By Wit of Woman

by Arthur W. Marchmont

  CHAPTER XXIV

  WHAT THE DUKE MEANT

  "There is always this about chess," said his Excellency, when I hadtaken my place opposite to him; "you cannot play it unless you detachyour thoughts from all other matters."

  "I don't wish to detach mine," I returned.

  "Then I shall certainly beat you; for I intend to detach mine, at allevents for a few moves. Now study this position;" and he insisted ontalking chess for some minutes, and then we played. Gradually thefascination which the game always had laid hold of me, and,concentrating my thoughts upon it, I began to play very carefully,until I caught my old friend's eyes studying my face instead of thegame.

  "I think you are playing earnestly now, so that we may as well stop andtalk. While I light a cigar, think back to your conversation, and thentell me your impressions."

  He was unusually deliberate in choosing and lighting his cigar, andleaving the chess table threw himself into an easy lounge chair andsmoked for a while in silence.

  "Well--what are the impressions?"

  "You have disturbed them and me," I replied.

  "Intentionally."

  "Just as you intentionally misled me about your 'old comrade'."

  "He made me do that; but I knew you would see through it; and I had noscruple."

  "But _he_ was surprised when I told him who he was."

  "No man likes to have his incognito fail him. But your impressions."

  "I think he will do what he said--and what I wish. You know what hepromised?

  "Oh yes, that of course."

  "He did not come prepared to do it."

  "No. You have made another convert, Christabel. He is charmed withyou. You are a wonderful little lady."

  "I did not exert many charms. I was just as hard as a stone, and thensaid things that made him look as if he would gladly have taken me bythe throat with those talon hands of his."

  "It was that daring of yours that won him round. I don't know all yousaid; but from what he told me, I should think he was never spoken toin such a way before by man or woman--or child; for you are reallylittle more than a child."

  "What do you think he meant to do in coming here?" I asked.

  "That was what made me so thoughtful during dinner."

  "You are keeping something from me."

  "I?"

  "Well, you mean that _he_ is?"

  "I know him. It would be very remarkable if he were not."

  "But you agree that he will do as he promised?"

  "'I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts,'" he quoted again. "Atleast, I should if I were you. His influence is great; and in a weekor so I should think you will be Countess Melnik. I don't thinkanything you can ask him for will be refused. You will be as muchhonoured as your father was the reverse."

  "The scent is too cold. I do not understand," I said, after a pause.

  "You are not meant to--nor will it affect you. You have beenthreatening a good many plans, little lady. I like to see you atfault. It is a rare pleasure."

  "It cannot be about Colonel Katona's daughter. If he knows of that heknows what I told Count Gustav. He will not deem me likely to deserther. Yes, I am at fault."

  "You have not told me yet what passed at that house where I found youto-day."

  I told him everything, except as to what had passed between Karl andmyself.

  "It is all grave enough," he said. "A secret is very much likedynamite--unless there is great care, the explosion may hurt theholder. I have told you often enough how great a favourite CountGustav is; not with his father only, but with us all."

  "'Us'?" I repeated.

  "I am one of the Patriots. Count Karl lacks both force in himself andsupport outside."

  "He is not understood."

  His Excellency's eyes brightened. "Is that why you have not told mewhat you and he may have said to one another?"

  I felt the colour steal up into my cheeks. "It was not necessary."

  "No, Christabel, that is just the word--not necessary." He glanced athis watch. "Dear me, it is quite late. I must send you to bed."

  "You have not shown me the scent," I cried, with a little shrug ofirritation; as I began to pack away the chessmen.

  He regarded me with the old amused twinkle in his eyes, and then with aglance at the chess-board, a thought struck him and he crossed to me."You are fond of chess problems, by the way. I'll set you one."

  He swept all the black pieces off the board except the king and onepawn, and then left the white king and five white pawns, two of thelatter so placed that but one move for each was necessary for them tobecome queens.

  "Could you win that game if you were white?" he asked.

  "It is but childish; of course these pawns become queens."

  "Exactly. In chess any pawn that can get far enough can be aqueen--but not in life, you know. Good-night, Christabel."

  I scarcely heard his good-night, but sat staring down at the littlepieces where he had placed them.

  "You think that any such thing was in his thoughts?"

  "What I think is--that orange-blossoms have a very charming scent,Christabel, and Count Gustav is the hope of the Patriots. Again,good-night, child. You have won your victory--by your own wits mainly,although other things have been fighting for you. Go to bed and dreamof it, and remember--the first obligation of a conqueror ismagnanimity. No--no more to-night, child, except--God bless you andgive you happiness."

  I lay a long time thinking over the events of that full day, andwrestling with the problem which his Excellency's last words had setme: "The first obligation of a conqueror is magnanimity."

  So that was the secret. I had won in the struggle. Not only was myfather's fame to be righted, but I was to be honoured, not from anyrecognition of justice, but in order that I might be a fit wife for aduke's son.

  Then I was to be "magnanimous," too; which meant that I was to consentto acquiesce in the family arrangement by which Karl was to be setaside in favour of Gustav; and to cease all my efforts against him.

  I had beaten them in all other respects; and now they had seized uponKarl's old feelings for me, and had somehow divined mine for him; andthe two were made the subject-matter of this new bribery-bargain.

  The shame of it made my cheeks burn and flush in the darkness; and Iwinced and cowered at the humiliation as the bitter thoughts crowdedthick and fast upon me. I recalled what had passed between the Dukeand me, and reading it all now by the light of this later knowledge, mypride was stabbed and pierced by a hundred poisoned darts that rankledand festered with cruel pain.

  He had come to view me as a possible wife for the son whom he designedto disinherit! My love for Karl was to be made a stake in the game ofinjustice he would play! I was to be tossed to Karl as a sort ofcompensation for his wrongs; and I was to be "honoured" that I might beduly rendered fit for the position! The show of reparation to myfather was a mere sham and pretence to tinsel another wrong! My dutyto the dead, the solemn charge laid upon me, was to be a lever to forceme to consent to it! And this was my victory!

  Is it to be wondered at that the ashes gritted my teeth; that in my hotindignation, I spurned the whole transaction as base and ignoble, andthat I vowed rather to forego my supreme purpose than gain it at such aprice. My father's honour was dear to me; but he would never have mewin it for him at the price of my own.

  The whole bargain was dishonourable alike to the dead and to me; andthe mere proposal should harden my heart and stiffen my resolve to gothrough with my task in my own way.

  I grew less passionate when I had settled this resolve firmly; and wasable to reflect upon the probable result of the Duke's intention to myplans. They were now in danger of being badly broken up. If he kepthis word and sent Count Gustav to me with what he had termed thewritten confirmation of his promise, it was clear that the scene I hadplanned to take place at my house would be prevented.

  The Count could not be in both places at once; but would he c
ome to me,if James Perry played his part well? I had to risk everything on myjudgment of his action. Long and anxiously I weighed that problem; andat length decided he would not come to me, if once he was persuadedthat he could get hold of Gareth in despite of me.

  He knew that she was the key to everything for me. If he could whiskher away from my care, my power over him was gone. I might accuse himto Colonel Katona as the man who had wronged her; but if she wasbestowed safely in his charge, he could laugh at the accusation, andcould challenge me safely to produce any proofs of it.

  Moreover, I had so planned that he would feel safe in testing the truthof the story which James Perry would tell him; and would see that if hefound it false, he could still come to the meeting, scarcely an hourbehind his time. For such a delay, a hundred excuses could be pleaded;and he was not the man to be at fault for some plausible one.

  He would test it, I felt confident. He had everything to gain by doingso, and nothing to lose. At least so he would reason. Success wouldmean all in all; failure no more than the need to invent an excuse.

  I determined to go on, therefore; and fell asleep at last in completeassurance that on the morrow matters would go as I had planned beforethe Duke had seen me.

  In the morning General von Erlanger greeted me with even more than hisusual kindliness.

  "You have not slept well, Christabel," he said. I suppose my faceshowed this.

  "I had to think."

  "What are you going to do? You know all that I meant in what I said atparting last night?"

  "I am going to wait for the meeting at noon."

  "And then?"

  "If no one comes I shall go away."

  "There is of course something behind that. But Count Gustav will come.His father will see to that."

  "Are you against me, too, in this development?"

  "I should never be against you. But I wish you to be on our side."

  "If I can no longer tell you all that is in my thoughts, do not blameme. Let us wait for the meeting. I am afraid, if I were to speak,some of my chagrin might show itself."

  He made a gesture of disappointment. "I have lived too long in theworld, Christabel, to look for either schemes or counsels ofperfection. Life must always be a compromise. I will not counsel younow; I will only hope."

  "That is at least left to us all--even to me in this."

  He gave me a sharp look, threw up his head slightly, and said:"Remember, Count Gustav is necessary to the country."

  "It is an unfortunate country, then," I retorted, rather tartly; and wesaid no more.

  Soon after breakfast James Perry came. He told me that he had writtenthe letter; and I gave him his final lessons, and said that his father,who was waiting close at hand--was to take a letter which I had writtento Colonel Katona, and then to be at the door with the carriage for meat twelve o'clock to the instant.

  In the letter to Colonel Katona I merely gave him my address, and saidI would be there within half an hour of midday to meet him and CountKarl.

  When I had arranged those details, I had nothing to do except wait forthe time of the meeting with such patience as I could command.

  I did not know that two hours could possibly contain so many wearydragging minutes as those. I resorted to every device I could think ofto use up the time. I walked up and down the room counting my steps.I tried to read; only to fling the book away from me. I repeated aquantity of poetry, from Shakespeare to Walt Whitman. I got the chessboard out and tried problems; only at last to give it all up and justthink and think and think.

  At eleven o'clock I went to my bedroom and put on my hat in readiness,although I was not to leave until an hour later. Then to findsomething for my hands to do, I unpacked my trunk and tumbled all myclothes in a heap; and began refolding and repacking them withdeliberate care.

  I was in the midst of this most uninteresting task when a servantbrought a message that General von Erlanger would like to see me.

  I bundled everything back into the trunk anyhow and anywhere, locked itand went down. It was half-past eleven by the great hall clock as Icrossed to the library. James Perry was just about making his entranceas traitor.

  His Excellency was fingering a letter as I went in.

  "I am anxious to have a last talk with you before Count Gustav comes,Christabel. There are some things I wish you to see quite plainly."

  "We have only half an hour," said I.

  "No, we may have longer. I have a line from the Count to say that anunexpected but very pressing engagement may prevent his being quitepunctual; and he begs me to explain this to you."

  "Oh, General, what perfectly glorious marguerites!" I exclaimed,enthusiastically, turning to point to the flowers in the garden, lesthe should see my face and read there the effect of his words. CountGustav's engagement was with James Perry; and my heart beat fast as Isaw victory ahead.

  His Excellency crossed and stood by me. "Yes, they are beautiful. Ipride myself on my marguerites, you know. But--isn't it a littlesingular they should appeal to you so strongly at this particularmoment?"

  "I love marguerites," I replied, with a smile. I was master of myfeatures again then.

  "So do I. To me they stand for simplicity, truth, trust and candour,especially between friends--such as, say, you and myself, Christabel."

  We exchanged looks; mine smiling; his grave, very gentle, and a littlereproachful.