CHAPTER 17
Young Rupert's Midnight Diversions
The night came fine and clear. I had prayed for dirty weather, such ashad favoured my previous voyage in the moat, but Fortune was this timeagainst me. Still I reckoned that by keeping close under the wall and inthe shadow I could escape detection from the windows of the chateauthat looked out on the scene of my efforts. If they searched the moat,indeed, my scheme must fail; but I did not think they would. They hadmade "Jacob's Ladder" secure against attack. Johann had himself helpedto fix it closely to the masonry on the under side, so that it couldnot now be moved from below any more than from above. An assault withexplosives or a long battering with picks alone could displace it, andthe noise involved in either of these operations put them out of thequestion. What harm, then, could a man do in the moat? I trusted thatBlack Michael, putting this query to himself, would answer confidently,"None;" while, even if Johann meant treachery, he did not know myscheme, and would doubtless expect to see me, at the head of my friends,before the front entrance to the chateau. There, I said to Sapt, was thereal danger. "And there," I added, "you shall be. Doesn't that contentyou?"
But it did not. Dearly would he have liked to come with me, had I notutterly refused to take him. One man might escape notice, to doublethe party more than doubled the risk; and when he ventured to hint onceagain that my life was too valuable, I, knowing the secret thought heclung to, sternly bade him be silent, assuring him that unless the Kinglived through the night, I would not live through it either.
At twelve o'clock, Sapt's command left the chateau of Tarlenheim andstruck off to the right, riding by unfrequented roads, and avoiding thetown of Zenda. If all went well, they would be in front of the Castle byabout a quarter to two. Leaving their horses half a mile off, they wereto steal up to the entrance and hold themselves in readiness for theopening of the door. If the door were not opened by two, they were tosend Fritz von Tarlenheim round to the other side of the Castle. I wouldmeet him there if I were alive, and we would consult whether to stormthe Castle or not. If I were not there, they were to return with allspeed to Tarlenheim, rouse the Marshal, and march in force to Zenda. Forif not there, I should be dead; and I knew that the King would not bealive five minutes after I ceased to breathe. I must now leave Sapt andhis friends, and relate how I myself proceeded on this eventful night.I went out on the good horse which had carried me, on the night ofthe coronation, back from the hunting-lodge to Strelsau. I carried arevolver in the saddle and my sword. I was covered with a large cloak,and under this I wore a warm, tight-fitting woollen jersey, a pair ofknickerbockers, thick stockings, and light canvas shoes. I had rubbedmyself thoroughly with oil, and I carried a large flask of whisky. Thenight was warm, but I might probably be immersed a long while, and itwas necessary to take every precaution against cold: for cold not onlysaps a man's courage if he has to die, but impairs his energy if othershave to die, and, finally, gives him rheumatics, if it be God's willthat he lives. Also I tied round my body a length of thin but stoutcord, and I did not forget my ladder. I, starting after Sapt, took ashorter route, skirting the town to the left, and found myself in theoutskirts of the forest at about half-past twelve. I tied my horse upin a thick clump of trees, leaving the revolver in its pocket in thesaddle--it would be no use to me--and, ladder in hand, made my way tothe edge of the moat. Here I unwound my rope from about my waist, boundit securely round the trunk of a tree on the bank, and let myself down.The Castle clock struck a quarter to one as I felt the water under meand began to swim round the keep, pushing the ladder before me, andhugging the Castle wall. Thus voyaging, I came to my old friend,"Jacob's Ladder," and felt the ledge of the masonry under me. I croucheddown in the shadow of the great pipe--I tried to stir it, but it wasquite immovable--and waited. I remember that my predominant feelingwas neither anxiety for the King nor longing for Flavia, but an intensedesire to smoke; and this craving, of course, I could not gratify.
The drawbridge was still in its place. I saw its airy, slight frameworkabove me, some ten yards to my right, as I crouched with my back againstthe wall of the King's cell. I made out a window two yards my side of itand nearly on the same level. That, if Johann spoke true, must belong tothe duke's apartments; and on the other side, in about the same relativeposition, must be Madame de Mauban's window. Women are careless,forgetful creatures. I prayed that she might not forget that she was tobe the victim of a brutal attempt at two o'clock precisely. I was ratheramused at the part I had assigned to my young friend Rupert Hentzau; butI owed him a stroke--for, even as I sat, my shoulder ached where he had,with an audacity that seemed half to hide his treachery, struck at me,in the sight of all my friends, on the terrace at Tarlenheim.
Suddenly the duke's window grew bright. The shutters were not closed,and the interior became partially visible to me as I cautiously raisedmyself till I stood on tiptoe. Thus placed, my range of sight embraced ayard or more inside the window, while the radius of light did notreach me. The window was flung open and someone looked out. I markedAntoinette de Mauban's graceful figure, and, though her face was inshadow, the fine outline of her head was revealed against the lightbehind. I longed to cry softly, "Remember!" but I dared not--andhappily, for a moment later a man came up and stood by her. He tried toput his arm round her waist, but with a swift motion she sprang away andleant against the shutter, her profile towards me. I made out who thenewcomer was: it was young Rupert. A low laugh from him made me sure, ashe leant forward, stretching out his hand towards her.
"Gently, gently!" I murmured. "You're too soon, my boy!"
His head was close to hers. I suppose he whispered to her, for I saw herpoint to the moat, and I heard her say, in slow and distinct tones:
"I had rather throw myself out of this window!"
He came close up to the window and looked out.
"It looks cold," said he. "Come, Antoinette, are you serious?"
She made no answer so far as I heard; and he, smiting his hand petulantlyon the window-sill, went on, in the voice of some spoilt child:
"Hang Black Michael! Isn't the princess enough for him? Is he to haveeverything? What the devil do you see in Black Michael?"
"If I told him what you say--" she began.
"Well, tell him," said Rupert, carelessly; and, catching her off herguard, he sprang forward and kissed her, laughing, and crying, "There'ssomething to tell him!"
If I had kept my revolver with me, I should have been very sorelytempted. Being spared the temptation, I merely added this new score tohis account.
"Though, faith," said Rupert, "it's little he cares. He's mad about theprincess, you know. He talks of nothing but cutting the play-actor'sthroat."
Didn't he, indeed?
"And if I do it for him, what do you think he's promised me?"
The unhappy woman raised her hands above her head, in prayer or indespair.
"But I detest waiting," said Rupert; and I saw that he was about tolay his hand on her again, when there was a noise of a door in the roomopening, and a harsh voice cried:
"What are you doing here, sir?"
Rupert turned his back to the window, bowed low, and said, in his loud,merry tones: "Apologizing for your absence, sir. Could I leave the ladyalone?"
The newcomer must be Black Michael. I saw him directly, as he advancedtowards the window. He caught young Rupert by the arm.
"The moat would hold more than the King!" said he, with a significantgesture.
"Does your Highness threaten me?" asked Rupert.
"A threat is more warning than most men get from me."
"Yet," observed Rupert, "Rudolf Rassendyll has been much threatened, andyet lives!"
"Am I in fault because my servants bungle?" asked Michael scornfully.
"Your Highness has run no risk of bungling!" sneered Rupert.
It was telling the duke that he shirked danger as plain as ever Ihave heard a man told. Black Michael had self-control. I dare say hescowled--it was a great regret to me that I cou
ld not see their facesbetter--but his voice was even and calm, as he answered:
"Enough, enough! We mustn't quarrel, Rupert. Are Detchard and Bersoninat their posts?"
"They are, sir."
"I need you no more."
"Nay, I'm not oppressed with fatigue," said Rupert.
"Pray, sir, leave us," said Michael, more impatiently. "In ten minutesthe drawbridge will be drawn back, and I presume you have no wish toswim to your bed."
Rupert's figure disappeared. I heard the door open and shut again.Michael and Antoinette de Mauban were left together. To my chagrin,the duke laid his hand on the window and closed it. He stood talkingto Antoinette for a moment or two. She shook her head, and he turnedimpatiently away. She left the window. The door sounded again, and BlackMichael closed the shutters.
"De Gautet, De Gautet, man!" sounded from the drawbridge. "Unless youwant a bath before your bed, come along!"
It was Rupert's voice, coming from the end of the drawbridge. A momentlater he and De Gautet stepped out on the bridge. Rupert's arm wasthrough De Gautet's, and in the middle of the bridge he detained hiscompanion and leant over. I dropped behind the shelter of "Jacob'sLadder."
Then Master Rupert had a little sport. He took from De Gautet a bottlewhich he carried, and put it to his lips.
"Hardly a drop!" he cried discontentedly, and flung it in the moat.
It fell, as I judged from the sound and the circles on the water, withina yard of the pipe. And Rupert, taking out his revolver, began to shootat it. The first two shots missed the bottle, but hit the pipe. Thethird shattered the bottle. I hoped that the young ruffian would becontent; but he emptied the other barrels at the pipe, and one, skimmingover the pipe, whistled through my hair as I crouched on the other side.
"'Ware bridge!" a voice cried, to my relief.
Rupert and De Gautet cried, "A moment!" and ran across. The bridge wasdrawn back, and all became still. The clock struck a quarter-past one. Irose and stretched myself and yawned.
I think some ten minutes had passed when I heard a slight noise to myright. I peered over the pipe, and saw a dark figure standing in thegateway that led to the bridge. It was a man. By the careless, gracefulpoise, I guessed it to be Rupert again. He held a sword in his hand, andhe stood motionless for a minute or two. Wild thoughts ran through me.On what mischief was the young fiend bent now? Then he laughed lowto himself; then he turned his face to the wall, took a step in mydirection, and, to my surprise, began to climb down the wall. In aninstant I saw that there must be steps in the wall; it was plain. Theywere cut into or affixed to the wall, at intervals of about eighteeninches. Rupert set his foot on the lower one. Then he placed his swordbetween his teeth, turned round, and noiselessly let himself into thewater. Had it been a matter of my life only, I would have swum tomeet him. Dearly would I have loved to fight it out with him then andthere--with steel, on a fine night, and none to come between us. Butthere was the King! I restrained myself, but I could not bridle my swiftbreathing, and I watched him with the intensest eagerness.
He swam leisurely and quietly across. There were more steps up onthe other side, and he climbed them. When he set foot in the gateway,standing on the drawn-back bridge, he felt in his pocket and tooksomething out. I heard him unlock the door. I could hear no noise of itsclosing behind him. He vanished from my sight.
Abandoning my ladder--I saw I did not need it now--I swam to the side ofthe bridge and climbed half way up the steps. There I hung with my swordin my hand, listening eagerly. The duke's room was shuttered and dark.There was a light in the window on the opposite side of the bridge.Not a sound broke the silence, till half-past one chimed from the greatclock in the tower of the chateau.
There were other plots than mine afoot in the Castle that night.