"I suppose His Majesty knows of Lotzen's courtesies to you?"
"And is immensely gratified. Bernheim tells me the Duke never was in
higher favor than at this moment," I answered.
"Exactly--and, therefore, the less likely a change in the Law of
Succession. He uses you to play against you."
"And I am helpless to prevent it," said I.
"I may not refuse his civilities nor appear to question their intent."
"Heaven forfend!" Courtney exclaimed, with lifted hands. "Your counter
attack is at the King, too. Keep him interested in you."
"I have, I think. I am the new Military Governor of Dornlitz."
"Wonderful, Major!--Your Royal Highness, I mean."
"Drop the R. H., please," I said; "stick to Armand or Major."
"Thank you, I shall, in private; it's handier. And when were you
appointed?"
"It will be in the Gazette this evening. His Majesty offered it to me
this morning."
"Does Lotzen know it?"
"I think not; it was due to a sudden shifting of Corps Commanders made
yesterday."
"I would like a view of the Duke's private countenance when he hears it
first," Courtney laughed. "It's the most desirable post in the Army;
even preferable to Chief of Staff. It makes you master in the Capital
and its Military District, a temporary Field Marshal, and answerable to
none but the King himself."
"It's just that which makes me question the expediency of my accepting
the detail," said I. "It's a post to reward long service and soldierly
merit. I have not the former and have had no chance to prove the
latter. I fear it will be bad for discipline and worse for my
popularity."
Courtney laughed. "That might be true of the American Army--it's
nonsense in a Monarchy. You forget you are of the Blood Royal--an
Archduke--of mature years--with some experience in actual war--and, for
all the Army and Court know, in line for the Crown. You are,
therefore, born to command. There can be no jealousies against you.
On the contrary, it will bring you followers. None but Lotzen and his
circle will resent it, and they, already, are your enemies. The
Governorship will make them no more so. Instead, it will keep them
careful; for it will give you immense power to detect and foil their
plots."
"Plots!" I exclaimed. "Do you fancy Lotzen would resort to murder?"
"Not at present--not until everything else has failed."
"You seem very sure," I remarked.
"Precisely that. You don't seem to realize that you have likely both
lost him his desired wife and jeopardized his succession to the Throne.
He might submit to losing the Princess, but the Crown, never. He will
eliminate you, by soft methods if he can, by violent ones, if need be.
Believe me, Major, I know the ways of Courts a little better than you."
I took a turn up and down the room. "I don't know that Lotzen isn't
justified in using every means to defeat me. I am a robber--a
highwayman, if you please. I am, this instant, holding him up and
trying to deprive him of his dearest inheritance. And I'm doing it
with calm deliberation, while, ostensibly, I'm his friend. If I
attempt to steal his watch he would be justified in shooting me on the
spot--why shouldn't he do the same when I try to filch from him the
Valerian Crown?"
"No reason in the world, my dear Major, except that to steal a watch is
a vulgar crime--but to plot for a throne is the privilege of Princes.
And Princes do not shoot their rivals."
"With their own hands," I added.
Courtney bowed low. "Your Highness has it exactly," he said.