THE ARREST.
By the following evening tongues were busy in Révonde. Rumour and
mystery and an absence of any definite information added zest to the
town talk. The broken reports were curious.
Major Counsellor had fallen down the staircase at the British Legation
and injured his head, his brow being much contused. His return to
Révonde was explained on the ground that Germany and England had joined
forces in compelling Selpdorf to lessen the heavy taxation with which
Maäsau was burdened. Count Sagan had been seen in the city with a
lowering face--ah, yes! it was well known he had a most patriotic
distrust of German interference. Madame de Sagan had quarreled with her
husband because she had insisted on helping Mademoiselle Selpdorf, who
was about to be married to Baron von Elmur, in the choice of her
trousseau. Some excitement was being caused in the Guards' barracks by
the case of Captain Rallywood, whom Count Sagan accused of using his
influence unduly with his brother-officers to forward the projects of
Germany. Some even went so far as to say that he was in arrest, and
others were found who shook their heads and laughed, professing to be
aware of a yet deeper reason for the colonel-in-chief's animosity
against the English captain.
Out of all this chaff the one grain of truth was that Counsellor,
released by Unziar on the authority of a telegram from Rallywood, had
arrived by the first train in the morning and had at once proceeded to
the British Legation. There he found Rallywood waiting for him. 'You
have seen the Chancellor?' asked Counsellor, looking hard at Rallywood,
whose brown face wore a look he had never seen upon it before. 'Why was
I released? Am I already too late?'
'No, you are not too late. You must see the Duke at once. Here are your
despatches. Good-bye, Major, I'll meet you presently.'
'I shall not in all probability see Duke Gustave again. My part is over
and done with. The world, my dear John, never sees a national policy
until it begins to fly. There is no credit for hatching the egg. One
would almost think it hatched of itself. Occasionally the egg is found
to be addled, and then the old birds make away with it in private. But
don't go yet. How have you managed to keep these? What does it mean?'
'It means principally that you must forget you have been robbed, that
Elmur's game is up, and that you were mistaken in your opinion of the
Chancellor.'
Counsellor looked hurriedly through the papers contained in the packet,
'John,' he said suddenly, as he folded up a small sheet of cypher notes,
'you are an infernal liar.'
Rallywood laughed and his spurs jingled as he left the room, glad to
have escaped so cheaply from Counsellor's keen observation. The old
Major went to the window and watched him ride away in the sunshine, a
gallant figure in his glittering uniform, sitting squarely on his big
bay charger. No suspicion crossed his thoughts that Rallywood was
probably taking his last ride through the sunny streets, that at every
stride of his high-stepping horse he drew nearer to the final scene of
all. He had gathered from Rallywood's bearing that the difficulties in
his path had somehow been surmounted. Rallywood was capable. He had won
the day by energy or pluck or both, but the old diplomatist had no time
at the moment to trouble his head as to the exact means.
Before the forenoon was over Counsellor, acting through the proper
channels, secured Maäsau's acceptance of the British proposals, and a
satisfactory undertaking which excluded all rivals from the field, at
any rate during the Duke's lifetime. Counsellor did not appear in the
negotiations. He remained shut up at the Legation, but when at length
they came to public knowledge the German party were not under any
delusion; they recognised to whose direct offices they owed defeat.
Baron von Elmur said nothing, as a matter of fact he did nothing, but
he used his influence with an effect that was yet to bear fruit. He was
inclined to suspect Selpdorf, but the Chancellor proved that he had only
carried out the German's own suggestion in sending Rallywood to the
Frontier. Ill-luck, he argued, combined with Sagan's blundering, had
done the rest. He deplored it. It was clear that Rallywood, taking
advantage of his position, and under pretence of carrying the despatches
to the Chancellor had simply gone to Révonde and wired to Unziar a false
order of release for Major Counsellor. The sole delinquent was
Rallywood, and the Count in a torrent of curses promised himself a time
of reckoning.
The day, which had begun in a brief burst of sunshine, closed in clouds.
Evening climbed sullenly up out of the bleak river.
Traffic died in the streets, and the cloaked troopers passing hither and
thither against the rising tsa became the chief objects to be seen as
night gathered.
Rallywood stood at the side window of his quarters looking out over the
twinkling city. He seemed to have had as yet no time for regret or
gloomy anticipation. He had dwelt absorbed on the single fact that
Valerie loved him. He was ready to sacrifice himself and his hopes with
a smile. Later on, in sorrow and heaviness of heart, he accused himself
bitterly of spoiling Valerie's young life. But he had not reached that
stage yet; he was lingering in the first transient period when men and
women see visions and dream dreams, when the present is lost in the
recent past, while love's first spell is laid upon them, and the light
that never was on land or sea blinds them to the chances and changes of
common life. As long as the glory of it lasts a man is caught up into
the seventh heaven, and the things of earth have no power over him.
But the breaking of the vision came to Rallywood sufficiently quickly.
His view of the lamp-lit city grew suddenly blurred and he saw instead
his own reflection in the polished glass, as the lights were turned on
in the room behind him. In that same instant too the vague sweet outlook
faded from his mind.
Then a hand was laid upon his shoulder and he saw another figure
mirrored beside his own against the dark background of the night. There
was a suggestion of reluctance in Unziar's movements.
'I regret, Captain Rallywood, that I have been ordered to place you in
arrest.'