The Weight of the Crown

by Fred M. White

  CHAPTER XXXVII

  CROSS PURPOSES

  Peretori gave way to a fit of silent laughter. Born comedian that hewas, he fully appreciated the comedy of the situation. He did not needanyone to tell him why Hunt was here. But there was a serious side tothe matter too, and the prince was not blind to that. Hunt pushed hisway into the dining-room with the air of a man who is quite at home withhis surroundings and put up the lights. As Annette disappeared up thestairs, Peretori fumbled his way to the telephone and gave Lechmere awhispered call. He had an idea that he would be in need of assistancepresently, and the sooner it came the better. Then he felt that he couldstand there in the dark and watch the interesting development of events.

  Annette came tripping down the stairs again presently with a look ofastonishment on her face. She found Hunt fuming about in thedining-room. He turned upon her sharply.

  "Well?" he asked. "You have aroused your mistress? I trust that she willnot keep me long."

  "But it is impossible that she should do anything else, M'sieu," Annetteprotested. "I told you that my mistress had gone to bed. I had been outlate to-night myself, and there were things to do after I came in. Thatis why I was ready to answer your ring. I say the countess was asleepunder the profound impression that such was the fact. I go to wake mymistress, and behold she is not in bed at all!"

  "What does it matter so long as she gets my message?" Hunt askedimpatiently.

  "But she does not get your message, M'sieu," Annette protested. "She isnot there. The countess is not in the house at all. I recollect now thatwhen I respond to your ring the front door is not fastened. It is plainto me that my mistress is not in."

  Hunt's reply was more forcible than polite. Annette's face flamed withanger.

  "It seems the fashion at present for everybody to say to me that I am aliar," she cried. "I tell you again that my mistress is not in thehouse. You can wait if you like, and I will not go to bed till she comein. There is no more to be said for the present, M'sieu."

  And Annette walked away with her head in the air. There was the sound ofshuffling feet in the hall presently as Robert was smuggled out of thehouse, and Annette retired to her dignified retreat in the small backroom. She had hardly regained it before the hall door opened and thecountess came in. Annette, with an air of wounded dignity, proclaimedall that had recently taken place. As the light flashed on the face ofthe countess, Peretori could see that she was visibly disturbed.

  "Go to bed, Annette," she exclaimed. "I will see this gentleman whocomes at so strange a time."

  The countess passed into the dining-room, and as she did so Peretori sawthe handle of the front door turn very quietly, and Lechmere crept intothe house. He stood motionless just for a moment, then Peretori steppedout of the little room where he was listening and beckoned to him.

  "Come in here," he whispered. "I sent for you because I have an ideathat I shall require your assistance a little later on. Hunt is in thedining room. Ah, the quarrel has begun!"

  "I tell you I have been fooled," Hunt was saying passionately. "Fooledlike a child. You promised me that you would manage that the _Mercury_should contain an interview with the King of Asturia."

  "Well? Did I fail in my promise? Did I not send the king to you in acondition when he was prepared to say or do anything? Won't it be allthere to-morrow morning?"

  "It is all there now," Hunt said with a groan. "Already the countryeditions of the paper are on the train. A large proportion of the townimpressions have gone out also. And you have fooled me purposely."

  "What is the man talking about?" the countess cried impatiently. "Anyonewould think that I had some object----"

  "In making a fool of me. So you have, if I could only understand thereason. As a matter of fact, I have been hoaxed in the most shamelessmanner possible. The man who came to me was an impostor, a fraud, anactor, and you knew it. When the whole story comes to be told my paperwill be ruined, and I shall be laughed out of London. The real King ofAsturia----"

  "The man is mad!" the countess cried. "The real King of Asturia was withyou to-night."

  "It is utterly false, and you know it. You are playing this thing off onme for your own ends. I have just had it from the same source that thereal King of Asturia, accompanied by Captain Alexis and anothergentleman, have left for Dover by a special train an hour ago _en route_for Asturia. The information came to me from a lady journalist whoactually saw the departure from Charing Cross. The lady in questionmakes no mistakes. I have never known her to be wrong. What have you tosay to this?"

  For once in her life Countess Saens was absolutely nonplussed. In theface of this information it was utterly impossible to keep up thepresent fraud any longer.

  "So you have got the best of me?" she laughed. "It was a daring thing todo, but I thought that it would pass muster. It cost me a thousandguineas into the bargain. Mind you, I had not the slightest idea thatthe king would take such strong measures as these, and I am obliged byyour priceless information. Now, what can I do to put matters right?"

  Hunt made the best of a bad bargain. As a matter of fact he was notquite blameless in the matter.

  "Those papers," he said. "Get me those papers. I dare say I can bluffthe matter through. We can suggest that somebody is personating the realking. But I must have those papers."

  "Ay, if we could only get them!" the countess said between her teeth."We have clever people to deal with, and you may thank the way I havebeen fooled to-night for the suggestion of the way in which I have donemy best to damage the cause of Asturia. But I am on the track now, and Iam going to get to the bottom of it. The first thing to-morrow morning Ishall go to Charing Cross Hospital."

  "What for?" Hunt growled. "You are talking in enigmas so far as I amconcerned."

  "Never mind. The enigma will explain itself in good time. I tell youthat you shall have those papers. I'm sorry for the trick I played onyou to-night, but there is a great stake in my hands. It never occurredto me that the enemy would play so bold a game."

  "You hear that?" Lechmere said to his companion. "Now whatever schemeyou have in your mind, my dear prince, it must be abandoned to thecertainty that the Countess Saens does not go to the hospital at CharingCross to-morrow. You have a pretty good idea of how things stand, and Ilook to you to prevent that. Can you possibly manage it?"

  Peretori whispered something reassuring. If Lechmere would stay here fora time and watch over the progress of events, he might be able to manageit. Lechmere expressed himself as ready to do anything that wasrequired.

  "Very well," Peretori replied. "I am going to slip away for a time. Ishall be back in ten minutes at the outside. But don't leave the house,because we have business here later on. There will be a real danger andperil before us presently."

  Lechmere nodded in his turn as Peretori stole softly away. The murmur ofvoices from the dining-room was still going on. The conversation hadgrown desultory.

  "I repeat, I am sorry for the trick I had to play you to-night," thecountess was saying. "But you have only to stick to your guns and standout for the genuineness of your interview. Under ordinary circumstancesit would have passed muster. But what possessed the king to take thatdecided step? I understood that his nerve was gone. I had it from a suresource that he never dared set foot in Asturia again. And to have goneoff in that determined manner! What does it mean?"

  Lechmere could have answered that question, as he smilingly toldhimself. He could tell from the sound of the voices that Hunt wasgetting nearer and nearer to the door. Presently the pair emerged intothe hall. It was fully a quarter of an hour now since Peretori haddeparted, and Lechmere was getting anxious. At the same moment there wasa knock at the door so sharp and sudden that the countess started, asdid her companion. The former opened the door.

  Just for a moment Lechmere craned his neck to see. But all he noted wasa district messenger boy, who handed an envelope to the countess andprofferred his pencil for a receipt. The door closed, and the countesstore open the envelope eagerl
y.

  "A thick envelope," she said. "Merely my name printed on it in largeletters. What have we here? A visiting card with the name of the Duchessof Dinon on it. That is the _nom de plume_ adopted by the Queen ofAsturia when travelling. Ah, here is the gist of it! Listen:

  "'Meet me to-morrow night Hotel Bristol, Paris, at 9 o'clock. Ask for Mr. Conway. Am watched. Am anxious to escape. Do not fail me. Erno.'"

  The countess waved the little slip of parchment in triumph over herhead. "From the king!" she said. "From the king to me. He desires toescape, and that plays my game. Give me the time-table that is on thehall table behind you."