QUEER'S MATE.

Evening Star, Issue 11451, 19 January 1901, Page 2

QUEER'S MATE.

By Morice Gerard,

Author of * The Crowning of Esther,’ * Mistertcin,’ ‘Mtlrray Murgatrojrd, Journalist,’ ‘ The' Falcoriridge Mystery,’ * The Man of the Moment.’ [Copyright.] CHAPTER I. 17.’ THE CABINET OF THE EMPEROR. It is six o'clock on a January morning. The aristocratic world of Dettinen, the capital c;ty of the great Empire of ;Gramand, was asleep. Evert the valets and femmes de chambres had hardly thought of disturbing themselves froiri that pleasant slumber, because partly stolen, which accompanies the first streaks of dawn. They would not be wanted by their respective masters and mistresses for a couple of hours at least, and although by that time some work would have been completed and preparations made, there was still leisure for much-needed rest. , There was one striking exception, at any fate, to the almost universal rule—one man for whom luxurious habits had no attrac•tion, whose Household was drilled in the strictest simplicity, with military precision), frugality, and exactness. The house was the Palace of Dettinen, and the man was the Emperor Franz Ferdinand of Gramand, a man who Was more in-the world’s-eye than any other personage on the -commanding stage of life. At 5 a.m. the Emperor had been called, had drunk a cup of black coffee and eaten a small piece of dry toast. At half-past live he had gone the round of the guards and visited the barracks of the crack regiment to which the custody of the Imperial Palace was committed. Now he was smoking a cigar at one end of a long, narrow table in his cabinet. A desk was before the Emperor, but ho yas not writing, although paper, pens, and ink were placed ready to his hand. Except for its august master, the cabinet ■was empty, lb was a plainly furnished room of meagre proportions, oblong in shape, its windows filled with stained glass; in the centro panel of each window were emblazoned the Imperial arms. The same distinguishing mark was stamped on the redbrown leather backs of the heavy oak chairs, which were ranged in solemn procession at regular intervals along the two sides of the room. At both ends were massive desks with locked drawers below, and pigeon-holes above. Each of these pigeon-holes had a letter of thqjalphabet above it. There were no State secrets in those open pigeon-holes —or they would not have been open. The documents contained in them were merely routine papers of the multiple transactions and dispositions which Ferdinand 11., to give him his official title, kept under his own hand, and which any other monarch would have left to the discretion of one or other of the Secretaries of the State. The drawers below were locked, and some of their contents would no doubt have been of interest enough had they been read and divulged by an unscrupulous inquisitor into their recesses—provided he escaped with his life arid his information from the everpresent, almost otnniscient vigilance of that marvellous system which governed the palace life of Dettinen. To find, however, the papers on which the fate of nations turned, which would raise the price of stock in the capitals of empires hundreds—nay, even thousands of miles apart-, or depress them at a bound, to discover the minutes of the iriost domitlaht State in the adjustment of the delicate balance of European power, recourse would have to be had to the greatsteel safe built into the wall in the corner of the rootn to the left behind the Emperor’s chair. The craftsman who could find his way into that prison, of priceless documents had perhaps yet to be born, at any rate ho would be the master of his guild. The secret, or, rather, chain of secrets by which door after door yieliled to the open sesame until the ihnlost shrine of sccliision was reached, was known only to two persons—the Emperor Franz Ferdinand hiiriself and his valet and man-servant, Neumann, who had been about his august master froth boyhood, and who had one inestimable advantage in the recipient of such a confidence vi z -, that he could neither read nor write. Neumann only very rarely opened that safe, and that at the bidding of his master, when the latter was in need of a bundle of papers, the position of which he could describe] so that they could be brought to him. But it was necessary that there should, be a sharer of the secret-, or the safe might prove as inaccessible to Ferdinand’s successor as it would bo to any state burglar who might to open it at present. A fall from his horse, a shot in battle, a capsized boat, the frenzy of a madman, or the studied revenge of some individual who thought himself wronged, or even slighted, might serve to terminate the life and career of Ferdinand H. but Neumann, the obscure, would remain to impart the great secret to the next ruler of the Empire-of Gramand, who, although the eldest son, had riot yet been brought into the penetralia of his" father’s dispositions and policy. Ferdinand the Second was, at this time, a tnfle over forty-five years of age; in the pnirre of his powers. His glossy black hair was not yet llecked with grey, and there were no premonitory signals/ even about the- temples, of approaching baldness. His black eyes wore at onco bold and penetrating, his mouth mobile and sensitive, his nostrils, finely cut arid curved, indicated pndo, while his chin afforded ample evidence of amounting almost to obstinacy. 'The thin, restless, nervous hands, browned by continual open-air exercise, as well as tanned by the brine of the sea scud, completed the picture. The picture was that of the first man in, Europe, and therefore in the world. Ferdinand glanced up at-a handsome mlt and lacquered clock on a stand in one corner of the room as, with modulated and very musical chime, it announced that the houV was a quarter to seven. The Emperor stretched out his hand and touched a small electric bell by the side of his desk. In .a minute Neumann was in the room, and stood respectfully waiting for his master’s commands. “Did Count Kalya arrive at the palace last night?” Yej, your Majesty. He was herfe at midnight, or shortly after.” “ Thitt is good. Has he risen yet?” “ 1 informed him that your Majesty would be likely to afford him, an early audience, and he told his valet to call him at six o’clock.’* “ Oh ■ be brought a man with him?” questioned the Emperor with a look of quick annoyance. “ I think he is to be trusted. The Count believes in him absolutely, and I have known him for some years myself.” “ Tiirfrc are not many Ralph Neumanns in the world,” remarked Ferdinand, accompanying the words with one of those rare glances of confidence and affection which made him the soul’s monarch of the few who received them. “If Kalya can trust his confidential servant ho has found ateasure beyond price.” Ferdinand had sai(,l sotto voce, although the words were distinctly audible, fils afext order was in his habitual

tones: “ Show the Count- in if he is ready, Ralph.” “ Yes, your Majesty.” Neumann noiselessly left the apartment, arid ih a few minutes returned to announce “His Excellency Cbuht Krtlyri.” The new-arrival was the Ambassador of the Empire of Gramand, at the Court of the Queen of Amphaiia. KftKa was a tall man of distinguished bearing ; "a handsome, aristocratic face was crowned with a Shock ol white hair, somewhat rebellious to the brush. The Emperor greeted him Warmly, and passed a cigar case, with his own private monogram upon it. tqjthc Ambassador. The latter smiled and shook His head. $ ■ “I am not so young ns I was,'and smoking so early, sir, wonlfl make my hand shako. - ’ “ That would not do for the first pistol shot in Europe, eh, Count?” said the Emperor, with a sly sfnile. “ Those‘days have long gone by.’’ replied Kalya-, who had been a rioted duellist in his young days, but he looked not ill-plensed with the compliment lo his markmanship. Ferdinand threw the end of his cigar into the fire. Y el], jf yon j 0 1)0 k smoke, Count, neither will T. Now let ns lo business. In half an hour 1 shall be besieged, before that I vant you lo return to your apartments, and to-night you must leave again for Durs--d°rf. I understand you brought your man, but otherwise I suppose you kept/votir visit to me incognito?” Tea, sir, absolutely. 1 am nominally out for a couple Of days’ shooting at Manheim Castle.” “ Quite right! I did not think it advisable at the present juncture that our cofifience should be known ; at the same time I desired your presence, as I had certain things to say to you, Which could be easier explained by word of mouth.” The Ambassador bowed, but did not otherwise reply. Ferdinand paused for a minute or two before going on . He was apparently considering how he should-put what he Triad to say. Then he looked at Kalya, and asked in more abrupt, cross-examining tones than he had hitherto adopted : “This new Ambassador at yonr CourtSir Douglas Musgrove—he has been at Dursdorf about a year. I believe?” les, sir. a trifle over a year. Sir Douglas and Lady Musgrove are about to celebrate their full return to social life by a grand bail at the Embassy next week. They have been somewhat in seclusion since Sir Douglas Musgrove took up his duties r.t the Court of Amphaiia, owing to the death, first, of Lady Musgrove s father . ” " I know,” interrupted the Emperor ; “ he was formerly the representative of Great Britain m Dursoorf, but his name has slipped my memory.” “Sir Hickman Lightfoot. Since then Lord Musgrove has also died, and they have enly now emerged from the double mourning.” The Emperor did not appear to be listening. ‘‘/ otl say .there is to be a grand ball at the English Embassy next Week. Who will be there?” “ the Cmirt and society of the capital of the kingdom for the matter of that. It promises to be the grandest affair of the kind ever given at Dursdorf.” “ And the Queen?” “ Her Majesty Queen Helena is sure to be there.” A sriiile flickered over the face of the Emperor. Good !” he said. “ That promises to be a very interesting ball, nerhans a memorable one, at the British Embassy next week.” Kalya looked ;tt the Eiriperof in surprise. He did not understand ih the least, CHAPTER 11. A MANDATE FROM TilE EMPEROR. The Emperor Ferdinand of Gramand had the disability of ominiscience. Had ho not thought himself a more accomplished man than he was he would have brien a, much more powerful monarch, and a greater man ; at the same time he would have been less happy. So that the law of compensation Works out in this care, as in so many others. In battle he would have been calmly superior to the great masters of stfate<ri ; , like Frederick the Great and Napoleo/ and would have taken occasion to point out to them their little mistakes. In peace bis speriority was equally maintained. He could teach the greatest architect how to build a house, the greatest composer how to write an opfera, the oldest diplomatist iho aft of statesmanship. Wc are told that no man ever left the elder Pitt’s presence Without recognising the greatness of the mad, and being the better for it. No one ever left the presence of the Emperor Ferdinand 11. without appreciating that he thought himself a very great man, much more astute than his auditor—and being irritated by it. Consequently, the first quality, required in his ministers at home and representatives abroad was- submissivencss. Ferdinand was not so well served ih consequence as bis father and grandfather had been before him, or than some neighbouring riifmafchs who were not so conspicuously able as the Emrieror of Gramand. Ferdinand always paid this trib"' ■ in Kalya that, “at any rate, he did what be was told,” confessing at the same time >.i iih a- shrug of the shoulders that he Was not brilliant! ’ Count Kalya was a gcnllenrm. however. The true breed is rare. Ferdinand selected another cigar carefully and lighted it. He could not long bo without one. “ Yes,” he said; “ this ball at the British Embassy may be as important as it will doubtless be brilliant.” Then l le broke off suddenly. It Was not our affair, Count—in fact, personally I never believed in the idea—but our neighbors in France and Russia did not altogether score in that attempt to get hold of the Amphalian fleet a yfear ago. As you know, wc Were only to come in—possibly if it succeeded, and British diplomacy was checkmated. I never heard the full rights of the story; but the results showed that Great Britain came off best in the matter.-' the Whole truth has never conic out, but it Was recognised in the small circle that was cognisant of the affair that the result was brought about by Sir Douglas Musgrove —in fact, his present title and position were the rewards Of his success. Although riot officially recognised at the time, Captain Douglas Musgrove was entrusted with the management of the affair by the British 1* orcign Office, and he somehow scored all along the line. As your Majesty says, the Amphalian fleet Was prevented leaving the home Waters, and the whole scheme against Great Britain fell to the ground.” “ Exactly so, my dear Kalya; but that Was because we did not have the management and controlling power.” By “we ” Ferdinand, of course, meant himself. “We” in its singular sense is restricted to the only ohmipolcncies under the sky—editors and emperors. Ferdinand blew a cloud of smoke out in areolumn in front of him, as if hfe Were sending someone to do his bidding in the plain of thought. “ NbW, mV dear Kalya, iicXl time we shall come in. That ball of which you have told me just now. shall be the first skirmish of the impending action.”

“I am afraid I do not quite follow.” “ Count,” said the Emperor, tapping him familiarly on the left shoulder, “ you have one great disadvantage, one disability in arriving at a correct estimate of the forces of human' life. The Emperor paused with-it twinkle in his eye, noting the perplexity He had caused his Ambassador. Then hb stent on, when he had kept him in suspensfe Ibrig enough : “ You arc not a married mjitl.’’ The Count leaned back in his chair and laughed—tire laugh of relief, for hfe had expected something different.” "No, thank goodness! I have hitherto been spared that calamity.” The Emperor, who was a much married man, relapsed into gravity. His tone, as he resumed, was again crisp and businesslike. “ Amphaiia, as you know, Count, has been recognised by the great States of Eliropo as the crux of the political situation for some time to come. It is not only that she has a navy of the second rank, which, combined with that of a first-rate Freter, would seriously affect the supremacy at sett, but she has at least two harbors of first importance, und her colonial possessions are of great value. Amphaiia has not figured in history for more than a century, but the time is coming when all eyes will be turned to Dursdorf. When that time comes, Dursdorf arid Dettinen, auspiciously allied alliterativcly, must be moved by the same policy, must stand for the same corporate idea.” The Emperor had really waxed quite eloquent. “ But surely," exclaimed Kalya, aghast, " you do not propose, sir, to overrun Amphaiia with your troops. Why, Europe would be up in arms in a moinertt.” The Emperor smiled the sweet, sad smile of intellectual superiority. " No, my dear Count, 1 have no such mad scheme in my head. I promise you. I do mean to invade Amphaiia, but riot with an army, but a man. The man will, with your permission and by your arrangemen, commence his invasion of Amphaiia at Sir Douglas Musgrove's ball”

Ferdinand 11. rnrtly looked so beaming, so full of bonhomie, the distilled csscr.ee of peace and goodwill to all the world as at that moment when he was expounding lis future policy to the-Ambassador. Ho was so pleased with hitnself—and it, that idea of his. " It will be so charming to make the residence of the British Ambassador the recite of the first act of the little comedy, of wh'di I am the author, and you, uy dear Count,’ shall be the scene shifter.” ,Tke Emperor leant back in his chair; and sent another shaft of smoke to the oaken ceiling of the cabinet. “I am afraid your Majesty will have to be a little more explicit,” protested the still puzzled diplomatist. The Emperor was not at all put out, for he liked to puzzle people, so as to show his own superior wisdom. In fact, people in his environment who knew what ho liked, and lie b;id the virtue of clarity, were sometimes .puzzled just to please him, when they understood perfectly. "I am told,” said Ferdinand 11. with simplicity, " that Queen Helena of Amphaiia is a very beautiful woman, and the almanacs inform me that she will be twenty years of ago in a little more than a month.” “ She is one of the sweetst girls that ever lived,” interjected the Ambassador. " I believe you are in love with her yourself, Count I’’ laughed the Emperor, “in spite of your sarcasm about marriage just now.”

“ I have been in love many times, your Majesty, but thanks to my good destinv—never married.”

“You are not dead yet. my dear Cotitit, remember. ‘ Call no man happy till he's dead,’ says the old proverb. - ’ “No! I am not dead yet."’ assented the Count with a gravity which befitted the subject. “ To return to the matter in hand. The Queen of Amphalia is, I am sure, all your enthusiasm depicts. It is obvious that so charming n. woman, and that woman a Queen, cannot long remain without a consort. Queen Helena must marry, Count. The man she marries will rule the Queen, and through her Amphalia with its Seaboard, its navy, and its colonies. Gramand is the nearest neighbor to Amphalia on its inland border. It is essential to us that the Court of Dursdorf should be friendly" in peace and an ally iii war to this country. It follows that Queen Helena must marry our uominee." “ Queens have not always married—witness Elizabeth of England. Helena of Amphalia, if I mistake not, has not a little of the spirit in her of the great Queen Bess of the past. If she weds she will have choice her satisfaction there will be no wedding, he rsatisfaction there will be no wedding. At least that is the way I read her, and I have known her from girlhood.” The Emperor smiled that superior smile of his which hiS friends knew so well and appreciated so much. “ We shall see, Count, there is a fine mixture of a little persuasion nhd a little force, the ingredients carefully mixed by a master hand. We will try the persuasion first, and if necessity the little miituie later. At any rate the first step is clear.” “ And that is?” A suitable suitor, my dear Count. We have him ready to our hand. Of royal blood, of course; no one else could aspire to the hand of Queen Helena of Amphalia— and the handsoftteSl man of his day, out cousin, Prince Alexander of fjkilov.” Tho Count’s aristocratic faee clouded over. He answered with marked hesitation. “Prince Alexander! Yes! I have met him. He is. singularly handsome, but—pardon me, sir—ho has the reputation of—of—a handsome man.” The Count shot an inquiring glance at his master to see how he would take the thinlyveiled criticism of his protege. For the first time in the interview Ferdinand 11. looked irritable and annoyed. “1 know what you mean, Count, of course. T have dealt With that. The PrinCe has Sown his wild Oats—who has not had a crop of them placed as the Prince was, his own master, and commanding a royal estate so early ?—and he is quite ready to do my will,” “ He has sown the last Of them quite recently, if all accounts be true,” the Cbunt could not help saying. “Accounts are never true, as men of the World like yon and me, Count, know quite well, especially on Such Subjects, in any case that is all done with, and there is no man in my dominions so likely to fascinate the heart and affections of a young girl as is Prince Alexander—in fact, there is no onfc else,” added the Emperor testily, thereby betraying the fact that the same objection had occurred to himself previously. “I do not at present see, pardon me, sir, where the ball at the Embassy comes into the plan?” “ t propose that Prince Alexander should stay with you, Count, be your guest in fact, for the ball, and that yon should introduce him as a favorite cousin of mine, and with all the prestige of his rank and Wealth, to her Majesty.” A dark shadow passed over the face of the Ambassador. The vision of the Queen In hfer Stately young beauty, in the sweet sim-

plicity and dignity of her maidfenliness came up before him, the child who'ke hand he had kissed, the woman who had grtfwri up before him to impress him with her budding maturity of body arid mifld—arid ofi the revets? panel this thin, this Priucri Alexandef Of Shilov, of ithom ihfeh talked wiih a shilig arid a laugh in the smoke room; handsome, yes! fkciriatifig, perhaps! but . iiith Helena of Amphaiia ! To counle the two together even in his thoughts was veritable desecration. ou have never assigned me a harder task, an office less congenial to' me, sir,” Kalya blurted out. ’blurted out. 1 The Ethperor rosft. Thd interview was rinded. His cigar had gone out. He threw tlitt Sftifriji into the fire as he tad done before. His face was hard and set as he pronounced the final sentence. ’ , “ D is necessary to itc State that my Ambassador at the Court of Dursdorf should do me this not very difficult service. It is not necessary, however, that his Excellency Count Kalya should be that Ambassador. It is a desirable position, Slid there are not a few both capable and willing to fill it—and do my behests,” he added, significantly. “If you find the task so distasteful that you wish to be relieved of the office, you can send mo .a note this afternoon by Neumann, who will come to your rooms for orders. Failing that, you will direct him when the carriage is te hfe ready, after night is set in, to take your Excellency to the station.” The .Emperor touched the bell in front of bim, and almost simultaneouly Neumann appeared. Show his Excellency to his apartments. I his jifternoon at 4- p.m. you will wait upon the Count for his instructions.” “Yes, your Majesty.’* The audience was at an end. At ten o dock the Imperial carriage, with Count Kalya inside, and his man servant, Karl Fossen, on the dickey, left a aide gate of the Palace of Dfetliricn. The Emperor had the stronger will of the two, and had won his point by the powerful argument at his disposal Yet Kalya’s face showed with what bitter reluctance he undertook the commission thrust upon him. He comforted himself with two reflections. One was, that he had only undertaken to make the introduction, and not to arrange the marriage. Ihe second, that Helena of Amphaiia had a will Of her own, and that when it came to something in which she was vitally concerned she was probably not far off a match even for the Emperor himself. (To be continued.)

A THRILLING MYSTERY of a LONELY HOUSE. A DARK TRAGEDY ANT) A HAPPY ENDING. THE REFINER’S FIRE, By Harold Child, Author of ‘ Caught in the Toils,’ The Beautiful Rohilla,’ etc., WI.LL BE COMMENCED IN OUR COLUMNS ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23. A SKETCH OF THE STORY. A young bran named Jocelyn Las been ordered by his doctor to take a complete rest “ far from the madding crowd.” ' He bicycles into the country, and chance—and a punctured tyre—caused him to put Up in a tiny out-of-the-way village named Ditchway. Jocelyn is a popular violinist, accustomed to the applause of the multitude and the gaiety of the cities, so that he soon finds himself very, very bored in this dead-and-alive place where there are no attractions but the beauty of Nature. Yet somehow or other the conviction seizes him that Fate has brought him to this place for some special purpose, though he is at a loss to discover what. One day he walks into the country and meets the village carrier, whose horse and cart have broken down. The carrier has a parcel for Jocelyn, and asks him whether he will cany it home himself, thus saving him the journey. Jocelyn agrees, and finds that it is his violin which has been sent down by his man contrary to orders. With this new burden ho continues ills Walk, and finds himself in a narrow lane leading up to a house surrounded with a high wall. Suddenly into the still evening air comes the sound of singing. It is a woman’s voice, magnificent in quality and full of an inexpressible pathos. She is singing an old and well-known song, the ‘ Braga Sevenata,’ but Jocelyn, who had heard all the prima donnas in Europe, knows that none of them could sing it like this. Only one thing is wanted, and that is a violin obligato. With quick fingers he undoes his case, takes out his violin, and strikes into the melody. There is a sudden pause in the singing and a cry. but then the song is taken up again and delivered to the end. Jocelyn is excited, and when the singing has ceased he plays a solo upon his instrument, hoping for some sign or acknowledgment from the house. But none comes, and he returns to his lodging disappointed and perplexed. He is impressed with the idea that the voice belonged to an old fellow-student of his in the yeafs gone by—a girl named Margaret Chesney, whom he had lost sight of for a long period. This Idea is now strongly iiiiprescd Upon him by a dream that night in Which this Margaret C'hesucy teems to come to him and beckon him. The next morning ho makes inquiries from his landladies—two maiden sisters—as to the occupants of the lonely house at the end of the lane, but his questions are received by terrified words and looks. It Appears that a murder had taken place in this house three years before, and since then It was supposed to be haunted by a Demon with a lovely voice. Nothing daunted by this information Jocelyn, Who has a keen taste for adventure, proceeds to the house three nights running and serenades it with his violin in the most exquisite melody of which he is a master. On the third bight a tall, gfim-looking Woman conies to him, aud.bv stifidfy signs (for she appears to be deaf and dumb) makes him enter the house. She drags him up the stairs, flight after Light, and show him into a darkened room. Hero he finds himself in the presence of a lady whom he presumes to be Margaret Chesney, but who denies that name, and demands to know the reason why he should plague her vnlh hit fiddling. In spite of her denial he is convinced that the girl before him is Margaret Chesney, and ho tells her of his dreams in Which she has appeared to him three timet and implored his aid. The My is startled, but makei! him promise to respect her privacy and to leave Ditchway the nest day. This Jocelyn agrees to on condition that if the lady has any occasion for his services she will write to him. A few days after his return to town he receives a note ifl a Woman’s hand asking his help And signed “ Bfaga Serenata.” In great excitement Jocelyn hurries down to Ditchway, and goes onCo more to the lonely house. Here he again hears the lonelv but melancholy singing Of the old tune, 'but when he enters the house ho is startled to flhd the deaf and dumb woman prostrate and unconscious in the passage. Ho then ascends the stairs to the room from Which the lovely sounds of the ‘ Braga Serenata’ proceed, and he is furiously attacked by the singer, in whom he recognises his old acquaintance, Margaret Chesney, who is Row a ravine lunatic. / ° To tell more of the plot would be unfair to the story, but the mystety icreases in intensity and excitement, and the reader is held breathless until it is unravelled by tie eager efforts of Jocelyn and the silent Working of Fate. It is a powerful story that grips One’s interest from tart to finish.