“Out of the way, young man! Let me pass.”
“Gently,” said Mansfield, shifting the old soldier adroitly from the inner door. “I don’t know what you mean by coming here and behaving as if you were in a comic opera, but it won’t take much more to make me kick you down the steps.”
Colonel Czartoriski’s hand went promptly to the place where his sword-hilt was wont to be, but remembering that he was in plain clothes, he repressed his wrath, and made a gallant effort to be calm.
“I ask your pardon, young sir. If you knew the reason for my excitement, you would excuse it, but you have not, I am sure, fathomed the full villainy of your master’s character. No,” as Mansfield made a threatening movement, “I will not speak against him. I ask you only to risk his displeasure for a moment for the sake of the honour of an august family, and the future of an unfortunate and misguided young lady.”
“What do you want me to do?” asked Mansfield, unconvinced.
“You see my position?” Colonel Czartoriski turned to the wall, and stood with his face almost touching a map of Western Asia which he appeared to be studying. “I give you my word of honour that I will maintain this attitude while you approach the lady, and entreat her to return immediately with her attendant to the home she has forsaken. I will not move until she is outside the garden, when I will venture to attend her back to the villa. I shall not have seen her here, you are a young man of honour and will not speak, the world will only know of an early walk. Come, you will help me to save her?”
“I am sure you are making some mistake about the lady,” said Mansfield, in much perplexity; but he approached the door of Cyril’s study, reaching it just as the owner opened it to escort Countess Birnsdorf to the gate. The old lady’s cry of surprise on catching sight of him made Colonel Czartoriski forget his promise and turn round, and both looked unutterably guilty.
“I suppose,” said Cyril, “that I ought to feel flattered at your both regarding me as such a Lothario; but I assure you the honour is quite undeserved.”
“It was the words the Princess used,” explained Countess Birnsdorf, apologetically. “A mother’s instinct——”
“I am afraid her Royal Highness’s instincts are not to be trusted where I am concerned. This is not the first rumour she has set afloat about me, you will remember.”