CHALICE
We had great difficulty in persuading Althea to remain with us, and
should not have succeeded if Bessie had not put on her hat and vowed
that she would go with her wherever she went. Then we came to a
compromise--Althea was to stay that night and decide on her plans the
next morning.
By that time I had induced Chalice to try and clear away one at least of
the tangles by letting the facts be told about the Prince von Graven,
and to get the Prince himself to ascertain the real cause for the steps
against Althea.
I sent a note to him, hinting at the reason why I wished to see him
immediately, and he answered the letter in person. He professed himself
greatly distressed at what had occurred; but it had not suggested itself
to him that he should remedy matters by acknowledging the truth.
"I will be frank with you, Mr. Bastable. The greatest pressure has been
put upon me to induce me to abandon my--to consent to my betrothal to
the Princess von Altenvelt; and this is apparently the result of my
refusal."
"But do you seriously think a drastic step like this would be taken on
such a slight foundation?" I objected.
"I haven't thought about that. It is drastic, isn't it? But you know
the Emperor is liable to fits of temper."
"The order for the arrest issued from the office of Count von Felsen;
will you make inquiries as to its real reason?"
"Of course I will. The Minister and I are unfortunately at daggers
drawn. He is jealous of the favour with which the Emperor honours me.
I will do all I can."
"There is certainly one other thing you can do, Prince!" He began to
fidget uneasily at this. "I mean explain the mistake and that it is
Fraeulein Chalice Mennerheim whom you desire to marry."
"My dear sir, I would marry her to-morrow; but she will not have even an
open betrothal. What can I do?" Where Chalice was concerned he was
obviously like clay in the hands of the potter.
"I am going to see her at once," I said as I rose.
"If you can prevail with her, you will do me the greatest favour in the
world," he exclaimed eagerly, grasping my hand with warmth.
I went off then to see Chalice, leaving the Prince to go to Althea. It
required very slight discernment to see that we should do little with
him. He had his own battle to fight at Court, and that was more than
sufficient to monopolize all the firmness he possessed. And I expected
but little more help from Chalice.
An incident, to which I attached no significance at the time, occurred
as I entered the house of Frau Steiner, where Althea and Chalice had
their lodgings. I gave my card to the servant, and she took it first
into a room leading off the hall, and then carried it upstairs. While I
was waiting, a dark, striking-looking Jewess came out as if to leave the
house. She stopped suddenly, surprised to see me still in the hall,
hesitated, and then returned quickly to the room.
I knew her by sight. Her name was Hagar Ziegler. She was the daughter
of a money-lender whose shady methods I had had to investigate on more
than one occasion while I had been on the _Newsletter_. I was called
upstairs to Chalice a moment later, and thought no more of the incident.
I had not expected to find Chalice very concerned about Althea, and was
not therefore surprised when she received me as calmly as though I were
making just an ordinary call.
"This is a delightful surprise, Herr Bastable," she exclaimed with a
lovely smile, as she gave me her hand. "But you catch me in deshabille.
I was practising." As a matter of fact she was rather elaborately
gowned, and I knew she was very particular in such matters. There was
very little of the girl about Chalice.
"I should ask your pardon for coming at such an hour and without notice;
but I have come about Fraeulein Korper."
"About Althea? Oh, that is good of you. Of course I've been terribly
anxious about her. And worry is so bad for the voice."
"I sympathize with you, I am sure."
Her sense of humour was not keen, and she accepted this as quite
genuine. "Everyone is so good to me," she murmured. "And where is
Althea?"
"Do you not know what occurred yesterday afternoon?"
"I was at Herr Grumpel's all the afternoon--I had a most trying lesson.
He was in a horrible temper, and it quite put me out. Well, when I came
home, Althea was gone, instead of having some tea ready for me. And
when I asked where she was, that stupid girl, Lotta, said something
nonsensical about the police having been here. Such rubbish, of
course."
"Unfortunately, it was quite true. An attempt was made to arrest her."
"Herr Bastable! You don't mean it!" Surprise, no other feeling in
this. No grief, no concern even. "Whatever for?" As if it had been
Althea's fault.
"It was on your account," I said bluntly. "Because of the mistake you
have allowed people to make in regard to the Prince von Graven."
She was not in the least embarrassed. "So you know that. I am so glad.
It is such a relief not to have to keep these tiresome secrets from
one's friends. I couldn't tell you before, could I? You see, it was
Althea's secret as much as mine. And the Prince's, too. He is so
devoted to me. And such a sweet man."
"You don't appear to grasp the real gravity of the matter, I'm afraid."
"Oh, that is unkind! Of course I do. I wouldn't have dear Althea get
into any trouble on my account for the world!"
"Then of course you will let the truth as to the Prince be known at
once."
"Herr Bastable!" Eyes, expression, voice, gestures, everything eloquent
of indignant surprise at the suggestion. "Why, then they might arrest
me!"
"On the contrary, the Prince is eager to marry you at once."
"But my voice. My debut! You don't understand. Herr Grumpel declares
that I shall make such a reputation as----" She threw up her hands as
though it were impossible to estimate the fame awaiting her. "How can
you be so cruel? Besides, it would ruin the Prince with the Emperor.
You would not have him ruined just for poor little me!"
I was fast losing patience. "It is rather a question whether you are to
ruin Fraeulein Althea by keeping silence."
Her features drew together as if she were going to cry. "Do you mean
that Althea wishes this? That she would selfishly sacrifice my future
in this way?"
"She may be in very serious danger if it should be known that she is the
daughter of Baron von Ringheim."
"But who is likely to tell that?" she asked with an air of quite artless
innocence; and then added quickly: "Besides, in that case it would be of
no use to say anything about the Prince."
It was useless to break oneself against the wall of such selfishness as
this, so I tried a different argument. "Let me show you one way in which
you can turn this matter to your own great advantage." All sign of
tears passed away instantly. "Your future depends upon your securing
the favour of the Court. Now, if you were to submit yourself to the
Emperor's will in the matter of the Imperial marriage and sacrifice your
wishes in regard to the Prince because you have just heard of the
Imperial desires, His Majesty would highly appreciate your
self-sacrifice; the whole country would ring with your romantic
self-denial; and you would gain a bigger advertisement for your debut
than any singer ever enjoyed in this Empire."
She saw all this in a flash, and her eyes shone with the light of
ambitious desire. "Oh, Herr Bastable! But do you think it could be
done?"
"Shall I make some inquiries? I have friends on whom I can rely."
"Oh, you would be the best friend a poor lonely girl could have in the
world. But we must be quite certain first, mustn't we?"
"You would lose the man you love, remember."
She sighed and cast down her eyes, a picture of beautiful resignation.
"It would be terrible," she murmured. "But there is dear Althea to
think of, isn't there? It is, perhaps, my duty."
She pressed my hand warmly at parting, and urged me to come again as
soon as I had any news to bring; and before I left the house, I heard
her rich melodious voice ring out. She had resumed her practice.
As I closed the front door behind me I saw Hagar Ziegler again. She was
now in close conversation with Hugo von Felsen; and as I did not wish
him to know of my visit to Chalice at such a time, I walked off in the
opposite direction.
He had seen me, however, and presently came hurrying after me. "Ah,
Herr Bastable! It is you then," he said as he reached me. "How did you
find the ladies?"
"I don't know that I am much concerned to tell you," I answered curtly.
"Has Fraeulein Althea returned? Isn't that an extraordinary affair?"
"I really have no time to discuss gossip with you."
"I think it will be worth your while," he replied meaningly. "I heard
of your change of plans, too, when you were actually at the station. My
friend Bernhoff told me. He is a grand fellow, Bernhoff."
"A testimonial from you is certainly a strong recommendation," I replied
as nastily as I could speak.
But he only smiled and spread out his hands. "I'm afraid you are still
angry with me on account of that chat of ours the other night at the
Ohlsen's dance--about Fraeulein Althea. But I'm not a fellow to bear
malice. And you know, as every one knows, how intensely I admire her."
"I don't care a hang whether you bear malice or not."
"You are very difficult, Bastable; but really I wish to be your friend,
and to warn you. People are talking about you."
"Let them talk then."
"This visit to this house here on the morning after Fraeulein Althea's
disappearance; your sudden change of plans yesterday; the hurried visit
of Prince von Graven to your house this morning. These things cause
questions"; and he gave me a very sly significant smile.
"As you appear to be asking them, the best thing you can do is to answer
them in your own way. Good-morning"; and with that I turned on my heel.
But although I could get rid of him, I could not so easily shake off the
unpleasant impression his words had made. He had certainly been spying
on me. Why? Could he have any suspicion of the truth?
The more I considered matters, the closer appeared to be von Felsen's
connexion with them. It was he who had first told me of the Prince's
supposed love for Althea; he had hinted at the probable effect of the
Kaiser's anger; it was from his father's office that the order for the
arrest had come; and as he was in that office, it was highly probable,
almost certain, indeed, that on the night of the dance he had already
known it was to be made.
The thing looked like cause and effect; but then there was the fact that
he had laid stress on his admiration for Althea. He could not wish to
see a girl he cared for in the rough clutches of the police. The thing
was absurd.
It was a fair presumption, however, that he was trying to find her. His
knowledge of the Prince's visit to me that morning showed that some one
was shadowing the Prince, and the spy had carried the news straight to
von Felsen. I had certainly blundered badly in letting the Prince come
to Althea's hiding-place.
He had known also of my visit to Chalice; and then it occurred to me
that Hagar Ziegler had been used for that purpose. The Steiners were
Jews, and she might well be a friend. I recalled her manner when she
had come hurrying out as I stood in the hall. She had been going to
leave the house. Was it to carry word to him, and had she brought him
there to wait for me when I left?
The whole business was a very ugly complication, and the best thing
would be for us to smuggle Althea out of Berlin while I set to work to
straighten it out.
I returned home, both puzzled and ill at ease, to report the result of
my interview with Chalice; and Bessie met me with news of another twist
in the skein.
"Aunt Charlotte has arrived, Paul," she said, with a very long face.
"The deuce! Why she wasn't to come for a week or so."
"Well, she's here anyway. You'd better come up to her room and see her
at once"; and she turned and ran upstairs. "She does these odd things,
you know."
My aunt was a particularly nervous person, and about the last we wanted
to have in the house at such a time. I followed Bessie, wondering what
sort of explanation of Althea's presence I could make.
"Have you told her about Althea?" I asked.
"She will only think she is staying with us in the ordinary way,"
replied Bessie, pausing with her hand on the door-knob. "And you'd
better be careful. She has one of her headaches after the travelling.
You know what she is at such times."
She was lying on the sofa with her back to the light, her long greyish
curls straggling over her shoulder, and a handkerchief pressed to her
brows.
"I am sorry to hear you have a bad headache after your journey, Aunt
Charlotte," I said as I tiptoed across to her couch.
She gave a faint little moan of pain, and held out three fingers in a
way I knew well. I just touched them. "I am very glad to see you," I
murmured, as she withdrew them quickly.
"Don't make a noise, Paul," said Bessie, as she knelt down by the sofa.
A most unnecessary caution, for I was not moving. "Men are so rough,
are they not, aunt? Shall I bathe your head, dear? Get the scent,
Paul. On the mantelpiece."
I tiptoed to the other end of the room, and Bessie called "Hush!" in a
very aggressive whisper.
As I turned, bottle in hand, I noticed that they were both shaking with
what looked uncommonly like suppressed laughter; and as I reached the
sofa again, Bessie got up giggling. Then I understood and joined in the
laughter, and "Aunt Charlotte" let me see her face.
"You ought to have known her hand, Paul," cried Bessie. "One would
suppose you had never seen it before."
"All right. Grin away. You had me. Those curls took me in; they are
Aunt Charlotte's to the life."
"They may well be. It's the wig she left here last time."
"Is your head too bad to let you stand up so that I can see your dress,
'aunt'?" I asked.
"It is all Bessie's work," said Althea, as she stood up.
"It's great," I agreed. "I believe I should have passed you in the
street, and I am sure I should if you had a veil on"; and then Bessie
explained how she had been thinking it all out.
"And now, about Chalice? Wasn't she in terrible distress?" asked
Althea.
"No. She appeared to think that you would be all right and had not
worried in the least."
Bessie coughed significantly and glanced at me. I went on to describe
what had passed; and Althea was as firm as ever in her resolve not to do
anything which would prejudice Chalice's prospects. I held my tongue
about the last argument I had used with Chalice.
"I've seen others beside Chalice," I said presently. "Hugo von Felsen.
I have the idea that he is in some way mixed up in this. Can you tell
me of any reason why he would be likely to take a hand?"
Althea paused a second and then looked up with a smile. "He wishes me
to marry him. He has asked me more than once; and the only benefit I
ever had from the supposed attentions of the Prince was a relief from
his. Why does that make you look so serious?" she asked with another
smile, seeing my grave look.
"I am thinking."
"It's a big effort for Paul," bantered Bessie.
I gestured impatiently. "Tell me, do you think it possible he can have
guessed your secret--about your father, I mean?"
"Yes, he knows it. Why do you ask that?"
"Because things are forcing me to the conclusion that in some way or
other he is at the bottom of all the trouble. I don't understand it
yet; but I will before long, if I have to drag it out of him by force."
But I would not alarm them by saying anything of von Felsen's suspicions
that Althea was with us.
I knew it well enough now, however, and recognized to the full the
danger which it boded.