CHAPTER XXI
EDWARD SEES COMPLICATIONS
Galva had written--
"_.... so, as I hardly expect you will be able to get a reply throughto me, I had better make my own arrangements. At ten o'clock eachnight I will be in readiness and Teresa will be on hand to open thedoor to you on your giving the signal, Anna and I, in dear oldCornwall, used, when we became separated in any way, to call to eachother by imitating the cry of the kestrel. I will wait for that signalhere. You must remember that I have promised old Teresa that herhusband will come to no harm ... I am well and in no danger, and havingallayed your anxiety and eased my mind, I can wait quite happily tillyou come...._"
The captive had set forth at length the manner of her capture and theposition of Casa Luzo. She had briefly touched upon the friendship forher shown by Teresa and how the old woman had discovered her secret.She impressed upon Edward to lay his plans well and not to spoilmatters by undue haste.
"Casa Luzo," murmured the Duc de Choleaux Lasuer, "it lies nine or tenmiles out on the Alcad..."
"You know the Alcador road, duke?"
The boyish face flushed a little and his grace bent over Galva's letter.
"A little," he said. "An idle man of the world like myself knows mostof the pleasure spots on this old earth of ours--I had my car over herelast year and I did a lot of work on these inland roads."
They were sitting on the balcony outside the drawing-room windows ofVenta Villa. The duke had, immediately upon his arrival in the earlyhours of the morning, hurried Edward away from the lighted dock-side upto the house, keeping ever on the darker side of the way. Edward hadnoticed with no little alarm, how, under some pretext or other, he hadcontrived to keep his features hidden when any one approached. Hewould stop and light his cigarette, or stoop and occupy himself withhis bootlace. Edward, whom recent affairs had made observant, did notfeel at all comfortable.
It was plain to him that his grace was anxious that he should not beobserved, and he felt uneasy to think that there could be any mysteryabout the young man on whom he was depending for so much help. Hedecided that, for the present, the least said was soonest mended, andhe would not share the secret of Galva's birth with him until he couldmore clearly see his way.
But now, as he looked at the figure of the young man beside him on thebalcony and noted the frank open countenance, the steady eye, he felt apang of compunction at doubting him. And yet--why was it that the dukehad taken up his position behind the thick fronds of the largest palmthat adorned the little balcony? A coincidence perhaps, but----
The mistral-like storm of the night before had passed over, leavingCorbo radiant and clean in the bright sunlight. The sea was calmingand there was no wind. The sun had been strong, and now in the earlyafternoon there was not a spot of moisture left on the promenade.
"There will be a moon to-night, Mr. Sydney."
"Good--and you really think it better not to risk the road?"
The duke drew a large scale map of Corbo and its surroundings towardshim.
"It's unnecessary. The Sebastin Park, so Senora Paluda says, mergesinto the forest, and once there the way seems clear. The distanceappears to be less that way, and I do not think we can go wrong. Wewill leave ourselves plenty of time."
A meal was taken at three o'clock and immediately afterwards the menset out, each armed with a revolver. They did not consider it needfulto take other help with them--secrecy was half the battle. Edward felthis misgivings returning to him in full force as he noticed that, inspite of the warm sun, the duke twisted a thick muffler round his neck,burying his chin and mouth in the folds.
The Sebastin Park, given to the people of San Pietro by their lateill-fated king, was a magnificent stretch of vivid lawns and trimgravel paths. The semi-tropical vegetation was trained and cultivatedto show to the best advantage and everywhere little statues andfountains gleamed white in the sun. There were, also, on the outeredges of the park, walks more secluded and screened by shrubberies ofrhododendrons.
Edward frowned as he noticed that his companion chose these outerpathways in preference to the broad walks, where nursemaids and theirlittle charges swarmed and idle promenaders walked slowly up and down.With chin buried in his muffler, the Duc de Choleaux Lasuer walkedquickly, his eyes nervously looking from side to side.
And then they were in the forest. The cultivation was left behind andthere was only a little zigzag path winding between the trunks of thegreat pines. Through them to the left a glimpse of the grey walls ofthe Palace grounds showed sombre against the sky. Edward pointed thisout to the duke and spoke of the dying king. He detected a shadow passover the boyish face, and the duke's next remark was on an entirelydifferent subject. A suspicion of the truth was born in Edward's mindat that moment.
But the brisk action and the clean scents of the woodland drove allthoughts save those of Galva from his mind and filled him with thespirit of romance and the joy of living. Uncle Jasper's letter wasforgotten and Edward became again, in his own eyes, the knight-errantand hero.
They reached the precincts of the Casa Luzo from the back and longbefore they had expected. Edward's watch told them that it was eighto'clock, and the men had to wait with what patience they could thepassing of the next two hours. They took their places upon a fallentree trunk in a clearing, and lit cigarettes and looked at the moonrising over the Yeldo hills and at the black and green mystery of theforest around them. The silence was intense and neither of the waitingmen seemed anxious to break the magic of it.
And then as it grew chilly they reconnoitred, taking stock of theirposition. They made a wide detour of the house, penetrating deeplyinto the wood. They saw not a soul, but once the eerie glow of acharcoal-burner splashed redly between the trees.
At five minutes to the hour they stood just within the belt of treesfacing the house. Edward's first attempt at the kestrel's note was nota success. The weird sound echoed dismally through the night, awakingthe bird life to protesting cries. He cleared his throat and triedagain,--then, as the surrounding birds quieted down into a peevishchatter, a window on the first floor showed a faint light.
As they watched, grotesque shadows flitted over the ceiling and wallswithin the room as the occupant carried the candle to the window. Fora moment Galva's slender form showed silhouetted against theglow,--then darkness. The men crept quietly up to the building.
As they mounted the steps they saw the massive door before them slowlyopen a few inches. Edward put out his hand and gently pushed it, andthey were inside the hall.
It was in darkness, save for the dull glow that came from a hornlantern that stood on the stone floor. By its fitful light they couldmake out the shadowy form of an old woman who stood regarding them fromthe foot of the staircase. The rays, coming from below her, touchedher figure here and there into yellow lights, and threw gigantic andmisshapen shadows on the walls behind her.
Teresa was trembling. She held one finger to her lips as thoughenjoining silence, and a hand, outstretched, indicated the door of thedining-room. From the stairs above came the sound of hard breathing.As the men looked at the old woman, she disappeared, melting into thegloom of the staircase.
The duke made a sign to Edward to stay silent where he was, and withhis revolver held in readiness, advanced to the door of the room.
It was open a little way only, and but a part of the room was visible.The long table was littered with the remains of a meal, and the clothat one end had been crumpled and pushed back to clear a space for twomen who sat there at cards.
One of them, whose figure showed out darkly against the light of thecandelabra, was a personage of massive build, and the duke, takingstock of the bullet-shaped head and thick neck, told himself that herewas a customer that would need some handling. The other, his opponentat the game, he saw at a glance was of little account. Old Pieto hadbeen winning, and a crafty smile of gratified greed flickered over hisface as he shuffled the dirty cards.
The watcher by the door noted with some satisfaction that both menapplied themselves assiduously to the flagons of wine beside them, infact, they were neither of them quite sober. As the man whose back wastowards him put down his cards he shivered and half turned in his chairwith a muttered imprecation upon old women who left doors open.
The duke slipped back into the shadows and raised his weapon andwaited. But nothing happened; the man was perhaps too lazy to rise,and was waiting for the return of Teresa.
Edward listened to his companion's whispered instructions carefully.The little old man was to be held at the point of the revolver whilstthe duke grappled with the other and stronger man, whose back beingturned offered himself as an easy prey.
With a muttered "now," they flung open the door, and with a bound theduke was upon the man at the table, his arm locked around his neck in avice-like grip. Gradually he bore him backwards, tilting the chair upon its back legs. The ruffian's face was purple, and he made agurgling noise in his throat. Then the oak of the chair legs cracked,cracked again, and splintered, and the men were on the floor together.
A nimble twist, remarkable in so big a man, and learnt, perhaps, in thebull-ring, put the man on his feet again, and he snatched at a knife onthe table. When he turned, the duke was also up, and leaning pantingagainst the wall. The revolver had been knocked from his hand in thestruggle, and had fallen neither man knew where.
Keeping his eyes fixed upon his opponent and crouching low, the manwith the knife reached out his left hand and took hold of thetablecloth; then, with a swift movement, he dragged it to him, wavingit until it was wound round his left forearm. The crockery and glassfell crashing to the floor, and the duke noticed a wine bottle rollingaway to the wainscoting, leaving a red trail like blood over thescattered playing cards. But his eyes were quickly back again upon theman, who with his tablecloth-shielded arm was creeping cat-like up tohim.
The duke counted himself lost, as, unarmed as he was, he awaited theinevitable spring. He gave one glance at Edward, who was standing overthe old manservant, the revolver held waveringly within an inch of theevil face. Povey had not dared take his eyes from his captive; heheard the shuffling of stealthy feet as the men circled round eachother, heard one of them kick a dish that was hampering him, sending itcrashing against the wall. Then there was the sharp crack of afirearm, and he could stand the suspense no longer.
He turned and saw thin wreaths of smoke floating across the room, and,on the floor, the man whom the duke had attacked half lay, half sat,clutching spasmodically at his knee and swearing horribly. At the doorstood Galva. She was very white, and the hand that held the stillsmoking little pistol was trembling. Edward heard a small pitifulvoice. Galva was saying, "In the leg--only--in the leg----"
Then she threw the weapon from her and went over to Edward, and put herarms round his neck.
"Oh, guardy--I've shot a man! Say he's not dead--it was only in theleg--say----" And the girl fell to weeping on his shoulder.
The duke was now standing over Pieto, and was tying the old man's handswith a cord. Teresa bent over the ruffian on the floor, cutting awaythe breeches from the wound in his leg.
Edward, looking over Galva's shoulder, took in the details of thescene. There was a small pool of blood on the oak boards, and anorange from the table had rolled into it and was dabbled in red.
He saw the duke approach the wounded man, and at his step Teresa lookedup. Into her face came a dawning bewilderment, and she gave a littlecry.
"Prince Ar----," she whispered. Then the duke had his hand over hermouth. But Edward had heard, and the duke's actions since his arrivalin San Pietro were made clear to him.
"This complicates matters considerably," he said below his breath, andwent on paternally patting Galva's shoulder.