“Stay and lunch with me, Prince,” said Cyril to Prince Mirkovics. “I can’t invite every one, or my doctor will interfere; but there are a few things to settle still. By the bye, Georgeivics, are the troops ready for action? If Drakovics should take it into his head to spring his resignation and a riot upon us simultaneously, we should be in a tight place, especially since the police will be on his side.”
“They are ready,” responded the War Minister. “Constantinovics is in charge of that portion of our programme. The excited state of the town during the last few days has furnished a pretext for keeping the Carlino Regiment to barracks, and they could be under arms in a few minutes. They would patrol the streets until the arrival of reinforcements from Feodoratz.”
CHAPTER XXI.
PARLEYINGS WITH CERTAIN PEOPLE.
“The more I think of the state of affairs,” said Cyril to Prince Mirkovics, when they were alone, “the more I am convinced that we must hurry things on. If possible, we must see that Drakovics resigns, and has not to be dismissed; but that is not so important as the necessity of preventing his bringing on a constitutional crisis. His aim will be to get up a strife between the Crown and the Legislature, which might end in her Majesty’s being deprived of the regency, and every day that passes adds to his power for mischief.”
“But how would you propose to force his hand, as you said just now?”
“We must bring things to a head as soon as possible—have no more haggling negotiations. Whether Drakovics resigns or is dismissed, he must go quickly, or he will oust the Queen—not to speak of ourselves. In some informal and unofficial way it must be brought to his knowledge that the Queen will refuse her assent to Philaret’s nomination. Of course he guesses that she will; but I hope that the thought that the matter was arranged with us would sting him to action. It will probably have to be done by means of an indiscretion.”
“An indiscretion, Count? On whose part?”
“Yes, a calculated indiscretion. The difficulty is to decide who shall commit it, since of course it would entail removal from public life—at all events for a time—or from the Court, according to the individual concerned, and that is rather a large order. One can scarcely ask such a sacrifice from any one. But let us leave the matter for the present; I will think it over. Luncheon is ready, I see. You may have noticed that I have a new footman? My servants were complaining of the extra work caused by my illness and the consequent troops of visitors, and therefore I imported this fellow in a hurry.”
But although Cyril had suggested leaving the consideration of politics for the present, it seemed that he was unable to dismiss the subject from his mind; for almost before he had been supplied with the invalid fare prescribed for him, he glanced across the table at Prince Mirkovics.
“I suppose there is no doubt that her Majesty will refuse her assent to the nomination of Philaret?” he said.