"LOONEY TRAFFORD" THE NOVELIST

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 70

"LOONEY TRAFFORD"

THE NOVELIST

OR THE INDOMITABLE GEORGE. By Frederic Ttjxnter, M.A. Author of "Frost and Friendship," "The Conversion of Claud," "The Toad and the Amazon," "The Bicycle Ride," Etc. CBAPTER lII.— A PROPOSITION.. 3EN his English friends left him, Captain yon Hugelweiler fell into something of a reverie. He had told Fran Krabb that he desired to win the King's Cup more than anything on earth. That was not, strictly speaking, the case, for there was one thing that he desired ereri more than the coveted trophy of the skating rink. Yet that thing was so remote from reach that it was more of a regret now than a desire. Years ago, when he was a sub-lieutenant stationed at Weissheim, he had fallen desperately in love with the youthful Princess Mathilde yon Schattenberg. Her high .spirits and every-ready laughter had captivated h^s poetic but somewhat gloomy temperament, and he had paid her a devotion which had been by no means unreciprocated by the romantic young Princess. And the courtship was not so impossible! as might appear, for Ulrich yon Hugelweiler belonged to the old aristocracy of Grimland, and his father owned .an ancient schloss of considerable pretensions and a goodly slice of valley, vineyards, and pine forests 60 miles northwest of Weiden'bruck. But the Princess's father, the Gramd Duke Fritz, was an ambitious man, already seeing himself on the throne of Grimland, and poor Hugel-' weiler had been sent about his business with great celerity and little tact. To the young officer the' blow had been a crushing one, for his whole heart had been given, his whole soul pledged, to the vivacious Princess, and though years had rolled by, time had done little to soften the bitterness of his deprivation. To his credit, be it said, that he had never sought consolation elsewhere ; to his discredit, that he regarded his misfortune as a personal slight on the part of a malicious and ill-natured fate For his was a selfcentred nature that brooded over trouble, never suffering a bruise to fade or a healthy "scar to form over an old wound. Even now his excitement at the glorious prospect of winning success and fame on the slcat ing. rink was marred and clouded by the hideous possibility of defeat. He desired with toe intense desire of an egotistical mind to win the Cup, but he feared to lose almost more than he hoped to win. On arriving at his modest quarters in the huge building in the Soldatenplatz, the Captain was surprised at eeeing a visitor seated and awaiting his arrival. A man of medium height was reclining comfortably in his big armchair ; his legs, highbooted and spurred, were thrust out in negligent repose ; an eyeglass was firmly fixed in his Tight eye, a half-consumed cigarette smouldered between his coldly smiling lips. Yon Hugelweiler drew himself up to the salute. His visitor was no Idtes a personage than the Commandesr-in-Chief of the army of Grimland, General Meyer, the most intimate friend of his Majesty King Karl. "Your cigarettes are excellent, Captain,"' began the Genera. yon Hugelweiler r-egarded the cynical Jewish face in silence. General Meyer was a man whom few understood and many feared. The great coat, thrown open at the breast, half revealed a number of famous orders, none of them won by prowess on the field of battle. The spurred boots and the riding whip that occasionally flicked them suggested the horseman, though all knew that GeneraJ Meyer was never so ill at ease as when on horseback. The dreamy eye, the slothful pose, the draw,led speech suggested anything but the ruler of a fiery soldiery, but for all that Meyer had won his way and held his post by something more formidable than a courtly tongue and a capacity for epigrammatic badinage. Those who served Meyer well were served well in return ; those who flouted the Jew, even in secret, had a curious habit of being superannuated at an early period in their career. "Pray be seated, Captain," pursued the visitor suavely. Yon Hugelweiler drew up a chair, and sat stiffly thereon, awaiting developments. "You are competing for the King's prize on the Rundtee to-morrow?" "Yes, General. " "Ah ! I happen to be judge of the competition." To this the Captain offered no comment. He was wondering what on earth was coming. "You are exceedingly keen, of course, on winning this very important trophy?" pursued the elder man with a tswift glance. "Yes. General — 'exceedingly keen," admitted Yon Hugelweiler. "As a lad,"' went on the Commander-in-Chief dreamily, ''I once entered an examination for horsemanship at the military school at Gleis. My uncle knew the officer who was examining the candidates, and thoughtfully sent him a dozen of champagne and a box of cigars on the eve of the examination. The champagne was, if I mistake not, Perri&r Jouet of a vintage year, and the cigars the finest that are grown in the island of Cuba. I was not a particularly good horseman in those days, but I passed the examination — with honours." The Captain received the information in stolid silence. The history of the remote and somewhat disgraceful episode did not particularly interest him. The &e&sr*l

[ deposited bis finished cigarette in a por1 cefain tray, and extracted a fresh one from a tin on the table. "Your cigarettes are really excellent', Captain," be mused.- "Pray keep me company." Yon Hugelweiler acceded to the Invitation. "You draw, I presume, certain inferences from the incident I have just mentioned," ! the Commander-in-Chief went oa.. "No, General." "None -whatever?" Yon Hugelweiler "smiled. "None," he 6aid, "unless you suggest that I should be -wise to ©end you a dozen ■of champagne and a box of cigars." The General vouchsafed no answering smile to his 1 subordinate's facetious suggestion. He merely shotik his head in pensive silence. "I am a rich man," he said, "and my cellars are the best stocked in Weidenforuck — not excepting his Majesty's. You cannot help me that way." Again there was silence, and slowly it was borne in on Yon Hugelmeiler that be was being tempted. The situation horrified him. However much he desired to win. the King's Cup, he desired to win it fairly. On the other hand, he neither wished to offend his Commander-in-Chief nor ruin Ms prospects of success in "tibe competition. He began ~to be angry with I Fate for placing him in a dilemma before he knew exactly what the dilemma was. Suddenly the Commander-in-Chief Bat bolt upright and in a voice of great earnestness demanded : I "Yon EugelweHer, do you .know that there is a firebrand in Weidenbruck?" "Weidenbruck is a cold place, General, but it usually contains anrebrand or two." "I know; but I speak of no common incendiary. Father Bernhardt is here." Yon Hugelweiler nodded. "At No. 42 Schugasse," he supplemented. "You know that?" demanded the General eagerly. "He passed me a quarter of an hour since. He was being followed, I think." "Good!" ejaculated General Meyer. "I want him. Captain, I asked you just now if you wanted to win the King's prize. 1 learn that you -a>re the most promising competitor for this important affair. The winner of the King's prize is sure ' of th© personal interest of his Majesty * Grimland — especially female Grimland — loves the successful athlete. Official Grimla.nd smiles on him. Skating may not be the most useful accomplishment for a soldier, but proficiency in sport connotes, at any irate, physical fitness and a temperate life. There is no reason why you should not gain this trophy, and there is.no reason why the gainer should not go far." Yon Hugerwfeiler's dark eyes flamed at the words, and Ms hand&Mne, sombre face glowed involuntarily at the other's suggestion. <. "As 1, am to be the judge," continued the General calmly, * 'there is no reason why your victory should not be a foregone conclusion." Slowly the Captain's face hardened to a mask and his eyes became points of steel. "I do not follow, General," he said stiffly. "You are a ©hade dense, my young friend," said Meyer, leaning forward and tapping the other's knee. "You -want the King's prize; I want the King's enemy." "But I cannot give him you,'' protested the Captain. "You know where he is housed ; you have a sword." i "You wish me to effect his arrest, Genera] ? You have but to command." "I do not desire his arrest in tie least," said General Meyer, sighing wearily at the other's non-comprehension, and reclinimg again in. the depths of his armchair. "If I wished his arrest I should go to Sergeant Kummer, of our estimable police force. Father Bernhardt is a dangerous man, and a more dangerous man arrested than at large. He haf the fatal gift of touching the popular imagination. The ex-Queen is a woman of no strength ; the exiled Pirinoess Mathildie is but a figuTe-head — a very charming figure-headi it is true, but still only a figure-head. Father Bernhardt is a soldier, statesman, and priest in one inflammatory whole. He faae a tongue of fire, a genius for organisation, the reckless devotion of an. ame damn/se. His existence is a menace to my royal master and the peace of Grimland. He had the misfortune to cause me a sleepless night last night. Captain yon Hugelweiler, I must sleep sound to-night." : The Captain rose to his feet. "If you give your orders, General, they shall be obeyed," he said in a voice that bespoke suppressed emotion. I The General yawned alightly, and then ' contemplated his companion with an in- j gratiating smile. I "My dear young man," he remarked j blandly, "for the moment I'm not a ; general, and I am giving no orders. 1 j am the judge of the skating competition which is to be held to-morro-w, and in order that I shall be able to do full justice to your merits :t: t is necessary that j 1 should sleep well to-night. Do I make , my meaning clear?" "Diabolically so" — the words slipped out almost involuntarily. "I beg your pardon," said the Com-mander-in-Chief stiffly. But Yon Hugelweiler' s temper was roused. He had been prepared, if necessary, to compromise with his conscience. He had aTgued, with the easy morality of the egotist, that he probablj desired the King's prize more than any of his competitors, and probably deserved it more. Had Meyer demanded a little thing he might have granted it. But the thing asked was not Kttle to a sensitive man with ■ertain honourable instincts. "I am a soldier, General," he said, "and I Am accustomed to accepting orders, not suggestions. If you order me to arrest this man I wiU take him, deadl or alive. If xou suggest that I should

murder him as a bribe t^ the judge tij this skating competition, I refuse." Yon Hugelweiler's words rang high, and it was plain that his indignation was perilously nesfr mastering his sense of discipline. But General Meyer's cym-i cal smile neveT varied a hair's breadth, his pose never lost a particle of its recumbent indolence. "Very -well, Captiain," "he said at 1 length. "Then I must take other meaner. Only do me the justice of confessing that' J asked a favour -when I might have commanded a service. Biemerober that' all Grimlanders are not so dainty as yourself, and remember that murder is an ugly word and hardly applicable <bo the destruction of vermdn. B this cursed priest is brought to trial £hero will be trouble in the city, street-fighting perhaps in the narrow lanes round the cattle market; any way, more bloodshed and misery than would be caused by an infantry sword through a. renegade^s breast-bone." "But is as> open feial a necessity?^ demanded the Captain, his anger -vanudf* ing in the chilling certainty that the King's prize would never be Ms. But the Commandier-in-Chief had had his cay. "Well," he eaidu rising to his ieet, "if you will not do what is required someone else must: No, don't salute met I'm only an -old Jew. Permit me to honour myself by shaking the hand of an honest man.' 1 ' ' , ' • ! For a half -moment -the generosity of the words rekindled the dying hopes in the Captain's breast. General Meyer was a strange man — -was it possible that be respected scruples lie did not -himself ! possess? But as yon. Hugelweiler gazed into the old Jew's face, and scanned the mocking light in the cold eyes, the cynical smile about the mobile bra, his risuM? hopes were succeeded by a deeper, deadlier chill. With a slight shrug of the -shoulders and a smooth-spoken "Goodnight, - Captain," the Commander-in-Chief left the room. Yon Hugelweiler stood gazing at the closed door in silence. Then his face J grew dark, and he shook Ins fist after his , departed visitor with a gesture of un- • control-led rage. His lips twitched, has ■ features worked, and then, covering his j face dramatically with Mb hands, lie I sank into a obair. For a bitterness i totally disproportionate to his worst fears had entered his childish heart. CHAPTER IV.— THE THIERGARTEN. That night George Trjafford' slept the. good sleep that usually follows a night * spent in the train. The morrow's competition for the King's Cup had no terror | -lor him, nor did the fact that he was I lamentably short of practice affect his peace of mind. When a man has faced '. th© barrel -of his own revolver the pect o? jjyratittg on skates before a crifcit cal audience becomes a matter of casual importance. Besides, Trafiord had come to Grimland for sport of a .sterner kind. j jWhen a man of a naturally reckless djjsI position loses his heart's desire be is ihard'ly likely to find adequate compensation in the achievement of a sporting I success. He did not vastly, care whether he was placed first or last in the cQjJtI petition, though be meant to do his best. ; What he did regard as essential was that some sort of political upheaval should) take place in Weidenbruck before .he left - the country. .He had an innate craving for an electrically-oharged afanospher© ( and the employment of explosives. In his undergraduate days he had been wont to ignite fireworks on ihe slightest provocation and in the most inconvenient places. Wlien he left Oxford — to the , vast regret of his fellow undergraduates i and the infinite relief of the muchI enduring dean — he had ntot known in { what direction to bend his superabundant energies. To one who possessed nine hundred a year and an effervescing ternI perament office work was out of the | question. Sport— the sport of tie English shires — -was too stereotyped' and toelittle dangerous to appeal to his ardent spirit. He had commenced! a military career, but it is a platitude that a eoldier must learn to obey before h& can command, and Trafiord had stumblet badly on the first rung of the military j ladder. After that r*& had -wandered. Be had seen men and cities, and" had come to the conclusion that there was only one city, and in that city but one j person. Whither that conclusion had led I him we have already seen. In a word, | he was an unsettled and rather a damgierous person in such an inflajrunatoiry country as he was now visiting. It is little wonder, therefore, that the competition on the Rusndsee caused him little anxiety, either as a trial of nerves or j as a ma.tter of vital importance in his cosmic outlook. Yon Hugelweiler, too, slept well. But his was the deep, sad sleep of the man j who bslieves he has lost everything, and i has therefore no room for harrying thoughts in his tired brain. The Rundeee, where the contest was to take place, was am artificial piece of I water, circular of shape, situated in the I Thier,garten. the public pairk on the out- . skirts of Weidenbruck. " At half-past 2 I in the afternoon its frozen surface was I crowded *ith a vast number of humanI beings, wh< had come to see the great' annual competition for the King's prize. On one side a big pavilion, garnished with .small flags and red cloth, bad been erected for ihe benefit of the King ancD the favoured few. The majority- of iiui throng were crowded behind ropes, leaving a sufficient area- for the evolutions of the competitors. There was no question of the ice bearing so great a crowd, for the ice of the Rundsee was as <bard a» a London, pavement and mutiny times ?>' thick. A battery of elephant guns woul, ' have traversed it wifttout raiflicting & crack on its adamantine surface. The scene was &. gay one, for ihe winter sun. had sacked up the morning , mist and turned the dull jjrey aky to tur- « %u&i|fe && Iht UKwy covering of the

great trees into a bejewelled mantle of ' sparkling purity A feeling of pent' ex- ' pectancy field tie well-wrapped throng-, a feeling which found outlet in rousing cbeers when, with a of whips and jingling of bells, a sleigh and four torses -came rapidly down a broad avenue and halted at the bock of the wooden ' pavilion, - - j It was the "King— King Karl XXII, fat, smiling, smolnngj wrapped luxuriously in magnificent furs, and accompanied by his favourites, General Meyer land Bobert Saunders. T&e GrimlatKfors, to do them justice, never received their monarch without noise. They might hoot or they might cheer ; they might throw garlands of flowers oi nitre-glycerine bombs, but ■royalty is -royalty, whether its representative be hero or villain, and it was never received in the silence of indiffarence. 'And at the present moment the throng was benevolent. The day was fine, the j occasion interesting, and in the love of sport tihe GrimJand public forgot its antipathy to permanent institutions-. "By ..the,, way »" asked the .King, tot Geneeal Meyer,, when they, had) found ! their way to the royal enclosure' over- ] looking Che "Eundsee,' "did- you secuoce our. friend, Bernhardt -last nighifc ?" GeneraJ. Meyet 'shook his fread.- "We bad' a -feolure, he Teplied — " another H laihme." The King. Teceived' the news without &ny- outward sign of displeasure. Only | one who knew him well would have read j the' deep disappointment of his placid silence. "I thought you had discovered where he lodged? he said at length. * "I Sad' discovered the fox's earth,"' eaid Meyer, "but my hounds had not stromg enough teeth to inconvenience him. I approached a certain Captain, of the Guides, a young man of good family and approved courage. I offered substantial (rewards, bub the work was too ddrty for his aristocratic fingers." "Perhaps it would have been wiser to J have approached someone of humbler birth," said the King drily. "I waa forced to that conclusion myself," sneered the General, "and I requisitioned the services of two of the biggest scoundrels who enjoy the privilege of being yoai Majesty's subjects. Their consciences "were untender ; but they failed, as canaille wiH when they come to hand-grips with a brave man." "In othe words," eaid the King, "two armed ruffians were incapable of tackling one priest. Next time I should try four." '•That is what I propose doing to-night, sire," said the General impassievly. The King turned to Saunders, who was seated on his left. "What does the Englishman advise?" he asked. "A company of Guards and a squadron ©f Dragoons," said Sa-nnders curtly. • '-'An open arrest??" demanded his Majesty. ' "Yes, and an open trial," affirmed Sauxbders. "After ail, simplicity has its charms, and Father Bernhardt's popularity -5s so great that it can hardly be enhanced i>y a visit to the picturesque prison in the Cathedral square." "The Strafeburg!" said Meyer, naming the prison in. question. "I fear the good citizens might essay a rescue:" "They certainly would," conceded Saunders, "but- the Str&feburg was not erected by a speculative builder. It is made of stone, not papier-mache, and the gentlemen who keep guard over it are not armed .with pea-shooters." The General nodded sagely. ''You mean you would risk bringing things to a head?" he said. "That is my advice," said Saunders. "I have only * been in Weidenbruck 24 hours, but have been here long enough to see the need of strong measures." "You are right," said the King with some bitterness. "The woman who was once my wife, and who hates me mora than anything on earth, is ceen at large unmolested in my capital. The Prinoees Mathilde, a charming young lady, who ■would Kke to see m« guillotined in order that she may sit more comfortably in my seat, is waiting her opportunity to cross the frontier and take up her quarters here, if she has not done so already. The music-halls resound with incendiary ditties, and there i& one in particular, the Rothlied — a catohy melody with : more inspiriting refrain, which frankly and courageously advocates my Temoval to a better ■world. I am a patient man, God knows, and I desire peace at almost any price, but there are limits to my forbearance. .Yet when I put in a plea for action-, I am told that a rash step would precipitate a revolution. lam beginning to 'jthink that Saundens i« -my best counsellor, and that' simplicity is -the best policy." A roai of cheering from the crowd betokened the presence of the competitors on the ice. General Meyer rose from his eeat. "The best policy is generally simple." he said, "and so is the worst. But with your Majesty's permission I will withdraw. My services are required below." Hardly had Meyer left when Mrs Saunders was ushered into the royal enclosure. She was a tall, fair woman, with a cold, correct profile and unemotional grey eyes. •Her manner was usually reserved, and "her speech mocking. She possessed, however, a keen, if caustic, eanse of humour, and those few people who were privileged to know her well were wiseh proud of the privilege. The King rose from his cha#, Jits gaze resting- admiringly on the tall, athletic figure in its neat astrachan coat and smart fur toque. "Enter the Ice Queen," said his 3lajesty, offering her the chair vacated by the Omunander-m-Chief. *'Haa the skating begun?" demanded the lady thus addressed. "Not yet," said Saunders. "The competitors are having a little preliminary exercise while Meyer is putting on his skates. But you come at an opportune moment. »We were indulging in a political discue'£bzL I W3B advocating bold measures^

' Meyer, masterly inactivity, t desire your [ support for my arguments '- "Meyer says we can't .trusi the. army," put in the King j "Of course you can't trust the army," ! said Mrs Saunders j "for i> is not com- ' manded by a soldier General Meyer is an J excellent judge of skating and champagne, j but he is more of a policeman than a warrior. I should send him. on a diplomatic mission to a remote country "- "And whom would you mate Com-mander-in-Chief in his place?" asked the King, smiling. "Mr George Trafford," Teplied Mrs Saunders. j "Who is he?" asked the King in mysti- , fication. "My husband's friend — one of the competitors to-day." The King laughed cheerily. "Why not appoint your husband to the post?" he demanded. j "My husband has. a young and beautiful wife," Tetorted Mrs Saunders. "Whereas this Mr Trafford ?" "Is a broken-hearted bachelor. He is prepared to seek- the bubble reputation f. even at the cannon's mouth. He has more imagination than Robert. Besides, • I don't mind so much his being killed." | Saunders laughed loudly, while the King's sunburned face beamed with jjenu- * me amusement j "I have to thank Mrs Saunders for % ' cheerful' moment," he said— "a raTe thing ' these troublous times. I'm forty-five j years of age, my dear lady," he went , on, "and I've been on the throne fifteen I years. Sometimes I feel as if I had reigned as long as Rameses 11, and sometimes I feel; every bit as old? and crried- ' up as that mummied old gentleman in the British Museum. At the same time, as you see, J have my cheerful moments, and in those cheerful momente I see Father Bernhardt in one cell of the Strafeburg and the ex-Queen i» another — the latter in a particularly damp cell, by the way." "And the Princess Mathilde yon Schattenberg?" asked Saunders. "Ls too young and pretty for a cell," replied the King with a' smile. "She is ' popular and dangerous, but I have a soft , cornier in my heaxt for ber. I must fight her, of course, if she persists, but I've certain sunny memories of\ a little girl ai Weissheim, all fun and laughter and 1 enthusiasm for winter games, and I find ' it hard to take her seriously or wish her harm. But for the otheirs." he, went on, hardening his voice, "I'd have no mercy. , They are playing with fire, and 1 tliey are ' old terjou.gh to know that fire burns. I Airest them op«nly, I say ; try them openly, I say, and if the proletariat objects-reboot them openly." "Hear, hear," said Mrs Saunders impassively, putting up her glasses andi studying the faces of the different com- | petitors on the Rundsee. "Meyer wants one more chance of nobbling Father Bernhardt," said Saund<are in a low voice. "He shall Have it,"' said the King ; "and I hope and pray he will succeed. That prie-st's the heart and soul of the whole trouble. Ones he is safe under lock and key, where can the Princess Mathilde find another with such cunning, such resource, such heedless daring to fi^ht her battles and build her up a throne? Hullo, more cheering! What's that for? Ah. o<ne of the competitors doing' a bit of fa.ncy skating to keep himself warm. A fine skater, too, by St. Lied-wi* — a powerful skateT, but a i shade reckless, eh?" I "That is our friend, George_Trafford." said Saund-ers ; "a fine skater, a powerful i skater, but, as you say, distinctly reckj (To be continued.)