CHAPTER X.
COUNT SIMON OF SAGAN.
Although secretly dismayed at the effect produced by her rashchampionship of Madame de Sagan, Valerie kept up a semblance ofself-possession. Her clear colouring faded to extreme pallor, but herproud eyes showed no sign of shrinking from the curious glances castupon her. She caught a trenchant aside from Sagan to Elmur:
'These cursed women will ruin us!'
And in answer to this even Elmur's flattery was mute. But Valerie stoodhaughty and erect, watching the Duke's suite file up the hall,Rallywood, as before, bringing up in the rear.
As he came in line with her he turned his head, and their glances met.
That look, which she always recalled as distinctively his, was wipedfrom the young man's gray eyes; they fell upon her stern, alienated,almost inimical. The change struck her like a blow. But before she couldfling back her silent defiance at him, he was gone, without a secondglance, or seeking in any manner to soften the insolent rebuke he haddared to convey.
She resolved to go to her own rooms and make instant arrangements for areturn to Revonde. Her heart was hot in her, as, looking round, shefound herself standing alone. Elmur, apparently forgetful of the deeppersonal devotion he had so lately manifested, was conversing with agroup of Maasaun nobles, his back turned conveniently towards her. Saganhad disappeared, and not one of those whom she knew so well, and who,ten minutes ago, would have felt honoured by seeking her, but now seemedtoo deeply engaged to notice that she stood alone.
A moment later Counsellor approached her. She had known him slightly fora long time, but she now for the first time fully met the shrewd, kindlyeyes under their shaggy brows. Instantly she liked him, and to her ownsurprise found herself talking of the indiscretion of which she had beenguilty, and of her wish to return to Revonde in consequence.
'Mademoiselle, are you a loyal Maasaun?' asked Counsellor gravely.
Valerie's soft dark eyes gazed steadily back into his.
'I am loyal,' she replied, in an earnest under-breath.
'Then stay in Sagan. If your words carried so long a tag of meaning toothers, you can see that Maasau may have need of all her loyal childrensoon.'
'Whom can we trust?' she asked suddenly, almost in a whisper, for Elmur,seeing her in conversation with Counsellor, now approached with aceremonious air.
Counsellor smiled as he stood squarely beside her.
'Choose!' he said, briefly.
'Choose what?' asked Elmur in his most deferential manner.'Madamoiselle's choice in the most trivial matters is of importance.'
Valerie smiled. Not a trace of disturbance was perceptible in hermanner, and Elmur, noting it, came to the final conclusion that thisgirl was not only extraordinarily handsome, but also exceptionallycapable. Having made so grievous a mistake, and taken the punishment ofit, she was still mistress of herself. It was a gallant spirit, and wellworth capturing.
'Major Counsellor has asked me to choose flowers for the ball to-night.I choose roses. I think it is very nice of me, Major Counsellor, for isnot the rose the emblem of England?' said the girl, with a coquettishsmile at the older man.
Elmur's face clouded. This interfering old fellow had the power ofmaking friends, which means the power of being a dangerous enemy.
'I had hoped,' he said aloud, 'to have the pleasure of beggingMademoiselle to accept my flowers.'
'You are too late, Baron; but perhaps you will escort me to the westtower, where I daresay Madame de Sagan is already waiting for me.'
Counsellor looked after the tall graceful figure of the girl as sheascended the staircase with Elmur at her side. He could see she wasstill laughing and talking to her companion, but her ready parry of theGerman's question, including a clear reply to his own, showed him thatthe Chancellor's daughter was much more than a mere wilful girl.
'John Rallywood,' he grunted, as he turned away, 'is after all not sogreat an ass as he thinks himself.'
An attendant intercepted the German before he regained the hall, afterleaving Valerie with Madame de Sagan.
'My lord desires to speak with your Excellency,' he said.
Elmur frowned. He wished to allow Count Simon time to cool beforemeeting him, but this summons was imperative, and, besides, he knew thedanger of failing to provide a safety-valve in the shape of a listener,before the Count could blow off the first ebullitions of rage overMdlle. Selpdorf's untoward speech. If pent up within his own breast,there was no knowing in how disastrous a manner Sagan's ill-humour mightexplode. Defeat meant much to Elmur, his reputation was at stake. Othermen had undertaken this same mission--to bring about the annexation tothe Fatherland of this troublesome little state; they had failed,therefore Elmur had pledged himself to succeed.
Elmur stood with his back against a massive carved bookshelf, and lookedat Sagan, who, with a cigar-butt buried in his ragged beard, waswalking, with long, uncertain steps, up and down the floor. The tigerin the old man was awake.
'Act I., Scene I.,' said Elmur at last, and with a smile.
Sagan stopped short and turned a bloodshot sidelong glare upon him, hisdark old fingers working convulsively.
'By heaven! It is going to be a tragedy!' he shouted, and burst into awhirlwind of hideous curses, coupled with the names of Valerie and hiswife.
The German picked out a comfortable chair and seated himself, crossinghis legs with a manifest intention of patience. There was a horribleenergy in the old man's attitudes. His long smouldering ambition, nursedand fed of late, had now flamed into a regnant passion, and the cooler,more wary, unscrupulousness of the younger man looked with repugnanceupon the blind fury of the Duke that was to be.
In no great space of time the sight of that impassive, high-shoulderedfigure, sitting calmly by, imposed a growing sense of restraint upon theCount.
'What do you think of our chances now that Gustave's suspicions havebeen set on the alert?' he asked at last, coming to a stop in front ofElmur. 'That fool of a wife of mine has blabbed to Selpdorf's daughter,and she in her turn blabs before all the world.'
Elmur sat still and dumb. His face enraged Sagan once more.
'But I am master in Sagan. The girl must be got rid of! There are ahundred dangers in our mountains and marshes. Do you not understand?'
Baron von Elmur stood up. He bore his most dignified air, and there wassomething in his whole aspect that made the Count pause.
'In the first place, her death under the circumstances would lookstrange. In the second, we have nothing to gain from it,' he said.
Sagan's red eyes twinkled cunningly.
'Hear my plan. I am not so squeamish as you thin-blooded moderns, or atleast as you pretend to be!' He placed his finger on the Minister'sbreast, and drew back a little, the better to enjoy the approbation heexpected to read in the other's face. 'We will say that the girl fellill, and I, in my anxiety, sent Madame Sagan--my own wife, mark you--toaccompany her to Revonde. If both should happen to be killed by anaccident we should be well rid of them--and what could the world say?'
Elmur drew away from the insistive finger with an unmistakable movement.He bowed stiffly and moved towards the door.
'I do not know what the world might do or say but I can answer forLudwig von Elmur. My master does not deal in murder, my lord, and so Ibeg your leave to withdraw.'
'What?' sneered the other, 'he does not deal in murder? Rather, youwould say, he prefers to deal in murder wholesale! What of your wars andannexations? What of the Germans in West Africa? Take care, Elmur, thatyou are not acting over hastily. For my part I don't believe that a lifeor so would weigh too heavy in the balance as against a province, evenin your master's judgment. I take my world as I find it, my good Baron!'
'Pardon me, my lord, you take the world as your ancestors found it! Youmay be all your fathers were, but however time goes at Sagan, the restof the world has not stood still since the middle ages. And the world ison my side to-day. Besides,' he added more suavely, 'we should gainnothing. We should alienate Selpdorf
, who is useful, and who knows toomuch. As for the Duke, after such an affair he could never be eased ofhis suspicions.'
'I don't ask to ease him, I mean to cure him,' retorted Sagan,meaningly.
'I am certain Madame de Sagan has been silent. The speech of Mdlle.Selpdorf was the indignant outburst of a girl who thought her frienddiscourteously treated.'
'Discourteously treated? Isolde rudely treated? By whom?'
'Forgive me once more, my lord; but, in the first place, by yourself.'
Sagan laughed aloud; his ill-temper vanishing before the humour of thenotion that anyone could take exception to a man's rudeness towards hisown wife.
'Pooh! the girl is a bigger idiot than I thought her. Let us hope she'llnever meet with worse at the hands of her own husband.'
'I join in the hope, my lord, since I am to be that most fortunate man!'It was not the most felicitous moment, but Elmur was aware that in noother way could he assure Valerie's safety against the treachery of hiscolleague.
Sagan fell back a step.
'So--the wind blows from that quarter? Take heed, Baron, Selpdorf is aslippery fish.'
'But by this arrangement we land him finally.'
'It may be so.' Sagan tugged broodingly at his beard, after a pauseadding, 'Well, well, the girl is safe enough for me, if you can answerfor her. Come back and sit down. We must act while Gustave is here. Oncewe secure the Guard, we can force him to do--as we please. First acompromise, then abdication, then--' he brought his hand down heavilyupon the table and sat staring before him at a vision of a dreamfulfilled--a vision of Duke Simon of Maasau.
Elmur's lip curled as he watched the man, who, for the time being, wasoblivious of all but the realisation of his own ambition. Duke Simon! aname, but never a living power--only a German puppet, pulled hither andthither at will by the controlling hand.
'What are your plans, my lord?' he asked aloud.
The Count started, and raised his head.
'We have three of the Guard here--Unziar, Rallywood, Colendorp. You knowthat as soon as we have made sure of their officers the men will followof themselves. Now Unziar is no saint.'
'But he fights the better because he is a sinner.'
'He is not to be tempted, then. But he is in love with Mdlle.Selpdorf--with your future wife, and she must blind him. A man in loveis easily blinded.'
'And Rallywood?' asked Elmur.
'We don't--want Rallywood,' rejoined Sagan, with an odd glance at Elmur.'I can manage him, if you will leave him to me.'
Elmur smiled.
'I conclude Rallywood is capable of taking care of himself.'
The Count grinned.
'Exactly what I believed you would think. There remains only Colendorp.But Colendorp is the man we must have--all will depend on Colendorp.'
'Do you suppose he will bend?'
'If not he must break! But, no; I know him well! I have chosen himbecause he touches no woman! Men who don't love women, love money, andmen who do----'
'Love both,' said Elmur quietly.
'To-morrow night Colendorp shall be here with me. You also will bepresent. Colendorp is a poor man--as men go in the Guard--and we mustapproach him softly and by degrees,' said Sagan.
Elmur concealed a smile. A course of softness and caution seemedimpossible in connection with the headstrong old man who counselled it.
Sagan, left alone, stood engrossed in thought. The wild beast instinctin him gave him intuition of danger. Elmur was playing Germany's game,but since his aim was the Count's own, it was impossible at this stageto disentangle the precise cause of suspicion.