Lorry was smiling faintly over his enthusiasm.
"You are the real hero, Harry, You saved my life and probably hers. I'll not allow you or anybody to give me the glory," he said, pressing the other's hand.
"Oh, that's nonsense! Anybody could have rushed in as I did. I was only capping the climax you had prepared--merely a timely arrival, as the novels say. There is a little of the credit due me, of course, and I'll take it gracefully, but I only come in as an accessory, a sort of bushwhacker who had only to do the shoot, slap-bang work and close the act. You did the hero's work. But what do you think of the way they hand out justice over here? All but two of 'em dead!"
"Whose plan was it to kill those men?" cried Lorry, suddenly sitting upright.
"Everybody's, I fancy. They didn't consult me, though, come to think of it. Ah, here is Her Royal Highness!"
The Princess and Aunt Yvonne were at his side again, while Count Caspar was coming rapidly toward them.
"You must not sit up, Mr. Lorry," began the Princess, but he was crying: "Did they make a confession, Harry?"
"I don't know. Did they, Unc--Count Halfont? Did they confess? Great heavens, I never thought of that before."
"What was there to confess?" asked the Count, taking Lorry's hand kindly. "They were caught in the act. My dear sir, they were not even tried."
"I thought your police chief was such a shrewd man," cried Lorry, angrily.
"What's that?" asked a gruff voice, and Baron Dangloss was a member of the party, red and panting.
"Don't you know you should not have killed those men?" demanded Lorry. They surveyed him in amazement, except Anguish, who had buried his face in his hands dejectedly.
"And, sir, I'd like to know why not?" blustered Dangloss.
"And, sir, I'd like to know, since you have shot the only beings on earth who knew the man that hired them, how in the name of your alleged justice you are going to apprehend him?" said Lorry, sinking back to his pillow, exhausted.
No reserve could hide the consternation, embarrassment and shame that overwhelmed a very worthy but very impetuous nobleman, Baron Jasto Dangloss, chief of police in Edelweiss. He could only sputter his excuses and withdraw, swearing to catch the arch-conspirator or to die in the attempt. Not a soul in the castle, not a being in all Graustark could offer the faintest clew to the identity of the man or explain his motive. No one knew a Michael, who might have been inadvertently addressed as "your" possible "Highness." The greatest wonder reigned; vexation, uneasiness and perplexity existed everywhere.