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"I have a fine country, too," she said, with pride; "prosperous, and an army not inferior to that of Jugendheit." "I was not making comparisons, your Highness." "I know that, my friend. I was simply speaking from the heart. But I doubt if the prince regent is a better man than our Herbeck." "I prefer Herbeck, never having met the prince regent. But I have some news for your highness."
And the prince has found this authority so pleasant and natural that he took it for granted that his majesty would marry whomever he selected for him. To have allowed us to go forward, as we have done, believing that he had the whole confidence of the king!" Herbeck consulted his watch. It was half after six. Her highness did not dine till eight. "I shall go to her highness immediately, Baron.
Herbeck read the postscript. "But you don't tell him who " "Why should he know?" said Herbeck, glancing shrewdly at the duke. "His ignorance will be all the better for the plot." "Then this is big game, your Highness?" asked the chief. "Big game." "One is as big and powerful as a Carpathian bear. Look out," warned Herbeck. "And he is?" "The mountaineer." "And the vintner?"
"What can not your highness explain?" "Perhaps the gap is too wide, perhaps the separation has been too long." Herbeck did not press the duke to be more explicit. He opened another drawer and took forth a long hood envelope, crested and sealed.
To tell the truth, I ran away, deserted my post, though technically I have already resigned. But America has been calling me for some days. You have never been to sea before?" "No; it is all marvelous and strange to me." "Let us walk, my child," said Herbeck. "You will excuse me, Mr. Carmichael?" she said. Never more the rides in the fair mornings.
And these two children: which is mine?" To the king of Jugendheit the ceiling reeled and the floor revolved under his feet. "Villain, what have you to say? What was your purpose?" How many years, thought Herbeck, had he been preparing for this moment? How long had he been steeling his heart against this very scene? Futile dream! He drew himself together with a supreme effort.
"Count, has it not occurred to you that we stand in the presence of two very beautiful young women?" Herbeck scrutinized Gretchen with care; then he compared her with the princess. The duke was right. The goose-girl was not a whit the inferior of the princess.
Herbeck was making a pyramid of his finger-tips, sometimes touching his chin with his thumbs. His face was cheerful. His royal highness, still in the guise of a mountaineer, sat stiffly in his chair, the expression on his face hardly translatable; that on the king's not at all.
The Man of Iron needed this sort of character as a cover and a buckler to his own duplicities. Herbeck was an excellent foil. He was as silent and secretive as sand. He moved, as it were, in circles, thus always eluding dangerous corners. He was tall, angular, with a thin, immobile countenance, well guarded by his gray eyes and straight lips.
"For you I have always had a strong affection, strange as it may sound." Herbeck fumbled with his collar, which was tightening round his throat like a band of hot iron. "I have practically governed this country for sixteen years. In that time I have made it prosperous and happy; I have given you a substantial treasury; I have made you an army; I have brought peace where you would have brought war.
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