XVI
I stepped forward to meet the Prince of Amavia and Count Hofberg. As a representative of the princess I moved to receive her brother with the respect and attention due to his rank.
The count advanced first. Remembering the pleasant fashion in which our previous meeting had terminated, I prepared to greet him with politeness. To my utter astonishment he met my advances with an extremely distant bow, and immediately turned to address some remark to the prince. The latter, favoring me with a supercilious stare, passed on toward the door of the castle, the count walking at his side, and Samuel Jefferson following.
The three men walked up to the door of the stone hall; but before the count could raise his hand to the bell I had recovered my self-possession. With two or three hasty strides I pushed them and turned to confront them on the threshold.
“We will pass by your studied insult to me just now, count,” I said; “but you shall not enter this house save by my permission. As the representative of the Princess Amirel of Amavia, I am here to receive his highness the prince, her brother, with every respect.”
“The Prince of Amavia is not accustomed to such receptions, Mr. Hanmer,” replied Hofberg; “and we question your right to pose as the princess's representative. However, his highness will be pleased to be conducted to the princess at once. As she sent for her brother, Mr. Hanmer, she may not be pleased to know that he was kept at the door by a menial.”
“We'll let that pass, too, count,” I said. “I'll answer to the princess for anything I do; but who is the other man? He bears a striking resemblance to an old orderly of mine, and though he is no doubt a fitting companion for princes and counts, I'm: not sure that his company will be welcomed in an Irish gentleman's house.”
At this Prince Adalbert uttered a fiery exclamation, and for a second I saw an unpleasant gleam in the count's eyes. As for Jefferson, he sighed deeply, but made no comment on my remarks.
“The other man,” answered Count Hofberg, “is Mr. Jefferson, one of your most successful private inquiry agents. Mr. Jefferson is in the employ of his highness the prince, and as he carries important information relating to this affair he is a personage whom the princess will like to meet.”
“The princess shall decide that for herself,” I said. “I shall trouble you to remain in the hall until she is informed of your presence. Furthermore, gentlemen,” I continued, “let me give you a word of warning. Annoy the princess in any way whatever, or mistreat any of those about her, and, by Heaven, you shall both be thrown out of that gateway and your rascally spy horsewhipped! Do you hear that, prince? Then keep your ruffians in order!”
They stared at me as if they scarcely credited their senses. I motioned them into the stone hall and waved my hand toward the further end.
“You will understand that you are here on sufferance,” I said. “You will remain where you are until the princess makes known her pleasure. Bluster as much as you like, prince,” I continued, as his highness began to complain. “We are in a country where every man's house is his castle, and I'll trouble you to comport yourself with strict propriety!”
“You shall suffer for this,” said Hofberg. “You shall suffer!”
“Keep a civil tongue in your head, count,” I told him, and went away.
I repaired hurriedly to the princess and told her how matters stood, not forgetting Samuel Jefferson.
“What do you conclude?” she asked, when I finished.
“That Hofberg intends to play his big card to-day,” I replied. “He doubtless knows quite well that Sir Desmond will arrive this afternoon. He has carried out this robbery as a weapon in the battle that he is fighting; but I confess, princess, that I don't see his game clearly as yet.”
“You assume, then, that he is the thief?” she said.
“Assume? I am certain of it. Who else is there that we can connect with the circumstances? We know,” I argued, “that the count had intentions upon the jewels—well, the jewels are gone! The fact is, princess, we have been the victims of an elaborate conspiracy, and the author of it awaits your presence.”
“And I suppose we must hold parley with him,” she said, with a sigh of distaste. “Well, Desmond will soon be here.”
I went back to the stone hall with that last sentence ringing in my ears. With her it was always Desmond, Desmond—as if the arrival of her lover would put an end to every difficulty!
I requested the Prince of Amavia to follow me, and preceded him and his companions to the apartment where I had left the princess. When I opened the door I found that she had taken her seat at the head of a long table, which filled the entire space of the floor. On her right sat Nancy Flynn; on the left stood an empty chair. Two more empty chairs were placed at the other end of the table.
As we entered, she rose and bowed. The prince gave her a curt nod; the count swept himself halfway to the ground. The princess remained standing, her eyes fixed on Jefferson.
“Who is that man?” she asked, pointing a finger toward him.
The count spoke:
“A private inquiry agent, princess, whom we believe capable of giving us help and information.”
“Let him wait outside. This is a private matter. I will have no strangers present!”
“In that case,” said the count, “objection may be taken to Mr. Hanmer.”
“Mr. Hanmer is my trusted friend,” she said. “Order that man to leave the room!”
The count muttered a word or two to Jefferson, and that worthy person went out.
The princess was still standing. She pointed to the two chairs.
“You may sit there,” she said. “Mr. Hanmer, please take this chair on my left.
We all sat down. For a moment there was a dead silence. The prince stared at Nancy Flynn. Count Hofberg, impassive, regarded Princess Amirel with an attentive air. The princess spoke, fixing her eyes with a steady gaze upon her brother.
“Adalbert,” she said, “I have sent for you to tell you that the amethyst, one of the most treasured heirlooms of our family, has been stolen, and my jewels have disappeared with it. As you and your friend the Graf von Hofberg followed me to this refuge, I desire to ask you a plain question—do you know anything of this crime?”
The prince turned to the count, and with a great effort jerked out the words:
“Answer her!”
“With your permission, princess,” said the count, “I would point out that such a question is scarcely seemly. It is impossible that the Prince of Amavia could know anything of this robbery.”
“While the Graf von Hofberg is the Prince of Amavia's only counselor, friend, and confidant,” declared the princess, “nothing evil is impossible to the prince. It is useless to bandy compliments and courtesies, Graf von Hofberg. You are my enemy, and I am yours. We are at war, and I will fight you to the end—so let us speak plain truth to each other!”
“You treat me very harshly, princess,” he answered, somewhat browbeaten. “I am not your enemy. I am the sincere friend of Amavia and of yourself; but let us have the plain truth, by all means. Do I gather that my prince and I are accused of complicity in or the instigation of this crime?”
“I honestly believe you to be at the root of the whole matter,” said the princess, with a charming frankness.
The count bowed; the prince puffed out his cheeks until his eyes seemed to be starting from their sockets.
“I wish I knew where the Amavia amethyst is at this moment,” said Count Hofberg. “Permit me to point out, princess, that your proprietorship of that very ancient and historic jewel has certain limitations. Your recent flight—”
“Really, count, your fine speeches!” she exclaimed. “I am free of Amavia, and nothing will ever induce me to return to my brother's dominions. I sent for my brother to know if it is his desire to cooperate with me in endeavoring to recover the stolen amethyst. Adalbert, I am talking to you!”
The prince appeared to find this invitation to take part in the proceedings very unwelcome. He delivered himself of a few words. As he finished, the count strode into the arena.
“There can be no doubt that the amethyst and the jewels were stolen last night by an expert thief. We must find that thief and recover the stolen property. Has your highness any suspicion as to the identity of the criminal?”
“I have already said that I believe you to be at the root of the matter, Graf von Hofberg,” said the princess.
“I regret that your highness is not correct in your suspicions,” he said rather sneeringly. “It has, perhaps, not occurred to your highness that the actual thief is probably a man much more in touch with your highness's person than Fritz von Hofberg has ever been privileged to be?”
The sneer was unmistakable. The princess and I sprang to our feet at the same moment.
“You mean, Graf von Hofberg?” she exclaimed.
“I mean that I accuse the man, the cashiered and disgraced officer, whom you admitted, a perfect stranger, to your confidence, of having taken advantage of that confidence,” he said coolly. “If you wish to see the thief, Princess Amirel, he stands at your side—where Sir Desmond Adare will doubtless be pleased to find him!”
There was a second or two of the strangest silence I have ever known. Then a sharp exclamation burst from me, and I took a step in Count Hofberg's direction. I felt the blood surge to my head, and I felt the princess seize me by the arm. The count had sprung to his feet and assumed a watchful attitude. The tension suddenly relaxed; I burst into laughter and tried to disengage myself from her hands.
In the midst of this scene, to the sound of my laughter and the pleadings of two frightened women, the door suddenly opened and a tall man, haggard and travel-stained, appeared on the threshold. The princess's fingers grew slack on my arm as with a sudden cry of “Desmond!” she sprang to meet her lover.