CHAPTER XXXII
THE WOMAN WHO DID NOT HESITATE
"The soul of man is infinite in what it covets."--_Ben Jonson._
Stealthily Eloin drew aside the bushes, and peered through. The tinypond with its crystal surface sunk deep in foliage, its flowering islandin the centre, looked not unlike a mirror on a dining table luxuriantlywreathed by garlands. The Belgian stared greedily. He did not see quitewhat Driscoll had seen, yet he saw enough to draw his brow to anarrowing fold of keenest interest. Jacqueline was seated on the raisededge of the basin, pensively dipping a hand into the water. Her plumpwrist showed rosy, like coral, and glancing sideways now and again at apoor agitated prince striding up and down, she looked as she did thatday in the small boat, while tempting a shark. As she leaned over, theline of her waist and neck was stately and beautiful; and there were themaddening baby tendrils of soft, glowing copper. Maximilian hadevidently found her there, in a reverie perhaps, and was at sight of herlured to some act bold and desirous; for just as evidently, if hisflushed face and the way he bit his lip were tokens, he had that momentbeen repelled. Eloin watched them avidly, the tall archduke pacing upand down, the demure lady seated on the basin's edge.
"It was but the lowly homage of a prince," Maximilian cried outpeevishly. Such was his apology.
"Homage of a play-king," she corrected him with exasperating sweetness.
He turned on her angrily. "Why do you say that--a play-king?"
"Whose embassies," she proceeded calmly, "cringe for recognition. Likebeggars they prowl about that White House at Washington, yet never crossthe threshold."
Maximilian was too amazed for denial. "How do you know?" he exclaimed.
"While at the same time," she went on, "the same neighbor receives theminister of the Mexican republic, and sends one in turn. But no matter.The marionettes of empire can dance, so long as Napoleon holds thestrings. Was the princely homage a make-believe, too?"
"But--but, if I should convince you, mademoiselle, that the majestywhich only asks to kneel is genuine?"
Her eyelids narrowed, and she looked at him with the oddest smile.
"You know--sire--that I only ask to be convinced. Where will YourImperial Highness begin?"
"Know then that the American peasant named Lincoln, who would notrecognize a Hapsburg, is dead. He has been assassinated. He will nolonger encourage our rebels in Mexico."
"That poor gentleman whom you call a peasant," she returned with gallingfrankness, "was greater than any Hapsburg. He was fifty million people,and one million are still under arms. Your rebels know it. They stillcry, 'Viva la Intervencion del Norte!' But go on, _sire_."
He chafed under her mockery in the title. But sitting there, goading animaginary shark, she was no less inciting than when he had ventured hiscaress.
"They are of no consequence," he burst forth, "neither the Americans,nor the dissidents. Your own countrymen, mademoiselle, will, and must,assure my empire."
"H'm'n," she ejaculated, with a quick shrug. "Even the marshal, greatlyagainst his will, has had to inform Your Majesty that we will shortlywithdraw."
"Then I shall depend on my subjects alone!"
She contented herself with repeating, "Viva la Intervencion del Norte!"That too, was ample comment as to the loyalty of his subjects. TheEmperor paused in his walk. "Alas," he sighed wearily, "a Hapsburgsacrifices himself to regenerate a people, and--they do not appreciateit."
Jacqueline bent her head to hide a smile. She dreamily made rings in thewater, and seemed to fall into his mood of poetic melancholy. "Acomedietta of an empire," she mused sympathetically, "a harlequinade,nothing more. Grands dieux, I do not wonder that Your Highness finds itunworthy!"
There is no such incense to a man as when he imagines himself understoodby a pretty woman.
Yet the temptress now found herself the harder to master. It was thethought of what she must yet do. But she gave her head an impatienttoss, and the tears that had come were gone. The lines of her mouthtightened, and the dangerous glint shone in her eyes. "So," she added,almost in a whisper, "you did not mean it, sire, when you offered only aplay-empire--to me."
She knew that he started violently, and was looking down at her. But shekept her gaze averted, that he might not see the hard expression therethat was merciless for them both. He did see, though, the long lashes,and the warm pink of her forearm, so tantalizing for shark or man.
"These imperial gardens, they are beautiful," she went on softly, "but,helas, they are not the Schoenbrunn. Nor is Chapultepec more than afeeble miniature of the Hofburg. Oh, the wretched farce! The wretchedfarce, sire, in your pretension to--to honor me! A wooer from thethrone, indeed? A straw throne--no, no, I do not like it!"
Then she let him see her eyes. Half raised, half veiled; they held thedaring suggestion hidden in her words.
"And if," he cried, "and if we _were_ in the Schoenbrunn----"
"Yes, yes," and she clapped her hands with delight, "yes, where theheroic figures on the crest of the hill are silhouetted against the sky,where----"
"Never mind the heroic figures! But where I shall be really an emperor,_the_ Emperor over Austria, over Hungary. Then, what then?Jeanne--Jacqueline, tell me!"
She had brought him to it. Yet her face clouded pitifully, as that dayin the small boat, when she told Ney that a woman might only give. Sucha woman too, would be lost for the reason that she would _not_hesitate. Here was the errand of the Sphinx, and achievement at herhand. Dainty flower of France, yes! But in truth, what was she?
"And then?" she repeated, and the maddening promise in her voicethrilled him. "Why, sire, I suppose that I could not help but listen toyou. Yet first," she hastened to add with subtle emphasis, "first, youwould have to give up your play kingdom here."
His blue eyes flashed. "I will!" he cried. "It shall be mine, the Romanempire of Charles V. They are tired of my brother Franz. Already theycry out for me. Our mother made an uncle abdicate for him, I will do asmuch for myself. I will, Jeanne, I will!"
Eloin behind his screen moved uneasily.
"The devil go with her!" the eavesdropper muttered. "She'll have himabdicating himself in another minute. She must be stopped, she must!"
He tiptoed back, and once out of hearing, he ran. He found Driscoll on abench, slowly passing his fingers through his hair, and staring fixedlyat the ground.
"Coom," said Eloin, "coom quick! He is alone. You find your chance. Heis that happy, he say yes to anything."
Driscoll got heavily to his feet. There was his mission. For the sake ofthat, for the sake of comrades depending on him, he would go and oncemore offer succor to this libertine princelet.
"No, not that way," the Belgian directed. "The path here, it leads themore direct at the pond, so. Quick!" He knew that foliage would hide thecouple until Driscoll should turn the corner of the hedge and burst onthem squarely. The American hastened down the walk. "A nice surprise,mutual." Eloin chuckled to himself.
Jacqueline did not falter before her victory. She knew that Maximilianrated the Mexican throne as a stepping-stone to another in Europe. Sheknew of a certain family pact among the Hapsburgs and how it rankled inMaximilian's breast. Therein he had, on accepting the Mexican throne,solemnly renounced all right of inheritance to that of Austro-Hungary.But she knew also that he considered his oath as void, since Franz Josefhad forced it on him. Craftily she pictured the Mexican enterprise, howinstead of enhancing his prestige at home, it but turned him into asorry and ridiculous figure. And so she won the child of Destiny. Yet,when in a sudden fervent outburst he came and sat beside her, and wouldhave taken her hand, she still did not falter. Napoleon would have theglory, and she a shame unexplained, but for all that her country wouldhave Mexico. Her country would have Mexico! Would have a vast expanse ofempire, greater and more enduring than any won for her by Bonapartehimself.
Nevertheless, she brushed away the gallant's arm with more vigor thanher coy role demanded. "No, no," she moaned faintly, "not yet!"
&
nbsp; "But, _cruelle_----"
"Not yet, not until I know that you will try to win in Austria, notuntil--you abdicate here!"
"But, I shall sail this very month, I----"
"And never return, never to Mexico?"
"Never!"
Frankly, then, she placed her hands in his.
That moment Driscoll turned the corner of the hedge, and was beforethem. He fell back, and reddened as though himself caught in wrongdoing.It was strange how he noted, at such a time, that she was clothed inlight blue, in the very dress he had given her. But no, he perceived atonce that it was of some delicate silk from Japan. Yet the pattern wasso nearly the same. She must have selected it--she had selectedit!--with him in mind. And now, against a girl's love so quaintly, shylyrevealed, to behold this contrast, her hands there, wantonlysurrendered!
Instantly she tore herself free and confronted him.
"Oh, why, _why_," she cried fiercely, "did you not let them killyou?"
Suddenly her hands flew up to her hot face. "Then," she moaned, "thenyou would not have lived to see!"
The Emperor stepped between them. Tall, severe, he was cold in anger.
"It's the intrusion of a rowdy, mademoiselle." To Driscoll he said,"Now, go!"
Utterly confused, the trooper turned to obey. But at the first step heswung round, looking as he had never looked in the bloodiest of cavalrycharges.
"I am here for your answer, sir," he said.
"Answer? What answer, fellow?"
Driscoll breathed once, he breathed twice, and yet again. It may be hecounted them. Then he spoke.
"You understand, of course, that I might call you a puppy? Or break youover my knee? But I've got something harder on hand. It's to make youhonor your promise. I've ridden forty miles for what you were to give mesix hours ago at Chapultepec. Now then, shall I bring the men to saveyour empire? Think well. You need not take the question from me. Take itfrom them, from an army of fifty thousand men. Now, answer! Andremember, you can save your empire."
"Save my empire?" Maximilian repeated the words.
There was a reluctant note in the query. Jacqueline heard. And thebravest act of her life was when she raised her head and faced hershame, with _him_ to see. She must begin her fight all over again.
"Yes, your play empire, sire," she said, wielding two weapons, themockery in her voice, the seduction of her eyes.
Driscoll saw his cause forlorn against eyes like those.
"It's unfair!" he protested involuntarily.
She turned on him in defiance. "It is _not_ unfair! And you,monsieur, of all men, know that it is not. You, and you alone, know whatI, what I would give--what I tried to give--that I might win in this!"
He could not help a thrill of admiration. She was battling against allmen and women to change the destinies of two continents.
"W'y, I take it back then," he said.
She stared at him in wonder, and drew farther away. It was his tone,altered as she could never have thought possible, nor had she known thataught on earth might hurt her so. She heard a decent man addressing someunavoidable word to a strumpet. All vestige of respect was gone, goneunconsciously, except that respect for himself which would not allowthat the word be coarse or an insult. She looked in vain, too, for atrace of anger. Once she had sought to kill him, but that had notchanged his big heart. While now! How much--oh, how much easier--wasthat other sacrifice of hers than this!
"Perhaps, sir," she found the strength to say, "perhaps I have even, inmy humble opinion, favored the acceptance of your offer. But His Majestyknows far better than I under what conditions he might accept."
Driscoll turned to Maximilian direct. "Name them."
"There is but one. We cannot give refuge to the enemies of the UnitedStates----"
"The conditions?"
"Therefore, to avoid complications, your men must lay down their arms onentering Mexico. Then we would deliver the arms to the United States ontheir recognizing Our Empire----"
"Trade us off, you mean?"
"Or, in case the United States still held aloof, then, as citizens ofMexico, you could take up your arms again."
Driscoll looked at Jacqueline. She, the inspiration of such a condition,knew quite well beforehand that he would not submit.
"This is final, is it?" he demanded.
"It is, because We cannot provoke war with the United States, but,"Maximilian urged querulously, "you have only to surrender your swords."
"After refusing them to the Federals, to the men who _fought_ forthem? And now we are to give them up to a pack of----" Driscoll stoppedshort and took another breath. "By God, sir, no sir!" he cried.
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