XI
I was astonished. Nancy began to laugh.
“You are simple, my dear Cosmo,” she told me. “I suppose you took the prince for the count because of his bristling mustache and blue eyes, and the count for the prince because of his lazy looks?”
“You told me the other day that Hofberg was a desperado—the sort of man who could use a two-handed sword,” I replied.
“He is considered one of the finest swordsmen on the continent,” she said. “He has killed a good many men in duels. Fritz von Hofberg is one of the devil's many incarnations. His nice-looking, boyish face is a mask for his evil brain. You see, I know something of him.”
“So it would appear,” I muttered.
“And so I will give you a piece of sound advice,” she continued, ignoring the interruption. “Now that these two precious scamps have appeared on the scene, we shall see something of them whether we want to or not. Well, listen—be most on your guard against Fritz von Hofberg when he seems least dangerous.”
“I am much interested,” I replied.
She looked at me in a curious way and shook her head.
“We must tell Amirel of this at once,” she said. “She will not be surprised, for she has expected them. Now that they are here, she will want to prepare a reception for them.”
“Do you mean that she will receive them—here?” I said, astonished.
“She will certainly admit them to parley,” replied Nancy. “Haven't you observed, Cosmo, that Amirel likes to play her part in the grand style? She loves to see the stage well filled, to hear the band in full swing, to bring the curtain down on a fine situation.”
“I don't see the necessity for any theatrical display in this business,” I responded. “By the way, Nancy, I understood that I was engineering everything. We agreed that I should act as captain in this adventure.”
“You may captain me as much as you please,” she answered, laughing, “but I think Amirel only agrees to be obedient so long as obedience suits her whim.”
“Well, I shall oppose anything in the theatrical line, princess or no princess.”
“Will you? Well, you will have a run for your money,” she retorted. “Amirel will manage the proceedings in her own way.”
“And supposing I throw up my commission?”
“She will be very sorry and very polite, and will accept your resignation.”
I put my hands in my pockets for the second time that afternoon, and went off to my own room, feeling that women are strange creatures.
When we came to tell the princess of my news, her eyes sparkled, her face became animated, and she clapped her hands as a very young girl would at the sight of a new doll or a box of bonbons.
“Ah, so they have come!” she exclaimed. “Then we shall have amusement and diversion until Desmond arrives. We are now in a state of siege—Desmond will raise the siege. Well, let us consider what we must do. First of all, we must examine our resources. Mr. Hanmer, I appoint you my—aid-de-camp, shall I say, or chief of staff? You—”
“Pardon me, princess,” I said, feeling that now was the time to make a stroke for power. “May I state my views in plain language?”
“Oh, yes!” she answered, regarding me with surprise.
“Then,” I continued, “according to our agreement in London, I understood that everything was to be intrusted to me. I was to arrange our strategy, and—in short, I was to be commander in chief.”
The princess looked at me for a moment. Then a smile began to twinkle around the corners of her mouth, and her eyes danced with fun.
“Indeed!” she said. “I'm afraid you are wrong. Of course I am commander in chief. How could it be otherwise?”
I looked at Nancy, and Nancy looked at me. I looked at the princess, swam into deep waters, and went down.
“Oh, of course!” I answered. “My mistake entirely, princess. Yes, of course, I see I am—chief of staff.”
“That is so kind of you!” she said. “Yes, let me see, where were we? Oh, yes! Adalbert and Count Hofberg are here, and to-morrow they will wish to see me. I intend to see them and to talk with them in the courtyard outside, and in the presence of as many men as we can muster.”
“But isn't that unnecessary and rather theatrical?” I objected.
“It is necessary,” she answered. “I know these two men better than you, and there is only one thing for which they have any respect. That is force. I wish them to see that I am securely guarded, and that any attempt to molest me will be strenuously resisted.”
“I see,” 1 replied; “but why admit them at all, princess? Why waste time with them?”
She laughed softly and looked at Nancy, who also laughed.
“Perhaps for the pleasure of telling them my mind, Mr. Hanmer,” replied the princess.
This reduced me to silence. When I found my tongue again, it was to ask the princess for definite instructions.
“Find out how many able-bodied men there are about the castle,” she told me, “and tell them, to-morrow morning, that no one must leave the castle without my permission. My dear brother and his friend are absolutely certain to favor us with an early call, and I should like to receive them in state.”
I went off to find Deasy and obtain the necessary information. I told him what was in Princess Amirel's mind, and rather to my surprise her idea seemed to strike him as a good one. He began to count up his men.
“Well, sir,” he said, “there's myself, and there's Dennis and Phelim, the footmen, and Michael Fogarty, the coachman, and William, the under coachman, and Patrick and James and Joseph, the grooms, and Timothy Keane, the gardener, and his man Connor—that 'll be ten. There's also the gamekeeper, Rafferty—he'll be here this evening, and I'll tell him to come in the morning. That's eleven, and if needs be there's Muldoon, the farmer across the park there, would be glad to step across and give a hand.”
“Thanks, Deasy,” I said; “but I think eleven men are quite sufficient. The princess merely intends to let her pursuers see that she is well protected.”
“I understand,” he replied. “A demonstration of force, sir.”
“Yes, yes,” I replied, and hurried away, inclined to laugh at the whole thing.
Deasy, however, appeared to take it seriously. He came hurrying after me.
“I beg your pardon, sir,” he said, “but would the princess like the men to be uniformed and armed?”
“What?” I gasped.
“There's a uniform provided, sir, but it's only worn on great days. We were not looking to put it on until the day of Sir Desmond's home-coming,” he replied. “It's a Lincoln green coat, buff breeches, high boots, and a great hat with eagle's feathers; and there are plenty of rifles in the armory.”
I was more amused than ever, and the devil entered into me.
“That's a capital idea, Deasy,” I answered. “We'll say nothing to the princess, but let the men parade before her in the courtyard to-morrow morning at ten o'clock sharp—yourself in command.”
“Very good, sir—it shall be done,” he said.
To Princess Amirel the proceedings of the following day were full of interest and delight. The butler paraded his men at ten o'clock, and as they were all sturdy fellows, and full of a natural pride in their picturesque uniforms, they looked very imposing. Deasy put his small army through a few evolutions with evident personal gratification.
Then the princess issued instructions to her army. She bade them close the gates, and posted a sentinel on the tower. She placed six men in a convenient position near the gateway, and four in the center of the courtyard, allowing them all to stand at ease until further orders. Deasy carried out every instruction with a gravity which filled me with wonder.
Every preparation had been made. Near the gateway five chairs had been placed—three on one side, two on the other, with an open space of a few yards between them. Here the conference was to take place, within sight but out of hearing of our army.