"Damn that woman!" I exclaimed.
Courtney sat down, and the inevitable cigarette case came out.
"That's scarcely emphatic enough, my dear boy," he said. "Go into the
next room and cut loose a bit."
"I've nothing else to cut loose with," I replied. "I used up everything,
last night."
"Good," said he. "If the pressure is off, you are in shape to think."
I shook my head. "No, I'm not--that's why I sent for you--to do the
thinking."
He picked up the Police report. "I'm glad she registered as Mrs. Armand
Dalberg," he said.
"The devil you are!" I exclaimed.
He nodded. "The first problem to solve is: What motive this woman has in
proclaiming herself your wife. There are only two motives possible, I
think, and this registry utterly eliminates one of them."
"You mean it is not blackmail," I said.
"Exactly."
"And the other motive?"
"Revenge."
"Oh, no," I said; "that woman didn't come from America to Dornlitz simply
for revenge."
"Very good," said Courtney. "Then, the motive is not hers and we must
look elsewhere for it."
"If you mean she is only a tool," said I, "that is almost as unlikely as
revenge."
"On the contrary, why couldn't it be both--and, also, a big pile of
money?" he asked.
"Because," said I, "she would balk at the notoriety."
Courtney laughed. "Good, yellow gold, and plenty of it, is a wonderful
persuader."
"Come," said I; "what's your guess in the matter?"
He tossed aside his cigarette and leaned a bit forward in his chair.
"The lady has been purchased by someone to come here and pose as your
wife; the moving consideration to her was enough cash to make her
independently rich and the pleasure of thus being able to square off with
you, on her own account. That's my guess--and I fancy it's yours too,"
he ended.
I laughed. "Yes," said I; "it is. I spent the night over the mix and
that's the best solution I could make."
Courtney lit a fresh cigarette, "Of course, it's Lotzen," said he. "And
a very clever plot it is. No Princess and no Crown for you, my boy,
until this Madame Armand Dalberg is eliminated--and, maybe, not even
then."
"Your 'then' is the only rift in the cloud," said I. "Eliminate the
Spencer woman, and, I think, I can manage."
He looked at me questioningly.
"Her Highness was very gracious to me last night," I explained--and I
felt my face getting red.
Courtney got up and came over to me,
"Is it up to a hand-shake, old man?" he asked.