“No; I think it is safe to say that they are not married.”
“Then it is not too late. I am here to save her. She must be protected against herself. The fellow shall go in no time.”
“My dear Michael, you must be careful. Count Mortimer has not been Premier for eleven years without knowing how to entrench himself in his position. He is hand and glove with the Three Powers, and to dismiss him precipitately might lead to very disastrous consequences, besides blazoning abroad the whole matter, which is the last thing one would wish to do. Decidedly you must not give such a reason for dismissing him—and yet it would not do to dismiss him without a reason.”
“I have my reasons—I hate him, and he would oppose my marriage with Lida, and he has the presumption to wish to marry my mother—but I need not give them.”
“You must give some reason, my dear boy. But if possible let it spring out of some misconduct on Count Mortimer’s own part. If only he were Finance Minister, one might produce evidence of peculation; but as Minister of Foreign Affairs, all we can do is to suggest that he has entered into secret understandings with other States. If the Three Powers once come to believe that he has had dealings with Scythia, they will be only too anxious to throw him over; and even if we could not furnish any direct evidence after all, a suspicion of that kind never quite dies away.”
“I see; you mean to disgrace him as well as get rid of him? That will suit me all right. I believe you hate him as much as I do. But you will help me, Tant’ Ottilie? I don’t quite see how I could carry the thing through alone.”
“Help you, dear boy? of course. But tell me first; you are sure that you really love Lida?”
“Of course I do. You said so yourself. Should I want to marry her if I didn’t?” was the unanswerable rejoinder, and the Princess forbore to press the question further.
“Leave everything to me just at present, Michael, and do not appear to have discovered your mother’s secret. I shall try to persuade her to consent to your marriage first. After that, we must take other measures.”
Having attained her various objects in starting the conversation, she said no more, leaving the boy to brood over his discoveries. She had succeeded beyond her utmost expectations in rousing him to the two emotions of love and hate, and now her only fear was lest a chance interview with his mother or with Cyril should lead to an explosion before she had had time to prepare her ground. It was evident that the campaign must be opened quickly on her side if she was not to find her movements anticipated. Her plans were soon laid, and when she met Ernestine, without appearing to notice the start of dismay with which her unexpected arrival was greeted, she whispered as she advanced to kiss her—