THE QUEEN'S ANTE-CHAMBER
Out of the darkness Rollo and the Sergeant stepped quickly into the
room. Whereupon, small wonder that the lady should scream and fall back
into her chair, the waiting-maid drop upon the floor as if she had been
struck by a Carlist bullet, or the gentleman with the long and glossy
whiskers suspend his caresses and gaze upon the pair with dropped jaw
and open mouth!
At his entrance Rollo had taken off his hat with a low bow. The Sergeant
saluted and stood at attention. There was a moment's silence in the
room, but before Rollo had time to speak the Queen-Regent recovered her
self-possession. The daughter of the Bourbons stood erect. Her long hair
streamed in dark glossy waves over her shoulders. Her bosom heaved
visibly under the thin pink wrapper. Anger struggled with fear in her
eyes. Verily Maria Cristina of Naples had plenty of courage.
"Who are you," she cried, "that dare thus to break in upon the privacy
of the Regent Queen of Spain? Duke, call the guard!"
But her husband only shrugged his shoulders and continued to gaze upon
the pair of intruders with a calm exterior.
"Your Majesty," said Rollo, courteously, naturally resuming the
leadership when anything requiring contact with gentlefolk came in the
way, "I am here to inform you that you are in great danger--greater than
I can for the moment make clear to you. The palace is, as I understand,
absolutely without defence--the town is in the same position. It is
within our knowledge that a band of two hundred gipsies are on the march
to attack you this night in order to plunder the chateau, and put to
death every soul within its walls. We have come, therefore, together
with our companions outside, to offer our best services in your
Majesty's defence!"
"But," cried the Queen-Regent, "all this may very well be, but you have
not yet told me who you are and what you are doing here!"
"For myself," answered Rollo, "I am a Scottish gentleman, trained from
my youth to the profession of arms. Those who wait without are for the
present comrades and companions, whom, with your Majesty's permission, I
shall bid to enter. For to be plain, every moment is of the utmost
importance, that we may lose no time in putting the chateau into such a
state of defence as is possible, since the attack of the gipsies may be
expected at any moment!"
Rollo stepped to the window to summon his company, but found them
already assembled on the balcony. It was no time for formal
introductions, yet, as each entered, Rollo, like a true herald,
delivered himself of a brief statement of the position of the individual
in the company. But when La Giralda entered, the stout waiting-maid rose
with a shriek from the floor where she had been sitting.
"Oh, my lady," she cried, "do not trust these wicked people. They have
come to murder us all. That woman is the very old goatherdess with whom
the Princess Isabel was so bewitched this morning! I knew some evil
would come of such ongoings!"
"Hush, Susana," said her mistress with severity; "when you are asked for
any information, be ready to give it. Till then hold your peace."
Which having said she turned haughtily back again to the strangers,
without vouchsafing a glance at her husband or the trembling handmaiden.
"I can well believe," she said, "that you have come here to do us a
service in our present temporary difficulty, and for that, if I find you
of approved fidelity, you shall not fail to be rewarded. Meantime, I
accept your service, and I place you and the whole of your men under the
immediate command of his Excellency the Duke of Rianzares!"
She turned to the tall exquisite who still continued to comb his
whiskers by the chimney-piece. Up till now he had not spoken a word.
Rollo scarcely knew what to reply to this, and as for the Sergeant, he
had the hardest work to keep from bursting into a loud laugh.
But they were presently delivered from their difficulty by the newly
nominated commander-in-chief himself.
"This scene is painful to me," said Senor Munoz, placidly, "it irritates
my nerves. I have a headache. I think I shall retire and leave these
gentlemen to make such arrangements as may be necessary till the return
of our guards, which will doubtless take place within an hour or so. If
you need me you can call for me!"
Having made this general declaration he turned to Rollo and addressed
himself particularly to him.
"My rooms, I would have you know, are in the north wing," he continued;
"I beg that there shall be no firing or other brutal noise on that
side. Anything of the kind would be most annoying. So pray see to it."
Then he advanced to where his wife stood, her eyes full of anger at this
desertion.
"My angel," he said, calmly, "I advise you sincerely to do the same.
Retire to your chamber. Take a little _tisane_ for the cooling of the
blood, and leave all other matters to these new friends of ours. I am
sure they appear very honest gentlemen. But as you have many little
valuables lying about, do not forget to lock your door, as I shall mine.
Adieu, my angel!"
And so from an inconceivable height of dandyism his Excellency the Duke
of Rianzares would have stooped to bestow a good night salutation on his
wife's cheek, had not that lady, swiftly recovering from her stupor,
suddenly awarded him a resounding box on the ear, which so far
discomposed the calm of his demeanour that he took from his pocket a
handkerchief edged with lace, unfolded it, and with the most ineffable
gesture in the world wiped the place the lady's hand had touched. Then,
with the same abiding calm, he restored the cambric to his pocket, bowed
low to the Queen, and lounged majestically towards the door.
Maria Cristina watched him at first with a haughty and unmoved
countenance. Her hands clenched themselves close to her side, as if she
wished the blow had been bestowed with the shut rather than with the
open digits.
But as her husband (for so he really was, though the relationship was
not acknowledged till many years after, and at the feet of the Holy
Father himself in the Vatican) approached the door, opened it, and was
on the point of departing without once turning round, Cristina suddenly
broke into a half hysterical cry, ran after him, threw her arms tenderly
about his neck, and burst out weeping on his broad bosom.
The gentleman, without betraying the least emotion, patted her
tolerantly on the shoulder, and murmured some words in her ear, at the
same time looking over her head at the men of the company with a sort of
half-comic apology.
"Oh! Fernando, forgive me," she cried, "life of my life--the devil must
have possessed me! I will cut off the wicked hand that did the deed.
Give me a knife, good people--to strike the best and handsomest--oh, it
was wicked--cruel, diabolical!"
Whatever may have been the moral qualities of the royal blow, Rollo felt
that in their present circumstances time enough had been given to its
consideration, so he interposed.
"Your Majesty, the gipsies may be upon us at any moment. It would be as
well if you would summon all the servants of the palace together and arm
them with such weapons as may be available!"
Maria Cristina lifted her head from the shoulder of her Ferdinand, as if
she did not at first comprehend Rollo's speech, and was resolved to
resent an intrusion at such a moment. Whereupon the Scot repeated his
words to such good purpose that the Queen-Regent threw up her hands and
cried, "Alas! this happens most unfortunately. We have only old Eugenio
and a couple of lads in the whole palace since the departure of the
guards!"
"Never mind," said Rollo; "let us make the best of the matter. We will
muster them; perhaps they will be able to load and fire a musket apiece!
If I mistake not, the fighting will be at very short range!"
It was upon this occasion that Senor Fernando Munoz showed his first
spark of interest.
"I will go and awake them," he said; "I know where the servants are wont
to sleep."
But on this occasion his fond wife would not permit him to stir.
"The wicked murderers may have already penetrated to that part of the
castle," she palpitated, her arms still about his neck, "and you must
not risk your precious life. Let Susana go and fetch them. She is old,
and has doubtless made her peace with religion."
"Nay, it is not fitting," objected Susana with spirit. "I am a woman,
and not so old as my lady says. I cannot go gadding about into the
chambers of all and sundry. Besides, there has been purpose of marriage
openly declared between me and the Senor Eugenio for upwards of thirty
years. What then would be said if I----"
"Nay, then," cried Maria Cristina, "stay where you are, Susana. For me,
I am none so nice. I will go myself. Do not follow me, Fernando!" And
with that she ran to the door, and her feet were heard flitting up the
stairway which led to the servants' wing of the palace. Munoz made as if
to accompany her, but remembering his wife's prohibition, he did not
proceed farther than the door, where, with a curious smile upon his
face, he stood listening to the voice of the Queen-Regent upraised in
alternate appeal and rebuke.
During the interval, while the Sergeant and El Sarria were looking to
their stores and munitions, Rollo approached the waiting-maid, Susana,
and inquired of her the way to the armoury, where he expected to find
store of arms and powder.
"If this young maid will go also, I will conduct you thither, young
man!" said Susana, primly.
And holding Concha firmly by the hand, she took up a candle and led the
way.
But to Rollo's surprise they found the armoury wholly sacked. All the
valuable guns had been removed by the deserting guards. The gun racks
were torn down. The floor of beaten earth was strewed with flints of
ancient pieces of last century's manufacture. The barrels of
bell-mouthed blunderbusses leaned against the wall, the stocks, knocked
off in mere wantonness, were piled in corners; and in all the chests and
wall-presses there was not an ounce of powder to be found.
While Rollo was searching, Senor Munoz appeared at the door, languid and
careless as ever. He watched the young Scot opening chests and rummaging
in lockers for a while without speaking. Then he spoke slowly and
deliberately.
"It strikes me that when I was an officer of the bodyguard, in the
service of the late Fernando the Seventh, my right royal namesake (and
in some sort predecessor), there was another room used for the private
stores and pieces of the officers. If I mistake not it was entered by
that door to the right, but the key appears to be wanting!"
He added the last clause, as he watched the frantic efforts of Rollo,
who had immediately thrown himself upon the panels, while the Senor was
in the act of rolling out his long-drawn Castilian elegances of
utterance.
"Hither, Cardono," cried Rollo, "open me this door! Quick, Sergeant!"
"Have a care," said the Duke; "there is powder inside!"
But Rollo, now keen on the scent of weapons of defence, would not admit
a moment's delay, and the Sergeant, inserting his curiously crooked
blade, opened that door as easily as he had done the French window.
Munoz stepped forward with some small show of eagerness and glanced
within.
"Yes," he said, "the officers' arms are there, and a liberal allowance
of powder."
"They are mostly sporting rifles," said Rollo, looking them over, "but
there is certainly plenty of powder and ball."
"And what kills ibex and bouquetin on the sierras," drawled Munoz, "will
surely do as much for a mountain gipsy if, as you said just now, the
range is likely to be a short one!"
Rollo began somewhat to change his opinion about the husband of the
Queen. At first he had seemed both dandy and coward, a combination which
Rollo held in the utmost contempt. But when Rollo had once seen him
handle a gun, he began to have more respect for his recent Excellency
the Duke of Rianzares.
"Can you tell us, from your military experience," Rollo asked, "which is
the most easily vulnerable part of this palace."
"It is easily vulnerable in every part," answered Munoz, carelessly
snapping the lock of a rifle again and again.
"Nay, but be good enough to listen, sir," cried Rollo, with some heat.
"There are women and children here. You do not know the gipsies. You do
not know by whom they are led. You do not know the oaths of death and
torture they have sworn----"
"By whom are they led?" said Munoz, still playing carelessly with the
rifle. "I thought such fellows were mere savages from the hills, and
might be slaughtered like sheep."
"Perhaps--at any rate they are led by your own daughter!" said Rollo,
briefly, growing nettled at the parvenu grandee's seeming indifference.
"_My daughter!_" cried Munoz, losing in a moment his bright complexion,
and becoming of a slaty pallor, "my daughter, that mad imp of hell--who
thrice has tried to assassinate me!"
And as he spoke, he let the gun fall upon the floor at his feet. Then he
rallied a little.
"Who has told you this lie?" he exclaimed, with a kind of indignation.
"A man who does not make mistakes--or tell lies--Sergeant Cardono!" said
Rollo. "He has both seen and spoken to her! She has sworn to attack the
palace to-night."
"Then I am as good as dead already. I must go directly to my wife!"
answered Munoz.
But Rollo stepped before him.
"Not without carrying an armful of these to where they will be of use,"
he said, pointing to the guns. And the Duke of Rianzares, without any
further demur, did his will. Rollo in turn took as many as he could
carry, and the Sergeant brought up the rear carrying a wooden box of
cartridges, which had evidently been packed ready for transportation.
They returned to the large lighted room, where Mortimer, Etienne, and El
Sarria had been left on guard. Concha and the waiting-maid seconded
their efforts by bringing store of pistols and ammunition.
On their way they passed through a hall, which by day seemed to be
lighted only from the roof. Rollo bade them deposit the arms there, and
bring the other candles and lamps to that place.
"Every moment that a light is to be seen at an outside window adds to
our danger," he said, and Concha ran at his bidding.
Before she had time to return, however, the Queen-Regent came in with
her usual dignity, the three serving-men following her. Rollo saw at
once that nothing was to be expected of Eugenio, whose ancient and
tottering limbs could hardly support the weight of his body. But there
was more hope of the two others. They proved to be stout young fellows
from the neighbourhood, and professed the utmost eagerness for a bout
with the gipsies. From their youth they had been accustomed to the use
of firearms--it is to be feared without due licence--in the royal
hunting preserves of Penalara and the Guadarrama.
But this made no difference to Rollo, who instantly set about equipping
them with the necessary arms, and inquiring minutely about the
fastenings of the lower doors and windows. These it appeared were
strong. The doors themselves were covered without with sheet-iron, while
all the windows were protected not only by shutters but by solid
stanchions of iron sunk in the wall.
On the whole Rollo was satisfied, and next questioned the servants
concerning the state of the town and whether any assistance was to be
hoped for from that quarter. In this, however, he was disappointed. It
appeared that the whole municipality of San Ildefonso was so utterly
plague-stricken that scarce an able-bodied man remained, or so much as a
halfling boy capable of shouldering a musket. Only the women stood still
in the breach, true nursing mothers, not like her of Ramah, refusing to
be comforted, but continuing rather to tend the sick and dying till they
themselves also died--aye, even shrouding the dead and laying out the
corpses. A faithful brother or two of the Hermitage abode to carry the
last Sacraments of the Church through the deserted and grass-grown
streets, though there were few or none now to fall on their knees at the
passage of _Su Majestad_, or to uncover the head at the melancholy
tolling of the funeral bell.
With characteristic swiftness of decision Rollo made up his mind that
the best plan for the defence of the palace would be to place his scanty
forces along the various jutting balconies of the second floor,
carefully darkening all the rooms in their rear, so that, till the
moment of the attack itself, the assailants would have no idea that they
were expected. It was his idea that the small doors on the garden side
of the house, which led right and left to the servants' quarters, would
be attacked first. He was the more assured of this because the Sergeant
had recognised, in the bivouac of the gipsies, a man who had formerly
been one of the royal grooms both at La Granja and at Aranjuez. He would
be sure to be familiar, therefore, with that part of the interior of the
palace. Besides, being situated upon the side most completely removed
from the town, the assailants would have the less fear of interruption.
While Rollo was thus cogitating, Concha came softly to his side,
appearing out of the gloom with a suddenness that startled the young
man.
"I have pulled up the ladder by which we ascended and laid it across the
balcony," she said. "Was that right?"
"You--alone?" cried Rollo in astonishment.
She nodded brightly.
"Certainly," she answered; "women are not all so great weaklings as you
think them--nor yet such fools!"
"Indeed, you have more sense than I," Rollo responded, gloomily; "I
ought to have remembered that before. But, as you know, I have had many
things to think of."
"I am glad," she said, more quietly and submissively than ever in her
life, "that even in so small a matter I am permitted to think a little
for you!"
Whereupon, though the connection of idea is not obvious, Rollo
remembered the moment when he had faced the black muzzles of Cabrera's
muskets in the chill of the morning, and the bitter regret which had
then arisen to his mind. Out there in the dark of the palace-garden,
death fronted him as really though not perhaps so immediately. He
resolved quickly that he should not have the same regret again, if the
worst came to the worst. There was no one in the alcove where Concha had
found him. The Queen-Regent had disappeared to her suite of rooms, and
thither after a time Senor Munoz had followed her. The rest were at that
moment being placed in their various posts by the Sergeant according to
Rollo's directions.
So he stooped quickly and kissed Concha upon the mouth.
It was strange. The girl's inevitable instinct on such matters seemed to
have deserted her. In a somewhat wide experience Concha could always
tell to a second when an attempt of this kind was due. Most women can,
and if they are kissed it is because they want to be. (In which, sayeth
the Wise Man, is great wisdom!) A fire-alarm rings in their brain with
absolute certainty, giving them time to evite the conflagration by a
healthy douche of cold water. But Rollo the Firebrand again proved
himself the Masterly Incalculable. Or else--but who could suspect
Concha?
It is, again sayeth the Wise Man, the same with kicking a dog. The brute
sees the kick coming before a muscle is in motion. He watches the eye of
his opponent and is forearmed. He vanisheth into space. But when Rollo
interviewed an animal in this fashion, he kicked first and thought
afterwards. Hence no sign of his intention appeared in his eye, and the
dog's yelp arrived almost as a surprise to himself.
So, with greatly altered circumstance, was it in the present instance.
Rollo kissed first and made up his mind to it some time after.
Consequently Concha was taken absolutely by surprise. She uttered a
little cry and stepped back indignantly into the lighted room where the
spare muskets were piled.
But again Rollo was before her. If he had attempted to make love, she
would have scathed him with the soundest indignation, based on
considerations of time, place, and personality.
But the young Scot gave her no opportunity. In a moment he had again
become her superior officer.
"Take your piece," he said, with an air of assured command, "together
with sufficient ammunition, and post yourself at the little staircase
window over the great door looking towards the town. If you see any one
approaching, do not hesitate to fire. Good-bye. God bless you! I will
see you again on my rounds!"
And Rollo passed on his way.
Then with a curious constraint upon her tongue, and on her spirit a new
and delightful feeling that she could do no other than as she was
bidden, Concha found herself, with loaded musket and pistol, obediently
taking her place in the general defence of the palace.