“He was not conscious at the end. When he passed away he was still under the influence of the opiate. I hear you saw him?”
“Yes; he had several charges to give me. I am glad I arrived in time. But here is the beginning of our troubles, Drakovics, since little Michael is King and the Queen is regent.”
“And not only that. See here. This is from our agent in the duchy of Lucernebourg.” He handed Cyril a telegram, partly written in cipher, but easily read by any one who knew the secret.
“‘The Princess of Weldart was ordered last week by her physicians to spend the winter in the South of France. She bade farewell two days ago to the Hercynian Imperial family, and arrived here yesterday en route for the Riviera; but instead of continuing her journey thither, left almost immediately for Switzerland. I discovered through one of her attendants that she is travelling incognito to Thracia by way of Switzerland and Vienna.’”
“Then we shall have her here—how soon?” asked Cyril.
“The telegram was despatched yesterday, but for some reason or other only reached Bellaviste this morning. I was here, and it was not delivered to me until I returned to my office. I should say that she would arrive on the frontier early to-morrow morning.”
“She must be met,” said Cyril, standing up. “I had better go, I suppose. There is a fearful amount to arrange, of course; but I can put things in train before I start, and anything is better than allowing her to begin with a moral victory.”
“You think that she will gain a further grievance if she is permitted to reach the capital unescorted?”
“I don’t care about that, but I can see that she thinks she will catch us napping. A little object-lesson at once will make our task easier in future.”
“Good,” said M. Drakovics; “but you cannot go alone. A military escort would be out of the question under the mournful circumstances, and also in view of the fact that the Princess is travelling incognito. One of the ladies must go, of course, but we cannot trouble the Queen to choose her. You had better apply to Baroness von Hilfenstein.”