giving her his back. And Dehra laughed softly.

Colonel Moore had been at another window; now he came over, and, in the most casual way, found Mrs. Spencer's hand and gave it a familiar squeeze.