“Your pardon, monsieur,” said the man in command, “but my orders are to desire you to be so good as to await His Highness’s return.”
“I have told the Prince I will see him another time,” I returned.
“Deepest regrets, monsieur; but my orders were very precise;” and as it was quite evident that he was prepared to prevent my departure by force if necessary, I gave in, went back into the room and slammed the door. Just one of those childish acts a man commits in a rage.
But the situation was far too grave for my vexation over the mere personal indignity to last long. The thing had to be considered as an indication of the length to which the Prince was ready to go in the absence of the Emperor. He would stick at nothing; and the treachery which had destroyed Helga’s father years ago was still a practical policy with him.
The question was what he could do to me and whether he would attempt to keep me from seeing the Emperor. It was clear that his suspicions had fastened upon Helga. He had had his own reasons for asking so pointedly about her real motives.
“You probably know who she is; I do not—yet,” he had said; but he had a connecting link almost in his hands in the person of Boreski. Moreover he had accepted my news as meaning that I should associate myself with her. If then he guessed that she was so dangerous to him as the daughter of the dead Lavalski would be, I could not doubt he would strain every nerve, not only to secure her and put her away as a Nihilist, but also to keep me as her champion from getting to the Emperor’s ear.
But what should I do? That was the question. Drive me out of Russia he should not; that I was resolved; but shut up in my room in the Palace I was as powerless as if I had been in New York. He could set his dogs to hunt down Helga and have her half-way to Siberia before I might get a chance to escape; and the thought was almost maddening in my then state of mind.
Presently it occurred to me to try and meet craft with craft, to pretend to accept his offer of a safe conduct to the frontier and then return. To get out of the Palace by way of the frontier was a long route, but it was better than remaining where I was, and things being as they were it appeared the only course for me to adopt.
It was nearly three hours, instead of only one, before he returned, and when he came I saw that he had fresh news. I could read him sufficiently well by this time to see that.
“I regret the delay, M. Denver, but it has been unavoidable,” he said in suave apology. “Have you considered your decision?”