CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.
BLUFF HAL RAGES.
"I don't understand this, Hurst. I don't understand it a bit. Onemoment I feel that he is no Comte, at another that there may besomething in what you say. But just now I can think of nothing but dela Seine not being in his room. Bah! He cannot have taken to flight,thinking that I have discovered who he is; but we must find out that."
At this moment the King was passing along the centre of the gallerydevoted to the priceless treasures of his collection, to which Carrbrokehad so proudly directed the young French visitor's attention, when hisfoot came suddenly in contact with something which he sent flying alongthe polished oaken boards, the object making a musical metallic sound.
"What's that?" cried the King sharply; and the chamberlain startedforward into the gloom close beneath one of the windows, to pick upafter a moment's search what proved on being held up to the light to bea beautiful little golden cup covered with such _repousse_ work as wouldmost likely have been placed there by some Italian artist of theBenvenuto Cellini type.
A faint cry of wonder escaped the chamberlain's lips.
"A golden cup!" exclaimed the King, as he leaned over to gaze at thelittle object. "How comes that there? Why, Hurst, that little _tazza_should be in the big cabinet yonder, where the French jewel lies.Quick! Here."
The King turned sharply and hurried back to the centre of the gallerywhere the great cabinet stood, to find it on the two sides he examinedperfectly intact; but the other two sides of the big ornamental piece offurniture fell to the chamberlain's examination, and he was so startledby the discovery he made that he remained silent and stood there withhis lips compressed.
"Nothing here, Hurst," cried the King, in less excited tones. "It musthave been my fancy; it cannot be the cup I mean. You see nothing?"
"Will your Majesty look here?" said the chamberlain gravely.
"Hah!" cried the King, and he joined his follower on the other side, toutter an ejaculation full of the rage he felt, for dim as the gallerywas, light enough came through the window opposite to which the cabinetstood to show that one of the doors had been wrenched open; some of thedrawers within were half unclosed, while several little objects that hadevidently been dropped in haste were upon the floor.
"Robbery! Pillage!" cried the King angrily. "They must have beendisturbed in their act of plunder, whoever it was, and--and--hah!" heraged out, as he snatched up a case that was lying open. "Look here,Hurst; this tells the tale. Do you know it?"
"No, Sire."
"You see it is empty."
"Yes, Sire."
"I could gage my life that within the last hour it held that fateful gemwon by the Kings of England, the jewel from the French crown. Now, man,who is the robber? Speak!"
"Ah!" half whispered the chamberlain. "Your Majesty is right. Thisdisappearance is accounted for at once. It must have been--"
"The Comte de la Seine!" raged out the King. "Stolen not only from myown palace, but out of my own private apartments, where I am supposed tobe guarded night and day. Hurst," he continued grimly. "I am afraidsome one is going to die on account of this. But the robbers cannothave gone far. They must be somewhere about."
"Yes, Sire. There are guards everywhere, and the gates are closed.They must be in the castle still."
"Then this be my task," cried the King, "to hunt the cunning schemersdown. This way first. There should be two guards at the head of thesouth staircase--if they are not asleep."
In his excitement the King drew his sword and led the way to where thetwo officers were on duty, ready to challenge and answer frankly thatonly one person had passed there, and that the young esquire in theComte de la Seine's suite.
"Bah! We are on the wrong track," said the King angrily. "They wouldnot come this way. That boy was probably sent to take the guards'attention while the deed was done. Come back, Hurst; this way. You menarrest anybody who tries to pass you, no matter who it may be. Now,Hurst, quick, for the game is afoot and we must run it down."
He hurriedly led the way back along the gallery, past the broken cabinetwithout giving it a moment's concern, and when nearing the privatecorridor the King stopped short, to clutch his follower by the breastwith his left hand.
"Hurst," he whispered hoarsely, the deep tones of his voice betrayingthe rage burning in his breast--"Hurst, have we been betrayed?"
"Surely not, your Majesty. Your people are too loyal for that."
"But the French are very cunning, man, and gold, even if it is foreign,will sometimes work its way."
"Your Majesty speaks in riddles," said the chamberlain nervously, forhis master still clutched him by the breast, and the sword was tremblingin his hand as if he were about to use it upon a prisoner he had takenhimself.
"Riddles!" cried the King. "When we are searching for that vile culpritwhom I believed to be still in the place, and who has not passed theguards at either end of these galleries? That boy Carrbroke: he told usthat no one had passed by him."
"Yes, your Majesty; but still I do not understand your drift."
"Man, have you no brains to think? Is there not another way from here?"
"Hah!" cried the chamberlain in a hoarse whisper. "The secret passage!"
"Yes," said the King, in a low, deep voice. "Some one--if they have notwatched and discovered for themselves--must have betrayed its existence,known only to me and you. But maybe it has acted like a trap--the outerdoor is locked, and a stranger would not be likely to find the key."
"Oh," whispered the chamberlain, "it is possible, Sire. I will call theguard."
"No," said the King, with an angry hiss in his voice. "You can use yoursword, Hurst?"
"In your Majesty's service at any time," replied the chamberlain.
"And I am not a child with mine," said the King. "Hurst, man, yoursuspicions are right. This French visitor is no paltry Comte. There isthe look of the Valois in his countenance. What if the great object ofhis visit here was to steal that gem taken from his land by conquest?Hurst, I should like to take this man redhanded myself. We are two, andpossibly he is alone, for he would not trust such a task as this toother hands. We heard just now that his page, esquire, or whatever heis, had been sent away."
"Yes, Sire. But he will be desperate. Your Majesty's safety must notbe risked. I implore you, let me call the guard."
"Well, as you will," said the King.--"No, it would only be to revealthat secret place to the common herd. No one shall know it butourselves. But stop; there is some one close at hand whom I dare trust.Old Sir John Carrbroke's son. He will be trusty as his father was tome, and to my father in his time. Fetch him here."
The chamberlain hurried off, while the King followed slowly, sword inhand, till he was opposite to the concealed door, where he stood fast towait; but an ejaculation uttered by Lord Hurst took him to the latter'sside.
"Traitor!" cried the King angrily. "No, sleeper." And in his rage hedrew back his arm as if to thrust at the youth who was lying upon theheavy couch.
"No sleeper, your Majesty," cried the chamberlain, bending overCarrbroke, to raise his eyelids one by one. "Pah!" he ejaculated. "Theodour is quite strong. The poor lad has been drugged by some pungentmedicament." And then as he drew back his hand he took a kerchief fromhis pouch to wipe his hands. "The noisome poison is still wet upon hisface."
"Thank Heaven!" said the King. "It was a mercy I did not strike andslay a faithful soul. Come, then, Hurst; but draw and defend me ifthere is need. Now then, back to the arras, and let us see."
"The passage is all black darkness, Sire," whispered the chamberlain;and the King pointed with his sword to the nearest sconce.
"Bring a light," he said laconically.
The next minute they were opposite the secret door, which the Kingunfastened, and was about to raise the arras when the chamberlainpressed forward.
"I will go first, your Majesty," he said.
"After your King, sir. Yours
the task to light me on the way."
A word of opposition was upon his follower's lips, but the King stoopedhastily, raised the arras well on high, and signed to the chamberlain tohold it up and cast the light into the narrow way he was about totraverse.
Then with one heavy thrust he threw open the door, and without amoment's hesitation passed in with his sword advanced, to be followedquickly by the chamberlain, who raised the light above his head, tothrow the King's shadow right before him, so that his mock semblance,looking black, solid, and grotesquely dwarfed, moved on in front till itstruck against the angle of the wall where the passage turned sharply tothe left.
Here with sword advanced the chamberlain approached as closely as hecould, fully expecting attack from a hiding foe; but the King passedboldly on, with his shadow before him, till the next angle was reached,their footsteps sounding hollow, dull, and strange in the confinedspace.
The King walked onward like one well accustomed to traverse the place,and in another few minutes the great candle his follower bore wascasting the dwarf shadow upon the heavy door that blocked the end.
"A false clue, Hurst," said the King gruffly. "The secret of this placeis still our own.--No, by my faith!" he almost roared. "The light,man--lower--and look here!"
For there, plain to see, was the ring of a heavy key in the lock of themassive door, and as the King seized the latch and raised it with aclick, the door swung inward easily upon its well-oiled hinges, followedby a puff of the soft night air, which would have extinguished the lighthad not the King hastily closed the door again.
"Gone, and by this way!" he growled, as he turned the key, sending thebolt with a sharp snap into the socket. Then with a sharp tug he drewout the shining wards and signed to his follower to return.
Lord Hurst uttered a low sigh of relief, for he felt that the King hadescaped a terrible danger, the loss of the jewel being as nothing to hislife.
He backed slowly, lighting the way, till they were about half-a-dozenyards from the door, when he stopped short and raised the light on alevel with a little horizontal niche close to the roof of the passage,into which the King thrust the key.
"There has been treachery here, Hurst," he said sombrely, "for astranger would not be likely to have found that key. Simplehiding-places are often the most safe. But there," he growled, with asuppressed oath; "back into the corridor, but extinguish that lightbefore you raise the arras, and make sure that we are alone."
The order was obeyed, the chamberlain cautiously listening, before goingdown upon one knee to raise the tapestry a few inches from the floor andmake sure that Carrbroke was the only occupant of the great gallery,then creeping quickly out, holding the hangings upward for the King topass, and securing the door.
"Now," cried the King furiously, as he brought one foot down with aheavy stamp, "the villains may be still within the grounds. Guard!Guard!" he roared, with a voice almost as deep as that of a raging bull;and as footsteps were almost directly heard, the enraged monarch turnedupon his chamberlain and furiously bade him have the soldiery summonedand the place well searched, while many minutes had not elapsed beforethe alarm bell was sending its vibrating notes with a deep hum throughthe night air, and room and corridor echoed with the sounds of excitedvoices and trampling feet.
It was in the midst of the orders that were being given by King andcourtier that the clashing sound of arms and shouts of angry men camefrom the gate and guard-room, to be followed by the news of theencounter and the visitors' escape.
And then it was as if a storm was raging through the castle, set inagitation by the bluff King, who played the part of thunder god himself,ending by stamping and raging about the outer court animadverting uponthe sluggishness of his guards, till the strong body of horsemen whoformed his bodyguard of mounted archers stood drawn up, ready, withtheir arms and armour flashing in the light of scores of flambeaux,waiting for the final order thundered forth at last by the King himself,to spare not their spurs, but ride due south and bring back the culpritsalive or dead.