As the Emperor was being driven back to the city, Prince Osbert who cared little for his company at this moment, alighted from the carriage, leaving him to the management of his own affairs. Felicitas, then promptly decided upon driving to the official residence of his prime minister, Mr. Stonesack, for he was anxious to confer with him concerning the dilemma in which he was placed. Moreover, he desired to intimate to his minister that steps must be taken at once for the arrest of Sadbag and Geometrus. Neither could Mercia be left out of the indictment, for according to his story, she was the principal aggressor. He was not so lost to all good feeling that he experienced no pangs of self-reproach for the part he was taking against the innocent girl; but he could see only two ways out of the difficulty; either the impeachment of Mercia and her friends, or a full confession of his own conduct.
This latter would have been intolerable. The deliberate exposure of himself to the public, and a big public it was, by this time, for it embraced the whole world, after having so long played the part of Simon Pure to popular opinion, was out of the question. He would certainly shield himself, he thought, and if the worst came to Mercia he could exercise his royal clemency on her behalf, and set her at liberty again.
By this course he would get rid of the detestable Sadbag for good, and Geometrus at the same time. Who knows, thought Felicitas with a faint smile, but Mercia may still prove kind to me, if that fellow were only put out of reach.
Then followed in his mind bright visions of a lovely dwelling, situated in some distant part of his dominions, with Mercia for its mistress, and himself its secret owner, and constant visitor. How delightful! It should be fitted up like fairyland itself, with every luxury, and every appliance for her comfort. Little children might play about his knees, of which there was poor prospect of ever seeing in his royal palace; for so far, the Empress had proved barren. Then he awoke from his dream to the provoking reality of his true situation.
This pleasing reverie created, to some extent, a reaction in his mind. As his temper cooled so did his courage to make this heinous charge against innocent persons: but he supported himself with the reflection that at most the unfortunate men could receive no greater punishment than a term of imprisonment.
By the time his carriage reached the prime minister’s residence he had decided what to say, for he had succeeded in inventing an excellent excuse for his visit to the Observatory.
He realised that it was necessary to have his statement ready as to the precise nature of the work he had requested his astronomer to prepare for him, which through her neglect had caused the extraordinary scene of which the prince had been an accidental witness.
After much cogitation he evolved the feasible explanation that he had requested her to make calculations of each perturbation of the sun’s centre; and also to discover to what extent the additions of meteoric matter to his body would affect solar heat. He desired this information in the interests of all his subjects, but especially in those of agriculturists, and fruit-culturists, whose crops had been ruined by the continuous cold seasons.
Under ordinary circumstances the Emperor would have obtained the attendance of any of his ministers without leaving his apartment; in one instant the summons would have reached him, had the minister been there to receive it.
Here was the difficulty, however, for delay increased the danger, and allowed the enemy an advantage; accordingly the Emperor chose the less dignified but safer course of calling in person on his minister.