The Weight of the Crown

by Fred M. White

  CHAPTER XXXVIII

  ON BROKEN GROUND

  Jessie opened her eyes and looked languidly around. She could not graspthe situation at first. She was in a large room exquisitely furnished;the silken draperies rustled in the breeze from the open window. Whencecame all this luxury, the girl wondered? As she lay there with her hairsweeping over the laced pillow, the events of the previous evening beganto come back to her. Fresh and vigorous now after her night's rest,Jessie could smile as she thought of it. It seemed almost impossible tobelieve that she had gone through so much, that any girl had the pluckto go through such a series of adventures without breaking down.

  And yet she had done it! And Jessie thrilled with a little pardonablepride as she dwelt upon the part she had played. At any rate, it hadbeen better than slaving in the shop of Madame Malmaison, without theslightest prospect for the future. Jessie felt that now she had gainedpowerful friends there was no chance of further genteel starvation.Prince Mazaroff's disgraceful conduct had been a blessing in disguise.

  And best of all, it had brought Ronald Hope back to her. Jessie flushedwith happiness as she thought of Ronald. She was thinking, too, of hersister. What would Ada imagine had happened? She must find time to sendAda a message. If Vera Galloway was in a position to be moved from thehospital, then she might resign her part and go home. She would have tokeep out of the way for a bit--out of the way of those who were likelyto draw their own deductions from the knowledge that Vera Galloway had adouble.

  Jessie was still turning these things over in her mind when the dooropened and a neat-looking maid came in with a dainty breakfast set outon a tray. When this was despatched the maid volunteered to help her todress, from such things as had come from Vera Galloway's wardrobe. ButJessie preferred to dress herself. She managed very well with a plainskirt and a loose fluffy blouse that looked as if it had been made forher. The queen was already up, and would see the young lady at once, themaid said. Not without some feeling of nervousness, Jessie wentdownstairs.

  She bowed profoundly to the queen, who advanced and kissed the girl.

  "You are my friend," she said, "my very good friend. Would that I hadothers like you. We will talk it over presently. Meanwhile, I have manyletters to dictate. How fresh and sweet you look! I wonder if I shallever feel what it is to be young again! Meanwhile, you are to wait here.There is nothing for you to do but to take care of yourself."

  "Indeed, there is a great deal for me to do, madame," Jessie protested."I had meant to be up and doing long before this; it is already teno'clock. I have to go to the hospital and see Miss Galloway. She must beremoved before the Countess Saens takes any steps."

  "I had forgotten that," the queen admitted. "There is so much to be donethat one is apt to forget. You will manage that through Dr. Varney ofcourse?"

  Jessie explained that such was her intention. She meant to go and seeDr. Varney at once. After that she would go to the hospital ifnecessary. Only it would be just as well if she wore a veil, Jessiethought. There was no reason why the attention of the hospitalauthorities should be drawn to the likeness between the patient and thevisitor. The matter of the veil was adjusted without the slightestdifficulty, and Jessie left the hotel.

  Dr. Varney was not to be disturbed, so his man said. It requiredsomething very urgent indeed to interrupt the doctor at this hour.Jessie ignored the suggestion, and, pushing by the astonished man,walked boldly into the dining-room. Varney was not in the least angry.

  "So it is you!" he said. "I rather expected this. How bright and freshyou look this morning! So you have not had enough of adventures yet?What are you going to do now? Don't mind my smoking a cigarette, do you?I always do after breakfast. That, between ourselves, is one of thereasons why I don't allow myself to be disturbed. What is the nextmove."

  "To get Miss Vera Galloway home--or rather, to get her out of thehospital," Jessie said. "If we don't, we shall have Countess Saensfinding her there. She is certain to call at the hospital some timeto-day--probably this morning. If we can be first, well and good. If youcan go down with me on pretence of business and profess to recognizeMiss Galloway for somebody else so much the better. Then you can saythat she is fit to travel, and there is an end of it."

  The doctor grinned with a comic expression of dismay.

  "Well, you are a nice kind of young lady!" he said. "A prettyproposition truly to a man in my exalted position! Why, if the truthcame out it would ruin me. But I suppose you expect to get your own way.Only you can't take Miss Galloway home."

  "I don't propose to take her home," Jessie said eagerly. "Lord and LadyMerehaven think that their real niece is staying with the Queen ofAsturia for a day or two in the place of an absent woman-in-waiting. Totake Vera home would be to spoil everything. Besides, we should have toaccount in some way for her sprained ankle, and it is quite imperativethat nobody should know of that."

  "What a clever girl you are!" Varney muttered admiringly. "I begin tosee what you are driving at. Go on."

  "There is very little more to say," Jessie murmured. "I shall pose as arelation of Vera's--calling myself by my proper name of Harcourt, ofcourse. Dressed in her plain black--or rather in _my_ plain black andveil--I shall convey Vera to the queen's hotel and there change clothes.I shall just walk out of the hotel and vanish for the time being, andthere you are! The real Vera will be with the queen. She can nurse herankle for a day or two, and nobody will be any the wiser."

  Varney loudly applauded the suggestion. It was just possible, he said,that he was going to get himself into serious trouble, but he was notgoing to back out of it now. If Jessie would go down to the hospital andsee Vera Galloway, he would follow after a discreet interval.

  It all fell out exactly as Jessie had hoped. There was little the matterwith Vera save for the fact that her ankle was very troublesome, thoughone of the house surgeons dismissed the idea of the patient being movedfor the next day or two. When the discussion was still on Varney camein. He approached the matter in his own quick and breezy fashion.

  "Well, young lady?" he cried. "I thought that I recognized you lastnight, only I wasn't sure. Miss Harcourt's father was an old friend ofmine, Cattley. Wants to go home, does she? Well, I don't see any reasonwhy she should not. Matter of a cab, nothing more. Yes, yes."

  And Varney moved off as if he had already washed his hands of thematter--a mere incident in the life of a busy man like himself. Jessiehurried on Vera's preparations with a shaking hand. It was just possiblethat the countess might turn up at any moment. But the operation wasfinished at length, and the cab was ready at the door.

  "Pull your veil down as I have done with mine," Jessie whispered. "Younever know who may recognize you. And now lean heavily on my arm, andwalk as if nothing was the matter. Ah!"

  And Jessie drew a sigh of relief once they were safely in the cab. Thecab was dismissed in Bond Street under pretext of shopping, and anotherengaged. It was just as well to take all precautions, Jessie declared.Vera was looking very faint and worn, but she expressed her warm thanksto Jessie.

  "It is really nothing," the latter proceeded to explain what hadhappened. "As events turn out, everything is going most fortunately foryou. As I have told you, by sheer good luck I managed to escape fromMerehaven House without suspicions being excited. Lady Merehaven thinksthat you are with the queen and in a very short time you _will_ be withthe queen. Then you have only to nurse your ankle and get well. As tome, I am going to discreetly disappear from view for the time."

  "But you have no money," Vera protested. "You told me last night thatyou were desperately placed, and that if it had not been for the moneyyou would not have come to me at all. Of course that was all nonsense,because you would have done what you did for me or any other poor girlin distress. Perhaps some day I may be able to properly thank you, dearJessie. But without money!... And I have none."

  "I am not going to leave London," Jessie whispered. "I shall be quitesafe in my lodgings. And it is very little money I want. What I amlooking for is som
e situation----"

  "Situation!" Vera cried scornfully. "As if I should ever permit you totake a situation again! And what is Ronald Hope thinking about? If hereally cared for you----"

  "He really does care for me," Jessie said with a fine colour. "And ifthere is any need for you to thank me for bringing Ronald and myselftogether.... But here we are at the hotel."