"Major Dalberg," he said, "salute your cousin."
I do not know which cousin was the more startled, but I am quite sure which was the more embarra.s.sed. In truth, for a moment, I was too confused to move. The one thought that kept pounding through my brain was: "What am I expected to do?" Frederick had saluted me with a kiss; was it possible he meant me to kiss Dehra! I glanced across at Courtney,--he was struggling to suppress his merriment,--then back at the Princess; and caught what I was fool enough to imagine was a look of glad surprise. She had recognized and remembered me.
That settled it. I stepped forward and deliberately kissed her on the cheek.
The next instant my mouth stung with the blow of an open hand, and I was looking down into the flashing eyes and flaming face of the Princess.
It was quite evident I had not been expected to kiss her.
"Sir!" she exclaimed. "Sir!" And with each word she seemed to strike me afresh. Then words failed her, and with another gesture of disdain she gave me her back.
"Your Majesty, who is this----?" she began.
Then she stopped and I heard her catch her breath. The next moment, with high-held head she swept by me and from the room. And with her going crumbled all the bright castles I had builded on the memories of that ride in the forest, six years before.
Of course I had been a silly fool. The fiend himself must have possessed me. But I had kissed her, and that was something to remember,--though, doubtless, that itself but proved me the greater idiot. All this and much more whirled through my mind in the moment of the Princess"s leaving; then I turned, expecting to face the scorn of the King,--and found him wiping the tears from his eyes and shaking with laughter.
So this was what had seat Dehra from the room in anger. And, straightway, the skies brightened. Plainly, if her father were not offended, I might yet make my peace with her.
Then I, too, began to smile. Doubtless there was a funny side to it; though it seemed to be more evident to the spectators than to me. At any rate, the King still laughed, and so did Courtney; though quietly and discreetly. His, I admit, I did not relish; so I spoke.
"I am very sorry, Your Majesty; I meant no offence----" I began.
"Nonsense, Major," the King interrupted. "You gave none."
"Indeed!" I said, and rubbed my mouth.
"Oh, don"t hold that against the Princess," he chuckled.
"She didn"t hit half hard enough." I said. "She should have knocked me down."
He shook his head. "She misunderstood the whole matter. I forgot she, doubtless, knows nothing of the American branch of the House; so, my calling you cousin conveyed no meaning, if indeed she even heard it.
She simply thought you a presumptuous stranger."
"And so I am."
He waved the idea aside. "You are her nearest male relative after myself."
"That may mitigate my presumption--but, none the less, I"m a stranger."
"No Dalberg is stranger to a Dalberg, and least of all in the presence of the Dalberg King," he said. Then the smile came again. "But, by the Lord, sir, I admire your pluck--to kiss the Princess Royal of Valeria before her father"s very face."
"It wasn"t pluck," I protested. "It was rank ignorance. I was at a loss what greeting was proper;" and I explained my perplexity.
"Of course," he said kindly, but with a shrewd twinkle in his blue eyes, "I understand. Only, I fancy it would be wiser that I make your excuses to your cousin. For, believe me, my dear Major, for one in such doubt you kissed her with amazing promptness."
This time Courtney laughed aloud and the King and I joined him.
"Then you think I may venture, sometime, to speak to her without renewed offence?" I asked presently, as we were about to retire.
"a.s.suredly," said the King. "When you meet her again to-night act as though you had known her always. I"ll answer for it, she will not respond with a blow."
Just at the door he called to me.
"Major," he said, "which would be your preference: to be introduced to-night as one of the Blood, or to hold off a while and continue your duties as American Attache?"
I had had this very matter in my mind a moment before. "With Your Majesty"s permission I will execute my orders--at least, for the present," I said.
"I think that were the proper course under the circ.u.mstances.
Meanwhile, we will provide that you have the entree, and as many prerogatives of your birth as are properly consistent with conditions."
Without, a chamberlain awaited to conduct us to the Hall of the Kings, where the birthday ball was to be held.
V
THE SALUTE OF A FRIEND
One Court function is pretty much like another, Europe over. There is the same sparkle of jewels and shimmer of silk on aristocratic woman; the same clank of spur and rattle of sword and brilliancy of uniform on official man.
Courtney had long ago become familiar with it all, and I in my details and travels had seen enough to make me indifferently easy, at least.
We had tarried overtime with the King, and, so, were the last to reach the Hall. At the door Cosgrove joined us and under his guidance we made our way to the diplomatic line. Scarcely were we there when His Majesty and the Princess Royal were announced and between the ranks of bowing guests they pa.s.sed to the throne. As Frederick stepped upon the dais there arose spontaneously the shout, thrice repeated:
"Long live the King!"
And then someone cried:--
"Long live Dalberg!" And the throng joined in it twice again.
How the King acknowledged it I do not know. My whole attention was given to the Princess. It was my first good view of her since the day I had acted as subst.i.tute groom. For the bad few minutes lately pa.s.sed had been given over to l.a.b.i.al and mental sensations to the exclusion of the ocular. Now I had more leisure while those ranking and senior to Courtney made their felicitations upon the royal birthday.
She was little changed from my lady of the forest; only a bit more roundness to the figure and maturity in the face, particularly about the set of the mouth when in repose. Otherwise, she was the same charming woman who had smiled me into subjection six years before.
Beautiful? Of course; but do not ask me for description, other than that she was medium in height, willowy in figure and dark blonde in type. With that outline your imagination must fill in the rest. Words only caricature a glorious woman.
When it came our turn, the King seemed to make it a point to greet me with marked cordiality; not waiting for my name to be announced, but stepping over to the edge of the dais to meet me and holding me in conversation an unusual time. It was noticed to the Court that I had the royal favor.
Then, with the quiet aside: "It"s all explained," he pa.s.sed me over to the Princess.
She was talking with Courtney, and turned and met me with a smile.
"Let us shake hands and be friends, cousin," she said.
The graciousness of the gesture, was plain enough to the whole room, but the words reached only Courtney and me.
"I don"t deserve it--cousin," I said; but I took her hand, none the less.
Then, after a word more, we gave place to those that followed us. But, as I bowed away, she said low: "The sixth dance, cousin."