Her Royal Highness Part 40

Dawson, the British military attache, conspicuous in his Guards'

uniform, came up to him, saying in a low voice:

"Hallo, Hubert, you look a bit bored, my dear boy. So am I. Couldn't we clear out, do you think? I'm going to play bridge down at the club.

Come?"

"Not to-night, old chap," Hubert answered. "I shall stay another quarter of an hour, and then toddle home."

"Sure you won't--eh?"

"No, not to-night. I'm tired."

"Right-ho! Good night," answered the attache cheerily, and was next moment lost in the crowd. Waldron pushed his way through the throng into the ante-chamber, vainly searching for Lambarini. Pironti, the unscrupulous secretary of the Minister was there, surrounded by women-- wives of officers and others who hoped to secure the man's good graces to procure better appointments for their husbands. In the army it was openly declared that Pironti was necessary in order to secure His Excellency's ear, and many a man had been pa.s.sed over his superior's heads and given lucrative jobs because Pironti's palm had been crossed by a few bank-notes.

Presently, tired to death of the incessant laughter and chatter, Hubert left by a door which he knew led to a long corridor, which ended with a flight of stairs to the first floor.

On the nights of Ministerial receptions the sentries had orders to allow guests to pa.s.s without hindrance and unchallenged throughout the building, therefore, as Hubert ascended the stairs the soldier stood at attention.

Above, was another wide corridor leading right round the first floor to where was situated General Cataldi's private cabinet in the centre of the huge, handsome pile overlooking the broad Via Venti Settembre.

To that part of the building few of the guests penetrated, save perhaps some officials who took their wives to see the fine suite of rooms occupied by His Excellency the Minister.

Hubert was still in search of Lambarini, and was wondering if he had gone in that direction.

At some distance down the corridor from the door of His Excellency's private cabinet two sentries, their duties relaxed that night, stood at ease chatting, but as Hubert pa.s.sed they drew themselves to attention, while around a corner from another corridor which ran at right angles a waiter with a silver salver in his hand hurried by.

The man's face struck Waldron as peculiarly familiar, yet he saw it only for a second, as the man seemed in a great hurry.

It was not Pucci, for he had not seen him since he had first entered the building.

Hubert halted and looked after the receding figure, much puzzled. His clothes did not fit him, for the tails of his dress-coat were too long, and the trousers also were too big. Apparently, he seemed of middle-age, with a short moustache turning slightly grey, yet in his eyes, in that brief second when their glance had met, there was an expression that was familiar.

"Who can he be?" murmured Hubert to himself. "I know him. But for the life of me I can't recollect where we've met before."

The man who travels comes frequently across familiar waiters in all sorts of out-of-the-way places. Therefore, after reflection, he came to the conclusion that it must be a man who had served him somewhere or other in the past.

And he went forward to His Excellency's rooms--that room wherein, on the last occasion, he had discussed the stolen plans with Cataldi and the two secretaries.

No one was nigh. The sentry still stood gossiping at the other end of the corridor. He would enter and have yet another look at that big safe which had been so mysteriously opened, though no one appeared to have entered there.

He turned the handle of the big door of polished mahogany. It yielded noiselessly, and pus.h.i.+ng it open, he stood upon the thick, Oriental carpet in the too familiar room.

He halted upon the threshold, scarce believing his own eyes.

Before the Minister's safe--the same one from which the plans had been stolen--stood a woman--Lola!

The safe door stood open, and as he looked he watched her abstract an envelope, which she folded hurriedly with nervous hands and thrust into the breast of her gown, at the same time producing a similar envelope which she put in the place of the one she had stolen.

So noiselessly had he entered that she was all unconscious of his presence.

His heart gave a great bound and he held his breath. His senses were frozen by the amazing and horrifying discovery.

With staring eyes he watched her breathlessly, as with hurried hands she closed the heavy safe door, turned the small key twice and then slipped it into her long white glove, at the same time crus.h.i.+ng the stolen envelope deeper down into the breast of her low-cut dress.

For a second she remained motionless. Then she tried the safe door in order to rea.s.sure herself that it was securely locked, and turned to leave.

But as she did so a low cry escaped her hard, white lips.

She found herself face to face with Hubert Waldron.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

THE EYEWITNESS.

"Princess!"

"You!" she gasped, staring at him, her face white as death, and clutching at the back of a chair for support.

"Yes. I see now why you were so anxious that I should not remain in your company this evening," he said in bitter reproach.

"Then--_then you know_!" she cried. "You--_you saw me_!"

"Yes. I have been watching you, and I can only say that I am surprised to find you tampering with His Excellency's safe!" he said in a low, hard tone, while, as ill-luck would have it, old Ghelardi, in uniform, with a glittering star upon his coat, entered the room just at that moment and overheard part of the diplomat's words.

"Ah!" said the crafty Chief of Secret Police, affecting not to have overheard anything. "Ah! these a.s.signations--eh?"

She raised her hand towards him in a quick gesture, but from her glove, there fell the small key.

Ghelardi stooped and picked it up.

"Hallo!" he exclaimed, "what does this mean, Your Highness? A safe key!"

The unhappy girl, white as death, nodded in the affirmative.

The white-haired official stepped across, drew the bra.s.s cover aside from the keyhole, and tried the key. It yielded.

"And may I ask Your Royal Highness why I find you here, in His Excellency's room, with a key to his private safe wherein, I believe, many secrets of our defences are kept?" he asked of her.

"I refuse to answer you, Signor Commendatore," was her bold reply, as she drew herself up and faced him. "You have no right to question me.

I shall answer only to His Majesty for what I have done."

This bold declaration took Hubert aback.

"Very well," replied the old man, pocketing the key and smiling that strange, cunning smile of his. "Your Highness shall be compelled to answer to him--and without very much delay."

And he turned on his heel and without a word left the room.

"Ah! Mr Waldron," she cried, wringing her hands, "what must you think of me? I know I have acted very foolishly--that I am mad--that I--"

"Hush, Princess!" he said, his heart full of sympathy for her in her wild distress. "You have acted wrongly, it is true--very, very wrongly.