CHAPTER XXXV - CRAFT

What was now the marketable value of the promises made to Lais by stars, oracles and wise men? It were better a thousand times for Vedrona to have lived than in her death for Lais to become vassal to the caprice of Zillah! Oh, the irony of fate! She was both Queen and slave; ascended the throne to find a cell, with a slave she had treated with contempt as jailer! Did ever Nemesis don such masquerade before?

The baffled Queen paced the room like an infuriated tigress. Why had her hand been restrained; why did her superstitions whisper that she would be the victim and not the victor ? But better far to die than live upon such terms. She would not - could not live. And having arrived at this conclusion she sat down to discuss the method of suicide.

The excitement of her mind had been unconsciously sustained by physical exertions, and no sooner was she seated than the question arose - “But why die?” The ways by which Zillah might be unsuspiciously enabled to make her exit were numberless, simple, and expeditious. What need to trouble or entertain the idea of personal interference in the matter?

Details were soon arranged. All the personal attendants upon the dead Princess were summoned to the Queen's presence on the following morning. Such was the arrangement. At the assembly the non-appearance of Zillah would be enquired into, and her discovery - dead, would be satisfactory evidence of misconduct.

This was the design, but to the consternation of Lais it worked out somewhat differently. Zillah kept the appointment, with a meaning smile none but the Queen could understand. Æna was dead!

Meanwhile the adventuress, having calmed her fears, turned her thoughts towards Glarces. What had passed between him and Maphir? This she was determined to know, but her previous experience forbade her attempting to see the Prince. She smiled. With a little tact she might know everything.

She touched the chime.

“Tell the lady Tasha I would see her at once.”

No one understood better than Lais how easily the plastic foster-mother could be manipulated, especially where Glarces was concerned.

When hawks entertain doves the motive is not always pure, nor is the result likely to be to the advantage of the latter.

Lais very carefully prepared herself for the effect she determined to produce. Nothing touched Tasha so deeply as the sight of grief. It was an old and well worn experiment with Lais, but still effective as ever, and was now to be used for all it was worth. In the hands of such a consummate actress this meant much, but the risks were great - of vital importance - and the effect must needs be equal.

“Oh, Tasha, Tasha, what shall I do?” she exclaimed, as soon as the grief­stricken woman entered the room. “Do come and comfort me, or I shall go mad with my sorrow and loneliness.”

“Who is able to speak of comfort in such a trouble, my child? Oh, Vedrona, Vedrona! would that the gods had slain me in thy stead!”

“Don't say that, dear - don't say that. If the gods had been just I should have died in her place. But they have had their malignant will, and we must try to bear it. But what can we do for Glarces, dear? It is the thought of him that is killing me. And yet I dare not see him.”

“ And you won't allow me to do so.”

“Don't, Tasha, don't add your censure to all the slanders and suspicions I have to bear! I know how wilful I have been in the years gone by, but I have already reaped a heavy punishment. I want to be all that our dear mother was, but I know not whom to trust or who to ask to help me. Won't you pity me in my loneliness? I did not keep you from Glarces because I wished to do him wrong, but when I lost my parents I wanted to be alone. I desired to weep - to think - not talk or be distracted from my grief. I judged he was like myself, and so I shielded him - even I would not see him. But if you think otherwise, go to him; comfort help him! Do anything - everything, that will assist to bring about his recovery. Say how my heart bleeds for him - that I can neither sleep nor rest until he comes to counsel me; that I know not what to do, or how to move without his advice; and, above all, ask him to trust me, according to his generous nature until he sees how wrong all these appearances and rumours are. If he will only do this all may yet be well, and with his help and your own I shall need no other counsellors, and my life shall ever be at his service. Will you tell him this?”

“I will do anything to help him bear this awful trouble; but oh, how I wish you had placed more confidence in me.” “So do I, dear, now that it is too late. How different might everything have then been. But believe me, Tasha, it was not because I was wicked. I only wanted to be original - do things in my own way, with an air of mystery around them. If they were misunderstood, I laughed. I wished to be different to others - peculiar, if you will, and when people grew suspicious I was flattered at my success.

I never thought it would lead to this. It is a penalty too heavy for me to bear! If Glarces can understand you, tell him what I say; how disconsolate and heart-broken I am; ask him, for Vedrona's sake, to forgive me, and let me come to him that I may prove my penitence and do something for him!”

“Yes, I will tell him all about it, but how I wish I had understood you when Maphir - “ Then she stopped short.

“When Maphir - what, dear?”

“ Nothing, my child. I was thinking of Maphir's quarrel with Zillah just then.”

“Maphir's quarrel with Zillah. What about it? Has it anything to do with Vedrona's death?”

“Ah, no! I only wish I could discover some clue to that. It was only my foolish habit of thinking of one thing while I am talking of another. But when shall I see Glarces?”

Lais was now quite as anxious to get rid of her as Tasha was to go.

“At once if you wish it. I will send for Petronius, and so instruct him. But before doing so, let me give you a word of caution. Your kind heart sometimes runs away with your head, and leads you into indiscretions. First, I hear that he is still labouring under all kinds of delusions, and imagines I am responsible for what has happened. Don't oppose him too much if he accuses me. I deserve all he will say for the duplicity I have acknowledged to you; but I am in a position to clear myself as soon as we can hold an enquiry. Next, whatever he may say must not be repeated to anyone but myself. We have yet to discover who has to suffer for this crime, and until that is done I can place no confidence in anyone. Come straight to me when you leave him, and tell me all he says. Perhaps in some stray word you may not understand, he may give us a clue by which we may learn everything, and to clear up this horrible mystery would be the best way to secure his own recovery. Do you understand?”