It was a good deal of a cat and dog business--and the cat was having
all the fun--and knew it.
I could not well have her dragged from the room; and the other
alternative--to leave, myself--was not to my taste. It looked too much
like flight.
"I wish you would explain why I am not permitted to leave Dornlitz,"
she said.
"Have you been restrained from leaving?" I asked.
"Still pretending ignorance, my dear," she laughed. "Well, then, I was
refused exit at the North gate this morning; and that, though I was
only going for a short drive in the country."
"Why didn't you try another gate?" I asked.
"I did--three others."
"With similar results?"
"Absolutely."
"Therefore, you inferred?" I asked.
"Nothing, my dear Armand, nothing. I know. At one of the gates, the
officer condescended to tell me that he was acting under the express
order of Field Marshal, His Royal Highness the Governor of Dornlitz."
"And he told you the truth," I said.
"Of course he did," she laughed. "I never doubted it. What I want to
know is your reason for the order."
"And that is what brought you here?" I asked.
"That--and the pleasure of seeing my dear husband," she drawled.
"I'll make a bargain with you, Mrs. Spencer," I said: "My motive for
the order, in exchange, in strict confidence, for your motive for
coming to Dornlitz."
Of course, I had no notion she would disclose the actual motive in the
plot. What I was after was the story they had prepared to explain why
I came to Valeria alone and left her to follow and, in the interim,
posed as a bachelor.
"Surely, Armand, you're not serious!" she exclaimed.
"I never was more so," I said.
"But why should you want me to tell you something you already know?"
she asked--with a quick glance at Moore.
"Come, come!" said I; "Colonel Moore is totally deaf, at times. I
promise your secret shall remain within this room."
"_My_ secret!" she laughed. "Really, Armand, you are delicious."
"I don't quite understand," I said.
She laughed again. "It seems to me that why I followed you to Valeria,
instead of coming with you, is, particularly, your secret. You
wouldn't care for His Majesty to know it, would you?"
"If it's my secret," said I, "don't you think I ought to be let into
it?"
She thought a moment--evidently considering how much she should reveal
to me. Of course, she understood what I wanted and why; but this order
of mine, restricting her within the Capital, had evidently been totally
unexpected, and she was set upon having some explanation of it. Hence,
she was ready to bargain.
"Come!" said I. "In this game you're playing, you will have to
disclose it very soon, anyway."
"But, it seems so silly, Armand, to tell you what you yourself
arranged."
"Oh! So I arranged for your coming!" I exclaimed. "I suppose I also
arranged for what you have done since you've been here."
She smiled sweetly. "Not quite all, my dear. I've been arranging a
few things myself, thanks to your perfidy."
"We are getting away from the main point," I said. "You were about to
tell me why you came to Dornlitz."
She arose languidly, and began to draw on her gloves.
"Oh, was I? Well, then, I've changed my mind."
"I bid you good-day, Mrs. Spencer," I said, and turned away.