“Why not? They are now in your service—that is, if you wish me still to pay them.”
Money was not to be so entirely useless after all, it seemed. “Yes, pay them, Karasch. Have you any money left?”
“I have brought it;” and he produced the greater part of what I had given him.
“You had better keep it.”
“It will be safer with you. You can give it me as I need it, Excellency;” and he laid it on the table.
“Take what you want;” and he took a very moderate sum which he declared would be enough. I told him then that for the present he had better not live in my house but was to come night and morning for instructions, and to let me know how to communicate with him instantly in the event of my needing him in any pressing emergency.
His news gave me plenty of matter to chew, and I sat turning it over and over in my mind. I saw Elma’s pro-Russian hand in it plainly; and although Karasch and his companions could make no guess at the motive for the abduction, I could make one.
Had they succeeded in the scheme of getting Gatrina to Maglai they would have kept her there until she had consented to marry Duke Barinski. Then their plan to secure the succession would have come into the field of practical politics; the Queen would have been quietly checkmated; Russian influence would have openly backed up the united claim of the Duke and Gatrina; and the crooked path would suddenly have been made smooth.
Gatrina’s escape from her guards had alone prevented this and her safe return to Belgrade had no doubt completely disconcerted the schemers.
But they were not of the kind to put aside the plan because of this check and we might look for some other move from them equally daring, cunning and far-reaching.