CHAPTER VITHE NEW CHANCELLOR
These were days of great news happenings at the palace. An officer of the Guard, Captain Stanley Mortimer, had strangely disappeared and another officer of the Guard, Captain Ralph Swords, had been discovered, in the anteroom of the King’s chamber, senseless and bleeding from a mysterious bullet wound in the head, inflicted upon him while on guard duty. Fortunately the bullet had struck at a sharp angle and had glanced from the parietal bone, inflicting a severe but not necessarily fatal wound. It had been a narrow escape for Captain Swords, who would be laid up for some time under the palace physician’s care.
There were various vague rumors afloat concerning these events; rumors that hinted at an attempt upon the life of the King. Still, nothing definite was ascertainable.
Even more talked of was the death of Duke Marquanna, the great Lord Chancellor of the realm, the famous Warwick of the American monarchy. He had been found dead in his bed on the morning following the last Court ball, having passed away peacefully during the night.
The air was full of gossip about the late Duke and particularly as to his probable successor. It was well known that it had been the ambition of the late Duke that his son should succeed him. But the Marquis Marquanna, while shining as a social leader,a sportsman and a setter of the fashions, seemed to have either little ambition, or little inclination, for the more weighty and burdensome affairs of State. It was true he had given a name to a new cocktail, or rather, an old cocktail somewhat altered as to its component parts had been named after him, as also a new style of cravat and a new brand of cigars, and the Marquis seemed to think that with this he had accomplished all that ought reasonably to be expected of him in this life.
It thus created no very general astonishment when the King named as his Chancellor, to succeed the late Duke, Lord Cyril Ashley, whose fulfillment of the duties of Vice-Chancellor had familiarized him with the work in hand. Lord Ashley had in consequence of this appointment severed his connection with the Army and had at once assumed the office of Chancellor.
Almost his first move as Chancellor caused irritation to those forming part of the Royal Household. Owing to Lord Ashley’s own resignation from the Guards and to the absence of Captain Stanley Mortimer and the present disability of Captain Ralph Swords, there existed one permanent and two temporary vacancies in the Guards corps.
The ordinary staff appointment lay usually with the War Office, but in the case of appointments to the Guards the selection was made by His Majesty himself from a list of officers specially distinguished and submitted by the Minister of War.
It had leaked out—in that mysterious way that things will leak out at Court—that Lord Ashley, in his position of confidential adviser to the King, had interfered in this instance with the list submitted, as far as two of the appointments, at least, were concerned. The officer selected to fill the permanentvacancy was Captain Farquharson, an officer of excellent family with a gallant service record. His name had been on the list submitted by the Minister of War and his appointment gave general satisfaction at Court. The other two appointments, to fill the temporary vacancies, were those of Captain Haslam and Captain Bagley. These two names were not in the list furnished by the Minister of War and neither officer had won any special distinction in the service. Both had served in the field, and that which was chiefly known concerning Captain Bagley was that he had at one time been tried by court martial for the summary execution of certain Cossacks under circumstances—if the charges advanced were true—of exceptional brutality. True, the charges had not been fully proven and he had been acquitted, but a lingering suspicion hovered over his name. Neither of these men was of the character usually appointed to the Guards.
The Court grumbled, but Lord Ashley was not the manner of man to be perturbed over mere grumblings and the Court was forced to console itself with the reflection that the two unpopular appointments were, after all, only likely to prove temporary ones.
In addition to this there were other and more momentous matters attracting the attention of the Court gossips. There were rumors—vague, undefined but persistent—of trouble brewing in the country at large. The Reactionists, it was asserted, were showing unusual activity of late; several quite prominent men, it was said, were under suspicion of secretly fomenting insurrectionary movements and certain startling discoveries in this connection had lately been made, thanks to the energy of Lord Ashley, assisted by the mysterious Mr. Kearns, who seemed to be in such close touch with the King. In fact, Mr.Kearns had come to be regarded as one possessed of secret power and high influence and was the recipient of numerous distinguished attentions forthwith. Various persons attached to the Court sought him out, entered into conversation and angled energetically for information. Lady Brooke, in particular, diligently pumped him for a long half-hour as to what he knew regarding the mysterious disappearance of Captain Stanley Mortimer. Mr. Kearns listened placidly; uttered solemn generalities and told nothing. With Lady Brooke he did go so far as to inform her that he would furnish her with the information she desired “in due course,” with which answer, in spite of further energetic probings, my Lady Brooke had to rest content. The result was that Mr. Kearns was put down as a man who knew more than he would tell and as a very wise person generally. He was by no means the first with whom a well-assumed air of reticence and oracular solemnity have passed for deep wisdom.
It was further whispered that Lord Ashley and Mr. Kearns were working hand in hand in the matter of the suspected conspiracies and that startling disclosures were before long to be anticipated.
Like most rumors, the ones in question possessed a certain percentage of truth and fact mixed with a far larger percentage of fiction.
It was indeed true that Kearns had been taken in high favor by the King. Whether it was Mr. Kearns’s particular aptitude for impressing people, or whether it was due to some peculiar intuition, the fact remained that His Majesty entertained the belief that he was the one man above all others suited to occupy the position of his confidential Secret Service Chief and that it was he who was destined to unravel the various mysteries with which His Majesty hadin the past been annoyed. There was this much to be said in favor of Kearns—he was free from any political affiliations and could not by any possibility be mixed up with any Court, or outside, influences: an extremely desirable man, therefore, from this viewpoint alone.
As for Mr. Kearns, he maintained much the same demeanor and policy with the King that he had adopted when under the interrogatory fire of individual members of the Court. As a result of the last visitation, the King had found in his chamber another threatening document, which set forth that this was the final warning; that only a few days’ grace was accorded for his compliance with previous demands and that, failing this, the impending doom would descend.
The King wanted to know many particulars: the disappearance of Captain Mortimer; the wounding of Captain Swords.
Kearns adhered staunchly and steadfastly to his invariable rule never to make partial disclosures; never to say anything until his case was complete. There was really much to commend itself in this plan. Every additional person to whom information was imparted, he considered, created an additional chance of a leak; again, if by any chance one was on the wrong track one could retrace one’s steps without letting anyone know of the error into which one had fallen and thus lessening confidence generally and the illusion as to one’s infallibility. But the feature which, perhaps, weighed most of all with Mr. Kearns was that a case told bit by bit, lost much of the dramatic sensationalism accompanying the disclosure of the completed investigation. And Mr. Kearns loved sensationalism and dramatic effect. He was an artist who sought to flash up the lights suddenly upon hismise en scène, and the groupings after discovery, the false scents followed up, the wrong suspicions, the mistakes and all the precise methods employed finally to reach the truth were so much paraphernalia of the completed production which he desired to keep out of sight.
Following his system he had told the King practically nothing, except that “satisfactory progress” was being made and that he would be prepared to submit a completed case “in due course.” The wounding of Captain Swords and the disappearance of Captain Mortimer were incidents concerning which he would prefer not to furnish information at the present stage. All would be duly disclosed when the case was completed. At this the King had frowned, but Mr. Kearns was firm. The understanding when he had taken up the matter was that he should be permitted to employ his own methods—methods which had been tested and had proved successful in the past—and unless he were permitted to follow out these methods, he would not be answerable for results and would prefer to be relieved from further prosecution of the inquiry. As the King was intensely eager for the successful prosecution of the inquiry, and as Kearns was a man who spoke with confidence in his ultimate success, the King arrived at the conclusion that it was best to permit him to pursue matters in his own peculiar way. Should his predictions ultimately turn out a mere fiasco, the royal favor could be withdrawn and Kearns driven forth in disgrace.
Lord Ashley, too, had approached Kearns, intimating diplomatically that they work together. Faced with this situation, Kearns rapidly cast matters over in his mind and decided to adhere to his customary policy. He could see nothing to be gained by filteringout such information as he possessed to Lord Ashley; on the other side, there might be distinct disadvantages in disclosing his hand and showing how little he so far really held there. Lord Ashley had, therefore, failed to secure anything from Kearns, which circumstance he seemed to accept with rather bad grace.
As a matter of fact, Kearns was sorely puzzled. Summing up all he really knew, it amounted to but little. He knew how the visitations by the enemies of the King were contrived, but as to who these enemies were, where they lurked and what their resources and objects were, he was still in the dark. He shrewdly surmised the facts of the attempt upon the life of Captain Swords; still that was a mere collateral incident and did not avail him to any appreciable extent. Lastly, he knew the details accompanying the disappearance of Captain Mortimer, but with the possession of these details his knowledge in that direction reached its limit.
What had become of Captain Mortimer and Professor Dean? Kearns felt he had made a very close guess as to the actual truth. That they had met with some disaster to their air-ship and been hurled to destruction was, of course, possible; but Kearns did not accept this theory. He had the utmost confidence in the Professor. He was a cautious man; knew well what he was about; had made careful tests of his air-ship, and had said it could fly. This was enough to convince Kearns. Besides, if an accident had happened, news of it from some source would have been had. In this way Kearns deduced the truth, though for him it was only a theory that in following up the pursuit they had either been led into some trap or else overpowered by those whom they followed and made prisoners.
Kearns had not been blind to this latter possibility from the beginning. The danger of it had occupied his attention long before the Professor and Mortimer had started, but it was a danger he saw no way of averting under the circumstances. There was nothing to be done but to run the risk.
And now this very possibility which he had foreseen, but could not provide against, appeared to have come to pass! What was to be done?
He had an ingenious but elaborate scheme of his own by which the missing ones might possibly be traced, but he laid it aside as one involving the expenditure of too much time and affording too many chances of failure. He preferred to wait quietly in the expectant hope that matters would presently take a turn his way. Captain Mortimer, he argued, was a man of energy, determination and courage; the Professor was full of scientific resources. He had faith in these qualities of his two associates; he had an abiding faith, too, in his own good luck, which had rarely deserted him at a critical point. Whether it was a species of intuition or whether it was simply confidence bred from past successes he knew not, but something within him seemed to say that the right policy was to watch quietly and wait and things would yet come his way.
But how long that might take and how long the King’s patience would hold out, were knotty questions which sorely perplexed Mr. Kearns.
He was aware from certain news which reached him and certain observations that, since his refusal to indulge in disclosures, Lord Ashley was doing active work in various directions, employing for this purpose the men of the regular Secret Service. Kearns had had certain men of the Secret Service assigned to him by the King, in case he should haveuse for their services. These men regarded him as their possible future chief and were anxious enough to serve him. They brought him reports, therefore, of the efforts of Lord Ashley which were then being made through their fellows. They also brought him news concerning the restlessness and discontent prevalent throughout the country, which appeared to have been largely fomented by the grasping operations of various great Trusts, inflicting such hardships on the people as to make them desperate. A peculiar and suspicious circumstance, too, was the organizing, arming and drilling of many new military bodies, formed ostensibly as auxiliary volunteer regiments. There seemed to be a peculiar free-masonry about them which rendered it practically impossible for any stranger to enroll among them and so discover something more definite as to their true internal affairs. All this, Kearns was aware, was known to Lord Ashley, who in addition had further information which had not yet reached him.
It was, therefore, no great surprise to him when on the morning of the sixth day after the departure of the Dean air-ship, the King sent for him and opened the interview by announcing that Lord Ashley had succeeded in making important discoveries. Kearns, with an air of well-assumed indifference, inquired if he might venture to ask what these discoveries might be. His Majesty was pleased to smile indulgently and reply that Lord Ashley seemed to be rivaling Kearns in the matter of reticence. Certain facts, however, His Majesty was willing to impart to Kearns. They might, he suggested, assist his investigations and, if their views were agreed, he might see his way to co-operating with Lord Ashley.
His Majesty then gave the information that Lord Ashley had made discoveries convincing him thatcertain conspiracies were hatching and certain seditious movements on foot. Lord Ashley had information showing Captain Stanley Mortimer’s participation in these treasonable transactions. He had, in fact, aided and abetted the enemies of the King upon the occasion of their last visitation to the palace and, believing he had been seen and recognized by Captain Swords, had shot the latter and escaped, never to return, or else, learning that no suspicion had attached itself to him on account of the Swords incident, he would return and tender some specious pretext for his absence. Of course, his presence in the palace would be a danger and a menace.
Kearns listened to the end. Only the august presence in which he stood prevented him from laughing outright.
“And are these the disclosures Lord Ashley made to you, Sire?” asked Kearns, with a cynical smile.
“Such is, in brief, part of the report,” said the King. “What have you to say to it?”
“Simply this, Sire,” answered Kearns; “it shows how grievously a man will blunder when he dabbles in an art he doesn’t understand.”
“Ah, you differ with Lord Ashley?”
“Not only differ with him, Sire,” replied Kearns boldly, “but I pronounce him wholly and utterly wrong. Why, Captain Swords himself can assure you of this!”
“Captain Swords,” said the King, “did not see his assailant and is himself, I am informed, entirely deceived as to Captain Mortimer.”
“I beg to assure you, Sire,” declared Kearns earnestly, “that Captain Mortimer has been guilty of no conspiracy, or other seditious act. He is one of the bravest and most loyal officers in YourMajesty’s service. You have been utterly misled in this matter.”
“You speak with such conviction,” said the King, “that your words carry weight with us. Still, we would learn the reasons with which you support your assertions.”
“When I assumed this task, Sire,” replied Kearns, “it was with the express stipulation that I should be permitted to adopt my own methods. I must beg you, Sire, to permit me to withhold my report until I can present a completed case.”
“Be it as you ask, then,” said the King, with a slight frown. “We would not have it in your power to ascribe failure to any interference you had met with. In the meantime, you must not be astonished if we give ear and weight to the disclosures of Lord Ashley. He, at least, brings some news and that news we regard as of sufficient importance to warrant the apprehension of Captain Mortimer and we have so ordered.”
Kearns visibly expressed his astonishment.
“Captain Mortimer,” continued the King, “has, we are aware, performed gallant military service and his arrest has been so ordered as to preserve due secrecy and not injure his career should it develop, as you pretend, that a mistake has been made.”
“It most assuredly has, Sire,” replied Kearns.
“When you are prepared to furnish proof of that fact,” rejoined the King, “the order can be rescinded. Until then it will stand. It behooves you to hasten. We leave for our City Palace to-day but shall return here to-morrow. It would meet our pleasure and win our approval should you be prepared to furnish such proof, or other report, by to-morrow.” With these words the King signified that the interview was at an end.
Somewhat downcast Kearns retired to the room assigned him off the Chancellerie. The end of his rope seemed near at hand. Here was the King insisting on a report on the next day and here he was practically without news. He looked wistfully, as he had so often looked during the past few days, at the little aërestograph. Ah, if it would only bring its message!
Kearns regretted that Captain Mortimer should have been brought under suspicion so undeservedly. Lord Ashley was apparently playing a peculiar game. He wondered what that game might be. He decided it would be well to see Lord Ashley and possibly gain some further light on the subject.
With another wistful glance at the aërestograph, he walked to the door connecting his room with the main room of the Chancellerie. He opened the door, pushed aside the heavy portiere hanging before it and passed in. Lord Ashley proved to be engaged at the moment, but requested that he return in half an hour.
Kearns accordingly made his way back to his room. As he entered he halted abruptly and his heart gave a great bound. The aërestograph was vigorously signaling for someone to receive a message.
With an effort he controlled his excitement, ran to the instrument and signaled back. Communication established, Dean’s message began to come. His recent interview with the King in mind, Kearns sent back the warning message.
In his excitement Kearns could hardly refrain from executing a few fancy steps. This very night amid the sheltering trees at the further end of the Queen’s Walk, he would know all! Truly, the news came in the nick of time! At last fortune was smiling sweetly!
It was with buoyant spirits that Kearns went to his interview with Lord Ashley half an hour later. The Chancellor met him coldly and proved extremely reticent. Finally Kearns touched upon the subject of Captain Mortimer and assured him that he was making a serious mistake in his accusation. Lord Ashley listened to his assurances with cold cynicism. He replied shortly that he well knew what he was doing and would be personally answerable for any mistakes made. At this reply, Mr. Kearns felt himself growing warm behind the ears and somewhat brusquely rejoined that in this particular case the noble lord did not know what he was doing. To this Milord Ashley retorted with a sneer that he believed one would not need to know much concerning Captain Mortimer to be in possession of more information on the subject than Mr. Kearns held.
“Ah, you really think so!” exclaimed Kearns, becoming suddenly cool. “It is as serious a mistake as the other.”
“Indeed!” retorted Lord Ashley with the same sneer.
“Yes,” rejoined Kearns, “and it may interest you to learn that I have within the past few minutes been in direct communication with Captain Mortimer. It is only a question of hours when he will present himself here to confront you and answer to the King!”
And while the expression of astonishment which this very positive announcement created still lingered upon Lord Ashley’s features, Mr. Kearns bowed politely and with a satisfied and triumphant smile withdrew.
Punctual to the stroke, he repaired at midnight to the appointed spot at the end of the Queen’s Walk and found Mortimer and Dean already awaiting him.
“When did you arrive?” asked Kearns, after the first greetings.
“Only a few minutes ago,” answered the Professor. “We came back very slowly, purposely delaying our arrival until after nightfall, in accordance with your instructions.”
“And what have you done with the air-ship?”
“We had to descend within the park itself,” replied Dean, “otherwise we could not have got past the sentries. The air-ship is concealed among the trees near the river. It will be safe enough until morning.”
Without further delay, Mortimer and Dean told Kearns all the events in connection with their capture and escape, and what they had learned during their detention. All they suppressed was any information as to the precise location of the valley. Kearns listened intently, asking various questions. He was now, indeed, in a position to present a completed case! Here was information, in truth, for His Majesty, the King! How the puny disclosures of Milord Ashley would pale into insignificance beside such disclosures as these!
Kearns, in turn, narrated the events which had occurred at the palace since their departure—the wounding of Captain Swords, who was rapidly recovering; the death of the Duke of Marquanna; the elevation of Lord Ashley to the office of Chancellor; the investigations started and accusations launched by the latter, and the order of arrest issued against Mortimer.
The latter was naturally both astonished and indignant, but not so much so as Dean, in the light of his past experiences with him, would have expected. After listening to the end of Kearns’s recital, he said that he strongly suspected Lord Ashley of personalmotives in giving credence to these suspicions. Lord Ashley, in his present position as Chancellor, was possessed of a great deal of power and they must act cleverly and cautiously. The best to be done was to secure, as quickly as possible, an audience with the King and explain to him all. In any event, Mortimer insisted it was his duty to communicate promptly to the King his knowledge of the revolutionary movement. Whether the threatened attack took place as predicted or not, the King must be speedily apprized.
But the King’s absence until the morrow made immediate communication impossible. Kearns suggested that Mortimer and Dean retire to a neighboring village until the following day. Immediately the King returned, he would arrange an interview for Mortimer. In this plan Mortimer refused to acquiesce. He said that as an order of arrest had been issued against him, it was his duty, as a military officer, to surrender at once. He did not care to play the fugitive even for one night. Besides, he added, what difference did it make? It was only a question of a few hours and, although a prisoner, he would be made as comfortable as in his own quarters and would be treated with the consideration due to an officer of the Guard.
As Mortimer could not be dissuaded from his views on this point, it was finally decided that he should come forward at once and subject himself to arrest and that Kearns should return as quietly as possible with Dean to the palace. Immediately upon the arrival of the King upon the following day, Kearns was to see His Majesty and impart to him such information as would lead to Mortimer being accorded a prompt interview.
This plan having been decided upon, they walkedtogether along the further end of the park toward one of the entrances. Presently Mortimer stopped and, taking leave of them, went forward alone.
“Who goes there!” came the challenge of the sentinel.
“Officer of the Guard,” replied Mortimer.
“Advance, Officer of the Guard, and give the countersign.”
Mortimer walked up to the sentry-box and the soldier, recognizing his officer, smartly brought his carbine to the salute.
“Send for the officer of the day,” ordered Mortimer.
The soldier reached into the sentry-box and touched a signal.
A few moments later Captain Bingham appeared. There was a cordial greeting on both sides and then Captain Bingham leaned forward and whispered something close to Mortimer’s ear.
“Yes, I know!” interrupted Mortimer, and arm in arm they strolled away in the direction of the military quarters.