By Wit of Woman

by Arthur W. Marchmont

  CHAPTER XIV

  I ELOPE

  It was only to be expected that as I approached Madame d'Artelle'shouse I should be nervously uneasy lest the main foundation of my newplan should have collapsed.

  I had built everything on the assumption that Count Gustav would inducehis brother to carry out the original scheme of marrying Madamed'Artelle by stealth. I had threatened to bring her husband to Pesthon the following day; and since he knew as well as she seemed to, thatM. Constans' arrival would put an absolute end to Madame's usefulnessas a tool, I calculated that he would lose no effort to make use of herforthwith.

  It was obvious, however, that my absence put an end to the reason forsecrecy; and it was therefore quite on the cards that Karl might havebeen brought to Madame d'Artelle's house and some kind of ceremony havebeen already performed there. I should look a good many sorts of afool if I walked into the house to find them already married.

  Peter opened the door and gave a great start of surprise at seeing me.

  "Madame is in?" I asked, in as casual a tone as I could assume.

  "Yes, miss. She is in, but she is going out. We thought you had left,miss."

  "It's all right, Peter. I'll go up to Madame. She is probably in herroom, dressing."

  "Yes, miss; with Ernestine; but----"

  "Don't trouble. You need not tell any one I have come back;" and Igave him a golden reason for silence. "Hide the fact of my presenceand do what I wish, and there will be several more of these to follow."

  "I am always anxious to please you, miss."

  "I wish to see Madame quite alone; can you make an excuse to callErnestine downstairs?"

  He was a shrewd fellow enough in his way. We went upstairs and Iwaited in an adjoining room while he called Ernestine out and the twowent down together.

  As soon as they had gone I opened Madame's door and entered.

  "Come, Ernestine, I want you. What do you mean by going away likethat?" she said crossly, not seeing me.

  "Perhaps I can help you, Henriette. Ernestine is busy downstairs;" andI locked the door behind me.

  "Christabel! You?"

  "I have had to come back to keep my word and save you. You are ingreat danger. M. Constans must have picked up the scent of theinquiries I made recently. I have this telegram;" and I put into herhands the telegram which I had received from Paris.

  I thought she was going to faint. The man must have had some greathold over her; for she was certainly overwhelmed with deadly fear. Shestared with horror-struck eyes at the paper as though it reeked withthe threat of instant death. Then she turned to glare at me, with nota vestige of colour on her face.

  "_Nom de Dieu_, he will kill me. He will kill me;" she said, in a low,strained, husky whisper, as she fell into a chair, and began to gaspand choke hysterically.

  "I know nothing about that," I said, callously; "but if you make a foolof yourself in that way, you will have no time left to get out of hisreach. If you want to die, you had better faint now. However, I'vedone with you;" and I turned toward the door.

  "Don't go, Christabel, for the love of heaven don't leave me. I can'tthink for myself. Oh, don't leave me," she cried. "What shall I do?"

  "As he's your husband I should think you ought to stay and meet him.This was sent off from the railway station, you see, and I find histrain reaches here just before nine. He'll just be in time for theceremony to-night."

  "Oh, don't, don't, don't," she wailed. "Don't mock me like that.Don't be so hard. Help me. Do, do! I tell you, he'll kill me. Iknow he will. He tried to once before. You don't want to see memurdered. You can't. Oh Christabel, dear Christabel, say what I hadbetter do."

  "If you'll be sensible, I'll help you. You can get away without theleast difficulty. Luckily your trunks are all packed, and as the mailfor Breslau and Berlin leaves at half-past eight, you can be awaybefore his train arrives. But you must be quick. You have only halfan hour, and had better get your luggage away at once with Ernestine."

  "How clever you are," she cried; and forthwith began to finish herdressing with feverish haste, her one thought now to fly.

  I called up Ernestine, who started on seeing me as though I were aghost. I explained that urgent reasons had caused her mistress tochange her plans; and before Madame d'Artelle had finished dressing,the baggage was on its way to the station.

  "What will you do about things here, Henriette?"

  "I don't know. I don't care. In face of this I can do nothing."

  "Count Karl will be disappointed and his brother angry."

  "My life is in danger, would you have me think of anything else?Mother of Heaven, do you think I will be murdered to please a hundredcounts?"

  "Some one must see to things."

  "Let me only get away and I care for nothing else." This was preciselythe mood I desired her to be in. She was literally fear-possessed, andflight had become the one all-absorbing passionate desire.

  I said no more until we were in the fly hurrying to the station. Imeant to see the last of her.

  "What of to-night's business--Count Karl?"

  "I care nothing. The carriage will come for me and can go away again.I value my life. Holy Virgin, how slow the cab goes. We shall missthe train; I know we shall. And then?" her fear passed beyond words,and the sentence remained unfinished. "If he finds and kills me, mydeath will be at your door. You have brought him here."

  "Why are you so afraid of him? He may be only coming to make peacewith you and come to an understanding."

  "Peace? The peace a tiger makes with a lamb. I know him."

  She did not quite fit my idea of a lamb--except in her terror, perhaps;and about that there could be no mistake.

  "Shall you come back to Pesth?" I asked.

  "Am I insane, do you mean, when he knows the very name I have here?

  "What about the servants, then? Paying them, I mean?"

  "Let them go to Count Gustav. Thank heaven, here is the station," shecried, and the instant the vehicle stopped she got out and askedexcitedly for the mail to Berlin.

  There were some five minutes to spare, but she had bundled Ernestineinto the carriage and was following when I stopped her.

  "One question, Henriette? How is it that as I was out of the way theceremony fixed for to-night did not take place earlier in the day?

  "Don't stop me, the train may start. He could not be induced to getdrunk enough; that's all." She said it almost viciously as shescrambled into the carriage.

  I waited until the train started and then drove back to the house. Ihad to settle matters there with the servants. It would not suit myplans for them to go to Count Gustav with the story of this hurriedflight.

  I took Peter into the salon.

  "You are a man of discretion, and your mistress and I both rely uponyou, Peter. You know that Madame was contemplating a journey and atthe last moment her plans have been hurried by news which I broughther."

  "It is not for us servants to ask what our employers do, miss," hesaid, very respectfully. Part of the respect may have been due to thefact that I had laid some notes and gold on the table.

  "The house will be shut up for a month, Peter; and all the servantsexcept yourself, will leave. And they will leave to-night. Youunderstand--to-night. I trust you to see to this. Go and find outwhat wages are due. This money is to pay them double that amount. Iwill settle with you afterwards. I do not wish them to know I am inthe house."

  He scented more reward, and went off with the important air of amajor-domo; and on his return I gave him the necessary money.

  "I shall pay you what is due to you, Peter, and give you three months'wages in addition. You will see the house locked up to-night and sendthe keys to me to this address, and let me know where I can write toyou. But you can take another situation at once if you wish;" and Igave him the address of the first house I had taken.

  That I was able to think of all these small details at such a time hasoft
en been a cause of some surprise--and I think of satisfaction. Ihave always rather prided myself upon my capacity to concentrate mythoughts upon the matter of the moment: to think in compartments, so tospeak: and to throw myself thoroughly into the part which I was playingfor the time. I was just as cool and collected in all this as thoughthe settlement of the servants' wages was the only thing I had then todo or think of.

  "I think that is all, Peter; I am leaving directly. I have a carriagecoming for me; and when I go, you will see that none of the otherservants are about."

  "The servants are already upstairs packing their things, miss," hereplied. "I will watch for the carriage and let you know."

  When he left me, I walked up and down the room in busy thought. So faras I could see, my preparations were now complete. Count Gustavbelieved I had left the city; I had frightened Madame d'Artelle away; Ihad cut off the chance of his discovering her absence; and the onlyrisk of such discovery would be at the moment when he brought Karl tothe carriage.

  There would not be much risk then, if I did not give myself away. Irecalled Madame's words about Karl--"He could not be induced to getdrunk enough," for the matter to go through earlier in the day. He wasthus to be drugged now; and when he joined me, would be too stupefiedto recognize me.

  Then a question occurred. What would Count Gustav do as soon as hethought his brother had gone? Had he planned a marriage ceremonysimilar to the farce he had played with Gareth? If so, did he mean tobe present at it to make sure his plan succeeded? Would he enter thecarriage with Karl to drive to the house? Or would he be content totrust the work to the man he might hit upon to play the part of priest?

  Wait--would it be a real priest; and so was it a real marriage hecontemplated? And I was puzzling myself with little problems of thekind, when Peter came to say the carriage was waiting.

  Leaving all these difficulties to be solved as they arose, I arrangedmy thick veil and throwing the cloak over my shoulders, hurried out. Afootman stood by the carriage door, and I was glad I had thought to putthe veil on before leaving the house.

  He touched his hat, closed the door, climbed to the box, and we startedat a smart pace. For good or ill I was now committed to the matter,and there was no drawing back.

  Nor had I any thought or wish except to go through with it. My heartwas beating more rapidly than usual, and I was excited; but notfrightened. On the contrary, I was full of confidence, full of beliefthat I was doing the right thing, let the risk to myself be what itmight; and convinced that I was taking not only the surest but theshortest road to the end I had in view.

  On one thing I was resolved. Count Gustav must not recognize me. Thatwas all in all to me at that moment. If he did, I saw clearly the usehe could make of that knowledge.

  Not only could he blacken my reputation by saying I had run away withKarl; but he could also use the fact with telling force against Karlhimself--that he had married the daughter of Colonel von Dreschler, themurderer of Count Stephen.

  Such a thing would suit his plans far better than the complication withMadame d'Artelle, a mere adventuress, with whom no marriage was legallypossible. If he but knew it, I was thus playing right into his hands.But then he did not, and should not know it, until it was too late tobe of use to him. He would spread about the story of Karl's marriageto Madame d'Artelle, only to find that she was on her way hot speed toBerlin at the very time.

  And when the time came for the truth to be told--well, I had my plansalready laid for his own exposure; and they would keep him busydefending himself.

  The carriage rattled through the streets, covering quickly the shortdistance to the rendezvous in the Radialstrasse; and when it drew up Ipeered out eagerly through the closed window, and then saw that whichgave me a profound surprise.

  A tall man sauntered past the carriage, scrutinizing it with greatearnestness; and as the light from one of the lamps shone on his face,I recognized Colonel Katona.

  What could be the meaning of his presence at such a time? Was it morethan coincidence? It could not be that. He was a recluse, and rarelyif ever left his house to walk in the city. Why should he choose sucha night, and such a time, and above all such a place?

  I shrank back into the corner of my seat perplexed and anxious--seekingeagerly but vainly for some reason for this most unexpecteddevelopment. As I sat thus waiting, I saw him presently pass again,retracing his steps, and scrutinizing the carriage as closely asbefore. This time he came nearer to the window and tried to peerinside.

  A minute afterwards I heard a name called in a brief sharp tone ofauthority; the footman jumped from the box and opened the door, and Isqueezed myself as far from it as possible, as Count Gustav came up,his arm through that of Karl, who was very unsteady and walked withstaggering lurching steps.

  It was easy to see that if Karl was helpless with liquor, his brotherwas both pale and agitated. His face was very set; and as heapproached, I noticed him glance sharply about him twice--the secondtime with a start of what I read to be satisfaction.

  He made no attempt to enter the carriage, much to my relief: and not aword was spoken by any of us beyond a few guttural incoherencies byKarl, as with his brother's help he stumbled into the carriage and satlolling fatuously, his breathing stertorous and heavy with the drink.

  The door was slammed, the footman sprang up, and as the carriagewheeled round I saw Colonel Katona again. This time he came out of thegloom and spoke to Count Gustav.

  I had no time to see more; but the list of surprises was not completedyet.

  We had not driven a hundred yards before Karl sat up, seemed to shakeoff his stupor, and laughed lazily.

  "Well, Henriette, here we are--off at last. But I wonder what in thedevil's name is going to happen next?"

  He was neither drunk nor drugged, then; but merely acting. I almostcried out in my astonishment and relief.

  But what did it all mean?