"If a man loved her," I suggested.
"And what man does not who has seen her and talked to her?" he replied,
pacing.
"The interest, then, you take in her discovery is not all due to that
imposed upon you by Count von Walden?" I could not resist this thrust.
"The subject is one that does not admit discussion," squaring his
shoulders.
"Suppose we talk of something that does not concern her? All this is a
blunder for which you are partly to blame. I have a bad lump on my
head and you have a black eye. But as you did what you believed to be
your duty, and as I did what every man does when self-preservation
becomes his first thought, let us cry quits. Come, what do you say to
a game of cards? Let us play ecarte, or I will teach you the noble
game of poker. To tell you the truth, I am becoming dreadfully bored."
"Believe me, I bear you no ill will," he said, "and I am inclined to
your side of the story. Whoever you are, you have the bearing of a
gentleman; and, now that we have come to an understanding, I shall
treat you as such. I have a pack of cards downstairs. I'll go and get
them. This is not my house, or I should have placed you in better
quarters. I shall leave the door unlocked," a question in his eyes.
"Rest assured that I shall return to the city as I came--in a carriage.
And to be honest, I am anxious to see the Count von Walden, who poses
as the Princess's watchdog."
And when he came back and found me still sitting on the pallet, his
face cleared.
We played for small sums, and the morning passed away rather pleasantly
than otherwise. The young officer explained to me that he held an
important position at court, and that he was entitled to prefix Baron
to his name.
"The King is getting out of all patience with her Highness," he said.
"This makes the second time the marriage has been postponed. Such
occurrences are extremely annoying to his Majesty, who does not relish
having his commands so flagrantly disregarded. I shouldn't be
surprised if he forced her into the marriage."
"When he knows how distasteful this marriage is to her, why does he not
let the matter go?"
"It is too late now. Royalty, having given its word, never retracts
it. Events which the King wills must come to pass, or he loses a part
of his royal dignity. And then, a King cannot very well be subservient
to the will of a subject."