CHAPTER XVII
A NOTE TRANSLATED
She was torn by conflicting emotions. That the two friends hadsurreptitiously exchanged messages, doubtless by an arrangementperfected since he had entered the service--possibly within theweek--could not be disputed. When and how had they planned theaccidental meeting? What had been their method of communication? And,above all, what were the contents of the messages exchanged? Were theyof a purely personal nature, or did they comprehend injury to theprincipality of Graustark? Beverly could not, in her heart, feel thatBaldos was doing anything inimical to the country he served, and yet herduty and loyalty to Yetive made it imperative that the transactionshould be reported at once. A word to Quinnox and Ravone would be seizedand searched for the mysterious paper. This, however, looked utterlyunreasonable, for the vagabonds were armed and in force, while Yetivewas accompanied by but three men who could be depended upon. Baldos,under the conditions, was not to be reckoned upon for support. On theother hand, if he meant no harm, it would be cruel, even fatal, toexpose him to this charge of duplicity. And while she turned thesetroublesome alternatives over in her mind, the opportunity to act waslost. Ravone and his men were gone, and the harm, if any was intended,was done.
From time to time she glanced back at the guard. His face wasimperturbable, even sphinx-like in its steadiness. She decided to holdhim personally to account. At the earliest available moment she woulddemand an explanation of his conduct, threatening him if necessary. Ifhe proved obdurate there was but one course left open to her. She woulddeliver him up to the justice he had outraged. Hour after hour went by,and Beverly suffered more than she could have told. The damage was done,and the chance to undo it was slipping farther and farther out of hergrasp. She began to look upon herself as the vilest of traitors. Therewas no silver among the clouds that marred her thoughts that afternoon.
It was late in the day when the party returned to the castle, tiredout. Beverly was the only one who had no longing to seek repose afterthe fatiguing trip. Her mind was full of unrest. It was necessary toquestion Baldos at once. There could be no peace for her until shelearned the truth from him. The strain became so great that at last shesent word for him to attend her in the park. He was to accompany the menwho carried the sedan chair in which she had learned to sit with adelightful feeling of being in the eighteenth century.
In a far corner of the grounds, now gray in the early dusk, Beverly badethe bearers to set down her chair and leave her in quiet for a fewminutes. The two men withdrew to a respectful distance, whereupon shecalled Baldos to her side. Her face was flushed with anxiety.
"You must tell me the truth about that transaction with Ravone," shesaid, coming straight to the point.
"I was expecting this, your highness," said he quietly. The shadows ofnight were falling, but she could distinguish the look of anxiety in hisdark eyes.
"Well?" she insisted impatiently.
"You saw the notes exchanged?"
"Yes, yes, and I command you to tell me what they contained. It was themost daring thing I--"
"You highness, I cannot tell you what passed between us. It would betreacherous," he said firmly. Beverly gasped in sheer amazement.
"Treacherous? Good heaven, sir, to whom do you owe allegiance--to me orto Ravone and that band of tramps?" she cried, with eyes afire.
"To both, your highness," he answered so fairly that she was for themoment abashed. "I am loyal to you--loyal to the heart's core, and yet Iam loyal to that unhappy band of tramps, as you choose to callthem. They are my friends. You are only my sovereign."
"And you won't tell me what passed between you?" she said, angered bythis epigrammatic remark.
"I cannot and be true to myself."
"Oh? you are a glorious soldier," she exclaimed, with fierce sarcasm inher voice. "You speak of being true! I surprise you in the very actof--"
"Stay, your highness!" he said coldly. "You are about to call me a spyand a traitor. Spare me, I implore you, that humiliation. I have swornto serve you faithfully and loyally. I have not deceived you, and Ishall not. Paul Baldos has wronged no man, no woman. What passed betweenRavone and myself concerns us only. It had nothing to do with theaffairs of Graustark."
"Of course you would say that. You wouldn't be fool enough to tell thetruth," cried she hotly. "I am the fool! I have trusted you and ifanything goes wrong I alone am to blame for exposing poor Graustark todanger. Oh, why didn't I cry out this afternoon?"
"I knew you would not," he said, with cool unconcern.
"Insolence! What do you mean by that?" she cried in confusion.
"In your heart you knew I was doing no wrong. You shielded me then asyou have shielded me from the beginning."
"I don't see why I sit here and let you talk to me like that," she said,feeling the symptoms of collapse. "You have not been fair with me,Baldos. You are laughing at me now and calling me a witless littlefool. You--you did something to-day that shakes my faith to the verybottom. I never can trust you again. Good heaven, I hate to confessto--to everyone that you are not honest."
"Your highness!" he implored, coming close to the chair and bending overher. "Before God, I am honest with you. Believe me when I say that Ihave done nothing to injure Graustark. I cannot tell you what it wasthat passed between Ravone and me, but I swear on my soul that I havenot been disloyal to my oath. Won't you trust me? Won't you believe?"His breath was fanning her ear, his voice was eager; she could feel theintensity of his eyes.
"Oh, I don't--don't know what to say to you," she murmured. "I have beenso wrought up with fear and disappointment. You'll admit that it wasvery suspicious, won't you?" she cried, almost pleadingly.
"Yes, yes," he answered. His hand touched her arm, perhapsunconsciously. She threw back her head to give him a look ofrebuke. Their eyes met, and after a moment both were full ofpleading. Her lips parted, but the words would not come. She wasafterwards more than thankful for this, because his eyes impelled her togive voice to amazing things that suddenly rushed to her head.
"I want to believe you," she whispered softly.
"You must--you do! I would give you my life. You have it now. It is inyour keeping, and with it my honor. Trust me, I beseech you. I havetrusted you."
"I brought you here--" she began, defending him involuntarily. "But,Baldos, you forget that I am the princess!" She drew away in suddenshyness, her cheeks rosy once more, her eyes filling with the mostdistressingly unreasonable tears. He did not move for what seemed hoursto her. She heard the sharp catch of his breath and felt the repressionthat was mastering some unwelcome emotion in him.
Lights were springing into existence in all parts of the park. Beverlysaw the solitary window in the monastery far away, and her eyes fastenedon it as if for sustenance in this crisis of her life--this moment ofsurprise--this moment when she felt him laying hands upon the heart shehad not suspected of treason. Twilight was upon them; the sun had setand night was rushing up to lend unfair advantage to the forces againstwhich they were struggling. The orchestra in the castle was playingsomething soft and tender--oh, so far away.
"I forget that I am a slave, your highness," he said at last, and hisvoice thrilled her through and through. She turned quickly and to herutter dismay found his face and eyes still close to hers, glowing in thedarkness.
"Those men--over there," she whispered helplessly. "They are looking atyou!"
"Now, I thank God eternally," he cried softly, "You do not punish me,you do not rebuke me. God, there is no night!"
"You--you must not talk like that," she cried, pulling herself togethersuddenly. "I cannot permit it, Baldos. You forget who you are, sir."
"Ah, yes, your highness," he said, before he stood erect. "I forget thatI was a suspected traitor. Now I am guilty of _lese majeste."_Beverly felt herself grow hot with confusion.
"What am I to do with you?" she cried in perplexity, her heart beatingshamefully. "You swear you are honest, and yet you won't tell me thetruth. Now, don't stand like that! You ar
e as straight as a ramrod, andI know your dignity is terribly offended. I may be foolish, but I_do_ believe you intend no harm to Graustark. You _cannot_ bea traitor."
"I will some day give my life to repay you for those words, yourhighness," he said. Her hand was resting on the side of thechair. Something warm touched it, and then it was liftedresistlessly. Hot, passionate lips burned themselves into the whitefingers, and a glow went into every fiber of her body.
"Oh!" was all she could say. He gently released the hand and threw uphis chin resolutely.
"I am _almost_ ready to die," he said. She laughed for the firsttime since they entered the park.
"I don't know how to treat you," she said in a helpless flutter. "Youknow a princess has many trials in life."
"Not the least of which is womanhood."
"Baldos," she said after a long pause. Something very disagreeable hadjust rushed into her brain. "Have you been forgetting all this time thatthe Princess Yetive is the wife of Grenfall Lorry?"
"It has never left my mind for an instant. From the bottom of my heart Icongratulate him. His wife is an angel as well as a princess."
"Well, in the code of morals, is it quite proper to be so _loyal_to another man's wife?" she asked, and then she trembled. He wassupposed to know her as the wife of Grenfall Lorry, and yet he hadboldly shown his love for her.
"It depends altogether on the other man's wife," he said, and she lookedup quickly. It was too dark to see his face, but something told her topress the point no further. Deep down in her heart she was beginning torejoice in the belief that he had found her out. If he still believedher to be the real princess, then he was--but the subject ofconversation, at least, had to be changed.
"You say your message to Ravone was of a purely personal nature," shesaid.
"Yes, your highness." She did not like the way in which he said "yourhighness." It sounded as if he meant it.
"How did you know that you were to see him to-day?"
"We have waited for this opportunity since last week. Franz was in thecastle grounds last Thursday."
"Good heavens! You don't mean it!"
"Yes, your highness. He carried a message to me from Ravone. That is whyRavone and the others waited for me in the hills."
"You amaze me!"
"I have seen Franz often," he confessed easily. "He is an excellentmessenger."
"So it would seem. We must keep a lookout for him. He is the go-betweenfor you all, I see."
"Did you learn to say 'you all' in America?" he asked. Her heart gave agreat leap. There was something so subtle in the query that she wasvastly relieved.
"Never mind about that, sir. You won't tell me what you said in yournote to Ravone."
"I cannot."
"Well, he gave you one in return. If you are perfectly sincere, Baldos,you will hand that note over to me. It shall go no farther, I swear toyou, if, as you vow, it does not jeopardize Graustark. Now, sir, proveyour loyalty and your honesty."
He hesitated for a long time. Then from an inner pocket he drew forth abit of paper.
"I don't see why it has not been destroyed," he said regretfully. "Whata neglectful fool I have been!"
"You might have said it had been destroyed," she said, happy because hehad not said it.
"But that would have been a lie. Read it, your highness, and return itto me. It must be destroyed."
"It is too dark to read it here." Without a word he handed the paper toher and called the chair bearers, to whom he gave instructions thatbrought her speedily beneath one of the park lamps. She afterwardsrecalled the guilty impulse which forced her to sit on the tell-talenote while the men were carrying her along in the driveway. When it wasquite safe she slyly opened the missive. His hand closed over hers, andthe note, and he bent close once more.
"My only fear is that the test will make it impossible for me to kissyour hand again," said he in a strained voice. She looked up insurprise.
"Then it is really something disloyal?"
"I have called it a test, your highness," he responded enigmatically.
"Well, we'll see," she said, and forthwith turned her eyes to theall-important paper. A quick flush crossed her brow; her eyes blinkedhopelessly. The note was written in the Graustark language!
"I'll read it later, Baldos. This is no place for me to be readingnotes, don't you know? Really, it isn't. I'll give it back to youto-morrow," she was in haste to say.
An inscrutable smile came over his face.
"Ravone's information is correct, I am now convinced," he saidslowly. "Pray, your highness, glance over it now, that I may destroy itat once," he persisted.
"The light isn't good."
"It seems excellent."
"And I never saw such a miserable scrawl as this. He must have writtenit on horseback and at full gallop."
"It is quite legible, your highness."
"I really cannot read the stuff. You know his handwriting. Read it tome. I'll trust you to read It carefully."
"This is embarrassing, your highness, but I obey, of course, if youcommand. Here is what Ravone says:
"'We have fresh proof that she is not the princess, but the Americangirl. Be exceedingly careful that she does not lead you into anyadmissions. The Americans are tricky. Have little to say to her, andguard your tongue well. We are all well and are hoping for the best.'"