LITTLE MONARCHS, BIG MISTAKES
"How now, good fellow? wouldst thou speak with us?"
"Yea, forsooth, an your mistership be emperial."
--_Titus Andronicus._
For the moment, Colonel Dupin had established headquarters in the
granary, which was a long, low adobe among the stables, with a pasture
between it and the House. The pasture opened on the highway through a
wide gap in the hacienda wall, and the coaches and steeds of the
imperial party which had passed in that morning gave the old cow lot a
gala air. The colonel was seated before a box, improvised into a desk,
and his rusty jacketed Cossacks lounged everywhere. Tiburcio and other
scouts were reporting on the dead and wounded of yesterday's raid. A
maimed enemy brought a chuckle deep in the Tiger's throat, but any
mishap to one of his own darlings got the recognition of a low-growled
oath. He was busy over this inventory of profit and loss when Jacqueline
appeared with the Emperor.
Dupin arose and saluted after the grim manner of an old soldier. The
half-dozen of obsequious courtiers he did not see at all, but to
Jacqueline he bent from the waist with a duellist's punctilio. His
countrywoman was the one adversary whom he never thought of cursing.
There was an opening innuendo. "No, Colonel Dupin," Maximilian reproved
him sternly, "I have not come to interfere with justice. I merely desire
to see what prisoners you have here."
Driscoll and Murguia were brought in. Maximilian stared dumfounded at
his new magistrate in the role of criminal. Don Anastasio looked
apologetic. They had locked him up in his own stable, bronze medal and
all. Dupin explained. This Murguia, like many another hacendado, had
long been suspected of aiding the guerrillas, and yesterday morning he
had actually set him, Dupin, on a false trail. The Contras were tracking
one of Rodrigo Galan's accomplices in the abduction of Mademoiselle
d'Aumerle. The accomplice was the other prisoner, the American, whom
they had found at last taking refuge at Murguia's own hacienda. Here he
had had the effrontery to welcome them as mademoiselle's rightful
escort, had even seemed surprised when a dozen Contras pounced upon him
from behind and disarmed him. Dupin added that mademoiselle herself was
deceived by the American's cunning, and he did not doubt but that she
still persisted in his innocence. He might speak further of the fellow's
part in the ambush and murder of Captain Maurel near Tampico, but he
confessed that that required further investigation.
No one could say that Maximilian had so much as listened. Such tangles
had long since become irksome, though he never ceased plunging into the
mesh. To unravel details, and incidentally confuse them more, was a
notorious mania with the poet-prince. But his thoughts now were all for
a girl who had fainted. Murguia he would leave to a court martial. If
guilty, the medal should be torn from his breast. Don Anastasio's
terrors, however, ran on the other penalties of court martial.
"Now you," Maximilian turned to the American, "I understand that you
wish to see me. But you must know that law prevails in Mexico at last,
and that even the Emperor may not keep a man from trial."
Driscoll's chin lifted eagerly. "Certainly not, but my business with
you, sir----"
"Not 'sir,'" whispered Jacqueline. "You must call him 'sire.'" Little
she cared for etiquette, but she did not propose that Driscoll should
broach his errand.
Maximilian overheard and smiled. "Yes," he said, "one tiny letter added,
and you change a man into a sovereign."
Now Jacqueline, for her purposes, had thought to disconcert the man
unused to courts. But it struck her at once that nothing of the kind
would happen. His easy naturalness was too much a part of him, was the
man himself. And she was glad of it. She was glad of the something
distinguished which his earnestness gave to the clean-cut stamp of jaw
and forehead. He had stopped and looked at them inquiringly, as an eager
speaker will when interrupted. Then his brown eyes deepened, and there
was a tugging at the corners of his mouth. He seemed to comprehend. If
this was their humor, he would play to it. A diplomat must be all things
to the people he is after.
"'Sire?' W'y," and his drawl was exquisite, "that's what we call the
daddy of a horse."
Jacqueline turned quickly, clapping her hand over her mouth. Maximilian
was always uneasy when Jacqueline did that.
"To be sure," he observed affably, "our American friend is not so far
wrong. Listen, am I not the father of my people?"
The entourage buzzed admiringly at the imperial cleverness; all except
Jacqueline, who now that she should laugh and relieve the situation,
obstinately pulled a long, blank face.
Maximilian's tone changed. He meant to wound now, and did. "So," he
added, with chilling stress, "it's 'sire,' if you will be so good as to
remember."
Driscoll flushed as though struck. He became aware that it was all some
patronizing rebuke.
"There is one," he answered gently, "who taught me manners at her knee,
or tried to, and _she_ never hurt a mortal human being by a word in
her life, but that, that, sir, seems to be where _you_ have missed
it. Now look here," he went on, kindling in spite of himself, "I respect
any man who has grounds--discoverable grounds--for respecting himself,
and if you are a man, then 'sir' won't overtop you any."
Colonel Lopez of the Dragoons nudged him anxiously. "Don't say 'you';
say 'Your Majesty.'"
"Better let him alone," Maximilian interposed wearily. "He recognizes in
me a man, and--it's not unpleasant. But which," he added, "gives me
leave to hope that as a man himself he will not cringe before the
drum-head."
"May I," said Driscoll quietly, "have one minute with you alone? It's
not about myself, I promise you that. But for you, sir, it's of the very
greatest importance."
Instantly all stirred with curiosity, except Maximilian. All there were
keenly affected by the stranger's mysterious business with the Emperor,
except the Emperor himself. And each man's wits were straightway alert,
according to the hates and ambitions of each. Even Miguel Lopez, dense
of understanding, had his suspicions. Murguia's yellow features darkened
malevolently. The hacienda priest whispered to M. Eloin, and M. Eloin,
brushing the man of God aside as though he had been thinking of the very
same thing himself, tried to get a word with Maximilian. But Jacqueline
spoke first to the Emperor. She knew the susceptibility of the royal
ear. Maximilian nodded at what she said, and Eloin bit his lip.
Maximilian glanced at the American's clothes. Homespun did not
correspond with pressing business of state, to his mind.
"My good man," he said, caressing his beard, "it's not regular, you
know. Another time, perhaps, when you can have yourself inscribed by Our
Grand Chamberlain and when your application for an audience----"
"But if these senores shoot me before then?"
Maximilian shrugged his shoulders. In any case, the Ritual would suffer
no outrage.
"But I tell you," cried the exasperated Missourian, "this thing is
serious. And it can't wait either, not if it's to help you any. I may be
too late now. I don't know what's happened since I started down here
three weeks ago. Richmond was in danger then. And the Army of Northern
Virginia--General Lee----"
"Have surrendered," calmly interposed the Emperor.
Driscoll stiffened as he stood, his lips parted as his last word had
left them. He wondered why these foreign, unsympathetic beings of
Austria and France and Belgium and Germany and Mexico looked so blurred
to him. He never imagined that there were tears in his eyes.
"It is really true," continued Maximilian, addressing them all. "A
courier brought me the news this morning. Yes, my friends, the North is
free at last to attack our Empire. But," he added blandly, "let us not
fear, not while we are sustained by the unconquered legions of France."
"How he remembers us now!" thought Jacqueline.
She thought too of him who had sent the legions. The entire fabric of
Napoleon's dream of Mexican empire was builded on the dismemberment of
the American Union. But, as the Southerners began so well by themselves,
Napoleon had left them to do his work alone. He just failed of genius.
"Oh, mon petit, _bien_ petit Napoleon," she cried in her soul, "how
terribly you have miscalculated!"
The room had filled with murmurs, with awed whispering, with frightened
questioning looks at one's neighbor, with ambitions and hates gone
panic-stricken. Driscoll came forward. The fellow of homespun held the
Empire in his hand, if they but knew it. "Now let me deliver my
message," he said earnestly. "And, afterward, on with the drum-head,
I'll not complain."
"There, there," spoke the unseeing monarch, though affected by the
dignity of sorrow, "you shall have no cause. I came here, meaning to
pardon."
"Pardon?" came the Tiger's growl. "Your Majesty saves so many enemies,
does he fear that soon he will have none left?"
"Perhaps, Colonel Dupin, since my imperial brother, Napoleon, sends me
so efficient a bloodhound. But I thought the prisoners were already
tried and condemned. That must come first, of course. Yet We are
constrained to find another judge, one without preconceived notions of
guilt, to hold the court martial. Ah yes, as Monsieur Eloin here
suggests, I name Colonel Lopez.--Colonel Lopez, you will stay behind
with a company of your own men. Finish the trial to-night, if you can,
and overtake me before I reach the city.--Colonel Dupin, I have to
request yourself and men as escort, to replace the Dragoons left with
Colonel Lopez. And you, Mademoiselle d'Aumerle, shall have a carriage.
We start this afternoon. You will be ready, mademoiselle?"
"Is Your Majesty quite resolved," Jacqueline asked in French, "that the
American must be tried? He can easily be found guilty, I warn Your
Majesty."
"And is that not reason enough?"
"Reason enough that he should not be tried, since he is not guilty. But
perhaps Your Majesty has thought of sending him under guard to the
frontier, back to his own country, where he would not longer be an
annoyance?"
"My dear young lady," returned the Emperor, "it seems that you expect me
to blot out the processes of law simply because even I cannot make them
infallible. But you do not answer my question. I offer you protection to
the City?"
"He must stand trial then?"
"Yes--but will you be ready to start this afternoon?"
"Your Majesty should know that I cannot accept."
"Does this trial interest you so much, mademoiselle?"
"Thanking Your Majesty," said Jacqueline coldly, "I should rather not
accompany him."
Maximilian swung on his heel and called Lopez aside. "Mi coronel," he
said, "when you follow to-morrow, you will offer to bring the Senorita
d'Aumerle, if she desires it.--And Lopez, you remember the young Mexican
girl we used to meet near here, during the last few evenings?"
"When you and I, sire, would ride over from Las Palmas incognito?"
"Yes. She was able to--to tell me much about the peon life, and I should
like to reward her in--in some way. Do you know, Miguel, I suspect she
lives on this very ranch. It was at the church here that we would meet
her, you know? And now, since I must leave, I wish you to find her.
Induce her to come with mademoiselle to the City under your escort.
Assure her that she shall have an honored place at court.--Jove, there's
my new order of San Carlos for women! She shall have that for--for
aiding my researches among the peons. Now, Miguel mio, do your best!"
With which words Maximilian turned back alone, and as he went, he
thought how as a simple man he had won a maiden's heart. He had been
learning that a prince may miss one or two very dear things in life.
"It's ended, the little ranchero idyl," he murmured. "But there's been
no harm. She shall not regret it."