On that same hot afternoon, while His Excellency was pacing the library
in the high-up old villa in the Apennines, Dubard alighted from a cab in
the Via Salaria, in Rome, and entered a fine modern mansion, the home of
Angelo Borselli, Under-Secretary for War. He was conducted to a small
sitting-room, where, in the dim light of the closed sun-shutters, the
arch-schemer was taking his siesta in a long wicker lounge-chair, half
dozing, and yet revolving within his brain every detail of his ingenious
plan to oust the Minister from office and to replace him.
"Why, my dear Jules!" he cried in surprise as the young Frenchman
entered. "I thought you had gone up to San Donato in order to be near
your charmer when the blow fell."
"No," responded Dubard in a rather hard voice. "I am still here--in
Rome." Then after a brief pause he looked the sallow man straight in
the face and added, "The question must not be asked in the Chamber. The
blow must not be struck--do you understand?"
"What do you mean?" cried Borselli, starting to his feet. "What has
happened? I see by your face that something has occurred."
"It has," was the other's answer. "Montebruno must be stopped."
"Why?"
"Because to seek to overthrow Morini at this moment is against our
interests."
"Oh!" laughed the other. "So you have just discovered that fact, have
you? It is against your interest, of course, because you intend to
marry his daughter; but not against mine."
"I tell you that no revelation must be attempted," said Dubard firmly.
"But why do you say this? What is there to prevent the question being
put and the Ministry criticised?"
"It is unwise. It would be a serious blunder on your part."
"And yet you have assisted me! My dear Jules, I don't really understand
you! Do you not recollect what we arranged in London when our
reconciliation took place? Have you forgotten what we agreed only the
day before yesterday?"
"I have forgotten nothing. I only speak plainly, and say that by making
the revelations at the present moment you will imperil your own
position."
"No. I shall become Minister on Morini's downfall. All is arranged. I
am not the man to pick the chestnuts out of the fire for others--you
surely know that?"
"But will you not be incriminated in the matter of certain secret
commissions? Did you not rather unfortunately arrange matters and act
as the go-between?"
"Of course. But I shall be careful enough that my own interest in the
matter does not appear. The Minister of Justice is no friend of
Morini," he added, with a grin upon his thin, hard features.
"Montebruno must be stopped," declared Dubard determinedly after a
pause. "Let us telephone to him to come here."
"He is already down at the Camera," said the Under-Secretary, glancing
at the little French timepiece on the mantelshelf. "The question is to
be put at five, and it is already half-past four."
"But it shall not be put!" cried the young man.
"Who will prevent it?" inquired Borselli, looking at him defiantly.
"I will," he said sternly. "Let us be quite plain and outspoken, my
dear Angelo. I tell you that you shall not imperil the future by this
premature action. Morini knows of the conspiracy against him, and is
prepared."
"Well--and if he is? What then?"
"He may seek to defend himself in a manner of which you little dream."
Borselli regarded his companion suspiciously, for he saw that he was in
possession of some information which he was keeping to himself.
"You know something," he said, fixing his dark eyes upon Dubard. "What
is it?"
"I only know that it would be most injudicious to make any revelations,
or to stir up the public indignation at the present moment," was the
response. "There is no time to lose. You must telephone at once to
Montebruno and stop him."
"Impossible. The whole matter is arranged. All the Socialist deputies
are in their places awaiting the bolt to be launched."
"Then let them wait. It shall not be launched to-day," replied Dubard
in a clear, distinct voice.
"But it shall?" exclaimed Borselli. "It has taken me nearly three years
to complete preparations for this _coup_, and I do not intend to abandon
it merely because you hint mysteriously that it is premature. I speak
quite candidly upon this point."
"And I speak equally candidly when I tell you that Montebruno must not
put the question to the Chamber. There are reasons--serious reasons."
He said nothing of his compact with Mary or of his demand of His
Excellency for her hand.
"And what are they, pray?"
"Well,"--and he hesitated. "Well, if the _coup_ is made at the present
moment you will merely imperil yourself, that is all I can say. Morini
will retaliate, and charge you with certain things which will place you
in a very awkward position."
A silence fell between the two men. Borselli was reflecting upon a
certain agreement at which they had arrived when in London.
"I really can't understand you, Jules," he exclaimed at last. "You have
rendered us the most valuable assistance until the present moment, and
now, when all is prepared, you suddenly withdraw and make mysterious
hints that our efforts may result in serious consequences. What do you
mean?"
"I mean that the revelations are premature."
"But tell me the truth, once and for all. Are you still on our side, or
has the girl's beauty appealed to you, and you now intend to save her
father? I know what a soft, impressionable heart you have--like all
your race."
"I am still united with you," the Frenchman declared quickly. "It is
because of that I give you warning." Borselli's dark eyes were fixed
upon the other's with a look of quick shrewdness. He was a man whose
mind, when once made up, was not easily turned from its purpose.
"And your warning I shall certainly not heed," he said slowly. "You
know my intentions, and I shall carry them out to-day to the letter."
"You shall not?" the other exclaimed defiantly.
"Oh! and who will prevent it?" asked the Under-Secretary.
"I will. You shall not seek your own ruin blindly like this!"
Dubard very cleverly endeavoured to convince his companion of his own
interest in the conspiracy against Morini, while Borselli, of course,
had no knowledge of his compact with Mary. Nevertheless, he saw plainly
that the Frenchman's sudden withdrawal from the affair was due to some
hidden motive, and he refused to be turned from his object. To him the
overthrow of Morini meant wealth and power, and he had no intention of
relinquishing his efforts just at the moment when the reins of office
were within his grasp. All was prepared. The revelations were to be
made, and charges of misappropriation and treason hurled at the
unfortunate Minister; charges which would, on the morrow, be taken up by
the subsidised Press and exaggerated and distorted into a public scandal
which no statesman, however popular, could withstand. The plot had cost
him three years of clever scheming, during which time he had acted as
Morini's humble underling, expressing profound thanks for any small
benefits, but secretly hating and despising him, and yet always seeking
to worm himself further into his confidence. And Dubard wished him to
abandon it all at the very hour when success was assured! No. He
flatly refused. And he told his companion so in plain, forcible
language.
The other, however, merely shrugged his narrow shoulders and was silent,
allowing the Under-Secretary to upbraid him without offering a word in
self-defence. Then, when Borselli paused to gain breath, he said--
"I merely repeat what I have said--the question must not be put."
"I say it shall be put?" cried the other fiercely.
Dubard was silent again and quite cool, only the slight flush upon his
high cheeks told that a fierce anger consumed him.
"If it is put, it will be at your own risk," he exclaimed at last,
placing his forefinger on the table to emphasise his words. "Remember
there are many who would gloat over the downfall of Angelo Borselli."
"And there are more who would like to see me Minister of War."
"You will never obtain office if you carry out the scheme you have
arranged," Dubard declared. "I think up to the present I have shown
myself your friend, for without me you surely could not have done what
you have. You have many times admitted that. Why, therefore, do you
not take my advice?"
"Because, my dear Jules, you have suddenly turned round and are now
championing Morini."
"No, you mistake me. I am merely warning you in our mutual interests.
Morini will retaliate--and if he does--!" And again he shrugged his
shoulders significantly.
"Well, and if he does? What can he do?"
"He can make some ugly revelations, you know."
"I have no fear of anything he may allege," laughed the other. "He
cannot establish his innocence."
"Then you will not listen to reason and postpone the public sensation
you have arranged for this afternoon?"
"No," replied Angelo. "I will not."
"Then, if you intend to imperil both of us by acting so injudiciously,
I, for one, do not intend to suffer."
"What do you mean?"
"Simply this. If you are determined not to interfere, and to allow the
question to be put and the stream of allegations to pour forth from the
Socialists, I shall, in order to save myself, place myself on the side
of Morini."
"Of course, my dear Jules. You are always on the side which pays you
best," sneered the other.
"And in your company," remarked the Frenchman quite coolly, adding in a
firm voice, "I wish you to give me a line to Montebruno now, this
moment, and I will take it to him in the Camera--a word to him to
postpone the question."
"I shall do nothing of the sort. I do not intend to sacrifice my future
because of your sentimentalities. You are defending Morini."
"Yes," he cried. "I will defend him! I tell you again, and very
clearly, that if Montebruno speaks in the Camera to-day you will be
relieved of office."
"Oh, how's that?"
"I am speaking plainly," Dubard said, with knit brows.
"Time does not admit of more words, otherwise Montebruno will rise and
put the question. I therefore tell you that if you do not give me the
letter I require at once, I shall make a clean breast of the whole
affair." And he glanced at his watch as he spoke.
"You!" gasped Borselli quickly, staring at the speaker. "Ah yes! I was
a fool to have trusted you after all. I recognised it when too late.
You have turned in Morini's favour."
"I have my own interests to serve as well as yours," Dubard remarked
quite frankly. "It is to my interest that the question is postponed."
"And it is to mine that it should be put."
"But you will not allow Montebruno to proceed, and risk your own
position. Remember that in this affair my interests at the moment are
not the same as yours."
"And you actually declare that you will tell the truth if Montebruno
speaks?" said Borselli hoarsely, realising how completely the man before
him held his future in his hands.
"I do," was the response. "You surely know me well enough! In such
moments as these I do not trifle. Give me the letter! It is already a
quarter to five, and I have only just time to drive to the Camera and
place it in Montebruno's hand."
"But I can't understand your motive," exclaimed Borselli, realising that
his companion meant what he said. "Remember what we agreed that night
in London."
"Perfectly. While our interests are similar, I am your friend; but
where they divide, I am friend of myself alone. Come, Angelo, we cannot
afford to waste further words--the letter, just two lines, or exposure
of the truth. The latter would, I think," he laughed, "be even a
greater sensation to the public than the allegations against the
Minister."