When, in order to save appearances, Bourne had ordered her a _bock_,
Roddy Redmayne bent to her, and in a low whisper said,--
"I beg, Princess, that you will first accept my most humble apologies
for what I did the other day. As to your Highness's secrecy, I place
myself entirely in your hands."
"I have already forgiven both Mr. Bourne and yourself," was her quiet
answer, lifting her veil and sipping the _bock_, in order that her
hidden face should not puzzle the waiter too much. "Your friend has
told me that, finding certain letters in the bag, you discovered that it
belonged to me."
"Exactly, and we were all filled with regret," said the old thief. "We
have heard from the newspapers of your flight from Treysa, owing to your
domestic unhappiness, and we decided that it would be a coward's action
to take a woman's jewels in such circumstances. Therefore we resolved
to try and discover you and to hand them back intact."
"I am very grateful," was her reply. "But is it not a considerable
sacrifice on your part? Had you disposed of them you would surely have
obtained a good round sum?"
The man smiled.
"We will not speak of sacrifice, your Highness," the old fellow said.
"If you forgive us and accept back your property, it is all that we ask.
I am ashamed, and yet at the same time gratified, that you, an Imperial
Princess, should offer me your hand, knowing who and what I am."
"Whatever you may be, Mr. Redmayne," she said, "you have shown yourself
my friend."
"And I am your friend; I'll stand your friend, Princess, in whatever
service you may command me," declared the keen-eyed old man, who was
acknowledged by the Continental police to be one of the cleverest
criminals in the length and breadth of Europe. "We have discovered that
you are alone here; but remember that you are not friendless. We are
your friends, even though the world would call us by a very ugly name--a
gang of thieves."
"I can only thank you," she sighed. "You are extremely good to speak
like this. It is true that misfortune has fallen upon me, and being
friendless, it is reassuring to know that I have at least two persons in
Paris ready to perform any service I require. Mr. Bourne once rendered
me a very great service, but refused to accept any reward." And she
added, laughing, "He has already explained the reason of his hurried
departure from Treysa."
"Our departures are often hurried ones, your Highness," he said. "Had
we not discovered that the jewels were yours, we should in an hour have
dispersed, one to England, one to Germany, and one to Amsterdam. But in
order to discover you we remained here, and risked being recognised by
the police, who know me, and are aware of my profession. To-morrow we
leave Paris, for already Hamard's agents, suspecting me of the theft,
are searching everywhere to discover me."
"But you must not leave before I make you some reward," she said.
"Where are the jewels?"
"In that closed cab. Can you see it away yonder?" and he pointed to the
lights of a vehicle standing some distance up the street. "Kinder, one
of our friends, has it with him. Shall we get into the cab and drive
away? Then I will restore the bag to you, and if I may advise your
Highness, I would deposit it in the Credit Lyonnais to-morrow. It is
not safe for a woman alone to carry about such articles of great value.
There are certain people in Paris who would not hesitate to take your
life for half the sum they represent."
"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Redmayne," she said. "I will most
certainly take it."
"Will your Highness walk to the cab with me?" Bourne asked, after he
had paid the waiter. "You are not afraid to trust yourself with us?" he
added.
"Not at all," she laughed. "Are you not my friends?" And she rose and
walked along the street to where the cab was in waiting. Within the
vehicle was a man whom he introduced to her as Mr. Kinder, and when all
four were seated within, Bourne beside her and Redmayne opposite her,
the elder man took the precious bag from Kinder's hand and gave it to
her, saying,--
"We beg of your Highness to accept this, with our most humble apologies.
You may open it and look within. You will not, I think, find anything
missing," he added.
She took the dressing-bag, and opening it, found within it the cheap
leather bag she had brought from Treysa. A glance inside showed her
that the jewels were still there, although there were so many that she,
of course, did not count them.
For a few moments she remained in silence; then thanking the two for
their generosity, she said,--
"I cannot accept their return without giving you some reward, Mr.
Redmayne. I am, unfortunately, without very much money, but I desire
you to accept these--if they are really worth your acceptance," and
taking from the bag a magnificent pair of diamond earrings she gave them
into his hand. "You, no doubt, can turn them into money," she added.
The old fellow, usually so cool and imperturbable, became at once
confused.
"Really, Princess," he declared, "we could not think of accepting these.
You, perhaps, do not realise that they are worth at least seven hundred
pounds."
"No; I have no idea of their value. I only command you to accept them
as a slight acknowledgment of my heartfelt gratitude."
"But--"
"There are no buts. Place them in your pocket, and say nothing
further."
A silence again fell between them, while the cab rolled along the
asphalte of the boulevard.