CHAPTER XXII
"His Highness, the Prince of Saxe Leinitzer!"
Duson stood away from the door with a low bow. The Prince--in thebuttonhole of whose frock-coat was a large bunch of Russian violets,passed across the threshold. Mr. Sabin rose slowly from his chair.
"I fear," the Prince said suavely, "that I am an early visitor. I canonly throw myself upon your indulgence and plead the urgency of mymission."
His arrival appeared to have interrupted a late breakfast of theContinental order. The small table at which Lucille and Mr. Sabin wereseated was covered with roses and several dishes of wonderful fruit. Acoffee equipage was before Lucille. Mr. Sabin, dressed with his usualpeculiar care and looking ten years younger, had just lit a cigarette.
"We have been anticipating your visit, Prince," Mr. Sabin remarked, withgrim courtesy. "Can we offer you coffee or a liqueur?"
"I thank you, no," the Prince answered. "I seldom take anythingbefore lunch. Let me beg that you do not disturb yourselves. With yourpermission I will take this easy-chair. So! That is excellent. We cannow talk undisturbed."
Mr. Sabin bowed.
"You will find me," he said, "an excellent listener."
The Prince smiled in an amiable manner. His eyes were fixed uponLucille, who had drawn her chair a little away from the table. Whatother woman in the world who had passed her first youth could sit thusin the slanting sunlight and remain beautiful?
"I will ask you to believe," the Prince said slowly, "how sincerelyI regret this unavoidable interference in a domestic happiness sotouching. Nevertheless, I have come for the Countess. It is necessarythat she returns to Dorset House this morning."
"You will oblige me," Mr. Sabin remarked, "by remembering that my wifeis the Duchesse de Souspennier, and by so addressing her."
The Prince spread out his hands--a deprecating gesture.
"Alas!" he said, "for the present it is not possible. Until the littleaffair upon which we are now engaged is finally disposed of it isnecessary that Lucille should be known by the title which she bearsin her own right, or by the name of her late husband, Mr. James B.Peterson."
"That little affair," Mr. Sabin remarked, "is, I presume, the matterwhich you have come to explain to me."
The Prince smiled and shook his head.
"Explain! My dear Duke, that is not possible. It is not within yourrights to ask questions or to require any explanation as to anythingwhich Lucille is required to do by us. You must remember that our claimupon her comes before yours. It is a claim which she cannot evade ordeny. And in pursuance of it, Countess, I deeply regret having totell you that your presence at Dorset House within the next hour isdemanded."
Lucille made no answer, but looked across the table at Mr. Sabin with alittle grimace.
"It is a comedy," she murmured. "After all, it is a comedy!"
Mr. Sabin fingered his cigarette thoughtfully.
"I believe," he said, "that the Duchess realises her responsibilities inthis matter. I myself have no wish to deny them. As ordinary memberswe are both pledged to absolute obedience. I therefore place no embargoupon the return of my wife to Dorset House. But there are certainconditions, Prince, that considering the special circumstances of thecase I feel impelled to propose."
"I can recognise," the Prince said, "no conditions."
"They are very harmless," Mr. Sabin continued calmly. "The first is thatin a friendly way, and of course under the inviolable law of secrecy,you explain to me for what part Lucille is cast in this little comedy;the next that I be allowed to see her at reasonable intervals,and finally that she is known by her rightful name as Duchesse deSouspennier."
The forced urbanity which the Prince had assumed fell away from himwithout warning. The tone of his reply was almost a sneer.
"I repeat," he said, "that I can recognise no conditions."
"It is perhaps," Mr. Sabin continued, "the wrong word to use. We submitto your authority, but you and I are well aware that your discretionarypowers are large. I ask you to use them."
"And I," the Prince said, "refuse. Let me add that I intend to preventany recurrence of your little adventure of last night. Lucille shall notsee you again until her task is over. And as for you, my dear Duke, Idesire only your absence. I do not wish to hurt your feelings, but yourname has been associated in the past with too many failures to inspireus with any confidence in engaging you as an ally. Countess, a carriagefrom Dorset House awaits you."
But Lucille sat still, and Mr. Sabin rose slowly to his feet.
"I thank you, Prince," he said, "for throwing away the mask. Fightingis always better without the buttons. It is true that I have failedmore than once, but it is also true that my failures have been moremagnificent than your waddle across the plain of life. As for yourpresent authority, I challenge you to your face that you are using it togain your private ends. What I have said to you I shall repeat to thosewhose place is above yours. Lucille shall go to Dorset House, but I warnyou that I hold my life a slight thing where her welfare is concerned.Your hand is upon the lever of a great organization, I am only a unitin the world. Yet I would have you remember that more than once, Prince,when you and I have met with the odds in your favour the victory hasbeen mine. Play the game fairly, and you have nothing to fear from mebut the open opposition I have promised you. Bring but the shadow ofevil upon her, misuse your power but ever so slightly against her, andI warn you that I shall count the few years of life left to me atrifle--of less than no account--until you and I cry quits."
The Prince smiled, a fat, good-natured smile, behind which the malicewas indeed well hidden.
"Come, come, my dear Souspennier," he declared. "This is unworthy ofyou. It is positively melodramatic. It reminds me of the plays of myFatherland, and of your own Adelphi Theatre. We should be men of theworld, you and I. You must take your defeats with your victories. I canassure you that the welfare of the Countess Lucille shall be my specialcare."
Lucille for the first time spoke. She rose from her chair and rested herhands affectionately upon her husband's shoulder.
"Dear Victor," she said, "remember that we are in London, and, needI add, have confidence in me. The Prince of Saxe Leinitzer and Iunderstand one another, I believe. If we do not it is not my fault. Mypresence here at this moment should prove to you how eagerly I shalllook forward to the time when our separation is no longer necessary."
She passed away into the inner room with a little farewell gesturetender and regretful. Mr. Sabin resumed his seat.
"I believe, Prince," he said, "that no good can come of any furtherconference between you and me. We understand one another too well. MightI suggest therefore that you permit me to ring?"
The Prince rose to his feet.
"You are right," he said. "The bandying of words between you and me is awaste of time. We are both of us too old at the game. But come, beforeI go I will do you a good turn. I will prove that I am in a generousmood."
Mr. Sabin shrugged his shoulders.
"If anything in this world could inspire me with fear," he remarked, "itwould be the generosity of the Prince of Saxe Leinitzer."
The Prince sighed.
"You always misunderstand me," he murmured. "However, I will prove mywords. You spoke of an appeal."
"Certainly," Mr. Sabin answered. "I intend to impeach you for makinguse of the powers entrusted to you for your own private ends--in otherwords, for making an arbitrary misuse of your position."
The Prince nodded.
"It is very well put," he said. "I shall await the result of your appealin fear and trembling. I confess that I am very much afraid. But, comenow, I am going to be generous. I am going to help you on a little. Doyou know to whom your appeal must be made?"
"To the Grand Duke!" Mr. Sabin replied.
The Prince shook his head.
"Ah me!" he said, "how long indeed you have been absent from the world.The Grand Duke is no longer the head of our little affair. Shall I tellyou who has succeeded him?"
"I can easily find out," Mr. Sabin answered.
"Ah, but I warned you that I was in a generous mood," the Prince said,with a smile. "I will save you the trouble. With your permission I willwhisper the name in your ear. It is not one which we mention lightly."
He stepped forward and bent his head for a moment. Afterwards, as hedrew back, the smile upon his lips broadened until he showed all histeeth. It was a veritable triumph. Mr. Sabin, taken wholly by surprise,had not been able to conceal his consternation.
"It is not possible," he exclaimed hoarsely. "He would not dare."
But in his heart he knew that the Prince had spoken the truth.