"We must look higher," I whispered to Bertram as we began our climb. The next floor, however, was as barren as its predecessor, and now only the top remained to us. The last flight of stairs was somewhat narrower than the others, and there was an awkward turn in it, which would have been just the spot to have served as a hiding-place for an enemy. We passed it, however, in safety, and at last stood upon the top landing of that strange house. Here there were only two doors. One was in the rear, while the other overlooked the street. Once more recalling the wording of the letter, we decided upon investigating the latter room first. This must be the chamber in which the light we had observed from the street was located. Our revolvers ready in our hands, we approached the door, and I turned the handle.
When we entered the room it was a strange and terrible picture we had before us. The room was only a small one. Its furniture consisted of a bed and two chairs, one of which was overturned upon the floor, a large box, which also served as a table, a bucket, and a number of medicine bottles. Upon the bed lay the body of poor Max, while, half-supported upon the bed and half-resting upon the floor, was the figure of a man lying face downwards. Stepping softly across the room, as if I feared I might wake them, I approached the stranger, for a stranger to me he certainly was. By this time Bertram had also approached the bed, and was leaning over me in order to examine him. Suddenly he uttered a cry and staggered back, as if he had received a blow.
"My God!" he cried. "What does this mean? Am I going mad?"
"What is it, man?" I inquired, springing to my feet and wondering what fresh horror he was going to bring to light.
Once more he advanced towards the bed. His face was ashen in its pallor as he stooped over the dead man.
"It's Moreas!" he said. "Good God, it's Moreas!"
"Moreas!" I repeated, as if I could scarcely believe I heard aright. "How can it be Moreas? Did you not tell me that Max shot him on the plains where they found the diamonds?"
"Yet it is Moreas sure enough," Bertram asserted, still speaking in the same strained voice. "And see, he has been stabbed from behind. This is Rodriguez's handiwork."
He continued to stare from one dead man to the other, as if he were still unable to comprehend the situation. As for me, I had no attention to spare for anyone or anything save that I had once more recovered what had been lost, and that I must act without loss of time. At last I made up my mind as to what was best to be done.
"Return to the palace at once," I said to Bertram, who by this time had somewhat recovered his presence of mind, "and send Strekwitz to me. Afterwards go on to the Count von Marquart's house. He must see the archbishop and arrange the matter of the real burial without delay. It must take place within the next few hours; at any rate, before dawn. Go now as quickly as you can, and when you have seen them return to me here."
"But to leave your Majesty here with——" he began.
I cut him short.
"Never mind me," I replied. "I shall be quite safe. Hasten away to fulfil your errand. There is no time to lose."
Very reluctantly he did as I commanded him, and I heard him go down the stairs and presently leave the house.
In something less than an hour Strekwitz arrived with Bertram following close upon his heels. The latter had seen Von Marquart, who, in his turn, had set off to arrange matters with the archbishop. Within an hour of our entering the room for the first time, everything was settled. From Von Marquart, who received us at the archbishop's palace, I learnt that the good old man had been greatly pained at the news the count had communicated to him. Nevertheless, he was quite agreed that the course we had adopted was the best, both for State and personal reasons. Realising that the fewer people who became cognisant of our secret the less chance there would be of its becoming public property, he took the direction of affairs into his own hands. It was he who unlocked the postern door and admitted our party to the cathedral. It was he who waited with me in the sacristy while the necessary arrangements were being made for the interment, and who conducted me through the great building, so vast and eerie in the light of the lantern he carried in his hand, into the little chapel near the vault. A short service followed, then Maximilian of Pannonia was carried by loving hands, and placed in his last resting-place in the vaults below. When all was over, like a band of conspirators we left the cathedral, and with the archbishop's blessing ringing in my ears, I returned to the palace, to obtain what rest I could before I should be called upon to begin the duties of the day. Dawn was breaking as we let ourselves in; a soft grey light stole across the heavens like an augury of still happier days to come.
And now a few words of explanation before I put down my pen.
It was only after the most careful inquiries had been made, and when we had put together the various items of information we had been able to obtain, that we were in a position to derive any notion as to how, where, and why the dastardly plot, that had caused me so much unhappiness, had been carried out. That Max had not shot Moreas in Brazil, as he had imagined, was only too certain; though how the latter managed to escape from the plain, and ultimately to track his enemy to Zaarfburg, is not quite clear. One thing is certain, however. He must have discovered Rodriguez, possibly in Rio de Janeiro, have heard from him of the curious marks Max had cut upon his chest, after leaving the plain, and having convinced himself that they referred to the cache of diamonds, he had determined to spare no effort to get possession of the information he required. Unfortunately for his own schemes, he fell ill in Pannonia,en routeto Zaarfburg. Finding himself unable to push on, Rodriguez was dispatched to the city in hot haste. On the night of his arrival the body was stolen from the clockmaker's house, with the assistance of one of the family, who had been heavily bribed. Pretending that it was the body of his brother, who had perished in the war, he brought it to the capital, and to the house where Moreas lay hidden in the Buchengasse. There the latter was able to read the signs, which were unintelligible to Rodriguez, for the reason that he was not familiar with the topography of that villainous plain. What happened after that is only conjecture. Doubtless, the two men had quarrelled, when Rodriguez, taking advantage of an opportunity that presented itself, stabbed the other in the back, and then fled for his life. And so ends the life story of my brother, the man I loved best in the world; he who, had he lived, would have been Maximilian, King of Pannonia.
And now, as it is possible there may be some who have been induced to take an interest in myself and my fortunes, let me bring my long story to a close by saying that if there is any country in Europe that boasts a happier sovereign than does Pannonia, I do not know it. No man's life, however, is altogether free from trouble; but in these days, thank God, I fancy I have less than most men. I have a good wife and happy, healthy children, the eldest of whom, little Max, bids fair to equal his ever-lamented uncle, the National Hero, in disposition and good looks. In one thing, however, he differs from poor Max; low down between his eyebrows are two curious little lines, that form something not unlike a cross.
"Superstition or not," says my sweet wife, "I can only say that I am glad it is there."
Then for my edification she proceeds to recite the old distich:—
"Pannonia's King shall surely sitSo long as Michael's cross doth fit."
"Pannonia's King shall surely sitSo long as Michael's cross doth fit."
1 The Garden of Lies byJustus M. Forman2 Anna, the Adventuress byE. Phillips Oppenheim3 Rainbow Island byLouis Tracy4 The Beautiful White Devil byGuy Boothby5 The Impostor byHarold Bindloss6 The Lodestar byMax Pemberton7 A Study in Scarlet byA. Conan Doyle8 Young Lord Stranleigh byRobert Barr9 The Mother byEden Phillpotts10 The Crimson Blind byFred M. White11 When I Was Czar byA. W. Marchmont12 In White Raiment byWm. le Queux13 Not Proven byA. and C. Askew14 A Maker of History byE. P. Oppenheim15 Buchanan's Wife byJustus M. Forman16 The Pillar of Light byLouis Tracy17 A Bid for Fortune byGuy Boothby18 The Dust of Conflict byHarold Bindloss19 The Day of Temptation byWm. Le Queux20 Two Bad Blue Eyes by "Rita"21 Mr. Wingrave, Millionaire byE. P. Oppenheim22 The Corner House byFred M. White23 In Strange Company byGuy Boothby24 The Sporting Chance byA. and C. Askew25 The Gold Wolf byMax Pemberton26 A Damaged Reputation byHarold Bindloss27 The Soul of Gold byJustus M. Forman28 The Marriage of Esther byGuy Boothby29 By Wit of Woman byA. W. Marchmont30 Lady Barbarity byJ. C. Snaith31 The Secret byE. P. Oppenheim32 The Wheel of Fortune byLouis Tracy33 The Slave of Silence byFred M. White34 Darby and Joan by "Rita"35 The Red Chancellor bySir Wm. Magnay36 The Temptress byWm. Le Queux37 Pro Patria byMax Pemberton38 The Fascination of the King byGuy Boothby39 Wild Sheba byA. and C. Askew40 By Snare of Love byA. W. Marchmont41 Beneath Her Station byHarold Bindloss42 Hope, My Wife byL. G. Moberly43 The Missioner byE. P. Oppenheim44 The Message of Fate byLouis Tracy45 The Wayfarers byJ. C. Snaith46 Tommy Carteret byJustus M. Forman47 Dr. Nikola byGuy Boothby48 The Sundial byFred M. White49 Wiles of the Wicked byWm. Le Queux50 Across the World for a Wife byGuy Boothby51 A Lost Leader byE. P. Oppenheim52 The Etonian byA. and C. Askew53 His Lady's Pleasure byHarold Bindloss54 A Courier of Fortune byA. W. Marchmont55 Journeys End byJustus M. Forman56 Pharos the Egyptian byGuy Boothby57 Lord Stranleigh, Philanthropist byRobert Barr58 Heart of Gold byL. G. Moberly59 Netta byFred M. White60 Sylvia's Chauffeur byLouis Tracy61 The Trifler byArchibald Eyre62 An Eye for an Eye byWm. Le Queux63 The Governors byE. P. Oppenheim64 The Stolen Lady byA. and C. Askew65 Hawtrey's Deputy byHarold Bindloss66 The Queen's Advocate byA. W. Marchmont67 A Maker of Nations byGuy Boothby68 As We Forgive Them byWm. Le Queux69 A Millionaire of Yesterday byE. P. Oppenheim70 A Red Red Rose byKatharine Tynan71 A Crime on Canvas byFred M. White72 Long Live the King byGuy Boothby73 Ravenshaw of Rietholme byBertram Mitford74 The King of Diamonds byLouis Tracy75 The World's Great Snare byE. P. Oppenheim
1 The Garden of Lies byJustus M. Forman
2 Anna, the Adventuress byE. Phillips Oppenheim
3 Rainbow Island byLouis Tracy
4 The Beautiful White Devil byGuy Boothby
5 The Impostor byHarold Bindloss
6 The Lodestar byMax Pemberton
7 A Study in Scarlet byA. Conan Doyle
8 Young Lord Stranleigh byRobert Barr
9 The Mother byEden Phillpotts
10 The Crimson Blind byFred M. White
11 When I Was Czar byA. W. Marchmont
12 In White Raiment byWm. le Queux
13 Not Proven byA. and C. Askew
14 A Maker of History byE. P. Oppenheim
15 Buchanan's Wife byJustus M. Forman
16 The Pillar of Light byLouis Tracy
17 A Bid for Fortune byGuy Boothby
18 The Dust of Conflict byHarold Bindloss
19 The Day of Temptation byWm. Le Queux
20 Two Bad Blue Eyes by "Rita"
21 Mr. Wingrave, Millionaire byE. P. Oppenheim
22 The Corner House byFred M. White
23 In Strange Company byGuy Boothby
24 The Sporting Chance byA. and C. Askew
25 The Gold Wolf byMax Pemberton
26 A Damaged Reputation byHarold Bindloss
27 The Soul of Gold byJustus M. Forman
28 The Marriage of Esther byGuy Boothby
29 By Wit of Woman byA. W. Marchmont
30 Lady Barbarity byJ. C. Snaith
31 The Secret byE. P. Oppenheim
32 The Wheel of Fortune byLouis Tracy
33 The Slave of Silence byFred M. White
34 Darby and Joan by "Rita"
35 The Red Chancellor bySir Wm. Magnay
36 The Temptress byWm. Le Queux
37 Pro Patria byMax Pemberton
38 The Fascination of the King byGuy Boothby
39 Wild Sheba byA. and C. Askew
40 By Snare of Love byA. W. Marchmont
41 Beneath Her Station byHarold Bindloss
42 Hope, My Wife byL. G. Moberly
43 The Missioner byE. P. Oppenheim
44 The Message of Fate byLouis Tracy
45 The Wayfarers byJ. C. Snaith
46 Tommy Carteret byJustus M. Forman
47 Dr. Nikola byGuy Boothby
48 The Sundial byFred M. White
49 Wiles of the Wicked byWm. Le Queux
50 Across the World for a Wife byGuy Boothby
51 A Lost Leader byE. P. Oppenheim
52 The Etonian byA. and C. Askew
53 His Lady's Pleasure byHarold Bindloss
54 A Courier of Fortune byA. W. Marchmont
55 Journeys End byJustus M. Forman
56 Pharos the Egyptian byGuy Boothby
57 Lord Stranleigh, Philanthropist byRobert Barr
58 Heart of Gold byL. G. Moberly
59 Netta byFred M. White
60 Sylvia's Chauffeur byLouis Tracy
61 The Trifler byArchibald Eyre
62 An Eye for an Eye byWm. Le Queux
63 The Governors byE. P. Oppenheim
64 The Stolen Lady byA. and C. Askew
65 Hawtrey's Deputy byHarold Bindloss
66 The Queen's Advocate byA. W. Marchmont
67 A Maker of Nations byGuy Boothby
68 As We Forgive Them byWm. Le Queux
69 A Millionaire of Yesterday byE. P. Oppenheim
70 A Red Red Rose byKatharine Tynan
71 A Crime on Canvas byFred M. White
72 Long Live the King byGuy Boothby
73 Ravenshaw of Rietholme byBertram Mitford
74 The King of Diamonds byLouis Tracy
75 The World's Great Snare byE. P. Oppenheim