THE DIFFERENCE OF THEIR STATIONS
Edestone and Lawrence sat quietly for a few minutes, Lawrence watching
him with a merry twinkle in his eye while Edestone was unconsciously
fingering the note that General von Lichtenstein had given him. Finally
he said:
“Well, I’m off for bed. I have a hard day before me tomorrow.”
“Yes, you are, you old fox!” said his companion. “I’m on to you. There
is something up, and you can’t hide it from me. You have been sitting
there fingering that note from--well, I guess I can pretty well call
you, because your lady friends in Berlin are limited--with the silliest
expression I have ever seen on your face. Now, out with it! You had
better get it off your chest by telling your troubles to papa.”
Edestone put the note quickly into his pocket, and was about to force
through his bluff when Lawrence stopped him by saying:
“You can trust me, old man; now out with it.”
“Well,” said Edestone in an embarrassed tone, “General von Lichtenstein
did give me a note from Princess Wilhelmina,” showing it to Lawrence.
“My dear fellow,” Lawrence said, “what do you propose to do? If you are
going to take a chance for the pleasure of seeing a beautiful woman, I
am with you heart and soul; but if you are taking a chance because you
believe she is sincerely in distress and calling on you, an American
here in Berlin, when she’s got all of those becorseted Johnnies around
her, you had better allow me to advise you.”
“I am perfectly willing to take a chance,” cried Edestone in an angry
tone, “if you choose to call it that, because I have absolute confidence
in her.”
“Say, Jack, I think you are beginning to get a little bit soft on the
Princess. You may be all right when it comes to straight electricity,
but I think you will admit that I have had more experience in this kind
of animal magnetism than you. She is certainly a snappy little
induction coil.”
“Lawrence, please don’t,” said Edestone.
“Well, you don’t know perfectly well, Jack, that General von
Lichtenstein would not have delivered that note from a Princess of the
house of Windthorst to you, a low-born American plebeian, unless it was
part of their scheme. Why it’s as much as his life is worth, if it is as
you believe it to be,” and he gave Edestone a knowing look.
“Now, cut that out, Lawrence,” said Edestone in a decided tone. “Do not
think for one moment that I have any illusions as far as that young lady
is concerned. She is evidently in trouble of some kind, and the fact
that she is so young offsets that of her being a Princess.”
Lawrence shrugged his shoulders, and occupied himself smoking while
Edestone continued:
“I think that General von Lichtenstein thinks she is working for them,
but I am just fool enough to think that she is not. In fact, I know she
is not, but even if she were, I would like to show those people that I
will not allow them to sacrifice her dignity and compromise herself in
her own eyes even for them, so I am going, if for no other reason than
to keep her from doing something which she may some day deeply
regret. I’m off. If you want some excitement, why you might drop into
some of the clubs and feel out the officers.”
“Ah,” said Lawrence, “that is a good idea. I will be just about as
popular as a baby rabbit in a litter of foxes.”
“And you can enjoy watching them as they sit around, licking their
chops,” interjected Edestone, “as they think of the dainty morsel you
will make when they eat you alive tomorrow. Be careful. We want no
false steps, and there are some pretty skittish ponies in the Emperor’s
stable. He can hold in check his plough horses, but these young
thoroughbreds are getting nervous at the post.”
“Well,” said Lawrence, “I never was very strong for these Prussians, but
they made a hit with me tonight in the way in which they started for
you. They were a pretty fine looking lot of handsome young chaps,” and
curling an imaginary moustache, he continued: “Almost as good as our
eleven of 1903,” and they both stood and toasted grand old Harvard, and
he was leaving the room singing, “Here’s to dear old Harvard, drink her
down!” when Edestone called him back and said:
“Lawrence, get one of the Embassy automobiles and I will drop you on the
way.”
Edestone, whereas he knew that his movements were being watched and that
this meeting had been arranged, if not by the German General Staff, by
some of its female lieutenants, was determined to show them that he did
not intend to compromise this little Princess by calling upon her at
that hour of the night in a secretive manner.
All was perfectly quiet in the streets, and the automobile was allowed
to pass without interruption. When he arrived at the Palace he imagined
that the coast had been cleared for him, for on entering he discovered
that there was some sort of an entertainment going on, which would have
necessitated the presence of waiting automobiles on the outside, which
were conspicuous by their absence.
He was evidently expected, and was immediately conducted to a small
room. He could hear music and laughter in another part of the Palace,
but saw no one except the flunkeys in the hall.
The room into which he was shown was evidently one of those used by the
family in their home life, as was shown by the papers, books, and fancy
work lying about.
The situation would ordinarily have been most amusing to him, and had he
not been so occupied with such serious matters, and had there been less
of a difference in their ages and social positions, he would have
enjoyed the excitement of a mysterious rendezvous with this extremely
charming and attractive young woman.
He was thoroughly conscious of her attractions, and though he might have
denied the necessity of this, in thinking of her he always kept before
his mind the fable of the fox and the sour grapes.
He was kept waiting for about fifteen minutes, and he began to wonder if
the whole thing had not been arranged, and would not have been surprised
if when the door quietly opened he had seen von Lichtenstein or even the
Emperor himself instead of a very much frightened little woman.
She was apparently supported by sheer will power and the pride of the
Princess, which she had inherited from her long line of ancestors,
extending back into the unwritten pages of history.
She was dressed so simply that the lines of her most graceful little
figure were perfectly revealed, but with such modesty that though she
followed the dictates of the modern fashions, which leave little to the
imagination, the effect upon Edestone was that of reverence in the
presence of such youth and innocence.
To him she seemed to be draped in some soft silky material, and though
her neck and arms were bare, they were enveloped in a shimmer of tulle,
which she held about her as if for protection. Her hair, parted in the
middle, was flatly dressed, and held close to her small head by a little
band of jewels which encircled it and crossed her low white brow.
She was perfectly calm, dignified, and had herself well in hand. There
was an expression upon her face of resolution, and as if to help, she
assumed a more royal and dignified bearing than he had ever supposed she
was capable of.
She had evidently been crying, but her voice was steady and rather
haughty in its tone as she said, giving him her hand:
“I am glad that you have come.”
Edestone took it gently in his own, and bowing, scarcely touched it with
his lips, but when he felt its icy touch, and caught the faint perfume,
he felt a thrill, and for a moment he forgot that he was in the presence
of a Royal Princess, who looked upon him as something a little bit
better than a servant, and not as good as the most miserable Count that
ever wore a paper collar or passed a fraudulent check at the Newport
Reading Room.
Recovering himself quickly, however, he dropped her hand and stood in an
attitude of deep respect, but not until she had caught the look that he
had given her.
Not daring to look up at her for fear of her indignation at his
presumption, he busied himself arranging the cushions in a seat for her.
Raising her hand to her throat, which had moved convulsively, she
watched him with a quiet little smile, as if waiting to finish the
deadly work which she, young as she was, knew that she had started. Like
a great ring general, she did not intend to allow her adversary time to
recover before she administered the _coup de grace_.
When he recovered sufficiently to allow himself to look at her, although
he resolved to keep strictly to the object of their meeting, he was so
struck with her great charm that he could not resist saying:
“I sincerely hope, Princess, that you will pardon me if I take the great
liberty of saying to you that you are looking extremely beautiful
tonight.”
She answered with a smile.
And then in a light and frivolous tone, and looking at her in a manner
which she could not misunderstand, with the deepest respect he added:
“If I were a Prince and a few years younger, I would humbly kneel and
worship at your shrine, Princess.”
A cloud passed over her face, but recovering, with a look which if
Edestone had been younger and less sensible would have finished him:
“Well, Mr. Edestone,” she smiled coquettishly, “I understand that you
were tonight a match for an Emperor; and I am feeling very old myself.”
With a smile acknowledging her condescension in allowing this slight
exchange of repartee, he assumed a fatherly air, and said, having
recovered himself entirely:
“Now, my dear and very sweet little Princess, your very old and most
humble servant awaits your orders. The only reward that he expects is
that he be allowed to see you one or two times before he dies of old
age, or you are seated on a throne.”
With an impatient gesture, and an almost imperceptible stamp of her
little foot, she said:
“Please don’t talk that way. I hate being a Princess, and the way you
say it makes me hate myself,” and with a quick glance and a tone of
great seriousness: “I don’t think you are so old as all that.
“I have sent for you,” changing her voice, “to warn you again. It was
absolutely necessary in order to arrange this meeting to lead them to
believe that I was willing to do that which you must hate me for--use my
power as a woman to persuade you to give up the position which you have
taken, and though I hate them all for it, in order to save you from
certain death I have compromised myself in my own eyes, and have done
that which will cause you to hate me.”
“That I could never do,” said Edestone, which brought a faint smile to
her lips. “Princess, I appreciate more deeply than I can say your great
kindness, and if there is anything that I can do which will save you
from these people when they find that you have failed in your
undertaking, you can command me. Your warning, however, comes as no
surprise to me; but I appreciate it none the less.”
“Could I not hold out to them,” she anticipated, “that you had agreed to
reveal this secret to me, and in that way gain time, and you might be
able to get out of Berlin?”
“But what would become of you when they discovered that you had played
them false?” asked Edestone. And then, as if hesitating to refer to the
delicacy of her position, an English Princess in Berlin, he added: “They
are relentless, and they might suspect you of playing into the hands of
England. No, Princess, there is but one thing for you to do, and that is
to say that I declined absolutely and entirely to consider any
proposition of any kind.
“If you were in any way associated with me in what I have already done
and what I propose to do, I should not be willing to leave you in
Berlin, and though I know you are absolutely sincere in your intentions
to assist me in my work, there is no possible way for me to protect you
other than by taking you with me, which is absolutely out of the
question. You would not be safe even in the American Embassy.”
She thought for a while, and then, as if an idea had struck her, she
said blushingly:
“My mother, like myself, is perfectly loyal to England, and if as I
understand it is the intention of the American Government to come out on
the side of the Allies, would there be any impropriety in my going with
her to the Embassy and taking my chances with the Secretary’s family?”
“That would be impossible,” said Edestone. “They have taken you into
their confidence, and would not allow you to leave the country. I think
mine is the only plan. Say to them that I would listen to no
proposition, and allow me to go and take my chances.”
He could not trust himself, and he knew his only hope of keeping her
esteem was in getting out before she discovered his real secret, and
rising in a most dignified manner he kissed her hand, and then allowing
himself to press it gently to his cheek for a moment, left the room
abruptly, while she sank into a seat and covered her face with her
hands.