ThentheKingstiffenedhisshouldersandplacedhishandsslowlybehindhisback。\"Thatsounds,mydearKalonay,\"hesaid,\"almostlikeathreat。\"
Theyoungermanlaughedinsolently。\"Imeantit,too,yourMajesty,\"heanswered,bowingmockinglyandbackingaway。
AstheKing’sguestsseatedthemselvesathisbreakfast—tableLouissmileduponthemwithagraciousglanceofwelcomeandapproval。Hismannerwascharminglycondescending,andinhisappearancetherewasnothingmoreseriousthanananxietyfortheirbetterentertainmentandacertainanimalsatisfactioninthefooduponhisplate。
Inrealityhiseyesweredistributingthepeopleatthetablebeforehimintoelementsfavorableorunfavorabletohisplans,andinhismindheshuffledthemandtheirvaluesforhimoragainsthimasagamblerarrangesandrearrangesthecardsinhishand。Hesawhimselfplainlyashisownhighestcard,andBarratandErhauptaswillingbutmediocreaccomplices。InFatherPaulandKalonayherecognizedhismostpowerfulalliesormostdangerousfoes。MissCarsonmeantnothingtohimbutasourcefromwhichhecoulddrawthesinewsofwar。Whatwouldbecomeofherafterthefarcewasended,hedidnotconsider。Hewasnotcapableofcomprehendingeitherherorhermotives,andhadheconcernedhimselfaboutheratall,hewouldhaveprobablythoughtthatshewasmoreofafoolthanthesaintshepretendedtobe,andthatshehadcometotheirassistancemorebecauseshewishedtobenearaPrinceandaKingthanbecauseshecaredforthesoulsofsixtythousandpeasants。Thatshewouldsurelylosehermoney,andcouldhardlyhopetoescapefromthemwithoutlosinghergoodname,didnotconcernhim。ItwasnothisdutytolookafterthereputationofanyAmericanheiresswhothoughtshecouldaffordtobeunconventional。Shehadamothertodothatforher,andshewasprettyenough,heconcluded,toexcusemanythings,——soprettythathewonderedifhemightbravetheCountessZaraandofferMissCarsontheattentionstowhichKalonayhadmadesucharrogantobjections。
TheKingsmiledatthethought,andlethislittleeyesfallforamomentonthetallfigureofthegirlwithitscrownofheavygoldenhair,andonherclever,earnesteyes。Shewascertainlyworthwaitingfor,andinthemeanwhileshewasvirtuallyunprotectedandsurroundedbyhisownpeople。
Accordingtohistranslationofheracts,shehadalreadyofferedhimeveryencouragement,andhadplacedherselfinapositionwhichtohisunderstandingoftheworldcouldhavebutoneinterpretation。WhatKalonay’ssuddeninfatuationmightmeanhecouldnotforesee;whetheritpromisedgoodorthreatenedevil,hecouldonlyguess,buthedecidedthattheyoungman’sunwontedshowofindependenceofthemorningmustbepunished。HisclaimtoexclusiveproprietorshipintheyounggirlstrucktheKingasamusing,butimpertinent。Itwouldbeeasysailinginspiteofall,hedecided;forsomewhereupabovetheminthehotelsattheunbiddenguest,thewomanagainstwhomFatherPaulhadraisedthebanofexpulsion,butwhohad,nevertheless,trickedbothhimandthefaithfulJackal。
ThebreakfastwasdrawingtoanendandthefaithfulNiccolaswastheonlyservantremainingintheroom。Thetalkhadgrownintimateandtouchedopenlyuponthesuccessfulvisitofthetwoambassadorstotheisland,andofBarrat’smissiontoParis。OfMadameZara’svisittothenorthernhalfoftheisland,whichwassupposedtohavebeenlesssuccessful,nomentionwasmade。
Louisfeltashelistenedtothemlikeamanataplay,whoknowsthatatawordfromhimthecomplicationswouldcease,andthatwerehetoriseinthestallsandexplainthemaway,andpointouttherealheroanddenouncethevillain,thecurtainwouldhavetoringdownontheinstant。Hegavealittlepurrofsatisfaction,andagainmarshalledhischancesbeforehimandsmiledtofindthemgood。Hewasgrandlyatpeacewithhimselfandwiththeworld。Whateverhappened,hewasalreadyricherbysome300,000francs,andinaday,ifhecouldkeeptheAmericangirltoherexpeditionhadbeenplayedhewouldbefree,——freetoreturntohisclubsandtohisboulevardsandboudoirs,withmoneyenoughtosilencethemostinsolentamonghiscreditors,andwithrenewedcredit;withevenacertainglamourabouthimofonewhohaddaredtodo,eventhoughhehadfailedinthedoing,whohadshakenofftheslothfulnessofeaseandhadchosentoriskhislifeforhisthronewithasmokingrifleinhishand,untilatraitorhadturnedfortuneagainsthim。
TheKingwasamusedtofindthatthisprospectpleasedhimvastly。Hewassurprisedtodiscoverthat,carelessashethoughthimselftobetopublicopinion,hewasstillcapableofcaringforitsapprobation;butheconsoledhimselfforthisweaknessbyarguingthatitwasonlybecausetheapprobationwouldbehisbyatrickthatitpleasedhimtothinkof。Perhapssomeofhisroyalcousins,inthelightofhisboldintent,mighttakehimundertheirprotectioninsteadofneglectinghimshamefully,astheyhaddoneinthepast。
Hisarmedexpeditionmightopencertaindoorstohim;hisname——andhesmiledgrimlyasheimaginedit——wouldringthroughoutEuropeastheSoldierKing,asthemoderndiscipleofthedivinerightofkings。Hesaw,inhismind’seye,eventhepossibilityofaroyalallianceandapensionfromoneofthegreatPowers。Nomatterwherehelookedhecouldseenothingbutgaintohimself,morepowerforpleasure,morechancesofgreaterfortuneinthefuture,andwhilehislipsassentedtowhattheotherssaid,andhiseyesthankedthemforsomeexpressionofloyaltyorconfidence,hesawhimselfindreamsasbrightasanabsinthedrinker’s,backinhisbelovedParis:intheChamps—Elyseesbehindfinehorses,lollingfromasilkboxattheopera,dealingbaccaratatthejockeyClub,orplayinghosttosomebeautifulwomanofthehour,inthenewhomehewouldestablishforherinthediscreetandleafybordersoftheBois。
Hehadforgottenhisguestsandthemoment。Hehadforgottenthatthereweredifficultiesyettoovercome,andwithashort,indrawnsighofpleasure,hethrewbackhisheadandsmiledarrogantlyuponthesunnyterraceandthegreenpalmsandthebrilliantbluesea,asthoughhechallengedthewholebeautifulworldbeforehimtodoaughtbutministertohissuccessandcontributetohispleasures。
Andatonce,asthoughinanswertohischallenge,atall,slimyoungmanspranglightlyupthestepsoftheterrace,passedthebewilderedguardswithacheerynod,and,stridingbeforetheopenwindows,knockedwithhisfistupontheportalsofthedoor,assharplyandasconfidentlyasthoughtheKing’sshieldhadhungthere,andhehadstruckitwithalance。
TheKing’sdreamshatteredandfadedawayatthesound,andhemoveduneasilyinhischair。Hehadthegambler’ssuperstitiousregardfortrifles,andthisinvasionofhisprivacybyaconfidentstrangerfilledhimwithsuddendisquiet。
HesawKalonaystaringattheopenwindowswithanexpressionofastonishmentanddismay。
\"Whoisit?\"theKingasked,peevishly。\"Whatareyoustaringat?Howdidhegetin?\"
KalonayturnedonBarrat,sittingathisright。\"Didyouseehim?\"heasked。Barratnoddedgloomily。
\"Thedevil!\"exclaimedthePrince,asthoughBarrathadconfirmedhisguess。\"Ibegyourpardon,\"hesaid,noddinghisheadtowardthewomen。Hepushedbackhischairandstoodirresolutelywithhisnapkininhishand。\"Tellhimwearenotin,Niccolas,\"hecommanded。
\"Hesawusashepassedthewindow,\"theBaronobjected。
\"Sayweareatbreakfastthen。Iwillseehimmyselfinamoment。WhatshallItellhim?\"heasked,turningtoBarrat。
\"Doyouthinkheknows?Hemustknow,theyhavetoldhiminParis。\"
\"Youarekeepinguswaiting,\"saidtheKing。\"Whatisit?
Whoisthisman?\"
\"AnAmericannamedGordon。Heisacorrespondent,\"Kalonayanswered,withoutturninghishead。Hiseyeswerestillfixedontheterraceasthoughhehadseenaghost。
TheKingslappedhishandonthearmofthechair。\"Youpromisedme,\"hesaid,\"thatweshouldbefreefromthatsortofthing。ThatiswhyIagreedtocomehereinsteadofgoingtoAlgiers。Goout,Barrat,andsendhimaway。\"
Barratpressedhislipstogetherandshookhishead。
\"Youcan’tsendhimawaylikethat,\"hesaid。\"Heisaveryimportantyoungman。\"
\"Findouthowmuchhewilltake,then,\"exclaimedtheKing,angrily,\"andgiveittohim。Icanbetteraffordtopayblackmailtoanyamountthanhavemyplansspoilednowbythenewspapers。Givehimwhathewants——afurcoat——theyalwayswearfurcoats——orfivethousandfrancs,orsomething——anything——butgetridofhim。\"
Barratstirreduneasilyinhischairandshruggedhisshoulders。\"Heisnotaboulevardjournalist,\"hereplied,sulkily。
\"YourMajestyisthinkingoftheHungarianJewsatVienna,\"
explainedKalonay,\"wholiveonchantageandtheMonteCarlopropagandafund。Thismanisnotintheirclass;heisnottobebought。IsaidhewasanAmerican。\"
\"AnAmerican!\"exclaimedMrs。Carsonandherdaughter,exchangingrapidglances。\"IsitArchieGordonyoumean?\"thegirlasked。\"IthoughthewasinChina。\"
\"Thatistheman——ArchieGordon。Hewritesbooksandexploresplaces,\"Kalonayanswered。
\"Iknowhim。HewroteabookontheslavetradeintheCongo,\"contributedColonelErhaupt。\"ImethimatZanzibar。
Whatdoeshewantwithus?\"
\"HewasinYokohamawhentheJapanese—Chinesewarbrokeout,\"
saidKalonay,turningtotheKing,\"andhecabledaLondonpaperhewouldfollowthewarforitiftheypaidhimahundredaweek。HemeantAmericandollars,buttheythoughthemeantpounds,sotheycabledbackthatthey’dpayone—halfthatsum。Heanswered,`Onehundredornothing,’andtheyfinallyassentedtothat,andhestarted;andwhenthefirstweek’sremittancearrived,andhereceivedfivehundreddollarsinsteadoftheonehundredheexpected,hesentbackthedifference。\"
\"Whataremarkableyoungman!\"exclaimedtheKing。\"Heismuchtoogoodfordailywear。Wedon’twantanyonelikethataroundhere,dowe?\"
\"IknowMr。Gordonverywell,\"saidMissCarson。\"HelivedinSanFranciscobeforehecameEast。Hewasalwaysatourhouse,andwasagreatfriendofthefamily;wasn’the,mother?Wehaven’tseenhimfortwoyearsnow,butIknowhewouldn’tspoilourplansforthesakeofhispaper,ifheknewwewereinearnest,ifheunderstoodthateverythingdependeduponitsbeingkeptasecret。\"
\"Wearenotcertainthatheknowsanything,\"theKingurged。
\"Hemaynothavecomeheretoseeus。IthinkFatherPaulshouldtalkwithhimfirst。\"
\"Iwasgoingtosuggest,\"saidMissCarson,withsomehesitation,\"thatifIspoketohimImightbeabletoputittohiminsuchawaythathewouldseehownecessaryit————\"
\"Oh,excellent!\"exclaimedtheKing,eagerly,andrisingtohisfeet;\"ifyouonlywouldbesokind,MissCarson。\"
Kalonay,misunderstandingthesituationaltogether,fastenedhiseyesuponthetableanddidnotspeak。
\"Hehasnotcometoseeyou,Patricia,\"saidMrs。Carson,quietly。
\"HedoesnotknowthatIamhere,\"MissCarsonanswered;\"butI’msureifhedidhewouldbeverygladtoseeusagain。Andifwedoseehimwecanmakehimpromisenottodoanythingthatmightinterferewithourplans。Won’tyouletmespeaktohim,mother?\"
Mrs。Carsonturneduncertainlytothepriestfordirection,andhisglanceapparentlyreassuredher,forsherose,thoughstillwithatroubledcountenance,andthetwowomenlefttheroomtogether,themenstandingregardingeachotheranxiouslyacrossthetable。WhentheyhadgonetheKinglitacigaretteand,turninghisbackonhiscompanions,puffedatitnervouslyinsilence。Kalonaysatmoodilystudyingthepatternontheplatebeforehim,andtheotherswhisperedtogetheratthefartherendofthetable。
WhenMissCarsonandhermothersteppedoutupontheterrace,theAmericanwasstandingwithhisbacktowardthemandwasspeakingtotheguardswhosatcross—leggedatthetopofthesteps。Theyshowednosignofsurpriseatthefactofhisaddressingthemintheirowntonguefurtherthanthattheyansweredhimwithashowofrespectwhichtheyhadnotexhibitedtowardthosetheyprotected。TheAmericanturnedasheheardthefootstepsbehindhim,and,afterastartledlookofastonishment,hurriedtowardthetwowomen,exclaiming,witheveryexpressionofpleasure。
\"Ihadnoideayouwerestoppinghere,\"hesaid,afterthefirstgreetingswereover。\"IthoughtyouweresomewhereontheContinent。IamsogladIcaughtyou。ItseemscenturiessinceIsawyoulast。You’relookingverywell,Mrs。
Carson——andasforPatty——Iamalmostafraidofher——I’vebeenhearingallsortsofthingsaboutyoulately,Patty,\"hewenton,turningasmilingcountenancetowardthegirl。\"Aboutyourengagementstoprincesanddukes——allsortsofdisturbingrumors。Whataterribleswellyou’vegrowntobe。Ihardlyrecognizeyouatall,Mrs。Carson。Itisn’tpossiblethisisthesameyounggirlIusedtotakebuggyridingonSundayevenings?\"
\"Indeed,itisnot。Iwishitwere,\"saidMrs。Carson,plaintively,sinkingintoachair。\"I’mgladtoseeyou’renotchanged,Archie,\"sheadded,withasigh。
\"Why,he’sverymuchchanged,mother,\"thegirlsaid。\"He’staller,and,incomparisonwithwhathewas,he’salmostwastedaway,andsosunburnedIhardlyknewhim。Exceptroundtheforehead,\"sheadded,mockingly,\"andIsupposethesuncouldn’tburntherebecauseofthelaurel—wreaths。Iheartheybringthemtoyoufresheverymorning。\"
\"They’rebetterthancoronets,atanyrate,\"Gordonanswered,withanod。\"They’renotsocommon。AndifI’mwastedaway,canyouwonder?HowlonghasitbeensinceIsawyou,Patty?\"
\"No,I’mwrong,he’snotchanged,\"MissCarsonsaiddryly,assheseatedherselfbesidehermother。
\"Howdoyoutwocometobestoppinghere?\"theyoungmanasked。\"IthoughtthishotelhadbeenturnedovertoKingLouis?\"
\"Ithas,\"Mrs。Carsonanswered。\"WearestayingattheContinental,onthehillthere。Weareonlyhereforbreakfast。Heaskedustobreakfast。\"
\"He?\"repeatedGordon,withanincreduloussmile。\"Who?NottheKing——notthatblackguard?\"
MissCarsonraisedherhead,andstaredathiminsilence,andhermothergavealittlegasp,apparentlyofreliefandsatisfaction。
\"Yes,\"MissCarsonansweredatlast,coldly。\"Wearebreakfastingwithhim。Whatdoyouknowagainsthim?\"
Gordonstaredatherwithsuchgenuineastonishmentthatthegirlloweredhereyes,and,bendingforwardinherchair,twirledherparasolnervouslybetweenherfingers。
\"WhatdoIknowagainsthim?Why,Patty!\"heexclaimed。\"Howdidyoumeethim,inHeaven’sname?\"heasked,roughly。\"Haveyoubeenseenwithhim?Haveyouknownhimlong?Whohadtheimpudencetopresenthim?\"
Mrs。Carsonlookedup,nowthoroughlyalarmed。Herlowerlipwastrembling,andshetwistedherglovedhandstogetherinherlap。
\"Whatdoyouknowagainsthim?\"MissCarsonrepeated,meetingGordon’slookwithoneasfullofsurpriseashisown。
Theyoungmanregardedhersteadilyforafewmoments,andthen,withachangeofmanner,asthoughhenowsawthesituationwasmuchmoreseriousthanhehadatfirstsupposed,drewupachairinfrontofthetwowomenandseatedhimselfdeliberately。
\"Hasheborrowedanymoneyfromyouyet?\"heasked。MissCarson’sfaceflushedcrimsonandshestraightenedhershouldersandturnedhereyesawayfromGordonwitheverysignofindignationanddisapproval。Theyoungmangaveanexclamationofrelief。
\"No?That’sgood。Youcannothaveknownhimsoverylong。I
amgreatlyrelieved。\"
\"LouisofMessina,\"hebeganmoregently,\"isthemostunscrupulousrascalinEurope。Sincetheyturnedhimoutofhiskingdomhehaslivedbysellinghistitletomenwhoarepromotingnewbrandsofchampagneorfloatingqueerminingshares。ThegreaterpartofhisincomeisdependentonthegenerosityoftheoldnobilityofMessina,andwhentheydon’tpayhimreadilyenough,heleviesblackmailonthem。Heowesmoneytoeverytailorandhorse—dealerandhotel—keeperinEurope,andnoonewhocantellonecardfromanotherwillplaywithhim。Thatishisreputation。Andtohelphimliveuptoithehassurroundedhimselfwithaparcelofadventurersasrascallyashimself:aColonelErhauptwhowasdroppedfromaGermanregiment,andwhoisaColonelonlybythefavoroftheQueenofMadagascar;aretiredcroupiernamedBarrat;andafallenangelcalledKalonay,afellowoftheverybestbloodinEuropeandwiththeveryworstmorals。
TheycallhimtheKing’sjackal,andheisoneofthemostdelightfulblackguardsIevermet。SoistheKingforthatmatter,amostentertainingindividualifyoukeephiminhisplace,butamannowomancanknow。Infact,Mrs。Carson,\"
Gordonwenton,addressinghimselftothemother,\"whenyouhavetosaythatawomanhasabsolutelynoreputationwhateveryoucanbestexpressitbyexplainingthatshehasatitlefromLouisofMessina。ThatishisMajesty’swayoftreatinghisfemininefriendswhentheyborehimandhewantstogetridofthem。Hegivesthematitle。
\"Theonlythingthemaneverdidthatwastohiscreditandthatcouldbediscussedinpolitesocietyiswhatheisdoingnowatthisplace,atthismoment。Foritseems,\"Gordonwhispered,drawinghischaircloser,\"thatheisabouttoshowhimselfsomethingofamanafterall,andthatheisengagedinfittingoutanarmedexpeditionwithwhichhehopestorecoverhiskingdom。That’swhatbroughtmehere,andImustsayIratheradmirehimforattemptingsuchathing。Ofcourse,itwasKalonaywhoputhimuptoit;hewouldneverhavestirredfromtheboulevardsifthatyoungmanhadnotmadehim。Butheishere,nevertheless,waitingforafavorableopportunitytosail,andhehastenthousandriflesandthreeMaximgunslyinginhisyachtoutthereintheharbor。That’showIcametolearnaboutit。IwasgettinganestimateonanoutfitIwasthinkingoftakingintoYucatanfrommyoldgunsmithintheRueScribe,andhedroppedahintthathehadshippedtenthousandriflestoTangier,toColonelErhaupt。IhavemetErhauptinZanzibar,andknewhewastheKing’sright—handman,soIputtwoandtwotogetheranddecidedIwouldfollowthemup,and————\"
\"Yes,andnow,\"interruptedMissCarson,sharply——\"andnowthatyouhavefollowedthemup,whatdoyoumeantodo?\"
Gordonlookedhissurpriseatherearnestness,butansweredthathedidnotknowwhathewoulddo;hethoughthewouldeitheraskthemtogivehimacommissionintheirexpedition,andlethimhelpthemfight,andwriteanaccountoftheiradventureslater,orhewouldtelegraphthestoryatoncetohispaper。Itwaswithhim,hesaid,entirelyaquestionastowhichcoursewouldbeofthegreaternewsvalue。Ifhetoldwhathenowknew,hispaperwouldbethefirstofallothersto,informtheworldoftheexpeditionandtheproposedrevolution;whileifhevolunteeredfortheexpeditionandwaiteduntilithadfailedorsucceeded,hewouldbeabletotellmoreeventually,butwouldhavetoshareitwithothercorrespondents。
MissCarsonregardedhimwithanexpressioninwhichindignationandentreatywerecuriouslyblended。
\"Archie,\"shesaid,inalowvoice,\"youdonotknowwhatyouaredoingorsaying。YouarethreateningtospoiltheonethinginmylifeonwhichIhavesetmyheart。Thereturnofthismantohisthrone,whetherheisworthyornot,meanstherestorationoftheCatholicChurchonthatisland;itmeansthereturnofthemonksandtherebuildingofthemonasteries,andthesalvationofsixtythousandsouls。Iknowallthattheymeantodo。Iamtheonewhopaidforthoseriflesthatbroughtyouhere;youhavetoldmeonlywhatIhaveknownformonths,andforwhichIhavebeenearnestlyworkingandpraying。Iamnotblindedbythesemen。Theyarenotthecreaturesyoudescribe;butnomatterwhattheymaybe,itisonlythroughthem,andthroughthemalone,thatIcandowhatIhavesetouttodo。\"
Gordonsilencedherwithasweepofhishand。\"Doyoumeantotellme,\"hedemanded,\"thatyouaremixedupinthis——withthese——thattheyhavetakenmoneyfromyou,andtoldyoutheymeanttouseittore—establishtheChurch?Mrs。Carson,\"heexclaimed,bitterly,turninguponher,\"whyhaveyouallowedthis——whathaveyoubeendoingwhilethiswasgoingon?DoyousupposethosescoundrelscarefortheChurch——theChurch,indeed!WaituntilIseethem——anyofthem——Erhauptbychoice,andI’llmakethemgiveupeveryfrancyou’velentthem,orI’llhorsewhipandexposethemforthegangofwelshersandthimble—riggerstheyare;oriftheyprefertheirownmethods,I’llcallthemoutinrotationandshoottheirarmsandlegsoff。\"Hestoppedanddrewalongbreath,eitherofcontentthathehaddiscoveredthesituationintimetotakesomepartinit,orattheprospectofafight。
\"Theideaofyoutwohelplessfemaleswanderingintothisdenofwolves!\"heexclaimed,indignantly。\"It’sabouttimeyouhadamantolookafteryou!Yougobacktoyourhotelnow,andletmehaveachatwithLouisofMessina。He’skeptmewaitingsometwentyminutesasitis,andthat’salittlelongerthanIcangivehim。I’mnotacreditor。\"Herosefromhischair;butMissCarsonputoutherhandandmotionedhimtobeseated。
\"Archie,\"shesaid,\"Ilikethewayyoutakethis,eventhoughyouareallwrongaboutit,becauseit’sjustlikeyoutoflyintoapassionandwanttofightsomeoneforsomebody。Ifyourconclusionswereanywherenearthetruth,youwouldbeactingverywell。Buttheyarenot。TheKingisnothandlingmymoney,northePrinceKalonay。ItisinthekeepingofFatherPaul,theFatherSuperioroftheDominicanmonks,whoistheonlyoneofthesepeopleIknoworwhoknowsme。Heisnotaswindler,too,ishe,oraretiredcroupier?Listentomenow,anddonotflyoutlikethatatme,oratmother。Itisnotherfault。LastsummermotherandIwenttoMessinaastourists,andoneday,whenpassingthroughaseaporttown,wesawacrowdofpeopleontheshore,standingorkneelingbythehundredsinagreatsemicircleclosetothewater’sedge。
Therewasapriestpreachingtothemfromanopenboat。ItwaslikeascenefromtheNewTestament,andtheman,thisFatherPaul,mademethinkofoneofthedisciples。Iaskedthemwhyhedidnotpreachontheland,andtheytoldmethatheandallofthepriestshadbeenbanishedfromtheislandsixyearsbefore,andthattheycouldonlyreturnbystealthanddarednotlandexceptbynight。Whenthepriesthadfinishedspeaking,Ihadmyselfrowedouttohisboat,andI
talkedalongtimewithhim,andhetoldmeofthisplantore—establishhimselfandhisorder。Iofferedtohelphimwithmymoney,andhepromisedmealettertoCardinalNapoli。
ItreachedmeonmyreturntoRome,andthroughtheinfluenceoftheCardinalIwasgivenanaudiencewiththePope,andI
wasencouragedtoaidFatherPaulasfarasIcould。Ihadmeanttobuildamemorialchurchforfather,buttheyurgedmetogivethemoneyinsteadtothiscause。Allmydealingsuntilto—dayhavebeenwithFatherPaulalone。IhaveseenalittleofthePrinceKalonaybecausetheyarealwaystogether;
buthehasalwaystreatedmeinawaytowhichnoonecouldtakeexception,andheiscertainlyverymuchinearnest。
WhenFatherPaulleftParismotherandIcameonhereinordertobenearhim,andthatishowyoufindmeatTangier。Andnowthatyouunderstandhowmuchthismeanstome,Iknowyouwillnotdoanythingtostandinourway。Thosemeninsideareafraidthatyoucamehereforjustthereasonthatapparentlyhasbroughtyou,andwhentheysawyoualittlewhileagothroughthewindowstheyweregreatlydisturbed。
Letmetellthemthatyoumeantovolunteerforthecampaign。
TheKingcannotrefusetheservicesofamanwhohasdonethethingsyouarealwaysdoing。AndIpromiseyouthatforarewardyoushallbetheonlyonetotellthestoryofourattempt。Ipromiseyou,\"sherepeatedearnestly,\"thatthedayweenterthecapital,youcancablewhateveryoupleaseandtellourstorytothewholeofEurope。\"
\"Thestorybehanged!\"repliedGordon。\"Youhavemadethisamuchmoreseriousbusinessthananewspaperstory。Youmisunderstandmeutterly,Patty。IamherenowbecauseIamnotgoingtohaveyoucompromisedandrobbed。\"
Thegirlstoodupandlookeddownattheyoungmanindignantly。
\"Youhavenorightwhatevertousethattonetome,\"shesaid。
\"Iamofageandmyownadviser。Iamactingforthegoodofagreatnumberofpeople,andaccordingtowhatmyconscienceandcommonsensetellmeisright。Ishallhateyouifyouattempttointerfere。Youcandooneoftwothings,Archie。
Igiveyouyourchoice:youcaneithergowiththemasavolunteer,andpromisetokeepoursecret;oryoucancablewhatyouknownow,whatyouknowonlybyaccident,butifyoudo,youwillloseyourbestfriend,andyouwilldefeatagoodandanobleeffort。\"
Gordonleanedbackinhischair,andlookedupathersteadilyforabriefmoment,andthenrosewithasmile,andbowedtothetwowomeninsilence。Hecrossedtheterracequicklywithanamusedandpuzzledcountenance,andwalkedintothebreakfast—room,fromthewindowsofwhich,asherightlyguessed,thefiveconspiratorshadforsometimeobservedhim。
Helookedfromonetotheotherofthemenaboutthetable,untilhiseyesfinallymetthoseoftheKing。
\"Ibelieve,sir,youareleadinganexpeditionagainsttheRepublicofMessina?\"Gordonsaid。\"Iamafraiditcan’tstartunlessyoutakemewithyou。\"
III
ThepresenceinTangieroftheKingofMessinaandhissuite,andthearrivalthereoftheFrenchnoblemenwhohadvolunteeredfortheexpedition,couldnotescapetheobservationoftheresidentConsuls—Generalandoftheforeigncolony,anddinners,ridingandhuntingparties,pig—sticking,andexcursionsonhorsebackintotheoutlyingcountrywereplannedfortheirhonoranddailyentertainment。Hadtheconspiratorsheldalooffromthese,theresidentsmighthaveasked,sinceitwasnottoenjoythemselves,whatwasthepurposeoftheirstayinTangier;andso,toallaysuspicionastotheirrealobject,differentmembersoftheexpeditionhadbeenassignedfromtimetotimetorepresentthevisitorsatthesefestivities。OnthemorningfollowingthereturnoftheyachtfromMessina,aninvitationtoridetoafarmhousesomemilesoutofTangierandtobreakfasttherehadbeensenttothevisitors,andtheKinghaddirectedthePrinceKalonay,andhalfofthedelegationfromParis,toacceptitinhisname。
Theywerewellcontenttogo,androdeforthgaylyandinhighspirits,forthewordhadbeenbroughtthemearlyinthemorningthattheexpeditionwasalreadypreparedtomove,andthatsameeveningatmidnighttheyachtwouldsetsailforMessina。Theywerecarelessastowhatfortunewaitedforthemthere。Thepromiseofmuchexcitement,offightingandofdanger,ofpossiblehonorandsuccess,stirredtheheartsoftheyoungmengloriously,andastheygallopedacrosstheplains,orracedeachotherfrompointtopoint,orhaltedtojumptheirponiesacrossthemanygapingcreviceswhichthesunhadsplitinthesurfaceoftheplain,theyfilledthestill,warmairwiththeirshoutsandlaughter。Inthepartythereweremanyladies,andthegroupschangedandformedagainastheyrodeforward,spreadoutoneithersideofthecaravan—trailandcoveringtheplainlikeaskirmishlineofcavalry。ButKalonaykeptcloseatMissCarson’sstirrup,whethershewalkedherponyorsenthimflyingacrossthehard,sunbakedsoil。
\"Ihopeyouwon’tdothatagain,\"hesaid,earnestly,asshedrewuppanting,withhersailorhatandhairfallingtohershoulders。Theyhadbeengallopingrecklesslyovertheopencrevicesinthesoil。
\"It’squitethenastiestcountryIeversaw,\"hesaid。\"Itlooksasthoughanearthquakehadshakenitopenandhadforgottentocloseitagain。Believeme,itismostunsafeanddangerous。Yourponymightstumble——\"Hestopped,asthoughthepossibilitiesweretooseriousforwords,butthegirllaughed。
\"It’snomoredangerousthanridingacrossourprairieatduskwhenyoucan’tseethebarbedwire。Youarethelastpersonintheworldtofindfaultbecauseathingisdangerous,\"sheadded。
Theyhadreachedthefarm,wheretheywenttobreakfast,andtheyoungEnglishmanwhowastheirhostwasreceivinghisguestsinhisgarden,andtheservantswerepassingamongthem,carryingcooldrinksandpowderedsweetsandTurkishcoffee。Kalonaygavetheirponiestoaservantandpointedwithhiswhiptoanarborthatstoodatoneendofthegarden。
\"Maywesitdownthereamomentuntiltheycallus?\"hesaid。
\"Ihavenewsofmuchimportance——andImaynothaveanotherchance,\"hebegged,lookingatherwistfully。Thegirlstoodmotionless;hereyeswereserious,andshemeasuredthedistancedownthewalktothearborasthoughshesawitbesetwithdangersmoreactualthanprecipicesandtwistedwire。
ThePrincewatchedherasthoughhisfatewasbeingweighedinhispresence。
\"Verywell,\"shesaidatlast,andmovedonbeforehimdownthegarden—path。
Thearborwasopentotheairwithalow,broadroofofpalm—leavesthatoverhungitonallsidesandleftitindeepshadow。Arounditweremanystrangeplantsandflowers,somenativetoMoroccoandsometransplantedfromtheirEnglishhome。Fromwheretheysattheycouldseetheotherguestsmovinginandoutamongthegrovesoforangeandolivetreesandswayingpalms,andstanding,outlinedagainstthebluesky,uponthelow,flatroofofthefarm—house。
\"Ihavedaredtoaskyoutobesogoodastogivemethismoment,\"thePrincesaidhumbly,\"onlybecauseIamgoingaway,anditmaybemylastchancetospeakwithyou。Youdonotmind?YoudonotthinkIpresume?\"
\"No,Idonotmind,\"saidthegirl,smiling。\"Inmycountrywedonotthinkitaterribleoffencetotalktoagirlatagarden—party。Butyousaidtherewassomethingofimportanceyouwantedtosaytome。Youmeantheexpedition?\"
\"Yes,\"saidKalonay。\"Westartthisevening。\"Thegirlraisedherheadslightlyandstaredpasthimattheburningwhitewallsandtheburningblueskythatlayoutsidethecircleofshadowinwhichtheysat。
\"Thisevening——\"sherepeatedtoherself。
\"Wereachthereintwodays,\"Kalonaycontinued;\"andthenwe——thenwegoon——untilweenterthecapital。\"
Thegirl’sheadwasbent,andshelookedatherhandsastheylayinherlapandfrownedatthem,theyseemedsowhiteandprettyanduseless。
\"Yes,yougoon,\"sherepeated,\"andwestayhere。Youareamanandabletogoon。Iknowwhatthatmeans。Andyoulikeit,\"sheadded,withaglanceofmingledadmirationandfear。
\"Youaregladtofightandtoriskdeathandtoleadmenontokillothermen。\"
Kalonaydrewlinesinthesandwithhisridingwhip,anddidnotraisehishead。
\"Isupposeitisbecauseyouarefightingforyourhome,\"thegirlcontinued,\"andtosetyourcountryfree,andthatyoucanlivewithyourownpeopleagain,andbecauseitisaholywar。Thatmustbeit。Nowthatitisreallycome,Iseeitalldifferently。IseethingsIhadnotthoughtaboutbefore。
Theyfrightenme,\"shesaid。
ThePrinceraisedhisheadandfacedthegirl,claspingtheendofhiswhipnervouslyinhishand。\"IfweshouldwintheislandfortheKing,\"hesaid,\"Ibelieveitwillmakeagreatchangeinme。Ishallbeabletogofreelythentomyhome,asyousay,tolivetherealways,togiveupthelifeI
haveledontheContinent。Ithasbeenafoolishlife——adog’slife——andIhavenoonetoblameforitbutmyself。I
madeitworsethanitneedtohavebeen。Butifwewin,I
havepromisedmyselfthatIwillnotreturntoit;andifwefallIshallnotreturntoit,forthereasonthatIshallhavebeenkilled。Ishallhavemuchpowerifwewin。WhenI
saymuchpower,ImeanmuchpowerinMessina,inthatlittlecorneroftheworld,andIwishtouseitworthilyandwell。
IamafraidIshouldnothavethoughtofit,\"hewenton,naively,asthoughheweretryingtobequitefair,\"hadnotFatherPaulpointedouttomewhatIshoulddo,howIcouldraisethepeopleandstoptheabuseswhichmadethemdriveusfromtheisland。Thepeoplemustbetaxedlessheavily,andthemoneymustbespentforthemandnotforus,onroadsandharborsandschools,notatthePalaceonbanquetsandfetes。
TheseareFatherPaul’sideas,notmine,——butnowImakethemmine。\"Heroseandpacedthelengthofthelittlearbor,hishandsclaspedbehindhimandhiseyesbentontheground。
\"Yes,thatiswhatImeantodo,\"hesaid。\"ThatisthewayI
meantolive。Andifwefail,Imeantobeamongthosewhoaretodieonthefortificationsofthecapital,sothatwithmetheKalonayfamilywillend,andendfightingfortheKing,asmanyofmypeoplehavedonebeforeme。Thereisnootherway。Formethereshallbenomoreidlenessnorexile。I
musteitherliveontohelpmypeople,orImustdiewiththem。\"Hestoppedinhiswalkandregardedthegirlclosely。
\"Youmaybethinking,itiseasyforhimtopromisethis,itiseasytospeakofwhatonewilldo。Iknowthat。IknowthatIcanpointbackatnothingIhavedonethatgivesmeanyrighttoaskyoutobelievemenow。ButIdoaskit,forifyoubelieveme——believewhatIsay——itmakesiteasierformetotellyouwhyafterthisImustliveworthily。Butyouknowwhy?Youmustknow;itisnotpossiblethatyoudonotknow。\"
Hesatdownbesideheronthebench,leaningforwardandcrushinghishandstogetheronhisknee。\"ItisbecauseI
loveyou。BecauseIloveyousothateverythingwhichisnotworthyishatefultome,myselfmostofall。Itistheonlythingthatcounts。IusedtothinkIknewwhatlovemeant;I
usedtothinklovewasaselfishthingthatneededloveinreturn,thatitmustbefedonlovetolive,thatitneededvowsandtenderspeechesandcaresses,oritwoulddie。I
knownowthatwhenonetrulycares,hedoesnotaskwhethertheothercaresornot。Itiswhatonegivesthatcounts,notwhatonereceives。Youhavegivenmenothing——nothing——notawordnoralook;yetsinceIhaveknownyouIhavebeenmoremadlyhappyinjustknowingthatyoulivethanIwouldhavebeenhadanyotherwomaninalltheworldthrownherselfintomyarmsandsaidshelovedmeaboveallothermen。Iamnotfittotellyouthis。Butto—nightIgototrymyself,eithernevertoseeyouagain,ortocomebackperhapsmoreworthytoloveyou。ThinkofthiswhenIamgone。Donotspeaktomenow。Imayhavemadeyouhatemeforspeakingso,orImayhavemadeyoupityme;soletmegonotknowing,justlovingyou,worshippingyou,andholdingyouapartandaboveallotherpeople。Igotofightforyou,doyouunderstand?NotforourChurch,notformypeople,butforyou,toliveordieforyou。AndIasknothingfromyoubutthatyouwillletmeloveyoualways。\"
ThePrincebent,andcatchingupMissCarson’sriding—glovesthatlaybesideheronthebench,kissedthemagainandagain,andthen,risingquickly,walkedoutofthearborintothewhitesunshine,and,withoutturning,mountedhisponyandgallopedacrosstheburningdesertinthedirectionofTangier。
ArchieGordonhadnotbeeninvitedtojointheexcursionintothecountry,norwouldhehaveacceptedit,forhewishedtobebyhimselfthathemightreviewthesituationandconsiderwhatlaybeforehim。HesatwithhislonglegsdanglingoverthebroadrampartwhichoverlookstheharborofTangier。Hewaswhistlingmeditativelytohimselfandbeatinganaccompanimenttothetunewithhisheels。Atintervalsheceasedwhistlingwhileheplacedacigarbetweenhisteethandpulleduponitthoughtfully,resuminghistuneagainatthepointwhereithadbeeninterrupted。Belowhimthewavesranuplazilyonthelevelbeachandsankagain,draggingthelongsea—weedwiththem,astheysweptagainstthesharprocks,andexposedthemforaninstant,nakedandglisteninginthesun。
Oneithersideofhimthetownstretchedtomeetthelow,white,sand—hillsinacrescentoflow,whitehousespiercedbygreenminaretsandroyalpalms。Awarmsunhadsenttheworldtosleepatmid—day,andanenforcedpeacehungovertheglaringwhitetownandthesparklingbluesea。Gordonblinkedattheglare,buthiseyesshowednosignsofdrowsiness。
Theywere,onthecontrary,awaketoallthatpassedonthehighroadbehindhim,andonthesandybeachathisfeet,whileatthesametimehismindwasbusilyoccupiedinreviewingwhathadoccurredthedaybefore,andinadjustingnewconditions。Atthehotelhehadfoundthatthesituationwasbecomingtoocomplicated,andthatitwasimpossibletofeelsureofthetruthofanything,orofthesincerityofanyone。Sincetheluncheonhourthedaybeforehehadbecomeafellow—conspiratorwithmenwhowereasobjectionabletohimineverywayasheknewhewasobnoxioustothem。Buttheyhadbeenforcedtoaccepthimbecause,sotheysupposed,hehadthematthemercyofhisownpleasure。Heknewtheirsecret,andinthelegitimatepursuitofhisprofessionhecould,ifhechose,informtheislandofMessina,withtherestoftheworld,oftheirintentiontowardit,andbringtheirexpeditiontoanend,thoughhehadchosen,asarewardforhissilence,tobecomeoneofthemselves。OnlytheCountessZarahadguessedthetruth,thatitwasGordonhimselfwhowasattheirmercy,andthatsolongastheAmericangirlpersistedincastingherfortuneswiththemheroldyoungfriendwasonlytooeagertomakeanyarrangementwiththemthatwouldkeephimatherside。
Itwasaperplexingposition,andGordonturneditoverandoverinhismind。HaditnotbeenthatMissCarsonhadapartinithewouldhaveenjoyedtheadventure,asanadventure,keenly。Hehadnoobjectionstofightingonthesideofrascals,oragainstrascals。Heobjectedtothemonlyinthecalmermomentsofprivatelife;andashewasofcourseignorantthattheexpeditionwasonlyamake—believe,hefeltacertainrespectforhisfellow—conspiratorsasmenwhowerewillingtostaketheirlivesforachanceofbetterfortune。
Butthattheirbraverywasofthekindwhichwouldmakethemhesitatetorobanddeceiveahelplessgirlheverymuchdoubted;forheknewthateventhebravestofwarriorsontheirwaytobattlewillrequisitionaherdofcattleorstoptolootatemple。Thedaybefore,GordonhadwitnessedthebriefceremonywhichattendedthepresentationoftheyoungnoblemenfromPariswhohadvolunteeredfortheexpeditioninallgoodfaith,andherevieweditandanalyzeditashesatsmokingontheramparts。
Ithadbeenanimpressiveceremony,inspiteofthefactthatsofewhadtakenpartinit,buttheearnestnessofthevisitorsandtheenthusiasmofKalonayandthepriesthadmadeupforthelackofnumbers。Thescenehadappealedtohimasoneofthemostdramatichehadwitnessedinthepursuitofacallinginwhichlookingonatrealdramaswasthemostfrequentduty,andhehadenjoyedthestrangemixtureofancienttermsofaddressandtitleswiththemodernmannersofthementhemselves。IthadinterestedhimtowatchBaronBarratbringouttheancientcrownandjewelledsceptrewhichhadbeentheregaliaofalltheKingsofMessinasincetheCrusadesandspreadthemoutuponawickertea—table,fromwhichNiccolashadjustremovedsomeemptycoffee—cups,halffilledwiththeendsofcigarettes,someyellow—backednovels,andacopyoftheParisFigaro。Itwasalsointerestingtohimtonotehowthesightofthelittleheir—apparentaffectedboththepeasantsfromthemountainsandtheyoungnoblesfromtheClubRoyale。Theformerfellupontheirkneeswiththetearsrollingdownthefurrowsintheirtannedcheeks,whilethelittlewise—eyedboystoodclingingtohisnurse’sskirtswithonehandandtohisfather’sfingerwiththeother,andnoddedhisheadatthemgravelylikeatoymandarin。
ThentheKinghadaddressedtheminadignifled,earnest,andalmosteloquentspeech,andhadpromisedmuchandprophesiedthebestoffortunes,andthen,atthelast,hadturnedsuddenlytowardMissCarson,whereshestoodinthebackgroundbetweenhermotherandFatherPaul。
\"EverycausehasitsJoanofArc,oritsMariaTheresa,\"hecried,lookingsteadfastlyatMissCarson。\"Nocausehassucceededwithoutsomegoodwomantoaidit。Tohelpus,myfriends,wehaveadaughterofthepeople,aswasJoanofArc,andaqueen,aswasMariaTheresa,forshecomesfromthatcountrywhereeverywomanisaqueeninherownright,andwheretheloveoflibertyisinherent。\"TheKingtookaquickstepbackward,andtakingMissCarson’shanddrewherforwardbesidehimandplacedherfacinghisaudience,whilethegirlmadevaineffortstowithdrawherhand。\"Thisisshe,\"hesaidearnestly,\"thetruedaughteroftheChurchwhohasmadeitpossibleforustoreturntoourownagain。ItisduetoherthattheKingofMessinashallsitoncemoreonhisthrone;itisthroughhergenerosityalonethatthechurcheswillrisefromtheirruinsandthatyouwillonceagainheartheAngelusringacrossthefieldsatsunset。Rememberher,myfriendsandcousins,prayforherasasaintuponearth,andfightgloriouslytohelphertosuccess!\"
Gordonhadrestrainedhimselfwithdifficultywhilethisscenewasbeingenacted;hecouldnotbearthethoughtoftheKingtouchingthegirl’shand。Hestruggledtopreventhimselffromcryingoutatthefalsepositionintowhichhehaddraggedher;andyettherewassomethingsoadmirablysincereintheKing’swords,somethingsocourteousandmanly,thatitrobbedhiswordsofallthetheatricaleffecttheyheld,andhistributetothegirlfilledevenGordonwithanemotionwhichonthepartoftheyoungnoblesfoundexpressionincheeruponcheer。
GordonrecalledthesecheersandthelooksofwonderingadmirationwhichhadbeenturneduponMissCarson,andhegrewsohotattherecollectionthathestruckthewallbesidehimsavagelywithhisclinchedfist,anddamnedtheobstinacyofhisyoungandbeautifulfriendwithasincerityandvigorthatwasthehighestexpressionofhisinterestinherbehalf。
Hethrewhiscigarintotherampartathisfeetanddroppedbackintothehighroad。Itwasdesertedatthetime,exceptforthepresenceofatall,slightlybuiltstranger,whoadvancedtowardhimfromthecitygates。ThemanwasdressedingarmentsofEuropeanfashionandcarriedhimselflikeasoldier,andGordonputhimdownataglanceasoneofthevolunteersfromParis。Thestrangerwaswalkingleisurely,stoppingtogazeatthefeluccasinthebay,andthenturningtolookupatthefortressonthehill。Heseemedtohavenopurposeinhiswalkexcepttheinterestofatourist,andashedrewupevenwithGordonheraisedhishelmetpolitelyand,greetinghiminEnglish,askedifhewereontherightroadtotheBashaw’sPalace。Gordonpointedtowherethewhitewallsofthepalaceroseabovetheotherwhitewallsaboutit。
\"Thatisit,\"hesaid。\"Alltheroadsleadtoit。Youkeepgoinguphill。\"
\"Thankyou,\"saidthestranger。\"IseeIhavetakenalongway。\"Heputhiswhiteumbrellainthesand,and,removinghishelmet,moppedhisforeheadwithhishandkerchief。\"Itisacuriousoldtown,Tangier,\"hesaid,affably,\"buttoomanyhills,isitnotso?AlgiersIlikebetter。Thereismorelife。\"
\"Yes,Algiersisalmostasgoodastheboulevards,\"Gordonassented,\"ifyouliketheboulevards。Ipreferthisplacebecauseitisunspoiled。But,asyousay,thereisnotmuchtodohere。\"
Thestranger’seyesfellupontheHotelGrandeBretagne,whichstoodaquarterofamileawayfromthemonthebeach。
\"ThatistheHotelBretagne,isitnot?\"heasked。Gordonansweredhimwithanod。
\"TheKingLouisofMessina,sothechasseuratthehoteltellsme,isstoppingthereensuite,\"thestrangeradded,withaninterrogativeairofonewhovolunteersaninterestingfact,andwhoasksifitistrueatthesamemoment。
\"Ican’tsay,I’msure,\"Gordonreplied。\"Ionlyarrivedhereyesterday。\"
Thestrangerbowedhisheadinrecognitionofthispieceofpersonalinformation,and,puttingonhishelmet,pickeduphisumbrellaasthoughtocontinuehisstroll。Ashedidsohiseyeswanderedovertheharborandwerearrestedwithapparentinterestbytheyacht,whichlayaconspicuousobjectonthebluewater。Hepointedatitwithhisumbrella。
\"OneofyourEnglishmen—of—warisintheharbor,Isee。Sheisverypretty,butnotlarge;notsolargeasmany,\"hesaid。
Gordonturnedhisheadobliginglyandgazedattheyachtwithpoliteinterest。\"Isthataman—of—war?Ithoughtitwasayacht,\"hesaid。\"I’mnotfamiliarwiththeEnglishwar—vessels。IamanAmerican。\"
\"Ah,indeed!\"commentedtheaffablestranger。\"IamFrenchmyself,butIthinksheisaman—of—war。IsawhergunswhenIpassedonthesteamerfromGibraltar。\"
Gordonknewthatthesteamerdidnotpasswithinhalfamileofwheretheyachtlayatanchor,butheconsidereditmightbepossibletoseeherdeckswiththeaidofaglass。
\"Youmayberight,\"heanswered,indifferently。Asheturnedhiseyesfromtheboathesawawoman,dressedinwhite,andcarryingaparasol,leavethegardensoftheHotelBretagne,andcometowardthemalongthebeach。TheFrenchman,followingthedirectionofhiseyes,sawheralso,andregardedherinstantlywithsuchevidentconcernthatGordon,whohadrecognizedherevenatthatdistanceastheCountessZara,feltassuredthathisinquisitorheld,ashehadalreadysuspected,morethanatourist’sinterestinTangier。
\"Well,Iwillwishyouagood—morning,\"saidtheFrenchman,hurriedly。
\"Good—morning,\"Gordonreplied,andtakingacigarfromhiscase,heseatedhimselfagainupontherampart。Ashewalkedawaythestrangerglancedbackoverhisshoulder,butGordonwasapparentlyabsorbedinwatchingthewavesbelowhim,andhadlostallinterestinhischanceacquaintance。ButhewatchedboththewomanandtheFrenchmanastheyadvancedslowlyfromoppositedirectionsanddrewnearertogether,andhewasnotaltogethersurprised,whentheinmanwaswithintwentyfeetofher,toseeherstartandstandstill,andthen,withtheindecisionofahuntedanimal,moveuncertainly,andthenturnandruninthedirectionofthehotel。Somethingthemanapparentlycalledafterhercausedhertostop,andGordonobservedthemnowwithundisguisedinterestastheystoodconversingtogether,obliviousoftheconspicuousmarktheymadeonthebroadwhitebeachunderthebrilliantsun。
\"Iwonderwhathe’suptonow?\"Gordonmused。\"Hewastryingtopumpme,that’sevident,andhecertainlyrecognizedthelady,andsheapparentlydidnotwanttorecognizehim。I
wonderifheisarejectedlover,oranotherconspirator。
Thisisamostamusingplace,nothingbutplotsandcounterplotsand——Hello!\"heexclaimedaloud。ThemanhadmovedquicklypastMadameZara,andhadstartedtowardthehotel,andZarahadheldoutherhandtohim,asthoughtoentreathimtoremain。Buthedidnotstop,andshehadtakenafewuncertainstepsafterhim,andhadthen,muchtotheAmerican’sdismay,fallenlimplyonherbackonthesoftsand。
Shewasnotahundredyardsdistantfromwherehesat,andinaninstanthehadslippedfromthewall,anddroppedonhishandsandkneesonthebeachbelow。WhenGordonreachedhertheFrenchmanhadreturned,andwassupportingherheadonhiskneeandcoveringherheadwithherparasol。
\"Theladyhasfainted!\"heexclaimed,eagerly。Hismannerwasnolongeroneofidleindolence。Hewaswideawakenowandvisiblyexcited。
\"Thesunhasbeentoomuchforher,\"hesaid。\"Itismostdangerouswalkingaboutatthistimeofday。\"
Gordonrandownthebeachandscoopedupsomewaterinhishelmet,anddippinghishandkerchiefinitbathedhertemplesandcheek。Hehadtimetonotethatshewasaverybeautifulgirl,andthepallorofherfacegaveitatouchofgentlenessthathehadnotseentherebefore。
\"Iwillgotothehotelandbringassistance,saidthestranger,uneasily,asthewomanshowedsignsofregainingconsciousness。
\"No,\"saidGordon,\"you’llstaywhereyouareandshadeherwithherumbrella。She’llbeallrightinaminute。\"
Thegirlopenedhereyes,andlookingupsawGordonbendingoverher。Sheregardedhimforamomentandmadeanefforttorise,andinherendeavortodosohereyesmetthoseoftheFrenchman,andwithasharpmoansheshutthemagainandthrewherselffromGordon’skneetothesand。
\"Givemethatumbrella,\"saidGordon,\"andgostandoverthereoutoftheway。\"
Themanrosefromhiskneewithoutshowinganyresentmentandwalkedsomelittledistanceaway,wherehestoodwithhisarmsfolded,lookingouttosea。Heseemedmuchtoooccupiedwithsomethingofpersonalinteresttoconcernhimselfwithawoman’sfainting—spell。Thegirlliftedherselfslowlytoherelbow,andthen,beforeGordoncouldassisther,rosewithaquick,gracefulmovementandstooderectuponherfeet。SheplacedadetaininghandforaninstantontheAmerican’sarm。
\"Thankyouverymuch,\"shesaid。\"IamafraidIhavebeenimprudentingoingoutintothesun。\"HereyeswerefixedupontheFrenchman,whostoodmoodilystaringattheseaandtearingoneofhisfinger—nailswithhisteeth。Heseemedutterlyobliviousoftheirpresence。ThegirlheldoutherhandfortheparasolshehaddroppedandtookitfromGordonwithabow。
\"MayIwalkbackwithyoutoyourhotel?\"heasked。\"Unlessthisgentleman————\"
\"Thankyou,\"thegirlsaid,intoneswhichtheFrenchmancouldhaveeasilyoverheardhadhebeenlistening。\"Iamquiteabletogoalonenow;itisonlyastep。\"
ShewasstillregardingtheFrenchmanclosely;butashewasobviouslyunconsciousofthemshemovedsothatGordonhidherfromhim,andinanentirelydifferentvoiceshesaid,speakingrapidly,——
\"YouareMr。Gordon,theAmericanwhojoineduslastnight。
ThatmanisaspyfromMessina。HeisRenauld,theCommander—in—Chiefoftheirarmy。Hemustbegottenawayfromhereatonce。Itisamatterforamantoattendto。Willyoudoit?\"
\"Howdoyouknowthis?\"Gordonasked。\"HowdoyouknowheisGeneralRenauld?Iwanttobecertain。\"
Thegirltossedherheadimpatiently。
\"HewaspointedouttomeatMessina。Isawhimthereincommandatareview。Hehasjustspokentome——thatwaswhatfrightenedmeintothatfainting—spell。Ididn’tthinkIwassoweak,\"shesaid,shakingherhead。\"Heofferedmeabribetoinformhimofourplans。Itellyouheisaspy。\"
\"That’sallright,\"saidGordon,reassuringly;\"yougobacktothehotelnowandsendthoseguardshereonarun。I’llmakeachargeagainsthimandhavehimlockedupuntilafterwesailto—night。Hurry,please;I’llstayhere。\"
Gordonfeltapleasurableglowofexcitement。Itwashisnaturetothrowhimselfintoeverythinghedidandtoatoncebecomeapartisan。Itwasaqualitywhichmadehiswritingsattractivetothereader,andanobjectofconcerntohiseditor。Attheveryword\"spy,\"andatthisfirsthintofoppositiontothecauseinwhichhehadbutjustenlisted,hethrilledasthoughithadalwaysbeenhisown,andheregardedtheFrenchmanwithapersonaldislikeassuddenasitwasunfounded。
TheFrenchmanhadturnedandwaswalkinginthedirectionofthecitygate。Hiseyeswerebentonthesandybeachwhichstretchedbeforehim,andhemadehiswayutterlyunmindfulofthewavesthatstoleuptohisfeetandleftlittlepoolsofwaterinhispath。Gordonbeckonedimpatientlytothetwosoldierswhocamerunningtowardhimatthehotel,andmovedforwardtomeetthemthesooner。HetookoneofthembythewristandpointedwithhisotherhandattheretreatingfigureoftheFrenchman。
\"Thatman,\"hesaid,\"isoneoftheKing’senemies。TheKingisindangerwhilethatmanishere。YourdutyistoprotecttheKing,sohegivesthisforeignerintoyourcharge。\"
Thesoldiernoddedhisheadinassent。\"TheKinghimselfsentus,\"hereplied。
\"YouwillplacehimintheCivilPrison,\"Gordoncontinued,\"untiltheKingissafeonhisyacht,andyouwillnotallowhimtosendfortheFrenchConsul—General。IfheseestheConsul—Generalhewilltellhimagreatmanyliesaboutyou,andagreatwar—shipwillcomeandyourBashawwillbeforcedtopaytheforeignersmuchmoney。Iwillgowithyouandtellthismaninhisowntonguewhatyouaregoingtodowithhim。\"
TheywalkedhurriedlyaftertheFrenchman,andwhentheyhadovertakenhimGordonhaltedandbowed。
\"Onemoment,please,\"hesaid。\"Thesesoldiershaveanorderforyourarrest。Ispeakthelanguage,andifyouhaveanythingtosaytothemIwillinterpretforyou。\"
TheFrenchmanstaredfromGordontotheguardsandthenlaughedincredulouslybutwithnogreatconfidence。Hehadmuchtosay,buthedemandedtoknowfirstwhyheshouldbearrested。
\"Theladyyouinsulted,\"Gordonanswered,gravely,\"happened,unfortunatelyforyou,tobeoneoftheKing’sguests。Shehascomplainedtohim,andhehassentthesesoldierstoputyouwhereyoucannottroubleheragain。Yousee,sir,youcannotannoywomenwithimpunityeveninthisbarbarouscountry。\"
\"Insulther!Ididnotinsulther,\"themanretorted。\"ThatisnotthereasonIamarrested。\"
\"Youannoyedhersomuchthatshefainted。Isawyou,\"saidGordon,backingawaywiththeevidentpurposeofabandoningtheforeignertohisguards。
\"Shehaslied,\"themancried,\"eithertotheKingortome。
Idonotknowwhich,butIamheretofindout。ThatiswhyI
cametoTangier,andIintendtolearnthetruth。\"
\"You’vebegunratherbadly,\"Gordonanswered,ashestillretreated。\"IntheCivilPrisonyourfieldofinvestigationwillbelimited。\"
TheFrenchmantookahastysteptowardhim,shruggingoffthehandoneofthesoldiershadplacedonhisshoulder。
\"AreyouthePrinceKalonay,sir?\"hedemanded。\"Butsurelynot,\"headded。
\"No,IamnotthePrince,\"Gordonanswered。\"Ibidyougood—morning,sir。\"
\"Thenyouareontheotherside,\"themancalledafterhimeagerly,withatoneofgreatrelief。\"Ihavebeenrightfromtheveryfirst。Iseeitplainly。Itisadoubleplot,andyouareoneofthatwoman’sdupes。Listentome——Ibegofyou,listentome——Ihaveastorytotell。\"
Gordonpausedandlookedbackatthemanoverhisshoulder,doubtfully。
\"It’sliketheArabianNights,\"hesaid,withapuzzledsmile。
\"TherewasoncearichmerchantofBagdadandtheSultanwasgoingtoexecutehim,buttheyputofftheexecutionuntilhecouldtellthemthestoryoftheBeautifulCountessandtheFrenchEnvoy。Iamsorry,\"headded,shakinghishead,\"butI
cannotlistennow。Imustnotbeseentalkingtoyouatall,andeveryonecanseeushere。\"
Theywereasconspicuousfiguresontheflatsurfaceofthebeachastwopalmsinadesert,andGordonwasmostanxioustoescape,forhewasconsciousthathecouldbeobservedfromeverypointinthetown。Ahundredyardsaway,ontheterraceofthehotel,hesawtheKing,MadameZara,Barrat,andErhauptstandingtogetherwatchingthem。
\"IftheAmericanleaveshimnow,wearesafe,\"theKingwassaying。Hespokeinawhisper,asthoughhefearedthatevenatthatdistanceGordonandtheFrenchmancouldoverhearhiswords。\"Butifheremainswithhimhewillfindoutthetruth,andthatmeansruin。Hewillruinus。\"
\"Look,heiscomingthisway,\"Zaraanswered。\"Heisleavinghim。Thedangerispast。\"
TheFrenchmanraisedhiseyesandsawthefourfiguresgroupedcloselytogetherontheterrace。
\"See,whatdidItellyou?\"hecried。\"SheiswiththeKingnow。Itisaplotwithinaplot,andIbelieveyouknowit,\"
headded,furiously。\"Youareoneofthesebraveblackmailersyourself——thatiswhyyouwillnotletmespeak。\"
\"Blackmailers!\"saidGordon。\"Confoundyourimpudence,whatthedevildoyoumeanbythat?\"
ButtheFrenchmanwasstaringangrilyatthedistantgroupontheterrace,andGordonturnedhiseyesinthesamedirection。
Somethinghesawinthestrainedandeagerattitudeofthefourconspiratorsmovedhimtoasuddendetermination。
\"Thatwilldo,youmustgo,\"hecommanded,pointingwithhisarmtowardthecitygate;andbeforetheFrenchmancouldreply,hegaveanordertotheguards,andtheyseizedtheforeignerroughlybyeitherarmandhurriedhimaway。
\"ThankGod!\"exclaimedtheKing,piously。\"Theyhaveseparated,andtheboythinksheisrenderingusgreatservice。Well,andsoheis,theyoungfool。\"
Thegrouponthepiazzaremainedmotionless,watchingGordonasheleisurelylitacigarandstoodlookingoutattheharboruntiltheFrenchmanhaddisappearedinsidethecitywall。Thenheturnedandwalkedslowlyafterhim。
\"Idonotlikethat。Idonotlikehisfollowinghim,\"saidBarrat,suspiciously。