“You are not enthusiastic, Count. You think that I shall quarrel again with you in an hour or so?”
This was exactly what Cyril did think, but he was not so rude as to tell her so. “If you have any further wishes, madame, pray command me,” he said.
“Yes, there is one thing,” she said quickly, trying to hide a little disappointment which had crept into her tone. “What are they saying about us in the world all this time? What of M. Drakovics?”
“In the suddenness of our departure from Tatarjé, madame, I ventured to take the steps which seemed to me to be advisable without consulting your Majesty. To my servant, who was proceeding to Bellaviste in the train supposed to be conveying me, and who is a staunch fellow, I intrusted a note to be given to M. Drakovics immediately on his arrival. In this note I informed his Excellency of the unfortunate events which compelled you to leave Tatarjé at once with the King, and added that you would travel incognito until you reached the castle of Prince Mirkovics. These facts I begged him not to make public, lest the conspirators should have sympathisers in Bellaviste; and I requested him also not to attempt to put down the rebellion by force until he knew that your safety was assured. I have no doubt that he is publishing daily special Gazettes detailing your Majesty’s journey by the usual route, with particulars of the decorations and illuminations at the towns passed on the way.”
“To throw the public off the scent?” asked the Queen, laughing, in spite of herself, at the idea. “But surely we are losing time frightfully? The rebellion will spread and consolidate itself while we are wandering about in these forests.”
“Your safety, madame, and that of his Majesty, is the paramount consideration. When M. Drakovics knows you are safe, he can put down the rebellion at his leisure. Any step that would direct attention to this district, or drive the insurgents from Tatarjé to take refuge among these hills, would be a grave mistake. And even at the worst, we are losing very little time, although I cannot flatter myself that my plans have succeeded as they would have done with ordinary luck. By to-morrow night—in four days from our leaving Tatarjé—I hope to see you in safety. Either by the river, if it proves prudent to hire a boat, or by a path across the hills which Minics can show us, we ought to be able to reach Karajevo long before sunset; and once there we are among friends, for Bishop Andreas is the brother of Prince Mirkovics.”
“It is my turn to ask your pardon, Count. Your foresight is marvellous. If we reach Karajevo safely, I shall begin to feel that there is something supernatural about the way in which your plans succeed in spite of all kinds of apparent failure. Well, I shall not be altogether sorry to leave this wandering life in the greenwood; and yet—— There has been much, very much, that was delightful in it, and, best of all, it has shown me a true friend whom I have hitherto been too blind to recognise.”
She went back into the hut, leaving Cyril speechless under the witchery of the radiant smile she turned upon him. As he shook himself, metaphorically speaking, to get rid of the spell, he heard Fräulein von Staubach say with some asperity—
“Was it needful to take quite so long to make your peace, madame? I do not know what it will lead Count Mortimer to think?”
“Think? Why, what should he think?” asked the Queen sharply.