"In what manner may I be of service to your Highness?" I asked
pleasantly, laying aside my gloves and crop again. "I can easily give
you my word of honor as a gentleman not to report your presence here;
but if I am forced to remain, I certainly demand--"
"Desire," she corrected, the old fire in her eyes.
"Thank you. I desire, then, to know the full reason; for I can not be
a party to anything which may reflect upon the consulate. For myself,
I do not care." What hare-brained escapade was now in the air?
The princess walked over to the mantel and rested her arms upon it,
staring wide-eyed into the fire. Several minutes passed. I waited
patiently; but, to tell the truth, I was on fire with curiosity. At
length my patience was rewarded.
"You have heard that I am to marry the Prince of Doppelkinn?" she began.
I nodded.
"Doubtless you have also heard of my determination not to marry him?"
she went on.
Again I nodded.
"Well, I am not going to marry him."
I was seized with the desire to laugh, but dared not. What had all
this to do with my detention in the castle?
"Betty," said the princess, turning imploringly to her companion (what
a change!), "_you_ tell him."
"I?" The Honorable Betty drew back.
(Had they kidnapped old Doppelkinn? I wondered.)
"I can not tell him," cried her Highness miserably, "I simply can not.
You must do it, Betty. It is now absolutely necessary that he should
know everything; it is absolutely vital that he be present. Perhaps
Heaven has sent him. Do you understand? Now, tell him!"
And, wonders to behold! she who but a few minutes gone had been a
princess in everything, cold, seeing, tranquil, she fled from the room.
(Decidedly this was growing interesting. What had they done?) Thus,
the Honorable Betty Moore and his Excellency, the American consul at
Barscheit, were left staring into each other's eyes fully a minute.
"You will, of course, pledge me your word of honor?" She who had
recently been timid now became cool and even-pulsed.
"If in pledging it I am asked to do nothing to discredit my office. I
am not an independent individual,"--smiling to put her more at ease.
(I haven't the least doubt that I would have committed any sort of
folly had she required it of me.)
"You have my word, sir, that you will be asked to do nothing
dishonorable. On the other hand, you will confer a great favor upon
her Highness, who is in deep trouble and is seeking a way to escape it."