The Princess Dehra Part 13

He glanced around quickly, then went straight to the vault and began to turn the k.n.o.b, while the Duke, one eye just beyond the curtain's edge, watched him curiously. Could it be that this servant was familiar with the combination of the lock, that only the King and Dehra were supposed to know! If so ... the bolts shot back, the door opened, and the valet disappeared in the vault. In a moment he came out with the box; but Lotzen did not see him, having drawn behind the curtain; nor did he venture again to look out except when a.s.sured that Adolph's back was toward him.

Placing the box on the desk, the valet laid back the lid and with another furtive look around, went swiftly across to the wall, where hung the big, life-sized portrait of the King, the escutcheon, on the top of the heavy gold frame, almost against the ceiling. Under it was a tall, straight-backed chair, with high arms; and, mounting on them, Adolph reached behind the picture and, from the s.p.a.ce between it and the wall, drew out an ancient book, leather-bound and metal-hinged:-the Laws of the Dalbergs.

With a faint chuckle, he sprang down and started toward the box; then stopped-the Book slipped from his fingers-he gasped-his eyes widened in terrified amazement-his face took on the gray pallor of awful fear; for the Duke of Lotzen had emerged from behind the window curtain and was coming slowly toward him.

"You seem startled, Adolph," said the Duke, with an amused smile, "doubtless you thought you were alone." He sat down in the revolving chair. "May I trouble you to give me the Book-the floor is hardly the place for the Laws of the Dalbergs."

The valet's composure had returned, in a measure, at the tone of the other's voice, but his hand still trembled as he picked up the Book and carried it to the desk.

"Thank you, Adolph," said Lotzen, "thank you ... you seem a trifle shaky, sit down and rest" (indicating a chair near by). "I shall need you presently."

He watched the man until he had obeyed, then opened the Laws and turned quickly to the last decree.

Across the page lay a fresh, white blotter, used but twice, he noticed, as he turned it over. He had come for this very bit of paper, that Dehra had casually mentioned in her story to the Council-hoping vaguely that the King had let it lie, and that it had not been destroyed by the servants who cared for the desk. He would have been amply satisfied with the faint chance it might give him of guessing the decree from the few words the mirror would disclose. But, now, he had no need for guesses nor mirrors; and with a light laugh he laid the blotter aside. Surely, the G.o.ddess of Fortune was with him! And to Ferdinand of Lotzen this meant much; for to him there was only one other Divinity, and that other was a female, too.

Thrice he read Frederick's decree; first rapidly, then slowly, then word by word, as it were.

And all the while Adolph watched him covertly, a sly smile in his small, black eyes. He had quite recovered from his fright-though he might be led to pretend otherwise-indeed, now that he had time to think, he could find no reason why the Duke should punish him; rather did he deserve an ample reward for having kept the Laws from the Council. In fact, why should he not demand a reward, if it were not offered?-demand it discreetly, to be sure, but none the less demand it. And, as the Duke read, and re-read, the reward piled higher, and visions of Paris (it is strange how, under certain conditions, the thoughts of a certain sort of people turn to Paris as instinctively as the needle to the Pole) danced before his eyes.... And presently he forgot the Duke, and the Laws, and Dornlitz-he was sitting at a little table along the Boulevard des Italiens, an absinthe at his hand, a merry girl, with sparkling eyes and perfumed hair, at his elbow, a sensuous waltz song in his ears, and light, and life, and love, and lingerie in every breath of air....

"Dreaming, Adolph," said Lotzen, "dreaming?... of what, pray?"

"Of Paris, my lord," he answered unthinkingly.

The Duke regarded him in frowning surprise.

"Paris!" he muttered, "Paris! has everyone gone Paris mad?"

"It was of the Boulevards, my lord-the music and the lights and the--"

"Shut up!" exclaimed Lotzen; "to the devil with your Paris and its Boulevards!... How did this Book get behind that picture?"

"I put it there, monsieur."-The reward was not piled quite as high as he had fancied.

"Why?"

"To hide it, monsieur-until I could replace it in the box."-The reward was dwindling marvellously fast.

"Then you stole the Laws of the Dalbergs?"

Adolph did not answer.... It was queer how chilly the room had got. It had seemed warm enough, a moment ago.

The Duke regarded him meditatively.

"Come," he said presently; "tell me how you managed it. My time is short-speak up."

The valet slunk a furtive look at his face; it was expressionlessly pitiless.-The reward had disappeared.

"Your Highness will believe me?" he asked.

"Believe you, Adolph! surely-a valet never lies! Go on."

The man gulped-ran his tongue over his lips-gulped again-then began, his voice husky, full of quavers and sudden stops; while the Duke, with steady gaze and searching eye, drove him on as with a lash.

"Your Highness heard my story to the Council," said Adolph; "all of it was true except as to the last time I saw the Book of Laws.... I happened to witness the scene between Her Royal Highness and the King. It was just as she related it, monsieur. When she had gone, His Majesty sat, doing nothing-and presently he dropped asleep.... I came to the room a number of times, and always that Book stared at me, and my curiosity as to the decree grew hotter every minute. After a while, the King awoke and told me to put the Book in the box and return it to its place in the vault-then he went over to the sideboard and poured out a drink.... Here, monsieur, was my opportunity-I laid the Book in the box and lowered the lid, but slipped in an envelope to prevent it locking, then put it in the vault-which the King himself closed. After he had retired, I opened the vault and got out the Book--"

"How did you know the combination?" the Duke asked.

"By-by-watching the King, monsieur ... I had picked up the numbers one by one ... long ago."

Lotzen tossed him a bit of paper and a pencil.

"Write out the combination," he ordered-and smiled at the servant's trembling hand and labored motions.... "Thank you;"-glancing at the paper and dropping it carelessly in his pocket-"proceed-you had just got the Book out of the vault."

"While I was examining it, monsieur," Adolph resumed, "I thought I heard the King moving about in his room. I sprang inside the vault, drew the door shut, but not quite tight, and tried to put the Book in the box. But I must have been nervous, monsieur, for, in some way, I struck the lid and knocked it down; and it locked, leaving the book in my hand. I could not open the box-the only key was under the King's pillow, on his watch chain. What was to be done? I dared not try for it that night; the King was too light a sleeper;-nor did I dare leave the Book in the vault, there was no place to conceal it, and he was sure to go in there in the morning. What was to do, monsieur? I listened-everything seemed quiet; I opened the door very slowly-no one was in the room-I stepped out, and the King's portrait confronted me-I stared at it a moment, frightened as though it were my master-then, of a sudden, I knew I had found the hiding place, and I sprang up and put the Book behind the picture.... And in the morning, monsieur, I forgot the Book-forgot it until His Majesty had gone to the city.-Then, in desperation, I tried every key I could find-tried to pick the lock-in vain.... I knew the Archduke Armand was to dine here that evening, and from what the King had said to the Princess I knew, also, the Book would have to be in the box before then. I felt, however, that I would have a good chance at the key when my master dressed for dinner. Then, my lord, came the awful news of his death, and once again I forgot the Book-nor ever thought of it, until I saw the Council gather-and then--" he threw up his hand, expressively.

"And, now, what were you about to do?" asked Lotzen.

"Put the Book in the box, monsieur, and return it to its place in the vault."

The Duke looked at him in surprise.

"Clever, clever, indeed," he muttered.... "I thought you gave the key to Her Highness."

Adolph smiled-his spirit was never long in travail. "I did, monsieur-I didn't need it;-and it was a good play to give it up at once. Never having had the key to the box, it could not be I who replaced the Book."

Lotzen studied the little valet a bit.

"Clever," he repeated, "clever ... quite too clever, I fear." He leaned across and tried the closed lid of the box; it lifted to his hand-and out on the desk dropped the little square of folded paper that had held the lock just out of catch.

"Altogether, too clever," he concluded, picking it up and looking at it.

"I fixed that in the Council chamber," Adolph explained; then he stared knowingly at the Duke-"monsieur was behind the curtain when I brought back the box."

Decidedly, this fellow was not to Lotzen's liking. He made no reply beyond a quick, sidelong glance, drumming with his finger tips softly on his knee. Then he turned to the desk and tapped the Book of Laws.

"You read this, I suppose, Adolph?" he remarked indifferently.

"King Frederick's, you mean?-yes, my lord, I did; but that is all-I had no time to read more."

The Duke nodded, his eyes on the Book.

The valet was becoming uneasy; he fidgeted in his chair, locked and unlocked his hands, listened toward all the doors.

"My lord," he said, at length, "we may be found here!"

Lotzen closed the Book. "True, Adolph, true," he answered, getting up and stepping back. "Put the Laws in the box-don't let it lock."

The valet sprang to obey; and as he leaned across the desk-his back to the Duke-and dropped the Book into the box, Ferdinand of Lotzen whipped out his sword, and, with the sure hand of the skilled fencer, drove the rapier-like blade through the man's heart.