THE EARNEST PRINCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20481, 5 February 1930, Page 20

THE EARNEST PRINCE.

BY ERIC LEACROFT.

CHAPTER XXJI. When the Count came to himself, lie found that he was in bed. An elderly; .man with tired eyes was looking down at .him. "What am I doing here?" he asked. '"You're damned ill," snapped the j'elderly man in an aggrieved tone. "You're shot (brought the left lung. Also you may thank your lucky stars and my •driving that you were'nt run over." "It's bad enough)" grumbled the grey haired ■one, to be called out to a case of overheating at one in the morning without finding another patient asking to be 'decapitated in the middle of the road." "Ain I dying?" asked the Count. "Not at the moment," snapped the •doctor. But it'll be a week before you 'Can move." "On the contrary, I must go to London :at once." "If you say another word, I'll ring up for the police. People who get shot through the lung on an English highway .in the small hours aren't up to any good." " This is not a matter for the police—" " Then you'd better behave yourself. Drink this and go to sleep." Count Julian never knew what, potion the doctor had given him, but when lie woke it was three in the afternoon. by jliis watch. He immediately gave an exhibition of gross ingratitude. He rose, •dressed, stole downstairs and out of the front door without seeing anybody, and found himself within three minutes of a railway station. But the three minutes' walk undid all the benefit of his long :rest and a second doctor, summoned to Tutney Villa, would allow none to hold converse with him until the next morning, when he was pronounced to be exceeding weak but out of immediate dan-

:gcr. To M. Capoulade lie told the whole story. "1 cannot blame you, Count," said the big man graciously. " You are a gallant fellow ancl a good Estranian. But I'm afraid wc have to admit that wo have bungled things. Our enemies are stronger and more alert than I had ' dreamed. Within an hour of our little play at Covent Garden they were watching this bouse. Tliev caused the princess' flight by removing her luggage from the hotel. Of course, they c'lare not denounce us openly. That would make an international row that they're not prepared to face. The last thing they want at the moment is to focus public .attention on the affairs of Estrania. To •that extent we have done some good ■without doing any harm. But we ye lost -the princess between us, and that s the very worst thing that could have happened." . " The fault was mine, ' said the Count. «I should not have turned to fight." " That would have been asking too much of a Julian," said M. Capoulade kindlv. I " No, my clear Count, it looks as if"the fates are working against our poor country. We have no idea where the princess is. Our only hope is that our enemies are equally in the daik. It is a question of when and where and bow she will first give herself away. It must happen before very long. A daughter of Estrania cannot wander about England -very long without exciting attention.' Miss b.uilliam is with her." the Count Tcminded him. " T have not the honour of Miss liam's acquaintance." " Miss Quilliani is wonderful, said the Count fervently. " My poor friend, I hope you are not •delirious." " I was never clearer-headed in mv life." said the Count. "My first duty is to my princess, but even if that -were nothing* I would willingly give the rest of my life to securing the happiness of the lady who has the honour to ac.com- * M. Capoulade frowned, smiled, and left him to nurse his double wound. _ At Crimstone Manor the two fugitives bad recovered their cheerfulness and some measure of hope. Their host bad asked no embarrassing questions. He seemed ready to assume that Betty and her companion had the best reasons for arriving on an unheralded visit at two o clock in the morning. Nor did he trouble them with enquiries as to their plans for the future. It was equally assumed that, though tliev had arrived without a particle- of luggage, their stay was to be in-

de .At lt fiist Betty was comforted bv tins convenient acquiescence in events llien it. began to worry her. Her host s lack, of curiosity seemed almost inhuman. » Lcb. at which he had d.scoursed illuminatiPgly on the structure ot the atom ™ a wnv that held the princess spellbound. like a child listening to a fany tale, she drew him aside. " T can't thank you enough, dear Ui "Marcus for vour kind welcome, but 1 expect you'll wondflr why I haven t explained why we arrived whc.. vre «dP " It is enough for me," said the old qcntleman, " that you have armed. liope the dear archdeacon in nell. YolT'^c,why I « lie' mid. "that wc haven't any luggage? • «< flood gracious!" exclaimed Di. Mai , cus . «■' How extremely «^ lcss [ jf C * liodv! You .did very right to tell ne. " I thought'l'd just explain " \ firr for explanations, said the .iloctor. "The thing is to find your lug-

8a S C n' S ft the Milan Hotel," Betty told •him, "but' I'm afraid they won t partfi ■with it until a I'M P al( J ~ ~• 4 . '• My dear Bettv Quiliiatn, said the, •ci'.d man, "I must really I»cr you not to 1 rouble, inc with details. 1 have no head f«-r di'iriil and I'm a fool with luggape. j flet my housekeeper to give you titty pounds—not a word; I owe your fjthei far more. than money —and you shall go to Stratford in a motor ear and get whatever you need, though really it seems almost impudent to suggest that you could possibly make yoursrlf look prettier than, jon lool;' al this moment. We shall meet again at dinner." Betty consoled herself afterwards with the reflection that she really hadn't, had :i chance to refuse. And in any rase, she hadn't accepted for herself anil she had always understood that, in her father's words, Dr. Marcus was far richer than .'any true servant, of science, had any right 1o lie. Anyway, sho and tlie princess had to have money from somewhere, j,,,,) so far as she could see no other source of supply was in a hurry to present itself. The car was at the door when the housekeeper appeared with a message that her master particularly wished to .see Miss Stuart in the study. Miss Stuart, Tiot used to being sent for, was on the point of suggesting that the doctor should come to her, hut. Hetty put in her word in time. Of course Miss Stuart would goso Miss Stuart went. Betty waited for five minutes. The housekeeper then appeared with a 111 oss« ago that. Miss Quilliam was not to wait. Miss Stuart would not come with her. " Oli. hut that must he a mistake," said Betty at once. "My friend needs things to wear even worse than I do." his.; was perfectly (rue, the royal wardrobe at A alina being scantier ilian that ''l! 0 ? 1 RM bnrban homes' in England. >• ieLI her I'm waiting."

A ROMANCE OF LOVE, CRIME AND MYSTERY.

(CorrniGiiT.)

CHAPTER XXIII.

(To be continued daily.)

Still the princess did not, come. Betty ran towards the study and paused outside. Tho professor was playing tho 'cello. Still, shopping is shopping, and in the end she pushed the door open '.|uietly and peeped in. Tho princess was seated in a deep chair, ller eyes were on Dr. Marcus and she seemed as if she were in a trance, but suddenly she glanced lound and caught. Betty's gesture, of mute inquiry. Her reply was startling an imperious gesture of dismissal. Betty stared for a moment and withdrew. ' When the princess expressed her will, she. left her meaning 1111111.stakablc. There, was nothing ior it but to go shopping aloue. She hurried up to the princess room, to be confronted once-more by the housekeeper. " Miss Stuart wished me to tell you that she has a headache and docs not wish lo be disturbed." " That doesn't apply to me," said Betty confidently. " Miss Stuart wished me to tell you that she has a headacho and does not wish to be disturbed." "Yes, you said that before!" Betty looked at' the housekeeper. Site was a tall, middle-aged woman with a dark, placid face and expressionless eyes. " I didn't mean to be rude," said Betty quickly. " But will you please stand aside and let me go to my friend." " Miss Stuart wished " "Be silent " cried Betty. " Miss Stuart's wishes are nothing in tho world to do with you. And what's more, you're lying. She never has headaches." " Very good, miss." The housekeeper stood aside, and Betty rushed at the door. It was locked. Betty threw prudence to the wind and rattled the knob. "Princess!" she cried. " Who is if ?" • " Why. Betty. .May I come in ?" "Why?" " Why, to see you." Betty felt a sudden wave of panic at her heart. " Are you all right ?" " No, Betty." " Please tell me what's the matter." " I have a headache," said the Princess A rm id. " That's what Miss Stuart wished me io tell you," said the housekeeper at her ear. " Sho has a headache and does not wish to be disturbed." And she stood aside to allow Betty lo pass to her own room. At dinner time the princess did not appear. It was explained to Betty that her headache was rather worse. "I am afraid that I am partly to blame," said Dr. Marcus. " I'm afraid I tired the dear young lady with my playing. Music is terribly exhausting to the nervous system. That is the price that one pays for beauty. And your friend had such an appetite for it—such an appetite!" " I didn't know," began Betty and | checked herself. There was something—she could not guess what, even dimly—something that demanded prudence in this affair of tho princess' headache. She knew, as she had told the housekeeper, that the princess had never had a headache in her life. She knew further that the daughter of Estrania had positively no ear for music, though nobody had ventured to inform her of the fact. She loathed the opera, refused to practise on the piano and, if she occasionally sang, spoilt the charm of a naturally pleasant voice by singing outrageously out of tune. " It "is a treat for an old man whose muscles are stiffening to have such an appreciative listener. The doctor was beaming at her genially over his spectacles —those blue spectacles that, though hiding his eyes, added to the benevolence of his expression. " Ah, Betty, when I was younger I could really play." He put his head on one side and swayed an imaginary bow. " I could—what is it the poet says ? —I could charm the heart out of your breast." Betty was resolving that by hook or by crook she would make her way into her mistress' room before sWe went to bed. She smiled brightly across the table.

Three voting people looked at one another in the early sunlight on the crest of a pleasant hillock in the midlands. " Siierit upon a peak in Darien," quoted Hilarv softly.

" Tell me your wild surmise," suggested Clara.

" At the moment it's too wild," said Hilarv. Tho American was more practical.

" Saw folks, never mind literary allusions. 'lf this is really the place we've been looking for the sooner we leave it the better. We can be seen for a mile aiotind, and someone's awake already in the house down there. I guess we don t want to excite too much speculation until we've figured out the meaning of all this." They admitted that the suggestion was a wise one, and withdrew to the car. They decided to return to Stratford and postpone further investigations until later in the day, when the presence of three American tourists would be'more in tune with probability. " We're certainly on the track of something," said Winfrey, " but we don't know what it is or where it's going :o lead us We don't even know if this remarkable hint was dropped by a friend or an enemy. Also, we don't know if it was intended for us. If the princess meant it for her friends, it's come to the right address. But, suppose the murderer left, it as a tip to his own accomplices. Or suppose that the enemy left, it as a tip for us. In that case we may find our selves playing into his hands. In any ease, we've got to move warily, and the be.st thing we can do is to keep well out of sight until we've perfected a plan of campaign." Tho others agreed; but a plan was not easy to find. The map showed that (he only dwelling house within a-quarter of a mile of the stones'was the manor, guarded by its ancient moat. 'I hey had seen at a glance that the chapel was a complete ruin, with only (he fragment of a wall left standing. The stones themselves, on the bare hillside, would not give cover to a rabbit. "It's (he house fhat we ve got to watch," decided the American. "Now, it seems to me (hat there arc two ways of approach. Tho first is to choose otir time and go boldly to the front doot. We are students of Elizabethan architecture, and we've heard or read that f»i inistone Manor has many features of inletest. Will the owner kindly- allow us to give if the once over?" Hilary favoured this method, but Clara was more doubtful. "They'll either agree or refuse, she said. "If they agree, it will be a personally conducted tour, and they aren t likely' fo allow us to see anything that thev want lo hide. If they refuse, we shall have aroused their suspicions and gained nothing. In either case, we're partly shown our hand, and wore liable to bo watched from that moment on.

In tho end they decided the, method of open approach had better be saved until other me,'ins had failed. It, would be better to begin with discreet enquiries about the house and its occupant, and if these enquiries could bo made from a distance, so much the belter.

Their first item of informal ion was readily provided at the Stratford post office, ■•rinistono .Manor was the residence of one Dr. Marcus, who was, it appeared, sonic""g of a local celebrity. A big scieni list, said the post office Vlerk reverently. fA °" r 0 mcliued |o entertain an offer or the house ? The clerk really couldn't Srei'l l . . K, ", L ,hi,lk il "koK-. Dr. F . iL IV T U,C '"'"^elf at least the last 20 years. An estate •gent, caught en the steps of his office was more communicative 11, , ' definitely that Dr. Marcus In 1 T to sell the house. ,Mul 00 clnslrc