CHAPTER XI
THE ROYAL COACH OF GRAUSTARK
The two weeks following Beverly Calhoun's advent into the royalhousehold were filled with joy and wonder for her. Daily she sentglowing letters to her father, mother and brothers in Washington,elaborating vastly upon the paradise into which she had fallen. To herhighly emotional mind, the praises of Graustark had been but poorlysung. The huge old castle, relic of the feudal days, with its turretsand bastions and portcullises, Impressed her with a never-ending senseof wonder. Its great halls and stairways, its chapel, the throne-room,and the armor-closet; its underground passages and dungeons all unitedto fill her imaginative soul with the richest, rarest joys offinance. Simple American girl that she was, unused to the rigorousetiquette of royalty, she found embarrassment in the first confusion ofevents, but she was not long in recovering her poise.
Her apartments were near those of the Princess Yetive. In the privateintercourse enjoyed by these women, all manner of restraint wasabandoned by the visitor and every vestige of royalty slipped from theprincess. Count Halfont and his adorable wife, the Countess Yvonne, bothof whom had grown old in the court, found the girl and her strangeservant a source of wonder and delight.
Some days after Beverly's arrival there came to the castle Harry Anguishand his wife, the vivacious Dagmar. With them came the year-old cooingbabe who was to overthrow the heart and head of every being in thehousehold, from princess down. The tiny Dagmar became queen at once, andno one disputed her rule.
Anguish, the painter, became Anguish, the strategist and soldier. Heplanned with Lorry and the ministry, advancing some of the mosthair-brained projects that ever encouraged discussion in a solemnconclave. The staid, cautious ministers looked upon him with wonder, butso plausible did he made his proposals appear that they were forced toconsider them seriously. The old Count of Marlanx held him in greatdisdain, and did not hesitate to expose his contempt. This did notdisturb Anguish in the least, for he was as optimistic as thesunshine. His plan for the recapture of Gabriel was ridiculouslyimprobable, but it was afterwards seen that had it been attempted muchdistress and delay might actually have been avoided.
Yetive and Beverly, with Dagmar and the baby, made merry while the menwere in council. Their mornings were spent in the shady park surroundingthe castle, their afternoons in driving, riding and walking. Oftentimesthe princess was barred from these simple pleasures by the exigencies ofher position. She was obliged to grant audiences, observe certaincustoms of state, attend to the charities that came directly under hersupervision, and confer with the nobles on affairs of weight andimportance. Beverly delighted in the throne-room and the undergroundpassages; they signified more to her than all the rest. She was shownthe room in which Lorry had foiled the Viennese who once tried to abductYetive. The dungeon where Gabriel spent his first days of confinement,the Tower in which Lorry had been held a prisoner, and the monastery inthe clouds were all places of unusual interest to her.
Soon the people of the city began to recognize the fair American girlwho was a guest in the castle, and a certain amount of homage was paidto her. When she rode or drove in the streets, with her attendantsoldiers, the people bowed as deeply and as respectfully as they did tothe princess herself, and Beverly was just as grand and gracious as ifshe had been born with a sceptre in her hand.
The soft moonlight nights charmed her with a sense of rapture neverknown before. With the castle brilliantly illuminated, the halls anddrawing-rooms filled with gay courtiers, the harpists at their posts,the military band playing in the parade ground, the balconies andporches offering their most inviting allurements, it is no wonder thatBeverly was entranced. War had no terrors for her. If she thought of itat all, it was with the fear that it might disturb the dream into whichshe had fallen. True, there was little or nothing to distress the mosttimid in these first days. The controversy between the principalitieswas at a standstill, although there was not an hour in whichpreparations for the worst were neglected. To Beverly Calhoun, it meantlittle when sentiment was laid aside; to Yetive and her people thisprobable war with Dawsbergen meant everything.
Dangloss, going back and forth between Edelweiss and the frontier northof Ganlook, where the best of the police and secret service watched withthe sleepless eyes of the lynx, brought unsettling news to theministry. Axphain troops were engaged in the annual maneuvers justacross the border in their own territory. Usually these were held in theplains near the capital, and there was a sinister significance in thefact that this year they were being carried on in the rough southernextremity of the principality, within a day's march of the Graustarkline, fully two months earlier than usual. The doughty baron reportedthat foot, horse and artillery were engaged in the drills, and thatfully 8,000 men were massed in the south of Axphain. The fortificationsof Ganlook, Labbot and other towns in northern Graustark werestrengthened with almost the same care as those in the south, whereconflict with Dawsbergen might first be expected. General Marlanx andhis staff rested neither day nor night. The army of Graustark wasready. Underneath the castle's gay exterior there smouldered the fire ofbattle, the tremor of defiance.
Late one afternoon Beverly Calhoun and Mrs. Anguish drove up in state tothe Tower, wherein sat Dangloss and his watchdogs. The scowl left hisface as far as nature would permit and he welcomed the ladies warmly.
"I came to ask about my friend, the goat-hunter," said Beverly, hercheeks a trifle rosier than usual.
"He is far from an amiable person, your highness," said theofficer. When discussing Baldos he never failed to address Beverly as"your highness." "The fever is gone and he is able to walk without muchpain, but he is as restless as a witch. Following instructions, I havenot questioned him concerning his plans, but I fancy he is eager toreturn to the hills."
"What did he say when you gave him my message?" asked Beverly.
"Which one, your highness?" asked he, with tantalizing density.
"Why, the suggestion that he should come to Edelweiss for bettertreatment," retorted Beverly severely.
"He said he was extremely grateful for your kind offices, but he did notdeem it advisable to come to this city. He requested me to thank you inhis behalf and to tell you that he will never forget what you have donefor him."
"And he refuses to come to Edelweiss?" irritably demanded Beverly.
"Yes, your highness. You see, he still regards himself with disfavor,being a fugitive. It is hardly fair to blame him for respecting thesecurity of the hills."
"I hoped that I might induce him to give up his old life and engage insomething perfectly honest, although, mind you, Baron Dangloss, I do notquestion his integrity in the least. He should have a chance to provehimself worthy, that's all. This morning I petitioned Count Marlanx togive him a place in the Castle Guard."
"My dear Miss Calhoun, the princess has--" began the captain.
"Her highness has sanctioned the request," interrupted she.
"And the count has promised to discover a vacancy," said Dagmar, with asmile that the baron understood perfectly well.
"This is the first time on record that old Marlanx has ever doneanything to oblige a soul save himself. It is wonderful, MissCalhoun. What spell do you Americans cast over rock and metal that theybecome as sand in your fingers?" said the baron, admiration and wonderin his eyes.
"You dear old flatterer," cried Beverly, so warmly that he caught hisbreath.
"I believe that you can conquer even that stubborn fellow in Ganlook,"he said, fumbling with his glasses. "He is the most obstinate being Iknow, and yet in ten minutes you could bring him to terms, I am sure.He could not resist you."
"He still thinks I am the princess?"
"He does, and swears by you."
"Then, my mind is made up. I'll go to Ganlook and bring him back withme, willy-nilly. He is too good a man to be lost in the hills. Good-bye,Baron Dangloss. Thank you ever and ever so much. Oh, yes; will you writean order delivering him over to me? The hospital people maybe--er--disobliging, you know."
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"It shall be in your highness's hands this evening."
The next morning, with Colonel Quinnox and a small escort, BeverlyCalhoun set off in one of the royal coaches for Ganlook, accompanied byfaithful Aunt Fanny. She carried the order from Baron Dangloss and aletter from Yetive to the Countess Rallowitz, insuring hospitality overnight in the northern town. Lorry and the royal household enteredmerrily into her project, and she went away with the godspeeds ofall. The Iron Count himself rode beside her coach to the city gates, anunheard-of condescension.
"Now, you'll be sure to find a nice place for him in the castle guard,won't you, Count Marlanx?" she said at the parting, her hopes as freshas the daisy in the dew, her confidence supreme. The count promisedfaithfully, even eagerly. Colonel Quinnox, trained as he was in thediplomacy of silence, could scarcely conceal his astonishment at theconquest of the hard old warrior.
Although the afternoon was well spent before Beverly reached Ganlook,she was resolved to visit the obdurate patient at once, relying upon herresourcefulness to secure his promise to start with her for Edelweiss onthe following morning. The coach delivered her at the hospital door ingrand style. When the visitor was ushered into the snug little room ofthe governor's office, her heart was throbbing and her composure wasundergoing a most unusual strain. It annoyed her to discover that theapproaching contact with an humble goat-hunter was giving her suchunmistakable symptoms of perturbation.
From an upstairs window in the hospital the convalescent but unhappypatient witnessed her approach and arrival. His sore, lonely heart gavea bound of joy, for the days had seemed long since her departure.
He had had time to think during these days, too. Turning over in hismind all of the details in connection with their meeting and theirsubsequent intercourse, it began to dawn upon him that she might not bewhat she assumed to be. Doubts assailed him, suspicions grew intoamazing forms of certainty. There were times when he laughedsardonically at himself for being taken in by this strange but charmingyoung woman, but through it all his heart and mind were being drawn moreand more fervently toward her. More than once he called himself a fooland more than once he dreamed foolish dreams of her--princess or not. Ofone thing he was sure: he had come to love the adventure for the sake ofwhat it promised and there was no bitterness beneath his suspicions.
Arrayed in clean linen and presentable clothes, pale from indoorconfinement and fever, but once more the straight and strong cavalier ofthe hills, he hastened into her presence when the summons came for himto descend. He dropped to his knee and kissed her hand, determined toplay the game, notwithstanding his doubts. As he arose she glanced for aflitting second into his dark eyes, and her own long lashes drooped.
"Your highness!" he said gratefully.
"How well and strong you look," she said hurriedly. "Some of the tan isgone, but you look as though you had never been ill. Are you quiterecovered?"
"They say I am as good as new," he smilingly answered. "A trifle weakand uncertain in my lower extremities, but a few days of exercise in themountains will overcome all that. Is all well with you and Graustark?They will give me no news here, by whose order I do not know."
"Turn about is fair play, sir. It is a well-established fact that youwill give _them_ no news. Yes, all is well with me and mine. Wereyou beginning to think that I had deserted you? It has been two weeks,hasn't it?"
"Ah, your highness, I realize that you have had much more importantthings to do than to think of poor Baldos, I am exceedingly grateful forthis sign of interest in my welfare. Your visit is the brightestexperience of my life."
"Be seated!" she cried suddenly. "You are too ill to stand."
"Were I dying I should refuse to be seated while your highness stands,"said he simply. His shoulders seemed to square themselves involuntarilyand his left hand twitched as though accustomed to the habit of touchinga sword-hilt. Beverly sat down instantly; with his usual easy grace, hetook a chair near by. They were alone in the ante-chamber.
"Even though you were on your last legs?" she murmured, and thenwondered how she could have uttered anything so inane. Somehow, she wasbeginning to fear that he was not the ordinary person she had judged himto be. "You are to be discharged from the hospital to-morrow," she addedhastily.
"To-morrow?" he cried, his eyes lighting with joy. "I may go then?"
"I have decided to take you to Edelweiss with me," she said, very muchas if that were all there was to it. He stared at her for a full minuteas though doubting his ears.
"No!" he said, at last, his jaws settling, his eyes glistening. It was aterrible setback for Beverly's confidence. "Your highness forgets that Ihave your promise of absolute freedom."
"But you are to be free," she protested. "You have nothing to fear. Itis not compulsory, you know. You don't have to go unless you really wantto. But my heart is set on having you in--in the castle guard." Hisbitter, mocking laugh surprised and wounded her, which he was quick tosee, for his contrition was immediate.
"Pardon, your highness. I am a rude, ungrateful wretch, and I deservepunishment instead of reward. The proposal was so astounding that Iforgot myself completely," he said.
Whereupon, catching him in this contrite mood, she began a determinedassault against his resolution. For an hour she devoted her whole heartand soul to the task of overcoming his prejudices, fears and objections,meeting his protestations firmly and logically, unconscious of the factthat her very enthusiasm was betraying her to him. The first signs ofweakening inspired her afresh and at last she was riding over himrough-shod, a happy victor. She made promises that Yetive herself couldnot have made; she offered inducements that never could be carried out,although in her zeal she did not know it to be so; she painted suchpictures of ease, comfort and pleasure that he wondered why royalty didnot exchange places with its servants. In the end, overcome by thespirit of adventure and a desire to be near her, he agreed to enter theservice for six months, at the expiration of which time he was to bereleased from all obligations if he so desired.
"But my friends in the pass, your highness," he said in surrendering,"what is to become of them? They are waiting for me out there in thewilderness. I am not base enough to desert them."
"Can't you get word to them?" she asked eagerly. "Let them come into thecity, too. We will provide for the poor fellows, believe me."
"That, at least, is impossible, your highness," he said, shaking hishead sadly. "You will have to slay them before you can bring them withinthe city gates. My only hope is that Franz may be here tonight. He haspermission to enter, and I am expecting him to-day or to-morrow."
"You can send word to them that you are sound and safe and you can tellthem that Graustark soldiers shall be instructed to pay no attention tothem whatever. They shall not be disturbed." He laughed outright at herenthusiasm. Many times during her eager conversation with Baldos she hadalmost betrayed the fact that she was not the princess. Some of herexpressions were distinctly unregal and some of her slips were hopeless,as she viewed them in retrospect.
"What am I? Only the humble goat-hunter, hunted to death and eager for ashort respite. Do with me as you like, your highness. You shall be myprincess and sovereign for six months, at least," he said,sighing. "Perhaps it is for the best."
"You are the strangest man I've ever seen," she remarked, puzzled beyondexpression.
That night Franz appeared at the hospital and was left alone with Baldosfor an hour or more. What passed between them, no outsider knew, thoughthere tears in the eyes of both at the parting. But Franz did not startfor the pass that night, as they had expected. Strange news had come tothe ears of the faithful old follower and he hung about Ganlook untilmorning came, eager to catch the ear of his leader before it was toolate.
The coach was drawn up in front of the hospital at eight o'clock,Beverly triumphant in command. Baldos came down the steps slowly,carefully, favoring the newly healed ligaments in his legs. She smiledcheerily at him and he swung his rakish hat low. There was no sign ofthe black patch.
Suddenly he started and peered intently into the littleknot of people near the coach. A look of anxiety crossed his face. Fromthe crowd advanced a grizzled old beggar who boldly extended hishand. Baldos grasped the proffered hand and then stepped into thecoach. No one saw the bit of white paper that passed from Franz's palminto the possession of Baldos. Then the coach was off for Edelweiss, thepeople of Ganlook enjoying the unusual spectacle of a mysterious andapparently undistinguished stranger sitting in luxurious ease beside afair lady in the royal coach of Graustark.