“Your Excellency must have been misinformed. Our object was simply to secure the persons of the King and Queen, and to induce the Queen to consent to the King’s conversion to the Orthodox faith.”
“To induce her? yes. And when persuasion failed——?”
The man’s face grew pale again. “There was something said about a few days without food for the Queen, and the knowledge that her child and attendants were suffering in the same way,” he muttered.
“Exactly; and what would that have meant but murder, in the case of delicate women and a child? And this precious scheme was to be carried out to-night, was it, that you might have at least three clear days before I should begin to feel surprised at receiving no news from Tatarjé? or perhaps you would like to set me right on this point also?”
“No, Excellency; your information is correct.”
“And the plot is supported by the garrison, the Church, and the townspeople, headed no doubt by the mayor?”
“Yes, Excellency; and as you know, of course——”
“Yes, I was waiting for this. By whom besides?”
“I—I fear your Excellency knows more than I do. The message which the head of our circle at Bellaviste gave me to bring here was merely that a certain person was propitious, but must not be too confidently relied upon.”
“Take care. To whom did you understand that message to allude?”