CHAPTER XXXIII
The greeting between the two men was cold, and the Prince almostimmediately stepped between them. Nevertheless, Brott seemed to have afancy to talk with Mr. Sabin.
"I was at Camperdown House yesterday," he remarked. "Her Ladyship wasregretting that she saw you so seldom."
"I have been a little remiss," Mr. Sabin answered. "I hope to lunchthere to-morrow."
"You have seen the evening paper, Brott?" the Prince asked.
"I saw the early editions," Brott answered. "Is there anything fresh?"
The Prince dropped his voice a little. He drew Brott on one side.
"The Westminster declared that you had left for Windsor by an earlytrain this afternoon, and gives a list of your Cabinet. The Pall Mall,on the other hand, declares that Letheringham will assuredly be sent forto-morrow."
Brott shrugged his shoulders.
"There are bound to be a crop of such reports at a time like this," heremarked.
The Prince dropped his voice almost to a whisper.
"Brott," he said, "there is something which I have had it in my mind tosay to you for the last few days. I am not perhaps a great politician,but, like many outsiders, I see perhaps a good deal of the game. I knowfairly well what the feeling is in Vienna and Berlin. I can give you aword of advice."
"You are very kind, Prince," Brott remarked, looking uneasily over hisshoulder. "But--"
"It is concerning Brand. There is no man more despised and dislikedabroad, not only because he is a Jew and ill-bred, but because of hisknown sympathy with some of these anarchists who are perfect firebrandsin Europe."
"I am exceedingly obliged to you," Brott answered hurriedly. "I amafraid, however, that you anticipate matters a good deal. I have not yetbeen asked to form a Cabinet. It is doubtful whether I ever shall. And,beyond that, it is also doubtful whether even if I am asked I shallaccept."
"I must confess," the Prince said, "that you puzzle me. Every one saysthat the Premiership of the country is within your reach. It is surelythe Mecca of all politicians."
"There are complications," Brott muttered. "You--"
He stopped short and moved towards the door. Lucille, unusually paleand grave, had just issued from the ladies' ante-room, and joined LadyCarey, who was talking to Mr. Sabin. She touched the latter lightly onthe arm.
"Help us to escape," she said quickly. "I am weary of my task. Can weget away without their seeing us?"
Mr. Sabin offered his arm. They passed along the broad way, and asthey were almost the last to leave the place, their carriage was easilyfound. The Prince and Mr. Brott appeared only in time to see Mr. Sabinturning away, hat in hand, from the curb-stone. Brott's face darkened.
"Prince," he said, "who is that man?"
The Prince shrugged his shoulders.
"A man," he said, "who has more than once nearly ruined your country.His life has been a splendid failure. He would have given India to theRussians, but they mistrusted him and trifled away their chance. Oncesince then he nearly sold this country to Germany; it was a trifle onlywhich intervened. He has been all his life devoted to one cause."
"And that?" Brott asked.
"The restoration of the monarchy to France. He, as you of course know,is the Duc de Souspennier, the sole living member in the direct line ofone of the most ancient and historical houses in England. My friend,"he added, turning to Mr. Sabin, "you have stolen a march upon us. We hadnot even an opportunity of making our adieux to the ladies."
"I imagine," Mr. Sabin answered, "that the cause of quarrel may restwith them. You were nowhere in sight when they came out."
"These fascinating politics," the Prince remarked. "We all want to talkpolitics to Mr. Brott just now."
"I will wish you good-night, gentlemen," Mr. Sabin said, and passed intothe hotel.
The Prince touched Brott on the arm.
"Will you come round to the club, and take a hand at bridge?" he said.
Brott laughed shortly.
"I imagine," he said, "that I should be an embarrassing guest to youjust now at, say the Mallborough, or even at the St. James. I believethe aristocracy are looking forward to the possibility of my coming intopower with something like terror."
"I am not thoroughly versed; in the politics of this country," thePrince said, "but I have always understood that your views werevery much advanced. Dorset solemnly believes that you are pledged toexterminate the large landed proprietors, and I do not think he would besurprised to hear that you had a guillotine up your sleeve."
The two men were strolling along Pall Mall. The Prince had lit a largecigar, and was apparently on the best of terms with himself and theworld in general. Brott, on the contrary, was most unlike himself,preoccupied, and apparently ill at ease.
"The Duke and his class are, of course, my natural opponents," Brottsaid shortly. "By the bye, Prince," he added, suddenly turning towardshim, and with a complete change of tone, "it is within your power to dome a favour."
"You have only to command," the Prince assured him good-naturedly.
"My rooms are close here," Brott continued. "Will you accompany methere, and grant me the favour of a few minutes' conversation?"
"Assuredly!" the Prince answered, flicking the end off his cigar. "Itwill be a pleasure."
They walked on towards their destination in silence. Brott's secretarywas in the library with a huge pile of letters and telegrams before him.He welcomed Brott with relief.
"We have been sending all over London for you, sir," he said.
Brott nodded.
"I am better out of the way for the present," he answered. "Deny me toeverybody for an hour, especially Letheringham. There is nothing here, Isuppose, which cannot wait so long as that?"
The secretary looked a little doubtful.
"I think not, sir," he decided.
"Very good. Go and get something to eat. You look fagged. And tell Hysonto bring up some liqueurs, will you! I shall be engaged for a shorttime."
The secretary withdrew. A servant appeared with a little tray ofliqueurs, and in obedience to an impatient gesture from his master, leftthem upon the table. Brott closed the door firmly.
"Prince," he said, resuming his seat, "I wished to speak with youconcerning the Countess."
Saxe Leinitzer nodded.
"All right," he said. "I am listening!"
"I understand," Brott continued, "that you are one of her oldestfriends, and also one of the trustees of her estates. I presume that youstand to her therefore to some extent in the position of an adviser?"
"It is perfectly true," the Prince admitted.
"I, too, am an old friend, as she has doubtless told you," Brott said."All my life she has been the one woman whom I have desired to call mywife. That desire has never been so strong as at the present moment."
The Prince removed his cigar from his mouth and looked grave.
"But, my dear Brott," he said, "have you considered the enormous gulfbetween your--views? The Countess owns great hereditary estates, shecomes from a family which is almost Royal, she herself is an aristocratto the backbone. It is a class against which you have declared war. Howcan you possibly come together on common ground?"
Brott was silent for a moment. Looking at him steadily the Prince wassurprised at the change in the man's appearance. His cheeks seemedblanched and his skin drawn. He had lost flesh, his eyes were hollow,and he frequently betrayed in small mannerisms a nervousness wholly newand unfamiliar to him.
"You speak as a man of sense, Prince," he said after a while. "You areabsolutely correct. This matter has caused me a great deal of anxiousthought. To falter at this moment is to lose, politically, all that Ihave worked for all my life. It is to lose the confidence of thepeople who have trusted me. It is a betrayal, the thought of which isa constant shame to me. But, on the other hand, Lucille is the dearestthing to me in life."
The Prince's expression was wholly sympathetic. The derision whichlurked behind he kept wholly concealed. A strong ma
n so abjectly in thetoils, and he to be chosen for his confidant! It was melodrama with adash of humour.
"If I am to help you," the Prince said, "I must know everything. Haveyou made any proposals to Lucille? In plain words, how much of yourpolitical future are you disposed to sacrifice?"
"All!" Brott said hoarsely. "All for a certainty of her. Not one jotwithout."
"And she?"
Brott sprang to his feet, white and nervous.
"It is where I am at fault," he exclaimed. "It is why I have asked foryour advice, your help perhaps. I do not find it easy to understandLucille. Perhaps it is because I am not well versed in the ways of hersex. I find her elusive. She will give me no promise. Before I wentto Glasgow I talked with her. If she would have married me then mypolitical career was over--thrown on one side like an old garment. Butshe would give me no promise. In everything save the spoken words Icrave she has promised me her love. Again there comes a climax. In a fewhours I must make my final choice. I must decline to join Letheringham,in which case the King must send for me, or accept office with him,and throw away the one great chance of this generation. Letheringham'sCabinet, of course, would be a moderate Liberal one, a paragon of milkand water in effectiveness. If I go in alone we make history. The momentof issue has come. And, Prince, although I have pleaded with all theforce and all the earnestness I know, Lucille remains elusive. If Ichoose for her side--she promises me--reward. But it is vague to me. Idon't, I can't understand! I want her for my wife, I want her for therest of my life--nothing else. Tell me, is there any barrier to this?There are no complications in her life which I do not know of? I wantyour assurance. I want her promise. You understand me?"
"Yes, I understand you," the Prince said gravely. "I understand morethan you do. I understand Lucille's position."
Brott leaned forward with bright eyes.
"Ah!"
"Lucille, the Countess of Radantz, is at the present moment a marriedwoman."
Brott was speechless. His face was like a carved stone image, from whichthe life had wholly gone.
"Her husband--in name only, let me tell you, is the Mr. Sabin with whomwe had supper this evening."
"Great God!"
"Their marriage had strange features in it which are not my concern, oreven yours," the Prince said deliberately. "The truth is, that they havenot lived together for years, they never will again, for their divorceproceedings would long ago have been concluded but for the complicationsarising from the difference between the Hungarian and the American laws.Here, without doubt, is the reason why the Countess has hesitated topledge her word directly."
"It is wonderful," Brott said slowly. "But it explains everything."
There was a loud knock at the door. The secretary appeared upon thethreshold. Behind him was a tall, slim young man in traveling costume.
"The King's messenger!" Brott exclaimed, rising to his feet.
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