follow you into the Minister'sprivate cabinet, and I saw Ghelardi go in later. He came out, andpresently you came out with Waldron. I followed you both down to thevestibule, but from your faces I knew that you had been discovered."
"Yes, Mijoux Flobecq," she cried in sudden defiance, "the game is up,and the honour of Italy is saved. The timely entry of Mr Waldron intothat room has averted a European war!"
"And brought exposure and disaster upon yourself," answered the man inharsh tones. "Within a week from to-day Europe will read in the ParisPress a most interesting correspondence which will reflect anything buthonour upon the Royal House of Savoy."
"Then you really intend to crush me, and send me to my death--eh?"
"I intend to act exactly as I have said," was the fellow's firmresponse. "When my mind is made up I never alter it."
"So this is how you repay me for all my sacrifice for you--eh?" sheasked with poignant bitterness, and a catch in her voice which wasdistinctly audible by the two men listening.
"The brute," whispered Waldron loudly to his companion. "He shallanswer to me for this!"
"But I appeal to you," she implored; "I--"
"It is useless. I gave you an excellent opportunity of recovering yourletters, but you have not taken it. The bargain, I repeat, was a fairand straightforward one. You wanted your letters--I wanted the keyplan. But--" and he hesitated as though a sudden suggestion had crossedhis mind. "Just wait a few moments. I have forgotten something in myroom. I will not be a minute or two--and then we can resume this highlyinteresting conversation."
And the two men listening breathlessly heard the door open and shut, andthen the silence was broken only by Lola's low, despairing sobs within.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
THROUGH THE NIGHT.
A quarter of an hour passed, but the spy of Austria did not return.
Both Waldron and the detective stood in wonder near the door conversingin low whispers.
Nearly half an hour went by, and they could only hear Her Highnesspacing the room in her mad despair. Yet Flobecq had not returned.
"Is it possible that he could have overheard my threat of vengeance!"exclaimed the Englishman to his companion. "Has he suspected that theconversation has been heard and left the hotel?"
"_Madonna mia_! He may have done, signore," Pucci replied. "He is amost alert person."
"Go out and make inquiry. I will remain here. He knows me."
"He knows me also," laughed the Italian. "I kept observation upon himonce in Livorno, where he was conducting some negotiations regarding thepurchase of plans of two of our battleships being built in Orlando'syard. That is why I have recognised him. He scented danger on thatoccasion and fled."
"Just as he has now done, I fear," said Hubert. "Go quickly and makeinquiries."
Ten minutes later the brigadier re-entered and said excitedly:
"He's gone! He had a motor-car awaiting him round in the Via del Duomo.It was a strange car, a long, grey, open one, they say. It had beenwaiting an hour. The chauffeur was a Frenchman. They left by the PortaMaggiore, and have evidently taken the direction of Bolsena. He tookhis hand-bag with him, and left a fifty-lire note for his hotel bill."
"Then he must have overheard me!" gasped Waldron dismayed. "By Jove!he's got away, and with the Princess's letters in his possession. Whatbad luck!"
By this time, of course, Pucci was aware of the whole circumstances.
Hubert Waldron was a man of action. Without a second's hesitation herapped at the door of the next room, and confronting Lola, who almostfainted at his sudden and unexpected appearance, explained how he hadfollowed her, and listened to the tragic story as revealed by herconversation with the notorious Mijoux Flobecq.
"Then you know, Mr Waldron! _You know all_!" she gasped, her face paleas death.
"Everything," he answered hastily. They were alone together, for Puccihad gone out to hire a car. "But I have no time to lose. The spy hasescaped us, and we must follow instantly if we are to be successful inpreventing this exposure. Return at once to Rome, and behave just asthough nothing whatever had happened. Trust in me, Lola," he said, andlooking straight into her eyes he took her small hand gently in his, andraised it in reverence to his lips.
"Yes," she whispered in a low, intense voice. "You are my only friend,Mr Waldron. I will put my entire trust in you."
"Then _addio_--for the present," he said hastily. "I have not a secondto spare. I will do all I can to save you from exposure and scandal,Lola. So remain calm, and leave all to me."
"I do--I do," she answered frantically. "Ah! what should I do at thismoment without your kind aid?"
"No, no," he protested, again bowing and kissing her hand in his courtlymanner.
He dared not kiss her upon the lips, though he was sorely tempted.
"Au revoir," he said. "Return to Rome as soon as ever you can, I beg ofyou. Fear nothing from either Ghelardi or this spy who has vanished."
And he hurried out, down the wide stone stairs of the great prison-likeold palace, a fortress in the days of the Cinquecento, but now turnedinto an _albergo_.
Pucci stood below. A car would be round in ten minutes--the best andmost powerful he could obtain. But of hire cars in the remote town ofOrvieto not much could be expected, therefore when half an hour laterthey found themselves speeding in the twilight through the hills anddales of the white, dusty road towards the Lake of Bolsena they were notsurprised to find that the engine had a nasty knock, and its firingdistinctly bad.
The chauffeur, a dark, beetle-browed young man of the debonair_giovanotto_ type, had, however, entered fully into the spirit of thechase, and was travelling with all speed, following the tracks ofFlobecq's car, which could be distinctly discerned in the thick whitedust.
In the little town of Bolsena, beside the lake, they ascertained that agrey car had come swiftly through, and had turned to the right at thewater's edge, taking the road which at the end of the lake branched intwo directions, one leading westwards to the sea at Orbetello,forty-five miles or so as the crow flics, or about ninety by road, whilethe other led direct north, the highway to Siena and Firenze.
It had now grown too dark to see the tracks in the dust, thereforetaking their head-lamps they made careful examination of the road, but,alas! upon both they saw motor tracks which seemed in that uncertainlight to be exactly similar.
Truly Mijoux Flobecq was an elusive person.
In that, one of the wildest and most unfrequented parts of Italy, whereeven to-day the motorist is lucky if he is not stoned, and where thepeasantry are uncouth and hardly civilised, a night journey was not atall inviting.
After a brief consultation they both agreed that the most probableintention of the fugitive--if his suspicions had been aroused, as wasmost likely--would be to go north, join the railway on the main line toFlorence, and probably get out of the country immediately, carrying withhim the Princess's letters.
The coup had failed, and Lola knowing him to be a spy, might reveal thetruth. Flobecq was wary enough to foresee such an awkward eventuality.Hence his headlong flight, which had, no doubt, been cunningly arranged,as were all his rapid journeys.
Hubert was just about to mount into the car and continue northward alongthe straight, well-made road which ran first to Acquapendente and thento Radicofani--a village of bad repute on the top of a conical hill,where every car was stoned as it passed, the King's included--when hisquick ears caught a sound.
A motor cyclist was coming rapidly along the road leading westward.
As he approached Pucci hailed him, and he pulled up.
"Have you met a big, open, grey car half an hour or so ago?" thedetective inquired of the young man, who seemed surprised at being thusstopped.
"Yes. It passed me just as I came out of Pitigliano village. At leastI suppose it must have been the car you mention. The lights were out,and it was travelling very swiftly."
"Going towards Orbetello--eh?"
"Yes. That is the only place it can reach. The road runs quitestraight down the valley, and there are no branches until you get to thesea at Albegna."
"He's gone to Orbetello, no doubt," Hubert exclaimed. "He will catchthe express for Turin from there. We must make all haste possible."
Then, thanking the motor cyclist for his information, the car was backedand turned, and soon they were tearing through the gathering darknessdown a long, winding valley which echoed to the roar of their engine andthe constant hoot of their horn.
Steep and dangerous was the road in many places, with a loose surfaceand a number of sharp turns. The drive was a wild one, but if Flobecqwas to be intercepted before he caught the night express for