"I lose a wife, gentlemen, and very likely a kingdom too, so that a lady
may have her jewels reset at Augsburg, where, to be sure, there are
famous jewellers."
His glance, wandering in a dazed way about the room, settled again on
Hay. He stamped his foot on the ground in a feverish irritation.
"And those eight days gave just the time for a courier from the Emperor
at Vienna to pass you on the road and not press his horse. One should be
glad of that. It would have been a pity had the courier killed his
horse. Oh, I can fashion the rest of the story for myself. You trailed
on to Innspruck, where the Governor marched out with a troop and herded
you in. They let you go, however. No doubt they bade you hurry back to
me."
"Sir, I did hurry," said Hay, who was now in a pitiable confusion. "I
travelled hither without rest."
The anger waned in the Chevalier's eyes as he heard the plea, and a
great dejection crept over his face.
"Yes, you would do that," said he. "That would be the time for you to
hurry with a pigeon's swiftness so that your King might taste his bitter
news not a minute later than need be. And what said she upon her
arrest?"
"The Princess's mother?" asked Hay, barely aware of what he said.
"No. Her Highness, the Princess Clementina. What said she?"
"Sir, she covered her face with her hands for perhaps the space of a
minute. Then she leaned forward to the Governor, who stood by her
carriage, and cried, 'Shut four walls about me quick! I could sink into
the earth for shame.'"
Wogan in those words heard her voice as clearly as he saw her face and
the dry lips between which the voice passed. He had it in his heart to
cry aloud, to send the words ringing through that hushed room, "She
would have tramped here barefoot had she had one guide with a spirit to
match hers." For a moment he almost fancied that he had spoken them, and
that he heard the echo of his voice vibrating down to silence. But he
had not, and as he realised that he had not, a new thought occurred to
him. No one had remarked his entrance into the room. The group in front
still stood with their backs towards him. Since his entrance no one had
remarked his presence. At once he turned and opened the door so gently
that there was not so much as a click of the latch. He opened it just
wide enough for himself to slip through, and he closed it behind him
with the same caution. On the landing there was only the usher. Wogan
looked over the balustrade; there was no one in the hall below.