This startling announcement threw the company into the greatest
excitement. Baldos ran down the steps and to the side of the astonished
princess.
"Prince Dantan!" she cried, unbelieving.
He pushed the boyish figure aside and whispered earnestly into Yetive's
ear. She smiled warmly in response, and her eyes sparkled.
"And this, your highness, is his sister, the Princess Candace," he
announced aloud, bowing low before the girl. At that instant she ceased
to be the timid, cringing boy. Her chin went up in truly regal state as
she calmly, even haughtily, responded to the dazed, half-earnest salutes
of the men. With a rare smile--a knowing one in which mischief was
paramount--she spoke to Baldos, giving him her hand to kiss.
"Ah, dear Baldos, you have achieved your sweetest triumph--the
theatrical climax to all this time of plotting. My brother's sister
loves you for all this. Your highness," and she turned to Yetive with a
captivating smile, "is the luckless sister of Dantan welcome in your
castle? May I rest here in peace? It has been a bitterly long year, this
past week," she sighed. Fatigue shot back into her sweet face, and
Yetive's love went out to her unreservedly. As she drew the slight
figure up the steps she turned and said to her ministers: "I shall be glad to receive Prince Dantan in the throne-room, without
delay. I am going to put the princess to bed."
"Your highness," said Baldos from below, "may I be the first to announce
to you that there will be no war with Dawsbergen?"
This was too much. Even Marlanx looked at his enemy with something like
collapse in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" cried Lorry, seizing him by the arm.
"I mean that Prince Dantan is here to announce the recapture of Gabriel,
his half-brother. Before the hour is past your own men from the dungeon
in the mountains will come to report the return of the fugitive. This
announcement may explain in a measure the conduct that has earned for me
the accusation which confronts me. The men who have retaken Gabriel are
the members of that little band you have heard so much about. Once I was
its captain, Prince Dantan's chief of staff--the commander of his ragged
army of twelve. Miss Calhoun and fate brought me into Edelweiss, but my
loyalty to the object espoused by our glorious little army has never
wavered. Without me they have succeeded in tricking and trapping
Gabriel. It is more than the great army of Graustark could do. Your
highness will pardon the boast under the circumstances?"
"If this Is true, you have accomplished a miracle," exclaimed Lorry,
profoundly agitated. "But can it be true? I can't believe it. It is too
good. It is too utterly improbable. Is that really Prince Dantan?"