His valet was buckling on the saber belt, when there came a respectful
tap on the door.
"Enter," said the duke, frowning. One can not assert any particular
degree of dignity with a valet at one's side.
But it was only a corridor attendant who entered. He approached the
duke's valet and presented a letter.
"For his serene Highness." He bowed and backed out, closing the door
gently.
At once the valet bowed also and extended the letter to his master.
Formality is a fine thing in a palace.
"Ah, a letter," mused the duke, profoundly innocent of the viper which
was about to sting him. "My glasses, Gustav; my eye-glasses!"
The valet hurried to the dresser and returned with the duke's state
eye-glasses. These the duke perched deliberately upon the end of his
noble nose. He opened the letter and read its contents. The valet,
watching him slyly, saw him grow pale, then red, and finally
purple,--wrath has its rainbow. His hands shook, the glasses slipped
from his palpitating nose. And I grieve to relate that his serene
Highness swore something marvelous to hear.
"Damnation!" he said, or some such word. "The little fool!" Then,
suddenly remembering his dignity and the phrase that no man is a hero
to his valet, he pointed to his glasses, at the same time returning the
letter to its envelope, this letter which had caused this momentary
perturbation. "Call the minister of police. You will find him in the
smoking-room off the conservatory. Make all haste!"
The valet flew out of the door, while the duke began pacing up and down
the room, muttering and growling, and balling his fists, and jingling
his shining medals. He kicked over an inoffensive hassock and his
favorite hound, and I don't know how many long-winded German oaths he
let go. (It's a mighty hard language to swear in, especially when a
man's under high pressure.)
"The silly little fool! And on a night like this! Curse it! This is
what comes of mixing Spanish blood with German, of letting her aunt's
wishes overrule mine in the matter of education. But she shall be
brought back, even if I have to ask the assistance of every sovereign
in Europe. This is the end. And I had planned such a pleasant evening
at cards!" The duke was not wholly unselfish.
In less than ten minutes' time the valet returned with the minister of
police. The duke immediately dismissed the valet.
"Your serene Highness sent for me?" asked the minister, shaking in his
boots. There had been four ministers of police in three years.
"Yes. Read this."