COLONEL SZEKULY.
Arabella listened--listened until the sound of the wheels had died away;
then she laughed. "He thinks me fool enough to share his disgrace! As if
I had not long ago foreseen that this was to be the end of that
hair-brained fool! In expectation of HIS fate, I have been countermining
with Szekuly, and his foolish old hands have flung up shovelfuls of gold
as we went along--bright, shining ducats, which shall go with me to
Paris. Now I am free, free from my dangerous accomplice, free from my
tiresome old adorer, whose love for me so nearly approaches insanity
that it may lead him to compromise himself in more ways than one. But he
must not compromise me! For the world, as yet, I am the modest, virtuous
Countess Baillou, chaste as I am beautiful!"
While she soliloquized thus, the countess walked hurriedly through the
room, with folded arms, fiery eyes, and on her lips a smile--but what a
smile! Alone in that gorgeous apartment, with her sinister beauty and
her angry, flashing jewels, she might have been mistaken for a malign
spirit who had just left her kingdom of darkness to visit the earth with
ruin!
"It is evident," said she, musing, "that the emperor meant to warn him;
and it follows that as he has not fled to-day he is lost! And he SHALL
be lost, for I must be free. I cannot afford to share my hardly-earned
winnings with him. He must away to prison; it is my only chance for
freedom."
"But if, after all, the emperor should connive at his escape! Or if he
should be seized with a fit of suspicion, and return! Good Heaven! now
that fortune favors me, I must snatch security while it lies within my
grasp."
Here she rang so violently, that the valet, who was in the anteroom
almost precipitated himself into her presence.
"If Count Podstadsky-Liechtenstein calls, say that I am not at home.
Apprise the other servants, and add that be is never to find admittance
into this house again. Whosoever, after this, admits him even to the
vestibule, shall leave my service. Away with you!"
"And now," continued she, as the valet closed the door, "now to work."
She went toward a mirror, and there unfastened her diadem, then her
necklace, brooch, and bracelets. With her hands full of jewels, she flew
to her dressing-room and deposited them in their respective cases. Then
she opened a large, brass-bound casket, and counted her treasures.
The first thing that came to light was a necklace of diamond solitaires.
"These three stars of the first magnitude," said she, contemplating the
centre stones, "are the involuntary contribution of the Princess Garampi
I borrowed her bracelet for a model, giving my word that it should not
pass from my hands. Nor has it done so, for I have kept her brilliants
and returned her--mine. She is never the wiser, and I am the richer
thereby. For this string of pearls, with the superb ruby clasp, I am
indebted to her highness the Princess Palm. One evening, as I welcomed
her with an embrace, I made out to unfasten it while I related to her a
piquant anecdote of her husband's mistress. Of course she was too much
absorbed in my narrative to feel that her necklace was slipping, for I
was not only entertaining, but very caressing on the occasion. There was
music in the room, so that no one heard the treasure fall. The necklace,
a perfect fortune, lay at my feet; I moved my train to cover it, and
signed to Carlo, who, I must say, was always within call. He invited the
princess to dance, and--the pearls found their way to my pocket. What a
talk that loss made in Vienna! What offers of reward that poor woman
made to recover her necklace! All in vain, and nobody condoled more
affectionately with her than the charming, kind-hearted Countess
Baillou. This sorrow--but, pshaw! what a child I am, to be gloating over
my precious toys while time passes away, and I must be off to-night!"
She closed her boxes, replaced them in her strong, well-secured casket,
and, having locked it, hung the key around her neck. "Here lies the
price of a princely estate," said she, "and now I must attend to my
ducats."
She stood upon a chair, and took from the wall a picture. Then, pressing
a spring behind it a little door flew open, revealing a casket similar
to the one containing her jewels. She took it down, and, placing it on
the table, contemplated the two boxes with profound satisfaction.
"Twenty thousand lovers' eyes look out from this casket," said she, with
a laugh; "all promising a future of triumphant joy. Twenty thousand
ducats! The fruits of my savings! And dear old Szekuly has made economy
very easy for some months past, for one-half of these ducats once
belonged to him. To be sure, I gave him in return the deeds of an entail
which I own in Italy, and which he can easily reconvert into money. At
least he thinks so. Well--I owe him nothing. We made an exchange, and
that is all."
After this edifying monologue, the countess exchanged her elegant
costume for a simple travelling-dress, and as she completed her toilet
the clock struck eight. Every thing being ready, she returned to her
boudoir and rang once. This signified that her confidential valet was
wanted. In a few moments the door opened, and an old man, whose dark
hair and eyes marked his Italian birth, entered noiselessly. The
countess bade him close the door and approach. He obeyed without the
least manifestation of surprise, muttering as he went, "Walls have
ears."
"Giuseppe," said his mistress, "are you still willing to follow me?"
"Did I not swear to your mother, my beloved benefactress, never to
abandon you, signora?"
"Thanks, amico; then we leave Vienna to-night."
"I heard the order forbidding Count Podstadsky the house, signora, and I
made ready to depart."
"Good and faithful Giuseppe! Since you are ready, nothing need detain
us. Go at once and order post-horses, and come with the travelling
carriage to the corner of the street above this."
"Si, signora; I shall leave the carriage there, and return for the two
caskets; you will then go out by the postern, and having joined us, we
are off. Is that your will?"
"Yes, Giuseppe, yes. Go for your life!"
"Be ready to leave the house in one hour, signora, for you know that I
am a swift messenger."
The old man bowed and retreated as silently as he came. His mistress
looked after him, saying, "There goes a jewel which I have neither
borrowed nor stolen: it comes to me by the inalienable right of
inheritance. Now I can rest until he returns."
With a deep sigh of relief, she threw herself upon the divan, and,
closing her eyes, gave herself up to rosy dreams. She had not lain long,
before the door opened and a valet announced "Colonel Szekuly."
"I cannot receive him," exclaimed she, without rising.
"You must receive him, countess," said a voice behind her, and starting
from the divan, she beheld the tall form of her "tiresome old adorer,"
enveloped in a military cloak, with his plumed hat drawn far over his
brow. Before she had time to speak, he had dismissed the valet and
closed the door.
"You presume strangely upon your influence," cried Arabella, half
amused, half angry. "Because you reign over my heart, you aspire to
reign over my domestics, I perceive."
"Peace!" cried the colonel, imperatively. "I have not come hither to
suck poison from your honeyed lips. I have already had enough to cause
my death. Though you have cruelly deceived me, I come to give you a last
proof of my love. Do not interrupt me."
"I will not breathe." said she, with a smile so bewitching, that Szekuly
averted his eyes, for it maddened him.
"You know," said he, and the old man's voice faltered as he spoke, "that
the director of police is my friend. I had invited him to dine with me.
He came but half an hour ago to excuse himself because of an arrest of
some importance. Do you guess whose arrest?"
"How should I guess?" said she, still with that enchanting smile. "I
have no acquaintance with the police."
"God grant that you may never make their acquaintance!" ejaculated he,
hoarsely. "They have just now arrested Count Podstadsky."
Not a feature of her face changed, as she replied: "Ah! Count Podstadsky
arrested? I am sorry to hear it. Can you tell me why?"
"For forging bank-notes to the amount of a million of florins."
"I suspected as much; I have several times been the victim of his
thousand-florin notes."
"The victim, countess? Is that an appropriate expression?"
"I think it is," replied she, quietly. "Is that all the news?"
"No, countess. The count is taken, but his accomplice--"
She breathed quickly and her mouth quivered, but she rallied and made
answer. "He had accomplices?"
"He had an accomplice, and--hush! we have no time for falsehood. Every
moment is precious to you. Perhaps the director of the police came to me
because knowing how--I have loved you, he would rescue you from shame.
Let us hope that he did, for he told me that he had orders to arrest the
Countess Baillou."
"When?" asked she, almost inaudibly; and now her face was pale as death.
"At dusk, that you might be spared the curiosity of a crowd."
Arabella sprang from her couch. "It is already night!" cried she, her
voice rising almost to a scream.
"Yes," replied her lover, "but I hope we have time. I have prepared
everything for your flight. My carriage and postilions await you in the
next street. Be quick, and you may escape."
"Yes, yes," exclaimed she. "Give me but one moment." She flew to her
dressing-room, and tried to carry her two boxes. But the ducats were too
heavy.
"I must leave the jewels," said she; and climbing up again with her
casket, she concealed it in the wall, and replaced the picture. "It is,
at all events, perfectly safe, and Giuseppe will come for it."
"Come!" cried Szekuly from the drawing-room.
"I come," answered she, while she wrapped a cloak about her and with
trembling hands tied on her travelling-hat.
"Give me your box," said Szekuly, "it will impede your movements."
But she held it fast, and said: "No--they are my jewels, now my only
riches."
"And you are afraid to trust them with me?" asked he, with a bitter
smile--"to me, who will die of your treachery!"
"People do not die so easily," said she, trying to smile; but her teeth
chattered, as she flew rather than ran down the grand staircase and
arrived breathless before the door. The porter opened it in wonder. The
night-air blew into her face, and revived her courage. Now she might
breathe freely, for she was--
But no! From the dark recesses of the stone portico emerged three
muffled figures, and one of them laid his rough grasp upon the delicate
arm of the countess and dragged her back into the vestibule.
"Too late, too late!" murmured the colonel, passively following, while
his heart bled for the treacherous woman whom he would have died to
save.
"Countess Arabella Baillou," said one of the figures, "I arrest you in
the name of the emperor."
She looked defiance at him. "Who are you that dare arrest me?"
He took off his hat and bowed derisively. "I am the director of police,
countess, very much at your service. Here is my authority for your
arrest."
He would have shown her the emperor's signature, but she dashed away the
paper, and fastening her angry eyes upon Szekuly, who was leaning
against a marble pillar, she said:
"That is your dear friend, is it? You have been playing the detective,
have you? Inducing me to fly, that my flight might expose me to
suspicion!"
The colonel cried out as though he had been wounded. "By all that is
sacred in heaven, I would have saved you!" sobbed he.
"And for your attempt I am obliged to detain you also, my poor, unhappy
friend," said the director of the police. "But you will soon be able to
prove your innocence. Let one of these men accompany you home and there
remain under arrest until you hear from me. Now, madame, follow me, if
you please."
"Allow me first to speak a word of consolation to my generous
protector," said the countess.
"Certainly, madame."
Arabella bowed her beautiful head and approached Szekuly, who was
scarcely able to stand, so great was his emotion.
"Colonel Szekuly," said she, in a whisper, "you lent me fifty thousand
florins upon some Italian securities of mine. They are all forgeries. I
forged them myself, as well as all the fine letters of introduction with
which I befooled the aristocracy of Vienna."
Szekuly stared for one moment at his tormentor, then hastily pressing
his hand to his heart, he sank with a low sigh upon the marble floor.
The countess laughed out loud. "He has fainted!" exclaimed she.
"Contemptible world, wherein men act like women, and women like men!
Come, gentlemen, I am ready to follow you; but my innocence will
speedily be reestablished, and the emperor, then, will owe me an apology
for his want of courtesy."