CHAPTER XXIX
COUNT VON RUDLOFF
The effect of my announcement was supreme. I myself was deeply affected,and in the moments of critical silence during which the Emperor and hisold confidential adviser stood gazing at me I could not raise my head tomeet their looks.
The Kaiser was the first to speak.
"You have amazed me. I know you now, but I did not. What was the meaningof your pretended death? Rise, I do not wish you to kneel to me."
There seemed a little hope in the last sentence. I got up slowly.
"It was not premeditated, sire. I gave my word to Count von Augenerhere--"
"Stay," interposed the Kaiser quickly, turning a frowning face to hisadviser. "What is this?"
"I should prefer to discuss these matters in private with your Majesty,"was the answer, not without what appeared to me to be some anxiety.
"Would you prefer to retire at once?"
"As your Majesty pleases."
This reply was given with great reluctance.
"Be it so, then," and the old man went away, giving me a glance of hateas he passed.
I did not understand the meaning of this development, and stood waitingin silence for the Imperial command to speak.
The silence lengthened itself into minutes, and, when I ventured toglance at the Kaiser, I was disconcerted to find that he was staring atme fixedly, and, as it seemed, very sternly. But there were certainsymptoms of unrest and agitation that made me believe that he wasforcing himself rather to repress every trace of the feelings I hadroused.
When at length he spoke, his voice had a depth and vibration which toldme, who knew him so well, how strongly he was moved.
"Why have you done this? Why deceive me with a gorgeous lie of yourdeath and funeral? Why never declare yourself till now?"
There was much more reproach than anger in the tone, and I began to hopeagain.
"May I tell your Majesty plainly all that occurred? When that mad thinghappened on the yacht--a madness that will be an ever-pressing grief andshame to me to my dying hour--I went out feeling that only death at myown hands could wipe out the disgrace of it. I should have killed myselfthat night but for the reflection that my death might come to bepublicly associated with what had happened. Then, the next day, Countvon Augener came and told me that unless I was dead within a week mydeath would be an infamous one. The threat was unneeded, sire. That dayI went to Berlin to Dr. Mein S----."
And I went on to give him a succinct account of all the circumstances bywhich the old doctor had led me to believe that I was dying, and hadplayed out the drama of my funeral while I lay in his house unconscious.
"I set out from Berlin," I continued, "to make the career which the oldman had spoken of, and my first effort was on the stage. There I learntthe secret of disguise, and became what you see me, to all intents andpurposes another man in appearance. A little more than a year ago thedoctor died and left me his large fortune, and I was once again setroaming, alive, but without a life to live, when I was carried, againstmy will and in spite of my protests, to Gramberg, and plunged into theseething cauldron of intrigue there. The rest your Majesty knows, and itremains only for me to say that the one wild hope I had in carrying theintrigue forward was that I might perhaps so control the position herein Munich as to prove myself of service to you, sire, and be able toplead it as a ground for your pardon."
His Majesty had made no comment during the whole narrative, and now hestood for some moments without making a reply. He stared steadfastly atme the whole time with an expression of sombre, stern melancholy. Whenhe spoke at length it was in the firm, quick, decisive tone which heused when his mind was made up and his course chosen.
"I accept your story absolutely, for I believe you incapable ofintentional deceit toward me. So far as the Countess Minna is concerned,it will be my personal care to see that she is righted, and her enemiesthwarted."
He ceased as abruptly as he had spoken.
"May I thank you----" I began.
"You have no right to speak for her," he interrupted shortly.
I took the rebuff in silence, and stood wondering what he would say asto my own affairs. There came another long, trying pause.
"You did wrong, very wrong," he burst out, with sudden vehemence,speaking almost passionately. "I have been badly served in your matters.You were no more to blame than I myself, and you have made me bear forfive years the secret fear that I drove you to your death. And I havecares enough without that."
He stopped, and I looked up as if to speak, but he silenced me with agesture; and the grandeur of his dignity awed me. I recognized thesupremely unselfish magnanimity of his act, and I longed to put myfeelings into words; but I fell back abashed and speechless before thesense of intense power and majesty which surrounded him like a subtle,magnetic force. He stood buried in thought, wholly self-absorbed forsome minutes; and then in the same abrupt manner broke the silence todismiss me.
"Leave me now, and remain in the ante-room. I will see you later or sendyou my decision as to yourself."
I backed to the door, bowing, and had all but reached it in silence whena hasty movement of his caused me to look up.
"Stay," he cried, and he came toward me with his quick, firm stride. "Icannot let you go like this. I am glad you are living. You come back tome out of the past that is, and must be, dead; and our friendship is oneof the dead things in it. An Emperor has no friend but his God. Still wewere friends once, and this is our more proper parting."
He held out his hand to me, and took mine and clasped it; and at theclasp of it my blood thrilled in accord with a thousand thoughts andpromptings. I carried his hand to my lips.
"If your Majesty will give me a chance of serving you again in anycapacity, my life shall be ever at your bidding."
I spoke from my heart, and my voice trembled under the strain of myfeelings.
"I believe you. But you yourself have made it difficult. Save for that,what might we not have been!"
There was no sternness or harshness in this. It was not my Emperor whospoke, but for one fleeting instant it was the personal lament of my oldtrue friend whose friendship I had cast away. The words brought thetears to my eyes, and I could not look up at him, though I knew his eyeswere bent upon me, and judged that their light was a kindly one. Amoment later the mood passed with him, or was crushed back by therelentless power of his stern will. He drew himself up to his customary,rigid, soldier-like attitude, and said in the short, sharp tone of amilitary command:
"And now leave me."
I backed out, and took my place in the ante-room, a prey to a tumultuousrush of emotions which flooded upon me, preventing for the moment anyattempt at consecutive thought. My mind was a maelstrom, in which hopes,regrets, fear, and delight were mingled in an indistinguishablewhirlpool.
Presently, out of the roar and rush of inchoate emotions, three thoughtsbegan to dominate me.
Regret--bitter, maddening, and unavailing--for the years I had lost andthe career I had thrown away; wrath, wild and vengeful, against the oldenemy of my family, von Augener, for the treachery of his action towardme; and delight, infinitely sweet, that Minna's safety was secured, andthat, after all, it was I who had secured it.
The last outweighed the others, and I lost myself in the maze of a lovereverie as I sat there, picturing the joy that would leap from her eyesand the light that would gladden her beautiful face if only I could bethe messenger of the good news. And it was to be so.
After I had waited I know not how long, for time goes unmeasured in lovedreams, some one came and addressed me by a name that made me jump to myfeet and stare at the messenger like one half beside himself.
"Count von Rudloff!"
It was one of the two members of the suite I had seen with the Emperorbefore my interview with him.
"You are addressing me, sir?" I asked.
"I am addressing the Count von Rudloff," he answered, with that air ofimpassive coolness that men of his kind affect.
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I made an effort to regain my self-possession, and to answer him withthe same measured calmness.
"I am the Count von Rudloff," I said.
"I bring you a letter from the Emperor, count."
He waited while I tore it open with fingers that trembled. It was shortand peremptory enough, but what did it not mean to me?
"I have decided to restore to you your title and possessions. Thequestion of your future career remains in abeyance for the present."
That was all; with the signature of the Emperor himself.
"May I be the first to offer a word of congratulation, count?" asked themessenger.
"Thank you, thank you," I murmured. "It is all unexpected."
He still waited, and I thought there might be something more to add.
"Is there anything more to add?" I asked.
"His Majesty suggests that you should travel for a time--a year or so,perhaps--so that the manner of your return to Berlin and your resumptionof your position may not seem to come as the result of this businesshere in Munich."
"I understand," I said, though I still seemed in a dream. "And am I freeto go where I please now?"
"Certainly," he returned, smiling. "Can I be of any assistance?"
"No, thank you. No. I have some urgent business that will not waitanother second."
A minute after that I had left the palace, and was hurrying as fast ashorses could drag me to Minna to tell her the brilliant news.
CHAPTER XXX
THE END
When I reached Minna's house, I had an experience that at first amusedme. I could not, of course, any longer treat the house as my own, norlook on myself as having any right to enter, and I found the servantsvery reluctant to admit me at all, and it was only after some difficultythat I succeeded in getting shown into a room close to the door, whilethey said they would carry my message. I waited in some little fever ofimpatience, and when the delay had grown into minutes I began to wonderthat Minna should take so coolly the fact of my return and the news shemust know I should carry. I saw the explanation, however, when the doorwas opened and the Baroness Gratz sailed in, pompous and very angry.
"What can be your business here now?" she asked, staring at me throughher eyeglass.
"I have come to see Minna," I replied, with an inclination to smile ather conduct.
"I am astounded that you should have the assurance to come here afteryour egregious imposture. Of course you do not expect to see her?"
"Indeed I do," said I quickly, "and as soon as possible."
"And pray in what character now?"
This with a contemptuous and insulting curl of the lip. I paused to givemy reply the greater emphasis.
"In a double character--a messenger from his Majesty the Emperor, and asher affianced husband."
"You are not her affianced husband, and I will not suffer that tale tobe told in my presence. As for the rest, it is more like a play-actor'sstory. You imposed upon us too long. You will not do it again." She saidthis very angrily indeed, and added, almost spitefully: "The countessdoes not wish to see you."
"In this case I am afraid she cannot choose," I answered. "The Emperor'sbusiness cannot wait upon any prejudices for or against his messengers."There was a little stretch of authority insinuated in this. "Moreover, Iam bound to say that I prefer to have her decision straight fromherself."
"You suggest that I lie, I suppose," she cried, her eyes flashing. "Youare too brave a man not to seize a chance of insulting a defencelesswoman. That is your stage chivalry. But you will find I am not sodefenceless as you suppose."
She rang the bell sharply twice, and then, somewhat to my surprise, anda good deal to my pleasure, the Baron Heckscher was shown in.
"I am told you wish to see me, baroness," he said, ignoring my presence.
"I wish you to tell this person what we have decided as to hisprosecution."
I swung round on him instantly.
"I am glad there is a man to deal with. How dare you presume to meddlein my affairs, Baron Heckscher?"
"Really--but how shall I call you? Not the Prince any longer, I presume?Then what?" and he regarded me with an insolent smile.
"His Majesty the Emperor, within the last few minutes, has been goodenough to call me by my own name--the Count von Rudloff. That may be aprecedent good enough for even you to follow."
He stared at me in blank astonishment. The fact that I had been closetedwith the Emperor might mean everything to him, and at the thought allother considerations were dwarfed. I enjoyed his discomfiture. All hisinsolence disappeared.
"You do not believe what he says, surely?" cried the vindictive old ladywhen he made no immediate answer, for he stood in great perplexity whatcourse to take toward me.
"You will see you cannot remain here in the face of the baroness'sattitude," he said to me at length, with an air that was half truculentand half deprecatory.
I laughed.
"I see you are vastly disconcerted to hear that I have had an audiencewith his Majesty, and have left him under circumstances that augur illfor you; and well you may be," I added meaningly. "You dare to meddle inmy matters at a time when you will need all your wits to save your ownfrom shipwreck. But I have had enough of you, and of this folly. I nowdemand in the name of the Emperor to see the Countess Minna vonGramberg, and if you attempt to stop me," I said sternly to the BaronessGratz, "the consequences may be far more grave than you think."
Her anger and dislike of me gave her plenty of courage, however, and shestill set me at defiance, abusing me for an impostor and a cheat; andwhen I declared that if they did not take my message to Minna I wouldmyself go straight to her rooms, she planted herself in front of thedoor and dared me to attempt to leave it for that purpose, and vowed shewould call the servants if I would not go away.
The situation began to verge upon the ridiculous, despite the fact thatit was in a measure embarrassing. I could not for the moment see what todo, and was debating this in my thoughts when a sudden turn was given tomatters by the entrance of Minna herself, the door being opened fromwithout.
"Ah, Minna!" I cried, hastening to her.
The Baroness Gratz stepped in between us, however, and lifted her handas if to keep me away.
"The countess is here in my charge," she cried to me; "and while that isso I forbid you to go near her."
But love laughs at prohibitions. A moment later we were hand-locked, andshe had read in my glad face that my news was good. Then she turnedangrily upon the baroness, her face flushed and her eyes shining:
"You have no right to interfere with me," she said, her words shortlyand sharply spoken. "I have just heard, to my intense indignation, thatyou have even ventured to tell my servants who shall and who shall notenter my house. Is this true?"
"So far as it relates to this person, of course it is true. You are inmy charge, and it is my duty----"
"You have mistaken your duty and overstepped your privileges. You haveno right to give such orders, and to do it in my name. You must haveknown as well as I that the last man in the world against whom my doorwould ever be shut would be--my affianced husband;" and she raised herhead, and stood very erect, looking rarely beautiful in her pride andhappiness.
"I did it to save you from the wiles of an adventurer who----"
"Silence, aunt Gratz, and shame to you for those words," cried Minnahotly. "It was this 'adventurer,' as you dare to say, who saved me fromthe hands of the villain whose schemes you helped, and from thecowardly double plot of the Baron Heckscher there. As for you, sir, ifyou knew the character of your puppet and tool von Nauheim, as I firmlybelieve you did," she cried to Baron Heckscher, "there are no words badenough to paint the infamous vileness of your treachery. Whilepretending to conspire in my interest, and while professing loyalty tome and mine, you plotted to ruin and dishonor me; and when I find youhere to-day I can only believe you have some further abominable motiveor plot against me, and that you are here to suborn some of those aboutme for your pur
poses. Be good enough to leave the house."
"I have come to protest to you----" he began in reply.
"I decline to listen to you, sir," she interrupted, with quiet dignity.
He stood a moment, scowling viciously, and then, with an ugly glance atme, said:
"Your nameless friend there----"
"I have already told you," I broke in angrily, "that I am the Count vonRudloff, and that the Emperor himself has addressed me in my name."
"I have known for some time all the facts as to this," added Minna, aswift flash from her eyes telling me her delight at the news, "and ofthe load of infinite obligation I owe to the Count von Rudloff; not theleast part of it is for the defeat and exposure of your schemes againstme. Be good enough to spare me the necessity of bidding my servantsexpel you from the house."
"You had better go, baron," I put in. "You will probably find at yourhouse by this time a summons to the Emperor's presence, for he has heardfrom me the whole story of your acts."
This statement completed his disquiet, and without another word hehurried away.
"You will be troubled by him no more, Minna," I said. "I bring you thebest of news. The Emperor has given a personal pledge to answer for yoursafety and to uphold your interests."
"The Emperor!" she cried in a tone of surprise.
"More than that: I have told him all, and he has acknowledged my title,"and I showed her the Imperial letter.
Her face shone with pride and delight.
"I can forgive every one now, for it has all ended so splendidly foryou," she said.
"For us," I corrected; and she acknowledged the correction with a blushand a smile of love which exasperated the Baroness Gratz, who had beenlistening to us in indignant silence.
"Then I suppose you have no more use for me?" she declared, with anangry toss of the head, as she turned to leave us.
"I am afraid you yourself have made it difficult for you to share in myhappiness--in our happiness, I mean," said Minna gently. "I am so happythat I have no room for any thought on that score but regret that itshould be so."
"You were always an ungrateful girl, Minna," replied the old lady veryungraciously, bitter to the end against me. "And I have no wish to sharewith you, or deprive you of any part of, such happiness as you mayexpect to find in company with a man who is sometimes play-actor,sometimes Prince, and always an impostor," and with that parting tauntshe flung away.
"Poor aunt Gratz!" sighed Minna.
Then she put her hands in mine, and, nestling close to me, asked with awinsome coquettishness:
"Am I ungrateful, Karl?"
My answer may be guessed, and it took long in telling. But we returnedafter a time to the ways of common sense, and then I told her what hadpassed during the audience with the Kaiser; that I was to travel for ayear, and then return to Berlin to take up formally my old title andposition.
At first the news brought a cloud to her happy face.
"A year is a long time, Karl," she murmured. "Shall you never be ineither Munich or Gramberg all that time?"
"I think not. I expect it means at least a year away from theFatherland."
She was silent and looked almost sad.
"But a year will soon pass," I whispered.
A gesture of pretty reproach answered me.
"If you would make a little sacrifice, it would help, I think."
"Sacrifice!" she echoed, not catching my meaning. And when I did notreply she lifted her head from my shoulder and peered into my eyes, herown full of curiosity.
"You used to pride yourself on reading my secrets," said I.
She thought a minute; then a look of wonderment shone in her eyes,followed almost directly by a great, glad blush that spread all over herface, dyeing her cheeks with crimson and driving her to hide themagainst my shoulder.
"I don't guess this one," she said.
But I was sure she had.
"Don't?"
"Won't, then," she murmured into my coat lapel.
"It could not be yet, of course," said I. "But in three months----"
"You said sacrifice," she interrupted, and glanced up with a quickdarting of the eyes.
"It would have to be very quiet--very, very quiet."
"It is no sacrifice to travel--in company."
And there we left it; but we knew well enough each other's hopes anddesires.
* * * * *
To accomplish our purpose called for some little tact and effort,because the Emperor was for having Minna taken to Berlin when the Munichtroubles had been arranged.
His prompt and drastic measures soon settled these, indeed.
An official announcement was made that the King had been suffering froman indisposition, but had happily recovered completely; and a couple ofdays later saw him back at the palace--but with a change in theexecutive which was calculated to work vastly beneficial results for thecountry. The Heckscher party was broken up, their influence destroyed,and their leaders dealt with secretly, but in some cases none the lessseverely. The question of the succession to the throne was settled upona sound basis--one of the points being the renunciation by Minna of allthe Gramberg claims.
And it was in settling this that the matter of her marriage was mootedand the Imperial consent gained to her becoming my wife. We succeeded,too, in getting the necessary interval fixed at three months.
The time passed very pleasantly. It was the sweet preface to a life-longromance.
As the outcome of the dash we had made for the throne I had one or twoarrangements to complete, and in some respects the most difficult ofthese was in regard to the Corsican Praga. I could not retain him in myservice, because of his association with the death of Minna's brother;while I hoped, too, that the time would never recur when I might haveneed of his clever, sharp, ready sword. I told him the case plainly, andhe was too careless to make demur. He was going to marry and settle inBerlin, he assured me--his bride was to be the actress, Clara Weylin,who had made her peace with him in the score of her act oftreachery--and he meant to be the greatest fencing master in Berlin, hedeclared. I gave him as a wedding present a considerable sum of money,and we parted with many assurances, characteristic and voluble, on hispart that he would ever be devoted to me and my interests.
Steinitz I kept with me as secretary, and von Krugen was to remain asguardian of our interests at Gramberg. There was one commission we gaveto the two just before our marriage--to go to Charmes and endeavor tobring the real von Fromberg to Munich to be present at the marriage.
Minna and I were together when they started, and she was looking moreradiant and beautiful than ever in the anticipative joy of the marriage.
I gave them full instructions, and then, with a smile, I turned to vonKrugen.
"Be more careful this time," I said, "and be sure you bring the rightman."
"I could not have brought a better man last time, count," he replied.
And in the tone and earnestness spoke all the regard and esteem of astanch and sincere friend.
"What do you say to that, Minna?" I asked as they drove off.
"A happier mistake was never made, but I don't want him to do it again.The only throne I care for is won now," and, reaching up on tiptoe, sheput up her face to mine for a tribute of my loyalty, and I paid itwillingly.
THE END
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