CHAPTER XIV
QUEEN HEDWIGE RECEIVES
Obedient to the Grand Chamberlain's invitation, the assembled guestspassed into the great gallery at the end of which an immense salon wasseen, still empty; it was the room in which the Queen held herdrawing-room.
It was sparsely furnished; a large gilded armchair, which was really athrone, stood at the farther end between two windows; the floor waswaxed until it shone, and the surface was so slippery that Juve feltsome fear of mishaps.
First came the guard with a clatter of sabres, then two heralds, andfinally Her Majesty Hedwige, Queen of Hesse-Weimar, who proceeded to thethrone and sat down.
She was a little body with a pinched and nervous expression of face. Shetrotted along like an old woman, her shoulders hunched up, anddistributed nods right and left in response to the profound bows of hercourtiers.
This was not in the least as Juve had pictured her. He had seen her adozen years previously, when she was a young girl engaged toFrederick-Christian; she had then appeared charming, and majestic inbearing. Now she looked like a woman of the middle class, bourgeois fromhead to heels.
Near the throne stood two officers in gala uniform, while the guardformed a circle round the throne.
The audience began.
The first Chamberlain called out a name, and a matron, after making thethree traditional courtseys, came forward and chatted in a low voicewith the Queen. Juve was observing the ceremony with interest, when hisreflections were cut short by a voice calling:
"Monsieur le Comte de Juff!"
The detective, slightly intimidated, advanced toward the sovereign,while the grand Chamberlain leaned over and whispered his name and rankto the Queen.
"Monsieur le Comte de Juff," said the Queen in a little tinkling voice,"I am very happy to meet you. I congratulate you upon your travels. I amespecially interested in the natives of Africa. We had a negro villagehere a few years ago ... hadn't we, M. von Kampfen?"
"Quite true, your Majesty," replied the Chamberlain, bowing deeply. TheQueen turned again to Juve:
"I congratulate you, Monsieur, and I beg you to persevere in the work towhich your special aptitude calls you."
The interview was at an end, and Juve was left wondering whether heshould leave the room. The Chamberlain signed to him to retire behindthe throne, where he found the amiable Mme. Heberlauf.
Juve, now standing quite close to the Queen, was enabled to overhear thenext interview; with an old professor this time--Professor Muller. TheQueen said:
"I am very happy to meet you. I congratulate you upon your pupils. I amespecially interested in scholars."
Then turning to the Chamberlain:
"We have some very excellent schools here, have we not, MonsieurKampfen?"
"Quite true, your Majesty."
"I congratulate you. Can I beg you to persevere in the work to whichyour special aptitude calls you?"
It was all Juve could do to keep from bursting into laughter.
The same speech was being made to a couple of young girls who weremaking their debut at the Court, when the circle round the Queen noticedthat she was growing uneasy and preoccupied. Finally she turned to herfirst maid of honor, and cried in a sharp tone:
"Really, Madame, it is extraordinary that the electric lights shouldhave been turned on while it is still daylight!... Kindly see that theyare extinguished."
The first maid of honor, very embarrassed, passed along the order to thesecond maid of honor, who in turn hunted up the lady of the household,who relaid the message to the captain of the guard, and while he went insearch of the proper subordinate, the attention of the Court wasdistracted by the entrance of an individual to whom everybody paid thegreatest deference.
The Chamberlain announced:
"His Highness, Prince Gudulfin!"
The Prince was a distinguished looking young man of twenty-five,clean-shaven and dressed with extreme care and richness of attire.
He presented a great contrast to his cousin, the Queen of Hesse-Weimar,and as he approached the throne, his head high and a sarcastic smile onhis lips, Hedwige seemed to shrink into her armchair, unable to meet thelook in his eyes.
The suppressed hatred of the reigning dynasty for the younger branch wasof ancient date and a matter of common knowledge. The recent andprolonged absence of Frederick-Christian had given Prince Gudulfin theopportunity by which he had profited to advance his claims and conspirefor the overthrow of the Government, with himself as the King ofHesse-Weimar.
Therefore his presence was regarded as a great piece of audacity, andevery eye was watching how the Prince would be received. The question inevery mind was whether the Grand Duchess Alexandra, a woman of majesticpresence and great beauty, would also appear. Prince Gudulfin had beenpaying her conspicuous attentions, and it was rumored that the Duchessdreamed of a nobler crown than the one her rank gave her title to bear.
The appearance of the two at the Queen's reception! What a scandal! Butwith the presence of the Prince came definite word that the Duchess hadexcused herself on the ground of a severe headache, a pretext whichdeceived nobody.
Prince Gudulfin, after observing the correct formalities, stood beforethe Queen waiting for the invitation to sit by her side.
Hedwige, still preoccupied by the electric lights, seemed to haveforgotten him, and the situation was fast becoming embarrassing for thePrince, who could neither go nor stay. It was not long, however, beforehe saw what was troubling the Queen, and stepping aside he turned offthe lights.
"There is no such thing as unnecessary economy, is there, cousin?" hemurmured with a smile.
Hedwige blushed and gave him a furious look. She then proffered thetardy invitation to sit by her side. As the audience came to a close,the Queen in a loud voice announced:
"I wish to inform you that I have received news of the King. His Majestyis well and is in Paris. He will return very soon."
The Queen's guard now led the way back to the private apartments,followed by the maids of honor, and then the Queen herself hurried offas though glad to be finished with the whole affair.
Juve, an attentive listener to the numberless intrigues on foot on everyside, divined the comedies and tragedies which underlay this littleCourt, more gossipy and vulgar than a servant's parlor. Especially henoted the frequent and bitter allusions to the perpetual trips of theKing to Paris. These cost the royal treasury a pretty penny, and for thetwentieth time Juve heard references to a certain red diamond belongingto Frederick-Christian. He had known for a long time that such a diamondwas numbered among the crown jewels, and that it was supposed torepresent a value of several millions, but he had imagined it was keptin a place of safety. Now he learned that the King was suspected ofhaving pawned it to raise money. With his most innocent air, hequestioned one of the officers.
"I should think it a very simple matter to find out whether the Kingtook the diamond with him. It must surely be in the keeping of loyal andtried officials."
The officer smiled:
"My dear Count, it is easily seen that you come from the depths ofAfrica. Otherwise you would know that the diamond is hidden in theprivate apartments of the King--nobody knows where, not even the Queen.You may easily divine the uneasiness of the people and the advantage theaffair gives to Prince Gudulfin."
Juve now felt that the King was still in Paris. The problem thus far hadbecome clearer. But under what conditions was he living? It was quitepossible that he had been kidnapped by some person who knew of thediamond's existence.
While pondering these matters, Juve had unconsciously wandered away fromthe salon and now found himself in the ante-room on the ground floor.Here he came face to face with Mme. Heberlauf, who was accompanied by awhite-haired old man whom she at once introduced.
"Count de Juff, let me present the Dean of the Court, the Burgomaster ofRung Cassel ..."
"The deuce!" thought Juve, "a bore, by the look of him!"
Escape was hopeless, the Burgomaster seized the de
tective by the arm andannounced:
"I am the author of a work in 25 volumes on "The History of the DarkContinent." Now I hear that you have just returned from a journey ofexploration in Africa and ..."
The old historian dragged Juve into the Palace gardens and the latterthought:
"Hang it, I couldn't have pitched on a worse introduction, I don't knowthe first thing about Africa."
But the author of the 25 volumes quickly set him at ease. For he beganby admitting that he himself had never set foot out of Glotzbourg.
Under these circumstances Juve recovered his nerve and glibly discussedthe peculiarities of the African fauna.
* * * * *
An hour later the two men were still talking, but this time it was Juvewho was anxious to keep the conversation going. The good Burgomasterhad drifted into gossip about the affairs of the Kingdom; suddenly heturned to the detective with a question:
"Do you believe in this story about a visit to Paris?"
Juve hesitated and then made an ambiguous reply.
The Burgomaster continued:
"Personally, I don't. You see, my windows look toward the largeoctagonal wing in which are the apartments of the King. Now, for thepast week I have noticed strange lights moving about in these supposedlyempty rooms, and I have a notion that our dear King Frederick-Christianis very far from being in Paris. In fact, I think he is held a prisonerin his own Palace!
"Ah, Monsieur, you cannot imagine the intrigues which are being hatchedagainst that noble heart; the black wickedness of the soul of PrinceGudulfin, hidden under the exterior of his seductive person!"
Juve was impressed. He was inclined to give some credence to thesuppositions of the Burgomaster. For, after all, his search in Paris forthe King had been without result and he had had the presentiment thathis trip to Hesse-Weimar would throw some light upon the strangedisappearance of the monarch.
So, while the old man was talking, Juve carefully noted in his mind theminutest architectural details of the octagonal tower which stood outclearly against the sky.