The Princess Dehra Part 30

"Blood!" she cried; "blood? where-where?"

"On your lips-around the mouth-"

The coquette vanished-the horror of it all flashed back upon her:-Lotzen's sybaritic leer-his easy confidence of a.s.sured success-the touch of his loathsome hand to her face-the sickening sensation as her teeth cut through his flesh and sc.r.a.ped the bones beneath-with a cry of disgust she sprang up, swayed unsteadily, and would have fallen had not Moore caught her.

"Water!" she implored, "water!" rubbing her lips frantically with her handkerchief-"water, oh, water!"

Amazed-mystified-alarmed, he stood an instant irresolute-then swinging her up, he bore her to where, near the sun-dial, a fountain played and splashed among the giant ferns. As they reached there, the nervous tumult subsided as quickly as it came, and she slipped swiftly out of his arms, and knelt beside the fountain, the spray powdering her hair with rainbow dust. And when she had bathed her face free of the blood-stain-though she could not wash away the red of her own embarra.s.sment-she ventured to look at him.

He met her with a smile, that showed only sharp concern and tenderest sympathy.

"My child," he said, taking her hand, in the most gentle deference, and holding it in both of his, "tell me what has unstrung you so completely-you who are always merry and serene."

She gently freed her hand, and, gathering up the trailing ends of her skirt, turned toward the Palace.

"If I tell you," she said, "promise me that you won't make a scene nor try to punish him."

"Him!" he exclaimed, stopping short, "him! G.o.d in Heaven, was it that devil, Lotzen?"-he seized her arm-"where is he-where is he?"

She smiled at him very sweetly, loving the anger that blazed his face.

"I'll tell you nothing," she answered, "so long as you are in that humor-your promise first."

"No-no-I promised and forbore the other day; but now, with that"-sweeping his hand at gown and hair-"I'll forbear no longer."

She moved on.

"Come, Elise, who was it?"

She gave him another smile, but shook her head.

"Was it Lotzen-tell me, was it?"

Again the smile, and the motion of refusal.

"Very well, if you won't, I'll find out for myself."

"You cannot-the man won't tell-and no one saw it."

He laughed with quiet menace.

"I'll find him," he said; "I'll find him."

Quick fear seized her. He would succeed, she knew; and then, what would he do! Something, doubtless, to try to force the Duke to fight; and which would result only in his own disgrace and in being driven from the country. He must not suffer for her misfortune-and Dornlitz, without her dear Irishman, would be impossible; and she was not yet quite ready to go with him. She had told him something-as much as she might with proper reserve-of Lotzen's behavior that other morning; and it had been difficult enough to restrain him then. Now, with the dishevelled hair, and torn gown, and blood on her face, only his own word would hold him.

"Promise me, Ralph, promise me," she implored; "there is no reason for punishment-see," holding out her hand, "here is the only place he touched me-only on the wrist-I swear it, Ralph-"

He took the hand, and looked at the soft, blue-veined flesh, chafed and abraded with the pinch of iron fingers; and again the rage of hate swept him, and he put the hand down sharply and turned away his head, unwilling that she should see his face while pa.s.sion marked it.

She touched his arm, almost timidly.

"Promise me, dear," she said-"please promise me."

She did not realize what she had called him; nor, indeed, did he, until days afterward, too late to turn it to account; though what he answered worked far more to his profit, than had he used the chance offered by an inadvertent endearment.

"I promise," he said; "I ought not to; but because you wish it, I promise-now will you tell me?"

She looked up at him gratefully-and such women as Elise d'Essolde can say much with their eyes. They had mounted the steps and were on the terrace; she pointed into the Park.

"It was in the j.a.ponica walk," she said; "I was waiting for you, when Lotzen came upon me, seemingly by accident--"

"There are no accidents with Lotzen," Moore broke in.

"It may be, but he chose to treat it so;-I tried to pa.s.s-he stopped me and begged forgiveness for his brutal rudeness of the other day; I forgave him indifferently, hoping to escape quickly, and tried again to pa.s.s. He caught my wrist, and demanded a kiss, and that I walk with him to the lake. I was close against the hedge, and it was in my struggles to get free from him that the sharp thorns tore my gown. He let me thrash out my strength, holding me all the time by this wrist; presently, when he was about to kiss me by main force, I bit him in the hand, and escaped, running at top speed, and in fright and exhaustion collapsing where you found me.... That was all, Ralph," she ended.

Moore's intense repression found some relief in a long breath.

"All!" he said, rather huskily; "all! ... well, all I ask is, some day, to have him against me, sword in hand."

"Your promise!" she exclaimed.

He smiled down at her. "The promise holds, child, as you well know; but this affair of the Book may work an opportunity."

"If it does, take it," said she instantly.

"Trust me, my lady," he answered, as he left her at the small door used only by the Princess and her privileged intimates.

"Your lady?" she echoed across the sill-her natural witchery increased four-fold, in his eyes, by the tumbled hair-"your lady-perhaps."

In the hallway, just at her own room, she met the Princess, who, woman-like, marked at a glance every detail of her disordered attire.

"Good heaven, Elise," she exclaimed, "what has that Adjutant of mine been doing to you?"

"Practicing sword tricks on my skirt," said she, holding it up to show the rents, "and learning to be un coiffeur."

"He seems to be as uncommonly proficient in the one as he is deficient in the other,"-then looked at her questioningly; "but seriously, Elise, what happened?-if you care to tell me."

"The Duke of Lotzen found me alone in the j.a.ponica walk."

The Princess struck her hands together angrily.

"Lotzen! oh, Lotzen!" she exclaimed; "some day-did Moore come on him there? If he did, the some-day is already here."

"Fortunately, no, since I escaped unharmed."

"Unfortunately, you mean-it saved to the world another scoundrel."

"And Ralph would be a fugitive in disgrace," said Mlle. d'Essolde.