LITMIR.BIZ

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The hotel men were more than obsequious; the military men and citizens were exceedingly deferential; the women who strolled on the piazza or in the great garden back of the hotel were discreetly curious.

      “We seem to be the whole show here, Gren,” said Anguish, as they sat down at one of the tables in the garden.

      “I guess Americans are rare.”

      “I’ve found one fellow who can speak German and French, and not one, except our guard who can talk English. That clerk talks German fairly well. I never heard such a language as these other people use. Say, old man, we’d better make inquiry about our friends tonight. That clerk probably won’t be on duty tomorrow.”

      “We’ll ask him before we go to bed,” agreed Lorry, and upon leaving the brilliantly lighted garden they sought the landlord and asked if he could tell them where Caspar Guggenslocker lived. He looked politely incredulous and thoughtful, and then, with profound regret, assured them he had never heard the name. He said he had lived in Edelweiss all his life, and knew everybody of consequence in the town.

      “Surely there must be such people here,” cried Lorry, almost appealingly. He felt disheartened and cheated. Anguish was biting his lips.

      “Oh, possibly among the poorer classes. If I were you, sir, I should call on Captain Dangloss, the Chief of Police. He knows every soul in Edelweiss. I am positive I have never heard the name. You will find the Captain at the Tower tomorrow morning.”

      The two Americans went to bed, one so dismayed by his disappointment that he could not sleep for hours.

      CHAPTER VII

      THE LADY IN THE CARRIAGE

      They slept rather late in the morning, first because they were very much fatigued after their long journey, second for the reason that they had been unable to woo slumber until long past midnight. Anguish stretched himself lazily in bed when he heard Lorry’s voice from the adjoining room.

      “I suppose we are to consult the police in order to get a clue to your charmer,” he yawned. “Nice friends you pickup on railway journeys. I’d be ashamed.”

      “Well, Harry, I’ll confess I’m disgusted. This has been the most idiotic thing I’ve ever done, and if you say the word we’ll get out of here on the first train—freight or passenger. The Guggenslockers—pigs!” Mr. Lorry was savage.

      “Not a bit of it, my boy, not a bit of it. We’ll make a house-to-house canvass if the police fail us. Cheer up, cheer up!”

      “You go to thunder!”

      “Hold on! Don’t talk like that, or I’ll go back on you in a minute. I’m here because I choose to be, and I’ve more heart in the chase at this minute than you have. I’ve not lost hope, We’ll find the Guggenslockers if we have to hire detectives to trace ’em from the United States to their very doorstep. We’re going to see the police after breakfast.”

      After breakfast they did go to see the Baron Dangloss. After some inquiry they found the gloomy, foreboding prison, and Mr. Anguish boldly pounded on the huge gates. A little shutter flew open, and a man’s face appeared. Evidently he asked what was wanted, but he might as, well have demanded their lives, so far were they from understanding his query.

      “Baron Dangloss?” asked Anguish, promptly. The man asked something else, but as the Americans shook their heads deprecatingly, he withdrew his face and presently swung open the gates. They entered and he closed the doors behind them, locking them in. Then he directed them across the court to an open door in the aged mass of gray stone. As they strode away from the guard Lorry created consternation by demanding:

      “How are we to talk to the Chief if he doesn’t understand us or we him? We should lave brought an interpreter.”

      “I forgot about the confounded language. But if he’s real he can talk Irish.” Lorry told him he wasn’t funny.

      “Is this His Excellency, Baron Dangloss?” asked Anguish, stepping into a small room and stopping suddenly in the presence of the short, fierce man they had seen the day before. The American spoke in French.

      “It is, gentlemen. Of what service can I be to Messieurs Lorry and Anguish?” responded the grim little Chief, politely rising from beside his desk. The visitors looked at one another in surprise.

      “If he knows our names on such short notice, he’ll certainly know the Guggenslockers,” said Anguish to his friend, in English.

      “Ah, you are looking for some one named Guggenslocker?” asked the Chief, smiling broadly and speaking excellent English. “You must not be surprised, gentlemen. I speak many languages. I heard last night that you were inquiring about one Caspar Guggenslocker, and I have racked my brain, searched my books, questioned my officers, and I am sorry to inform you that there is no such person in Edelweiss.”

      “I was so well assured of it, Baron Dangloss,” Lorry said.

      “The name is totally unknown to me, sir. May I ask why you are searching for him?”

      “Certainly. I met Mr. Guggenslocker, his wife and his niece last spring in the United States. They invited me to come and see them if I ever happened to be in this part of the world. As my friend and I were near here I undertook to avail myself of their invitation.”

      “And they said they lived in Edelweiss, Graustark?”

      “They did, and I’ll humbly confess I did not know much of the principality of Graustark.”

      “That is certainly complimentary, but, then, we are a little out of the beaten path, so it is pardonable. I was at first under the impression that you were American detectives with extradition papers for criminals bearing the name you mention.”

      “Oh!” gasped Anguish. “We couldn’t find ourselves if we should be separated, Captain.”

      The grizzly-bearded Captain laughed lightly with them, and then asked Lorry if he would object to giving him the full story of his acquaintanceship with the alleged Graustarkians. The bewildered and disheartened American promptly told all he knew about them, omitting certain tender details, of course. As he proceeded the Chief grew more and more interested, and, when at last Lorry came to the description of the strange trio, he gave a sudden start, exposed a queer little smile for a second or so, and then was as sphynxlike as before. The ever-vigilant Anguish observed the involuntary start and smile, quick as the Chief had been to recover himself, and felt a thrill of triumph. To his anger and impatience, however, the old officer calmly shook his head at the end of the narrative, and announced that he was as much in the dark as ever.

      “Well, we’ll search awhile for ourselves,” declared Anguish, stubbornly, not at all satisfied.

      “You will be wasting your time,” said the Chief, meaningly.

      “We’ve plenty to waste,” retorted the other.

      After a few moments they departed, Baron Dangloss accompanying them to the gate and assuring them that he and his men always would be at their command. His nation admired the American people, he warmly declared.

      “That old codger knows our people, and I’ll bet a thousand on it,” said Harry, angrily, when they had gone some little distance down the street. Then he told of the queer exposure Dangloss had unwittingly made. Lorry, more excited than he cared to show, agreed that there was something very suspicious about this new discovery.

      They walked about the quaint town for an hour or two, examining the buildings, the people and the soldiery with deep interest. From the head of the main street,—Castle Avenue,—they could plainly see the royal palace, nearly a mile away. Its towers and turrets, gray and gaunt, ran up among the green tree-tops and were outlined plainly against the yellow hills. Countless houses studded the steep mountain slope, and many people were discerned walking and riding along the narrow, ledge-like streets which wound toward the summit, far up in the clouds. Clearly and distinctly could be seen the grim monastery, perched at the very pinnacle of the mountain, several miles away. Up there it looked bleak and cold

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