Her Royal Highness Part 28

"_Si, signore_," was the man's answer, as he raised his hand to the salute, turned again and left.

The two maids in their artistic pale grey caps and ap.r.o.ns--the uniform worn by all the female servants of the Palace--dashed across to the young Princess. Then one of them left and ran away for her own smelling-salts.

"I think we had better leave Her Highness. She will be attended to and taken to her rooms," Ghelardi said.

So the two men went out together, pa.s.sing along the corridor which led towards the grand staircase.

Hubert was pondering. He saw that the situation was, both for Lola and himself, a very unpleasant one. Ghelardi would, without a doubt, inform the King. Since he had been appointed to Rome he had learnt that the notorious spy was, in addition to being a most remarkable man in his profession, at the same time a place-seeker of the worst type, a soft-spoken sycophant who was for ever closeted with the King.

That His Majesty, with his shrewd intuition and his instinctive reading of men's minds, had realised this, had been shown by the fact that he had called in the British diplomat to make inquiries into the serious loss of the plans of the frontier fortresses.

No. The King did not trust Luigi Ghelardi so implicitly as Ghelardi himself believed.

The pair, on their way along the corridor, pa.s.sed an open door. The small room, which was that devoted to the Captain of the Royal Guard while on duty.

"Before we part, Signor Ghelardi, I would like to have a word with you,"

Hubert said suddenly. "We cannot do better than speak together here in private."

"_Benissimo_," was the great spy's reply, acceding most willingly.

Then when they were inside, and Waldron had closed the door, he turned, suddenly asking:

"I presume it is your intention to reveal to the King what you have just witnessed--eh?"

"It is my duty to do so, signore. I have been entrusted with Her Royal Highness's welfare."

"And by doing so you will once more cause His Majesty both pain and annoyance," Waldron remarked.

"And if I were silent should I not be conniving at this impossible situation?"

Hubert Waldron looking at him with keen defiance said:

"Signor Ghelardi, you will, I tell you, say nothing of to-night's incident to a single soul."

The elder man laughed openly in the diplomat's face.

"No, Signor Waldron," he said, "I quite understand you have no desire that the truth should become common property; but His Majesty will say nothing to others."

"His Majesty will not know!" Waldron said decisively and very quietly.

There was a hard look upon his dark handsome face.

"_Madonna mia_! I may surely make what report I like to my King, to whom I am directly responsible."

"In this instance, Signor Ghelardi, though you discern in it an excellent opportunity of showing your remarkable powers of inquiry, you will remain strictly silent. No word of it shall pa.s.s your lips."

"Oh, and pray why, my dear signore?" asked the other opening his eyes.

"Because I forbid it."

"You forbid!" he echoed. "I tell you that I shall act just as I deem proper."

"Then I, too, shall also act, Signor Ghelardi--and much against your interests, I a.s.sure you."

"You threaten me--eh? You?"

"I do not threaten," Hubert hastened to a.s.sure him. "I shall only act in case you should act against the interests of Her Royal Highness."

"I do not think you, a foreigner, can interfere very much with my interests," laughed the other in defiance.

"Think whatever you please. After you have had audience with His Majesty I, too, shall have audience, and when I have left, then the King will probably tell you what I have revealed to him."

"And what, pray, can you reveal?" asked the Chief of the Secret Service, his grey brows again knit, showing that he was somewhat puzzled by the diplomat's defiant att.i.tude.

"That is my own affair," replied Hubert with a triumphant smile.

"Suffice it to say that the hour you make any statement concerning what you have witnessed to-night, then in the same hour you will cease to be Chief of Italy's Secret Service!"

"Do you think to frighten me, then?"

"I have no wish, my dear Signor Ghelardi," was Hubert's very polite reply. "I only desire that no further scandal should be attached to Her Royal Highness's good name." And after a brief pause he looked the official straight in the face and said: "I offer you silence for silence!"

"And I decline your most generous offer."

"Good. Then we shall see!"

"But--"

"I do not wish to discuss this unpleasant matter further," interrupted Waldron. "Go and tell the King--but at your own peril. _Buona sera_."

And the diplomat turned away. As he was about to leave the room Ghelardi sprang forward and placed his fingers upon the handle of the door to prevent him.

"I think," he said, "that we are perhaps misunderstanding each other."

"No, we are not," was Hubert's prompt reply, st.u.r.dy Briton that he was.

"I understand you, Luigi Ghelardi, perfectly. You have no compunction where Her Highness is concerned. You, man of secrets that you are, will, rather than conceal a woman's shortcomings, bring upon her the anger of the King in order to secure your own personal ends."

The bristly haired old official bit his lip. Hubert watched him and smiled inwardly.

"You defy me to execute my duty."

"Your duty is political espionage, not to spy upon a member of the royal family," the diplomat replied. "And, further, I tell you that if you breathe a word of this to His Majesty--or if His Majesty gets to hear of it through any third party, I will not spare you, Luigi Ghelardi," he added, earnestly facing the old man in defiance. "Go then, tell him what you will," Hubert continued angrily, and again he turned the handle of the door to pa.s.s out.

"That is my intention."

"And in return my intention will be to bring you down from your high position in the King's esteem. That I shall do, and quickly--never fear," Waldron said. Then, after a second's pause, he added: "You are acquainted with a certain Englishman--a Mr Jerningham. He knew you well when you were in the German Service--he has cause to remember you.

Indeed he has still a little account to settle with you, has he not-- eh?"

Ghelardi started.

"What do you mean?" he asked, though affecting disregard of the remark.