The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 184: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

180 returned and M. Drougoff crossed over to us. “His highness is much better, mon- sieur; he is rallying fast, and the doc- tors say that in an hour probably, or at most two, I may be able to see him and take instructions. In the mean time it will be more convenient for matters to remain as they are. I do not wish to trouble vour charming wife and you un- necessarily.” “Very well. I am much obliged to you,” I answered. “ We can do nothing but wait,” I said to Helga, when he had gone back to his seat. “ Wait, that 1 1s, and hope he won't get well too soon.’ “T thought he was worse,” plied. . “I wish with all my heart he was,” I - agreed. Wishing was no use, however, and there we sat waiting for a time that seemed interminable, each trying to prevent the other from sceing how real and harassing was the anxiety of the suspense, and each conscious of and smiling at the other’s efforts. Helga was very brave, very calm, and very cheerful; and only in little signs and gestures, a start, a glance, a move- ment of the features or hands, could I see how the strain tried her. Much less than an hour of this ex- hausted my patience, however. “TI wish whatever’s going to happen first would happen and be done with it,” I exclaimed. “I feel like a man staked on a volcano top, uncertain whether it is going to explode and blow him up or give way and let him through into the lava.” “Youd make a bad conspirator, Harper,” said Helga, smiling. “ They have to endure this kind of thing for days, weeks, and months.” ‘““We should manage it quicker in the States.” “Those wonderful States again. Tell me a lot about them. My new country,” she added sweetly. “There are no Kalkovs in them, for one thing, and—what’s this, I won- der?” I broke off as a man came in and spoke to M. Drougoff. It was nothing, or apparently noth- ing, for the man went out again, and she re- (500 gle — THE ARGOSY. his superior sank once more into the condition of watchful inactivity, the result I concluded of many years’ train- ing in spy work. “T wish to Heaven Marvyn would send us word what’s doing. He might know one would be anxious.” “He can scarcely have done anything yet. He has been gone barely an hour,” said Helga gently. “T told him he’d have to hustle.” “ But he does not know the prince is getting better.” “If he doesn’t hurry up as if he did know it, he’s—well, he’s an ass, and my father ought never to have got him into the diplomatic service. Yes, laugh away, I know I’m an idiot; but ‘it helps a heap to blame the other fellow >’ and I laughed, too. And so the minutes dragged until something did happen. Another message was brought to Drougoff, and this time he got up and approached us. “The prince is well enough to re- celve me, monsieur.”’ “Thank God for that,” I exclaimed, almost as heartily as if he had told me we were both free. Anything was better than suspense. He went away, leaving the man to take his place. “How is the prince?” I asked this fellow. “Nearly recovered, monsieur. Weak, but that is all.” “He’s won the race, I’m afraid, Helga. We may as well get ready. Where will he send us, I wonder. We must manage somehow to leave word for Marvyn.” “They won’t let us do that. We must stop here to the last possible moment. Think of everything you can to use up time.” “ Bully for you. some good netion.” M. Drougoff was not absent long, and looked very troubled when he entered. “My instructions are, I deeply re- gret to Say, monsieur, to remove you at once.’ “ Where ? ” He named two different prisons. “The charges?” I asked next. “T am not instructed to mention You always have GORMIGOOO (COL