"and, as he musing thus did lye,
he thought for to devise
how he might have her companye,
that so did 'maze his eyes."
the next morning turbo appeared at his usual hour. he was quite calm. so was the king. they greeted each other with cold civility, and kophetua at once put his formal question, as to what business there was to be done.
"there is business," said turbo, "which perhaps will not be so painful to your majesty as it is to me!"
"yes?" replied the king unfeelingly.
"yesterday," the chancellor continued, "a scene took place between your majesty and myself which cannot but interrupt the cordial relations that have hitherto existed between us. i regret and am heartily ashamed of the part i permitted to myself, and after what has occurred i feel my only course is to tender to your majesty my resignation."
"permit me to say, chancellor," the king replied, for he was touched by this strong[pg 121] man's dignified humility and self-control, "permit me to say that your conduct appears to me entirely worthy of the high place you have won in your sovereign's estimation. you will understand that i desire no unwilling service, but, at the same time, i feel it is impossible to meet your magnanimity otherwise than by a request that you will reconsider your determination."
"sire, i fear it is useless," answered turbo. "your majesty can hardly appreciate the extent of the breach between us."
"i appreciate it," said the king, "but i do not exaggerate it. we have differed on a private matter of absurd triviality. i recall nothing which an apology cannot heal, and that you have already amply given. of course," he added, with some nervousness, "it is unnecessary to observe that i am assuming the abandonment of the intentions you expressed yesterday."
"perfectly unnecessary," said the chancellor gravely.
"you will see," went on kophetua, almost apologetically, "i am compelled to insist on this. my royal word is passed. it is impossible not to feel a strong interest in a person whom one has saved from a horrible death."
"i understand perfectly, sire," replied turbo, interrupting the king, who was about to explain the circumstances which compelled him to take penelophon under his care. "it[pg 122] is precisely that feeling which carried me into such excesses yesterday when this person was referred to, and which now prompts me to embrace cordially the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation which your majesty so magnanimously offers."
"i hardly comprehend," said the king. "you have not saved my life or pen—— or that of this young person."
"i would crave your majesty's permission to pursue this subject no further," said turbo.
"nay, i insist on knowing what you mean," answered the king.
"then i am forced to tell your majesty," said the chancellor, with slow and distinct utterance, "that i was present at the court of st. lazarus during the whole of the ghastly tragedy at which your majesty assisted. i went thither in order to rescue, if possible, this unhappy young person from what i knew must be the result of the mistaken generosity with which your majesty had treated her. i found, with my crippled frame, i could do nothing. i witnessed your majesty's heroic intervention at the last moment, and saw at once a possibility of escape. unseen by any one i forced pebbles into the lock which had turned upon you, and having thus secured the necessary delay, i was able to fetch two of my own servants with the simple means of effecting your majesty's escape through the prison window."
[pg 123]
"but why did you not tell me this?" asked the king, overwhelmed with surprise. "why did you run away?"
"i thought it would be only consistent with your majesty's wishes," said turbo, "that no one should be, or even appear to be, cognisant of your adventure."
for a moment kophetua was overcome with annoyance and humiliation to think how, all through the piece of knight-errantry on which he had prided himself so much, turbo had been watching over and humouring him as though he were a child. but his better feelings took possession of him directly.
"turbo, my dear turbo," he said with effusion, as he advanced to the chancellor and took his hand, "why could you not have told me this before, and saved me the injustice i have done you? how shall i ever be able to return your devotion?"
"i beg your majesty will forget the whole affair," answered turbo. "no one can know better than yourself how unpleasant is the exposure of the good we do by stealth."
"my dear turbo," said the king, "i can never forget it."
so king and chancellor were at one again, and penelophon remained in peace under the protection of mlle de tricotrin, happy in the occasional glimpses she had of trecenito, and happy in the affection which her mistress lavished upon her. for mlle de[pg 124] tricotrin had taken a real liking to her gentle handmaid. she had gone through life with hardly a single friend of her own sex, and penelophon's simple devotion touched her not a little. for, to the beggar-maid, her delivery from the squalor, misery, and cruelty in which she had been brought up was like being lifted out of hell into heaven; and she adored her beautiful mistress almost as much as she did her deliverer. so the days went by in supreme happiness for those two women, and their serenity was in strange contrast to the storm which was brewing around them. the political barometer was beginning to show signs of considerable agitation, and it was clear to the experienced observer that these two women were forming the centre of an important disturbance, which bade fair to develop a dangerous energy.
as has been previously explained, a storm in the troubled waters of politics was a normal event in oneiria during crises like the present; but never before had there been one which seemed to promise such violence. the cause was not far to seek. the marquis de tricotrin had been to england. his stay had not been a short one, and he was not a man to throw away his opportunities. he liked the country and appreciated its peculiar blessings. it was not long before his sagacity detected the secret of our amazing political success, and he determined to[pg 125] lose no time in studying the palladium he had discovered. fortunately, during the period of his observations the palladium exhibited itself in violent action; it therefore seems almost superfluous to add that the marquis left the country with quite an uncommon mastery of party tactics and something approaching to genius in the manufacture and manipulation of majorities.
all he required was a field. it is said he attempted something during his sojourn in the canaries, but his praiseworthy endeavours were disliked and at once suppressed by the spanish governor. it was then, thirsting for an opportunity for the display of his talents, that the marquis arrived in oneiria. not a day had passed before he recognised the excellence of his fortune. he found himself in the midst of three strongly divided parties, practically without experience of modern methods, and himself and his daughter the bone of contention between them. it was a moment of pardonable enthusiasm. with a hastiness excusable in a foreigner he hurried to the conclusion that as there were three parties there must be three policies, and, what is more, in three days he was persuaded that he clearly understood what they were. neither conviction was entirely justified, but of this the marquis was naturally unaware.
to a man of his experience the whole matter was comparatively simple, and, with[pg 126] a decision which would not have disgraced the oldest parliamentary hand, he adopted a plan of campaign. there were three parties, each requiring a policy. all he had to do, then, was to make each party adopt his daughter as its particular programme. that was the obvious objective, and the lines of strategy towards it were no less plain to his penetration. one of the first things he had learned in england was that simple rule which reiterated success has hallowed into a dogma: "when it is impossible to find fault with your adversaries' policy, it is lawful to steal it."
as a policy his daughter was irreproachable. he felt therefore that little more than a mere suggestion of the stratagem to the party leaders was necessary in order to ensure its adoption. the conquest which mlle de tricotrin had already made of the queen was enough to secure the agathist party, even had it not been that they had already accepted the nomination. as for the kallikagathists, he felt they were at least half won by the impression his daughter's beauty had made on the soft heart of their gallant leader. in fact, it is not too much to say that general dolabella was quite unhinged. it was a long time since his admiration for a woman had got so beyond his control as to lead him into melancholy. but this was certainly his case now, and the marquis saw it. as we have said, he was a man of [pg 127]decisive action who did not lose opportunities, and he determined to occupy the position which the general's weakness exposed to him before that gallant officer could recover himself.
the marquis found it a more difficult task than he had expected. the general, he confessed, was very stupid, and offered all kinds of objections. he even went so far as to say that he doubted whether the suggested stratagem was quite soldierly, but he was at once pooh-poohed into recantation by the marquis's english precedents. still he held out with confused obstinacy, which the marquis put down to the general's denseness, but which was, in fact, due to his own mistaken estimate of the situation. his hasty and erroneous conclusions as to the real relations between the respective parties had caused him, as has been already hinted, to entirely misunderstand dolabella's position, and he was adopting a false method of attack.
"but pardon me for saying," said the general, retreating to this point for the tenth time, "that i cannot see what i or my party is to gain by adopting the course you propose." the general always distinguished between himself and his party. it was no doubt entirely due to that unique and complex condition of oneirian politics, which was the precise element in the question, that the marquis in his haste had failed to grasp.[pg 128] the shrewd frenchman began to perceive he was at fault somewhere, and determined to fathom the mystery.
"i perceive," said he, "that you have more than once spoken of yourself as something distinct from the party you lead. may i venture to ask whether the usual procedure in this country is to deal with the two things separately?"
"god forbid!" cried the general in alarm. "to hint of such a thing would smell of disloyalty in any but a foreigner who does not understand us."
"forgive my ignorance, general," said the marquis, "and show your pity for it so far as to explain your unintelligible position."
"with great pleasure, my dear marquis," answered the general, with a look of painful worry at the almost impossible feat demanded of him. "it is a little complicated, but i think i can show you how things lie. you see, although i lead the kallikagathist party, it does not follow me."
"that is a little difficult," answered the marquis gravely. "you mean that i should arrange with your party which way it means to go, that you may be in a position to know how to lead it?"
"not at all," said the general. "we are entirely at one. our lines of thought are identical. it is only in our lines of action that we differ."
[pg 129]
"which is, of course," replied the marquis, "a mere detail."
"precisely," said dolabella, in a somewhat relieved tone. "you see, my practical policy is to elect the queen, theirs to elect the speaker, but both elections are governed by the same principles."
"your explanation is really masterly," said the marquis. "i wonder i was so stupid; i see your point now quite clearly. you mean that you cannot make your party responsible for a policy which will not tend to improve the chances of their candidate for the chair."
"yes," said the general, a little doubtfully, "that does seem to be what i mean."
"very well," continued de tricotrin; "then if i could ensure them the support of the agathist party for their candidate, they would be prepared to accept my daughter at your nomination?"
"but, unfortunately," objected the general, "we have no candidate of sufficient weight to bring about such a coalition."
"then why don't you stand yourself?" said the marquis.
"my dear marquis!" cried the general, completely taken aback. "such a thing was never heard of."
"so much the better," replied the tempter. "the more unexpected our moves, the better chance we have of success. the idea seems to me to meet every difficulty. what you[pg 130] yourself gain it would not become me to point out. i need only remark that your election would be highly pleasing to my daughter. it is no breach of confidence to say that the poor girl has been more than touched by the chivalrous admiration of a distinguished officer and statesman like yourself. the speakership in this country is an office which bears a peculiar and delicate relation to the queen. it would be a source of greater pleasure to my daughter than perhaps i ought to reveal, to know that you were to occupy the chair at her coronation, and i am sure that her influence with the queen-mother and the leaders of the agathist party is sufficient to ensure their adhesion to her favoured candidate. at the last moment the nominal candidate of their party shall be withdrawn and the coast left clear for your certain return. say now, my dear general, will you give my daughter this one last satisfaction before her marriage?"
during the beginning of this speech the general had been staring at the frenchman, with eyes wide with amazement, but as he proceeded, the blissful picture which was artfully called up before him was too much for his susceptible nature. to kiss those lovely lips, and embrace that bewitching form! it was a rapture of which he had not dared to dream. he closed his eyes as he listened, and a foolish smile of complacent and inexpressible satisfaction overspread his rouged[pg 131] and powdered face. when the marquis ceased he collected himself with a sudden effort to a more dignified expression. he rose with the air of a statesman who is resolved to pursue a policy worthy of his magnanimity, and took the marquis solemnly by the hand.
"marquis!" said he, "you are a great man. your generalship will ensure the election of this lady, whose beauty, virtue, and intelligence make it the duty of every loyal subject of the king's to espouse her cause. your admirably conceived plan demands of me and my party a sacrifice. monsieur le marquis, we will make that sacrifice!"
thereupon monsieur de tricotrin embraced the gallant martyr, told him he had a noble heart, and assured him with effusion that courage, devotion, intelligence, and sensibility would be carved in highest relief upon the imperishable fabric of his memory. and so he took his departure, leaving the general to wonder whether madame dolabella would view his conduct in the same light.
the agathist and kallikagathist parties were practically won. there remained still the most difficult task. the marquis was perfectly aware of the king's antipathy to matrimony, and was fully convinced that there was still a great chance of failure, unless turbo's support could be gained. to achieve this he felt was a task of the greatest delicacy and difficulty, and one worthy of his skill as a[pg 132] politician. there was clearly but one way in which it could be done. to approach the chancellor directly was out of the question. pressure must be put on him through his party.
with a light heart, which confidence in his abilities can alone give a man, the marquis set about his task, little imagining the extraordinary result his ingenious man?uvres were to have.
