“Her Majesty is at the door, Count,” he said. “It seems that she was taking a drive, and that some rumour of your misfortune reached her. She drove here at once, and seeing me, asked for particulars. I have relieved her anxiety; but she insists on conveying you to your house in her carriage. As she says, her escort will be a protection for you.”
“But we don’t want to get her associated with us in the minds of the people,” said Cyril hastily. “Tell her that I have sent for my own carriage—anything.”
“I—I think that perhaps you had better comply,” said Prince Mirkovics, with a shade of embarrassment in his tone. “Her Majesty appeared to be most anxious about you, and says that she will wait until you come.”
“Then perhaps it is as well that I am ready,” said Cyril, rising with some difficulty from the doctor’s chair. “Prince,” he added hurriedly as they passed through the hall, “you will have to temporise for two or three days, for I foresee that I shall not be up to much. Put forward all you know in the way of compromises if the Queen tries to mediate, but concede nothing, of course. Simply keep things hanging on; you understand?”
With some bewilderment Prince Mirkovics signified his comprehension, and Cyril was helped out of the house and into the Queen’s carriage, where she and Anna Mirkovics, who was her companion, made him as comfortable as they could. As soon as the carriage was in motion, she bent across to him eagerly, speaking in English—
“Oh, thank God you are not killed, as we heard at first! But how could you be so incautious as to let M. Drakovics see that you suspected him of trying to murder you? It is simply tempting him to do it again. Such imprudence is not like you.”
“But I did not suspect him of anything of the kind. You don’t imagine that I should let him see it if I did? It was merely a declaration of war. There can be no peace between us after that.”
“If you thought he had done it, I would have had him hunted down like a wolf,” she said fiercely.
“My dear child, don’t be excited. Look about now and then, and make remarks on the weather, and bow to the people. I want to say something very important, but no one must guess.”
“Very well,” said Ernestine, bowing pleasantly to a passing lady of her acquaintance for the benefit of the curious crowd that lined the pavements.