It was therefore with intense pleasure that I learned when I reached the house that there was important news. The maid, Marie, had arrived there about half an hour previously, and was waiting in feverish anxiety to tell me her story. I was no less anxious to hear it.
"Tell me as plainly and as shortly as you can," I said, "everything that has pa.s.sed since you left the palace with the baroness up to this moment."
"The first thing I noticed was that there was a stranger on the box as coachman, and that there were also two strangers on the board behind. We drove away slowly through the lines of people and until we had gone about half a mile. Then the carriage turned away to the right, and began to thread a number of streets, the pace gradually increasing until the outskirts of the town were reached. There the carriage stopped with a jerk, and a stranger sprang in and took his seat opposite to us.
""Do not be alarmed, ladies," he said, "but the Prince desires you should call first at the house of Baron Heckscher to complete certain details." I made no opposition, because you had told me not to speak a word if I could avoid doing so; and thus we drove on for about half an hour at a rapid pace."
"Do you know the road?" I asked.
"Yes, it was the Linden road. Then the carriage turned in through some side gates," continued the girl, "and we drew up at the door of a large house."
""You will come in," said the man, alighting and leading the way. I noticed a large number of men about, who took careful heed of us, as we were led into a room at the far end of a long corridor. There we were left for a few minutes alone, when the stranger came back to us.
""I have to tell you now," he said to the baroness, "that it will be necessary for you to remain here some time. Reasons of State have made it desirable that you should be separated from those whom you have hitherto looked on as your friends; but, of course, no harm will come to you, and the detention will only be for a few hours. You will not need an attendant, baroness, as this young woman"--waving his hand toward me--"can transfer to you the services she is accustomed to render to her mistress, the Countess Minna."
""What do you mean, sir?" I asked, for I could not keep quiet.
""That it is perfectly well known to me that you are not the Countess Minna von Gramberg, but merely her waiting-maid. You will therefore be good enough to attend to the baroness," and with that he went out of the room."
"And the baroness?" I asked eagerly.
"I was so overcome at learning that the scheme had got known to them, and that, therefore, the danger to my dear young mistress was as great as ever, perhaps greater, that I did not know what to say, or think, or do. The baroness seemed to think I had been guilty of treachery, but, your Highness, I would die sooner than be the means of any harm coming to my mistress," cried the girl, with what appeared to me to be the energy of truth, and with the tears in her eyes.
""Have you told any one of this change?" the baroness asked me, and, despite my utter protests, I could not make her believe that I had not.
I sat there utterly miserable, only thinking and fearing what might happen to my mistress.
"The baroness would not speak to me, and hour after hour pa.s.sed in this awful suspense. They brought us food, but I could not touch it, though the baroness ate some, and told me to do the same. But I could not. The dreadful thought of my mistress" danger seemed to shut out everything else, even anger at these suspicions of treachery."
"Well, how did you get away?" I asked as she paused. "Stay, will you know the house again? And could you guide me to it?"
"Yes, your Highness," was the ready answer.
I sent for Steinitz and told him to have a carriage got ready for me at once.
"After we had been thus for some hours," the girl resumed when I turned to her again, "I thought I heard the sound of a horse galloping up to the house, and about an hour later the same man came to our room.
""You can get ready to go. We have done with you," he said bluntly to me. "I regret it is impossible to release you yet, baroness; but your niece will certainly have need of you, and you will probably wish to be with her again."
""Can I not go to my mistress?" I asked, in distress at the thought of her being in this man"s power.
""No, you can return to the Prince von Gramberg, and tell him the next time he plans a coup to do it more shrewdly."
"I wrung my hands in despair and prayed and begged of him to let me go to the countess; but he scowled and frowned me down and ordered me to be silent. Then he led me away alone to where a carriage was waiting for me, and after I had been driven back to the city they set me down, and I hurried here as fast as I could."
I had already resolved to go to the place, although it was almost certain I should not find Minna there.
"Get ready to go with me. You will take your place by the coachman and direct him where to drive;" and after a rapid change of dress I armed myself and set out for the house where the girl had been detained, bidding the man drive as fast as his horses could travel.
CHAPTER XX
COVERING MY DEFEAT
As I rode through the quickly brightening dawn I endeavored to piece together some plan of action for this visit to the house; but it was obvious I should have to be guided largely by what might occur. It was exceedingly improbable that I should find Minna there. It seemed in the highest degree improbable that they would have let the girl Marie out in such a way if they had intended to take Minna to the same house; for they would have known I should go there at once. Certainly they did not intend me to know Minna"s whereabouts.
There were other considerations, moreover. Marie herself might still be playing me false, or these men might be using her as a decoy to lure me into a trap. I was inclined to the latter view. I believed the girl to be true to her mistress, and I read the detention of the Baroness Gratz, judged by what the girl had said of her manner, to indicate that the treachery was hers, and not the girl"s. In any event I must be on my guard.
I felt that until I could make the Baron Heckscher understand that any harm to either Minna or myself would be the signal for the death of the Duke Marx there might be danger for us both.
For Minna"s sake--seeing that her helplessness would be vastly increased were anything to happen to me--I must run no unnecessary personal risks. I would use the occasion only therefore to endeavor to ascertain where Minna had been carried. After a few hours, as soon, that was, as I could safely communicate with Baron Heckscher, the axis of the danger would be shifted.
Presently the carriage stopped, and I was told that we were near the house. Calculating that if any mischief were meant a secret approach would be as dangerous as an open one, I ordered the coachman to drive straight up to the door, and I jumped out, and myself thundered at the heavy knocker, and pealed away loudly at the bell.
The noise awoke the echoes of the still, heavy, morning air, but for a long time received no attention from within the house. I grew impatient, and walked round it, examining the windows, which for the most part were closely shuttered.
I went back to the door, and knocked and rang again; and then a window at the top of the house was opened, and an old man put out his head and asked what was the matter.
"Come down to the door at once," I replied peremptorily.
"What for?"
"Come down," I cried angrily. "At once. I order you in the name of the Queen--or I shall have the door broken in."
The head was withdrawn and I thought I could hear the sounds of a m.u.f.fled conference.
"Who are you and what do you want?" said the old fellow, putting out his head again.
"I order you in the name of the Queen to do as I have said," I answered, rather liking the sound of the formula. It served my purpose, for the man drew in his head muttering he would be down in a minute.
"Are you sure this is the house?" I asked the girl Marie.
"Positive. I will lead you straight to the room," she returned.
I waited impatiently until I heard some one fumbling with the fastenings of the door, and after a minute it was opened by the old man, partially dressed and yawning heavily.
"I have come for the Baroness Gratz and her companion," I said sharply as I stepped into the hall. "Let them be roused at once."
"There"s no baroness here," said the man.
"Who is in the house, then?" I asked.
The old fellow looked at me shrewdly.
"There are more than enough to guard it; but there are no ladies," he answered.
"That I shall see for myself," said I, and I called Marie and told her to show me the way to the room where she and the baroness had been kept.