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CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
RUPERT OF HENTZAU 
 
Hntbon^ Ibope's IRomancee 
 
 TRupcrt of 1bent3au. 
 
 From the Memoirs of Fritz von Tarlen- 
 heim. (Sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda.) 
 With eight full-page illustrations by 
 Charles Dana Gibson. i2mo. $1.50. 
 
 A NEW ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF 
 
 G:be prisoner of Z^en&a. 
 
 With five full-page illustrations by C. D. 
 Gibson, and a view and plan of the castle 
 by Howard Ince. i2mo. $1.50. 
 
 *' A E^lorious story. . . . Perhaps not the least among- its 
 many good qualities is the fact that its chivalry is of the 
 nineteenth, not of the sixteenth, century; that it is a tale 
 of brave men and true, and of a fair woman of to-day. 
 The Englishman who saves the king* ... is as interesting 
 a knifi^ht as was Bayard. . . . The story holds the reader's 
 attention from first to last," — Critic. 
 
 In the Buckram Series. With frontispieces by 
 Rackhani^ Russelly and Wecksler^ l&mo, 
 75 1^- each, 
 
 XLbc ITnOfscretton of tbc Ducbees, 
 
 nth Impression, 
 
 '* Told witti an oM-time air of romance that gives the 
 
 t. isciiiation of an earlier day ; an air of good faith, almost of 
 
 '. tiigious chivalry, gives reality to its extravagance. . . 
 
 Msrks Mr. Hope as a wit, if he were not a romancer.*''— 
 
 Kation, 
 
 a /ITsan of /llbark. f^th impression. 
 
 " More plentifully charged with humor, and the plot is 
 every whit as original as that of Zenda, . . . The whole 
 game of playing at revolution is pictured with such near- 
 ness and intimacy of view that the wildest things happen 
 as though they were every-day occurrences. . . . The 
 charmingly wicked Christina is equal to anything that Mr, 
 Hope has done, with the possible exception of the always 
 piquant Dolly."--i//i. 
 
 ^be IDOllg DfalOQUea, <^th impression. 
 
 " Characterized by a delicious drollery; . . , beneath the 
 surface play of words lies a tragj-comedy of life. , . . 
 There is infinite suggestion in every line." — Boston Tran- 
 script, 
 
 "B. Cbange of Bfr. gM impression. 
 
 With portrait and notice of the author. 
 " A highly clever performance, with little touches that 
 recall both Balzac and Meredith."- -A'<ij» York Times. 
 
 Sport ■ROBal. I^h impression. 
 
 HENRY HOLT & CO., ^VTwf ^J* • 
 
Sequel to tbe "prisoner ot Ecriba" 
 
 RUPERT OF HENTZAU 
 
 From the Memoirs of Fri(^ von Tarlenheim 
 
 ANTHONY HOPE 
 
 TRUitb dgbt fullapagc irilu5tratlons 
 
 CHARLES DANA GIBSON 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 
 1898 
 
Copyright, 1897, 1898, 
 
 BY 
 
 A. H. HAWKINS. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PACK 
 
 I. The Queen's Good-by i 
 
 II. A Station without a Cab 19 
 
 III. Again to Zenda 36 
 
 IV. An Eddy on the Moat 53 
 
 V. An Audience of the King 72 
 
 VI. The Task of the Queen's Servants 93 
 
 VII. The Message of Simon the Huntsman... 112 
 
 VIII. The Temper of Boris the Hound 132 
 
 IX. The King in the Hunting-lodge 150 
 
 X. The King in Strelsau 169 
 
 XI. What the Chancellor's Wife Saw 189 
 
 XII. Before Them All ,. 207 
 
 XIII. A King up His Sleeve 222 
 
 XIV. The News Comes to Strelsau 240 
 
 XV. A Pastime for Colonel Sapt 257 
 
 XVI. A Crowd in the Konigstrasse 276 
 
 iii 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XVII. YouKG Rupert and the Play-actor 295 
 
 XVIII. The Triumph of the King 315 
 
 XIX. For Our Love and Her Honor 336 
 
 XX. The Decision of Heaven 357 
 
 XXI. The Coming of the Dream 379 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGH 
 
 "What may You be Thinking of. Friend James?" 
 
 Frontispiece. 
 
 "My Chance had Come" 32 
 
 "They Two then Stood at the Salute" 67 
 
 "He was Dead" 148 
 
 "I Got the Letter" 161 
 
 "I Heard Her Sobs" 256 
 
 "God Save the King!" 331 
 
 "The Decision of Heaven" 357 
 
RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE queen's GOOD-BY. 
 
 A MAN who has lived in the world, marking how 
 every act, although in itself perhaps light and in- 
 significant, may become the source of conse- 
 quences that spread far and wide, and flow for 
 years or centuries, could scarcely feel secure in 
 reckoning that with the death of the Duke of 
 Strelsau and the restoration of King Rudolf to 
 liberty and his throne, there would end, for good 
 and all, the troubles born of Black Michael's dar- 
 ing conspiracy. The stakes had been high, the 
 struggle keen ; the edge of passion had been sharp- 
 ened, and the seeds of enmity sown. Yet Michael, 
 having struck for the crown, had paid for the blow 
 with his life: should there not then be an end ? 
 Michael was dead, the Princess her cousin's wife, the 
 story in safe keeping, and Mr. Rassendyll's face seen 
 no more in Ruritania. Should there not then be 
 
2 .RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 an end ? So said I to my friend the Constable of 
 Zenda, as we talked by the bedside of Marshal 
 Strakencz. The old man, already nearing the 
 death that soon after robbed us of his aid and 
 counsel, bowed his head in assent: in the aged and 
 ailing the love of peace breeds hope of it. But 
 Colonel Sapt tugged at his gray moustache, and 
 twisted his black cigar in his mouth, saying, 
 " You're very sanguine, friend Fritz. But is 
 Rupert of Hentzau dead ? I had not heard it." 
 
 Well said, and like old Sapt ! Yet the man is 
 little without the opportunity, and Rupert by him- 
 self could hardly have troubled our repose. 
 Hampered by his own guilt, he dared not set his 
 foot in the kingdom from which by rare good luck 
 he had escaped, but wandered to and fro over 
 Europe, making a living by his wits, and, as some 
 said, adding to his resources by gallantries for 
 which he did not refuse substantial recompense. 
 But he kept himself constantly before our eyes, 
 and never ceased to contrive how he might gain 
 permission to return and enjoy the estates to which 
 his uncle's death had entitled him. The chief agent 
 through whom he had the effrontery to approach 
 the king was his relative, the Count of Luzau- 
 Rischenheim, a young man of high rank and great 
 wealth who was devoted to Rupert. The count 
 fulfilled his mission well: acknowledging Rupert's 
 
THE QUEEN'S GOOD-BY. 3 
 
 heavy offences, he put forward in his behalf the 
 pleas of youth and of the predominant influence 
 which Duke Michael had exercised over his ad- 
 herent, and promised, in words so significant as to 
 betray Rupert's own dictation, a future fidelity no 
 less discreet than hearty. " Give me my price and I'll 
 hold my tongue," seemed to come in Rupert's off- 
 hand accents through his cousin's deferential lips. 
 As may be supposed, however, the king and those 
 who advised him in the matter, knowing too well 
 the manner of man the Count of Hentzau was, 
 were not inclined to give ear to his ambassador's 
 prayer. We kept firm hold on Master Rupert's 
 revenues, and as good watch as we could on his 
 movements; for we were most firmly determined 
 that he should never return to Ruritania. Per- 
 haps we might have obtained his extradition and 
 hanged him on the score of his crimes; but in these 
 days every rogue who deserves no better than to 
 be strung up to the nearest tree must have what 
 they call a fair trial; and we feared that, if Rupert 
 were handed over to our police and arraigned be- 
 fore the courts at Strelsau, the secret which we 
 guarded so sedulously would become the gossip 
 of all the city, ay, and of all Europe. So Rupert 
 went unpunished except by banishment and the 
 impounding of his rents. 
 
 Yet Sapt was in the right about him. Helpless 
 
4 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 as he seemed, he did not for an instant abandon 
 the contest. He hved in the faith that his chance 
 would come, and from day to day was ready for its 
 coming. He schemed against us as we schemed 
 to protect ourselves from him; if we watched him, 
 he kept his eye on us. His ascendency over Luzau- 
 Rischenheim grew markedly greater after a visit 
 which his cousin paid to him in Paris. From this 
 time the young count began to supply him with 
 resources. Thus armed, he gathered instruments 
 round him and organized a system of espionage 
 that carried to his ears all our actions and the 
 whole position of affairs at court. He knew, far 
 more acurately than anyone else outside the royal 
 circle, the measures taken for the government of 
 the kingdom and the considerations that dictated 
 the royal policy. More than this, he possessed 
 himself of every detail concerning the king's 
 health, although the utmost reticence was observed 
 on this subject. Had his discoveries stopped there, 
 they would have been vexatious and disquieting, 
 but perhaps of little serious harm. They went 
 further. Set on the track by his acquaintance with 
 what had passed during Mr. Rassendyll's tenure 
 of the throne, he penetrated the secret which had 
 been kept successfully from the king himself. In 
 the knowledge of it he found the opportunity for 
 which he had waited; in its bold use he discerned 
 
THE QUEEN'S GOOD-BY. S 
 
 his chance. I cannot say whether he were influ- 
 enced more strongly by his desire to reestabHsh his 
 position in the kingdom or by the grudge he bore 
 against Mr. Rassendyll. He loved power and 
 money; dearly he loved revenge also. No doubt 
 both motives worked together, and he was rejoiced 
 to find that the weapon put into his hand had a 
 double edge; with one he hoped to cut his own 
 path clear; with the other, to wound the man he 
 hated through the woman whom that man loved. 
 In fine, the Count of Hentzau, shrewdly discern- 
 ing the feeling that existed between the queen 
 and Rudolf Rassendyll, set his spies to work, and 
 was rewarded by discovering the object of my 
 yearly meetings with Mr. Rassendyll. At least he 
 conjectured the nature of my errand ; this was 
 enough for him. Head and hand were soon busy 
 in turning the knowledge to account ; scruples 
 of the heart never stood in Rupert's way. 
 
 The marriage which had set all Ruritania on fire 
 with joy and formed in the people's eyes the visi- 
 ble triumph over Black Michael and his fellow- 
 conspirators was now three years old. For three 
 years the Princess Flavia had been queen. I am 
 come by now to the age when a man should look 
 out on life with an eye undimmed by the mists of 
 passion. My love-making days are over; yet there 
 is nothing for which I am more thankful to 
 
6 RUPERT OF HENTZ/1U. 
 
 Almighty God than the gift of my wife's love. In 
 storm it has been my anchor, and in clear skies my 
 star. But we common folk are free to follow our 
 hearts ; am I an old fool for saying that he is a fool 
 who follows anything else ? Our liberty is not for 
 princes. We need wait for no future world to bal- 
 ance the luck of men; even here there is an equi- 
 poise. From the highly placed a price is exacted 
 for their state, their wealth, and their honors, as 
 heavy as these are great; to the poor, what is to 
 us mean and of no sweetness may appear decked 
 in the robes of pleasure and delight. Well, if it 
 were not so, who could sleep at nights ? The bur- 
 den laid on Queen Flavia I knew, and know, so 
 well as a man can know it. I think it needs a 
 woman to know it fully; for even now my wife's 
 eyes fill with tears when we speak of it. Yet she 
 bore it, and if she failed in anything, I wonder that 
 it was in so little. For it was not only that she 
 had never loved the king and had loved another 
 with all her heart. The king's health, shattered 
 by the horror and rigors of his imprisonment in 
 the castle of Zenda, soon broke utterly. He lived, 
 indeed; nay, he shot and hunted, and kept in his 
 hand some measure, at least, of government. But 
 always from the day of his release he was a fretful 
 invalid, different utterly from the gay and jovial 
 prince whom Michael's villains had caught in the 
 
THE QUEEN'S GOOD-BY. 7 
 
 shooting-lodge. There was worse than this. As 
 time went on, the first impulse of gratitude and 
 admiration that he had felt towards Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll died away. He came to brood more and more 
 on what had passed while he was a prisoner; he 
 was possessed not only by a haunting dread of 
 Rupert of Hentzau, at whose hands he had suf- 
 fered so greatly, but also by a morbid, half-mad 
 jealousy of Mr. Rassendyll. Rudolf had played 
 the hero while he lay helpless. Rudolf's were the 
 exploits for which his own people cheered him in 
 his own capital. Rudolf's were the laurels that 
 crowned his impatient brow. He had enough no- 
 bility to resent his borrowed credit, without the 
 fortitude to endure it manfully. And the hateful 
 comparison struck him nearer home. Sapt would 
 tell him bluntly that Rudolf did this or that, set 
 this precedent or that, laid down this or the other 
 policy, and that the king could do no better than 
 follow in Rudolf's steps. Mr. Rassendyll's name 
 seldom passed his wife's lips, but when she spoke of 
 him it was as one speaks of a great man who is 
 dead, belittling all the living by the shadow of his 
 name. I do not believe that the king discerned 
 that truth which his wife spent her days in hiding 
 from him; yet he was uneasy if Rudolf's name 
 were mentioned by Sapt or myself, and from the 
 queen's mouth he could not bear it. I have seen 
 
8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 him fall into fits of passion on the mere sound of 
 it; for he lost control of himself on what seemed 
 slight provocation. 
 
 Moved by this disquieting jealousy, he sought 
 continually to exact from the queen proofs of love 
 and care beyond what most husbands can boast 
 of, or, in my humble judgment, make good their 
 right to, always asking of her what in his heart 
 he feared was not hers to give. Much she did in 
 pity and in duty; but in some moments, being but 
 human and herself a woman of high temper, she 
 failed; then the slight rebuff or involuntary cold- 
 ness was magnified by a sick man's fancy into 
 great offence or studied insult, and nothing that 
 she could do would atone for it. Thus they, who 
 had never in truth come together, drifted yet 
 further apart; he was alone in his sickness and 
 suspicion, she in her sorrows and her memories. 
 There was no child to bridge the gulf between 
 them, and although she was his queen and his wife, 
 she grew almost a stranger to him. So he seemed 
 to will that it should be. 
 
 Thus, worse than widowed, she lived for three 
 years; and once only in each year she sent three 
 words to the man she loved, and received from 
 him three words in answer. Then her strength 
 failed her. A pitiful scene had occurred in which 
 the king peevishly upbraided her in regard to some 
 
THE QUEENS GOOD-BY. 9 
 
 trivial matter — the occasion escapes my memory — 
 .speaking to her before others words that even 
 alone she could not have listened to with dignity. 
 I was there, and Sapt; the colonel's small eyes had 
 gleamed in anger. " I should like to shut his 
 mouth for him," I heard him mutter, for the king's 
 waywardness had well-nigh worn out even his de- 
 votion. The thing, of which I will say no more, 
 happened a day or two before I was to set out to 
 meet Mr. Rassendyll. I was to seek him this time 
 at Wintenberg, for I had been recognized the year 
 before at Dresden ; and Wintenberg, being a 
 smaller place and less in the way of chance visitors, 
 was deemed safer. I remember well how she was 
 when she called me into her own room, a few hours 
 after she had left the king. She stood by the table; 
 the box was on it, and I knew well that the red rose 
 and the message were within. But there was more 
 to-day. Without preface she broke into the sub- 
 ject of my errand. 
 
 " I must write to him," she said. " I can't bear 
 it, I must write. My dear friend Fritz, you will 
 carry it safely for me, won't you ? And he must 
 write to me. And you'll bring that safely, won't 
 you ? Ah, Fritz, I know I'm wrong, but I'm 
 starved, starved, starved ! And it's for the last 
 time. For I know now that if I send anything, I 
 must send more. So after this time I won't send 
 
lo RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 at all. But I must say good-by to him; I must 
 have his good-by to carry me through my life. 
 This once, then, Fritz, do it for me." 
 
 The tears rolled down her cheeks, which to-day 
 were flushed out of their paleness to a stormy red; 
 her eyes defied me even while they pleaded. I 
 bent my head and kissed her hand. 
 
 " With God's help I'll carry it safely and bring 
 his safely, my queen," said I. 
 
 " And tell me how he looks. Look at him 
 closely, Fritz. See if he is well and seems strong. 
 Oh, and make him merry and happy ! Bring that 
 smile to his lips, Fritz, and the merry twinkle to 
 his eyes. When you speak of me, see if he — if he 
 looks as if he still loved me." But then she broke 
 off, crying, " But don't tell him I said that. He'd 
 be grieved if I doubted his love. I don't doubt it; 
 I don't, indeed; but still tell me how he looks when 
 you speak of me, won't you, Fritz ? See, here's 
 the letter." 
 
 Taking it from her bosom, she kissed it before 
 she gave it to me. Then she added a thousand 
 cautions, how I was to carry her letter, how I was 
 to go and how return, and how I was to run no 
 danger, because my wife Helga loved me as well 
 as she would have loved her husband had Heaven 
 been kinder. " At least, almost as I should, Fritz," 
 she said, now between smiles and tears. She would 
 
THE QUEEN'S GOOD-BY." n 
 
 not believe that any woman could love as she 
 loved. 
 
 I left the queen and went to prepare for my 
 journey. I used to take only one servant with 
 me, and I had chosen a different man each year. 
 None of them had known that I met Mr. 
 Rassendyll, but supposed that I was engaged on 
 the private business which I made my pretext for 
 obtaining leave of absence from the king. This 
 time I had determined to take with me a Swiss 
 youth who had entered my service only a few 
 weeks before. His name was Bauer; he seemed 
 a stolid, somewhat stupid fellow, but as honest as 
 the day and very obliging. He had come to me 
 well recommended, and I had not hesitated to en- 
 gage him. I chose him for my companion now, 
 chiefly because he was a foreigner and therefore 
 less likely to gossip with the other servants when 
 we returned. I do not pretend to much cleverness, 
 but I confess that it vexes me to remember how 
 that stout, guileless-looking youth made a fool of 
 me. For Rupert knew that I had met Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll the year before at Dresden; Rupert was keep- 
 ing a watchful eye on all that passed in Strelsau; 
 Rupert had procured the fellow his fine testi- 
 monials and sent him to me, in the hope that he 
 would chance on something of advantage to his 
 employer. My resolve to take him to Winten- 
 
12 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU. 
 
 berg may have been hoped for, but could scarcely 
 have been counted on; it was the added luck that 
 waits so often on the plans of a clever schemer. 
 
 Going to take leave of the king, I found him 
 huddled over the fire. The day was not cold, but 
 the damp chill of his dungeon seemed to have 
 penetrated to the very core of his bones. He was 
 annoyed at my going, and questioned me peevishly 
 about the business that occasioned my journey. I 
 parried his curiosity as I best could, but did not 
 succeed in appeasing his ill-humor. Half-ashamed 
 of his recent outburst, half-anxious to justify it to 
 himself, he cried fretfully : 
 
 " Business ! Yes, any business is a good enough 
 excuse for leaving me ! By Heaven, I wonder if 
 a king was ever served so badly as I am ! Why 
 did you trouble to get me out of Zenda ? No- 
 body wants me, nobody cares whether I live or 
 die." 
 
 To reason with such a mood was impossible. 
 I could only assure him that I would hasten my 
 return by all possible means. 
 
 " Yes, pray do," said he. " I want somebody 
 to look after me. Who knows what that villain 
 Rupert may attempt against me ? And I can't 
 defend myself, can I ? I'm not Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll, am I ? " 
 
 Thus, with a mixture of plaintiveness and mal- 
 
THE QUEEN'S GOOD-BY. 13 
 
 ice, he scolded me. At last I stood silent, waiting 
 till he should be pleased to dismiss me. At any 
 rate I was thankful that he entertained no suspi- 
 cion as to my errand. Had I spoken a word of Mr. 
 Rassendyll he would not have let me go. He had 
 fallen foul of me before on learning that I was in 
 communication with Rudolf; so completely had 
 jealousy destroyed gratitude in his breast. If he 
 had known what I carried, I do not think that he 
 could have hated his preserver more. Very likely 
 some such feeling was natural enough ; it was 
 none the less painful to perceive. 
 
 On leaving the king's presence, I sought out 
 the Constable of Zenda. He knew my errand ; 
 and, sitting down beside him, I told him of the 
 letter I carried, and arranged how to apprise him 
 of my fortune surely and quickly. He was not in 
 a good humor that day: the king had ruffled him 
 also, and Colonel Sapt had no great reserve of 
 patience. 
 
 " If we haven't cut one another's throats before 
 then, we shall all be at Zenda by the time you 
 arrive at Wintenberg," he said. '' The court moves 
 there to-morrow, and I shall be there as long as the 
 king is." 
 
 He paused, and then added: " Destroy the let- 
 ter if there's any danger." 
 
 I nodded my head. 
 
14 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " And destroy yourself with it, if there's the only 
 way," he went on with a surly smile. " Heaven 
 knows why she must send such a silly message at 
 all; but since she must, she'd better have sent me 
 with it." 
 
 I knew that Sapt was in the way of jeering at all 
 sentiment, and I took no notice of the terms that 
 he applied to the queen's farewell. I contented 
 myself with answering the last part of what he 
 said. 
 
 " No, it's better you should be here," I urged. 
 " For if I should lose the letter — though there's 
 little chance of it — ^you could prevent it from com- 
 ing to the king." 
 
 " I could try," he grinned. " But on my life, 
 to run the chance for a letter's sake ! A let- 
 ter's a poor thing to risk the peace of a kingdom 
 for ! " 
 
 " Unhappily," said I, " it's the only thing that 
 a messenger can well carry." 
 
 " Ofif with you, then," grumbled the colonel. 
 " Tell Rassendyll from me that he did well. But 
 tell him to do something more. Let 'em say good- 
 by and have done with it. Good God, is he going 
 to waste all his life thinking of a woman he never 
 sees ? " Sapt's air was full of indignation. 
 
 " What more is he to do ? " I asked. " Isn't his 
 work here done ? " 
 
THE QUEEN'S COOD-BY. IS 
 
 " Ay, it's done. Perhaps it's done," he an- 
 swered. " At least he has given us back our good 
 king." 
 
 To lay on the king the full blame for what he 
 was would have been rank injustice. Sapt was not 
 guilty of it, but his disappointment was bitter that 
 all our efforts had secured no better ruler for 
 Ruritania. Sapt could serve, but he liked his mas- 
 ter to be a man. 
 
 " Ay, I'm afraid the lad's work here is done," 
 he said, as I shook him by the hand. Then a sud- 
 den light came in his eyes. " Perhaps not," he 
 muttered. " Who knows ? " 
 
 A man need not, I hope, be deemed uxorious 
 for liking a quiet dinner alone with his wife before 
 he starts on a long journey. Such, at least, was 
 my fancy; and I was annoyed to find that Helga's 
 cousin, Anton von Strofzin, had invited himself to 
 share our meal and our farewell. He conversed 
 with his usual airy emptiness on all the topics that 
 were supplying Strelsau with gossip. There were 
 rumors that the king was ill; that the queen was 
 angry at being carried off to Zenda; that the arch- 
 bishop meant to preach against low dresses; that 
 the chancellor was to be dismissed ; that his 
 daughter was to be married; and so forth. I heard 
 without listening. But the last bit of his budget 
 caught my wandering attention. 
 
1 6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " They were betting at the club," said Anton, 
 " that Rupert of Hentzau would be recalled. Have 
 you heard anything about it, Fritz ? " 
 
 If I had known anything, it is needless to say 
 that I should not have confided it to Anton. But 
 the suggested step was so utterly at variance with 
 the king's intentions that I made no difficulty about 
 contradicting the report with an authoritative air. 
 Anton heard me with a judicial wrinkle on his 
 smooth brow. 
 
 " That's all very well," said he, " and I dare say 
 you're bound to say so. All I know is that Risch- 
 enheim dropped a hint to Colonel Markel a day 
 or two ago." 
 
 " Rischenheim believes what he hopes," said I. 
 
 " And where's he gone ? " cried Anton, ex- 
 ultantly. " Why has he suddenly left Strelsau ? I 
 tell you he's gone to meet Rupert, and I'll bet you 
 what you like he carries some proposal. Ah, you 
 don't know everything, Fritz, my boy ! " 
 
 It was indeed true that I did not know every- 
 thing. I made haste to admit as much. " I didn't 
 even know that the count was gone, much less why 
 he's gone," said I. 
 
 " You see ! " exclaimed Anton. And he added, 
 patronizingly, " You should keep your ears open, 
 my boy; then you might be worth what the king 
 pays you." 
 
THE QUEEN'S GOOD-BY. i7 
 
 " No less, I trust," said I, " for he pays me 
 nothing." Indeed, at this time I held no office 
 save the honorary position of chamberlain to Her 
 Majes'ty. Any advice the king needed from me 
 was asked and given unofficially. 
 
 Anton went off, persuaded that he had scored 
 a point against me. I could not see w'here. It 
 was possible that the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim 
 had gone to meet his cousin, equally possible that 
 no such business claimed his care. At any rate, 
 the matter was not for me. I had a more pressing 
 affair in hand. Dismissing the whole thing from 
 my mind, I bade the butler tell Bauer to go for- 
 ward with my luggage and to let my carriage be 
 at the door in good time. Helga had busied her- 
 self, since our guest's departure, in preparing small 
 comforts for my journey; now she came to me to 
 say good-by. Although she tried to hide all signs 
 of it, I detected an uneasiness in her manner. She 
 did not like these errands of mine, imagining dan- 
 gers and risks of which I saw no likelihood. I 
 would not give in to her mood, and, as I kissed 
 her, I bade her expect me back in a few days' time. 
 Not even to her did I speak of the new and more 
 dangerous burden that I carried, although I was 
 aware that she enjoyed a full measure of the 
 queen's confidence. 
 
 " My love to King Rudolf, the real King Ru- 
 
1 8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 dolf," said she. "Though you carry what will 
 make him think little of my love." 
 
 " I have no desire he should think too much of 
 it, sweet," said I. 
 
 She caught me by the hands, and looked up in 
 my face. 
 
 " What a friend you are, aren't you, Fritz ? " 
 said she. " You worship Mr. Rassendyll. I know 
 you think I should worship him too, if he asked 
 me. Well, I shouldn't. I am foolish enough to 
 have my own idol." All my modesty did not let 
 me doubt who her idol might be. Suddenly she 
 drew near to me and whispered in my ear. I think 
 that our own happiness brought to her a sudden 
 keen sympathy with her mistress. 
 
 " Make him send her a loving message, Fritz," 
 she whispered. " Something that will comfort her. 
 Her idol can't be with her as mine is with me." 
 
 " Yes, he'll send something to comfort her," I 
 answered. " And God keep you, my dear." 
 
 For he would surely send an answer to the 
 letter that I carried, and that answer I was sworn 
 to bring safely to her. So I set out in good heart, 
 bearing in the pocket of my coat the little box and 
 the queen's good-by. And, as Colonel Sapt said 
 to me, both I would destroy, if need were — ay, 
 and myself with them. A man did not serve Queen 
 Flavia with divided mind. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 A STATION WITHOUT A CAB. 
 
 The arrangements for my meeting with Mr. 
 Rassendyll had been carefully made by correspond- 
 ence before he left England. He was to be at the 
 Golden Lion Hotel at eleven o'clock on the night 
 of the 15th of October. I reckoned to arrive in 
 the town between eight and nine on the same eve- 
 ning, to proceed to another hotel, and, on pre- 
 tence of taking a stroll, slip out and call on him 
 at the appointed hour. I should then fulfil my 
 commission, take his answer, and enjoy the rare 
 pleasure of a long talk with him. Early the next 
 morning he would have left Wintenberg, and I 
 should be on my way back to Strelsau. I knew 
 that he would not fail to keep his appointment, 
 and I was perfectly confident of being able to carry 
 out the programme punctually; I had, however, 
 taken the precaution of obtaining a week's leave 
 
 19 
 
20 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 of absence, in case any unforeseen accident should 
 delay my return. Conscious of having done all 
 I could to guard against misunderstanding or mis- 
 hap, I got into the train in a tolerably peaceful 
 frame of mind. The box was in my inner pocket, 
 the letter in a porte-monnaie. I could feel them 
 both with my hand. I was not in uniform, but I 
 took my revolver. Although I had no reason to 
 anticipate any difficulties, I did not forget that 
 what I carried must be protected at all hazards 
 and all costs. 
 
 The weary night journey wore itself away. 
 Bauer came to me in the morning, performed his 
 small services, repacked my hand-bag, procured 
 me some coffee, and left me. It was then about 
 eight o'clock; we had arrived at a station of some 
 importance and were not to stop again till mid- 
 day. I saw Bauer enter the second-class compart- 
 ment in which he was traveling, and settled down 
 in my own coupe. I think it was at this moment 
 that the thought of Rischenheim came again into 
 my head, and I found myself wondering why he 
 clung to the hopeless idea of compassing Rupert's 
 return and what business had taken him from 
 Strelsau. But I made little of the matter, and, 
 drowsy from a broken night's rest, soon fell into 
 a doze. I was alone in the carriage and could 
 sleep without fear or danger. I was awakened by 
 
A STATION IVITHOUT A CAB. 21 
 
 our noontide halt. Here I saw Bauer again. 
 After taking a basin of soup, I went to the tele- 
 graph bureau to send a message to my wife; the 
 receipt of it would not merely set her mind at ease, 
 but would also ensure word of my safe progress 
 reaching the queen. As I entered the bureau I 
 met Bauer coming out of it. He seemed rather 
 startled at our encounter, but told me readily 
 enough that he had been telegraphing for rooms 
 at Wintenberg, a very needless precaution, since 
 there was no danger of the hotel being full. In fact 
 I was annoyed, as I especially wished to avoid call- 
 ing attention to my arrival. However, the mis- 
 chief was done, and to rebuke my servant might 
 have aggravated it by setting his wits at work to 
 find out my motive for secrecy. So I said nothing, 
 but passed by him with a nod. When the whole 
 circumstances came to light, I had reason to sup- 
 pose that besides his message to the inn-keeper, 
 Bauer sent one of a character and to a quarter un- 
 suspected by me. 
 
 We stopped once again before reaching Win- 
 tenberg. I put my head out of the window to look 
 about me, and saw B'auer standing near the lug- 
 gage van. He ran to me eagerly, asking whether 
 I required anything. I told him " nothing "; but 
 instead of going away, he began to talk to me. 
 Growing weary of him, I returned to my seat and 
 
2 2 .RUPERT OF HBNTZAU. 
 
 waited impatiently for the train to go on. There 
 was a further delay of five minutes, and then we 
 started. 
 
 " Thank goodness ! " I exclaimed, leaning back 
 comfortably in my seat and taking a cigar from my 
 case. 
 
 But in a moment the cigar rolled unheeded on 
 to the floor, as I sprang eagerly to my feet and 
 darted to the window. For just as we were clear- 
 ing the station, I saw being carried past the car- 
 riage, on the shoulders of a porter^ a bag which 
 looked very much like mine. Bauer had been in 
 charge of my bag, and it had been put in the van 
 under his directions. It seemed unlikely that it 
 should be taken out now by any mistake. Yet the 
 bag I saw was very like the bag I owned. But I 
 was not sure, and could have done nothing had 
 I been sure. We were not to stop again before 
 Wintenberg, and, with my luggage or with- 
 out it, I myself must be in the town that eve- 
 ning. 
 
 We arrived punctual to our appointed time. I 
 sat in the carriage a moment or two, expecting 
 Bauer to open the door and relieve me of my 
 small baggage. He did not come, so I got out. 
 It seemed that I had few fellow-passengers, and 
 these were quickly disappearing on foot or in car- 
 riages and carts that waited outside the station. 
 
A STATION fVITHOUT A CAB. 23 
 
 I stood looking for my servant and my luggage. 
 The evening was mild; I was encumbered with my 
 hand-bag and a heavy fur coat. There were no 
 signs either of Bauer or of baggage. I stayed 
 where I was for five or six minutes. The guard of 
 the train had disappeared, but presently I observed 
 the station-master; he seemed to be taking a last 
 glance round the premises. Going up to him I 
 asked whether he had seen my servant; he could 
 give me no news of him. I had no luggage ticket, 
 for mine had been in Bauer's hands; but I pre- 
 vailed on him to allow me to look at the baggage 
 which had arrived; my property was not among it. 
 The station-master was inclined, I think, to be a 
 little skeptical as to the existence both of bag and 
 of servant. His only suggestion was that the man 
 must have been left behind accidentally. I pointed 
 out that in this case he would not have had the bag 
 with him, but that it would have come on in the 
 train. The station-master admitted the force of 
 my argument; he shrugged his shoulders and 
 spread his hands out; he was evidently at the end 
 of his resources. 
 
 Now, for the first time and with sudden force, 
 a doubt of Bauer's fidelity thrust itself into my 
 mind. I remembered how little I knew of the fel- 
 low and how great my charge was. Three rapid 
 m.ovements ai my hand assured me that letter, box, 
 
24 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 and revolver were in their respective places. If 
 Bauer had gone hunting in the bag, he had drawn 
 a blank. The station-master noticed nothing; he 
 was staring at the dim gas lamp that hung from the 
 roof. I turned to him. 
 
 " Well, tell him when he comes — " I began. 
 
 " He won't come to-night, now," interrupted 
 the station-master, none too politely. " No other 
 train arrives to-night." 
 
 " Tell him when he does come to follow me at 
 once to the Wintenbergerhof. I'm going there 
 immediately." For time was short, and I did not 
 wish to keep Mr. Rassendyll waiting. Besides, in 
 my new-born nervousness, I was anxious to ac- 
 complish my errand as soon as might be. What 
 had become of Bauer ? The thought returned, and 
 now with it another, that seemed to connect itself 
 in some subtle way with my present position: why 
 and whither had the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim 
 set out from Strelsau a day before I started on my 
 journey to Wintenberg ? 
 
 " If he comes I'll tell him," said the station- 
 master, and as he spoke he looked round the 
 yard. 
 
 There was not a cab to be seen ! I knew that 
 the station lay on the extreme outskirts of the 
 town, for I had passed through Wintenberg on my 
 wedding journey, nearly three years before. The 
 
A STATION IVITHOUT A CAB. 25 
 
 trouble involved in walking, and the further waste 
 of time, put the cap on my irritation. 
 
 " Why don't you have enough cabs ? " I asked 
 angrily. 
 
 " There are plenty generally, sir," he answered 
 more civilly, with an apologetic air. " There would 
 be to-night but for an accident." 
 
 Another accident ! This expedition of mine 
 seemed doomed to be the sport of chance. 
 
 " Just before your train arrived," he continued, 
 " a local came in. As a rule, hardly anybody comes 
 by it, but to-night a number of men — oh, twenty 
 or five-and-twenty, I should think — got out. I 
 collected their tickets myself, and they all came 
 from the first station on the line. Well, that's not 
 so strange, for there's a good beer-garden there. 
 But, curiously enough, every one of them hired a 
 separate cab and drove off, laughing and shouting 
 to one another as they went. That's how it hap- 
 pens that there were only one or two cabs left when 
 your train came in, and they were snapped up at 
 once." 
 
 Taken alone, this occurrence was nothing; but 
 I asked myself whether the conspiracy that had 
 robbed me of my servant had deprived me of a 
 vehicle also. 
 
 " What sort of men were they ? " I asked. 
 
 " All sorts of men, sir," answered the station- 
 
26 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 master, "but most of them were s'habby-looking 
 fellows. I wondered where some of them had got 
 the money for their ride." 
 
 The vague feeling of uneasiness which had al- 
 ready attacked me grew stronger. Although I 
 fought against it, calling myself an old woman and 
 a coward, I must confess to an impulse which al- 
 most made me beg the station-master's company 
 on my walk; but, besides being ashamed to exhibit 
 a timidity apparently groundless, I was reluctant 
 to draw attention to myself in any way. I would 
 not for the world have it supposed that I carried 
 anything of value. 
 
 " Well, there's no help for it," said I, and, but- 
 toning my heavy coat about me, I took my hand- 
 bag and stick in one hand, and asked my way to 
 the hotel. My misfortunes had broken down the 
 station-master's indifiference, and he directed me in 
 a sympathetic tone. 
 
 " Straight along the road, sir," said he, " be- 
 tween the poplars, for hard on half a mile; then the 
 houses begin, and your hotel is in the first square 
 you come to, on the right." 
 
 I thanked him curtly (for I had not quite for- 
 given him his earlier incivility), and started on my 
 walk, weighed down by my big coat and the hand- 
 bag. When I left the lighted station-yard I real- 
 ized that the evening had fallen very dark, and the 
 
A STATION fVITHOUT A CAB. 2 7 
 
 shade of the tall lank trees intensified the gloom. 
 I could hardly see my way, and went timidly, with 
 frequent stumbles over the uneven stones of the 
 road. The lamps were dim, few, and widely sepa- 
 rated; so far as company was concerned, I might 
 have been a thousand miles from an inhabited 
 house. In spite of myself, the thought of danger 
 persistently assailed my mind. I began to review 
 every circumstance of my journey, twisting the 
 trivial into some ominous shape, magnifying the 
 significance of everything which might justly seem 
 suspicious, studying in the light of my new appre- 
 hensions every expression of Bauer's face and 
 every word that had fallen from his lips. I could 
 not persuade myself into security. I carried the 
 queen's letter, and — well, I would have given much 
 to have old Sapt or Rudolf Rassendyll by my side. 
 Now, when a man suspects danger, let him not 
 spend his time in asking whether there be really 
 danger or in upbraiding himself for timidity, but 
 let him face his cowardice, and act as though the 
 danger were real. If I had followed that rule and 
 kept my eyes about me, scanning the sides of the 
 road and the ground in front of my feet, instead 
 of losing myself in a maze of reflection, I might 
 have had time to avoid the trap, or at least to get 
 my hand to my revolver and make a fight for it; 
 or, indeed, in the last resort, to destroy what I 
 
2 8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 carried before harm came to it. But my mind was 
 preoccupied, and the whole thing seemed to hap- 
 pen in a minute. At the very moment that I had 
 declared to myself the vanity of my fears and de- 
 termined to be resolute in banishing them, I heard 
 voices — a low, strained whispering; I saw two or 
 three figures in the shadow of the poplars by the 
 wayside. An instant later, a dart was made at me. 
 While I could fly I would not fight; with a sudden 
 forward plunge I eluded the men who rushed at 
 me, and started at a run towards the lights of the 
 town and the shapes of the houses, now distant 
 about a quarter of a mile. Perhaps I ran twenty 
 yards, perhaps fifty; I do not know. I heard the 
 steps behind me, quick as my own. Then I fell 
 headlong on the road — tripped up ! I understood. 
 They had stretched a rope across my path; as I 
 fell a man bounded up from either side, and I 
 found the rope slack under my body. There I lay 
 on my face; a man knelt on me, others held either 
 hand; my face was pressed into the mud of the 
 road, and I was like to have been stifled; my hand- 
 bag had whizzed away from me. Then a voice 
 said : 
 
 " Turn him over." 
 
 I knew the voice; it was a confirmation of the 
 fears which I had lately been at such pains to ban- 
 ish. It justified the forecast of Anton von Strof- 
 
A STATION WITHOUT A CAB. 29 
 
 zin, and explained the wager of the Count of 
 Luzau-Rischenheim — for it was Rischenheim's 
 voice. 
 
 They caught hold of me and began to turn me 
 on my back. Here I saw a chance, and with a 
 great heave of my body I flung them from me. 
 For a short instant I vras free; my impetuous at- 
 tack seemed to have startled the enemy; I gath- 
 ered myself up on my knees. But my advantage 
 was not to last long. Another man, whom I had 
 not seen, sprang suddenly on me like a bullet from 
 a catapult. His fierce onset overthrew me; I was 
 stretched on the ground again, on my back now, 
 and my throat was clutched viciously in strong 
 fingers. At the same moment my arms were again 
 seized and pinned. The face of the man on my 
 chest bent down towards mine, and through the 
 darkness I discerned the features of Rupert of 
 Hentzau. He was panting with the sudden exer- 
 tion and the intense force with which he held me, 
 but he was smiling also; and when he saw by my 
 eyes that I knew him, he laughed softly in triumph. 
 
 Then came Rischenheim's voice again. 
 
 " Where's the bag he carried ? It may be in the 
 bag." 
 
 " You fool, he'll have it about him," said Rupert, 
 scornfully. " Hold him fast while I search." 
 
 On either side my hands were still pinned fast. 
 
30 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Rupert's left hand did not leave my throat, but his 
 free right hand began to dart about me, feeling, 
 probing, and rummaging. I lay quite helpless 
 and in the bitterness of great consternation. 
 Rupert found my revolver, drew it out with a gibe, 
 and handed it to Rischenheim, who was now stand- 
 ing beside him. Then he felt the box, he drew it 
 out, his eyes sparkled. He set his knee hard on 
 my chest, so that I could scarcely breathe; then he 
 ventured to loose my throat, and tore the box 
 open eagerly. 
 
 " Bring a light here," he cried. Another rufifian 
 came with a dark-lantern, whose glow he turned 
 on the box. Rupert opened it, and when he saw 
 what was inside, he laughed again, and stowed it 
 away in his pocket. 
 
 " Quick, quick ! " urged Rischenheim. " We've 
 got what we wanted, and somebody may come at 
 any moment." 
 
 A brief hope comforted me. The loss of the box 
 was a calamity, but I would pardon fortune if only 
 the letter escaped capture. Rupert might have 
 suspected that I carried some such token as the 
 box, but he could not know of the letter. Would 
 he listen to Rischenheim ? No. The Count of 
 Hentzau did things thoroughly. 
 
 " We may as well overhaul him a bit more," 
 said he, and resumed his search. My hope van- 
 
A STATION WITHOUT A CAB. 3^ 
 
 ished, for now he was bound to come upon the 
 letter. 
 
 Another instant brought him to it. He snatched 
 the pocket-book, and, motioning impatiently to 
 the man to hold the lantern nearer, he began to 
 examine the contents. I remember well the look 
 of his face as the fierce white light threw it up 
 against the darkness in its clear pallor and high- 
 bred comeliness, with its curling lips and scornful 
 eyes. He had the letter now, and a gleam of joy 
 danced in tiis eyes as he tore it open. A hasty 
 glance showed him what his prize was; then, coolly 
 and deliberately he settled himself to read, regard- 
 ing neither Rischenheim's nervous hurry nor my 
 desperate, angry glance that glared up at him. 
 He read leisurely, as though he had been in an 
 arm-chair in his own house; the lips smiled and 
 curled as he read the last words that the queen had 
 written to her lover. He had indeed come on more 
 than he thought. 
 
 Rischenheim laid a hand on his shoulder. 
 
 " Quick, Rupert, quick," he urged again, in a 
 voice full of agitation. 
 
 " Let me alone, man. I haven't read anything 
 so amusing for a long while," answered Rupert. 
 Then he burst into a laugh, crying, " Look, look! " 
 and pointing to the foot of the last page of the 
 letter. I was mad with anger; my fury gave me 
 
32 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 new strength. In his enjoyment of what he read 
 Rupert had grown careless; his knee pressed more 
 lightly on me, and as he showed Rischenheim the 
 passage in the letter that caused him so much 
 amusement he turned his head away for an instant. 
 My chance had come. With a sudden movement 
 I displaced him, and with a desperate wrench I 
 freed my right hand. Darting it out, I snatched 
 at the letter. Rupert, alarmed for his treasure, 
 sprang back and off me. I also sprang up on my 
 feet, hurling away the fellow who had gripped my 
 other hand. For a moment I stood facing Rupert; 
 then I darted on him. He was too quick for me; 
 he dodged behind the man with the lantern and 
 hurled the fellow forward against me. The lantern 
 fell on the ground. 
 
 " Give me your stick ! " I heard Rupert say. 
 " Where is it ? That's right ! " 
 
 Then came Rischenheim's voice again, implor- 
 ing and timid : 
 
 " Rupert, you promised not to kill him." 
 
 The only answer was a short, fierce laugh. I 
 hurled away the man who had been thrust into my 
 arms and sprang forward. I saw Rupert of Hent- 
 zau; his hand was raised above his head and held a 
 stout club. I do not know what followed; there 
 came — all in a confused blur of instant sequence — 
 an oath from Rupert, a rush from me, a scuffle, as 
 
"MY CHANCE HAD COME,"— Pag^e 
 
A STATION IVITHOUT A CAB. 33 
 
 though some one sought to hold him back; then 
 he was on me ; I feh a great thud on my forehead, 
 and I felt nothing more. Again I was on my back, 
 with a terrible pain in my head, and a dull, dreamy 
 consciousness of a knot of men standing over me, 
 talking eagerly to one another. 
 
 I could not hear what they were saying; I had 
 no great desire to hear. I fancied, somehow, that 
 they were talking about me; they looked at me 
 and moved their hands towards me now and again. 
 I heard Rupert's laugh, and saw his club poised 
 over me; then Rischenheim caught him by the 
 wrist. I know now that Rischenheim was remind- 
 ing his cousin that he had promised not to kill me, 
 that Rupert's oath did not weigh a straw in the 
 scales, but that he was held back only by a doubt 
 whether I alive or my dead body would be more 
 inconvenient to dispose of. Yet then I did not 
 understand, but lay there listless. And presently 
 the talking forms seemed to cease their talking; 
 they grew blurred and dim, running into one an- 
 other, and all mingling together to form one great 
 shapeless creature that seemed to murmur and 
 gibber over me, some such monster as a man sees 
 in his dreams. I hated to see it, and closed my eye ; 
 its murmurings and gibberings haunted my ears 
 for awhile, making me restless and unhappy; then 
 they died away. Their going made me happy; I 
 
34 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 sighed in contentment; and everything became as 
 though it were not. 
 
 Yet I had one more vision, breaking suddenly 
 across my unconsciousness. A bold, rich voice 
 rang out, " By God, I will ! " " No, no," cried 
 another. Then, " WhaJt's that ? " There was a 
 rush of feet, the cries of men who met in anger or 
 excitement, the crack of a shot and of another 
 quickly following, oaths, and scuffling. Then came 
 the sound of feet flying. I could not make it out; 
 I grew weary with the puzzle of it. Would they 
 not be quiet ? Quiet was what I wanted. At last 
 they grew quiet; I closed my eyes again. The 
 pain was less now ; they were quiet ; I could 
 sleep. 
 
 When a man looks back on the past, reviewing 
 in his mind the chances Fortune has given and 
 the calls she has made, he always torments himself 
 by thinking that he could have done other and 
 better than in fact he did. Even now I lie awake 
 at night sometimes, making clever plans by which 
 I could have thwarted Rupert's schemes. In these 
 musings I am very acute; Anton von Strofzin's 
 idle talk furnisihes me with many a clue, and I draw 
 inferences sure and swift as a detective in the story 
 books. Bauer is my tool, I am not his. I lay 
 Rischenheim by the heels, send Rupert howling off 
 with a ball in his arm, and carry my precious 
 
A STATION IVITHOUT A CAB. 35 
 
 burden in triumph to Mr. Rassendyll. By the time 
 I have played the whole game I am indeed proud 
 of myself. Yet in truth — in daylight truth — I fear 
 that, unless Heaven sent me a fresh set of brains, 
 I should be caught in much the same way again. 
 Though not by that fellow Bauer, I swear ! Well, 
 there it was. They had made a fool of me. I lay 
 on the road with a bloody head, and Rupert of 
 Hentzau had the queen's letter. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 AGAIN TO ZENDA. 
 
 By Heaven's care, or — since a man may be over- 
 apt to arrogate to himself a great share of such 
 attention — ^by good luck, I had not to trust for my 
 life to the slender thread of an oath sworn by 
 Rupert of Hentzau. The visions of my dazed brain 
 were transmutations of reality; the scuffle, the 
 rush, the retreat were not all dream. 
 
 There is an honest fellow now living in Winten- 
 berg comfortably and at his ease by reason that his 
 wagon chanced to come lumbering along with 
 three or four stout lads in it at the moment when 
 Rupert was meditating a second and murderous 
 blow. Seeing the group of us, the good carrier and 
 his lads leapt down and rushed on my assailants. 
 One of the thieves, they said, was for fighting it out 
 — I could guess who that was — and called on the 
 rest to stand; but they, more prudent, laid hands on 
 him, and, in spite of his oaths, hustled him off 
 along the road towards the station. Open country 
 
 36 
 
AG/1IN TO ZENDA. 31 
 
 lay there and the promise of safety. My new 
 friends set off in pursuit; but a couple of revolver 
 shots, heard by me, but not understood, awoke 
 their caution. Good Samaritans, but not men of 
 war, they returned to where I lay senseless on the 
 ground, congratulating themselves and me that an 
 enemy so well armed should run and not stand 
 his ground. They forced a drink of roug'h wine 
 down my throat, and in a minute or two I opened 
 my eyes. They were for carrying me to a hospital; 
 I would have none of it. As soon as things grew 
 clear to me again and I knew where I was, I did 
 nothing but repeat in urgent tones, " The Golden 
 Lion, The Golden Lion ! Twenty crowns to carry 
 me to the Golden Lion." 
 
 Perceiving that I knew my own business and 
 where I wished to go, one picked ug my handbag 
 and the rest hoisted me into their wagon and set 
 out for the hotel where Rudolf Rassendyll was. 
 The one thought my broken head held was to get 
 to him as soon as mig'ht be and tell him how I had 
 been fool enough to let myself be robbed of the 
 queen's letter. 
 
 He was there. He stood on the threshold of the 
 inn, waiting for me, as it seemed, although it was 
 not yet the hour of my appointment. As they 
 drew me up to the door, I saw his tall, straight 
 figure and his red hair by the light of the hall 
 
38 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 lamps. By Heaven, I felt as a lost child must on 
 sig'ht of his mother ! I stretched out my hand to 
 him, over the side of the wagon, murmuring, " I've 
 lost it." 
 
 He started at the words, and sprang for- 
 ward to me. Then he turned quickly to the 
 carrier. 
 
 " This gentleman is my friend," he said. " Give 
 him to me. I'll speak to you later." He waited 
 while I was lifted down from the wagon into the 
 arm's that he held ready for me, and himself carried 
 me across the threshold. I was quite clear in the 
 head by now and understood all that passed. 
 There were one or two people in the hall, but Mr. 
 Rassendyll took no heed of them. He bore me 
 quickly upstairs and into his sitting-room. There 
 he set me down in an arm-chair, and stood op- 
 posite to me. He was smiling, but anxiety was 
 awake in his eyes. 
 
 " I've lost it," I said again, looking up at him 
 pitifully enough. 
 
 " That's all right," said he, nodding. " Will you 
 wait, or can you tell me ? " 
 
 " Yes, but give me some brandy," said I. 
 
 Rudolf gave me a little brandy mixed in a great 
 deal of water, and then I made shift to tell him. 
 Though faint, I was not confused, and I gave my 
 story in brief, hurried, yet sufficient words. He 
 
AGAIN TO ZEN DA. 39 
 
 made no sign till I mentioned the letter. Then his 
 face changed. 
 
 " A letter, too ? " he exclaimed, in a strange 
 mixture of increased apprehension and unlooked- 
 for Joy. 
 
 " Yes, a letter, too; sihe wrote a letter, and I 
 carried that as well as the box. I've lost them 
 both, Rudolf. God help me, I've lost them both ! 
 Rupert has the letter too ! " I think I must have 
 been weak and unmanned from the blow I had 
 received, for my composure broke down here. 
 Rudolf stepped up to me and wrung me by the 
 hand. I mastered myself again and looked in his 
 face as he stood in thought, his hand caressing the 
 strong curve of his clean-shaven chin. Now that 
 I was with him again it seemed as though I had 
 never lost him; as though we were still together 
 in Strelsau or at Tarlenheim, planning how to 
 hoodwink Black Michael, send Rupert of Hentzau 
 to his own place, and bring the king back to his 
 throne. For Mr. Rassendyll, as he stood before 
 me now, was changed in nothing since our last 
 meeting, nor indeed since he reigned in Strel- 
 sau, save that a few flecks of gray spotted his 
 hair. 
 
 My battered head ached most consumedly. Mr. 
 Rassendyll rang the bell twice, and a short, thick- 
 set man of middle age appeared; he wore a suit 
 
40 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 of tweed, and had the air of smartness and respect- 
 ability which marks English servants. 
 
 "James," said Rudolf, "this gentleman has hurt 
 his head. Look after it." 
 
 James went out. In a few minutes he was back, 
 with water, basin, towels, and bandages. Bending 
 over me, he began to wash and tend my wound 
 very deftly. Rudolf was walking up and down. 
 
 " Done the head, James ? " he asked, after a 
 few moments. 
 
 " Yes, sir," answered the servant, gathering to- 
 gether his appliances. 
 
 " Telegraph forms, then." 
 
 James went out, and was back with the forms 
 in an instant. 
 
 " Be ready when I ring," said Rudolf. And he 
 added, turning to me, " Any easier, Fritz ? " 
 
 " I can listen to you now," I said. 
 
 " I see their game," sai'd he. " One or other of 
 them, Rupert or this Rischenheim, will try to get 
 to the king with the letter." 
 
 I sprang to my feet. 
 
 " They mustn't," I cried, and I reeled back into 
 my chair, with a feeling as if a red-hot poker were 
 being run through my head. 
 
 " Much you can do to stop 'em, old fellow," 
 smiled Rudolf, pausing to press my hand as he 
 went by. " They won't trust the post, you know. 
 
AGMN TO ZENDA. 41 
 
 One will go. Now which ? " He stood facing me 
 with a thoughtful frown on his face. 
 
 I did not know, but I thought that Rischenheim 
 would go. It was a great risk for Rupert to trust 
 himself in the kingdom, and he knew that the king 
 would not easily be persuaded to receive him, how- 
 ever startling might be the business he professed 
 as his errand. On the other hand, nothing was 
 known against Rischenheim, while his rank would 
 secure, and indeed entitle, him to an early audi- 
 ence. Therefore I concluded that Rischenheim 
 would go with the letter, or, if Rupert would not 
 let that out of his possession, with the news of the 
 letter. 
 
 " Or a copy," suggested Rassendyll. " Well, 
 Rischenheim or Rupert will be on his way by to- 
 morrow morning, or is on his way to-night." 
 
 Again I tried to rise, for I was on fire to prevent 
 the fatal consequences of my stupidity. Rudolf 
 thrust me back in my chair, saying, " No, no." 
 Then he sat down at the table and took up the 
 telegraph forms. 
 
 " You and Sapt arranged a cipher, I suppose ? " 
 he asked. 
 
 " Yes. You write the message, and I'll put it 
 into the cipher." 
 
 "This is what I've written: 'Document lost. 
 Let nobody see him if possible. Wire who asks.' 
 
42 RUPERT OP HENTZAU. 
 
 I don't like to make it plainer: most ciphers can 
 be read, you know." 
 
 " Not ours," said I. 
 
 " Wdl, but will that do ? " asked Rudolf, with 
 an unconvinced smile. 
 
 " Yes, I think he'll understand it." And I wrote 
 it again in the cipher; it was as much as I could do 
 to hold the pen. 
 
 The bell was rung again, and James appeared in 
 an instant. 
 
 " Send this," said Rudolf. 
 
 " The offices will be shut, sir." 
 
 " James, James ! " 
 
 " Very good, sir; but it may take an hour to 
 get one open." 
 
 " I'll give you half an hour. Have you 
 money ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " And now," added Rudolf, turning to me, 
 " you'd better go to bed." 
 
 I do not recollect what I answered, for my faint- 
 ness came upon me again, and I remember only 
 that Rudolf himself helped me into his own bed. 
 I slept, but I do not think he so much as lay down 
 on the sofa; chancing to awake once or twice, I 
 heard him pacing about. But towards morning I 
 slept heavily, and I did not know what he was 
 doing then. At eight o'clock James entered and 
 
AGAIN TO ZENDA. 43 
 
 roused me. He said that a doctor was to be at the 
 hotel in half an hour, but that Mr. Rassendyll 
 would like to see me for a few minutes if I felt 
 equal to business. I begged James to summon his 
 master at once. Whether I were equal or unequal, 
 the business had to be done. 
 
 Rudolf came, calm and serene. Danger and the 
 need for exertion acted on him like a draught of 
 good, wine on a seasoned drinker. He was not 
 only himself, but more than himself: his excel- 
 lences enhanced, the indolence that marred him in 
 quiet hours sloughed ofif. But to-day there was 
 something more; I can only describe it as a kind 
 of radiance. I have seen it on the faces of young 
 sparks when the lady they love comes through the 
 ball-room door, and I have seen it glow more softly 
 in a girl's eyes when some fellow who seemed to 
 me nothing out of the ordinary asked her for a 
 dance. That strange gleam was on Rudolf's face 
 as he stood by my bedside. I dare say it used to 
 be on mine when I went courting. 
 
 " Fritz, old friend," said he, " there's an answer 
 from Sapt. I'll lay the telegraph offices were 
 stirred at Zenda as well as James stirred them here 
 in Wintenberg ! And what do you think ? 
 Rischenheim asked for an audience before he left 
 Strelsau." 
 
 I raised myself on my elbow in the bed. 
 
44 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " You understand ? " he went on. " He left on 
 Monday. To-day's Wednesday. The king has 
 granted him an audience at four on Friday. Well, 
 then " 
 
 " They counted on success," I cried, " and 
 Rischenheim takes the letter ! " 
 
 " A copy, if I know Rupert of Hentzau. Yes, 
 it was well laid. I like the men taking all the cabs ! 
 How much ahead had they, now ? " 
 
 I did not know that, though I had no more 
 doubt than he that Rupert's hand was in the busi- 
 ness. 
 
 " Well," he continued, " I am going to wire to 
 Sapt to put Rischenheim off for twelve hours if he 
 can; failing that, to get the king away from 
 Zenda." 
 
 " But Rischenheim must have his audience 
 sooner or later," I objected. 
 
 " Sooner or later — there's the world's difference 
 between them ! " cried Rudolf Rassendyll. He sat 
 down on the bed by me, and went on in quick, 
 decisive words: "You can't move for a day or 
 two. Send my message to Sapt. Tell him to keep 
 you informed of what happens. As soon as you 
 can travel, go to Strelsau, and let Sapt know di- 
 rectly you arrive. We shall want your help." 
 
 " And what are you going to do ? " I cried, star- 
 ing at him. 
 
AGAIN TO ZENDA 4S 
 
 He looked at me for a moment, and his face was 
 crossed by conflicting feelings. I saw resolve 
 there, obstinacy, and the scorn of danger; fun, too, 
 and merriment; and, lastly, the same radiance I 
 spoke of. He had been smoking a cigarette; now 
 he threw the end of it into the grate and rose from 
 the bed where he had been sitting. 
 
 " I'm going to Zenda," said he. 
 
 " To Zenda ! " I cried, amazed. 
 
 " Yes," said Rudolf. " I'm going again to 
 Zenda, Fritz, old fellow. By heaven, I knew it 
 would come, and now it has come ! " 
 
 " But to do what ? " 
 
 " I shall overtake Rischenheim or be hot on his 
 heels. If he gets there first, Sapt will keep him 
 waiting till I come; and if I come, he shall never 
 see the king. Yes, if I come in time — " He broke 
 into a sudden laugh. " What ! " he cried, " have I 
 lost my likeness ? Can't I still play the king ? 
 Yes, if I come in time, Rischenheim shall have his 
 audience of the king of Zenda, and the king will be 
 very gracious to him, and the king will take his 
 copy of the letter from him ! Oh, Rischenheim 
 shall have an audience of King Rudolf in the castle 
 of Zenda, never fear ! " 
 
 He stood, looking to see how I received his 
 plan; but amazed at the boldness of it, I could only 
 lie back and gasp. 
 
46 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Rudolf's excitement left him as suddenly as it 
 had come; he was again the cool, shrewd, non- 
 chalant Englishman, as, lighting another cigarette, 
 he proceeded : 
 
 " You see, there are two of them, Rupert and 
 Rischenheim. Now you can't move for a day or 
 two, that's certain. But there must be two of us 
 there in Ruritania. Rischenheim is to try first ; but 
 if he fails, Rupert will risk everything and break 
 through to the king's presence. Give him five min- 
 utes with the king, and the mischief's done ! Very 
 well, then; Sapt must keep Rupert at bay while I 
 tackle Rischenheim. As soon as you can move, 
 go to Strelsau, and let Sapt know where you are." 
 
 " But if you're seen, if you're found out ? " 
 
 " Better I than the queen's letter," said he. 
 Then he laid his hand on my arm and said, quite 
 quietly, " If the letter gets to the king, I and I only 
 can do what must be done." 
 
 I did not know what he meant; perhaps it was 
 that he would carry off the queen sooner than leave 
 her alone after her letter was known; but there 
 was another possible meaning that I, a loyal sub- 
 ject, dared not inquire into. Yet I made no an- 
 swer, for. I was above all and first of all the queen's 
 servant. Still I cannot believe that he meant harm 
 to the king. 
 
 " Come, Fritz," he cried, " don't look so glum. 
 
AGAIN TO ZEND/I. 47 
 
 This is not so great an affair as the other, and we 
 brought that through safe." I suppose I still 
 looked doubtful, for he added, with a sort of im- 
 patience, " Well, I'm going, anyhow. Heavens, 
 man, am I to sit here while that letter is carried to 
 the king ? " 
 
 I understood his feeling, and knew that he held 
 life a light thing compared with the recovery of 
 Queen Fiavia's letter. I ceased to urge him. 
 When I assented to his wishes, every shadow van- 
 ishefd from his face, and he began to discuss the de- 
 tails of the plan with business-like brevity. 
 
 " I shall leave James with you," said Rudolf. 
 " He'll be very useful, and you can rely on him 
 absolutely. Any message that you dare trust to 
 no other conveyance, give to him; he'll carry it. 
 He can shoot, too." He rose as he spoke. " I'll 
 look in before I start," he added, " and hear what 
 the doctor says about you." 
 
 I lay there, thinking, as men sick and weary in 
 body will, of the dangers and the desperate nature 
 of the risk, rather than of the hope which its bold- 
 ness would have inspired in a healthy, active brain. 
 I distrusted the rapid inference that Rudolf had 
 drawn from Sapt's telegram, telling myself that it 
 was based on too slender a foundation. Well, 
 there I was wrong, and I am glad now to pay that 
 tribute to his discernment. The first steps of Ru- 
 
48 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU 
 
 part's scheme were laid as Rudolf had conjectured: 
 Rischenheim had started, even while I lay there, 
 for Zenda, carrying on his person a copy of the 
 queen's farewell letter and armed for his enterprise 
 by his right of audience with the king. So far we 
 were right, then; for the rest we were in darkness, 
 not knowing or being able even to guess where Ru- 
 pert would choose to await the result of the first 
 cast, or what precautions he had taken against the 
 failure of his envoy. But although in total obscurity 
 as to his future plans, I traced his past actions, and 
 subsequent knowledge has shown that I was right. 
 Bauer was the tool; a couple of florins apiece had 
 hired the fellows who, conceiving that they were 
 playing a part in some practical joke, had taken 
 all the cabs at the station. Rupert had reckoned 
 that I should linger looking for my servant and 
 luggage, and thus miss my last chance of a vehicle. 
 If, however, I had obtained one, the attack would 
 still have been made, although, of course, under 
 much greater difficulties. Finally — and of this at 
 the time I knew nothing — ^had I evaded them and 
 got safe to port with my cargo, the plot would 
 have been dhanged. Rupert's attention would 
 then have been diverted from me to Rudolf; count- 
 ing on love overcoming prudence, he reckoned 
 that Mr. Rassendyll would not at once destroy 
 what the queen sent, and had arranged to track his 
 
AGAIN TO ZENDA. 49 
 
 Steps from Wintenberg till an opportunity offered 
 of robbing him of his treasure. The scheme, as I 
 know it, was full of audacious cunning, and re- 
 quired large resources — the former Rupert himself 
 supplied; for the second he was indebted to his 
 cousin and slave, the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim. 
 
 My meditations were interrupted by the arrival 
 of the doctor. He hummed and ha'd over me, but 
 to my surprise asked me no questions as to the 
 cause of my misfortune, and did not, as I had 
 feared, suggest that his efforts should be seconded 
 by those of the police. On the contrary, he ap- 
 peared, from an unobtrusive hint or two, to be 
 anxious that I should know that his discretion 
 could be trusted. 
 
 " You must not think of moving for a couple of 
 days," he said; " but then, I think we can get you 
 away without danger and quite quietly." 
 
 I thanked him; he promised to look in again; 
 I murmured something about his fee. 
 
 " Oh, thank you, that is all settled," he said. 
 " Your friend Herr Schmidt has seen to it, and, 
 my dear sir, most liberally." 
 
 He was hardly gone when ' my friend Herr 
 Schmidt ' — alias Rudolf Rassendyll — ^was back. 
 He laughed a little when I told him how discreet 
 the doctor had been. 
 
 " You see," he explained, " he thinks you've 
 
so RUPERT OF HBNTZAU. 
 
 been very indiscreet. I was obliged, my dear Fritz, 
 to take some liberties with your character. How- 
 ever, it's odds against the matter coming to your 
 wife's ears." 
 
 " But couldn't we have laid the others by the 
 heels ? " 
 
 " With the letter on Rupert ? My dear fellow, 
 you're very ill." 
 
 I laughed at myself, and forgave Rudolf his 
 trick, though I think that he might have made 
 my fictitious inamorata something more than a 
 baker's wife. It would have cost no more to make 
 her a countess, and the doctor would have looked 
 with more respect on me. However, Rudolf had 
 said that the baker broke my head with his rolling- 
 pin, and thus the story rests in the doctor's mind to 
 this day. 
 
 " Well, I'm off," said Rudolf. 
 
 " But where ? " 
 
 " Why, to that same little station where two 
 good friends parted from me once before. Fritz, 
 Where's Rupert gone ? " 
 
 " I wish we knew." 
 
 " I lay he won't be far off." 
 
 " Are you armed ? " 
 
 "The six-shooter. Well, yes, since you press 
 me, a knife, too; but only if he uses one. You'll 
 let Sapt know when you come ? " 
 
AGAIN TO ZENDA. 5^ 
 
 " Yes; and I come the moment I can stand ? " 
 " As if you need tell me that, old fellow ! " 
 " Where do you go from the station ? " 
 " To Zenda, through the forest," he answered. 
 " I shall reach the station about nine to-morrow 
 night, Thursday. Unless Rischenheim has got 
 the audienc^ sooner than was arranged, I shall be 
 in time." 
 
 " How will you get hold of Sapt ? " 
 " We must leave something to the minute." 
 " God bless you, Rudolf." 
 " The king sha'n't have the letter, Fritz." 
 There was a moment's silence as we shook 
 hands. Then that soft yet bright look came in 
 his eyes again. He looked down at me, and 
 caught me regarding him with a smile that I know 
 was not unkind. 
 
 " I never thought I should see her again," he 
 said. " I think I shall now, Fritz. To have a 
 turn with that boy and to see her again — it's worth 
 something." 
 
 " How will you see her ? " 
 Rudolf laughed, and I laughed too. He caught 
 my hand again. I think that he was anxious to 
 infect me with his gayety and confidence. But I 
 could not answer to the appeal of his eyes. There 
 was a motive in him that found no place in me — a 
 great longing, the prospect or hope of whose sud- 
 
52 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 den fulfilment dwarfed danger and banished 
 despair. He saw that I detected its presence in 
 him and perceived how it filled his mind. 
 
 " But the letter comes before all," said he. " I 
 expected to die without seeing her; I will die 
 without seeing her, if I must, to save the letter." 
 
 " I know you will," said I. 
 
 He pressed my hand again. As he turned away, 
 James came with his noiseless, quick step into the 
 room. 
 
 " The carriage is at the door, sir," said he. 
 
 " Look after the count, James," said Rudolf. 
 " Don't leave him till he sends you away." 
 
 " Very well, sir." 
 
 I raised myself in bed. 
 
 " Here's luck," I cried, catching up the lemon- 
 ade James had brought me, and taking a gulp of it. 
 
 " Please God," said Rudolf, with a shrug. 
 
 And he was gone to his work and his reward — 
 to save the queen's letter and to see the queen's 
 face. Thus he went a second time to Zenda. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 AN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 
 
 On the evening of Thursday, the sixteenth of 
 October, the Constable of Zenda was very much 
 out of humor; he has since confessed as much. To 
 risk the peace of a palace for the sake of a lover's 
 greeting had never been wisdom to his mind, and 
 he had been sorely impatient with " that fool 
 Fritz's " yearly pilgrimage. The letter of farewell 
 had been an added folly, pregnant with chances of 
 disaster. Now disaster, or the danger of it, had 
 come. The curt, mysterious telegram from Win- 
 tenberg, which told him so little, at least told him 
 that. It ordered him — and he did not know even 
 whose the order was — to delay Rischenheim's au- 
 dience, or, if he could not, to get the king away 
 from Zenda: why he was to act thus was not dis- 
 closed to him. But he knew as well as I that 
 Rischenheim was completely in Rupert's hands, 
 and he could not fail to guess that something had 
 gone wrong at Wintenberg, and that Rischenheim 
 came to tell the king some news that the king must 
 
 53 
 
54 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 not hear. His task sounded simple, but it was not 
 easy; for he did not know where Rischenheim was, 
 and so could not prevent his coming; besides, the 
 king had been very pleased to learn of the count's 
 approaching visit, since he desired to talk with him 
 on the subject of a certain breed of dogs, which 
 the count bred with great, his Majesty with only 
 indifferent success; therefore he had declared that 
 nothing should interfere with his reception of 
 Rischenheim. In vain Sapt told him that a large 
 boar had been seen in the forest, and that a fine 
 day's sport might be expected if he would hunt 
 next day. " I shouldn't be back in time to see 
 Rischenheim," said the king. 
 
 " Your Majesty would be back by nig'htfall," 
 suggested Sapt. 
 
 " I should be too tired to talk to him, and I've a 
 great deal to discuss." 
 
 " You could sleep at the hunting-lodge, sire, 
 and ride back to receive the count next morning." 
 
 " I'm anxious to see him as soon as may be." 
 Then he looked up at Sapt with a sick man's quick 
 suspicion. " Why shouldn't I see him ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " It's a pity to miss the boar, sire," was all Sapt's 
 plea. The king made liglit of it. 
 
 " Curse the boar ! " said he. " I want to know 
 ■how he gets the dogs' coats so fine." 
 
AN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 55 
 
 As the king spoke a servant entered, carrying 
 a telegram for Sapt. The colonel took it and put 
 it in his pocket. 
 
 " Read it," said the king. He had dined and 
 was about to go to bed, it being nearly ten o'clock. 
 
 " It will keep, sire," answered Sapt, who did not 
 know but that it might be from Wintenberg. 
 
 " Read it," insisted the king testily. " It may 
 be from Rischenheim. Perhaps he can get here 
 sooner. I should like to know about those dogs. 
 Read it, I beg." 
 
 Sapt could do nothing but read it. He had 
 taken to spectacles lately, and he spent a long while 
 adjusting them and thinking what he should do if 
 the message were not fit for the king's ear. " Be 
 quick, man, be quick ! " urged the irritable king. 
 
 Sapt had got the envelope open at last, and re- 
 lief, mingled with perplexity, showed in his face. 
 
 " Your Majesty guessed wonderfully well. 
 Rischenheim can be here at eight to-morrow 
 morning," he said, looking up. 
 
 " Capital ! " cried the king. " He shall break- 
 fast with me at nine, and I'll have a ride after the 
 boar when we've done our business. Now are you 
 satisfied ? " 
 
 "Perfectly, sire," said Sapt, biting his mous- 
 tache. 
 
 The king rose with a yawn, and bade the colonel 
 
5 6 RUPERT OF HENTZj4U. 
 
 good-night. " He must have some trick I don't 
 know with those dogs," he remarked, as he went 
 out. And " Damn the dogs ! " cried Colonel Sapt 
 the moment that the door was shut behind his 
 Majesty. 
 
 But the colonel was not a man to accept defeat 
 easily. The audience that he had been instructed 
 to postpone was advanced; the king, whom he had 
 been told to get away from Zenda, would not go 
 till he had seen Rischenheim. Still there are many 
 ways of preventing a meeting. Some are by fraud; 
 these it is no injustice to Sapt to say that he had 
 tried; sonde are by force, and the colonel was being 
 driven to the conclusion that one of these must be 
 his resort. 
 
 "Though the king," he mused, with a grin, " will 
 be furious if anything happens to Rischenheim 
 before he's told him about the dogs." 
 
 Yet he fell to racking his brains to find a means 
 by which the count might be rendered incapable 
 of performing the service so desired by the king 
 and of carrying out his own purpose in seeking an 
 audience. Nothing save assassination suggested 
 itself to the constable; a quarrel and a duel offered 
 no security; and Sapt was not Black Michael, and 
 had no band of ruffians to join him in an apparently 
 unprovoked kidnapping of a distinguished noble- 
 man. 
 
MN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 57 
 
 " I can think of nothing," muttered Sapt, rising 
 from his chair and moving across towards the 
 window in search of the fresh air that a man so 
 often thinks will give him a fresh idea. He was 
 in his own quarters, that room of the new chateau 
 which opens on to the moat immediately to the 
 right of the drawbridge as you face the old castle; 
 it was the room which Duke Michael had occu- 
 pied, and almost opposite to the spot where the 
 great pipe had connected the window of the king's 
 dungeon with the waters of the moat. The bridge 
 was down now, for peaceful days had come to 
 Zenda; the pipe was gone, and the dungeon's win- 
 dow, though still barred, was uncovered. The 
 night was clear and fine, and the still water 
 gleamed fitfully as the moon, half-full, escaped 
 from or was hidden by passing clouds. Sapt stood 
 staring out gloomily, beating his knuckles on the 
 stone sill. The fresh air was there, but the fresh 
 idea tarried. 
 
 Suddenly the constable bent forward, craning 
 his head out and down, far as he could stretch it, 
 towards the water. What he had seen, or seemed 
 dimly to see, is a sight common enough on the 
 surface of water — large circular eddies, widening 
 from a centre; a stone thrown in makes them, or a 
 fish on the rise. But Sapt had thrown no stone, 
 and the fish in the moat were few and not rising 
 
58 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 then. The light was behind Sapt, and threw his 
 figure into bold relief. The royal apartments 
 looked out the other way; there were no lights in 
 the windows this side the bridge, although beyond 
 it the guards' lodgings and the servants' offices still 
 showed a light here and there. Sapt waited till 
 the eddies ceased. Then he heard the faintest 
 sound, as of a large body let very gently into the 
 water; a moment later, from the moat right below 
 him, a man's head emerged. 
 
 " Sapt ! " said a voice, low but distinct. 
 
 The old colonel started, and, resting both hands 
 on the sill, bent further out, till he seemed in dan- 
 ger of overbalancing. 
 
 " Quick — to the ledge on the other side. You 
 know," said the voice, and the head turned; with 
 quick, quiet strokes the man crossed the moat till 
 he was hidden in the triangle of deep shade formed 
 by the meeting of the drawbridge and the old castle 
 wall. Sapt watched him go, almost stupefied by 
 the sudden wonder of hearing that voice come to 
 him out of the stillness of the night. For the 
 king was abed; and who spoke in that voice save 
 the king and one other ? 
 
 Then, with a curse at himself for his delay, he 
 turned and walked quickly across the room. 
 Opening the door, he found himself in the passage. 
 But here he ran right into the arms of young 
 
/tN EDDY ON THE MO/IT. 59 
 
 Bernenstein, the officer of the guard, who was 
 going his rounds. Sapt knew and trusted him, for 
 he had been with us all through the siege of Zenda, 
 when Michael kept the king a prisoner, and he 
 bore marks given him by Rupert of Hentzau's 
 ruffians. H now held a commission as lieutenant 
 in the cuirassiers of the King's Guard. 
 
 He noticed Sapt's bearing, for he cried out in 
 a low voice, " Anything wrong, sir ? " 
 
 " Bernenstein, my boy, the castle's all right 
 about here. Go round to the front, and, hang you, 
 stay there," said Sapt. 
 
 The officer stared, as well he might. Sapt 
 caught him by the arm. 
 
 " No, stay here. See, stand by the door there 
 that leads to the royal apartments. Stand there, 
 and let nobody pass. You understand ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " And whatever you hear, don't look round." 
 
 Bernenstein's bewilderment grew greater; but 
 Sapt was constable, and on Sapt's shoulders lay the 
 responsibility for the safety of Zenda and all in 
 it. 
 
 "Very well, sir," he said, with a submissive 
 shrug, and he drew his sword and stood by the 
 door; he could obey, although he could not under- 
 stand. 
 
 Sapt ran on. Opening the gate that led to the 
 
6o RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 bridge, he sped across. Then, stepping on one 
 side and turning his face to the wall, he descended 
 the steps that gave foothold down to the ledge 
 running six or eight inches above the water. He 
 also was now in the triangle of deep darkness, yet 
 he knew that a man was there, who stood straight 
 and tall, rising above his own height. And he felt 
 his hand caught in a sudden grip. Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll was there, in his wet drawers and socks. 
 
 " Is it you ? " he whispered. 
 
 " Yes," answered Rudolf; " I swam round from 
 the other side and got here. Then I threw in a bit 
 of mortar, but I wasn't sure I'd roused you, and I 
 didn't dare shout, so I followed it myself. Lay 
 hold of me a minute while I get on my breeches: I 
 didn't want to get wet, so I carried my cloth.es in 
 a bundle. Hold me tight, it's slippery." 
 
 " In God's name what brings you here ? " whis- 
 pered Sapt, catching Rudolf by the arm as he was 
 directed. 
 
 " The queen's service. When does Rischen- 
 heim come ? " 
 
 " To-morrow at eight." 
 
 " The deuce ! That's earlier than I thought. 
 And the king ? " 
 
 " Is here and determined to see him. It's im- 
 possible to move him from it." 
 
 There was a moment's silence; Rudolf drew his 
 
AN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 6i 
 
 shirt over his head and tucked it into his trousers. 
 " Give me the jacket and waistcoat," he said. " I 
 feel deuced damp underneath, though." 
 
 " You'll soon get dry," grinned Sapt. " You'll 
 be kept moving, you see." 
 
 " I've lost my hat." 
 
 " Seems to me you've lost your head too." 
 
 " You'll find me both, eh, Sapt ? " 
 
 " As good as your own, anyhow," growled the 
 constable. 
 
 " Now the boots, and I'm ready." Then he 
 asked quickly, " Has the king seen or heard from 
 Rischenheim ? " 
 
 " Neither, except through me." 
 
 " Then why is he so set on seeing him ? " 
 
 " To find out what gives dogs smooth coats." 
 
 " You're serious ? Hang you, I can't see your 
 face." 
 
 " Absolutely." 
 
 " All's well, then. Has he got a beard now ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Confound him ! Can't you take me anywhere 
 to talk ? " 
 
 " What the deuce are you here at all for ? " 
 
 " To meet Rischenheim." 
 
 " To meet ? " 
 
 "Yes. Sapt, he's got a copy of the queen's 
 letter." 
 
62 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Sapt twirled his moustache. 
 
 " I've always said as much," he remarked in 
 tones of satisfaction. He need not have said it; 
 he would have been more than human not to think 
 it. 
 
 " Where can you take me to ? " asked Rudolf 
 impatiently. 
 
 " Any room with a door and a lock to it," an- 
 swered old Sapt. " I command here, and when I 
 say ' Stay out ' — well, they don't come in." 
 
 " Not the king ? " 
 
 " The king is in bed. Come along," and the 
 constable set his toe on the lowest step. 
 
 " Is there nobody about ? " asked Rudolf, 
 catching his arm. 
 
 " Bernenstein; but he will keep his back toward 
 us." 
 
 " Your discipline is still good, then. Colonel ? " 
 
 " Pretty well for these days, your Majesty," 
 grunted Sapt, as he reached the level of the 
 bridge. 
 
 Having crossed, they entered the chateau. The 
 . passage was empty, save for Bernenstein, whose 
 broad back barred the way from the royal apart- 
 ments. 
 
 " In here," whispered Sapt, laying his hand on 
 the door of the room whence he had come. 
 
 "All right," answered Rudolf. Bernenstein's 
 
AN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 63 
 
 hand twitched, but he did not look round. There 
 was discipHne in the castle of Zenda. 
 
 But as Sapt was half-way through the door and 
 Rudolf about to follow him, the other door, that 
 which Bernenstein guarded, was softly yet swiftly 
 opened. Bernenstein's sword was in rest in an in- 
 stant. A muttered oath from Sapt and Rudolf's 
 quick snatch at his breath greeted the interrup- 
 tion. Bernenstein did not look round, but his 
 sword fell to his side. In the doorway stood Queen 
 Flavia, all in white; and now her face turned 
 white as her dress. For her eyes had fallen on 
 Rudolf Rassendyll. For a moment the four stood 
 thus; then Rudolf passed Sapt, thrust Bernen- 
 stein's brawny shoulders (the young man had not 
 looked round) out of the way, and, falling on his 
 knee before the queen, seized her hand and kissed 
 it. Bernenstein could see now without looking 
 round, and if astonishment could kill, he would 
 have been a dead man that instant. He fairly 
 reeled and leant against the wall, his mouth hang- 
 ing open. For the king was in bed, and had a 
 beard; yet there was the king, fully dressed and 
 clean shaven, and he was kissing the queen's hand, 
 while she gazed down on him in a struggle be- 
 tween amazement, fright, and joy. A soldier 
 should be prepared for anything, but I cannot be 
 hard on young Bernenstein's bewilderment. 
 
64 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Yet there was in truth nothing strange in the 
 queen seeking to see old Sapt that night, nor in 
 her guessing where he would most probably be 
 found. For she had asked him three times whether 
 news had come from Wintenberg and each time he 
 had put her off with excuses. Quick to forebode 
 evil, and conscious of the pledge to fortune that 
 she had given in her letter, she had determined to 
 know from him whether there were really cause for 
 alarm, and had stolen, undetected, from her apart- 
 ments to seek him. What filled her at once with 
 unbearable apprehension and incredulous joy was 
 to find Rudolf present in actual flesh and blood, 
 no longer in sad longing dreams or visions, and 
 to feel his live lips on her hand. 
 
 Lovers count neither time nor danger; but Sapt 
 counted both, and no more than a moment had 
 passed before, with eager imperative gestures, he 
 beckoned them to enter the room. The queen 
 obeyed, and Rudolf followed her. 
 
 " Let nobody in, and don't say a word to any- 
 body," whispered Sapt, as he entered, leaving 
 Bernenstein outside. The young man was half- 
 dazed still, but he had sense to read the expression 
 in the constable's eyes and to learn from it that 
 he must give his life sooner than let the door be 
 opened. So with drawn sword he stood on guard. 
 
 It was eleven o'clock when the queen came, and 
 
AN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 65 
 
 midnight had struck from the great clock of the 
 castle before the door opened again and Sapt came 
 out. His sword was not drawn, but he had his re- 
 volver in his hand. He shut the door silently after 
 him and began at once to talk in low, earnest, 
 quick tones to Bemenstein. Bernenstein listened 
 intently and without interrupting. Sapt's story 
 ran on for eight or nine minutes. Then he paused, 
 before asking : 
 
 " You understand now ? " 
 
 " Yes, it is wonderful," said the young man, 
 drawing in his breath. 
 
 " Pooh ! " said Sapt. " Nothing is wonderful : 
 some things are unusual." 
 
 Bernenstein was not convinced, and shrugged 
 his shoulders in protest. 
 
 " Well ? " said the constable, with a quick 
 glance at him. 
 
 " I would die for the queen, sir," he an- 
 swered, clicking his heels together as though on 
 parade. 
 
 " Good," said Sapt. " Then listen," and he be- 
 gan again to talk. Bernenstein nodded from time 
 to time. You'll meet him at the gate," said the 
 constable, " and bring him straight here. He's not 
 to go anywhere else, you understand me ? " 
 
 " Perfectly, Colonel," smiled young Bernen- 
 stein. 
 
66 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " The king will be in this room — the king. You 
 know who is the king ? " 
 
 " Perfectly, Colonel." 
 
 " And when the interview is ended, and we go 
 to breakfast " 
 
 " I know who will be the king then. Yes, 
 Colonel." 
 
 " Good. But we do him no harm unless " 
 
 " It is necessary." 
 
 " Precisely." 
 
 Sapt turned away with a little sigh. Bernen- 
 stein was an apt pupil, but the colonel was ex- 
 hausted by so much explanation. He knocked 
 softly at the door of the room. The queen's voice 
 bade him enter, and he passed in. Bernenstein 
 was left alone again in the passage, pondering over 
 what he had heard and rehearsing the part that it 
 now fell to him to play. As he thought he may 
 well have raised his head proudly. The service 
 seemed so great and the honor so high, that he al- 
 most wished he could die in the performing of his 
 role. It would be a finer death than his soldier's 
 dreams had dared to picture. 
 
 At one o'clock Colonel Sapt came out. 
 
 " Go to bed till six," said he to Bernenstein. 
 
 " I'm not sleepy." 
 
 " No, but you will be at eight if you don't sleep 
 now." 
 
yIN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 67 
 
 " Is the queen coming out, Colonel ? " 
 
 " In a minute, Lieutenant." 
 
 " I should like to kiss her hand." 
 
 " Well, if you think it worth waiting a quarter of 
 an hour for ! " said Sapt, with a slight smile. 
 
 " You said a minute, sir." 
 
 " So did she," answered the constable. 
 
 Nevertheless it was a quarter of an hour before 
 Rudolf Rassendyll opened the door and the queen 
 appeared on the threshold. She was very pale, 
 and she had been crying, but her eyes were happy 
 and her air firm. The moment he saw her, young 
 Bernenstein fell on his knee and raised her hand to 
 his lips. 
 
 " To the death, madame," said he, in a trembling 
 voice. 
 
 " I knew it, sir," she answered graciously. Then 
 she looked round on the three of them. " Gentle- 
 men," said she, " my servants and dear friends, 
 with you, and with Fritz who lies wounded in Win- 
 tenberg, rest my honor and my life; for I will not 
 live if the letter reaches the king." 
 
 " The king shall not have it, madame," said 
 Colonel Sapt. 
 
 He took her hand in his and patted it with a 
 clumsy gentleness; smiling, she extended it again 
 to young Bernenstein, in mark of her favof. They 
 two then stood at the salute, while Rudolf walked 
 
68 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 with her to the end of the passage. There for a 
 moment she and he stood together; the others 
 turned their eyes away and thus did not see her 
 suddenly stoop and cover his hand with her kisses. 
 He tried to draw it away, not thinking it fit that 
 she should kiss his hand, but she seemed as though 
 she could not let it go. Yet at last, still with her 
 eyes on his, she passed backwards through the 
 door, and he shut it after her. 
 
 " Now to business," said Colonel Sapt dryly; 
 and Rudolf laughed a little. 
 
 Rudolf passed into the room. Sapt went to the 
 king's apartments, and asked' the physician 
 whether his Majesty were sleeping well. Receiv- 
 ing reassuring news of the royal slumbers, he pro- 
 ceeded to the quarters of the king's body-servant, 
 knocked up the sleepy wretch, and ordered break- 
 fast for the king and the Count of Luzau-Rischen- 
 heim at nine o'clock precisely, in the morning- 
 room that looked out over the avenue leading to 
 the entrance of the new chateau. This done, he 
 returned to the room where Rudolf was, carried a 
 chair into the passage, bade Rudolf lock the door, 
 sat down, revolver in hand, and himself went to 
 sleep. Young Bernenstein was in bed just now, 
 taken faint, and the constable himself was acting 
 as his substitute; that was to be the story, if a 
 story were needed. Thus the hours from two 
 
AN EDDY ON THE MOAT. 69 
 
 to six passed that morning in the castle of 
 Zenda. 
 
 At six the constable awoke and knocked at the 
 door; Rudolf Rassendyll opened it. 
 
 " Slept well ? " asked Sapt. 
 
 " Not a wink," answered Rudolf cheerfully. 
 
 " I thought you had more nerve." 
 
 " It wasn't want of nerve that kept me awake," 
 said Mr. Rassendyll. 
 
 Sapt, with a pitying shrug, looked round. The 
 curtains of the window were half-drawn. The 
 table was moved near to the wall, and the arm- 
 chair by it was well in shadow, being quite close 
 to the curtains. 
 
 " There's plenty of room for you behind," said 
 Rudolf; " and when Rischenheim is seated in his 
 chair opposite to mine, you can put your barrel 
 against his head by just stretching out your hand. 
 And of course I can do the same." 
 
 " Yes, it looks well enough," said Sapt, with an 
 approving nod. 
 
 " What about the beard ? " 
 
 " Bernenstein is to tell him you've shaved this 
 morning." 
 
 " Will he believe that ? " 
 
 " Why not ? For his own sake he'd better be- 
 lieve everything." 
 
 " And if we have to kill him ? " 
 
70 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " We must run for it. The king would be furi- 
 ous." 
 
 " He's fond of him ? " 
 
 " You forget. He wants to know about the 
 dogs." 
 
 " True. You'll be in your place in time ? " 
 
 " Of course." 
 
 Rudolf Rassendyll took a turn up and down the 
 room. It was easy to see that the events of the 
 night had disturbed him. Sapt's thoughts were 
 running in a different channel. 
 
 " When we've done with this fellow, we must 
 find Rupert," said he. 
 
 Rudolf started. 
 
 " Rupert ? Rupert ? True; I forgot. Of 
 course we must," said he confusedly. 
 
 Sapt looked scornful; he knew that his com- 
 panion's mind had been occupied with the queen. 
 But his remarks — if he had meditated any — ^were 
 interrupted by the clock striking seven. 
 
 " He'll be here in an hour," said he. 
 
 " We're ready for him," answered Rudolf Ras- 
 sendyll. With the thought of action his eyes grew 
 bright and his brow smooth again. He and old 
 Sapt looked at one another, and they both smiled. 
 
 " Like old times, isn't it, Sapt ? " 
 
 " Aye, sire, like the reign of good King Rudolf.^' 
 
 Thus they made ready for the Count of Luzau- 
 
j4n eddy on the mo at. 71 
 
 Rischenheim, while my cursed wound held me a 
 prisoner at Wintenberg. It is still a sorrow to me 
 that I know what passed that morning only by re- 
 port, and had not the honor of bearing a part in it. 
 Still, her Majesty did not forget me, but remem- 
 bered that I would have taken my share, had for- 
 tune allowed. Indeed I would most eagerly. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 AN AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 
 
 Having come thus far in the story that I set out 
 to tell, I have half a mind to lay down my pen, and 
 leave untold how from the moment that Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll came again to Zenda a fury of chance 
 seemed to catch us all in a whirlwind, carrying us 
 whither we would not, and ever driving us onwards 
 to fresh enterprises, breathing into us a reckless- 
 ness that stood at no obstacle, and a devotion to 
 the queen and to the man she loved that swept 
 away all other feeling. The ancients held there 
 to be a fate which would have its fill, though 
 women wept and men died, and none could tell 
 whose was the guilt nor who fell innocent. Thus 
 did they blindly wrong God's providence. Yet, 
 save that we are taught to believe that all is ruled, 
 we are as blind as they, and are still left wondering 
 why all that is true and generous and love's own 
 fruit must turn so often to woe and shame, exact- 
 
 72 
 
AN /lUDlENCE OF THE KING. 73 
 
 ing tears and blood. For myself I would leave the 
 thing untold, lest a word of it should seem to stain 
 her whom I serve; it is by her own command I 
 write, that all may one day, in time's fullness, be 
 truly known, and those condemn who are without 
 sin, while they pity whose own hearts have fought 
 the equal fight. So much for her and him ; for us 
 less needs be said. It was not ours to weigh her 
 actions: we served her; him we had served. She 
 was our queen; we bore Heaven a grudge that he 
 was not our king. The worst of what befell was 
 not of our own planning, no, nor of our hoping. 
 It came a thunderbolt from the hand of Rupert, 
 flung carelessly between a curse and a laugh; its 
 coming entangled us more tightly in the net of cir- 
 cumstances. Then there arose in us that strange 
 and overpowering desire of which I must tell later, 
 filling us with a zeal to accomplish our purpose, 
 and to force Mr. Rassendyll himself into the way 
 we chose. Led by this star, we pressed on through 
 the darkness, until at length the deeper darkness 
 fell that stayed our steps. We also stand for judg- 
 ment, even as she and he. So I will write; but I 
 will write plainly and briefly, setting down what I 
 must, and no more, yet seeking to give truly the 
 picture of that time, and to preserve as long as may 
 be the portrait of the man whose like I have not 
 known. Yet the fear is always upon me that, fail- 
 
74 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU. 
 
 ing to show him as he was, I may fail also in gain- 
 ing an understanding of how he wrought on us, 
 one and all, till his cause became in all things the 
 right, and to seat him where he should be our high- 
 est duty and our nearest wish. For he said little, 
 and that straight to the purpose; no high-flown 
 words of his live in my memory. And he asked 
 nothing for himself. Yet his speech and his eyes 
 went straight to men's hearts and women's, so that 
 they held their lives in an eager attendance on his 
 bidding. Do I rave ? Then Sapt was a raver 
 too, for Sapt was foremost in the business. 
 
 At ten 'minutes to eight o'clock, young Bernen- 
 stein, very admirably and smartly accoutred, took 
 his stand outside the main entrance of the castle. 
 He wore a confident air that became almost a 
 swagger as he strolled to and fro past the motion- 
 less sentries. He had not long to wait. On the 
 stroke of eight a gentleman, well-horsed but en- 
 tirely unattended, rode up the carriage drive. 
 Bernenstein, crying " Ah, it is the count ! " ran to 
 meet him. Rischenheim dismounted, holding out 
 his hand to the young ofificer. 
 
 " My dear Bernenstein ! " said he, for they were 
 acquainted with one another. 
 
 " You're punctual, my dear Rischenheim, and 
 it's lucky, for the king awaits you most im- 
 patiently." 
 
AN /lUDIENCE OF THE KING 75 
 
 " I didn't expect to find him up so soon," re- 
 marked Rischenheim. 
 
 " Up ! He's been up these two hours. Indeed 
 we've had the devil of a time of it. Treat him 
 carefully, my dear Count ; he's in one of his 
 troublesome humors. For example — ^but I mustn't 
 keep you waiting. Pray follow me." 
 
 " No, but pray tell me. Otherwise I might say 
 say something unfortunate. " 
 
 " Well, he woke at six ; and when the barber 
 came to trim his beard there were — imagine it. 
 Count ! — no less than seven gray hairs. The king 
 fell into a passion. ' Take it ofif,' he said. ' Take 
 it off. I won't have a gray beard ! Take it 
 ofif ! ' Well what would you ? A man is free to 
 be shaved if he chooses, so much more a king. So 
 it's taken ofif." 
 
 " His beard ! " 
 
 " His beard, my dear Count. Then, after thank- 
 ing Heaven it was gone, and declaring he looked 
 ten years younger, he cried, ' The Count of Luzau- 
 Rischenheim breakfasts with me to-day: what is 
 there for breakfast ? ' And he had the chef out of 
 his bed and — But, by heavens, I shall get into 
 trouble if I stop here chattering. He's waiting 
 most eagerly for you. Come along." And Ber- 
 nenstein, passing his arm through the count's, 
 walked him rapidly into the castle. 
 
76 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 The Count of Luzau-Rischenheim was a young 
 man; he was no more versed in affairs of this kind 
 than Bernenstein, and it cannot be said that he 
 showed so much aptitude for them. He was de- 
 cidedly pale this morning; his manner was un- 
 easy, and his hands trembled. He did not lack 
 courage, but that rarer virtue, coolness; and the 
 importance — or perhaps the shame — of his mission 
 upset the balance of his nerves. Hardly noting 
 where he went, he allowed Bernenstein to lead him 
 quickly and directly towards the room where Ru- 
 dolf Rassendyll was, not doubting that he was 
 being conducted to the king's presence. 
 
 " Breakfast is ordered for nine," said Bernen- 
 stein, " but he wants to see you before. He has 
 something important to say; and you perhaps 
 have the same ? " 
 
 " I ? Oh, no. A small matter; but — er — of a 
 private nature." 
 
 " Quite so, quite so. Oh, I don't ask any ques- 
 tions, my dear Count." 
 
 " Shall I find the king alone ? " asked Rischen- 
 heim nervously. 
 
 "I don't think you'll find anybody with him; 
 no, nobody, I think," answered Bernenstein, with 
 a grave and reassuring air. 
 
 They arrived now at the door. Here Bernen- 
 stein paused. 
 
AN AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 77 
 
 " I am ordered to wait outside till his Majesty 
 summons me," he said in a low voice, as though 
 he feared that the irritable king would hear him. 
 " I'll open the door and announce you. Pray keep 
 him in a good temper, for all our sakes." And he 
 flung the door open, saying, " Sire, the Count of 
 Luzau-Rischenheim has the honor to wait on your 
 Majesty." With this he shut the door promptly, 
 and stood against it. Nor did he move, save once, 
 and then only to take out his revolver and carefully 
 inspect it. 
 
 The count advanced, bowing low, and striving 
 to conceal a visible agitation. He saw the king in 
 his arm-chair; the king wore a suit of brown 
 tweeds (none the better for being crushed into a 
 bundle the night before); his face was in deep 
 shadow, but Rischenheim perceived that the beard 
 was indeed gone. The king held out his hand to 
 Rischenheim, and motioned him to sit in a chair 
 just opposite to him and within a foot of the win- 
 dow-curtains. 
 
 " I'm delighted to see you, my lord," said the 
 king. 
 
 Rischenheim looked up. Rudolf's voice had 
 once been so like the king's that no man could tell 
 the difference, but in the last year or two the king's 
 had grown weaker, and Rischenheim seemed to 
 be struck by the vigor of the tones in which he was 
 
78 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 addressed. As he looked up, there was a slight 
 movement in the curtains by him; it died away 
 when the count gave no further signs of suspicion, 
 but Rudolf had noticed his surprise: the voice, 
 when it next spoke, was subdued. 
 
 " Most delighted," pursued Mr. Rassendyll. 
 " For I am pestered beyond endurance about those 
 dogs. I can't get the coats right. I've tried every- 
 thing, but they won't come as I wish. Now, yours 
 are magnificent." 
 
 " You are very good, sire. But I ventured to 
 ask an audience in order to " 
 
 " Positively you must tell me about the dogs. 
 And before Sapt comes, for I want nobody to hear 
 but myself." 
 
 " Your Majesty expects Colonel Sapt ? " 
 
 " In about twenty minutes," said the king, with 
 a glance at the clock on the mantelpiece. 
 
 At this Rischenheim became all on fire to get his 
 errand done before Sapt appeared. 
 
 " The coats of your dogs," pursued the king, 
 " grow so beautifully " 
 
 " A thousand pardons, sire, but " 
 
 Long and silky, that I despair of- 
 
 " I have a most urgent and important matter," 
 persisted Rischenheim in agony. 
 
 Rudolf threw himself back in his chair with a 
 peevish air. 
 
AN AUDIENCE OP THE KING. 19 
 
 " Well, if you must, you must. What is this 
 great affair. Count ? Let us have it over, and then 
 you can tell me about the dogs." 
 
 Rischenheim looked round the room. There 
 was nobody; the curtains were still; the king's left 
 hand caressed his beardless chin; the right was 
 hidden from his visitor by the small table that 
 stood between them. 
 
 " Sire, my cousin, the Count of Hentzau, has 
 entrusted me with a message." 
 
 Rudolf suddenly assumed a stern air. 
 
 " I can hold no communication, directly or in- 
 directly, with the Count of Hentzau," said he. 
 
 " Pardon me, sire, pardon me. A document has 
 come into the count's hands which is of vital im- 
 portance to your Majesty." 
 
 " The Count of Hentzau, my lord, has incurred 
 my heaviest displeasure." 
 
 " Sire, it is in the hopes of atoning for his of- 
 fences that he has sent me here to-day. There is a 
 conspiracy against your Majesty's honor." 
 
 " By whom, my lord ? " asked Rudolf, in cold 
 and doubting tones. 
 
 " By those who are very near your Majesty's 
 person and very high in your Majesty's love." 
 
 " Name them." 
 
 " Sire, I dare not. You would not believe me. 
 But your Majesty will believe written evidence." 
 
8o RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " Show it me, and quickly. We may be inter- 
 rupted." 
 
 " Sire, I have a copy " 
 
 " Oh, a copy, my lord ? " sneered Rudolf. 
 
 " My cousin has the original, and will forward 
 it at your Majesty's command. A copy of a letter 
 of her Majesty's " 
 
 " Of the queen's ? " 
 
 " Yes, sire. It is addressed to " Rischen- 
 
 heim paused. 
 
 " Well, my lord, to whom ? " 
 
 " To a Mr. Rudolf Rassendyll." 
 
 Now Rudolf played his part well. He did not 
 feign indifference, but allowed his voice to tremble 
 with emotion as he stretched out his hand and 
 said in a hoarse whisper, " Give it me, give it 
 me." 
 
 Rischenheim's eyes sparkled. His shot had 
 told: the king's attention was his; the coats of the 
 dogs were forgotten. Plainly he had stirred the 
 suspicions and jealousy of the king. 
 
 " My cousin," he continued, " conceives it his 
 duty to lay the letter before your Majesty. He 
 
 obtained it " 
 
 " A curse on how he got it ! Give it me ! " 
 Rischenheim unbuttoned his coat, then his 
 waistcoat. The head of a revolver showed in a belt 
 round his waist. He undid the flap of a pocket in 
 
AN AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 8 1 
 
 the lining of his waistcoat, and he began to draw 
 out a sheet of paper. 
 
 But Rudolf, great as his powers of self-control 
 were, was but human. When he saw the paper, he 
 leant forward, half rising from his chair. As a re- 
 sult, his face came beyond the shadow of the cur- 
 tain, and the full morning light beat on it. As 
 Rischenheim took the paper out, he looked up. 
 He saw the face that glared so eagerly at him; his 
 eyes met Rassendyll's: a sudden suspicion seized 
 him, for the face, though the king's face in every 
 feature, bore a stern resolution and witnessed a 
 vigor that were not the king's. In that instant 
 the truth, or a hint of it, flashed across his mind. 
 He gave a half-articulate cry; in one hand he 
 crumpled up the paper, the other flew to his re- 
 volver. But he was too late. Rudolf's left hand 
 encircled his hand and the paper in an iron grip; 
 Rudolf's revolver was on his temple; and an arm 
 was stretched out from behind the curtain, hold- 
 ing another barrel full before his eyes, while a dry 
 voice said, " You'd best take it quietly." Then 
 Sapt stepped out. 
 
 Rischenheim had no words to meet the sudden 
 transformation of the interview. He seemed to 
 be able to do nothing but stare at Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll. Sapt wasted no time. He snatched the 
 count's revolver and stowed it in his own pocket. 
 
82 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " Now take the paper," said he to Rudolf, and 
 his barrel held Rischenheim motionless while Ru- 
 dolf wrenched the precious document from his 
 fingers. " Look if it's the right one. No, don't 
 read it through; just look. Is it right ? That's 
 good. Now put your revolver to his head again. 
 I'm going to search him. Stand up, sir." 
 
 They compelled the count to stand up, and Sapt 
 subjected him to a search that made the conceal- 
 ment of another copy, or of any other document, 
 impossible. Then they let him sit down again. 
 His eyes seemed fascinated by Rudolf Rassendyll. 
 
 " Yet you've seen me before, I think," smiled 
 Rudolf. " I seem to remember you as a boy in 
 Strelsau when I was there. Now tell us, sir, wliere 
 did you leave this cousin of yours ? " For the 
 plan was to find out from Rischenheim where Ru- 
 pert was, and to set off in pursuit of Rupert as soon 
 as they had disposed of Rischenheim. 
 
 But even as Rudolf spoke there was a violent 
 knock at the door. Rudolf sprang to open it. 
 Sapt and his revolver kept their places. Bernen- 
 stein was on the threshold, open-mouthed. 
 
 "The king's servant has just gone by. He's 
 looking for Colonel Sapt. The king has been 
 walking in the drive, and learnt from a sentry of 
 Rischenheim's arrival. I told the man that you had 
 taken the count for a stroll round the castle, and 
 
^N AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 83 
 
 I did not know where you were. He says that the 
 king may come himself at any moment." 
 
 Sapt considered for one short instant; then he 
 was back by the prisoner's side. 
 
 " We must talk again later on," he said, in low 
 quick tones. Now you'r^ going to breakfast with 
 the king. I shall be there, and Bernenstein. Remem- 
 ber, not a word of your errand, not a word of this 
 gentleman ! At a word, a sign, a hint, a gesture, 
 a motion, as God lives, I'll put a bullet through 
 your head, and a thousand kings sha'n't stop me. 
 Rudolf, get behind the curtain. If there's an alarm 
 you must jump through the window into the moat 
 and swim for it." 
 
 "All right," said Rudolf Rassendyll. "I can 
 read my letter there." 
 
 " Burn it, you fool." 
 
 " When I've read it I'll eat it, if you like, but not 
 before." 
 
 Bernenstein looked in again. " Quick, quick ! 
 The man will be back," he whispered. 
 
 " Bernenstein, did you hear what I said to the 
 count ? " 
 
 " Yes, I heard." 
 
 ""Then you know your part. Now, gentlemen, 
 to the king." 
 
 " Well," said an angry voice outside, " I won- 
 dered how long I was to be kept waiting." 
 
84 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Rudolf Rassendyll skipped behind the curtain. 
 Sapt's revolver slipped into a handy pocket. 
 Rischenheim stood with arms dangling by his side 
 and his waistcoat half unbuttoned. Young Ber- 
 nenstein was bowing low on the threshold, and pro- 
 testing that the king's s'ervant had but just gone, 
 and that they were on the point of waiting on his 
 Majesty. Then the king walked in, pale and full- 
 bearded. 
 
 " Ah, Count," said he, " I'm glad to see you. If 
 they had told me you were here, you shouldn't 
 have waited a minute. You're very dark in here, 
 Sapt. Why don't you draw back the curtains ? " 
 and the king moved towards the curtain behind 
 which Rudolf was. 
 
 " Allow me, sire," cried Sapt, darting past him 
 and laying a hand on the curtain. 
 
 A malicious gleam of pleasure shot into Rischen- 
 heim's eyes. 
 
 "In truth, sire," continued the constable, his 
 hand on the curtain, "we were so interested in 
 
 what the count was saying about his dogs " 
 
 - " By heaven, I forgot ! " cried the king. " Yes, 
 yes, the dogs. Now tell me. Count " 
 
 " Your pardon, sire," put in young Bernenstein, 
 " but breakfast waits." 
 
 "Yes, yes. Well, then, we'll have them to- 
 gether — ^breakfast and the dogs. Come along. 
 
yIN AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 85 
 
 Count." The king passed his arm through Risch- 
 enheim's, adding to Bernenstein, " Lead the way, 
 Lieutenant; and you, Colonel, come with us." 
 
 They went out. Sapt stopped and locked the 
 door behind him. 
 
 " Why do you lock the door. Colonel ? " asked 
 the king. 
 
 " There are some papers in my drawer there, 
 sire." 
 
 " But why not lock the drawer ? " 
 
 " I have lost the key, sire, like the fool I am," 
 said the colonel. 
 
 The Count of Luzau-Rischenheim did not make 
 a very good breakfast. He sat opposite to the 
 king. Colonel Sapt placed himself at the back of 
 the king's chair, and Rischenheim saw the muzzle 
 of a revolver resting on the top of the chair just 
 behind his Majesty's right ear. Bernenstein stood 
 in soldierly rigidity by the door; Rischenheim 
 looked round at him once and met a most signi- 
 ficant gaze. 
 
 " You're eating nothing," said the king. " I 
 hope you're not indisposed ? " 
 
 " I am a little upset, sire," stammered Rischen- 
 heim, and truly enough. 
 
 "Well, tell me about the dogs while I eat, for 
 I'm hungry." 
 
 Rischenheim began to disclose his- secret.. His 
 
86 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 statement was decidedly wanting in clearness. 
 The king grew impatient. 
 
 " I don't understand," said he testily, and he 
 pushed his chair back so quickly that Sapt skipped 
 away, and hid the revolver behind his back. 
 
 " Sire — " cried Rischenheim, half rising. A 
 cough from Lieutenant von Bernenstein inter- 
 rupte'd him. 
 
 " Tell it me all over again," said the king. 
 
 Rischenheim did as he was bid. 
 
 " Ah, I understand a little better now. Do you 
 see, Sapt ? " and he turned his head round towards 
 the constable. Sapt had just time to whisk the re- 
 volver away. The count leant forward towards 
 the king. Lieutenant von Bernenstein coughed. 
 The count sank back again. 
 
 " Perfectly, sire," said Colonel Sapt. " I under- 
 stand all the count wishes to convey to your Maj- 
 esty." 
 
 "Well, I understand about half," said the 
 king with a laugh. " But perhaps that'll be 
 enough." 
 
 "I think quite enough, sire," answered Sapt 
 with a smile. 
 
 The important matter of the dogs being thus 
 disposed of, the king recollected that the count had 
 asked for an audience on a matter of business. 
 
 " Now, what did you wish to say to me ? " he 
 
AN AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 87 
 
 asked, with a weary air. The dogs had been more 
 interesting. 
 
 Rischenheim looked at Sapt. The revolver was 
 in its place; Bernenstein coughed again. Yet he 
 saw a chance. 
 
 " Your pardon, sire," said he, " but we are not 
 alone." 
 
 The king lifted his eyebrows. 
 
 " Is the business so private ? " he asked. 
 
 " I should prefer to tell it to your Majesty 
 alone," pleaded the count. 
 
 Now Sapt was resolved not to leave Rischen- 
 heim alone with the king, for, although the count, 
 being robbed of his evidence, could do little harm 
 concerning the letter, he would doubtless tell the 
 king that Rudolf Rassendyll was in the castle. He 
 leant now over the king's shoulder, and said with a 
 sneer: 
 
 " Messages from Rupert of Hentzau are too ex- 
 alted matters for my poor ears, it seems." 
 
 The king flushed red. 
 
 " Is that your business, my lord ? " he asked 
 Rischenheim sternly. 
 
 " Your Majesty does not know what my 
 cousin " 
 
 " It is the old plea ? " interrupted the king. " He 
 wants to come back ? Is that all, or is there any- 
 thing else ? " 
 
88 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 A moment's silence followed the king's words. 
 Sapt looked full at Rischenheim, and smiled as he 
 slightly raised his right hand and showed the re- 
 volver. Bernenstein coughed twice. Rischen- 
 heim sat twisting his fingers. He understood that, 
 cost what it might, they would not let him declare 
 his errand to the king or betray Mr. Rassendyll's 
 presence. He cleared his throat and opened his 
 mouth as if to speak, but still he remained silent. 
 
 " Well, my lord, is it the old story or something 
 new ? " asked the king impatiently. 
 
 Again Rischenheim sat silent. 
 
 " Are you dumb, my lord ? " cried the king most 
 impatiently . 
 
 " It — it is — only what you call the old story, 
 sire." 
 
 " Then let me say that you have treated me very 
 badly in obtaining an audience of me for any such 
 purpose," said the king. " You knew my deci- 
 sion, and your cousin knows it." Thus speaking, 
 the king rose; Sapt's revolver slid into his pocket; 
 but Lieutenant von Bernenstein drew his sword 
 and stood at the salute; he also coughed. 
 
 " My dear Rischenheim," pursued the king more 
 kindly, "I can allow for your natural affection. 
 But, believe me, in this case it misleads you. Do 
 me the favor not to open this subject again to me." 
 
 Rischenheim, humiliated and angry, could do 
 
ytN AUDIENCE OF THE KING. 89 
 
 nothing but bow in acknowledgment of the king's 
 rebuke. 
 
 " Colonel Sapt, see that the count is well enter- 
 tained. My horse should be at the door by now. 
 Farewell, Count. Bernenstein, give me your 
 arm. 
 
 Bernenstein shot a rapid glance at the constable. 
 Sapt nodded reassuringly. Bernenstein sheathed 
 his sword and gave his arm to the king. They 
 passed through the door, and Bernenstein closed it 
 with a backward push of his hand. But at this mo- 
 ment Rischenheim, goaded to fury and desperate 
 at the trick played on him — seeing, moreover, that 
 he had now only one man to deal with — made a 
 sudden rush at the door. He reached it, and his 
 hand was on the door-knob. But Sapt was upon 
 him, and Sapt's revolver was at his ear. 
 
 In the passage the king stopped. 
 
 " What are they doing in there ? " he asked, 
 hearing the noise of the quick movements. 
 
 " I don't know, sire," said Bernenstein, and he 
 took a step forward. 
 
 " No, stop a minute, Lieutenant; you're pulling 
 me along ! " 
 
 " A thousand pardons, sire." 
 
 " I hear nothing more now." And there was 
 nothing to hear, for the two now stood dead silent 
 inside the door. 
 
90 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " Nor I, sire. Will your Majesty go on ? " And 
 Bernenstein took another step. 
 
 " You're determined I shall," said the king with 
 a laugh, and he let the young officer lead him away. 
 
 Inside the room, Rischenheim stood with his 
 back against the door. He was panting for breath, 
 and his face was flushed and working with excite- 
 ment. Opposite to him stood Sapt, revolver in 
 hand. 
 
 " Till you get to heaven, my lord," said the con- 
 stable, " you'll never be nearer to it than you were 
 in that moment. If you had opened the door, I'd 
 have shot you through the head." 
 
 As he spoke there came a knock at the door. 
 
 " Open it," he said brusquely to Rischenheim. 
 With a muttered curse the count obeyed him. A 
 servant stood outside with a telegram on a. salver. 
 " Take it," whispered Sapt, and Rischenheim put 
 out his hand. 
 
 "Your pardon, my lord, but this has arrived 
 for you," said the man respectfully. 
 
 " Take it," whispered Sapt again. 
 
 "Give it me," muttered Rischenheim con- 
 fusedly; and he took the envelope. 
 
 The servant bowed and shut the door. 
 
 " Open it," commanded Sapt. 
 
 " God's curse on you ! " cried Rischenheim in 
 a voice that choked with passion. 
 
AN AUDIEHCE OF THE KING. 9 1 
 
 " Eh ? Oh, you can have no secrets from so 
 good a friend as I am, my lord. Be quick and 
 open it." 
 
 The count began to open it. 
 
 " If you tear it up, or crumple it, I'll shoot you," 
 said Sapt quietly. " You know you can trust my 
 word. Now read it." 
 
 " By God, I won't read it." 
 
 ' Read it, I tell you, or say your prayers." 
 
 The muzzle was within a foot of his head. He 
 unfolded the telegram. Then he looked at Sapt. 
 " Read," said the constable. 
 
 " I don't understand what it means," grumbled 
 Rischenheim. 
 
 " Possibly I may be able to help you." 
 
 " It's nothing but " 
 
 " Read, my lord, read ! " 
 
 Then he read, and this was the telegram : 
 
 " Holf, 19 Konigstrasse." 
 
 " A thousand thanks, my lord. And — the place 
 it's despatched from ? " 
 
 " Strelsau." 
 
 " Just turn it so that I can see. Oh, I don't 
 doubt you, but seeing is believing. Ah, thanks. 
 It's as you say. You're puzzled what it means, 
 Count ? " 
 
 " I don't know at all what it means ! " 
 
 " How strange ! Because I can guess so well." 
 
92 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " You are very acute, sir." 
 
 " It seems to me a simple thing to guess, my 
 lord." 
 
 " And pray," said Rischenheim, endeavoring to 
 assume an easy and sarcastic air, " what does your 
 wisdom tell you that the message means ? " 
 
 " I think, my lord, that the message is an ad- 
 dress." 
 
 " An address ! I never thought of that. But I 
 know no Holf." 
 
 " I don't think it's Holf's address." 
 
 " Whose, then ? " asked Rischenheim, biting his 
 nail, and looking furtively at the constable. 
 
 " Why," said Sapt, " the present address of 
 Count Rupert of Hentzau." 
 
 As he spoke, he fixed his eyes on the eyes of 
 Rischenheim. He gave a short, sharp laugh, then 
 put his revolver in his pocket and bowed to the 
 count. 
 
 " In truth, you are very convenient, my dear 
 Count," said he. 
 
 ***** 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERVANTS. 
 
 The doctor who attended me at Wintenberg 
 was not only discreet, but also indulgent; perhaps 
 he had the sense to see that little benefit would 
 come to a sick man from fretting in helplessness 
 on his back, when he was on fire to be afoot. I 
 fear he thought the baker's rolling-pin was in my 
 mind, but at any rate I extorted a consent from 
 him, and was on my way home from Wintenberg 
 not much more than twelve hours after Rudolf 
 Rassendyll left me. Thus I arrived at my own 
 house in Strelsau on the same Friday morning that 
 witnessed the Count of LuzaurRischenheim's two- 
 fold interview with the king at the Castle of Zenda. 
 The moment I had arrived, I sent James, whose 
 assistance had been, and continued to be, in all 
 respects most valuable, to despatch a message to 
 the constable, acquainting him with my where- 
 abouts, and putting myself entirely at his disposal. 
 Sapt received this message while a council of war 
 was being held, and the information it gave aided 
 
 93 
 
94 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 not a little in the arrangements that the constable 
 and Rudolf Rassendyll made. What these were I 
 must now relate, although, I fear, at the risk of 
 some tediousness. 
 
 Yet that council of war in Zenda was held under 
 no common circumstances. Cowed as Rischen- 
 heim appeared, they dared not let him out of their 
 sight. Rudolf could not leave the room into which 
 Sapt had locked him; the king's absence was to 
 be short, and before he came again Rudolf must 
 be gone, Rischenheim safely disposed of, and meas- 
 ures taken against the original letter reaching the 
 hands for Which the intercepted copy had been des- 
 tined. The room was a large one. In the corner 
 farthest from the door sat Rischenheim, disarmed, 
 dispirited, to all seeming ready to throw up his 
 dangerous game and acquiesce in any terms pre- 
 sented to him. Just inside the door, guarding it, 
 if need should be, with their lives, were the other 
 three, Bernenstein merry and triumphant, Sapt 
 blunt and cool, Rudolf calm and clear-headed. 
 The queen awaited the result of their deliberations 
 in her apartments, ready to act as they directed, 
 but determined to see Rudolf before he left the 
 castle. They conversed together in low tones. 
 Presently Sapt took paper and wrote. This first 
 message was to me, and it bade me come to Zenda 
 that afternoon; another head and another pair of 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERl^ANTS 95 
 
 hands were sadly needed. Then followed more de- 
 liberation; Rudolf took up the talking now, for his 
 was the bold plan on which they consulted. Sapt 
 twirled his moustache, smiling doubtfully. 
 
 " Yes, yes," murmured young Bernenstein, his 
 eyes alight with excitement. 
 
 " It's dangerous, but the best thing," said Ru- 
 dolf, carefully sinking his voice yet lower, lest the 
 prisoner should catch the lightest word of what he 
 said. " It involves my staying here till the eve- 
 ning. Is that possible ? " 
 
 " No; but you can leave here and hide in the 
 forest till I join you," said Sapt. 
 
 " Till we join you," corrected Bernenstein 
 eagerly. 
 
 " No," said the constable, " you must look after 
 our friend here. Come, Lieutenant, it's all in the 
 queen's service." 
 
 " Besides," added Rudolf with a smile, " neither 
 the colonel nor I would let you have a chance at 
 Rupert. He's our game, isn't he, Sapt ? " 
 
 The colonel nodded. Rudolf in his turn took 
 paper, and here is the message that he wrote : 
 
 " Holf, 19, Konigstrasse, Strelsau.- — All well. 
 He has what I had, but wishes to see what you 
 have. He and I will be at the hunting-lodge at 
 ten this evening. Bring it and meet us. The busi- 
 ness is unsuspected. — R." 
 
96 RUPERT OP HENTZAU. 
 
 Rudolf threw the paper across to Sapt; Bernen- 
 stein leant over the constable's shoulder and read it 
 eagerly. 
 
 "I doubt if it would bring me," grinned old 
 Sapt, throwing the paper down. 
 
 " It'll bring Rupert to Hentzau. Why not ? 
 He'll know that the king will wish to meet 
 him unknown to the queen, and also un- 
 known to you, Sapt, since you were my friend: 
 what place more likely for the king to choose than 
 his hunting-lodge, where he is accustomed to go 
 when he wishes to be alone ? The message will 
 bring him, depend on it. Why, man, Rupert would 
 come even if he suspected; and why should he sus- 
 pect ? " 
 
 " They may have a cipher, he and Rischenheim," 
 objected Sapt. 
 
 " No, or Rupert would have sent the address in 
 it," retorted Rudolf quickly. 
 
 " Then — ^when he comes ? " asked Bemen- 
 stein. 
 
 " He finds such a king as Rischenheim found, 
 and Sapt, here, at his elbow.'' 
 I " But he'll know you," objected Bernenstein. 
 
 " Ay, I think he'll know me," said Rudolf with 
 a smile. " Meanwhile we send for Fritz to come 
 here and look after the king." 
 
 "And Rischenheim?" 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERVANTS. 9? 
 
 " That's your share, Lieutenant. Sapt, is any- 
 one at Tarlenheim ? " 
 
 " No. Count Stanislas has put it at Fritz's dis- 
 posal." 
 
 " Good ; then Fritz's two friends, the Count of 
 Luzau-Rischenheim and Lieutenant von Bernen- 
 stein, will ride over there to-day. The constable of 
 Zenda will give the lieutenant twenty-four hours' 
 leave of absence, and the two gentlemen will pass 
 the day and sleep at the chateau. They will pass 
 the day side by side, Bernenstein, not losing sight 
 of one another for an instant, and they will pass the 
 night in the same room. And one of them will 
 not close his eyes nor take his hand off the butt of 
 his revolver." 
 
 " Very good, sir," said young Bernenstein. 
 
 " If he tries to escape or give any alarm, shoot 
 him through the head, ride to the frontier, get to 
 safe hiding, and, if you can, let us know." 
 
 " Yes," said Bernenstein simply. Sapt had 
 chosen well, and the young ofiScer made nothing of 
 the peril and ruin that her Majesty's service might 
 ask of him. 
 
 A restless movement and a weary sigh from 
 Rischenheim attracted their attention. He had 
 strained his ears to listen till his head ached, but 
 the talkers had been careful, and he had heard 
 nothing that threw light on their deliberations. 
 
98 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 He had now given up his vain attempt, and sat in 
 listless inattention, sunk in an apathy. 
 
 " I don't think he'll give you much trouble," 
 whispered Sapt to Bernenstein, with a jerk of his 
 thumb towards the captive. 
 
 " Act as if he were likely to give you much," 
 urged Rudolf, laying his hand on the lieutenant's 
 arm. 
 
 '"Yes, that's a wise man's advice," nodded the 
 constable approvingly. " We were well governed. 
 Lieutenant, when this Rudolf was king." 
 
 " Wasn't I also his loyal subject ? " asked young 
 Bernenstein. 
 
 " Yes, wounded in my service," added Rudolf; 
 for he remembered how the boy — he was little 
 more then — had been fired upon in the park of Tar- 
 lenheim, being taken for Mr. Rassendyll himself. 
 
 Thus their plans were laid. If they could de- 
 feat Rupert, they would have Rischenheim at their 
 mercy. If they could keep Rischenheim out of the 
 way while they used his name in their trick, they 
 had a strong chance of deluding and killing Ru- 
 pert. Yes, of killing him; for that and nothing 
 less was their purpose, as the constable of Zenda 
 himself has told me. 
 
 " We would have stood on no ceremony," he 
 said. " The queen's honor was at stake, and the 
 fellow himself an assassin." 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERVANTS. 99 
 
 Bernenstein rose and went out. He was gone 
 about half an hour, being employed in despatching 
 the telegrams to Strelsau. Rudolf and Sapt used 
 the interval to explain to Rischeriheim what they 
 proposed to do with him. They asked no pledge, 
 and he offered none. He heard what they said 
 with a dull uninterested air. When asked if he 
 would go without resistance, he laughed a bitter 
 laugh. " How can I resist ? " he asked. " I 
 should have a bullet through my head." 
 
 " Why, without doubt," said Colonel Sapt. 
 " My lord, you are very sensible." 
 
 " Let me advise you, my lord," said Rudolf, 
 looking down on him kindly enough, " if you 
 come safe through this affair, to add honor to your 
 prudence, and chivalry to your honor. There is 
 still time for you to become a gentleman." 
 
 He turned away, followed by a glance of anger 
 from the count and a grating chuckle from old Sapt. 
 
 A few moments later Bernenstein returned. His 
 errand was done, and horses for himself and Risch- 
 enheim were at the gate of the castle. After a few 
 final words and a clasp of the hand from Rudolf, 
 the lieutenant motioned to his prisoner to accom- 
 pany him, and they two walked out together, being 
 to all appearance willing companions and in per- 
 fect friendliness with one another. The queen her- 
 self watched them go from the windows of her 
 
100 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 apartment, and noticed that Bernenstein rode half 
 a pace behind, and that his free hand rested on the 
 revolver by his side. 
 
 It was now well on in the morning, and the risk 
 of Rudolf's sojourn in the castle grew greater with 
 every moment. Yet he was resolved to see the 
 queen before he went. This interview presented 
 no great difficulties, since her Majesty was in the 
 habit of coming to tlie constable's room to take his 
 advice or to consult with him. The hardest task 
 was to contrive afterwards a free and unnoticed es- 
 cape for Mr. Rassendyll. To meet this necessity, 
 the constable issued orders that the company of 
 guards which garrisoned the castle should parade 
 at one o'clock in the park, and that the servants 
 should all, after their dinner, be granted permis- 
 sion to watch the manoeuvres. By this means he 
 counted on drawing ofif any curious eyes and al- 
 lowing Rudolf to reach the forest unobserved. 
 They appointed a rendezvous in a handy and shel- 
 tered spot; the one thing which they were com- 
 pelled to trust to fortune was Rudolf's success in 
 evading chance encounters while he waited. Mr. 
 Rassendyll himself was confident of his ability to 
 conceal his presence, or, if need were, so to hide 
 his face that no strange tale of the king being seen 
 wandering, alone and beardless, should reach the 
 ears of the castle or the town. 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERVANTS. loi 
 
 While Sapt was making his arrangements, 
 Queen Flavia came to the room where Rudolf Ras- 
 sendyll was. It was then nearing twelve, and 
 young Bernenstein had been gone half an hour. 
 Sapt attended her to the door, set a sentry at the 
 end of the passage with orders that her Majesty 
 should on no pretence be disturbed, promised her 
 very audibly to return as soon as he possibly could, 
 and respectfully closed the door after she had en- 
 tered. The constable was' well aware of the value 
 in a secret business of doing openly all that can 
 safely be done with openness. 
 
 All of what passed at that interview I do not 
 know, but a part Queen Flavia herself told to me, 
 or rather to Helga, my wife; for although it was 
 meant to reach my ear, yet to me, a man, she 
 would not disclose it directly. First she learnt 
 from Mr. Rassendyli the plans that had been made, 
 and, although she trembled at the danger that he 
 must run in meeting Rupert of Hentzau, she had 
 such love of him and such a trust in his powers 
 that she seemed to doubt little of his success. But 
 she began to reproach herself for having brought 
 him into this peril by writing her letter. At this 
 he took from his pocket the copy that Rischen- 
 heim had carried. He had found time to read it, 
 and now before her eyes he kisse'd it. 
 
 " Had I as many lives as there are word's, my 
 
I02 RUPERT OP HEmZAU. 
 
 queen," he said softly, " for each word I would 
 gladly give a life." 
 
 " Ah, Rudolf, but you've only one life, and that 
 more mine than yours. Did you think we should 
 ever meet again ? " 
 
 "I didn't know," said he; and now they were 
 standing opposite one another. 
 
 " But I knew," she said, her eyes shining 
 brightly; " I knew always that we should meet 
 once more. Not how, nor where, but just that we 
 should. So I lived, Rudolf." 
 
 " God bless you ! " he said. 
 
 " Yes, I lived through it all." 
 
 He pressed her hand, knowing what that phrase 
 meant and must mean for her. 
 
 " Will it last forever ? " she asked, suddenly 
 gripping his hand tightly. But a moment later 
 she went on: " No, no, I mustn't make you un- 
 happy, Rudolf. I'm half glad I wrote the letter, 
 and half glad they stole it. It's so sweet to have 
 you fighting for me, for me only this time, Rudolf 
 — not for the king, for me ! " 
 
 " Sweet indeed, my dearest lady. Don't be 
 afraid: we shall win." 
 
 "You will win, yes. And then you'll go ? " 
 And, dropping his hand, she covered her face with 
 hers. 
 
 " I mustn't kiss your face," said he, " but your 
 
THE T/ISK OF THE QUEENS SERJEANTS. 103 
 
 hands I may kiss," and he kissed her hands as they 
 were pressed against her face. 
 
 " You wear my ring," she murmured through 
 her fingers, " always ? " 
 
 " Why, yes," he said, with a little laugh of won- 
 der at her question. 
 
 " And there is — no one else ? " 
 
 " My queen ! " said he, laughing again. 
 
 " No, I knew really, Rudolf, I knew really," and 
 now her hands flew out towards him, imploring 
 his pardon. Then she began to speak quickly: 
 " Rudolf, last night I had a dream about you, a 
 strange dream. I seemed to be in Strelsau, and 
 all the people were talking about the king. It was 
 you they meant; you were the king. At last you 
 were the king, and I was your queen. But I could 
 see you only very dimly; you were somewhere, but 
 I could not make out where; just sometimes your 
 face came. Then I tried to tell you that you were 
 king — ^yes, and Colonel Sapt and Fritz tried to tell 
 you; the people, too, called out that you were king. 
 What did it mean ? But your face, when T saw 
 it, was unmoved, and very pale, and you seemed 
 not to hear what we said, not even what I said. 
 It almost seemed as if you were dead, and yet king. 
 Ah, you mustn't die, even to be king," and she laid 
 a hand on his shoulder. 
 
 " Sweetheart," said he gently, " in dreams de- 
 
104 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 sires and fears blend in strange visions, so I seemed 
 to you to be both a king and a dead man; but 
 I'm not a king, and I am a very healthy fellow. 
 Yet a thousand thanks to my dearest queen for 
 dreaming of me." 
 
 " No, but what could it mean ? " she asked 
 again. 
 
 " What does it mean when I dream always of 
 you, except that I always love you ? " 
 
 " Was it only that ? " she said, still uncon- 
 vinced. 
 
 What more passed between them I do not know. 
 I think that the queen told my wife more, but 
 women will sometimes keep women's secrets even 
 from their husbands; though they love us, yet we 
 are always in some sort the common enemy, 
 against whom they join hands. Well, I would not 
 look too far into such secrets, for to know must be, 
 I suppose, to blame, and who is himself so blame- 
 less that in such a case he would be free with his 
 censures ? 
 
 Yet much cannot have passed, for almost close 
 on their talk atout the dream came Colonel Sapt, 
 saying that the guards were in line, and all the 
 women streamed out to watch them, while the men 
 followed, lest the. gay uniforms should make them 
 forgotten. Certainly a quiet fell over the old 
 castle, that only the constable's curt tones broke, 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERl^ANTS. 105 
 
 as he bade Rudolf come by the back way to the 
 stables and mount his horse. 
 
 "There's no time to lose," said Sapt, and his 
 eye seemed to grudge the queen even one more 
 word with the man she loved. 
 
 But Rudolf was not to be hurried into leaving 
 her in such a fashion. He clapped the constable 
 on the shoulder, laughing, and bidding him 
 think of what he would for a moment ; then 
 he went again to the queen and would have knelt 
 before her, but that she would not suffer, and they 
 stood with hands locked. Then suddenly she drew 
 him to her and kissed his forehead, saying: " God 
 go with you, Rudolf my knight." 
 
 Thus she turned away, letting him go. He 
 walked towards the door; but a sound arrested 
 his steps, and he waited in the middle of the room, 
 his eyes on the door. Old Sapt flew to the thresh- 
 old, his sword half-way out of its sheath. There 
 was a step coming down the passage, and the feet 
 stopped outside the door. 
 
 " Is it the king ? " whispered Rudolf. 
 
 " I don't know," said Sapt. 
 
 " No, it's not the king," came in unhesitating 
 certainty from Queen Flavia. 
 
 They waited: a low knock sounded on the door. 
 Still for a moment they waited. The knock was 
 repeated urgently. 
 
io6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " We must open," said Sapt. " Behind the cur- 
 tain with you, Rudolf." 
 
 The queen sat down, and Sapt piled a heap of 
 papers before her, that it might seem as though 
 he and she transacted business. But his precau- 
 tions were interrupted by a hoarse, eager, low cry 
 from outside, " Quick ! in God's name, quick ! " 
 
 They knew the voice for Bernenstein's. The 
 queen sprang up, Rudolf came out, Sapt turned the 
 key. The lieutenant entered, hurried, breathless, 
 pale. 
 
 " Well ? " asked Sapt. 
 
 " He has got away ? " cried Rudolf, guessing 
 in a moment the misfortune that had brought Ber- 
 nenstein back. 
 
 " Yes, he's got away. Just as we left the town 
 and reached the open road towards Tarlenheim, 
 he said, ' Are we going to walk all the way ? ' I 
 was not loath to go quicker, and we broke into a 
 trot. But I — ah, what a pestilent fool I am ! " 
 
 " Never mind that — go on." 
 
 " Why, I was thinking of him and my task, and 
 having a bullet ready for him, and " 
 
 " Of everything except your horse ? " guessed 
 Sapt, with a grim smile. 
 
 " Yes; and the horse pecked and stumbled, and 
 I fell forward on his neck. I put out my arm to 
 recover myself, and — I jerked my revolver on to 
 the ground." 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERl^/tNTS. 107 
 
 " And he saw ? " 
 
 " He saw, curse him. For a second he Vv^aited; 
 then he smiled, and turned, and dug his spurs in 
 and was off, straight across country towards Strel- 
 sau. Well, I was off my horse in a moment, and 
 I fired three times after him." 
 
 " You hit ? " asked Rudolf. 
 
 " I think so. He shifted the reins from one 
 hand to the other and wrung his arm. I mounted 
 and made after him, but his horse was better than 
 mine and he gained ground. We began to meet 
 people, too, and I didn't dare to fire again. So I 
 left him and rode here to tell you. Never employ 
 me again. Constable, so long as you live," and the 
 young man's face was twisted with misery and 
 shame, as, forgetting the queen's presence, he sank 
 despondently into a chair. 
 
 Sapt took no notice of his self-reproaches. But 
 Rudolf went and laid a hand on his shoulder. 
 
 " It was an accident," he said. " No blame to 
 you." 
 
 The queen rose and walked towards him; Ber- 
 nenstein sprang to his feet. 
 
 " Sir," said she, " it is not success but effort that 
 should gain thanks," and she held out her hand. 
 
 Well, he was young; I do not laugh at the sob 
 that escaped his lips as he turned his head. 
 " Let me try something else ! " he implored. 
 " Mr. Rassendyll," said the queen, " you'll do 
 
io8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 my pleasure by employing this gentleman in my 
 further service. I am already deep in his debt, 
 and would be deeper." 
 
 There was a moment's silence. 
 
 " Well, but what's to be done ? " asked Colonel 
 Sapt. " He's gone to Strelsau." 
 
 " He'll stop Rupert," mused Mr. Rassendyll. 
 
 " He may or he mayn't." 
 
 " It's odds that he will." 
 
 " We must provide for both." 
 
 Sapt and Rudolf looked at one another. 
 
 " You must be here ? " asked Rudolf of the con- 
 stable. " Well, I'll go to Strelsau." His smile 
 broke out. " That is, if Bernenstein '11 lend me a 
 hat." 
 
 The queen made no sound; but she came and 
 laid her hand on his arm. He looked at her, smil- 
 ing still. 
 
 " Yes, I'll go to Strelsau," said he, " and I'll find 
 Rupert, ay, and Rischenheim too, if they're in the 
 city." 
 
 " Take me with you," cried Bernenstein eagerly. 
 
 Rudolf glanced at Sapt. The constable shook 
 his head. Bernenstein's face fell. 
 
 " It's not that, boy," said old Sapt, half in kind- 
 ness, half in impatience. "We want you here. 
 Suppose Rupert comes here with Rischen- 
 heim ! " 
 
THE TASK OF THE QIJEEN'S SERyANTS. 109 
 
 The idea was new, but the event was by no 
 means unHkely. 
 
 ■" But you'll be here, Constable," urged Bernen- 
 stein, " and Fritz von Tarlenheim will arrive in an 
 hour." 
 
 " Ay, young man," said Sapt, nodding his head; 
 " but when I fight Rupert of Hentzau, I like to 
 have a man to spare," and he grinned broadly, 
 being no whit afraid of what Bernenstein might 
 think of his courage. " Now go and get him a 
 hat," he added, and the lieutenant ran off on the 
 errand. 
 
 But the queen cried : 
 
 " Are you sending Rudolf alone, then — alone 
 against two ? " 
 
 " Yes, madam, if I may command the cam- 
 paign," said Sapt. " I take it he should be equal 
 to the task." 
 
 He could not know the feelings of the queen's 
 heart. She dashed her hand across her eyes, and 
 turned in mute entreaty to Rudolf Rassendyll. 
 
 " I must go," he said softly. " We can't spare 
 Bernenstein, and I mustn't stay here." 
 
 She said no more. Rudolf walked across to 
 Sapt. 
 
 " Take me to the stables. Is the horse good ? 
 I daren't take the train. Ah, here's the lieutenant 
 and the hat." 
 
"o RUPERT OP HEnrZAU. 
 
 " The horse '11 get you there to-night," said Sapt. 
 " Come along. Bernenstein, stay with the queen." 
 
 At the threshold Rudolf paused, and, turning 
 his head, glanced once at Queen Flavia, who stood 
 still as a statue, watching him go. Then he fol- 
 lowed the constable, who brought him where the 
 horse was. Sapt's devices for securing freedom 
 from observation had served well, and Rudolf 
 mounted unmolested. 
 
 " The hat doesn't fit very well," said Rudolf. 
 
 " Like a crown better, eh ? " suggested the 
 colonel. 
 
 Rudolf laughed as he asked, " Well, what are 
 my orders ? " 
 
 " Ride round by the moat to the road at the 
 back; then through the forest to Hofbau; you 
 know your way after that. You mustn't reach 
 Strelsau till it's dark. Then, if you want a 
 shelter " 
 
 " To Fritz von Tarlenheim's, yes ! From there 
 I shall go straight to the address." 
 
 " Ay. And Rudolf ! " 
 
 " Yes ? " 
 
 " Make an end of him this time." 
 
 " Please God. But if he goes to the lodge ? He 
 will, unless Rischenheim stops him." 
 
 " I'll be there in case — ^but I think Rischenheim 
 will stop him." 
 
THE TASK OF THE QUEENS SERl^ANTS. m 
 
 " If he comes here ? " 
 
 " Young Bernenstein will die before he sufifers 
 him to reach the king." 
 
 " Sapt ! " 
 
 " Ay ? " 
 
 " Be kind to her." 
 
 " Bless the man, yes ! " 
 
 " Good-by." 
 
 " And good luck." 
 
 At a swift canter Rudolf darted round the drive 
 that led from the stables, by the moat, to the old 
 forest road behind; five minutes brought him 
 within the shelter of the trees, and he rode on 
 confidently, meeting nobody, save here and there 
 a yokel, who, seeing a man ride hard with his head 
 averted, took no more notice of him than to wish 
 that he himself could ride abroad instead of being 
 bound to work. Thus Rudolf Rassendyll set out 
 again for the walls of Strelsau, through the forest 
 of Zenda. And ahead of him, with an hour's start, 
 galloped the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim, again 
 a man, and a man with resolution, resentment, and 
 revenge in his heart. 
 
 The game was afoot now; who could tell the 
 issue of it ? 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 
 
 I RECEIVED the telegram sent to me by the 
 Constable of Zenda at my own house in Strelsau 
 about one o'clock. It is needless to say that I 
 made immediate preparations to obey his sum- 
 mons. My wife indeed protested — and ' I must 
 admit with some show of reason — that I was unfit 
 to endure further fatigues, and that my bed was the 
 only proper place for me. I could not listen; and 
 James, Mr. Rassendyll's servant, being informed 
 of the summons, was at my elbow with a card of 
 the trains from Strelsau to Zenda, without waiting 
 for any order from me. I had talked to this man 
 in the course of our journey, and discovered that he 
 had been in the service of Lord Topham, formerly 
 British Ambassador to the Court of Ruritania. 
 How far he was acquainted with the secrets of his 
 present master, I did not know, but his familiarity 
 with the city and the country made him of great 
 use to me. We discovered, to our annoyance, that 
 no train left till four o'clock, and then only a slow 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 113 
 
 one; the result was that we could not arrive at the 
 castle till past six o'clock. This hour was not ab- 
 solutely too late, but I was of course eager to be on 
 the scene of action as early as possible. 
 
 " You'd better see if you can get a special, my 
 lord," James suggested; " I'll run on to the sta- 
 tion and arrange about it." 
 
 I agreed. Since I was known to be often em- 
 ployed in the king's service, I could take a special 
 train without exciting remark. James set out, and 
 about a quarter of an hour later I got into my car- 
 riage to drive to the station. Just as the horses 
 were about to start, however, the butler ap- 
 proached me. 
 
 " I beg your pardon, my lord," said he, " but 
 Bauer didn't return with your lordship. Is he 
 coming back ? " 
 
 " No," said I. " Bauer was grossly impertinent 
 on the journey, and I dismissed him." 
 
 " Those foreign men are never to be trusted, my 
 lord. And your lordship's bag ? " 
 
 " What, hasn't it come ? " I cried. " I told him 
 to send it." 
 
 " It's not arrived, my lord." 
 
 " Can the rogue have stolen it ? " I exclaimed 
 indignantly. 
 
 " If your lordship wishes it, I will mention the 
 matter to the police." 
 
114 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 I appeared to consider this proposal. 
 
 "Wait till I come back," I ended by saying. 
 " The bag may come, and I have no reason to 
 doubt the fellow's honesty." 
 
 This, I thought, would be the end of my connec- 
 tion with Master Bauer. He had served Rupert's 
 turn, and would now disappear from the scene. 
 Indeed it may be that Rupert would have liked to 
 dispense with further aid from him; but he had 
 few whom he could trust, and was compelled to 
 employ those few more than once. At any rate 
 he had not done with Bauer, and I very soon re- 
 ceived proof of the fact. My house is a couple of 
 miles from the station, and we had to pass through 
 a considerable part of the old town, where the 
 streets are narrow and tortuous and progress nec- 
 essarily slow. We had just entered the Konig- 
 strasse (and it must be remembered that I had at 
 that time no reason for attaching any special sigfni- 
 ficance to this locality), and were waiting impa- 
 tiently for a heavy dray to move out of our path, 
 when my coachman, who had overheard the but- 
 ler's conversation with me, leant down from his 
 box with an air of lively excitement. 
 
 " My lord," he cried, " there's Bauer — there, 
 passing the butcher's shop ! " 
 
 I sprang up in the carriage ; the man's back was 
 towards me, and he was threading his way through 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 115 
 
 the people with a quick, stealthy tread. I believe 
 he must have seen me, and was slinking away as 
 fast as he could. I was not sure of him, but the 
 coachman banished my doubt by saying, " It's 
 Bauer — it's certainly Bauer, my lord." 
 
 I hardly stayed to form a resolution. If I could 
 catch this fellow or even see where he went, a most 
 important clue as to Rupert's doings and where- 
 abouts might be put into my hand. I leapt out 
 of the carriage, bidding the man wait, and at once 
 started in pursuit of my former servant. I heard 
 the coachman laugh: he thought, no doubt, that 
 anxiety for the missing bag inspired such eager 
 haste. 
 
 The numbers of the houses in the Konigstrasse 
 begin, as anybody familiar with Strelsau will re- 
 member, at the end adjoining the station. The 
 street being a long one, intersecting almost the en- 
 tire length of the old town, I was, when I set out 
 after Bauer, opposite number 300 or thereabouts, 
 and distant nearly three-quarters of a mile from 
 that important number nineteen, towards which 
 B'auef was hurrying like a rabbit to its bur- 
 row. I knew nothing and thought nothing of 
 where he was going; to me nineteen was no more 
 than eigliteen or twenty; my only desire was to 
 overtake him. I had no clear idea of what I meant 
 to do when I caught him, but I had some hazy 
 
ii6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 notion of intimidating him into giving up his secret 
 by the threat of an accusation of theft. In fact, he 
 had stolen my bag. After him I went; and he 
 knew that I was after him. I saw him turn his 
 face over his shoulder, and then bustle on faster. 
 Neither of us, pursued or pursuer, dared quite to 
 run; as it was, our eager strides and our careless- 
 ness of collision's created more than enough atten- 
 tion. But I had one advantage. Most folk in 
 Strelsau knew me, and many got out of my way 
 who were by no means inclined to pay a like civil- 
 ity to Bauer. Thus I began to gain on him, in 
 spite of his haste; I had started fifty yards behind, 
 but as we neared the end of the street and saw the 
 station ahead of us, not more than twenty sepa- 
 rated me from him. Then an annoying thing hap- 
 pened. I ran full into a stout old gentleman; 
 Bauer had run into him before, and he was stand- 
 ing, as people will, staring in resentful astonish- 
 ment at his first assailant's retreating figure. The 
 second collision immensely increased his vexation; 
 for me it had yet worse consequences; for when I 
 disentangled myself, Bauer was gone ! There was 
 not a sign of him; I looked up: the number of the 
 house above me was twenty-three; but the door 
 was shut. I walked on a few paces, past twenty- 
 two, past twenty-one — and up to nineteen. Nine- 
 teen was an old house, with a dirty, dilapidated 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. n? 
 
 front and an air almost dissipated. It was a shop 
 where provisions of the dheaper sort were on view 
 in the window, things that one has never eaten 
 but has heard of people eating. The shop-door 
 stood open, but there was nothing to connect 
 Bauer with the house. Muttering an oath in my 
 exasperation, I was about to pass on, when an old 
 woman put her head out of the door and looked 
 round. I was full in front of her. I am sure that 
 the old woman started slightly, and I think that I 
 did. For I knew her and she knew me. She was 
 old Mother Holf, one of whose sons, Johann, had 
 betrayed to us the secret of the dungeon at Zenda, 
 while the other had died by Mr. Rassendyll's hand 
 by the side of the great pipe that masked the king's 
 window. Her presence might mean nothing, yet 
 it seemed at once to connect the house with the 
 secret of the past and the crisis of the present. 
 
 She recovered herself in a moment, and curt- 
 seyed to me. 
 
 " Ah, Mother Holf," said I, " how long is it 
 since you set up shop in Strelsau ? " 
 
 "About six months, my lord," she answered, 
 with a composed air and arms akimibo. 
 
 " I have not come across you before," said I, 
 looking keenly at her. 
 
 " Such a poor little shop as mine would not be 
 likely to secure your lordship's patronage," she an- 
 
ii8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 swered, in a humility that seemed only half genu- 
 ine. 
 
 I looked up at the windows. They were all 
 closed and had their wooden lattices shut. The 
 house was devoid of any signs of life. 
 
 " You've a good house here, mother, though it 
 wants a splash of paint," said I. " Do you live all 
 alone in it with your daughter ? " For Max was 
 dead and Johann abroad, and the old woman had, 
 as far as I knew, no other children. 
 
 " Sometimes; sometimes not," said she. " I let 
 lodgings to single men when I can." 
 
 " Full now ? " 
 
 " Not a soul, worse luck, my lord." 
 
 Then I shot an arrow at a venture. 
 
 " The man who came in just now, then, was he 
 only a customer ? " 
 
 " I wish a customer had come in, but there has 
 been nobody," she replied in surprised tones. 
 
 I looked full in her eyes; she met mine with a 
 blinking imperturbability. There is no face so in- 
 scrutable as a clever old woman's when she is on 
 her guard. And her fat body barred the entrance; 
 I could not so much as see inside, while the win- 
 dow, choked full with pigs' trotters and such-like 
 dainties, helped me very little. If the fox were 
 there, he had got to earth and I could not dig him 
 out. 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 119 
 
 At this moment I saw James approaching hur- 
 riedly. He was looking up the street, no doubt 
 seeking my carriage and chafing at its delay. An 
 instant later he saw me. 
 
 " My lord," he said, " your train will be ready 
 in five minutes; if it doesn't start then, the line 
 must be closed for another half-hour." 
 
 I perceived a faint smile on the old woman's face. 
 I was sure then that I was on the track of Bauer, 
 an'd probably of more than Bauer. But my first 
 duty was to obey orders and get to Zenda. Be- 
 sides, I could not force my way in, there in open 
 daylight, without a scandal that would have set all 
 the long ears in Strelsau aprick. I turned away 
 reluctantly. I did not even know for certain that 
 Bauer was within, and thus had no information of 
 value to carry with me. 
 
 " If your lordship would kindly recommend 
 me — " said the old hag. 
 
 " Yes, I'll recommend you," said I. " I'll rec- 
 ommend you to be careful whom you take for 
 lodgers. There are queer fish about, mother." 
 
 " I take the money beforehand," she retorted 
 with a grin; and I was as sure that she was in the 
 plot as of my own existence. 
 
 There was nothing to be done; James's face 
 urged me towards the station. I turned away. 
 But at this instant a loud, merry laugh sounded 
 
I20 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 from inside the house. I started, and this time 
 violently. The old woman's brow contracted in a 
 frown, and her lips twitched for a moment; then 
 her face regained its composure; but I knew the 
 lau'gh, and she must have guessed that I knew it. 
 Instantly I tried to appear as though I had noticed 
 nothing. I nodded to her carelessly, and bidding 
 James follow me, set out for the station. But as 
 we reached the platform, I laid my hand on liis 
 shoulder, saying: 
 
 " The Count of Hentzau is in that house, 
 James." 
 
 He looked at me without surprise; he was as 
 hard to stir to wonder as old Sapt himself. 
 
 " Indeed, sir. Shall I stay and watch ? " 
 
 " No, come with me," I answered. To tell the 
 truth, I thought that to leave him alone in Strel- 
 sau to watch that house was in all likelihood to 
 sign his death warrant, and I shrank from impos- 
 ing the duty on him. Rudolf might send him if 
 he would; I dared not. So we got into our train, 
 and I suppose that my coachman, when he had 
 looked long enough for me, went home. I forgot 
 to ask him afterwards. Very likely he thought it 
 a fine joke to see his master hunting a truant ser- 
 vant and a truant bag through the streets in broad 
 daylight. Had he known the truth, he would have 
 been as interested, though, maybe, less amused. 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMy4N. 121 
 
 I arrived at the town of Zenda at half-past three, 
 and was in the castle before four. I may pass over 
 the most kind and gracious words with which the 
 queen received me. Every sight of her face and 
 every sound of her voice bound a man closer to 
 her service, and now she made me feel that I was 
 a poor fellow to have lost her letter and yet to be 
 alive. But she would hear nothing of such talk, 
 choosing rather to praise the little I had done than 
 to blame the great thing in which I had failed. 
 Dismissed from her presence, I flew open-mouthed 
 to Sapt. I found him in his room with Bernen- 
 stein, and had the satisfaction of learning that my 
 news of Rupert's whereabouts was confirmed by 
 his information. I was also made acquainted with 
 all that had been done, even as I have already re- 
 lated it, from the first successful trick played on 
 Rischenheim to the moment of his unfortunate es- 
 cape. But my face grew long and apprehensive 
 when I heard that Rudolf Rassendyll had gone 
 alone to Strelsau to put his head in that lion's 
 mouth in the Konigstrasse. 
 
 "There will be three of them there — Rupert, 
 Rischenheim, and my rascal Bauer," said I. 
 
 " As to Rupert, we don't know," Sapt reminded 
 me. " He'll be there if Rischenheim arrives in 
 time to tell him the truth. But we have also to be 
 ready for him Jiere, and at the hunting-lodge. 
 
122 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Well, we're ready for him wherever he is: Rudolf 
 will be in Strelsau, you and I will ride to the lodge, 
 and Bernenstein will be here with the queen." 
 
 " Only one here ? " I asked. 
 
 " Ay, but a good one," said the constable, clap- 
 ping Bernenstein on the shoulder. " We sha'n't 
 be gone above four hours, and those while the 
 king is safe in his bed. Bernenstein has only to 
 refuse access to him, and stand to that with his 
 life till we come back. You're equal to that, eh. 
 Lieutenant ? " 
 
 I am, by nature, a cautious man, and prone to 
 look at the dark side of every prospect and the 
 risks of every enterprise; but I could not see what 
 better dispositions were possible against the attack 
 that threatened us. Yet I was sorely uneasy con- 
 cerning Mr. Rassendyll. 
 
 Now, after all our stir and runnings to and fro, 
 came an hour or two of peace. We employed the 
 time ill having a good meal, and it was past five 
 when, our repast finished, we sat back in our chairs 
 enjoying cigars. James had waited on us, quietly 
 usurping the office of the constable's own servant, 
 and thus we had been able to talk freely. The 
 man's calm confidence in his master and his 
 master's fortune also went far to comfort me. 
 
 "The king should be back soon," said Sapt at 
 last, with a glance at his big, old-fashioned silver 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 123 
 
 watch. " Thank God, he'll be too tired to sit up 
 long. We shall be free by nine o'clock, Fritz. I 
 wish young Rupert would come to the lodge ! " 
 And the colonel's face expressed a lively pleasure 
 at the idea. 
 
 Six o'clock struck, and the king did not appear. 
 A few moments later, a message came from the 
 queen, requesting our presence on the terrace in 
 front of the chateau. The place commanded a view 
 of the road by which the king would ride back, 
 and we found the queen walking restlessly up and 
 down, considerably disquieted by the lateness of 
 his return. In such a position as ours, every un- 
 usual or unforeseen incident magnifies its possible 
 meaning, and invests itself with a sinister im- 
 portance which would at ordinary times seem 
 absurd. We three shared the queen's feelings, and 
 forgetting the many chances of the chase, any one 
 of which would amply account for the king's delay, 
 fell to speculating on remote possibilities of dis- 
 aster. He might have met Rischenheim — though 
 they had ridden in opposite directions; Rupert 
 might have intercepted him — though no means 
 could have brought Rupert to the forest so early. 
 Our fears defeated common sense, and our con- 
 jectures outran possibility. Sapt was the first to 
 recover from this foolish mood, and he rated us 
 soundly, not sparing even the queen herself. With 
 
124 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 a laugh we regained some of our equanimity, and 
 felt rather ashamed of our weakness. 
 
 " Still it's strange that he doesn't come," mur- 
 mured the queen, shading her eyes with her hand, 
 and looking along the road to where the dark 
 masses of the forest trees bounded our Adew. It 
 was already dusk, but not so dark but that we 
 could have seen the king's party as soon as it came 
 into the open. 
 
 If the king's delay seemed strange at six, it was 
 stranger at seven, and by eight most strange. We 
 had long since ceased to talk lightly; by now we 
 had lapsed into silence. Sapt's scoldings had died 
 away. The queen, wrapped in her furs (for it was very 
 cold), sat sometimes on a seat, but oftener paced 
 restlessly to and fro. Evening had fallen. We did 
 not know what to do, nor even whether we ought 
 to do anything. Sapt would not own to sharing 
 our worst apprehensions, but his gloomy silence 
 in face of our surmises witnessed that he was in 
 his heart as disturbed as we were. For my part I 
 had come to the end of my endurance, and I cried, 
 " For God's sake, let's act ! Shall I go and seek 
 him ? " 
 
 " A needle in a bundle of hay," said Sapt with a 
 shrug. 
 
 But at this instant my ear caught the sound of 
 horses cantering on the road from the forest; at 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 125 
 
 the same moment Bernenstein cried, " Here they 
 come ! " The queen paused, and we gathered 
 round her. The horse-hoofs came nearer. Now 
 we made out the figures of three men: they were 
 the king's huntsmen, and they rode along merrily, 
 singing a hunting chorus. The sound of it brought 
 rehef to us; so far at least there was no disaster. 
 But why was not the king with them ? 
 
 " The king is probably tired, and is following 
 more slowly, madam," suggested Bernenstein. 
 
 This explanation seemed very probable, and the 
 lieutenant and I, as ready to be hopeful on slight 
 grounds as fearful on small provocation, joyfully 
 accepted it. Sapt, less easily turned to either 
 mood, said, " Ay, but let us hear," and raising his 
 voice, called to the huntsmen, who had now arrived 
 in the avenue. One of them, the king's chief 
 huntsman Simon, gorgeous in his uniform of green 
 and gold, came swaggering along, and bowed low 
 to the queen. 
 
 " Well, Simon, where is the king ? " she asked, 
 trying to smile. 
 
 " The king, madam, has sent a message by me 
 to your majesty." 
 
 " Pray, deliver it to me, Simon." 
 
 " I will, madam. The king has enjoyed fine 
 sport; and, indeed, madam, if I may say so for my- 
 self, a better run " 
 
iz6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " You may say, friend Simon," interrupted the 
 constable, tapping him on the shoulder, " any- 
 thing you like for yourself, but, as a matter of 
 etiquette, the king's message should come first." 
 
 " Oh, ay. Constable," said Simon. " You're al- 
 ways so down on a man, aren't you ? Well, then, 
 madam, the king has enjoyed fine sport. For we 
 started a boar at eleven, and " 
 
 " Is this the king's message, Simon ? " asked 
 the queen, smiling in genuine amusement, but im- 
 patiently. 
 
 " Why, no, madam, not precisely his majesty's 
 message." 
 
 "Then get to it, man, in Heaven's name," 
 growled Sapt testily. For here were we four (the 
 queen, too, one of us !) on tenterhooks, while the 
 fool boasted about the sport that he had shown the 
 king. For every boar in the forest Simon took as 
 much credit as though he, and not Almighty God, 
 had made the animal. It is the way with such fel- 
 lows. 
 
 Simon became a little confused under the com- 
 bined influence of his own seductive memories and 
 Sapt's brusque exhortations. 
 
 " As I was saying, madam," he resumed, " the 
 boar led us a long way, but at last the hounds 
 pulled him down, and his majesty himself gave the 
 coup de grace. Well, then it was very late " 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 127 
 
 " It's no earlier now," grumbled the constable. 
 
 " And the king, although indeed, madam, his 
 majesty was so gracious as to say that no hunts- 
 man whom his majesty had ever had, had given 
 his majesty " 
 
 " God help us ! " groaned the constable. 
 
 Simon shot an apprehensive apologetic glance 
 at Colonel Sapt. The constable was frowning 
 ferociously. In spite of the serious matters in hand 
 I could not forbear a smile, while young Bernen- 
 stein broke into an audible laugh, which he tried 
 to smother with his hand. 
 
 " Yes, the king was very tired, Simon ? " said 
 the queen, at once encouraging him and bringing 
 him back to the point with a woman's skill. 
 
 " Yes, madam, the king was very tired; and 
 as we chanced to kill near the hunting-lodge " 
 
 I do not know whether Simon noticed any 
 change in the manner of his audience. But the 
 queen looked up with parted lips, and I believe 
 that we three all drew a step nearer him. Sapt did 
 not interrupt this time. 
 
 " Yes, madam, the king was very tired, and as we 
 chanced to kill near the hunting-lodge, the king 
 bade us carry our quarry there, and come back to 
 dress it to-morrow; so we obeyed, and here we are 
 — that is, except Herbert, my brother, who stayed 
 with the king by his majesty's orders. Because, 
 
128 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 madam, Herbert is a "handy fellow, and my good 
 mother taught him to cook a steak and " 
 
 " Stayed where with the king ? " roared Sapt. 
 
 "Why, at the hunting-lodge. Constable. The 
 king stays there to-night, and will ride back to- 
 morrow morning with Herbert. That, madam, is 
 the king's message." 
 
 We had come to it at last, and it was something 
 to come to. Simon gazed from face to face. I 
 saw him, and I understood at once that our feelings 
 must be speaking too plainly. So I took on my- 
 self to dismiss him, saying: 
 
 "Thanks, Simon, thanks: we understand." 
 
 He bowed to the queen; she roused herself, and 
 added her tbanks to mine. Simon withdrew, look- 
 ing still a little puzzled. 
 
 After we were left alone, there was a moment's 
 silence. Then I said: ' 
 
 " Suppose Rupert " 
 
 The Constable of Zenda broke in with a short 
 laugh. 
 
 " On my life," said he, " how things fall out ! 
 We say he will go to the hunting-lodge, and — ^he 
 goes ! " 
 
 " If Rupert goes — if Rischenheim doesn't stop 
 him-! " I urged again. 
 
 The queen rose from her seat and stretched out 
 her bands towards us. 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 129 
 
 " Gentlemen, my letter ! " said she. 
 
 Sapt wasted no time. 
 
 " Bernenstein," said he, " you stay here as we ar- 
 ranged. Nothing is altered. Horses for Fritz 
 and myself in five minutes." 
 
 Bernenstein turned and shot like an arrow along 
 the terrace towards the stables. 
 
 " Nothing is altered, madam," said Sapt, " ex- 
 cept that we must be there before Count Rupert." 
 
 I looked at my watch. It was twenty minutes 
 past nine. Simon's cursed chatter had lost a quar- 
 ter of an hour. I opened my lips to speak. A 
 glance from Sapt's eyes told me that he discerned 
 what I was about to say. I was silent. 
 
 " You'll 'be in time ? " asked the queen, with 
 clasped hands and frightened eyes. 
 
 " Assuredly, madam," returned Sapt with a bow. 
 
 " You won't let him reach the king ? " 
 
 " Why, no, madam," said Sapt with a smile. 
 
 " From my heart, gentlemen," she said in a 
 trembling voice, " from my heart " 
 
 " Here are the horses," cried Sapt. He snatched 
 her hand, brushed it with his grizzly moustache, 
 and — well, I am not sure I heard, and I can hardly 
 believe what I think I heard. But I will set it 
 down for what it is worth. I think he said, " Bless 
 your sweet face, we'll do it." At any rate she drew 
 back with a little cry of surprise, and I saw the tears 
 
I30 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 standing in her eyes. I kissed her hand also; then 
 we mounted, and we started, and we rode, as if the 
 devil were behind us, for the hunting-lodge. 
 
 But I turned once to watch her standing on the 
 terrace, with young Bernenstein's tall figure beside 
 her. 
 
 " Can we be in time ? " said I. It was what I 
 had meant to say before. 
 
 "I think not, 'but, by God, we'll try," said 
 Colonel Sapt. 
 
 And I knew why he had not let me speak. 
 
 Suddenly there was a sound behind us of a horse 
 at the gallop. Our heads flew round in the ready 
 apprehension of men on a perilous errand. The 
 hoofs drew near, for the unknown rode with reck- 
 less haste. 
 
 " We had best see what it is," said the constable, 
 pulling up. 
 
 A second more, and the horseman was beside us. 
 Sapt swore an oath, half in amusement, half in 
 vexation. 
 
 " Why, is it you, James ? " I cried. 
 
 " Yes, sir," answered Rudolf Rassendyll's ser- 
 vant. 
 
 " What the devil do you want ? " asked Sapt. 
 
 " I came to attend on the Count von Tarlen- 
 heim, sir." 
 
 " I did not give you any orders, James." 
 
THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN. 131 
 
 " No, sir. But Mr. Rassendyll told me not to 
 leave you, unless you sent me away. So I made 
 haste to follow you." 
 
 Then Sapt cried: " Deuce take it, what horse is 
 that ? " 
 
 " The best in the staibles, so far as I could see, 
 sir. I was afraid of not overtaking you." 
 
 Sapt tugged his moustaches, scowled, but finally 
 laughed. 
 
 " Much obliged' for your coanpliment," said he. 
 " The horse is mine." 
 
 " Indeed, sir ? " said James with respectful in- 
 terest. 
 
 For a moment we were all silent. Then Sapt 
 laughed again. 
 
 " Forward ! " said he, and the three of us dashed 
 into the forest. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. 
 
 Looking back now, in the light of the informa- 
 tion I have gathered, I am able to trace very 
 clearly, and almost hour by hour, the events of 
 this day, and to understand how chance, laying 
 hold of our cunning plan and mocking our wili- 
 ness, twisted and turned our device to a predeter- 
 mined but undreamt-of issue, of which we were 
 most guiltless in thought or intent. Had the king 
 not gone to the hunting-lodge, our design would 
 have found the fulfilment we looked for; had Risch- 
 enheim succeeded in warning Rupert of Hentzau, 
 we should have stood where we were. Fate or 
 fortune would have it otherwise. The king, being 
 weary, went to the lodge, and Rischenheim failed 
 in warning his cousin. It was a narrow failure, for 
 Rupert, as his laugh told me, was in the house in 
 the Konigstrasse when I set out from Strelsau, and 
 Rischenheim arrived there at half-past four. He 
 had taken the train at a roadside station, and thus 
 easily outstripped Mr. Rassendyll, who, not daring 
 
 132 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. 133 
 
 to show his face, was forced to ride all the way and 
 enter the city under cover of night. But Rischen- 
 heim had not dared to send a warning, for he knew 
 that we were in possession of the address and did 
 not know what steps we might have taken to in- 
 tercept messages. Therefore he was obliged to 
 carry the news himself; when he came his man was 
 gone. Indeed Rupert must have left the house 
 almost immediately after I was safe away from the 
 city. He was determined to be in good time for 
 his appointment; his only enemies were not in 
 Strelsau ; there was no warrant on which he could 
 be apprehended ; and, although his connection with 
 Black Michael was a matter of popular gossip, he 
 felt himself safe from arrest by virtue of the secret 
 that protected him. Accordingly he walked out of 
 the house, went to the station, took his ticket to 
 Hofbau, and, traveling by the four o'clock train, 
 reached his destination about half-past five. He 
 must have passed the train in which Rischenheim 
 traveled; the first news the latter had of his de- 
 parture was from a porter at the station, who, hav- 
 ing recognized the Count of Hentzau, ventured to 
 congratulate Rischenheim on his cousin's return. 
 Rischenheim made no answer, but hurried in great 
 agitation to the house in the Konigstrasse, where 
 the old woman Holf confirmed the tidings. Then 
 he passed through a period of great irresolution. 
 
134 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Loyalty to Rupert urged that he should follow him 
 and share the perils into which his cousin was has- 
 tening. But caution whispered that he was not ir- 
 revocably committed, that nothing overt yet con- 
 nected him with Rupert's schemes, and that we 
 who knew the truth should be well content to pur- 
 chase his silence as to the trick we had played by 
 granting him immunity. His fears won the day, 
 and, like the irresolute man he was, he determined 
 to wait in Strelsau till he heard the issue of the 
 meeting at the lodge. If Rupert were disposed of 
 there, he had something to ofifer us in return for 
 peace; if his cousin' escaped, he would be in the 
 Konigstrasse, prepared to second the further plans 
 of the desperate adventurer. In any event his skin 
 was safe, and I presume to think that this weighed 
 a little with him; for excuse he had the wound 
 which Bernenstein had given him, and which ren- 
 dered his right arm entirely useless; had he gone 
 then, he would have been a most inefficient ally. 
 
 Of all this we, as we rode through the forest, 
 knew nothing. We might guess, conjecture, hope, 
 or fear; but our certain knowledge stopped with 
 Rischenheim's start for the capital and Rupert's 
 presence there at three o'clock. The pair might 
 have met or might have missed. We had to act 
 as though they had missed and Rupert were gone 
 to meet the king. But we were late. The con- 
 
THE TEMPER. OF BORIS THE HOUND. I35 
 
 sciousness of that pressed upon us, although we 
 evaded further mention of it; it made us spur and 
 drive our horses as quickly, ay, and a little 
 'more quickly, than safety allowed. Once James's 
 horse stumbled in the darkness and its rider was 
 thrown; more than once a low bough hanging 
 over the path nearly swept me, dead or stunned, 
 from my seat. Sapt paid no attention to these 
 mishaps or threatened mishaps. He had taken the 
 lead, and, sitting well down in his saddle, rode 
 ahead, turning neither to right nor left, never 
 slackening his pace, sparing neither himself nor his 
 beast. James and I were side by side behind him. 
 We rode in silence, finding nothing to say to one an- 
 other. My mind was full of a picture — ^the picture 
 of Rupert with his easy smile handing to the king 
 the queen's letter. For the hour of the rendezvous 
 was past. If that image had been translated into 
 reality, what must we do ? To kill Rupert would 
 satisfy revenge, but of what other avail would it be 
 when the king had read the letter ? I am ashamed 
 to say that I found myself girding at Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll for happening on a plan which the course of 
 events had turned into a trap for ourselves and not 
 for Rupert of Hentzau. 
 
 Suddenly Sapt, turning his head for the first 
 time, pointed in front of him. The lodge was be- 
 fore us; we saw it looming dimly a quarter of a 
 
136 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 mile off. Sapt reined in his horse, and we followed 
 his example. All dismounted, we tied our horses 
 to trees and went forward at a quick, silent walk. 
 Our idea was that Sapt should enter on pretext of 
 having been sent by the queen to attend to her hus- 
 band's comfort and arrange for his return without 
 further fatigue next day. If Rupert had come and 
 gone, the king's demeanor would probably betray 
 the fact; if he had not yet come, I and James, 
 patrolling outside, would bar his passage. There 
 was a third possibility ; he might be even now 
 with the king. Our course in such a case we left 
 unsettled; so far as I had any plan, it was to kill 
 Rupert and try to convince the king that the letter 
 was a forgery — a desperate hope, so desperate that 
 we turned our eyes away from the possibility which 
 would make it our only resource. 
 
 We were now very near the hunting-lodge, 
 being about forty yards from the front of it. All 
 at once Sapt threw himself on his stomach on the 
 ground. 
 
 " Give me a match," he whispered. 
 
 James struck a light, and, the night being still, 
 the flame burnt brightly: it showed us the mark of 
 a horse's hoof, apparently quite fresh, and leading 
 away from the lodge. We rose and went on, fol- 
 lowing the tracks by the aid of more matches till 
 we reached a tree twenty yards from the door. 
 
 r 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. I37 
 
 Here the hoof-marks ceased ; but beyond there 
 was a double track of human feet in the soft black ' 
 earth; a man had gone thence to the house and 
 returned from the house thither. On the right of 
 the tree were more hoof-marks, leading up to it 
 and then ceasing. A man had ridden up from the 
 right, dismounted, gone on foot to the house, re- 
 turned to the tree, remounted, and ridden away 
 along the track by which we had approached. 
 
 " It may be somebody else," said I; but I do 
 not think that we any of us doubted in our hearts 
 that the tracks were made by the coming of Hent- 
 zau. Then the king had the letter; the mischief 
 was done. We were too late. 
 
 Yet we did not hesitate. Since disaster had 
 come, it must be faced. Mr. Rassendyll's servant 
 and I followed the constable of Zenda up to the 
 door, or within a few feet of it. Here Sapt, who 
 was in uniform, loosened his sword in its sheath; 
 James and I looked to our revolvers. There were 
 no lights visible in the lodge; the door was shut; 
 everything was still. Sapt knocked softly with his 
 knuckles, but there was no answer from within. 
 He laid hold of the handle and turned it; the door 
 opened, and the passage lay dark and apparently 
 empty before us. 
 
 " You stay here, as we arranged," whispered the 
 colonel. " Give me the matches, and I'll go in." 
 
138 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 James handed him the box of matches, and he 
 crossed the threshold. For a yard or two we saw 
 him plainly, then his figure grew dim and indis- 
 tinct. I heard nothing except my own hard 
 breathing. But in a moment there was another 
 sound — a muffled exclamation, and a noise of a 
 man stumbling; a sword, too, clattered on the 
 stones of the passage. We looked at one another; 
 the noise did not produce any answering stir in the 
 house; then came the sharp little explosion of a 
 match struck on its box; next we heard Sapt rais- 
 ing himself, his scabbard scraping along the stones; 
 his footsteps came towards us, and in a second he 
 appeared at the door. 
 
 " What was it ? " I whispered. 
 
 " I fell," said Sapt. 
 
 " Over what ? " 
 
 " Come and see. James, stay here." 
 
 I followed the constable for the distance of eight 
 or ten feet along the passage. 
 
 " Isn't there a lamp anywhere ? " I asked. 
 
 " We can see enough with a match," he an- 
 swered. " Here, this is what I fell over." 
 
 Even before the match was struck I saw a dark 
 body lying across the passage. 
 
 " A dead man ! " I guessed instantly. 
 
 " Why, no," said Sapt, striking a light: " a dead 
 dog, Fritz." 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND 139 
 
 An exclamation of wonder escaped me as I fell 
 on my knees. At the same instant Sapt muttered, 
 " Ay, there's a lamp," and, stretching up his hand 
 to a little oil lamp that stood on a bracket, he lit 
 it, took it down, and held it over the body. It 
 served to give a fair, though unsteady, light, and 
 enabled us to see what lay in the passage. 
 
 " It's Boris, the boar-hound," said I, still in a 
 whisper, although there was no sign of any 
 listeners. 
 
 I knew the dog well; he was the king's favorite, 
 and always accompanied him when he went hunt- 
 ing. He was obedient to every word of the king's, 
 but of a rather uncertain temper towards the rest 
 of the world. However, de mortuis nil nisi bonum; 
 there he lay dead in the passage. Sapt put his hand 
 on the beast's head. There was a bullet-hole right 
 through his forehead. I nodded, and in my turn 
 pointed to the dog's right shoulder, which was 
 shattered by another ball. 
 
 " And see here," said the constable. " Have a 
 pull at this." 
 
 I looked where his hand now was. In the dog's 
 mouth was a piece of gray cloth, and on the piece 
 of gray cloth was a horn coat-button. I took hold 
 of the cloth and pulled. Boris held on even in 
 death. Sapt drew his sword, and, inserting the 
 point of it between the dog's teeth, parted 
 
14° RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 them enough for me to draw out the piece of 
 cloth. 
 
 " You'd better put it in your pocket," said the 
 constable. " Now come along; " and, holding the 
 lamp in one hand and his sword (which he did not 
 resheathe) in the other, he stepped over the body 
 of the boar-hound, and I followed him. 
 
 We were now in front of the door of the room 
 where Rudolf Rassendyll had supped with us on 
 the day of his first coming to Ruritania, and 
 whence he had set out to be crowned in Strelsau. 
 On the right of it was the room where the king 
 slept, and farther along in the same direction the 
 kitchen and the cellars. The officer or officers in 
 attendance on the king used to sleep on the other 
 side of the dining-room. 
 
 " We must explore, I suppose," said Sapt. In 
 spite of his outward calmness, I caught in his voice 
 the ring of excitement rising and ill-repressed. 
 But at this moment we heard from the passage on 
 our left (as we faced the door) a low moan, and 
 then a dragging sound, as if a man were crawling 
 along the floor, painfully trailing his limbs after 
 him. Sapt held the lamp in that direction, and we 
 saw Herbert the forester, pale-faced and wide-eyed, 
 raised from the ground on his two hands, while 
 his legs stretched behind him and his stomach 
 rested on the flags. 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. 141 
 
 " Who is it ? " he said in a faint voice. 
 
 " Why, man, you know us," said the constable, 
 stepping up to him. " What's happened here ? " 
 
 The poor fellow was very faint, and, I think, 
 wandered a little in his brain. 
 
 " I've got it, sir," he murmured; " I've got it, 
 fair and straight. No more hunting for me, sir. 
 I've got it here in the stomach. Oh, my God ! " 
 He let his head fall with a thud on the floor. 
 
 I ran and raised him. Kneeling on one knee, I 
 propped his head against my leg. 
 
 " Tell us about it," commanded Sapt in a curt, 
 crisp voice, while I got the man into the easiest 
 position that I could contrive. 
 
 In slow, struggling tones he began his story, 
 repeating here, omitting there, often confusing the 
 order of his narrative, oftener still arresting it w'hile 
 he waited for fresh strength. Yet we were not im- 
 patient, but heard without a thought of time. I 
 looked round once at a sound, and found that 
 James, anxious about us, had stolen along the 
 passage and joined us. Sapt took no notice of him, 
 nor of anything save the words that dropped in 
 irregular utterance from the stricken maa's lips. 
 Here is the story, a strange instance of the turning 
 of a great event on a small cause. 
 
 The king had eaten a little supper, and, having 
 gone to his bedroom, had stretched himself on the 
 
142 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 bed and fallen asleep without undressing. Herbert 
 was clearing the dining-table and performing sim- 
 ilar duties, when suddenly (thus he told it) he 
 lound a man standing beside him. He did not 
 know (he was new to the king's service) who the 
 unexpected visitor was, but he was of middle 
 height, dark, handsome, and " looked a gentleman 
 all over." He was dressed in a shooting-tunic, and 
 a revolver was thrust through the belt of it. One 
 hand rested on the belt, while the other held a 
 small square box. 
 
 " Tell the king I am here. He expects me," 
 said the stranger. 
 
 Herbert, alarmed at the suddenness and silence 
 of the stranger's approach, and guiltily conscious 
 of having left the door unbolted, drew back. He 
 was unarmed, but, being a stout fellow, was pre- 
 pared to defend his master as best he could. Ru- 
 pert — ^beyond doubt it was Rupert — ^laughed 
 lightly, saying again, " Man, he expects me. Go 
 and tell him," and sat himself on the table, swing- 
 ing his leg. Herbert, influenced by the visitor's 
 air of command, began to retreat towards the bed- 
 room, keeping his face towards Rupert. " If the 
 king asks more, tell him I have the packet and the 
 letter," said Rupert. The man bowed and passed 
 into the bedroom. The king was asleep; when 
 roused he seemed to know nothing of letter or 
 
THE TEMPER. OF BORIS THE HOUND. 143 
 
 packet, and to expect no visitor. Herbert's ready 
 fears revived; he whispered that the stranger car- 
 ried a revolver. Whatever the king's faults might 
 be — and God forbid that I should speak hardly of 
 him whom fate used so hardly — he was no coward. 
 He sprang from his bed; at the same moment the 
 great boar-hound uncoiled himself and came from 
 beneath, yawning and fawning. But in an instant 
 the beast caught the scent of a stranger: his ears 
 pricked and he gave a low growl, as he looked up 
 in his master's face. Then Rupert of Hentzau, 
 weary perhaps of waiting, perhaps only doubtful 
 whether his message would be properly delivered, 
 appeared in the doorway. 
 
 The king was unarmed, and Herbert in no bet- 
 ter plight; their hunting weapons were in the ad- 
 joining room, and Rupert seemed to bar the way. 
 I have said that the king was no coward, yet I 
 think that the sight of Rupert, bringing back the 
 memory of his torments in the dungeon, half 
 cowed him ; for he shrank back crying, " You ! " 
 The hound, in subtle understanding of his master's 
 movement, growled angrily. 
 
 " You expected me, sire ? " said Rupert with a 
 bow; but he smiled. I know that the sight of the 
 king's alarm pleased him. To inspire terror was 
 his delight, and it does not come to every man to 
 strike fear into the heart of a king and an Elph- 
 
144 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 berg. It had come more than once to Rupert of 
 Hentzau. 
 
 " No," muttered the king. Then, recovering 
 his composure a little, he said angrily, " How dare 
 you come here ? " 
 
 " You didn't expect me ? " cried Rupert, and in 
 an instant the thought of a trap seemed to flash 
 across his alert mind. He drew the revolver half- 
 way from his belt, probably in a scarcely conscious 
 movement, born of the desire to assure himself of 
 its presence. With a cry of alarm Herijert flung 
 himself before the king, who sank back on the bed. 
 Rupert, puzzled, vexed, yet half-amused (for he 
 smiled still, the man said), took a step forward, 
 crying out something about Rischenheim — what, 
 Herbert could not tell us. " Keep back," ex- 
 claimed the king. " Keep back." Rupert paused; 
 then, as though with a sudden thought, he held up 
 the box that was in his left hand, saying: 
 
 "Well, look at this sire, and we'll talk after- 
 wards," and he stretched out his hand with the box 
 in it. 
 
 Now the king stood on a razor's edge, for the 
 king whispered to Herbert, " What is it ? Go and 
 take it." 
 
 But Herbert hesitated, fearing to leave the king, 
 whom his body now protected as though with a 
 shield. Rupert's impatience overcame him: if 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. MS 
 
 there were a trap, every moment's delay doubled 
 his danger. With a scornful laugh he exclaimed, 
 " Catch it, then, if you're afraid to come for it," 
 and he flung the packet to Herbert or the king, or 
 which of them might chance to catch it. 
 
 This insolence had a strange result. In an in- 
 stant, with a fierce growl and a mighty bound, 
 Boris was at the stranger's throat. Rupert had 
 not seen or had not heeded the dog. A startled 
 oath rang out from him. He snatched the revolver 
 from his belt and fired at his assailant. This shot 
 must have broken the beast's shoulder, but it only 
 half arrested his spring. His great weight was still 
 hurled on Rupert's chest, and bore him back on his 
 knee. The packet that he had flung lay unheeded. 
 The king, wild with alarm and furious with anger 
 at his favorite's fate, jumped up and ran past Ru- 
 pert into the next room. Herbert followed; even 
 as they went Rupert flung the wounded, weakened 
 beast from him and darted to the doorway. He 
 found himself facing Herbert, who held a boar- 
 spear, and the king, who had a double-barreled 
 hunting-gun. He raised his left hand, Hert>ert 
 said — no doubt he still asked a hearing — ^but the 
 king leveled his weapon. With a spring Rupert 
 gained the shelter of the door, the bullet sped by 
 him, and buried itself in the wall of the room. 
 Then Herbert was at him with the boar-spear. Ex- 
 
146 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 planations must wait now: it was life or death; 
 without hesitation Rupert fired at Herbert, bring- 
 ing him to the ground with a mortal wound. The 
 king's gun was at his shoulder again. 
 
 " You damned fool ! " roared Rupert, " if you 
 must have it, take it," and gun and revolver rang 
 out at the same moment. But Rupert — never did 
 his nerve fail him — hit, the king missed; Herbert 
 saw the count stand for an instant with his smok- 
 ing barrel in his hand, looking at the king, who lay 
 on the ground. Then Rupert walked towards the 
 door. I wish I had seen his face then ! Did he 
 frown or smile ? Was triumph or chagrin upper- 
 most ? Remorse ? Not he ! 
 
 He reached the door and passed through. That 
 was the last Herbert saw of him; but the fourth 
 actor in the drama, the wordless player whose part 
 had been so momentous, took the stage. Limping 
 along, now whining in sharp agony, now growling 
 in fierce anger, with blood flowing but hair brist- 
 ling, the hound Boris dragged himself across the 
 room, through the door, after Rupert of Hentzau. 
 Herbert listened, raising his head from the ground. 
 There was a growl, an oath, the sound of the 
 scuffle. Rupert must have turned in time to re- 
 ceive the dog's spring. The beast, maimed and 
 crippled by his shattered shoulder, did not reach 
 his enemy's face, but his teeth tore away the bit 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. I47 
 
 of cloth that we had found held in the vise of his 
 jaws. Then came another shot, a laugh, retreat- 
 ing steps, and a door slammed. With that last 
 sound Herbert woke to the fact of the count's es- 
 cape; with weary efforts he dragged himself into 
 the passage. The idea that he could go on if he 
 got a drink of brandy turned him in the direction 
 of the cellar. But his strength failed, and he sank 
 down where we found him, not knowing whether 
 the king were dead or still alive, and unable even 
 to make his way back to the room where his mas- 
 ter lay stretched on the ground. 
 
 I had listened to the story, bound as though by a 
 spell. Half-way through, James's hand had crept 
 to my arm and rested there; when Herbert finished 
 I heard the little man licking his lips, again and 
 again slapping his tongue against them. Then I 
 looked at Sapt. He was as pale as a ghost, and 
 the lines on his face seemed to have grown deeper. 
 He glanced up, and met my regard. Neither of 
 us spoke; we exchanged thoughts with our eyes, 
 " This is our work," we said to one another. " It 
 was our trap, these are our victims." I cannot 
 even now think of that hour, for by our act the 
 king lay dead. 
 
 But was he dead ? I seized Sapt by the arm. 
 His glance questioned me. " The king," I whis- 
 pered hoarsely. " Yes, the king," he returned. 
 
148 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Facing round, we walked to the door of the dining-- 
 room. Here I turned suddenly faint, and clutched 
 at the constable. He held me up, and pushed the 
 door wide open. The smell of powder was in the 
 room; it seemed as if the smoke hung about, curl- 
 ing in dim coils round the chandelier which gave 
 a subdued light. James had the lamp now, and 
 followed us with it. But the king was not there. 
 A sudden hope filled me. He had not been killed 
 then ! I regained strength, and darted across to- 
 wards the inside room. Here too the light was 
 dim, and I turned to beckon for the lamp. Sapt 
 and James came together, and stood peering over 
 my shoulder in the doorway. 
 
 The king lay prone on the floor, face down- 
 wards, near the bed. He had crawled there, seek- 
 ing for some place to rest, as we supposed. He 
 did not move. We watched him for a moment; 
 the silence seemed deeper than silence could be. 
 At last, moved by a common impulse, we stepped 
 forward, but timidly, as though we approached the 
 throne of Death himself. I was the first to kneel 
 by the king and raise his head. Blood had flowed 
 from his lips, but it had ceased to flow now. He 
 was dead. 
 
 I felt Sapt's hand on my shoulder. Looking up, 
 I saw his other hand stretched out towards the 
 ground. I turned my eyes where he pointed. 
 
'HE WAS DEAD."— /Vife m. 
 
THE TEMPER OF BORIS THE HOUND. 149 
 
 There, in the king's hand, stained with the king's 
 blood, was the box that I had carried to Winten- 
 berg and Rupert of Hentzau had brought to the 
 lodge that night. It was not rest, but the box 
 that the dying king had sought in his last moment. 
 I bent, and lifting his hand unclasped the fingers, 
 still limp and warm. 
 
 Sapt bent down with sudden eagerness. 
 
 " Is it open ? " he Whispered. 
 
 The string was round it; the sealing-wax was 
 unbroken. The secret had outlived the king, and he 
 had gone to his death unknowing. All at once — 
 I cannot tell why — I put my hand over my eyes; I 
 found 'my eyelashes were wet. 
 
 " Is it open ? " asked Sapt again, for in the dim 
 light he could not see. 
 
 " No," I answered. 
 
 " Thank God ! " said he. And, for Sapt's, the 
 voice was soft. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 
 
 The moment with its shock and tumult of feel- 
 ing brings one judgment, later reflection another. 
 Among the sins of Rupert of Hentzau I do not 
 assign the first and greatest place to his killing of 
 the king. It was, indeed, the act of a reckless man 
 who stood at nothing and held nothing sacred; 
 but when I consider Herbert's story, and trace 
 how the deed came to be done and the impulsion 
 of circumstances that led to it, it seems to have 
 been in some sort thrust upon him by the same 
 perverse fate that dogged our steps. He had 
 meant the king no harm — indeed it may be argued 
 that, from whatever motive, he had sought to serve 
 him — and save under the sudden stress of self-de- 
 fense he had done him none. The king's unlooked- 
 for ignorance of his errand, Herbert's honest hasty 
 zeal, the temper of Boris the hound, had forced on 
 him an act unmeditated and utterly against his in- 
 terest. His whole guilt lay in preferring the king's 
 death to his own — a crime perhaps in most men, 
 
 150 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 151 
 
 but hardly deserving a place in Rupert's catalogue. 
 All this I can admit now, but on that night, with 
 the dead body lying there before us, with the story 
 piteously told by Herbert's faltering voice fresh in 
 our ears, it was hard to allow any such extenua- 
 tion. Our hearts cried out for vengeance, although 
 we ourselves served the king no more. Nay, it 
 may well be that we hoped to stifle some reproach 
 of our own consciences by a louder clamor against 
 another's sin, or longed to offer some fancied 
 empty atonement to our dead master by executing 
 swift justice on the man who had killed him. I 
 cannot tell fully what the others felt, but in me at 
 least the dominant impulse was to waste not a 
 moment in proclaiming the crime and raising the 
 whole country in pursuit of Rupert, so that every 
 man in Ruritania should quit his work, his pleas- 
 ure, or his bed, and make it his concern to take 
 the Count of Hentzau, alive or dead. I remember 
 that I walked over to where Sapt was sitting, and 
 caught him by the arm, saying : 
 
 " We must raise the alarm. If you'll go to 
 Zenda, I'll start for Strelsau." 
 
 " The alarm ? " said he, looking up at me and 
 tugging his moustache. 
 
 " Yes : when the news is known, every man in 
 the kingdom will be on the lookout for him, and 
 he can't escape." 
 
152 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 " So that he'd be taken ? " asked the con- 
 stable. 
 
 " Yes, to a certainty," I cried, hot in excitement 
 and emotion. 
 
 Sapt glanced across at Mr. Rassendyll's servant. 
 James had, with my help, raised the king's body 
 on to the bed, and had aided the wounded forester 
 to reach a couch. He stood now near the consta- 
 ble, in his usual unobtrusive readiness. He did 
 not speak, but I saw a look of understanding in his 
 eyes as he nodded his head to Colonel Sapt. They 
 were well matched, that pair, hard to move, hard 
 to shake, not to be turned from the purpose in 
 their minds and the matter that lay to their hands. 
 
 " Yes, he'd probably be taken or killed," said 
 Sapt. 
 
 " Then let's do it ! " I cried. 
 
 " With the queen's letter on him," said Colonel 
 Sapt. 
 
 I had forgotten. 
 
 " We have the box, he has the letter still," said 
 Sapt. 
 
 I could have laughed even at that moment. He 
 had left the box (whether from haste or heedless- 
 ness or malice, we could not tell), but the letter 
 was on him. Taken alive, he would use that power- 
 ful weapon to save his life or satisfy his anger; if 
 it were found on his body, its evidence would 
 
THE KING m THE HUNTING-LODGE. 153 
 
 Speak loud and clear to all the world. Again he 
 was protected by his crime: while he had the let- 
 ter, he must be kept inviolate from all attack except 
 at our own hands. We desired his death, but we 
 must be his body-guard and die in liis defense rather 
 than let any other but ourselves come at him. No 
 open means must be used, and no allies sought. 
 All this rushed to my mind at Sapt's words, and 
 I saw what the constable and James had never for- 
 gotten. " But what to do I could not see. For the 
 King of Ruritania lay dead. 
 
 An hour or more had passed since our discovery, 
 and it was now close on midnight. Had all gone 
 well we ought by this time to have been far on our 
 road back to the castle; by this time Rupert must 
 be miles away from where he had killed the king; 
 already Mr. Rassendyll would be seeking his 
 enemy in Strelsau. 
 
 " But what are we to do about — about that, 
 then ? " I asked, pointing with my finger through 
 the doorway towards the bed. 
 
 Sapt gave a last tug at his moustache, then 
 crossed his hands on the hilt of the sword between 
 his knees, and leant forward in his chair. 
 
 " Nothing," he said, looking in my face. " Un- 
 til we have the letter, nothing." 
 
 " But it's impossible ! " I cried. 
 
 "Why, no, Fritz," he answered thoughtfully. 
 
IS4 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " It's not impossible yet; it may become so. But 
 if we can catch Rupert in the next day, or even in 
 the next two days, it's not impossible. Only let 
 me have the letter, and I'll account for the conceal- 
 ment. What ? Is the fact that crimes are known 
 never concealed, for fear of putting the criminal on 
 his guard ? " 
 
 " You'll be able to make a story, sir," James put 
 in, with a grave but reassuring air. 
 
 " Yes, James, I shall be able to make a story, or 
 your master will make one for me. But, by God, 
 story or no story, the letter mustn't be found. Let 
 them say we killed him ourselves if they like, 
 but " 
 
 I seized his hand and gripped it. 
 
 " You don't doubt I'm with you ? " I asked. 
 
 " Not for a moment, Fritz," he answered. 
 
 " Then how can we do it ? " 
 
 We drew nearer together; Sapt and I sat, while 
 James leant over Sapt's chair. 
 
 The oil in the lamp was almost exhausted, and 
 the light burnt very dim. Now and again poor 
 Herbert, for whom our skill could do nothing, 
 gave a slight moan. I am ashamed to remember 
 how little we thought of him, but great schemes 
 make the actors in them careless of humanity; the 
 life of a man goes for nothing against a point in the 
 game. Except for his groans — and they grew 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 155 
 
 fainter and less frequent — our voices alone broke 
 the silence of the little lodge. 
 
 " The queen must know," said Sapt. " Let her 
 stay at Zenda and give out that the king is at the 
 lodge for a day or two longer. Then you, Fritz — 
 for you must ride to the castle at once — and Ber- 
 nenstein must get to Strelsau as quick as you can, 
 and find Rudolf Rassendyll. You three ought to 
 be able to track young Rupert down and get the 
 letter from him. If he's not in the city, you must 
 catch Rischenheim, and force him to say where 
 he is; we know Rischenheim can be persuaded. 
 If Rupert's there, I need give no advice either to 
 you or to Rudolf." 
 
 " And you ? " 
 
 " James and I stay here. If any one comes 
 whom we can keep out, the king is ill. If rumors 
 get about, and great folk come, why, they must 
 enter." 
 
 " But the body ? " 
 
 " This morning, when you're gone, we shall 
 make a temporary grave. I dare say two," and he 
 jerked his thumb towards poor Herbert. " Or 
 even," he added, with his grim smile, " three — for 
 our friend Boris, too, must be out of sight." 
 
 " You'll bury the king ? " 
 
 "Not so deep but that we can take him out again, 
 poor fellow. Well, Fritz, have you a better plan ? " 
 
IS6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 I had no plan, and I was not in love with Sapt's 
 plan. Yet it offered us four and twenty hours. 
 For that time, at least, it seemed as if the secret 
 could be kept. Beyond that we could hardly hope 
 for success; after that we must produce the king; 
 dead or alive, the king must be seen. Yet it might 
 be that before the respite ran out Rupert would be 
 ours. In fine, what else could be chosen ? For 
 now a greater peril threatened than that against 
 which we had at the first sought to guard. Then 
 the worst we feared was that the letter should 
 come to the king's hands. That could never be. 
 But it would be a worse thing if it were found on 
 Rupert, and all the kingdom, nay, all Europe, 
 know that it was written in the hand of her who 
 was now, in her own right. Queen of Ruritania. 
 To save her from that, no chance was too desper- 
 ate, no scheme too perilous; yes, if, as Sapt said, 
 we ourselves were held to answer for the king's 
 death, still we must go on. I, through whose 
 negligence the whole train of disaster had been 
 laid, was the last man to hesitate. In all honesty, 
 I held my life due and forfeit, should it be de- 
 manded of me — my life and, before the world, my 
 honor. 
 
 So the plan was made. A grave was to be dug 
 ready for the king; if need arose, his body should 
 be laid in it, and the place chosen was under the 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 157 
 
 floor of the wine-cellar. When death came to 
 poor Herbert, he could lie in the yard behind the 
 house; for Boris they meditated a resting-place 
 under the tree where our horses were tethered. 
 There was nothing to keep me, and I rose; but as I 
 rose, I heard the forester's voice call plaintively 
 for me. The unlucky fellow knew me well, and 
 now cried to me to sit by him. I think Sapt 
 wanted me to leave him, but I could not refuse his 
 last request, even though it consumed some pre- 
 cious minutes. He was very near his end, and, sit- 
 ting by him, I did my best to soothe his passing. 
 His fortitude was good to see, and I believe that we 
 all at last found new courage for our enterprise 
 from seeing how this humble man met death. At 
 least even the constable ceased to show impa- 
 tience, and let me stay till I could close the suffer- 
 er's eyes. 
 
 But thus time went, and it was nearly five in the 
 morning before I bade them farewell and mounted 
 my horse. They took theirs and led them away to 
 the stables behind the lodge; I waved my hand 
 and galloped off on my return to the castle. Day 
 was dawning, and the air was fresh and pure. The 
 new light brought new hope; fears semed to van- 
 ish before it; my nerves were strung to effort and 
 to confidence. My horse moved freely under me 
 and carried me easily along the grassy avenues. It 
 
158 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 was hard then to be utterly despondent, hard to 
 doubt skill of brain, strength of hand, or fortune's 
 favor. 
 
 The castle came in sight, and I hailed it with a 
 glad cry that echoed among the trees. But a mo- 
 ment later I gave an exclamation of surprise, and 
 raised myself a little from the saddle while I gazed 
 earnestly at the summit of the keep. The flagstaff 
 was naked; the royal standard that had flapped 
 in the wind last night was gone. But by im- 
 memorial custom the flag flew on the keep when 
 the king or the queen was at the castle. It would 
 fly for Rudolf V. no more ; but why did it not pro- 
 claim and honor the presence of Queen Flavia ? 
 I sat down in my saddle and spurred my horse to 
 the top of his speed. We had been buffeted by fate 
 sorely, but now I feared yet another blow. 
 
 In a quarter of an hour more I was at the door. 
 A servant ran out, and I dismounted leisurely and 
 easily. Pulling off my gloves, I dusted my boots 
 with them, turned to the stableman and bade him 
 look to the horse, and then said to the footman: 
 
 " As soon as the queen is dressed, find out if 
 she can see me. I ihave a message from his 
 Majesty." 
 
 The fellow looked a little puzzled, but at this 
 moment Hermann, the king's major-domo, came 
 to the door. 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. iS9 
 
 " Isn't the constable with you, my lord ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " No, the constable remains at the lodge with 
 the king," said I carelessly, though I was very far 
 from careless. " I have a message for her Ma- 
 jesty, Hermann. Find out from some of the 
 women when she will receive me." 
 
 " The queen's not here," said he. " Indeed 
 we've had a lively time, my lord. At five o'clock 
 she came out, ready dressed, from her room, sent 
 for Lieutenant von Bernenstein, and announced 
 that she was about to set out from the castle. As 
 you know, the mail train passes here at six." Her- 
 mann took out his watch. " Yes, the queen must 
 just have left the station." 
 
 " Where for ? " I asked, with a shrug for the 
 woman's whim. 
 
 " Why, for Strelsau. She gave no reasons for 
 going, and took with her only one lady, Lieuten- 
 ant von Bernenstein being in attendance. It was 
 a bustle, if you like, with everybody to be roused 
 and got out of bed, and a carriage to be made 
 ready, and messages to go to the station, and " 
 
 " She gave no reasons ? " 
 
 " None, my lord. She left with me a letter to 
 the constable, which she ordered me to give into 
 his own hands as soon as he arrived at the castle. 
 She said it contained a message of importance, 
 
i6o RUPERT OF HBUTZAU. 
 
 which the constable was to convey to the king, and 
 that it must be intrusted to nobody except Colonel 
 Sapt himself. I wonder, my lord, that you didn't 
 notice that the flag was hauled down." 
 
 " Tut, man, I wasn't staring at the keep. Give 
 me the letter." For I saw that the clue to this 
 fresh puzzle must lie under the cover of Sapt's let- 
 ter. That letter I must myself carry to Sapt, and 
 without loss of time. 
 
 " Give you the letter, my lord ? But, pardon 
 me, you're not the constable." He laughed a 
 little. 
 
 " Why, no," said I, mustering a smile. " It's 
 true that I'm not the constable, but I'm going to 
 the constable. I had the king's orders to rejoin 
 him as soon as I had seen the queen, and since her 
 Majesty isn't here, I shall return to the lodge di- 
 rectly a fresh horse can be saddled for me. And 
 the constable's at the lodge. Come, the letter ! " 
 
 " I can't give it you, my lord. Her Majesty's 
 orders were positive." 
 
 " Nonsense ! If she had known I should come 
 and not the constable, she would have told me to 
 carry it to him." 
 
 " I don't know about that, my lord: her orders 
 were plain, and she doesn't like being disobeyed." 
 
 The stableman had led the horse away, the 
 footman had disappeared, Hermann and I were 
 
'I GOT THE LETTER."— Paf^f 161. 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. i6i 
 
 alone. " Give me the letter," I said; and I know- 
 that my self-control failed, and eagerness was plain 
 in my voice. Plain it was, and Hermann took 
 alarm. He started back, clapping his hand to the 
 breast of his laced coat. The gesture betrayed 
 where the letter was ; I was past prudence ; I 
 sprang on him and wrenched his hand away, 
 catching him by the throat with my other hand. 
 Diving into his pocket, I got the letter. Then I 
 suddenly loosed hold of him, for his eyes were 
 starting out of his head. I took out a couple of 
 gold pieces and gave them to him. 
 
 " It's urgent, you fool," said I. " Hold your 
 tongue about it." And without waiting to study 
 his amazed red face, I turned and ran towards the 
 stable. In five minutes I was on a fresh horse, in 
 six I was clear of the castle, heading back fast as I 
 could go for the hunting-lodge. Even now Her- 
 mann remembers the grip I gave him' — though 
 doubtless he has long spent the pieces of gold. 
 
 When I reached the end of this second journey, 
 I came in for the obsequies of Boris. James was 
 just patting the ground under the tree with a mat- 
 tock when I rode up; Sapt was standing by, 
 smoking his pipe. The boots of both were stained 
 and sticky with mud. I flung myself from my sad- 
 dle and blurted out my news. The constable 
 snatched at his letter with an oath; James leveled 
 
i62 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 the ground with careful accuracy; I do not remem- 
 ber doing anything except wiping my forehead and 
 feeUng very hungry. 
 
 " Good Lord, she's gone after him ! " said Sapt, 
 as he read. Then he handed me the letter. 
 
 I will not set out what the queen wrote. The 
 purport seemed to us, who did not share her feel- 
 ings, pathetic indeed and moving, but in the end 
 (to speak plainly) folly. She had tried to endure 
 her sojourn at Zenda, she said; but it drove her 
 mad. She could not rest; she did not know how 
 we 'fared, nor how those in Strelsau; for hours she 
 had lain awake; then at last faUing asleep, she had 
 dreamt. " I had had the same dream before. Now 
 it came again. I saw him so plain. He seemed to 
 me to be king, and to be called king. But he did 
 not answer nor move. He seemed dead; and I could 
 not rest." So she wrote, ever excusing herself, 
 ever repeating how something drew her to Strelsau, 
 telling her that she must go if she would see " him 
 whom you know," alive again. " And I must see 
 him — ah, I must see him ! If the king has had the 
 letter, I am ruined already. If he has not, tell him 
 what you will or what you can contrive. I must 
 go. It came a second time, and all so plain. I 
 saw him; I tell you I saw him. Ah, I must see 
 him again. I swear that I will only see him once. 
 He's in danger — I know he's in danger; or what 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 163 
 
 does the dream mean ? Bernenstein will go with 
 me, and I shall see him. Do, do forgive me: I can't 
 stay, the dream was so plain." Thus she ended, 
 seeming, poor lady, half frantic with the visions 
 that her own troubled brain and desolate heart had 
 conjured up to torment her. I did not know that 
 she had before told Mr. Rassendyll himself of this 
 strange dream; though I lay small store by such 
 matters, believing that we ourselves make our 
 dreams, fashioning out of the fears and hopes of 
 to-day what seems to come by night in the guise of 
 a mysterious revelation. Yet there are some 
 things that a man cannot understand, and I do not 
 profess to measure with my mind the ways of God. 
 However, not why the queen went, but that she 
 had gone, concerned us. We had returned to the 
 house now, and James, remembering that men must 
 eat though kings die, was getting us some break- 
 fast. In fact, I had great need of food, being ut- 
 terly worn out; and they, after their labors, were 
 hardly less weary. As we ate, we talked; and it 
 was plain to us that I also must go to Strelsau. 
 There, in the city, the drama must be played out. 
 There was Rudolf, there Rischenheim, there in all 
 likelihood Rupert of Hentzau, there now the 
 queen. And of these Rupert alone, or perhaps 
 Rischenheim also, knew that the king was dead, 
 and how the issue of last night had shaped itself 
 
1 64 RUPERT Of- HENTZAU. 
 
 under the compelling hand of wayward fortune. 
 The king lay in peace on his bed, his grave was 
 dug; Sapt and James held the secret with solemn 
 faith and ready lives. To Strelsau I must go to 
 tell the queen that she was widowed, and to aim 
 the stroke at young Rupert's heart. 
 
 At nine in the morning I started from the lodge. 
 I was bound to ride to Hofbau and there wait 
 for a train which would carry me to the capital. 
 From Hofbau I could send a message, but the mes- 
 sage must announce only my own coming, not the 
 news I carried. To Sapt, thanks to the cipher, I 
 could send word at any time, and he bade me ask 
 Mr. Rassendyll whether he should come to our aid, 
 or stay where he was. 
 
 " A day must decide the whole thing," he said. 
 "We can't conceal the king's death long. For 
 God's sake, Fritz, make an end of that young vil- 
 lain, and get the letter." 
 
 So, wasting no time in farewells, I set out. By 
 ten o'clock I was at Hofbau, for I rode furiously. 
 From there I sent to Bernenstein at the palace 
 word' of my coming. But there I was delayed. 
 There was no train for an hour. 
 
 " I'll ride," I cried to myself, only to remember 
 the next moment that, if I rode, I should come to 
 my journey's end much later. There was nothing 
 for it but to wait, and it may be imagined in what 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 165 
 
 mood I waited. Every minute seemed an hour, 
 and I know not to this day how the hour wore itself 
 away. I ate, I drank, I smoked, I walked, sat, and 
 stood. The station-master knew me, and thought 
 I had gone mad, till I told him that I carried most 
 important despatches from the king, and that the 
 delay imperiled great interests. Then he became 
 sympathetic; but what could he do ? No special 
 train was to be had at a roadside station: I must 
 wait ; and wait, somehow, and without blowing my 
 brains out, I did. 
 
 At last I was in the train; now indeed we moved, 
 and I came nearer. An hour's run brought me in 
 sight of the city. Then, to my unutterable wrath, 
 we were stopped, and waited twenty minutes or 
 half an hour. At last we started again; had we 
 not, I should have jumped out and run, for to sit 
 longer motionless would have driven me mad. 
 Now we entered the station. With a great effort 
 I calmed myself. I lolled back in my seat; when 
 we stopped I sat there till a porter opened the 
 door. In lazy leisureliness I bade him get me a 
 cab, and followed him across the station. He held 
 the door for me, and, giving him his douceur, I set 
 my foot on the step. 
 
 " Tell him to drive to the palace," said I, " and 
 be quick. I'm late already, thanks to this cursed 
 train." 
 
1 66 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " The old mare'll soon take you there, sir," said 
 the driver. 
 
 I jumped in. But at this moment I saw a man 
 on the platform beckoning with his hand and has- 
 tening towards me. The cabman also saw him and 
 waited. I dared not tell him to drive on, for I 
 feared to betray any undue haste, and it would 
 have looked strange not to spare a moment to my 
 wife's cousin, Anton von Strofzin. He came up, 
 holding out his hand, delicately gloved in pearl- 
 gray kid, for young Anton was a leader of the 
 Strelsau dandies. 
 
 " Ah, my dear Fritz ! " said he. " I am glad I 
 hold no appointment at court. How dreadfully 
 active you all are ! I thought you were settled at 
 Zenda for a month ? " 
 
 "The queen changed her mind suddenly," said I, 
 smiling. " Ladies do, as you know well, you who 
 know all about them." 
 
 My compliment, or insinuation, produced a 
 pleased smile and a gallant twirling of his mous- 
 tache. 
 
 " Well, I thought you'd be here soon," he said, 
 " but I didn't know that the queen had come." 
 
 " You didn't ? Then why did you look for 
 me?" 
 
 He opened his eyes a little in languid, elegant 
 surprise. 
 
THE KING IN THE HUNTING-LODGE. 167 
 
 " Oh, I supposed you'd be on duty, or some- 
 thing, and have to come. Aren't you in attend- 
 ance ? " 
 
 " On the queen ? No, not just now." 
 
 " But on the king ? " 
 
 " Why, yes," said I, and I leaned forward. "At 
 least I'm engaged now on the king's business." 
 
 " Precisely," said he. " So I thought you'd 
 come, as soon as I heard that the king was here." 
 
 It may be that I ought to have preserved my 
 composure. But I am not Sapt nor Rudolf Ras- 
 sendyll. 
 
 " The king here ? " I gasped, clutching him by 
 the arm. 
 
 " Of course. You didn't know ? Yes, he's in 
 town." 
 
 But I heeded him no more. For a moment I 
 could not speak, then I cried to the cabman : 
 
 " To the palace. And drive like the devil ! " 
 
 We shot away, leaving Anton open-mouthed in 
 wonder. For me, I sank back on the cushions, 
 fairly ag'hast. The king lay dead in the hunting- 
 lodge, but the king was in his capital ! 
 
 Of course, the truth soon flashed through my 
 mind, but it brought no comfort. Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll was in Strelsau. He had been seen by some- 
 body and taken for the king. But comfort ? What 
 comfort was there, now that the king was dead and 
 
1 68 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 could never come to the rescue of his counter- 
 feit ? 
 
 In fact, the truth was worse than I conceived. 
 Had I known it all, I might well have yielded to 
 despair. For not by the chance, uncertain sight of 
 a passer-by, not by mere rumor which might have 
 been sturdily denied, not by the evidence of one 
 only or of two, was the king's presence in the city 
 known. That day, by the witness of a crowd of 
 people, by his own claim and his own voice, ay, 
 and by the assent of the queen herself, Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll was taken to be the king in Strelsau, while 
 neither he nor Queen Flavia knew that the king 
 was dead. I must now relate the strange and per- 
 verse succession of events which forced them to 
 employ a resource so dangerous and face a peril so 
 immense. Yet, great and perilous as they knew 
 the risk to be even when they dared it, in the light 
 of what they did not know it was more fearful and 
 more fatal still. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE KING IN STRELSAU. 
 
 Mr. Rassendyll reached Strelsau from Zenda 
 without accident about nine o'clock in the evening 
 of the same day as that which witnessed the trag- 
 edy of the hunting-lodge. He could have arrived 
 sooner, but prudence did not allow him to enter 
 the populous suburbs of the town till the darkness 
 guarded him from notice. The gates of the city 
 were no longer shut at sunset, as they had used to be 
 in the days when Duke Michael was governor, and 
 Rudolf passed them without difificulty. Fortu- 
 nately the night, fine where we were, was wet and 
 stormy at Strelsau; thus there were few people in 
 the streets, and he was able to gain the door of 
 my house still unremarked. Here, of course, a 
 danger presented itself. None of my servants 
 were in the secret; only my wife, in whom the 
 queen herself had confided, knew Rudolf, and she 
 did not expect to see him, since she was ignorant 
 of the recent course of events. Rudolf was quite 
 alive to the peril, and regretted the absence of his 
 
 169 
 
lyo RUPERT OF HEN7ZAU. 
 
 faithful attendant, who could have cleared the way 
 for him. The pouring rain gave him an excuse for 
 twisting a scarf about his face and pulling his coat- 
 collar up to hi5 ears, while the gusts of wind made 
 the cramming of his hat low down over his eyes 
 no more than a natural precaution against its loss. 
 Thus masked from curious eyes, he drew rein be- 
 fore my door, and, having dismounted, rang the 
 bell. When the butler came a strange hoarse 
 voice, half-stifled by folds of scarf, asked for the 
 countess, alleging for pretext a message from my- 
 self. The man hesitated, as well he might, to leave 
 the stranger alone with the door open and the con- 
 tents of the hall at his mercy. Murmuring an 
 apology in case his visitor should prove to be a 
 gentleman, he shut the door and went in search of 
 his mistress. His description of the untimely caller 
 at once roused my wife's quick wit; she had heard 
 from me how Rudolf had ridden once from Strel- 
 sau to the hunting-lodge with muffled face; a very 
 tall man with his face wrapped in a scarf and his 
 hat over his eyes, who came with a private mes- 
 sage, suggested to her at least a possibility of Mr. 
 Rassendyll's arrival. Helga will never admit that 
 she is clever, yet I find she discovers from me what 
 she wants to know, and I suspect hides successfully 
 the small matters of which she in her wifely dis- 
 cretion deems I had best remain ignorant. Being' 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. 171 
 
 able thus to manage me, she was equal to coping 
 with the butler. She laid aside her embroidery 
 most composedly. 
 
 " Ah, yes," she said, " I know the gentleman. 
 Surely you haven't left him out in the rain ? " She 
 was anxious lest Rudolf's features should have been 
 exposed too long to the light of the hall-lamps. 
 
 The butler stammered an apology, explaining 
 his fears for our goods and the impossibility of dis- 
 tinguishing social rank on a dark night. Helga 
 cut him short with an impatient gesture, crying, 
 " How stupid of you ! " and herself ran quickly 
 down and opened the door — a little way only, 
 though. The first sight of Mr. Rassendyll con- 
 firmed her suspicions; in a moment, she said, she 
 knew his eyes. 
 
 " It is you, then ? " she cried. " And my fool- 
 ish servant has left you in the rain ! Pray come in. 
 Oh, but your horse ! " She turned to the penitent 
 butler, who had followed her downstairs. " Take 
 the baron's horse round to the stables," she said. 
 
 " I will send some one at once, my lady." 
 
 " No, no, take it yourself — take it at once. I'll 
 look after the baron." 
 
 Reluctantly and ruefully the fat fellow stepped 
 out into the storm. Rudolf drew back and let him 
 pass, then he entered quickly, to find himself alone 
 with Helga in the hall. With a finger on her lips. 
 
172 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 she led him swiftly into a small sitting-room on the 
 ground floor, which I used as a sort of office or 
 place of business. It looked out on the street, and 
 the rain could be heard driving against the broad 
 panes of the window. Rudolf turned to her with 
 a smile, and, bowing, kissed her hand. 
 
 " The baron what, my dear countess ? " he in- 
 quired. 
 
 " He won't ask," said she with a shrug. " Do 
 tell me what brings you here, and what has hap- 
 pened." 
 
 He told her very briefly all he knew. She hid 
 bravely her alarm at hearing that I might perhaps 
 meet Rupert at the lodge, and at once listened to 
 what Rudolf wanted of her. 
 
 " Can I get out of the house, and, if need be, 
 back again unnoticed ? " he asked. 
 
 " The door is locked at night, and only Fritz 
 and the butler have keys." 
 
 Mr. Rassendyll's eye traveled to the window of 
 the room. 
 
 " I haven't grown so fat that I can't get through 
 there," said he. " So we'd better not trouble the 
 butler. He'd talk, you know." 
 
 " I will sit here all night and keep everybody 
 from the room." 
 
 " I may come back pursued if I bungle my work 
 and an alarm is raised." 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. i73 
 
 " Your work ? " she asked, shrinking back a 
 little. 
 
 " Yes," said he. " Don't ask what it is, Count- 
 ess. It is in the queen's service." 
 
 " For the queen I will do anything and every- 
 thing, as Fritz would." 
 
 He took her hand and pressed it in a friendly, 
 encouraging way. 
 
 " Then I may issue my orders ? " he asked, smil- 
 ing. 
 
 " They shall be obeyed." 
 
 " Then a dry cloak, a little supper, and this room 
 to myself, except for you." 
 
 As he spoke the butler turned the handle of the 
 door. My wife flew across the room, opened the 
 door, and, while Rudolf turned his back, directed 
 the man to bring some cold meat, or whatever 
 could be ready with as little delay as possible. 
 
 " Now come with me," she said to Rudolf, di- 
 rectly the servant was gone. 
 
 She took him to my dressing-room, where he 
 got dry clothes; then she saw the supper laid, or- 
 dered a bedroom to be prepared, told the butler 
 that she had business with the baron and that he 
 need not sit up if she were later than eleven, dis- 
 missed him, and went to tell Rudolf that the coast 
 was clear for his return to the sitting-room. He 
 came, expressing admiration for her courage and 
 
174 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 address; I take leave to think that she deserved his 
 compliments. He made a hasty supper; then they 
 talked together, Rudolf smoking his cigar. Eleven 
 came and went. It was not yet time. My wife 
 opened the door and looked out. The hall was 
 dark, the door locked and its key in the hands of 
 the butler. She closed the door again and softly 
 locked it. As the clock struck twelve Rudolf rose 
 and turned the lamp very low. Then he unfastened 
 the shutters noiselessly, raised the window and 
 looked out. " Shut them again when I'm gone," 
 he whispered. " If I come back, I'll knock like 
 this, and you'll open for me." 
 
 " For heaven's sake, be careful," she murmured, 
 catching at his hand. 
 
 He nodded reassuringly, and crossing his leg 
 over the window-sill, sat there for a moment listen- 
 ing. The storm was as fierce as ever, and the 
 street was deserted. He let himself down on to 
 the pavement, his face again wrapped up. She 
 watched his tall figure stride quickly along till a 
 turn of the road hid it. Then, having closed the 
 window and the shutters again, she sat down to 
 keep her watch, praying for him, for me, and for 
 her dear mistress the queen. For she knew that 
 perilous work was afoot that night, and did not 
 know whom it might threaten or whom destroy. 
 
 From the moment that Mr. Rassendyll thus left 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. I7S 
 
 my house at midnight on his search for Rupert of 
 Hentzau, every hour and almost every moment 
 brought its incident in the swiftly moving drama 
 which decided the issues of our fortune. What we 
 were doing has been told; by now Rupert himself 
 was on his way back to the city, and the queen 
 was meditating, in her restless vigil, on the resolve 
 that in a few hours was to bring her also to Strel- 
 sau. Even in the dead of night both sides were 
 active. For, plan cautiously and skillfully as he 
 might, Rudolf fought with an antagonist who lost 
 no chances, and who had found an apt and useful 
 tool in that same Bauer, a rascal, and a cunning 
 rascal, if ever one were bred in the world. From 
 the beginning even to the end our error lay in tak- 
 ing too little count of this fellow, and dear was the 
 price we paid. 
 
 Both to my wife and to Rudolf himself the street 
 had seemed empty of every living being when she 
 watched and he set out. Yet everything had been 
 seen, from his first arrival to the moment when she 
 closed the window after him. At either end of my 
 house there runs out a projection, formed by the 
 bay-windows of the principal drawing-room and of 
 the dining-room respectively. These projecting 
 walls form shadows, and in the shade of one of 
 them — of which I do not know, nor is it of mo- 
 ment — a man watched all that passed; had he been 
 
176 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 anywhere else, Rudolf must have seen him. If we 
 had not been too engrossed in playing our own 
 hands, it would doubtless have struck us as prob- 
 able that Rupert would direct Rischenheim ahd 
 Bauer to keep an eye on my house during his ab- 
 sence; for it was there that any of us who found 
 our way to the city would naturally resort in the 
 first instance. As a fact, he had not omitted this 
 precaution. The night was so dark that the spy, 
 who had seen the king but once and never Mr. 
 Rassendyll, did not recognize who the visitor was, 
 but he rightly conceived that he should serve his 
 employer by tracking the steps of the tall man 
 who made so mysterious an arrival and so sur- 
 reptitious a departure from the suspected house. 
 Accordingly, as Rudolf turned the corner and 
 Helga closed the window, a short, thickset figure 
 started cautiously out of the projecting shadow, 
 and followed in Rudolf's wake through the storm. 
 The pair, tracker and tracked, met nobody, save 
 here and there a police-constable keeping a most 
 unvdlling beat. Even such were few, and for the 
 most part more intent on sheltering in the lee of a 
 friendly wall and thereby keeping a dry stitch or 
 two on them than on taking note of passers-by. 
 On the pair went. Now Rudolf turned into the 
 Konigstrasse. As he did so, Bauer, who must 
 have been nearly a hundred yards behind (for he 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. I77 
 
 could not start till the shutters were closed) quick- 
 ened his pace and reduced the interval between 
 them to about seventy yards. This he might well 
 have thought a safe distance on a night so wild, 
 when the rush of wind and the pelt of the rain 
 joined to hide the sound of footsteps. 
 
 But Bauer reasoned as a townsman, and Rudolf 
 Rassendyll had the quick ear of a man bred in the 
 country and trained to the woodland. All at once 
 there was a jerk of his head; I know so well the 
 motion which marked awakened attention in him. 
 He did not pause nor break his stride: to 
 do either would have been to betray his 
 suspicions to his follower; but he crossed 
 the road to the opposite side to that where 
 No. 19 was situated, and slackened his pace a 
 little, so that there was a longer interval between 
 his own footfalls. The steps behind him grew 
 slower, even as his did; their sound came no nearer: 
 the follower would not overtake. Now, a man 
 who loiters on such a night, just because another 
 head of him is fool enough to loiter, has a reason 
 for his action other than what can at first sight be 
 detected. So thought Rudolf Rassendyll, and his 
 brain was busied with finding it out. 
 
 Then an idea seized him, and, forgetting the pre- 
 cautions that had hitherto served so well, he came 
 to a sudden stop on the pavement, engrossed in 
 
178 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 deep thought. Was the man who dogged his steps 
 Rupert himself ? It would be like Rupert to track 
 him, like Rupert to conceive such an attack, like 
 Rupert to be ready either for a fearless assault from 
 the front or a shameless shot from behind, and in- 
 different utterly which chance offered, so it threw 
 him one of them. Mr. Rassendyll asked no better 
 than to meet his enemy thus in the open. They 
 could fight a fair fight, and if he fell the lamp would 
 be caught up and carried on by Sapt's hand or 
 mine; if he got the better of Rupert, the letter 
 would be his; a moment would destroy it and give 
 safety to the queen. I do not suppose that he 
 spent time in thinking how he should escape arrest 
 at the hands of the police whom the fracas would 
 probably rouse; if he did, he may well have reck- 
 oned on declaring plainly who he was, of laughing 
 at their surprise over a chance likeness to the king, 
 and of trusting to us to smuggle him beyond the 
 arm of the law. What mattered all that, so that 
 there was a moment in which to destroy the letter ? 
 At any rate he turned full round and began to walk 
 straight towards Bauer, his hand resting on the 
 revolver in the pocket of his coat. 
 
 Bauer saw him coming, and must have known 
 that he was suspected or detected. At once the 
 cunning fellow slouched his head between his 
 shoulders, and set out along the street at a quick 
 
THE KING IN STRELS/IU. 179 
 
 shuffle, whistling as he went. Rudolf stood still 
 now in the middle of the road, wondering who the 
 man was: whether Rupert, purposely disguising 
 his gait, or a confederate, or, after all, some person 
 innocent of our secret and indifferent to our 
 schemes. On came Bauer, softly whistling and 
 slushing his feet carelessly through the liquid mud. 
 Now he was nearly opposite where Mr. Rassendyll 
 stood. Rudolf was well-nigh convinced that the 
 man had been on his track: he would make cer- 
 tainty surer. The bold game was always his choice 
 and his delight; this trait he shared with Rupert 
 of Hentzau, and henoe arose, I think, the strange 
 secret inclination he had for his unscrupulous op- 
 ponent. Now he walked suddenly across to Bauer, 
 and spoke to him in his natural voice, at the same 
 time removing the scarf partly, but not altogether, 
 from his face. 
 
 " You're out late, my friend, for a night like 
 this." 
 
 Bauer, startled though he was by the unexpected 
 challenge, had his wits about him. Whether he 
 identified Rudolf at once, I do not know; I think 
 that he must at least have suspected the truth. 
 
 " A lad that has no home to go to must needs be 
 out both late and early, sir," said he, arresting his 
 shuffling steps, and looking up with that honest 
 stolid air which had made a fool of me. 
 
i8o RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 I had described him very minutely to Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll; if Bauer knew or guessed who his chal- 
 lenger was, Mr. Rassendyll was as well equipped 
 for the encounter. 
 
 " No home to go to ! " cried Rudolf in a pity- 
 ing tone. " How's that ? But anyhow, Heaven 
 forbid that you or any man should walk the streets 
 a night like this. Come, I'll give you a bed. Come 
 with me, and I'll find you good shelter, my boy." 
 
 Bauer shrank away. He did not see the mean- 
 ing of this stroke, and his eye, traveling up the 
 street, showed that his thoughts had turned to- 
 wards flight. Rudolf gave no time for putting 
 any such notion into effect. Maintaining his air 
 of gemial compassion, he passed his left arm 
 through Bauer's right, saying: 
 
 " I'm a Christian man, and a bed you shall have 
 this night, my lad, as sure as I'm alive. Come 
 along with me. The devil, it's not weather for 
 standing still ! " 
 
 The carrying of arms in Strelsau was forbidden. 
 Bauer had no wish to get into trouble with the po- 
 lice, and, moreover, he had intended nothing but a 
 reconnaissance; he was therefore without ^ny 
 weapon, and he was a child in Rudolf's grasp. He 
 had no alternative but to obey the suasion of Mr. 
 Rassendyll's arm, and they two began to walk 
 down the Konigstrasse. Bauer's whistle had died 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. i8l 
 
 away, not to return; but from time to time Rudolf 
 hummed softly a cheerful tune, his fingers beating 
 time on Bauer's captive arm. Presently they 
 crossed the road. Bauer's lagging steps indicated 
 that he took no pleasure in the change of side, but 
 he could not resist. 
 
 " Ay, you shall go where I am going, my lad," 
 said Rudolf encouragingly; and he laughed a little 
 as he looked down at the fellow's face. 
 
 Along they Went; soon they came to the small 
 numbers at the station end of the Konigstrasse. 
 Rudolf began to peer up at the shop fronts. 
 
 " It's cursed dark," said he. " Pray, lad, can 
 you make out which is nineteen ? " 
 
 The moment he had spoken the smile broadened 
 on his face. The shot had gone home. Bauer 
 was a clever scoundrel, but his nerves were not 
 under perfect control, and his arm had quivered 
 under Rudolf's. 
 
 " Nineteen, sir ? " he stammered. 
 
 " Ay, nineteen. That's where we're Dound for, 
 you and I. There I hope we shall find — what we 
 want." 
 
 Bauer seemed bewildered: no douot he was at 
 a loss how either to understand or to parry the 
 bold attack. 
 
 " Ah, this looks like it," said Rudolf, in a tone of 
 great satisfaction, as they came to old Mother 
 
iSz RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Holf's little shop. " Isn't that a one and a nine 
 over the door, my lad ? Ah, and Holf ! Yes, 
 that's the name. Pray ring the bell. My hands 
 are occupied." 
 
 Rudolf's hands were indeed occupied; one held 
 Bauer's arm, now no longer with a friendly pres- 
 sure, but with a grip of iron; in the other the cap- 
 tive saw the revolver that had till now lain hidden. 
 
 " You see ? " asked Rudolf pleasantly. " You 
 must ring for me, mustn't you ? It would startle 
 them if I roused them with a shot." A motion of 
 the barrel told Bauer the direction which the shot 
 would take. 
 
 " There's no bell," said Bauer sullenly. 
 
 " Ah, then you knock ? " 
 
 " I suppose so." 
 
 " In any particular way, my friend ? " 
 
 " I don't know," growled Bauer. 
 
 " Nor I. Can't you guess ? " 
 
 " No, I know nothing of it." 
 
 " Well, we must try. You knock, and — Listen, 
 my lad. You must guess right. You understand? " 
 
 " How can I guess ? " asked Bauer, in an at- 
 tempt at bluster. 
 
 " Indeed, I don't know," smiled Rudolf. " But 
 I hate waiting, and if the door is not open in two 
 minutes, I shall arouse the good folk with a shot. 
 You see ? You quite see, don't you ? " Again 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. 183 
 
 the barrel's motion pointed and explained Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll's meaning. 
 
 Under this powerful persuasion Bauer yielded. 
 He lifted his hand and knocked on the door with 
 his knuckles, first loudly, then very softly, the 
 gentler stroke being repeated five times in rapid 
 succession. Clearly he was expected, for without any 
 sound of approaching feet the chain was unfastened 
 •with a subdued rattle. Then came the noise of the 
 bolt being cautiously worked back into its socket. 
 As it shot home a chink of the door opened. At 
 the same moment Rudolf's hand slipped from 
 Bauer's arm. With a swift movement he caught 
 the fellow by the nape of the neck and flung him 
 violently forward into the roadway, where, losing 
 his footing, he fell sprawling face downwards in 
 the mud. Rudolf threw himself against the door: 
 it yielded, he was inside, and in an instant he had 
 shut the door and driven the bolt home again, leav- 
 ing Bauer in the gutter outside. Then he turned, 
 vdth his hand on the butt of his revolver. I know 
 that he hoped to find Rupert of Hentzau's face 
 within a foot of his. 
 
 Neither Rupert nor Rischenheim, nor even the 
 old woman fronted him: a tall, handsome, dark 
 girl faced him, holding an oil-lamp in her hand. 
 He did not know her, but I could have told him 
 that she was old Mother Holf's youngest child. 
 
l84 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Rosa, for I had often seen her as I rode through 
 the town of Zenda with the king, before the old 
 lady moved her dwelling to Strelsau. Indeed the 
 girl had seemed to haunt the king's footsteps, and 
 he had himself joked on her obvious efforts to at- 
 tract his attention, and the languishing glances of 
 her great black eyes. But it is the lot of prominent 
 personages to inspire these strange passions, and 
 the king had spent as little thought on her as on 
 any of the romantic girls who found a naughty de- 
 light in half-fanciful devotion to him — devotion 
 starting, in many cases, by an irony of which the 
 king was happily unconscious, from the brave fig- 
 ure that he made at his coronation and his pictur- 
 esque daring in the affair of Black Michael. The 
 worshipers never came near enough to perceive the 
 alteration in their idol. 
 
 The half then, at least, of Rosa's attachment was 
 justly due to the man who now stood opposite to her, 
 looking at her with surprise by the murky light of 
 the strong-smelling oil-lamp. The lamp shook and 
 almost fell from her hand when she saw him; for 
 the scarf had slid away, and his features were ex- 
 posed to full view. Fright, delight, and excitement 
 vied with one another in her eyes. 
 
 " The king ! " she whispered in amazement 
 " No, but — " And she searched his face wonder- 
 ingly. 
 
THE KING IN STRELS/tU. 185 
 
 " Is it the beard you miss ? " asked Rudolf, 
 fingering his chin. " Mayn't kings shave when 
 they please, as well as other men ? " Her face still 
 expressed bewilderment, and still a lingering 
 doubt. He bent towards her, whispering : 
 
 " Perhaps I wasn't over-anxious to be known at 
 once." 
 
 She flushed with pleasure at the confidence he 
 seemed to put in her. 
 
 "I should know you anywhere," she whispered, 
 with a glance of the great black eyes. " Anywhere, 
 your Majesty." 
 
 " Then you'll help me, perhaps ? " 
 
 " With my Hfe." 
 
 " No, no, my dear young lady, merely with a 
 little information. Whose house is this ? " 
 
 " My mother's." 
 
 " Ah ! She takes lodgers ? " 
 
 The girl appeared vexed at his cautious ap- 
 proaches. 
 
 " Tell me what you want to know," she said 
 simply. 
 
 "Then who's here ? " 
 
 " My lord the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim." 
 
 " And what's he doing ? " 
 
 " He's lying on the bed moaning and swearing, 
 because his wounded arm gives him pain." 
 
 " And is nobody else here ? " 
 
1 86 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 She looked round warily, and sank her voice to 
 a whisper as she answered : 
 
 " No, not now — nobody else." 
 
 " I was seeking a friend of mine," said Rudolf. 
 " I want to see him alone. It's not easy for a king 
 to see people alone." 
 
 " You mean ? " 
 
 " Well, you know whom I mean." 
 
 " Yes. No, he's gone; but he's gone to find 
 you." 
 
 " To find me ! Plague take it ! How do you 
 know that, my pretty lady ? " 
 
 " Bauer told me." 
 
 " Ah, Bauer ! And who's Bauer ? " 
 
 " The man who knocked. Why did you shut 
 him out ? " 
 
 " To be alone with you, to be sure. So Bauer 
 tells you his master's secrets ? " 
 
 She acknowledged his raillery with a coquettish 
 laugh. It was not amiss for the king to see that 
 she had her admirers. 
 
 " Well, and where has this foolish count gone 
 to meet me ? " asked Rudolf lightly. 
 
 " You haven't seen him ? " 
 
 " No ; I came straight from the Castle of 
 Zenda." 
 
 " But," she cried, " he expected to find you at 
 the hunting-lodge. Ah, but now I recollect ! The 
 
THE KING IN STRELSAU. 187 
 
 Count of Rischenheim was greatly vexed to find, 
 on his return, that his cousin was gone." 
 
 " Ah, he was gone ! Now I see I Rischenheim 
 brought a message from me to Count Rupert." 
 
 " And they missed one another, your Majesty ? " 
 
 " Exactly, my dear young lady. Very vexatious 
 it is, upon my word ! " In this remark, at least, 
 Rudolf spoke no more and no other than he felt. 
 " But when do you expect the Count of Hent- 
 zau ? " he pursued. 
 
 " Early in the morning, your Majesty — at seven 
 or eight." 
 
 Rudolf came nearer to her, and took a couple of 
 gold coins from his pocket. 
 
 " I don't want money, your Majesty," she mur- 
 mured. 
 
 " Oh, make a hole in them and hang them round 
 your neck." 
 
 " Ah, yes : yes, give them to me," she cried, 
 holding out her hand eagerly. 
 
 " You'll earn them ? " he asked, playfully hold- 
 ing them out of her reach. 
 
 " How ? " 
 
 " By being ready to open to me when I come at 
 eleven and knock as Bauer knocked." 
 
 " Yes, I'll be there." 
 
 " And by telling nobody that I've been here to- 
 night. Will you promise me that ? " 
 
 " Not my mother ? " 
 
i88 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " No." 
 
 " Nor the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim ? " 
 
 " Him least of all. You must tell nobody. My 
 business is very private, and Rischenheim doesn't 
 know it." 
 
 "I'll do all you tell me. But— but Bauer 
 knows." 
 
 "True," said Rudolf. "Bauer knows. Well, 
 we'll see about Bauer." 
 
 As he spoke he turned towards the door. Sud- 
 denly the girl bent, snatched at his hand and kissed 
 it. 
 
 " I would die for you," she murmured. 
 
 " Poor child ! " said he gently. I believe he was 
 loath to make profit, even in the queen's service, 
 of her poor foolish love. He laid his hand on the 
 door, but paused a moment to say : 
 
 " If Bauer comes, you have told me nothing. 
 Mind, nothing ! I threatened you, but you told 
 me nothing." 
 
 " He'll tell them you have been here." 
 
 " That can't be helped; at least they won't know 
 when I shall arrive again. Good-night." 
 
 Rudolf opened the door and slipped through, 
 closing it hastily belund him. If Bauer got back 
 to the house, his visit must be known; but if he 
 could intercept Bauer, the girl's silence was as- 
 sured. He stood just outside, listening intently 
 and searching the darkness vnth. eager eyes. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 WHAT THE chancellor's WIFE SAW. 
 
 The night, so precious in its silence, solitude, 
 and darkness, was waning fast; soon the first dim 
 approaches of day would be visible; soon the 
 streets would be become alive and people be about. 
 Before then Rudolf Rassendyll, the man who bore 
 a face that he dared not show in open day, must 
 be under cover; else men would say that the king 
 was in Strelsau, and the news would flash in a few 
 hours through the kingdom and (so Rudolf feared) 
 reach even those ears which we knew to be shut to 
 all earthly sounds. But there was still some time 
 at Mr. Rassendyll's disposal, and he could not 
 spend it better than in pursuing his fight with 
 Bauer. Taking a leaf out of the rascal's own book, 
 he drew himself back into the shadow of the house 
 walls and prepared to wait. At the worst he could 
 keep the fellow from communicating with Rischen- 
 heim for a little longer, but his hope was that Bauer 
 would steal back after a while and reconnoitre 
 
 189 
 
igo RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 with a view to discovering how matters stood, 
 whether the unwelcome visitor had taken his de- 
 parture and the way to Rischenheim were open. 
 Wrapping his scarf closely round his face, Rudolf 
 waited, patiently enduring the tedium as he best 
 might, drenched by the rain, which fell steadily, 
 and very imperfectly sheltered from the buffeting 
 of the wind. Minutes went by; there were no signs 
 of Bauer nor of anybody else in the silent street. 
 Yet Rudolf did not venture to leave his post; 
 Bauer would seize the opportunity to slip in; per- 
 haps Bauer had seen him come out, and was in 
 his turn waiting till the coast should be clear; or, 
 again, perhaps the useful spy had gone off to in- 
 tercept Rupert of Hentzau, and warn him of the 
 danger in the Konigstrasse. Ignorant of the truth 
 and compelled to accept all these chances, Rudolf 
 waited, still watching the distant beginnings of 
 dawning day, which must soon drive him to his 
 hiding-place again. Meanwliile my poor wife 
 waited also, a prey to every fear thiat a woman's 
 sensitive mind can imagine and feed upon. 
 
 Rudolf turned his head this way and that, seek- 
 ing always the darker blot of shadow that would 
 mean a human being. For a while his search was 
 vain, but presently he found what he looked for — 
 ay, and even more. On the same side of the street, 
 to his left hand, from the direction of the station. 
 
W/Z^r THE CHANCELLOR'S U/JFE SAIV. 191 
 
 not one, but three blurred shapes moved up the 
 street. They came stealthily, yet quickly; with 
 caution, but without pause or hesitation. Rudolf, 
 scenting danger, flattened himself close against the 
 wall and felt for his revolver. Very likely they 
 were only early workers or late revelers, but he 
 was ready for something else; he had not yet 
 sighted Bauer, and action was to be looked for 
 from the man. By infinitely gradual sidelong 
 slitherings he moved a few paces from the door of 
 Mother Holf's house, and stood six feet perhaps, 
 or eight, on the right-hand side of it. The three 
 came on. He strained his eyes in the effort to dis- 
 cern their features. In that dim light certainty was 
 impossible, but the one in the middle might well 
 be Bauer: the height, the walk, and the make were 
 much what Bauer's were. If it were Bauer, then 
 Bauer had friends, and Bauer and his friends 
 seemed to be stalking some game. Always most 
 carefully and gradually Rudolf edg«d yet farther 
 from the little shop. At a distance of some five 
 yards he halted finally, drew out his revolver, cov- 
 ered the man whom he took to be Bauer, and thus 
 waited his fortune and his chance. 
 
 Now, it was plain that Bauer — for Bauer it was 
 — would look for one of two things : what he hoped 
 was to find Rudolf still in the house, what he feared 
 was to be told that Rudolf, having fulfilled the un- 
 
192 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 known purpose of his visit, was gone whole and 
 sound. If the latter tidings met him, these two 
 good friends of his whom he had enlisted for his 
 reinforcement were to have five crowns each and 
 go home in peace; if the former, they were to do 
 their work and make ten crowns. Years after, one 
 of them told me the whole story without shame 
 or reserve. What their work was, the heavy 
 bludgeons they carried and the long knife that one 
 of them had lent to Bauer showed pretty clearly. 
 But neither to Bauer nor to them did it occur that 
 their quarry might be crouching near, hunting as 
 well as hunted. Not that the pair of ruffians who 
 had been thus hired would have hesitated for that 
 thought, as I imagine. For it is strange, yet cer- 
 tain, that the zenith of courage and the acme of 
 villainy can alike be bought for the price of a lady's 
 glove. Among such outcasts as those from whom 
 Bauer drew his recruits the murder of a man is held 
 serious only when the police are by, and death at 
 the hands of him they seek to kill is no more than 
 an every-day risk of their employment. 
 
 " Here's the house," whispered Bauer, stopping 
 at the door. " Now, I'll knock, and you stand 
 by to knock him on the head if he runs out. He's 
 got a six-shooter, so lose no time." 
 
 " He'll only fire it in heaven," growled a hoarse, 
 guttural voice that ended in a chuckle. 
 
f^H^T THE CHANCELLOR'S 1VIFE SAIV. 193 
 
 " But if he's gone ? " objected the other aux- 
 iliary. 
 
 Then I know where he's gone," answered Bauer. 
 " Are you ready ? " 
 
 A ruffian stood on either side of the door with 
 uplifted bludgeon. Bauer raised his hand to 
 knock. 
 
 Rudolf knew that Rischenheim was within, and 
 he feared that Bauer, hearing that the stranger 
 had gone, would take the opportunity of telling 
 the count of his visit. The count would, in his 
 turn, warn Rupert of Hentzau, and the work of 
 catching the ringleader would all fall to be done 
 again. At no time did Mr. Rassendyll take count 
 of odds against him, but in this instance he may 
 well have thought himself, with his revolver, a 
 match for the three ruffians. At any rate, before 
 Bauer had time to give the signal, he sprang out 
 suddenly from the wall and darted at the fellow. 
 His onset was so sudden that the other two fell 
 back a pace; Rudolf caught Bauer fairly by the 
 throat. I do not suppose that he meant to strangle 
 him, but the anger, long stored in his heart, found 
 vent in the fierce grip of his fingers. It is certain 
 that Bauer thought his time was come, unless he 
 struck a blow for himself. Instantly he raised his 
 hand and thrust fiercely at Rudolf with his long 
 knife. Mr. Rassendyll would have been a dead 
 
194 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 man, had he not loosed his hold and sprung lightly 
 away. But Bauer sprang at him again, thrusting 
 with the knife, and crying to his associates, " Club 
 him, you fools, club him ! " 
 
 Thus exhorted, one jumped forward. The mo- 
 ment for hesitation had gone. In spite of the noise 
 of wind and pelting rain, the sound of a shot risked 
 much; but not to fire was death. Rudolf fired 
 full at Bauer: the fellow saw his intention and tried 
 to leap behind one of his companions; he was just 
 too late, and fell with a groan to the ground. 
 
 Again the other rufifians shrank back, appalled by 
 the sudden ruthless decision of the act. Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll laughed. A half-smothered yet uncontrolled 
 oath broke from one of them. " By God ! " he 
 whispered hoarsely, gazing at Rudolf's face and 
 letting his arm fall to his side. " My God ! " he 
 said then, and his mouth hung open. Again Ru- 
 dolf laughed at his terrified stare. 
 
 " A bigger job than you fancied, is it ? " he 
 asked, pushing his scarf well away from his chin. 
 
 The man gaped at him; the other's eyes asked 
 wondering questions, but neither did he attempt to 
 resume the attack. The first at last found voice, 
 and he said, " Well, it'd be damned cheap at ten 
 crowns, and that's the living truth." 
 
 His friend — or confederate rather, for such men 
 have no friends — looked on, still amazed. 
 
IVHAT THE CHANCELLOR'S IVIFE SAU^. 195 
 
 " Take up that fellow by his head and his heels," 
 ordered Rudolf. " Quickly ! I suppose you don't 
 want the police to find us here with him, do' you ? 
 Well, no more do I. Lift him up." 
 
 As he spoke Rudolf turned to knock at the door 
 of No. 19. 
 
 But even as he did so Bauer groaned. Dead 
 perhaps he ought to have been, but it seems to me 
 that fate is always ready to take the cream and 
 leave the scum. His leap aside had served him 
 well, after all: he had nearly escaped scot free. As 
 it was, the bullet, almost missing his head alto- 
 gether, had just glanced on his temple as it passed; 
 its impact had stunned, but not killed. Friend 
 Bauer was in unusual luck that night; I wouldn't 
 have taken a hundred to one about his chance of 
 life. Rupert arrested his hand. It would not do 
 to leave Bauer at the house, if Bauer were likely 
 to regain speech. He stood for a moment, con- 
 sidering what to do, but in an instant the thoughts 
 that he tried to gather were scattered again. 
 
 " The patrol ! the patrol ! " hoarsely whispered 
 the fellow who had not yet spoken. There was a 
 sound of the hoofs of horses. Down the street 
 from the station end there appeared two mounted 
 men. Without a second moment's hesitation the 
 two rascals dropped their friend Bauer -with a thud 
 on the ground; one ran at his full speed across the 
 
196 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 street, the other bolted no less quickly up the 
 Konigstrasse. Neither could afford to meet the 
 constables; and who could say what story this red- 
 haired gentleman might tell, ay, or what powers 
 he might command ? 
 
 But, in truth, Rudolf gave no thought to either 
 his story or his powers. If he were caught, the best 
 he could hope would be to lie in the lockup while 
 Rupert played his game unmolested. The device 
 that he had employed against the amazed ruffians 
 could be used against lawful authority only as a 
 last and desperate resort. While he could run, run 
 he would. In an instant he also took to his heels, 
 following the fellow who had darted up the Konig- 
 strasse. But before he had gone very far, coming 
 to a narrow turning, he shot down it; then he 
 paused for a moment to listen. 
 
 The patrol had seen the sudden dispersal of 
 the group, and, struck with natural suspicion, 
 quickened pace. A few minutes brought them 
 where Bauer was. They jumped from their horses 
 and ran to him. He was unconscious, and could, 
 of course, give them no account of how he came to 
 be in his present state. The fronts of £dl the houses 
 were dark, the doors shut; there was nothing to 
 connect the man stretched on the ground with 
 either No. 19 or any other dwelling. Moreover, 
 the constables were not sure that the sufferer was 
 
IVH/4T THE CHANCELLOR'S IVIFE SAIV. I97 
 
 himself a meritorious object, for his hand still held 
 a long, ugly knife. They were perplexed: they 
 were but two; there was a wounded man to look 
 after; there were three men to pursue, and the three 
 had fled in three separate directions. They looked 
 up at No. 19; No. 19 remained dark, quiet, abso- 
 lutely indiflferent. The fugitives were out of sight. 
 Rudolf Rassendyll, hearing nothing, had started 
 again on his way. But a minute later he 'heard a 
 shrill whistle. The patrol were summoning assist- 
 ance; the man must be carried to the station, and 
 a report made; but other constables might be 
 warned of what had happened, and despatched in 
 pursuit of the culprits. Rudolf heard more than 
 one answering whistle; he broke into a run, look- 
 ing for a turning on the left that would take him 
 back into the direction of my house, but he found 
 none. The narrow street twisted and curved in 
 the bewildering way that characterizes the old 
 parts of the town. Rudolf had spent some time 
 once in Strelsau; but a king learns little of back 
 streets, and he was soon fairly puzzled as to his 
 whereabouts. Day was dawning, and he began 
 to meet people here and there. He dared run no 
 more, even had his breath lasted him; winding the 
 scarf about his face, and cramming his hat over his 
 forehead again, he fell into an easy walk, wonder- 
 ing whether he could venture to ask his way, re- 
 
ipS RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 lieved to find no signs that he was being pursued, 
 trying to persuade himself that Bauer, though not 
 dead, was at least incapable of embarrassing dis- 
 closures; above all, conscious of the danger of his 
 tell-tale face, and of the necessity of finding some 
 shelter before the city was all stirring and awake. 
 
 At this moment he heard horses' hoofs behind 
 him. He was now at the end of the street, where 
 it opened on the square in which the barracks 
 stand. He knew his bearings now, and, had he 
 not been interrupted, could have been back to 
 safe shelter in my house in twenty minutes. 
 But, looking back, he saw the figure of a 
 mounted constable just coming into sight be- 
 hind him. The man seemed to see Rudolf, 
 for he broke into a quick trot. Mr. Rassendyll's 
 position was critical; this fact alone accounts for 
 the dangerous step into -which he allowed him- 
 self to be forced. Here he was, a man unable to 
 give account of himself, of remarkable appearance, 
 and carrying a revolver, of which one barrel was 
 discharged. And there was Bauer, a wounded 
 man, shot by somebody with a revolver, a quarter 
 of an hour before. Even to be questioned was 
 dangerous; to be detained meant ruin to the great 
 business that engaged' his energies. For all he 
 knew, the patrol had actually sighted him as he 
 ran. His fears were not vain; for the constable 
 
IVH/tT THE CHANCELLOR'S IVIFE SAIV. I99 
 
 raised his voice, crying, " Hi, sir — ^you there — stop 
 a minute ! " 
 
 Resistance was the one thing worse than to yield. 
 Wit, and not force, must find escape this time. 
 Rudolf stopped, looking round again with a sur- 
 prised air. Then he drew himself up with an as- 
 sumption of dignity, and waited for the constable. 
 If that last card must be played, he would win the 
 hand with it. 
 
 " Well, what do you want ? " he asked coldly, 
 when the man was a few yards from him; and, as 
 he spoke, he withdrew the scarf almost entirely 
 from his features, keeping it only over his chin. 
 " You call very peremptorily," he continued, star- 
 ing contemptuously. " What's your business with 
 me { 
 
 With a violent start, the sergeant — for such the 
 star on his collar and the lace on his cuflF pro- 
 claimed him — leant forward in the saddle to look 
 at the man whom he had hailed. Rudolf said 
 nothing and did not move. The man's eyes 
 studied his face intently. Then he sat bolt upright 
 and saluted, his face dyed to a deep red in his sud- 
 den confusion. 
 
 " And why do you salute me now ? " asked Ru- 
 dolf in a mocking tone. " First you hunt me, then 
 you salute me. By Heaven, I don't know why you 
 put yourself out at all about me ! " 
 
200 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " I — I — " the fellow stuttered. Then trying a 
 fresh start, he stammered, " Your Majesty, I didn't 
 know — I didn't suppose " 
 
 Rudolf stepped towards him with a quick, de- 
 cisive tread. 
 
 " And why do you call me ' Your Majesty ' ? " 
 he asked, still mockingly. 
 
 " It — it — isn't it your Majesty ? " 
 
 Rudolf was close by him now, his hand on the 
 horse's neck. He looked up into the sergeant's 
 face with steady eyes, saying : 
 
 " You make a mistake, my friend. I am not the 
 king." 
 
 " You are not — ? " stuttered the bewildered fel- 
 low. 
 
 " By no means. And, sergeant ? " 
 
 " Your Majesty ? " 
 
 " Sir, you mean." 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 "A zealous officer, sergeant, can make no greater 
 mistake than to take for the king a gentleman 
 who is not the king. It might injure his prospects, 
 since the king, not being here, mightn't wish to 
 have it supposed that he was here. Do you follow 
 me, sergeant ? " 
 
 The man said nothing, but stared hard. After a 
 moment Rudolf continued : 
 
 " In such a case," said he, " a discreet officer 
 
^H/1^ THE CH/tNCELLORS IVIFE SAIV. 201 
 
 would not trouble the gentleman any more, and 
 would be very careful not to mention that he had 
 made such a silly mistake. Indeed, if questioned, 
 he would answer without hesitation that he hadn't 
 seen anybody even like the king, much less the 
 king himself." 
 
 A doubtful, puzzled little smile spread under the 
 sergeant's moustache. 
 
 " You see, the king is not even in Strelsau," said 
 Rudolf. 
 
 " Not in Strelsau, sir ? " 
 
 " Why, no, he's at Zenda." 
 
 " Ah ! At Zenda, sir ? " 
 
 " Certainly. It is therefore impossible — physi- 
 cally impossible — that he should be here." 
 
 The fellow was convinced that he understood 
 now. 
 
 " It's certainly impossible, sir," said he, smiHng 
 more broadly. 
 
 " Absolutely. And therefore impossible also 
 that you should have seen him." With this Rudolf 
 took a gold piece from his pocket and handed it 
 to the sergeant. The fellow took it with some- 
 thing like a wink. " As for you, you've searched 
 here and found nobody," concluded Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll. " So hadn't you better at once search some- 
 where else ? " 
 
 " Without doubt, sir," said the sergeant, and 
 
202 RUPERT OF HEVITZAU. ' 
 
 with the most deferential salute, and another con- 
 fidential smile, he turned and rode back by the 
 way he had come. No doubt he wished that he 
 could meet a gentleman who was — not the king — 
 every morning of his life. It hardly need be said 
 that all idea of connecting the gentleman with the 
 crime committed in the Konigstrasse had vanished 
 from his mind. Thus Rudolf won freedom from 
 the man's interference, but at a dangerous cost — 
 how dangerous he did not know. It was indeed 
 most impossible that the king could be in Strel- 
 sau. 
 
 He lost no time now in turning his steps to- 
 wards his refuge. It was past five o'clock, day came 
 quickly, and the streets began to be peopled by 
 men and women on their way to open stalls or to 
 buy in the market. Rudolf crossed the square at a 
 rapid walk, for he was afraid of the soldiers who 
 were gathering for early duty opposite to the bar- 
 racks. Fortunately he passed by them unobserved, 
 and gained the comparative seclusion of the street 
 in which my house stands, without encountering 
 any further difficulties. In truth, he was almost in 
 safety; but bad luck was now to have its turn. 
 When Mr. Rassendyll was no more than fifty yards 
 from my door, a carriage suddenly drove up and 
 stopped a few paces in front of him. The footman 
 sprang down and opengd tji^ door. Two ladies 
 
IVH^T THE CHANCELLOR'S IVIFE S/tlV. 203 
 
 got out; they were dressed in evening costume, 
 and were returning from a ball. One was middle- 
 aged, the other young and rather pretty. They 
 stood for a moment on the pavement, the younger 
 saying : 
 
 " Isn't it pleasant, mother ? I wish I could al- 
 ways be up at five o'clock." 
 
 " My dear, you wouldn't hke it for long," an- 
 swered the elder. " It's very nice for a change, 
 but " 
 
 She stoppd abruptly. Her eye had fallen on Ru- 
 dolf Rassendyll. He knew her: she was no less a 
 person than the wife of Helsing the chancellor; his 
 was the house at which the carriage had stopped. 
 The trick that had served with the sergeant of 
 police would not do now. She knew the king too 
 well to believe that she could be mistaken about 
 him; she was toO' much of a busybody to be con- 
 tent to pretend that she was mistaken. 
 
 " Good gracious ! " she whispered loudly, and, 
 catching her daughter's arm, she murmured, 
 " Heavens, my dear, it's the king ! " 
 
 Rudolf was caught. Not only the ladies, but 
 their servants were looking at him. 
 
 Flight vras impossible. He walked by them. 
 The ladies curtseyed, the servants bowed bare- 
 headed. Rudolf touched his hat and bowed 
 slightly in return. He walked straight on towards 
 
204 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU. 
 
 my house; they were watching him, and he knew 
 it. Most heartily did he curse the untimely hours 
 to which folks keep up their dancing, but he 
 thought that a visit to my house would afford as 
 plausible an excuse for his presence as any other. 
 So he went on, surveyed by the wondering ladies, 
 and by the servants who, smothering smiles, asked 
 one another what brought his Majesty abroad in 
 such a plight (for Rudolf's clothes were soaked and 
 his boots muddy), at such an hour — and that in 
 Strelsau, when all the world thought he was at 
 Zenda. 
 
 Rudolf reached my house. Knowing that he 
 was watched, he had abandoned all intention of 
 giving the signal agreed on between my wife and 
 himself and of making his way in through the win- 
 dow. Such a sight would indeed have given the 
 excellent Baroness von Helsing matter for gossip ! 
 It was better to let every servant in my house see 
 his open entrance. But, alas, virtue itself some- 
 times leads to ruin. My dearest Helga, sleepless 
 and watchful in the interest of her mistress, was 
 even now behind the shutter, listening with all 
 her ears and peering through the chinks. No 
 sooner did Rudolf's footsteps become audible than 
 she cautiously unfastened the shutter, opened the 
 window, put her pretty head out, and called 
 softly : 
 
IVHAT THE CHANCELLOR'S IVIFE SAIV. 205 
 
 " All's safe ! Come in ! " 
 
 The mischief was done then, for the faces of 
 Helsing's wife and daughter, ay, and the faces of 
 Helsing's servants, were intent on this most 
 strange spectacle. Rudolf, turning his head over 
 his shoulder, saw them ; a moment later poor 
 Helga saw them also. Innocent and untrained in 
 controlling her feelings, she gave a shrill little cry 
 of dismay, and hastily drew back. Rudolf looked 
 round again. The ladies had retreated to the cover 
 of the porch, but he still saw their eager faces peer- 
 ing from between the pillars that supported it. 
 
 " I may as well go in now," said Rudolf, and in 
 he sprang. There was a merry smile on his face 
 as he ran forward to meet Helga, who leant against 
 the table, pale and agitated. 
 
 " They saw you ? " she gasped. 
 
 " Undoubtedly," said he. Then his sense of 
 amusement conquered everything else, and he sat 
 down in a chair, laughing. 
 
 " I'd give my life," said he, " to hear the story 
 that the chancellor will be waked up to hear in a 
 minute or two from now ! " 
 
 But a moment's thought made him grave again. 
 For whether he were the king or Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll, he knew that my wife's name was in equal 
 peril. Knowing this, he stood at nothing to serve 
 her. He turned to her and spoke quickly. 
 
2o6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU 
 
 " You must rouse one of the servants at once. 
 Send him round to the chancellor's and tell the 
 chancellor to come here directly. No, write a 
 note. Say the king has come by appointment to 
 see Fritz on some private business, but that Fritz 
 has not kept the appointment, and that the king 
 must now see the chancellor at once. Say there's 
 not a moment to lose." 
 
 She was looking at him with wondering eyes. 
 
 " Don't you see," he said, " if I can impose on 
 Helsing, I may stop those women's tongues ? If 
 nothing's done, how long do you suppose it'll be 
 before all Strelsau knows that Fritz von Tarlen- 
 heim's wife let the king in at the window at five 
 o'clock in the morning ? " 
 
 " I don't understand," murmured poor Helga in 
 bewilderment. 
 
 " No, my dear lady, but for Heaven's sake do 
 what I ask of you. It's the only chance now." 
 
 " I'll do it," she said, and sat down to write. 
 
 Ttos it was that, hard on the marvelous tidings 
 which, as I conjecture, the Baroness von Helsing 
 poured into her husband's drowsy ears, came an 
 imperative summons that the chancellor should 
 wait on the king at the house of Fritz von Tarlen- 
 heim. 
 
 Truly we had tempted fate too far by bringing 
 Rudolf Rassendyll again to Strelsau. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BEFORE THEM ALL ! 
 
 Great as was the risk and immense as were the 
 difficulties created by the course which Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll adopted, I cannot doubt that he acted for 
 the best in the light of the information which he 
 possessed. His plan was to disclose himself in the 
 character of the king to Helsing, to bind him to 
 secrecy, and make him impose the same obligation 
 on his wife, daughter, and servants. The chancel- 
 lor was to be quieted with the excuse of urgent 
 business, and conciliated by a promise that he 
 should know its nature in the course of a few 
 hours; meanwhile an appeal to his loyalty must 
 suffice to insure obedience. If all went well in the 
 day that had now dawned, by the evening of it the 
 letter -would be destroyed, the queen's peril past, 
 and Rudolf once more far away from Strelsau. 
 Then enough of the truth — no more — must be dis- 
 closed. Helsing would be told the story of Rudolf 
 Rassendyll and persuaded to hold his tongue about 
 
 207 
 
2o8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 the harum-scarum Englishman (we are ready to 
 believe much of an Englishman) having been au- 
 dacious enough again to play the king in Strelsau. 
 The old chancellor was a very good fellow, and I 
 do not think that Rudolf did wrong in relying 
 upon him. Where he miscalculated was, of course, 
 just where he was ignorant. The whole of what 
 the queen's friends, ay, and the queen herself, did 
 i-n Strelsau, became useless and mischievous by 
 reason of the king's death; their action must have 
 been utterly dififerent, 'had they been aware of that 
 catastrophe; but their wisdom m-ust be judged 
 only acording to their knowledge. 
 
 In the first place, the chancellor himself showed 
 much good sense. Even before he obeyed the 
 king's summons he sent for the two servants and 
 charged them, on pain of instant dismissal and 
 worse things to follow, to say nothing of what they 
 had seen. His commands to his wife and daughter 
 were more polite, doubtless, but no less peremp- 
 tory. He may well have supposed that the king's 
 business was private as well as important when it 
 led his Majesty to be roaming the streets of Strel- 
 sau at a moment when he was supposed to be at 
 the Castle of Zenda, and to enter a friend's house 
 by the window at such untimely hours. The mere 
 facts were eloquent of secrecy. Moreover, the 
 king had shaved his beard — the ladies were sure 
 
BEFORE THEM ALL! 209 
 
 of it — and this, again, though it might be merely 
 an accidental coincidence, was also capable of sig- 
 nifying a very urgent desire to be unknown. So 
 the chancellor, having given his orders, and being 
 himself aflame with the liveliest curiosity, lost no 
 time in obeying the king's commands, and arrived 
 at my house before six o'clock. 
 
 When the visitor was announced Rudolf was up- 
 stairs, having a bath and some breakfast. Helga 
 had learnt her lesson well enough to entertain the 
 visitor until Rudolf appeared. She was full of 
 apologies for my absence, protesting that she could 
 in no way explain it; neither could she so much as 
 conjecture what was the king's business with her 
 husband. She played the dutiful wife whose virtue 
 was obedience, whose greatest sin would be an 
 indiscreet prying into what it was not her part to 
 know. 
 
 " I know no more," she said, " than that Fritz 
 wrote to me to expect the king and him at about 
 five o'clock, and to be ready to let them in by the . 
 window, as the king did not wish the servants to be 
 aware of his presence." 
 
 The king came and greeted Helsing most gra- 
 ciously. The tragedy and comedy of these busy 
 days were strangely mingled; even now I can 
 hardly help smiling when I picture Rudolf, with 
 grave lips, but that distant twinkle in his eye (I 
 
2IO RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU. 
 
 swear he enjoyed the sport), sitting down by the 
 old chancellor in the darkest corner of the room, 
 covering him with flattery, hinting at most strange 
 things, deploring a secret obstacle to immediate 
 confidence, promising that to-morrow, at latest, he 
 would seek the advice of the wisest and most tried 
 of his counselors, appealing to the chancellor's loy- 
 alty to trust him till then. Helsing, blinking 
 through his spectacles, followed with devout atten- 
 tion the long narrative that told nothing, and the 
 urgent exhortation that masked a trick. His ac- 
 cents were almost broken with emotion as he put 
 himself absolutely at the king's disposal, and de- 
 clared that he could answer for the discretion of his 
 family and household as completely as for his own. 
 
 " Then you're a very lucky man, my dear chan- 
 cellor," said Rudolf, with a sigh which seemed to 
 hint that the king in his palace was not so fortu- 
 nate. Helsing was immensely pleased. He was all 
 agog to go and tell his wife how entirely the king 
 trusted to her honor and silence. 
 
 There was nothing that Rudolf more desired 
 than to be relieved of the excellent old fellow's pres- 
 ence; but, well aware of the supreme importance 
 of keeping him in a good temper, he would not 
 hear of his departure for a few minutes. 
 
 "At any rate, the ladies won't talk till after 
 breakfast, and since they got home only at five 
 
BEFORE THEM ALL! zil 
 
 o'clock they won't breakfast yet a while," said 
 he. 
 
 So he made Helsing sit down, and talked to him. 
 Rudolf had not failed to notice that the Count of 
 Luzau-Rischenheim had been a little surprised at 
 the sound of his voice; in this conversation he 
 studiously kept his tones low, affecting a certain 
 weakness and huskiness such as he had detected 
 in the king's utterances, as he listened behind the 
 curtain in Sapt's room at the castle. The part was 
 played as completely and triumphantly as in the 
 old days when he ran the gauntlet of every eye in 
 Strelsau. Yet if he had not taken such pains to 
 conciliate old Helsing, but had let him depart, he 
 might not have found himself driven to a greater 
 and even more hazardous deception. 
 
 They were conversing together alone. My wife 
 had been prevailed on by Rudolf to lie down in her 
 room for an hour. Sorely needing rest, she had 
 obeyed him, having first given strict orders that no 
 member of the household should enter the room 
 where the two were except on an express summons. 
 Fearing suspicion, she and Rudolf had agreed that 
 it was better to rely on these injunctions than to 
 lock the door again as they had the night before. 
 
 But while these things passed at my house, the 
 queen and Bemenstein were on their way to Strel- 
 sau. Perhaps, had Sapt been at Zenda, his power- 
 
212 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 ful influence might have availed to check the im- 
 pulsive expedition; Bernenstein had no such au- 
 thority, and could only obey the queen's peremptory 
 orders and pathetic prayers. Ever since Rudolf 
 Rassendyll left her, three years before, she had 
 lived in stern self-repression, never her true self, 
 never for a moment able to be or to do what every 
 hour her heart urged on her. How are these 
 things done ? I doubt if a man lives who could 
 do them; but women live who do them. Now 
 his sudden coming, and the train of stirring events 
 that accompanied it, his danger and hers, his words 
 and her enjoyment of his presence, had all worked 
 together to shatter her self-control; and the 
 strange dream, heightening the emotion which was 
 its own cause, left her with no conscious desire save 
 to be near Mr. Rassendyll, and scarcely with a fear 
 except for his safety. As they journeyed her talk 
 was all of his peril, never of the disaster which 
 threatened herself, and which we were all striving 
 with might and main to avert from her head. She 
 traveled alone with Bernenstein, getting rid of the 
 lady who attended her by some careless pretext, 
 and she urged on him continually to bring her as 
 speedily as mig'ht be to Mr. Rassendyll. I cannot 
 find much blame for her. Rudolf stood for all the 
 joy in her life, and Rudolf had gone to fight with 
 the Count of Hentzau. What wonder that she saw 
 
BEFORE THEM ALL! 213 
 
 him, as it were, dead ? Yet still she would have 
 it that, in his seeming death, all men hailed him for 
 their king. Well, it was her love that crowned 
 him. 
 
 As they reached the city, S'he grew more com- 
 posed, being persuaded by Bernenstein that noth- 
 ing in her bearing must rouse suspicion. Yet she 
 was none the less resolved to seek Mr. Rassendyll 
 at once. In truth, she feared even then to find 
 him dead, so strong was the hold of her dream on 
 her; until she knew that he was alive she could not 
 rest. Bernenstein, fearful that the strain would kill 
 her, or rob her of reason, promised everything; and 
 declared, with a confidence which he did not feel, 
 that beyond doubt Mr. Rassendyll was alive and 
 well. 
 
 " But where — where ? " she cried eagerly, with 
 clasped hands. 
 
 " We're most likely, madam, to find him at Fritz 
 von Tarlenheim's," answered the lieutenant. " He 
 would wait there till the time came to attack Ru- 
 pert, or, if the thing is over, he will have returned 
 there." 
 
 " Then let us drive there at once," she urged. 
 
 Bernenstein, however, persuaded her to go to 
 the palace first and let it be known there that she 
 was going to pay a visit to my wife. She arrived 
 at the palace at eight o'clock, took a cup of choco- 
 
214 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 late, and then ordered her carriage. Bernenstein 
 alone accompanied her when she set out for my 
 house about nine. He was, by now, hardly less 
 agitated than the queen herself. 
 
 In her entire preoccupation with Mr. Rassendyll, 
 she gave little thought to what might have hap- 
 pened at the hunting-lodge ; but Bernenstein 
 drew gloomy auguries from the failure of Sapt and 
 myself to return at the proper time. Either evil 
 had befallen us, or the letter had reached the king 
 before we arrived at the lodge; the probabilities 
 seemed to him to be confined to these alternatives. 
 Yet when he spoke in this strain to the queen, he 
 could get from her nothing except, " If we can 
 find Mr. Rassendyll, he will tell us what to do." 
 
 Thus, then, a little after nine in the morning the 
 queen's carriage drove up to my door. The ladies 
 of the chancellor's family had enjoyed a very short 
 night's rest, for their heads came bobbing out of 
 window the moment the wheels were heard ; 
 many people were about now, and the crown on 
 the panels attracted the usual small crowd of 
 loiterers. Bernenstein sprang out and gave his 
 hand to the queen. With a hasty slight bow to the 
 onlookers, she hastened up the two or three steps 
 of the porch, and with her own hand rang the bell. 
 Inside, the carriage had just been observed. My 
 wife's waiting-maid ran hastily to her mistress; 
 
BEFORE THEM ALL! 2i5 
 
 Helga was lying on her bed; she rose at once, and 
 after a few moments of necessary preparations (or 
 such preparations as seem to ladies necessary, how- 
 ever great the need of haste may be) hurried down- 
 stairs to receive her Majesty — and to warn her 
 Majesty. She was too late. The door was already 
 open. The butler and the footman both had run 
 to it, and thrown it open for the queen. As Helga 
 reached the foot of the stairs, her Majesty was just 
 entering the room where Rudolf was, the servants 
 attending her, and Bernenstein standing behind, 
 his helmet in his hand. 
 
 Rudolf and the chancellor had been continuing 
 their conversation. To avoid the observations of 
 passers-by (for the interior of the room is easy 
 to see from the street), the blind had been drawn 
 down, and the room was in deep shadow. They 
 had heard the wheels, but neither of them dreamt 
 that the visitor could be the queen. It was an 
 utter surprise to them when, without their orders, 
 the door was suddenly flung open. The chancel- 
 lor, slow of movement, and not, if I may say it, 
 over-quick of brain, sat in his corner for half a 
 minute or more before he rose to his feet. On the 
 other hand, Rudolf Rassendyll was the best part of 
 the way across the room in an instant. Helga was 
 at the door now, and she thrust her head round 
 young Bernenstein's broad shoulders. Thus she saw 
 
2i6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 what happened. The queen, forgetting the servants, 
 and not observing Helsing — seeming indeed to 
 stay for nothing, and to think of nothing, but to 
 have her thoughts and heart filled with the sight 
 of the man she loved and the knowledge of his 
 safety — met him as he ran towards her, and, before 
 Helga, or Bernenstein, or Rudolf himself, could 
 stay her or conceive what she was about to do, 
 caught both his hands in hers with an intense 
 grasp, crying : 
 
 " Rudolf, you're safe ! Thank God, oh, thank 
 God ! " and she carried his hands to her lips and 
 kissed them passionately. 
 
 A moment of absolute silence followed, dictated 
 in the servants by decorum, in the chancellor by 
 consideration, in Helga and Bernenstein by utter 
 consternation. Rudolf himself also was silent, but 
 whether from bewilderment or an emotion answer- 
 ing to hers, I know not. Either it might well be. 
 The stillness struck lier. She looked up in his 
 eyes; she looked round the room and saw Helsing, 
 now bowing profoundly from the corner ; she 
 turned her head with a sudden frightened jerk, and 
 glanced at my motionless deferential servants. 
 Then it came upon her what she had done. She 
 gave a quick gasp for breath, and her face, always 
 pale, went white as marble. Her features set in a 
 strange stiffness, and suddenly she reeled where 
 
BEFORE THEM ALL! 217 
 
 she Stood, and fell forward. Only Rudolfs hand 
 bore her up. Thus for a moment, too short to 
 reckon, the)- stood. Then he, a smile of great love 
 and pity coaaa% on his lips, drew her to him, and 
 passing his arm about her waist, thus supported 
 her. Then, smiling still, he looked down on her, 
 and said in a low tone, yet distinct enough for all to 
 hear : 
 
 " All is well, dearest." 
 
 My wife gripped Bemenstein's arm, and he 
 turned to find her pale-faced too, with quivering 
 lips and shining eyes. But the eyes had a message, 
 and an urgent one, for him. He read it; he knew 
 that it bade him second what Rudolf Rassendyll 
 had done. He came forward and approached Ru- 
 dolf; then he fell on one knee, and kissed Rudolfs 
 left hand that was extended to him. 
 
 " I'm verj- glad to see you. Lieutenant von Ber- 
 nenstein," said Rudolf RassendylL 
 
 For a moment the thing was done, ruin averted, 
 and safety secured. Everything had been at stake; 
 that there was such a man as Rudolf Rassendyll 
 might have been disclosed ; that he had once filled 
 the king's throne was a high secret which they 
 were prepared to trust to Helsing under stress 
 of necessity; but there remained something which 
 must be hidden at all costs, and which the queen's 
 passionate exclamation had threatened to expose. 
 
2i8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU 
 
 There was a Rudolf Rassendyll, and he had been 
 king; but, more than all this, the queen loved him 
 and he the queen. That could be told to none, not 
 even to Helsing; for Helsing, though he w^ould 
 not gossip to the town, would yet hold himself 
 bound to carry the matter to the king. So Rudolf 
 chose to take any future difiSculties rather than 
 that present and certain disaster. Sooner than en- 
 tail it on her he loved, he claimed for himself the 
 place of her husband and the name of king. And 
 she, clutching at the only chance that lier act left, 
 was content to have it so. It may be that for an 
 instant her weary, tortured brain found sweet rest 
 in the dim dream that so it was, for she let her 
 head lie there on his breast and her eyes closed, 
 her face looking very peaceful, and a soft little 
 sigh escaping in pleasure from her lips. 
 
 But every moment bore its peril and exacted its 
 effort. Rudolf led the queen to a couch, and then 
 briefly charged the servants not to speak of his 
 presence for a few hours. As they had no doubt 
 perceived, said he, from the queen's agitation, im- 
 portant business was on foot; it demanded his 
 presence in Strelsau, but required also that his 
 presence should not be known. A short time 
 would free them from the obligation which he now 
 asked of their loyalty. When they had withdrawn, 
 bowing obedience, he turned to Helsing, pressed 
 
BEFORE THEM ALLl 219 
 
 his hand warmly, reiterated his request for silence, 
 and said that he would summon the chancellor to 
 his presence again later in the day, either where he 
 was or at the palace. Then he bade all withdraw 
 and leave him alone for a little with the queen. 
 He was obeyed; but Helsing had hardly left the 
 house when Rudolf called Bernenstein back, and 
 with him my wife. Helga hastened to the queen, 
 who was still sorely agitated; Rudolf drew Ber- 
 nenstein aside, and exchanged with him all their 
 news. Mr. Rassendyll was much disturbed at find- 
 ing that no tidings had come from Colonel Sapt 
 and myself, but his apprehension was greatly in- 
 creased on learning the untoward accident by 
 which the king himself had been at the lodge the 
 night before. Indeed, he was utterly in the dark; 
 where the king was, where Rupert, where we were, 
 he did not know. And he was here in Strelsau, 
 known as the king to half a dozen people or more, 
 protected only by their promises, liable at any 
 moment to be exposed by the coming of the king 
 himself, or even by a message from him. 
 
 Yet, in face of all perplexities, perhaps even the 
 more because of the darkness in which he was en- 
 veloped, Rudolf held firm to his purpose. There 
 were two things that seemed plain. If Rupert had 
 escaped the trap and was still alive with the letter 
 on him, Rupert must be found; here was the first 
 
2 20 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 task. That accomplished, there remained for Ru- 
 dolf himself nothing save to disappear as quietly 
 and secretly as he had come, trusting that his pres- 
 ence could be concealed from the man whose name 
 he had usurped. Nay, if need were, the king must 
 be told that Rudolf Rassendyll had played a trick 
 on the chancellor, and, having enjoyed his pleas- 
 ure, was gone again. Everything could, in the last 
 resort, be told, save that which touched the queen's 
 honor. 
 
 At this moment the message which I despatched 
 from the station at Hofbau reached my house. 
 There was a knock at the door. Bernenstein 
 opened it and took the telegram, which was ad- 
 dressed to my wife. I had written all that I dared 
 to trust to such a means of communication, and 
 here it is : 
 
 " I am coming to Strelsau. The king will not 
 leave the lodge to-day. The count came, but left 
 before we arrived. I do not know whether he has 
 gone to Strelsau. He gave no news to the king." 
 
 " Then they didn't get him ! " cried Bernenstein 
 in deep disappointment. 
 
 " No, but ' he gave no news to the king,' " said 
 Rudolf triumphantly. 
 
 They were all standing now round the queen, 
 who sat on the couch. She seemed very faint and 
 
BEFORE THEM ALL! 2ZI 
 
 weary, but at peace. It was enough for her that 
 Rudolf fought and planned for her. 
 
 " And see this," Rudolf went on. " ' The king 
 will not leave the lodge to-day.' Thank God, then, 
 we have to-day ! " 
 
 " Yes, but Where's Rupert ? " 
 
 " We shall know in an hour, if he's in Strelsau," 
 and Mr. Rassendyll looked as though it would 
 please him well to find Rupert in Strelsau. " Yes, 
 I must seek him. I shall stand at nothing to find 
 him. If I can only get to him as the king, then 
 I'll be the king. We have to-day ! " 
 
 My message put them in heart again, although 
 it left so much still unexplained. Rudolf turned to 
 the queen. 
 
 " Courage, my queen," said he. " A few hours 
 now will see an end of all our dangers." 
 
 " And then ? " she asked. 
 
 " Then you'll be safe and at rest," said he, bend- 
 ing over her and speaking softly. " And I shall 
 be proud in the knowledge of having saved you." 
 
 " And you ? " 
 
 " I must go," Helga heard'him whisper as he 
 bent lower still, and she and Bernenstein moved 
 away. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A KING UP HIS SLEEVE. 
 
 The tall handsome girl was taking down the 
 shutters from the shop front at No. 19 in the 
 Konigstrasse. She went about her work languidly 
 enoug'h, but there was a tinge of dusky red on her 
 cheeks and her eyes were brightened by some sup- 
 pressed excitement. Old Mother Holf, leaning 
 against the counter, was grumbling angrily 
 because Bauer did not come. Now it was 
 not likely that Bauer would come just yet, 
 for he was still in the infirmary attached to 
 the police-cells, where a couple of doctors were 
 very busy setting him on his legs again. The 
 old woman knew nothing of this, but only that 
 he had gone the night before to reconnoitre; where 
 he was to play the spy she did not know, on whom 
 perhaps she guessed. 
 
 " You're sure he never came back ? " she asked 
 iher daughter. 
 
 " He never came back that I saw," answered the 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEVE. 223 
 
 girl. " And I was on the watch with my lamp here 
 in the shop till it grew light." 
 
 " He's twelve hours gone now, and never a mes- 
 sage ! Ay, and Count Rupert should be here soon, 
 and he'll be in a fine taking if Bauer's not back." 
 
 The girl ma.de no answer; she had finished her 
 task and stood in the doorway, looking out on the 
 street. It was past eight, and many people were 
 about, still for the most part humble folk; the more 
 comfortably placed would not be moving for an 
 hour or two yet. In the road the traffic consisted 
 chiefly of country carts and wagons, bringing in 
 produce for the day's victualling of the great city. 
 The girl watched the stream, but her thoughts 
 were occupied with the stately gentleman who had 
 come to her by night and asked a service of her. 
 She had heard the revolver shot outside; as it 
 sounded she had blown out her lamp, and there 
 behind the door in the dark had heard the swiftly 
 retreating feet of the fugitives and, a little later, 
 the arrival of the patrol. Well, the patrol would 
 not dare to touch the king; as for Bauer, let him 
 be alive or dead: what cared she, who was the 
 king's servant, able to help the king against his 
 enemies ? If Bauer were the king's enemy, right 
 glad would she be to hear that the rogue was dead. 
 How finely the king had caught him by the neck 
 and thrown him out ! She laughed to think how 
 
224 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 little her mother knew the company she had kept 
 that night. 
 
 The row of country carts moved slowly by. One 
 or two stopped before the shop, and the carters 
 ofifered vegetables for sale. The old woman would 
 have nothing to say to them, but waved them on 
 irritably. Three had thus stopped and again pro- 
 ceeded, and an impatient grumble broke from the 
 old lady as a fourth, a covered wagon, drew up be- 
 fore the door. 
 
 "We don't want anything: go on, go on with 
 you ! " she cried shrilly. 
 
 The carter got down from his seat without heed- 
 ing her, and walked round to the back. 
 
 " Here you are, sir," he cried. " Nineteen, 
 Konigstrasse." 
 
 A yawn was heard, and the long sigh a man 
 gives as he stretches himself in the mingled luxury 
 and pain of an awakening after sound refreshing 
 sleep. 
 
 " All right; I'll get down," came in answer 
 from inside. 
 
 " Ah, it's the count ! " said the old lady to her 
 daughter in satisfied tones. " What will he say, 
 though, about that rogue Bauer ? " 
 
 Rupert of Hentzau put his head out from under 
 the wagon-tilt, looked up and down the street, gave 
 the carter a couple of crowns, leapt down, and ran 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEf^E. 225 
 
 lightly across the pavement into the little shop. 
 The wagon moved on. 
 
 " A lucky thing I met him," said Rupert cheer- 
 ily. " The wagon hid me very well ; and hand- 
 some as my face is, I can't let Strelsau enjoy too 
 much of it just now. Well, mother, what cheer ? 
 And you, my pretty, how goes it with you ? " He 
 carelessly brushed the girl's cheek with the glove 
 that he had drawn off. " Faith, though, I beg 
 your pardon," he added a moment later: " the 
 glove's not clean enough for that," and he looked 
 at his buff glove, which was stained with patches of 
 dull rusty brown. 
 
 " It's all as when you left. Count Rupert," said 
 Mother Holf, " except that that rascal Bauer went 
 out last night " 
 
 " That's right enough. But hasn't he re- 
 turned ? " 
 
 " No, not yet." 
 
 " Hum. No signs of — anybody else ? " His 
 look defined the vague question. 
 
 The old woman shook her head. The girl 
 turned away to hide a smile. " Anybody else " 
 meant the king, so she suspected. Well, they 
 should hear nothing from her. The king himself 
 had charged her to be silent. 
 
 " But Rischenheim has come, I suppose ? " pur- 
 sued Rupert. 
 
226 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " Oh, yes ; he came, my lord, soon after you 
 went. He wears his arm in a sling." 
 
 " Ah ! " cried Rupert in sudden excitement. 
 " As I guessed ! The devil ! If only I could do 
 everything myself, and not have to trust to fools 
 and bunglers ! Where's the count ? " 
 
 " Why, in the attic. You know the way." 
 " True. But I want some breakfast, mother." 
 " Rosa shall serve you at once, my lord." 
 The girl followed Rupert up the narrow crazy 
 staircase of the tall old house. They passed three 
 floors, all uninhabited; a last steep flight that 
 brought them right under the deep arched roof. 
 Rupert opened a door that stood at the top of the 
 stairs, and, followed still by Rosa with her mysteri- 
 ous happy smile, entered a long narrow room. The 
 ceiling, high in the centre, sloped rapidly down on 
 either side, so that at door and window it was little 
 more than six feet above the floor. There was an 
 oak table and a few chairs; a couple of iron bed- 
 steads stood by the wall near the window. One 
 was empty; the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim lay 
 on the other, fully dressed, his right arm supported 
 in a sling of black silk. Rupert paused on the 
 threshold, smiling at his cousin; the girl passed on 
 to a high press or cupboard, and, opening it, took out 
 plates, glasses, and the other furniture of the table. 
 Rischenheim sprang up and ran across the room. 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEVE. 22? 
 
 " What news ? " he cried eagerly. " You es- 
 caped them, Rupert ? " 
 
 " It appears so," said Rupert airily ; and, ad- 
 vancing into the room, he threw himself into a 
 chair, tossing his hat onto the table. " It appears 
 that I escaped, although some fool's stupidity 
 nearly made an end of me." 
 
 Rischenheim flushed. 
 
 " I'll tell you about that directly," he said, glanc- 
 ing at the girl who had put some cold meat and 
 a bottle of wine on the table, and was now com- 
 pleting the preparations for Rupert's meal in a very 
 leisurely fashion. 
 
 " Had I nothing to do but to look at pretty faces 
 — which, by Heaven, I wish heartily were the case 
 — I would beg you to stay," said Rupert, rising 
 and making her a profound bow. 
 
 " I've no wish to hear what doesn't concern me," 
 she retorted scornfully. 
 
 " What a rare and blessed disposition ! " said he, 
 holding the door for her and bowing again. 
 
 " I know what I know," she cried to him 
 triumphantly from the landing. " Maybe you'd 
 give something to know it too. Count Rupert ! " 
 
 " It's very likely, for, by Heaven, girls know 
 wonderful things !" smiled Rupert; but he shut 
 the door and came quickly back to the table, now 
 frowning again. " Come, tell me, how did they 
 
228 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU. 
 
 make a fool of you, or why did you make a fool of 
 me, cousin ? " 
 
 While Rischenheim related how he had been 
 trapped and tricked at the Castle of Zenda, Rupert 
 of Hentzau made a very good breakfast. He of- 
 fered no interruption and no comments, but when 
 Rudolf Rassendyll came into the story he looked 
 up for an instant with a quick jerk of his head 
 and a sudden light in his eyes. The end of Risch- 
 enheim's narrative found him tolerant and smiling 
 again. 
 
 " Ah, well, the snare was cleverly set," he said. 
 " I don't wonder you fell into it." 
 
 " And now you ? What happened to you ? " 
 asked Rischenheim eagerly. 
 
 " I ? Why, having your message which was not 
 your message, I obeyed your directions which were 
 not your directions." 
 
 " You went to the lodge ? " 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 " And found Sapt there ? — Anybody else ? " 
 
 " Why, not Sapt at all." 
 
 "Not Sapt ? But surely they laid a trap for 
 you ? " 
 
 " Very possibly, but the jaws didn't bite." Ru- 
 pert crossed his legs and lit a cigarette. 
 
 " But what did you find ? " 
 
 " I ? I found the king's forester, and the king's 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEyE. 229 
 
 boar-hound, and — well, I found the king himself, 
 too." 
 
 " The king at the lodge ? " 
 
 " You weren't so wrong as you thought, were 
 you ? " 
 
 " But surely Sapt, or Bernenstein, or some one 
 was with him ? " 
 
 " As I tell you, his forester and his boar-hound. 
 No other man or beast, on my honor." 
 
 " Then you gave him the letter ? " cried Risch- 
 enheim, trembling with excitement. 
 
 " Alas, no, my dear cousin. I threw the box at 
 him, but I don't think he had time to open it. We 
 didn't get to that stage of the conversation at 
 which I had intended to produce the letter." 
 
 " But why not — why not ? " 
 
 Rupert rose to his feet, and, coming just op- 
 posite to where Rischenheim sat, balanced himself 
 on his heels, and looked down at his cousin, blow- 
 ing the ash from his cigarette and smiling pleas- 
 antly. 
 
 " Have you noticed," he asked, " that my coat's 
 torn ? " 
 
 " I see it is." 
 
 " Yes. The boar-hound tried to bite me, cousin. 
 And the forester would have stabbed me. And — 
 well, the king vranted to shoot me." 
 
 " Yes, yes ! For God's sake, what happened ? " 
 
Z30 RUPERT OF HEUTZAU. 
 
 " Well, they none of them did what they wanted. 
 That's what happened, dear cousin." 
 
 Rischenheim was staring at him now with wide- 
 opened eyes. Rupert smiled down on him com- 
 posedly. 
 
 " Because, you see," he added, " Heaven helped 
 me. So that, my dear cousin, the dog will bite no 
 more, and the forester will stab no more. Surely 
 the country is well rid of them ? " 
 
 A silence followed. Then Rischenheim, lean- 
 ing forward, said in a low whisper, as though afraid 
 to hear his own question : 
 
 " And the king ? " 
 
 "The king ? Well, the king will sh'oot no more." 
 
 For a moment Rischenheim, still leaning for- 
 ward, gazed at his cousin. Then he sank slowly 
 back into his chair. 
 
 " My God ! " he murmured: " my God ! " 
 
 " The king was a fool," said Rupert. " Come, 
 I'll tell you a little more about it." He drew a 
 chair up and seated himself in it. 
 
 While he talked Rischenheim seemed hardly to 
 listen. The story gained in effect from the con- 
 trast of Rupert's airy telling; his companion's pale 
 face and twitching hands tickled his fancy to more 
 shameless jesting. But when 'he had finished, he 
 gave a pull to his small smartly-curled moustache 
 and said with a sudden gravity : 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEyE. 231 
 
 " After all, though, it's a serious matter." 
 
 Rischenheim was appalled at the issue. His 
 cousin's influence had been strong enough to lead 
 him into the affair of the letter; he was aghast to 
 think how Rupert's reckless dare-deviltry had led 
 on from stage to stage till the death of a king 
 seemed but an incident in his schemes. He sprang 
 suddenly to his feet, crying : 
 
 " But we must fly — we must fly ! " 
 
 " No, we needn't fly. Perhaps we'd better go, 
 but we needn't fly." 
 
 " But when it becomes known ? " He 
 
 broke off and then cried : " Why did you tell me ? 
 Why did you come back here ? " 
 
 " Well, I told you because it was interesting, 
 and I came back here because I had no money to 
 go elsewhere." 
 
 " I would have sent money." 
 
 " I find that I get more when I ask in person. 
 Besides, is everything finished ? " 
 
 " I'll have no more to do with it." 
 
 " Ah, my dear cousin, you despond too soon. 
 The good king has unhappily gone from us, but 
 we still have our dear queen. We have also, by 
 the kindness of Heaven, our dear queen's letter." 
 
 " I'll have no more to do with it." 
 
 " Your neck feeling . . . ? " Rupert delicately imi- 
 tated the putting of a noose about a man's throat. 
 
232 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 Rischenheim rose suddenly and flung the win- 
 dow open wide. 
 
 " I'm suffocated," he muttered with a sullen 
 frown, avoiding Rupert's eyes. 
 
 " Where's Rudolf Rassendyll ? " asked Rupert. 
 " Have you heard of him ? " 
 
 " No, I don't know where he is." 
 
 " We must find that out, I think." 
 
 Rischenheim turned abruptly on him. 
 
 " I had no hand in this thing," he said, " and I'll 
 have no more to do with it. I was not there. 
 What did I know of the king being there ? I'm 
 not guilty of it : on my soul, I know nothing of 
 it." 
 
 " That's all very true," nodded Rupert. 
 
 " Rupert," cried he, " let me go, let me alone. 
 If you want money, I'll give it to you. For God's 
 sake take it, and get out of Strelsau ! " 
 
 " I'm ashamed to beg, my dear cousin, but in 
 fact I want a little money until I can contrive to 
 realize my valuable property. Is it safe, I wonder ? 
 Ah, yes, here it is." 
 
 He drew from his inner pocket the queen's let- 
 ter. " Now if the king hadn't been a fool ! " he 
 murmured regretfully, as he regarded it. 
 
 Then be walked across to the window and 
 looked out; he could not himself be seen from the 
 street, and nobody was visible at the windows op- 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEVE. 233 
 
 posite. Men and women passed to and fro on their 
 daily labors or pleasures; there was no unusual 
 stir in the city. Looking over the roofs, Rupert 
 could see the royal standard floating in the wind 
 over the palace and the barracks. He took out his 
 watch; Rischenheim imitated his action ; it was 
 ten minutes to ten. 
 
 " Rischenheim," he called, " come here a mo- 
 ment. Here — look out." 
 
 Rischenheim obeyed, and Rupert let him look 
 for a minute or two before speaking again. 
 
 " Do you see anything remarkable ? " he asked 
 then. 
 
 " No, nothing," answered Rischenheim, still 
 curt and sullen in his fright. 
 
 " Well, no more do I. And that's very odd. 
 For don't you think that Sapt or some other of her 
 Majesty's friends must have gone to the lodge last 
 night ? " 
 
 " They meant to, I swear," said Rischenheim 
 with sudden attention. 
 
 " Then they would have found the king. There's 
 a telegraph wire at Hofbau, only a few miles away. 
 And it's ten o'clock. My cousin, why isn't Strel- 
 sau mourning for our lamented king ? Why aren't 
 the flags at half-mast ? I don't understand it." 
 
 " No," murmured Rischenheim, his eyes now 
 fixed on his cousin's face. 
 
234 RUPERT Of HENTZAU. 
 
 Rupert broke into a smile and tapped his teeth 
 with his fingers. 
 
 "I wonder," said he meditatively, "if that old 
 player Sapt has got a king up his sleeve again ! 
 
 If that were so " He stopped and seemed to 
 
 fall into deep thought. Rischenheim did not in- 
 terrupt him, but stood looking now at him, now 
 out of the window. Still there was no stir in the 
 streets, and still the standards floated at the sum- 
 mit of the flagstafifs. The king's death was not 
 yet known in Strelsau. 
 
 " Where's Bauer ? " asked Rupert suddenly. 
 " Where the plague can Bauer be ? He was my 
 eyes. Here we are, cooped up, and I don't know 
 what's going on." 
 
 " I don't know where he is. Something must 
 have happened to him." 
 
 " Of course, my wise cousin. But what ? " 
 
 Rupert began to pace up and down the room, 
 smoking another cigarette at a great pace. Risch- 
 enheim sat down by the table, resting his head on 
 his hand. He was wearied out by strain and ex- 
 citement, his wounded arm pained him greatly, 
 and he was full of horror and remorse at the event 
 which happened unknown to him the night before. 
 
 " I wish I was quit of it," he moaned at last. 
 
 Rupert stopped before him. 
 
 " You repent of your misdeeds ? " he asked. 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEl^E. 2 35 
 
 " Well, then, you shall be allowed to repent. Nay, 
 you shall go and tell the king that you repent. 
 Rischenheim, I must know what they are doing. 
 You must go and ask an audience of the king." 
 
 " But the king is " 
 
 " We shall know that better when you've asked 
 for your audience. See here." 
 
 Rupert sat down by his cousin and instructed 
 him in his task. This was no other than to dis- 
 cover whether there were a king in Strelsau, or 
 whether the only king lay dead in the hunting- 
 lodge. If there were no attempt being made to 
 conceal the king's death, Rupert's plan was to seek 
 safety in flight. He did not abandon his designs: 
 from the secure vantage of foreign soil he would 
 hold the queen's letter over her head, and by the 
 threat of publishing it insure at once immunity for 
 himself and almost any further terms which he 
 chose to exact from her. If, on the other hand, 
 the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim found a king in 
 Strelsau, if the royal standards continued to wave 
 at the summit of their flagstaffs, and Strelsau knew 
 nothing of the dead man in the lodge, then Rupert 
 had laid his hand on another secret; for he knew 
 who the king in Strelsau must be. Starting from 
 this point, his audacious mind darted forward to 
 new and bolder schemes. He could offer again to 
 Rudolf Rassendyll what he had offered once be- 
 
236 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 fore, three years ago — a partnership in crime and 
 the profits of crime — or if this advance were re- 
 fused, then he declared that he would himself 
 descend openly into the streets of Strelsau and pro- 
 claim the death of the king from the steps of the 
 cathedral. 
 
 " Who can tell," he cried, springing up, enrap- 
 tured and merry with the inspiration of his plan, 
 " who can tell whether Sapt or I came first to the 
 lodge ? Who found the king alive, Sapt or I ? 
 Who left him dead, Sapt or I ? Who had most 
 interest in killing him — I, who only sought to 
 make him aware of what touched his honor, or 
 Sapt, who was and is hand and glove with the man 
 that now robs him of his name and usurps his place 
 while his body is still warm ? Ah, they haven't 
 done with Rupert of Hentzau yet ! " 
 
 He stopped, looking down on his companion. 
 Rischenheim's fingers still twitched nervously and 
 his cheeks were pale. But now his face was alight 
 with interest and eagerness. Again the fascina- 
 tion of Rupert's audacity and the infection of his 
 courage caught on his kinsman's weaker nature, 
 and inspired him to a temporary emulation of the 
 will that dominated him. 
 
 " You see," pursued Rupert, " it's not likely that 
 they'll do you any harm." 
 
 " I'll risk anything." 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEVE. 237 
 
 " Most gallant gentleman ! At the worst they'll 
 only keep you a prisoner. Well, if you're not back 
 in a couple of hours, I shall draw my conclusions. 
 I shall know that there's a king in Strelsau." 
 
 " But where shall I look for the king ? " 
 
 " Why, first in the palace, and secondly at Fritz 
 von Tarlenheim's. I expect you'll find him at 
 Fritz's, though." 
 
 " Shall I go there first, then ? " 
 
 " No. That would be seeming to know too 
 much." 
 
 " You'll wait here ? " 
 
 " Certainly, cousin — unless I see cause to move, 
 you know." 
 
 " And I shall find you on my return ? " 
 
 " Me, or directions from me. By the way, bring 
 money too. There's never any harm in having a 
 full pocket. I wonder what the devil does without 
 a breeches-pocket ! " 
 
 Rischenheim let that curious speculation alone, 
 although he remembered the whimsical air with 
 which Rupert delivered it. He was now on fire to 
 be gone, his ill-balanced brain leaping from the 
 depths of despondency to the certainty of brilliant 
 success, and not heeding the gulf of danger that it 
 surpassed in buoyant fancy. 
 
 " We shall have them in a corner, Rupert," he 
 cried. 
 
238 RUPERT OF HENTZy4U. 
 
 " Ay, perhaps. But wild beasts in a corner bite 
 hard." 
 
 " I wish my arm were well ! " 
 
 " You'll be safer with it wounded," said Rupert 
 with a smile. 
 
 " By God, Rupert, I can defend myself." 
 
 "True, true; but it's your brain I want now, 
 cousin." 
 
 " You shall see that I have something in me." 
 
 " If it please God, dear cousin." 
 
 With every mocking encouragement and every 
 careless taunt Rischenheim's resolve to prove him- 
 self a man grew stronger. He snatched up a re- 
 volver that lay on the mantelpiece and put it in his 
 pocket. 
 
 " Don't fire, if you can help it," advised Rupert. 
 
 Rischenheim's answer was to make for the door 
 at a great speed. Rupert watched him go, and 
 then returned to the window. The last his cousin 
 saw was his figure standing straight and lithe 
 against the light, while he looked out on the city. 
 Still there was no stir in the streets, still the royal 
 standard floated at the top of the flagstaflfs. 
 
 Rischenheim plunged down the stairs: his feet 
 were too slow for his eagerness. At the bottom 
 he found the girl Rosa sweeping the passage with 
 great apparent diligence. 
 
 " You're going out, my lord ? " she asked. 
 
A KING UP HIS SLEEVE. 239 
 
 "Why, yes; I have business. Pray stand on 
 one side, this passage is so cursedly narrow." 
 
 Rosa showed no haste in moving. 
 
 " And the Count Rupert, is he going out also ? " 
 she asked. 
 
 " You see he's not with me. He'll wait " 
 
 Rischenheim broke off and asked angrily} " What 
 business is it of yours, girl ? Get out of the ,way ! " 
 
 She moved aside now, making him no answer. 
 He rushed past; she looked after him with a smile 
 of triumph. Then she fell again to her sweeping. 
 The king had bidden her be ready at eleven. It was 
 half-past ten. Soon the king would have need of 
 her. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE NEWS COMES TO STRELSAU. 
 
 ! 
 
 On leaving No. 19, Rischenheim walked swiftly 
 some little way up the Konigstrasse and then 
 hailed a cab. He had hardly raised his hand when 
 he heard his name called, and, looking round, saw 
 Anton von Strofzin's smart phaeton pulling up 
 beside him. Anton was driving, and on the other 
 seat was a large nosegay of choice flowers. 
 
 " Where are you off to ? " cried Anton, leaning 
 forward with a gay smile. 
 
 " Well, where are you ? To a lady's, I presume, 
 from your bouquet there," answered Rischenheim 
 as lightly as he could. 
 
 " The little bunch of flowers," simpered young 
 Anton, " is a cousinly offering to Helga von Tar- 
 lenheim, and I'm going to present it. Can I give 
 you a lift anywhere ? " 
 
 Although Rischenheim had intended to go first 
 to the palace, Anton's offer seemed to give him a 
 good excuse for drawing the more likely covert 
 first. 
 
 240 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 241 
 
 " I was going to the palace to find out where the 
 king is. I want to see him, if he'll give me a min- 
 ute or two," he remarked. 
 
 " I'll drive you there afterwards. Jump up. 
 That your cab ? Here you are, cabman," and 
 flinging the cabman a crown, he displaced the bou- 
 quet and made room for Rischenheim beside him. 
 
 Anton's horses, of which he was not a little 
 proud, made short work of the distance to my 
 home. The phaeton rattled up to the door and 
 both young men got out. The moment of their 
 arrival found the chancellor just leaving to return 
 to his own home. Helsing knew them both, and 
 stopped to rally Anton on the matter of his bou- 
 quet. Anton was famous for his bouquets, which 
 he distributed widely among the ladies of Strel- 
 sau. 
 
 " I hoped it was for my daughter," said the 
 chancellor slyly. " For I love flowers, and my wife 
 has ceased to provide me with them; moreover, 
 I've ceased to provide her with them, so, but for 
 my daughter, we should have none." 
 
 Anton answered his chaff, promising a bouquet 
 for the young lady the next day, but declaring that 
 he could not disappoint his cousin. He was inter- 
 rupted by Rischenheim, who, looking round on the 
 group of bystanders, now grown numerous, ex- 
 claimed: "What's going on here, my dear chan- 
 
242 RUPERT OP HENTZAU. 
 
 cellor ? What are all these people hanging about 
 here for ? Ah, that's a royal carriage ! " 
 
 " The queen's with the countess," answered Hel- 
 sing. " The people are waiting to see her come 
 out." 
 
 " She's always worth seeing," Anton pro- 
 nounced, sticking his glass in his eye. 
 
 " And you've been to visit her ? " pursued Risdh- 
 enheim. 
 
 " Why, yes. I — I went to pay my respects, my 
 dear Rischenheim." 
 
 " An early visit ! " 
 
 " It was more or less on business." 
 
 " Ah, I have business also, and very important 
 business. But it's with the king." 
 
 " I won't keep you a moment, Rischenheim," 
 called Anton, as, bouquet in hand, he knocked at 
 the door. 
 
 " With the king ? " said Helsing. " Ah, yes, but 
 the king " 
 
 " I'm on my way to the palace to find out where 
 he is. If I can't see him, I must write at once. My 
 business is very urgent." 
 
 " Indeed, my dear count, indeed ! Dear me ! 
 Urgent, you say ? " 
 
 "But perhaps you can help me. Is he at 
 Zenda ? " 
 
 The chancellor wias becoming very embarrassed; 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 243 
 
 Anton had disappeared into the house; Rischen- 
 heim buttonholed him resolutely. 
 
 " At Zenda ? Well, now, I don't Excuse 
 
 me, but what's your business ? " 
 
 " Excuse me, my dear chancellor; it's a secret." 
 
 " I have the king's confidence." 
 
 " Then you'll be indifferent to not enjoying 
 mine," smiled Rischenheim. 
 
 " I perceive that your arm is hurt," observed 
 the chancellor, seeking a diversion. 
 
 " Between ourselves, that has something to do 
 with my business. Well, I must go to the palace. 
 Or — stay — would her Majesty condescend to help 
 me ? I think I'll risk a request. She can but re- 
 fuse," and so saying Rischenheim approached the 
 door. 
 
 " Oh, my friend, I wouldn't do that," cried Hel- 
 sing, darting after him. " The queen is — well, very 
 much engaged. She won't like to be troubled." 
 
 Rischenheim took no notice of him, but knocked 
 loudly. The door was opened, and he told the 
 butler to carry his name to the queen and beg a 
 moment's speedi with her. Helsing stood in per- 
 plexity on the step. The crowd was delighted with 
 the coming of these great folk and showed no sign 
 of dispersing. Anton von Strofzin did not reap- 
 pear. Rischenheim edged himself inside the door- 
 way and stood on the threshold of the hall. There 
 
244 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 he heard voices proceeding from the sitting-room 
 on the left. He recognized the queen's, my wife's, 
 and Anton's. Then came the butler's, saying, " I 
 will inform the count of your Majesty's wishes." 
 
 The door of the room opened; the butler ap- 
 peared, and immediately behind him Anton von 
 Strofzin and Bernenstein. Bernenstein had the 
 young fellow by the arm, and hurried him through 
 the hall. They passed the butler, who made way 
 for them, and came to where Rischenheim stood. 
 
 " We meet again," said Rischenheim with a bow. 
 
 The chancellor rubbed his hands in nervous per- 
 turbation. The butler stepped up and delivered 
 his message: the queen regretted her inability to 
 receive the count. Rischenheim nodded, and, 
 standing so that the door could not be shut, asked 
 Bernenstein whether he knew where the king was. 
 
 Now Bernenstein was most anxious to get the 
 pair of them away and the door shut, but he dared 
 show no eagerness. 
 
 " Do you want another interview with the king 
 already ? " he asked with a smile. " The last was 
 so pleasant, then ? " 
 
 Rischenheim took no notice of the taunt, but 
 observed sarcastically: " There's a strange diffi- 
 culty in finding our good king. The Chancellor 
 here doesn't know where 'he is, or at least he won't 
 answer my questions." 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 245 
 
 " Possibly the king has his reasons for not wish- 
 ing to be disturbed," suggested Bernenstein. 
 
 " It's very possible," retorted Rischenheim 
 significantly. 
 
 " Meanwhile, my dear count, I shall take it as a 
 personal favor if you'll move out of the doorway." 
 
 " Do I incommode you by standing here ? " an- 
 swered the count. 
 
 " Infinitely, my lord," answered Bernenstein 
 stiffly. 
 
 " Hallo, Bernenstein, what's the matter ? " cried 
 Anton, seeing that their tones and glances had 
 grown angry. The crowd also had noticed the 
 raised voices and hostile manner of the disputants, 
 and began to gather round in a more compact 
 group. 
 
 Suddenly a voice came from inside the hall: it 
 was distinct and loud, yet not without a touch of 
 huskiness. The sound of it hushed the rising 
 quarrel and silenced the crowd into expectant still- 
 ness. Bernenstein looked aghast, Rischen'heim 
 nervous yet triumphant, Anton amused and grati- 
 fied. 
 
 " The king ! " he cried, and burst into a laugh. 
 " You've drawn him, Rischenheim ! " 
 
 The crowd heard his boyish exclamation and 
 raised a cheer. Helsing turned, as though to re- 
 buke them. Had not the king himself desired 
 
246 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 secrecy ? Yes, but he who spoke as the king chose 
 any risk sooner than let Rischenheim go back and 
 warn Rupert of his presence. 
 
 " Is that the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim ? " 
 called Rudolf from within. " If so, let him enter 
 and then shut the door." 
 
 There was something in his tone that alarmed 
 Rischenheim. He started back on the step. But 
 Bernenstein caught him by the arm. 
 
 " Since you wish to come in, come in," he said 
 with a grim smile. 
 
 Rischenheim looked round, as though he medi- 
 tated fligiht. The next moment Bernenstein was 
 thrust aside. For one short instant a tall figure 
 appeared in the doorway; the crowd had but a 
 glimpse, yet they cheered again. Rischenheim's 
 hand was clasped in a firm grip; he passed unwill- 
 ingly but helplessly through the door. Bernen- 
 stein followed; the door was shut. Anton faced 
 round on Helsing, a scornful twist on his lips. 
 
 "There was a deuced lot of mystery about 
 nothing," said he. " Why couldn't you say he was 
 there ? " And without waiting for an answer from 
 the outraged and bewildered chancellor he swung 
 down the steps and climbed into his phaeton. 
 
 The people round were chatting noisily, de- 
 lighted to have caught a glimpse of the king, 
 speculating what brought him and the queen to 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 247 
 
 my house, and hoping that they would soon come 
 out and get into the royal carriage that still stood 
 waiting. 
 
 Had they been able to see inside the door, their 
 emotion would have been stirred to a keener pitch. 
 Rudolf himself caug'ht Rischenheim by the arm, 
 and without a moment's delay led him towards the 
 back of the house. They went along a passage 
 and reached a small room that looked out on the 
 garden. Rudolf had known my house in old days, 
 and did not forget its resources. 
 
 " Shut the door, Bemenstein," said Rudolf. 
 Then he turned to Rischenheim. " My lord," he 
 said, " I suppose you came to find out something. 
 Do you know it now ? " 
 
 Rischenheim plucked up courage to answer 
 him. 
 
 " Yes, I know now that I have to deal with an 
 impostor," said he defiantly. 
 
 " Precisely. And impostors can't afford to be 
 exposed." 
 
 Rischenheim's cheek turned rather pale. Ru- 
 dolf faced him, and Bernenstein guarded the door. 
 He was absolutely at their mercy; and he knew 
 their secret. Did they know his — the news that 
 Rupert of Hentzau had brought ? " 
 
 " Listen," said Rudolf. " For a few hours to- 
 day I am king in Strelsau. In those few hours I 
 
248 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 have an account to settle with your cousin: some- 
 thing that he has, I must have. I'm going now to 
 seek him, and while I seek him you will stay here 
 with Bernenstein. Perhaps I shall fail, perhaps I 
 shall succeed. Whether I succeed or fail, by to- 
 night I shall be far from Strelsau, and the king's 
 place will be free for him again." 
 
 Rischenheim gave a slight start, and a look of 
 triumph spread over his face. They did not know 
 that the king was dead. 
 
 Rudolf came nearer to him, fixing his eyes 
 steadily on his prisoner's face. 
 
 " I don't know," he continued, " why you are in 
 this business, my lord. Your cousin's motives I 
 know well. But I wonder that they seemed to you 
 great enough to justify the ruin of an unhappy 
 lady who is your queen. Be assured that I will die 
 sooner than let that letter reach the king's hand." 
 
 Rischenheim made him no answer. 
 
 " Are you armed ? " asked Rudolf. 
 
 Rischenheim sullenly flung his revolver on the 
 table. Bernenstein came forward and took it. 
 
 " Keep him here, Bernenstein. When I return 
 I'll tell you wliat more to do. If I don't return, 
 Fritz will be here soon, and you and he must make 
 your own plans." 
 
 " He sha'n't give me the slip a second time," 
 said Bernenstein. 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 249 
 
 " We hold ourselves free," said Rudolf to Risch- 
 enheim, " to do what we please with you, my lord. 
 But I have no wish to cause your death, unless it be 
 necessary. You will be wise to wait till your 
 cousin's fate is decided before you attempt any 
 further steps against us." And with a slight bow 
 he left the prisoner in Bernenstein's charge, and 
 went back to the room where the queen awaited 
 him. Helga was with her. The queen sprang up 
 to meet him. 
 
 " I mustn't lose a moment," he said. " All that 
 crowd of people know now that the king is here. 
 The news will filter through the town in no time. 
 We must send word to Sapt to keep it from the 
 king's ears at all costs: I must go and do my wrork, 
 and then disappear." 
 
 The queen stood facing him. Her eyes seemed 
 to devour his face; but she said only: " Yes, it 
 must be so." 
 
 " You must return to the palace as soon as I am 
 gone. I shall send out and ask the people to dis- 
 perse, and then I must be off." 
 
 " To seek Rupert of Hentzau ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 She struggled for a moment with the contend- 
 ing feelings that filled her heart. Then she came 
 to him and seized hold of his hand. 
 
 " Don't go," she said in low trembling tones. 
 
250 RUPERT OF HENTZAIJ. 
 
 " Don't go, Rudolf. He'll kill you. Never mind 
 the letter. Don't go: I had rather a thousand 
 times that the king had it than that you should 
 .... Oh, my dear, don't go ! " 
 
 " I must go," he said softly. 
 
 Again she began to implore him, but he would 
 not yield. Helga moved towards the door, but 
 Rudolf stopped her. 
 
 " No," he said; " you must stay with her; you 
 must go to the palace with her." 
 
 Even as he spoke they heard the wheels of a car- 
 riage driven quickly to the door. By now I had 
 met Anton von Strofzin and heard from him that 
 the king was at my house. As I dashed up the 
 news was confirmed by the comments and jokes of 
 the crowd. 
 
 " Ah, he's in a hurry," they said. " He's kept 
 the king waiting. He'll get a wigging." 
 
 As may be supposed, I paid little heed to them. 
 I sprang out and ran up the steps to the door. I 
 saw my wife's face at the window: she herself ran 
 to the door and opened it for me. 
 
 " Good God," I whispered, " do all these people 
 know he's here, and take him for the king ? " 
 
 " Yes," she said. " We couldn't help it. He 
 showed himself at the door:" 
 
 It was worse than I dreamt: not two or three 
 people, but all that crowd were victims of the mis- 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 251 
 
 take; all of them had heard that the king was in 
 Strelsau — ay, and had seen him. 
 
 " Where is he ? Where is he ? " I asked, and 
 followed her hastily to the room. 
 
 The queen and Rudolf were standing side by 
 side. What I have told from Helga's description 
 had just passed between thetn. Rudolf ran to meet 
 me. 
 
 " Is all well ? " he asked eagerly. 
 
 I forgot the queen's presence and paid no sign 
 of respect to her. I caught Rudolf by the arm and 
 cried to him: " Do they take you for the king ? " 
 
 " Yes," he said. " Heavens, man, don't look so 
 white ! We shall manage it. I can be gone by 
 to-night." 
 
 " Gone ? How will that help, since they believe 
 you to be the king ? " 
 
 " You can keep it from the king," he urged. " I 
 couldn't help it. I can settle with Rupert and dis- 
 appear." 
 
 The three were standing round me, surprised at 
 my great and terrible agitation. Looking back 
 now, I wonder that I could speak to them at all. 
 
 Rudolf tried again to reassure me. He little 
 knew the cause of what he saw. 
 
 " It won't take long to settle aflfairs with Ru- 
 pert," said he. " And we must have the letter, or 
 it will get to the king after all." 
 
252 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " The king will never see the letter," I blurted 
 out, as I sank back in a chair. 
 
 They said nothing. I looked round on their 
 faces. I had a strange feeling of helplessness, and 
 seemed to be able to do nothing but throw the 
 truth at them in blunt plainness. Let them make 
 what they could of it, I could make nothing. 
 
 " The king will never see the letter," I repeated. 
 " Rupert himself has insured that." 
 
 " What do you mean ? You've not met Ru- 
 pert ? You've not got the letter ? " 
 
 " No, no; but the king can never read it." 
 
 Then Rudolf seized me by the shoulder and 
 fairly shook me; indeed I must have seemed like a 
 man in a dream or a torpor. 
 
 " Why not, man; why not ? " he asked in urgent 
 low tones. 
 
 Again I looked at them, but somehow this time 
 my eyes were attracted and held by the queen's 
 face. I believe that she was the first to catch a hint 
 of the tidings I brought. Her lips were parted, 
 and her gaze eagerly strained upon me. I rubbed 
 my hand across my forehead, and, looking up stu- 
 pidly at her, I said: 
 
 " He never can see the letter. He's dead." 
 
 There was a litrtle scream from Helga; Rudolf 
 neither spoke nor moved; the queen continued to 
 gaze at me in motionless wonder and horror. 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 2 S3 
 
 " Rupert killed him," said I. " The boar-hound 
 attacked Rupert; then Herbert and the king at- 
 tacked him; and he killed them all. Yes, the king 
 is dead. He's dead." 
 
 Now none spoke. The queen's eyes never left 
 my face. 
 
 "Yes, he's dead !" said I; and I watched her 
 eyes still. For a long while (or long it seemed) 
 they were on my face; at last, as though drawn by 
 some irresistible force, they turned away. I fol- 
 lowed the new line they took. She looked at Ru- 
 dolf Rassendyll, and he at her. Helga had taken 
 out her handkerchief, and, utterly upset by the hor- 
 ror and shock, was lying back in a low chair, sob- 
 bing half-hysterically; I saw the swift look that 
 passed from the queen to her lover, carrying in it 
 grief, remorse, and most unwilling joy. He did 
 not speak to her, but put out his hand and took 
 hers. She drew it away almost sharply, and cov- 
 ered her face with both hands. Rudolf turned to 
 me. 
 
 " When was it ? " 
 
 " Last night." 
 
 " And the ... . He's at the lodge ? " 
 
 " Yes, with Sapt and James." 
 
 I was recovering my senses and my cool- 
 ness. 
 
 " Nobody knows yet," I said. " We were afraid 
 
2S4 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 you might -be taken for him by somebody. But, 
 my God, Rudolf, what's to be done now ? " 
 
 Mr. Rassendyll's lips were set firm and tight. 
 He frowned slightly, and his blue eyes wore a curi- 
 ous entranced expression. He seemed to me to be 
 forgetful of everything, even of us who were with 
 him, in some one idea that possessed him. The 
 queen herself came nearer to him and lightly 
 touched his arm with her hand. He started as 
 though surprised, then fell again into his reverie. 
 
 " What's to be done, Rudolf ? " I asked again. 
 
 " I'm going to kill Rupert of Hentzau," he said. 
 " The rest we'll talk of afterwards." 
 
 He walked rapidly across the room and rang the 
 bell. 
 
 " Clear those people away," he ordered. " Tell 
 them that I want to be quiet. Then send a closed 
 carriage round for me. Don't be more than ten 
 minutes." 
 
 The servant received his peremptory orders with 
 a low bow, and left us. The queen, who had been 
 all this time outwardly calm and composed, now 
 fell into a great agitation, which even the con- 
 sciousness of our presence could not enable her to 
 hide. 
 
 " Rudolf, must you go ? Since — since this has 
 happened " 
 
 " Hush, my dearest lady," he whispered. Then 
 
THE NEIVS COMES TO STRELSAU. 255 
 
 he went on more loudly, " I won't quit Ruritania 
 a second time leaving Rupert of Hentzau alive. 
 Fritz, send word to Sapt that the king is in Strel- 
 sau — ^he will understand — and that instructions 
 from the king will follow by midday. When I have 
 killed Rupert, I shall visit the lodge on my way to 
 the frontier." 
 
 He turned to go, but the queen, following, de- 
 tained him for a minute. 
 
 " You'll come and see me before you go ? " she 
 pleaded. 
 
 " But I ought not," said he, his resolute eyes 
 suddenly softening in a marvelous fashion. 
 
 " You will ? " 
 
 " Yes, my queen." 
 
 Then I sprang up, for a sudden dread laid hold 
 on me. 
 
 " Heavens, man," I cried, " what if he kills you 
 — there in the Konigstrasse ? " 
 
 Rudolf turned to me; there was a look of sur- 
 prise on his face. 
 
 " He won't kill me," he answered. 
 
 The queen, looking still in Rudolf's face, and 
 forgetful now, as it seemed, of the dream that had 
 so terrified her, took no notice of what I said, 
 but urged again: " You'll come, Rudolf ? " 
 
 " Yes, once, my queen,' and with a last kiss of 
 her hand he was gone. 
 
256 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 The queen stood for yet another moment where 
 she was, still and almost rigid. Then suddenly she 
 walked or stumbled to where my wife sat, and, 
 flinging herself on her knees, hid her face in Hel- 
 ga's lap; I heard her sobs break out fast and tu- 
 multuously. Helga looked up at me, the tears 
 streaming down her cheeks. I turned and went 
 out. Per'haps Helga could comfort her; I prayed 
 that God in His pity might send her comfort, al- 
 though she for her sin's sake dared not ask it of 
 Him. Poor soul ! I hope there may be nothing 
 worse scored to my account. 
 
' I HEARD HER SOBS."—Pa^e S56. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 
 
 The Constable of Zenda and James, Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll's servant, sat at breakfast in the hunting- 
 lodge. They were in the small room which was 
 ordinarily used as the bedroom of the gentleman 
 in attendance on the king: they chose it now be- 
 cause it commanded a view of the approach. The 
 door of the house was securely fastened ; they 
 were prepared to refuse admission; in case refusal 
 was impossible, the preparations for concealing the 
 king's body and that of his huntsman Herbert were 
 complete. Inquirers would be told that the king 
 had ridden out with his huntsman at daybreak, 
 promising to return in the evening but not stating 
 where he was going; Sapt was under orders to 
 await his return, and James was expecting instruc- 
 tions from his master the Count of Tarlenheim. 
 Thus armed against discovery, they looked for 
 news from me which should determine their future 
 action. 
 
 Meanwhile there was an interval of enforced 
 
 257 
 
25 8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 idleness. Sapt, his, meal finished, puffed away at 
 his great pipe; James, after much pressure, had 
 consented to light a small black clay, and sat at his 
 ease with his legs stretched before him. His brows 
 were knit, and a curious half-smile played about 
 his mouth. 
 
 "What may you be thinking about, friend 
 James ? " asked the constalble between two puffs. 
 He had taken a fancy to the alert, ready little fel- 
 low. 
 
 James smoked for a moment, and then took his 
 pipe from his mouth. 
 
 " I was thinking, sir, that since the king is 
 dead " He paused. 
 
 " The king is no doubt dead, poor fellow," said 
 Sapt, nodding. 
 
 " That since he's certainly dead, and since my 
 master, Mr. Rassendyll, is alive " 
 
 " So far as we know, James," Sapt reminded 
 him. 
 
 " Why, yes, sir, so far as we know. Since, then, 
 Mr. Rassendyll is alive and the king is dead, I was 
 thinking that it was a great pity, sir, that my 
 master can't take his place and be king." James 
 looked across at the constable with an air of a man 
 who offers a respectful suggestion. 
 
 "A remarkable thought, James," observed the 
 constable with a grin. 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 259 
 
 " You don't agree with me, sir ? " asked James 
 deprecatingly. 
 
 " I don't say that it isn't a pity, for Rudolf makes 
 a good king. But you see it's impossible, isn't 
 it?" 
 
 James nursed his knee between his hands, and 
 his pipe, which he had replaced, stuck out of one 
 corner of his mouth. 
 
 " When you say impossible, sir," he remarked 
 deferentially, " I venture to differ from you." 
 
 " You do ? Come, we're at leisure. Let's hear 
 how it would be possible." 
 
 " My master is in Strelsau, sir," began James. 
 
 " Well, most likely." 
 
 " I'm sure of it, sir. If he's been there, he will 
 be taken for the king." 
 
 " That has happened before, and no doubt may 
 happen again, unless " 
 
 "Why, of course, sir, unless the king's body 
 should be discovered." 
 
 " That's what I was about to say, James." 
 
 James kept silence for a few minutes. Then he 
 observed, 
 
 " It will be very awkward to explain how the 
 king was killed." 
 
 "The story will need good telling," admitted 
 Sapt. 
 
 " And it will be difficult to make it appear that 
 
2 6o RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 the king was killed in Strelsau; yet if my master 
 should chance to be killed in Strelsau " 
 
 " Heaven forbid, James ! On all grounds, 
 Heaven forbid ! " 
 
 " Even if my master is not killed, it will be diffi- 
 cult for us to get the king killed at the right time, 
 and by means that will seem plausible." 
 
 Sapt seemed to fall into the humor of the 
 speculation. 
 
 " That's all very true. But if Mr. Rassendyll is 
 to be king, it will be both awkward and difficult 
 to dispose of the king's body and of this poor fel- 
 low Herbert," said he, sucking at his pipe. 
 
 Again James paused for a little while before he 
 remarked : 
 
 " I am, of course, sir, only discussing the matter 
 by way of passing the time. It would probably be 
 wrong to carry any such plan into efifect." 
 
 " It might be, but let us discuss it — to pass the 
 time," said Sapt; and he leant forward, looking 
 into the servant's quiet, shrewd face. 
 
 " Well, then, sir, since it amuses you, let us say 
 that the king came to the lodge last night, and was 
 joined there by his friend Mr. Rassendyll." 
 
 " And did I come too ? " 
 
 " You, sir, came also, in attendance on the king." 
 
 " Well, and you, James ? You came. How 
 came you ? " 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 261 
 
 " Why, sir, by the Count of Tarlenheim's orders, 
 to wait on Mr. Rassendyll, the king's friend. Now, 
 the king, sir . . . This is my story, you know, sir, 
 only my story." 
 
 "Your story interests me. Go on with it." 
 " The king went out very early this morning, sir." 
 " That would be on private business ? " 
 " So we should have understood. But Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll, Herbert, and ourselves remained here." 
 " Had the Count of Hentzau been ? " 
 " Not to our knowledge, sir. But we were all 
 tired and slept very soundly." 
 
 " Now did we ? " said the constable, with a grim 
 smile. 
 
 " In fact, sir, we were all overcome with fatigue 
 — Mr. Rassendyll like the rest — and full morning 
 found us still in our beds. There we should be to 
 this moment, sir, had we not been suddenly aroused 
 in a startling and fearful manner." 
 
 " You should write story books, James. Now 
 what was this fearful manner in which we were 
 aroused ? " 
 
 James laid down his pipe, and, resting his hands 
 on his knees, continued his story. 
 
 -" This lodge, sir, this wooden lodge — for the 
 lodg^e is all of wood, sir, without and within." 
 
 " This lodge is undoubtedly of wood, James, 
 and, as you say, both inside and out." 
 
262 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " And since it is, sir, it would be mighty careless 
 to leave a candle burning where the oil and fire- 
 wood are stored." 
 
 " Most criminal ! " 
 
 " But hard words don't hurt dead men; and you 
 see, sir, poor Herbert is dead." 
 
 " It is true. He wouldn't feel aggrieved." 
 
 " But we, sir, you and I, awaking " 
 
 " Aren't the others to awake, James ? " , 
 
 " Indeed, sir, I should pray that they had never 
 awaked. For you and I, waking first, would find 
 the lodge a mass of flames. We should have to 
 run for our lives." 
 
 " What ! Should we make no effort to rouse 
 the others ? " 
 
 " Indeed, sir, we should do all that men could 
 do; we should even risk death by suffocation." 
 
 " But we should fail, in spite of our heroism, 
 should we ? " 
 
 " Alas, sir, in spite of all our efforts we should 
 fail. The flames would envelop the lodge in one 
 blaze; before help could come, the lodge would be 
 in ruins, and my unhappy master and poor Herbert 
 would be consumed to ashes." 
 
 " Hum ! " 
 
 " They would, at least, sir, be entirely unrecog- 
 nizable." 
 
 " You think so ? " 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 263 
 
 " Beyond doubt, if the oil and the firewood and 
 the candle were placed to the best advantage." 
 
 " Ah, yes. And there would be an end of Rudolf 
 Rassendyll ? " 
 
 " Sir, I should myself carry the tidings to his 
 family." 
 
 " Whereas the King of Ruritania " 
 
 " Would enjoy a long and prosperous reign, God 
 willing, sir." 
 
 " And the Queen of Ruritania, James ? " 
 
 " Do not misunderstand me, sir. They could 
 be secretly married. I should say re-married." 
 
 " Yes, certainly, re-married." 
 
 " By a trustworthy priest." 
 
 " You mean by an untrustworthy priest ? " 
 
 " It's the same thing, sir, from a different point 
 of view." For the first time James smiled a 
 thoughtful smile. 
 
 Sapt in his turn laid down his pipe now, and was 
 tugging at his moustache. There was a smile on 
 his lips too, and his eyes looked hard into James's. 
 The little man met his glance composedly. 
 
 " It's an ingenious fancy, this of yours, James," 
 the constable remarked. " What, though, if your 
 master's killed too ? That's quite possible. Count 
 Rupert's a man to be reckoned with." 
 
 " If my master is killed, sir, he must be buried," 
 answered James. 
 
264 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " In Strelsau ? " came in quick question from 
 Sapt. 
 
 " H^ won't mind where, sir." 
 
 " True, he won't mind, and we needn't mind for 
 him." 
 
 " Why, no, sir. But to carry a body secretly 
 from here to Strelsau " 
 
 " Yes, that is, as we agreed at the first, difficult. 
 Well, it's a pretty story, but — ^your master 
 wouldn't approve of it. Supposing he were not 
 killed, I mean." 
 
 " It's waste of time, sir, disapproving of what's 
 done: he might think the story better than the 
 truth, although it's not a good story." 
 
 The two men's eyes met again in a long 
 glance. 
 
 " Where do you come from ? " asked Sapt, sud- 
 denly. 
 
 " London, sir, originally." 
 
 " They make good stories there ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir, and act them sometimes." 
 
 The instant he had spoken, James sprang to his 
 feet and pointed out of the window. 
 
 A man on horseback was cantering towards the 
 lodge. Exchanging one quick look, both hastened 
 to the door, and, advancing some twenty yards, 
 waited under the tree on the spot where Boris lay 
 buried. 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 265 
 
 " By the way," said Sapt, " you forgot the dog." 
 And he pointed to the ground. 
 
 " The affectionate beast will be in his master's 
 room and die there, sir." 
 
 " Eh, but he must rise again first ! " 
 
 " Certainly, sir. That won't be a long mat- 
 ter." 
 
 Sapt was still smiling in grim amusement when 
 the messenger came up and, leaning from his 
 horse, handed him a telegram. 
 
 " Special and urgent, sir," said he. 
 
 Sapt tore it open and read. It was the message 
 that I sent in obedience to Mr. Rassendyll's orders. 
 He would not trust my cipher, but, indeed, none 
 was necessary. Sapt would understand the mes- 
 sage, although it said simply, "The king is in Strel- 
 sau. Wait orders at the lodge. Business here in 
 progress, but not finished. Will wire again." 
 
 Sapt handed it to James, who took it with a re- 
 spectful little bow. James read it with attention, 
 and returned it with another bow. , 
 
 " I'll attend to what it says, sir," he remarked. 
 
 "Yes," said Sapt. "Thanks, my man," he 
 added to the messenger. " Here's a crown for you. 
 If any other message comes for me and you bring 
 it in good time, you shall have another." 
 
 " You shall have it quick as a horse can bring 
 it from the station, sir." 
 
266 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " The king's business won't bear delay, you 
 know," nodded Sapt. 
 
 " You sha'n't have to wait, sir," and, with a part- 
 ing salute, the fellow turned his horse and trotted 
 away. 
 
 " You see," remarked Sapt, " that your story is 
 quite imaginary. For that fellow can see for him- 
 self that the lodge was not burnt down last night." 
 
 "That's true; but, excuse me, sir " 
 
 " Pray go on, James. I've told you that I'm in- 
 terested." 
 
 " He can't see that it won't be burnt down to- 
 night. A fire, sir, is a thing that may happen any 
 night." 
 
 Then old Sapt suddenly burst into a roar, half- 
 speech, half-laughter. 
 
 " By God, what a thing ! " he roared ; and 
 James smiled complacently. 
 
 I " There's a fate about it," said the constable. 
 " There's a strange fate about it. The man was 
 bom to it. We'd have done it before if Michael 
 had throttled the king in that cellar, as I thought 
 he would. Yes, by heavens, we'd have done it ! 
 Why, we wanted it ! God forgive us, in our hearts 
 both Fritz and I wanted it. But Rudolf would 
 have the king out. He would have him out, though 
 he lost a throne — and what he wanted more — ^by 
 it. But he would have him out. So he thwarted 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 267 
 
 the fate. But it's not to be thwarted. Young Ru- 
 pert may think this new affair is his doing. No, it's 
 the fate using him. The fate brought Rudolf 
 here again, the fate will have him king. Well, 
 you stare at me. Do you think I'm mad, Mr. 
 Valet ? " 
 
 " I think, sir, that you talk very good sense, if 
 I may say so," answered James. 
 
 " Sense ? " echoed Sapt with a chuckle. " I 
 don't know about that. But the fate's there, de- 
 pend on it ! " 
 
 The two were back in their little room now, 
 past the door that hid the bodies of the king and 
 his huntsman. James stood by the table, old Sapt 
 roamed up and down, tugging his moustache, and 
 now and again sawing the air with his sturdy hairy 
 hand. 
 
 "I daren't do it," he muttered: "I daren't do 
 it. It's a thing a man can't set his hand to of his 
 own will. But the fate'U do it — the fate'U do it. 
 The fate'U force it on us." 
 
 "Then we'd best be ready, sir," suggested 
 James quietly. 
 
 Sapt turned on him quickly, almost fiercely. 
 
 " They used to call me a cool hand," said he. 
 " By Jove, what are you ? " 
 
 "There's no harm in being ready, sir," said 
 James, the servant. 
 
268 RUPERT OF HENTZy4U. 
 
 Sapt came to him and caught hold of his shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 " Ready ? " he asked in a gruff whisper. 
 
 " The oil, the firewood, the light," said James 
 
 " Where, man, where ? Do you mean, by the 
 bodies ? " 
 
 " Not where the bodies are now. Each must 
 be in the proper place." 
 
 " We must move them then ? " 
 
 " Why, yes. And the dog too." 
 
 Sapt almost glared at him; then he burst into a 
 laugh. 
 
 " So be it," he said. " You take command. Yes, 
 we'll be ready. The fate drives." 
 
 Then and there they set about what they had to 
 do. It seemed indeed as though some strange in- 
 fluence were dominating Sapt; he went about the 
 work like a man who is hardly awake. They 
 placed the bodies each where the living man would 
 be by night — the king in the guest-room, the 
 huntsman in the sort of cupboard where the honest 
 fellow had been wont to lie. They dug up the 
 buried dog, Sapt chuckling convulsively, James 
 grave as the mute whose grim doings he seemed 
 to travesty: they carried the shot-pierced, earth- 
 grimed thing in, and laid it in the king's room. 
 Then they made their piles of wood, pouring the 
 store of oil over them, and setting bottles of spirit 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 269 
 
 near, that the flames having cracked the bottles, 
 might gain fresh fuel. To Sapt it seemed now as 
 if they played some foolish game that was to end 
 with the playing, now as if they obeyed some mys- 
 terious power which kept its great purpose hidden 
 from its instruments. Mr. Rassendyll's servant 
 moved and arranged and ordered all as deftly as 
 he folded his master's clothes or stropped his 
 master's razor. Old Sapt stopped him once as he 
 went by. 
 
 " Don't think me a mad fool, because I talk of 
 the fate," he said, almost anxiously. 
 
 " Not I, sir," answered James, " I know nothing 
 of that. But I like to be ready." 
 
 " It would be a thing ! " muttered Sapt. 
 
 The mockery, real or assumed, in which they 
 had begun their work, had vanished now. If they 
 were not serious, they played at seriousness. If 
 they entertained no intention such as their acts 
 seemed to indicate, they could no longer deny that 
 they had cherished a hope. They shrank, or at 
 least Sapt shrank, from setting such a ball rolling; 
 but they longed for the fate that would give it a 
 kick, and they made smooth the incline down 
 which it, "when thus impelled, was to run. When 
 they had finished their task and sat down again 
 opposite to one another in the little front room, 
 the whole scheme was ready, the preparations were 
 
27° RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 made, all was in train; they waited only for that 
 impulse from chance or fate which was to turn the 
 servant's story into reality and action. And when 
 the thing was done, Sapt's coolness, so rarely up- 
 set, yet so completely beaten by the force of that 
 wild idea, came back to him. He lit his pipe again 
 and lay back in his chair, puffing freely, with a 
 meditative look on his face. 
 
 " It's two o'clock, sir," said James. " Some- 
 thing should have happened before now in Strel- 
 sau." 
 
 " Ah, but what ? " asked the constable. 
 
 Suddenly breaking on their ears came a loud 
 knock at the door. Absorbed in their own 
 thoughts, they had not noticed two men riding 
 up to the lodge. The visitors wore the green and 
 gold of the king's huntsmen; the one who had 
 knocked was Simon, the chief huntsman, and 
 brother of Herbert, who lay dead in the Httle room 
 inside. 
 
 " Rather dangerous ! " muttered the Constable 
 of Zenda as he hurried to the door, James follow- 
 ing him. 
 
 Simon was astonished when Sapt opened the 
 door. 
 
 " Beg pardon. Constable, but I want to see Her- 
 bert. Can I go in ? " And he jumped down from 
 his horse, throwing the reins to his companion. 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 2-]! 
 
 " What's the good of your going in ? " asked 
 Sapt. " Herbert's not here." 
 
 " Not here ? Then where is he ? " 
 
 " Why, he went with the king this morning." 
 
 " Oh, he went with the king, sir ? Then he's 
 in Strelsau, I suppose ? " 
 
 " If you know that, Simon, you're wiser than I 
 am. 
 
 " But the king is in Strelsau, sir." 
 
 " The deuce he is ! He said nothing of going 
 to Strelsau. He rose early and rode off with Her- 
 bert, merely saying they would be back to- 
 night." 
 
 " He went to Strelsau, sir. I am just from 
 Zenda, and his Majesty is known to have been in 
 town with the queen. They were both at Count 
 Fritz's." 
 
 " I'm much interested to hear it. But didn't 
 the telegram say where Herbert was ? " 
 
 Simon laughed. 
 
 " Herbert's not a king, you see," he said. 
 " Well, I'll come again to-morrow morning, for I 
 must see him soon. He'll be back by then, 
 sir ? " 
 
 " Yes, Simon, your brother will be here to- 
 morrow morning." 
 
 " Or what's left of him after such a two-days of 
 work," suggested Simon jocularly. 
 
2 72 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU 
 
 "Why, yes, precisely," said Sapt, biting his 
 moustache and darting one swift glance at James. 
 " Or what's left of him, as you say." 
 
 " And I'll bring a cart and carry the boar down 
 to the castle at the same time, sir. At least, I 
 suppose you haven't eaten it all ? " 
 
 Sapt laughed; Simon was gratified at the tribute, 
 and laughed even more heartily himself. 
 
 " We haven't even cooked it yet," said Sapt, 
 " but I won't answer for it that we sha'n't have by 
 to-morrow." 
 
 " All right, sir; I'll be here. By the way, there's 
 another bit of news come on the wires. They say 
 Count Rupert of Hentzau has been seen in the 
 city." 
 
 " Rupert of Hentzau ? Oh, pooh ! Nonsense, 
 my good Simon. He daren't show his face there 
 for his life." 
 
 " Ah, but it may be no nonsense. Perhaps that's 
 what took the king to Strelsau." 
 
 " It's enough to take him if it's true," admitted 
 Sapt. 
 
 " Well, good day, sir." 
 
 " Good day, Simon." 
 
 The two huntsmen rode off. James watched 
 them for a little while. 
 
 " The king," he said then, " is known to be in 
 Strelsau; and now Count Rupert is known to be 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 273 
 
 in Strelsau. How is Count Rupert to have killed 
 the king here in the forest of Zenda, sir ? " 
 
 Sapt looked at him almost apprehensively. 
 
 " How is fhe king's body to come to the forest 
 of Zenda ? " asked James. " Or how is the king's 
 body to go to the city of Strelsau ? " 
 
 " Stop your damned riddles ! " roared Sapt. 
 " Man, are you bent on driving me into it ? " 
 
 The servant came near to him, and laid a hand 
 on his shoulder. 
 
 " You went into as great a thing once before, 
 sir," said he. 
 
 " It was to save the king." 
 
 " And this is to save the queen and yourself. 
 For if we don't do it, the truth about my master 
 must be known." 
 
 Sapt made him no answer. They sat down agaitt 
 in silence. There they sat, sometimes smoking, 
 never speaking, while the tedious afternoon wore 
 away, and the shadows from the trees of the forest 
 lengthened. They did not think of eating or 
 drinking; they did not move, save when James 
 rose and lit a little fire of brushwood in the grate. 
 It grew dusk, and again James moved to light the 
 lamp. It was hard on six o'clock, and still no 
 news came from Strelsau. 
 
 Then there was the sound of a horse's hoofs. 
 The 'two rushed to the door, beyond it, and far 
 
274 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 along the grassy road that gave approach to the 
 hunting-lodge. They forgot to guard the secret, 
 and the door gaped open behind them. Sapt ran 
 as he had not run for many a day, and outstripped 
 his companion. There was a message from Strel- 
 sau ! 
 
 The constable, without a word of greeting, 
 snatched the envelope from the hand of tihe mes- 
 senger and tore it open. He read it hastily, mut- 
 tering under his breath " Good God ! " Then he 
 turned suddenly round and began to walk quickly 
 back to James, who, seeing himself beaten in the 
 race, had dropped to a walk. But the messenger 
 had his cares as well as the constable. If the con- 
 stable's thoughts were on a crown, so were his. 
 He called out in indignant protest: 
 
 " I have never drawn rein since Hofbau, sir. 
 Am I not to have my crown ? " 
 
 Sapt stopped, turned, and retraced his steps. 
 He took a crown from his pocket. As he looked 
 up in giving it, there was a queer smile on his 
 broad, weather-teaten face. 
 
 "Ay," he said, "every man that deserves a 
 crown shall have one, if I can give it him." 
 
 Then he turned again to James, who had now 
 come up, and laid his hand on his shoulder. 
 
 " Come along, my king-maker," said he. 
 
 James looked in his face for a moment. The 
 
A PASTIME FOR COLONEL SAPT. 2 75 
 
 constable's eyes met his ; and the constable 
 nodded. 
 
 So they turned to the lodge where the dead king 
 and his huntsman lay. Verily the fate drove. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 
 
 The project that had taken shape in the 
 •thoughts of Mr. Rassendyll's servant, and had in- 
 flamed Sapt's daring mind as the dropping of a 
 spark kindles dry shavings, had suggested itself 
 vaguely to more than one of us in Strelsau. We 
 did not indeed coolly face and plan it, as the little 
 servant had, nor seize on it at once with an eager- 
 ness to be convinced of its necessity, like the Con- 
 stable of Zenda; but it was there in my mind, 
 sometimes figuring as a dread, sometimes as a 
 hope, now seeming the one thing to be avoided, 
 again the only resource against a more disastrous 
 issue. I knew that it was in Bernenstein's 
 thoughts no less than in my own; for neither of 
 us had been able to form any reasonable scheme 
 by which the living king, whom half Strelsau now 
 knew to be in the city, could be spirited away, and 
 the dead king set in his place. The change could 
 
 376 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 277 
 
 take place, as it seemed, only in one way and at 
 one cost: the truth, or the better part of it, must 
 be told, and every tongue set wagging with gossip 
 and guesses concerning Rudolf Rassendyll and his 
 relations with the queen. Who that knows what 
 men and women are would not have shrunk from 
 that alternative ? To adopt it was to expose the 
 queen to all or nearly all the peril she had run by 
 the loss of the letter. We indeed assumed, influ- 
 enced by Rudolf's unhesitating self-confidence, 
 that the letter would be won back, and the mouth 
 of Rupert of Hentzau shut; but enough would re- 
 main to furnish material for eager talk and for con- 
 jectures unrestrained by respect or charity. There- 
 fore, alive as we were to its difficulties and its un- 
 ending risks, we yet conceived of the thing as pos- 
 sible, had' it in our hearts, and hinted it to one 
 another — my wife to me, I to Bernenstein, and he 
 to me — in quick glances and half-uttered sentences 
 that declared its presence while shunning the open 
 confession of it. For the queen herself I cannot 
 speak. Her thoughts, as I judged them, were 
 bounded by the longing to see Mr. Rassendyll 
 again, and dwelt on the visit that 'he promised as 
 the horizon of hope. To Rudolf we had dared to 
 disclose nothing of the part our imaginations set 
 him to play: if he were to accept it, the acceptance 
 would be of his own act, because the fate that 
 
2 78 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 old Sapt talked of drove him, and on no persuasion 
 of ours. As he had said, he left the rest, and had 
 centered all his efforts on the immediate task 
 which fell to his hand to perform, the task that was 
 to be accomplished at the dingy old house in the 
 Konigstrasse. We were indeed awake to the fact 
 that even Rupert's death would not make the 
 secret safe. Rischenheim, although for the mo- 
 ment a prisoner and helpless, was alive and could 
 not be mewed up for ever; Bauer was we knew 
 not where, free to act and free to talk. Yet in our 
 hearts we feared none but Rupert, and the doubt 
 was not whether we could do the thing so much as 
 whether we should. For in moments of excite- 
 ment and intense feeling a man makes light of ob- 
 stacles which look large enough as he turns re- 
 flective eyes on them in the quiet of after-days. 
 
 A message in the king's name 'had persuaded 
 the best part of the idle crowd to disperse re- 
 luctantly. Rudolf himself had entered one of my 
 carriages and driven off. He started not towards 
 the Konigstrasse, but in the opposite direction: 
 I supposed that he meant to approach his destina- 
 tion by a circuitous way, hoping to gain it without 
 attracting notice. The queen's carriage was still 
 before my door, for it had been arranged that she 
 was to proceed to the palace and there await tid- 
 ings. My wife and I were to accompany her; and 
 
A CROIVD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 2 79 
 
 I went to her now, where she sat alone, and asked 
 if it were her pleasure to start at once. I found 
 her thoughtful but calm. She listened to me; then, 
 rising, she said, " Yes, I will go." But then she 
 asked suddenly, " Where is the Count of Luzau- 
 Rischenheim ? " 
 
 I told her how Bernenstein kept guard over the 
 count in the room at the back of the house. She 
 seemed to consider for a moment, then she said: 
 
 " I will see him. Go and bring him to me. You 
 must be here while I talk to him, but nobody else." 
 
 I did not know what she intended, but I saw no 
 reason to oppose her wishes, and I was glad to find 
 for her any means of employing this time of sus- 
 pense. I obeyed her commands and brought 
 Rischenheim to her. He followed me slowly and 
 reluctantly; his unstable mind had again jumped 
 from rashness to despondency: he was pale and 
 uneasy, and, when he found himself in her pres- 
 ence, the bravado of his bearing, maintained before 
 Bernenstein, gave place to a shamefaced sullen- 
 ness. He could not meet the grave eyes that she 
 fixed on him. 
 
 I withdrew to the farther end of the room; but 
 it was small, and I heard all that passed. I had 
 my revolver ready to cover Rischenheim in case 
 he should be moved to make a dash for liberty. 
 But "he was past that : Rupert's presence vras a 
 
28o RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 tonic that nerved him to effort and to confidence, 
 but the force of the last dose was gone and the man 
 was sunk again to his natural irresolution. 
 
 " My lord," she began gently, motioning him to 
 sit, " I have desired to speak with you, because I 
 do not wish a gentleman of your rank to think too 
 much evil of his queen. Heaven has willed that 
 my secret should be to you no secret, and there- 
 fore I may speak plainly. You may say my own 
 shame should silence me; I speak to lessen my 
 shame in your eyes, if I can." 
 
 Rischenheim looked up with a dull gaze, not un- 
 derstanding her mood. He had expected re- 
 proaches, and met low-voiced apology. 
 
 " And yet," she went on, " it is because of me 
 that the king lies dead now; and a faithful humble 
 fellow also, caught in the net of my unhappy for- 
 tunes, has given his life for me, though he didn't 
 know it. Even while we speak, it may be that a 
 gentleman, not too old yet to learn nobility, may 
 be killed in my quarrel; while another, whom I 
 alone of all that know him may not praise, carries 
 his life lightly in his hand for me. And to you, my 
 lord, I have done the wrong of dressing a harsh 
 deed in some cloak of excuse, making you seem to 
 serve the king in working my punishment." 
 
 Rischenheim's eyes fell to the ground, and he 
 twisted his hands nervously in and out, the one 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 281 
 
 about the other. I took my hand from my re- 
 volver: he would not move now. 
 
 " I don't know," she went on, now almost 
 dreamily, and as though she spoke more to herself 
 than to him, or had even forgotten his presence, 
 " what end in Heaven's counsel my great unhappi- 
 ness has served. Perhaps I, who have place above 
 most women, must also be tried above most; and 
 in that trial I have failed. Yet, when I weigh my 
 misery and my temptation, to my human eyes it 
 seems that I have not failed greatly. My heart is 
 not yet humbled, God's work not yet done. But 
 the guilt of blood is on my soul — even the face of 
 ■my dear love I can see now only through its scarlet 
 mist; so that if what seemed my perfect joy were 
 now granted me, it would come spoilt and stained 
 and blotched ! " 
 
 She paused, fixing her eyes on him again; but 
 he neither spoke nor moved. 
 
 " You knew my sin," she said, " the sin so great 
 in my heart; and you knew how little my acts 
 yielded to it. Did you think, my lord, that the 
 sin had no punishment, that you took it in hand 
 to add shame to my suflfering ? Was Heaven so 
 kind that men must temper its indulgence by their 
 severity ? Yet I know that because I was wrong, 
 you, being wrong, might seem to yourself not 
 wrong, and in aiding your kinsman might plead 
 
282 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 that you served the king's honor. Thus, my lord, I 
 was the cause in you of a deed that your heart 
 could not welcome nor your honor praise. I thank 
 God that you have come to no more hurt by 
 it." 
 
 Rischenheim began to mutter in a low thick 
 voice, his eyes still cast down: " Rupert persuaded 
 me. He said the king would be very grateful, and 
 — ^would give me — " His voice died away, and he 
 sat silent again, twisting his hands. 
 
 " I know — I know," she said. " But you 
 wouldn't have listened to such persuasions if my 
 fault hadn't blinded your eyes." 
 
 She turned suddenly to me, who had been stand- 
 ing all the while aloof, and stretched out her hands 
 towards me, her eyes filled with tears. 
 
 " Yet," said she, " your wife knows, and still 
 loves me, Fritz." 
 
 " She should be no wife of mine, if she didn't," I 
 cried. " For I and all of mine ask no better than to 
 die for your Majesty." 
 
 " She knows, and yet she loves me," repeated 
 the queen. I loved to see that she seemed to find 
 comfort in Helga's love. It is women to whom 
 women turn, and women whom women fear. 
 " But Helga writes no letters," said the queen. 
 
 " Why, no," said I, and I smiled a grim smile. 
 Well, Rudolf Rassendyll had never wooed my wife. 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 283 
 
 She rose, saying: " Ccwne, let us go to the 
 palace." 
 
 As she rose, Rischenheim made a quick impul- 
 sive step towards her. 
 
 " Well, my lord," said she, turning towards him, 
 " will you also go with me ? " 
 
 " Lieutenant von Bernenstein will take care — " 
 I began. But I stopped. The slightest gesture of 
 her hand silenced me. 
 
 " Will you go with me ? " she asked Rischen- 
 heim again. 
 
 " Madam," he stammered', " Madam " 
 
 She waited. I waited also, although I had no 
 great patience witli him. Suddenly he fell on his 
 knee, but he did not venture to take her hand. Of 
 her own accord she came and stretched it out to 
 him, saying sadly: " Ah, that by forgiving I could 
 win forgiveness ! " 
 
 Rischenheim caught at her hand and kissed it. 
 
 " It was not I," I heard him mutter. " Rupert 
 set me on, and I couldn't stand out against him." 
 
 " Will you go with me to the palace ? " she 
 asked, drawing her hand away, but smiling. 
 
 "The Count of Luzau-Rischenheim," I made 
 bold to observe, " knows some things that most 
 people do not know, madam." 
 
 She turned on me with dignity, almost with dis- 
 pleasure. 
 
284 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " The Count of Luzau-Rischenheim may be 
 trusted to be silent," she said. " We ask him to 
 do nothing against his cousin. We ask only his 
 silence." 
 
 " Ay," said I, braving her anger, " but what se- 
 curity shall we have ? " 
 
 " His word of honor, my lord." I knew that a 
 rebuke to my presumption lay in her calling me 
 " my lord," for, save on formal occasions, she al- 
 ways used to call me Fritz. 
 
 " His word of honor ! " I grumbled. " In truth, 
 madam " 
 
 " He's right," said Rischenheim; " he's right." 
 
 " No, he's wrong," said the queen, smiling. 
 " The count will keep his word, given to me." 
 
 Rischenheim looked at her and seemed about 
 to address her, but then he turned to me, and said 
 in a low tone : 
 
 " By Heaven, I will, Tarlenheim. I'll serve her 
 in everything." 
 
 " My lord," said she most graciously, and yet 
 very sadly, " you lighten the burden on me no less 
 by your help than because I no longer feel your 
 ■honor stained through me. Come, we will go to 
 the palace." And she went to him, saying, " We 
 will go together." 
 
 There was nothing for it but to trust him. I 
 knew that I could not turn her. 
 
A CROIVD IN THE KONIGSTR/ISSE. 285 
 
 " Then I'll see if the carriage is ready," said I. 
 
 " Yes, do, Fritz," said the queen. But as I 
 passed she stopped me for a moment, saying in a 
 whisper, " Show that you trust him." 
 
 I went and Iheld out my hand to him. He took 
 and pressed it. 
 
 " On my honor," he said. 
 
 Then I went out and found Bernenstein sitting 
 on a bench in the hall. The lieutenant was a dili- 
 gent and watchful young man; he appeared to be 
 examining his revolver with sedulous care. 
 
 " You can put that away," said I rather peev- 
 isWy — I had not fancied shaking hands with Risch- 
 enlieim. " He's not a prisoner any longer. He's 
 one of us now." 
 
 " The deuce he is ! " cried Bernenstein, spring- 
 ing to his feet. 
 
 I told him briefly what had happened, and how 
 the queen had won Rupert's instrument to be her 
 servant. 
 
 " I 'Suppose he'll stick to it," I ended; . and I 
 thought he would, though I was not eager for his 
 help. 
 
 A light gleamed in Bernenstein's eyes, and I felt 
 a tremble in the hand that he laid on my shoulder. 
 
 " Then there's only Bauer now," he whispered. 
 " If Rischenheim's with us, only Bauer ! " 
 
 I knew very well what he meant. With Risch- 
 
286 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 enheim silent, Bauer was the only man, save Ru- 
 pert himself, who knew the truth, the only man 
 who threatened that great scheme which more and 
 more filled our thoughts and grew upon us with 
 an increasing force of attraction as every obstacle 
 to it seemed to be cleared out of the way. But 
 I would not look at Bernenstein, fearing to ac- 
 knowledge even with my eyes how my mind 
 jumped with his. He was bolder, or less scrupu- 
 lous — which you will. 
 
 " Yes, if we can shut Bauer's mouth " he 
 
 went on. 
 
 " The queen's waiting for the carriage," I inter- 
 rupted snappishly. 
 
 " Ah, yes, of course, the carriage," and he 
 twisted me round till I was forced to look him in 
 the face. Then he smiled, and even laughed a 
 little. " Only Bauer now ! " said he. 
 
 " And Rupert," I remarked sourly. 
 
 " Oh, Rupert's dead bones by now," he 
 chuckled, and with that he went out of the hall 
 door and anounced the queen's approach to her 
 servants. It musit be said for young Bernenstein 
 that he was a cheerful fellow-conspirator. His 
 equanimity almost matched Rudolf's own; I could 
 not rival it myself. 
 
 I drove to the palace with the queen and my 
 wife, the other two following in a second carriage. 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 287 
 
 I do not know wlhat they said to one another on 
 the way, but Bemenstein was civil enough to his 
 companion when I rejoined them. With us my 
 wife was the principal speaker: she filled up, from 
 what Rudolf had told her, the gaps in our knowl- 
 edge of how he had spent his night in Strelsau, and 
 by the time we arrived we were fully informed in 
 every detail. The queen said little. The impulse 
 Which had dictated ber appeal to Rischenheim and 
 carried her through it seemed to have died away; 
 she had become again subject to fears and appre- 
 hension. I saw her uneasiness when she suddenly 
 put out her hand and touched mine, whispering : 
 " He must be at the house by now." 
 Our way did not lie by the house, and we came 
 to the palace without any news of our absent chief 
 (so I call him — as such we all, from the queen her- 
 self, then regarded him). She did not speak of 
 him again; but her eyes seemed to follow me about 
 as though she were silently asking some service of 
 me; what it was I could not understand. Ber- 
 nenstein had disappeared, and the repentant count 
 with him: knowing they were together, I was in no 
 uneasiness; Bernenstein would see that his com- 
 panion contrived no treachery. But I was puzzled 
 by the queen's tacit appeal. And I was myself on 
 fire for news from the Konigstrasse. It was new- 
 two hours since Rudolf Rassendyll had left us, and 
 
288 RUPERT OP HENTZAU. 
 
 no word had come of him or from him. At last 
 I could bear it no longer. The queen was sitting 
 with her hand in my wife's; I had been seated on 
 the other side of the room, for I thought that they 
 might wish to talk to one another; yet I had not 
 seen them exchange a word. I rose abruptly and 
 crossed the room to where they were. 
 
 " Have you need of my presence, madam, or 
 have I your permission to be away for a time ? " I 
 asked. 
 
 " Where do you wish to go, Fritz ? " the queen 
 asked with a little start, as though I had. come 
 suddenly across her thoughts. 
 
 " To the Konigstrasse," said I. 
 
 To my surprise she rose and caught my hand. 
 
 " God bless you, Fritz ! " she cried. " I don't 
 think I could have endured it longer. But I 
 wouldn't ask you to go. But go, my dear friend, 
 go and bring me news of him. Oh, Fritz, I seem 
 to dream that dream again ! " 
 
 My wife looked up at me with a brave smile and 
 a trembling lip. 
 
 " Shall you go into the house, Fritz ? " she 
 asked. ^ 
 
 " Not unless I see need, sweetheart," said I. 
 
 She came and kissed me. " Go, if you are 
 wanted," she said. And she tried to smile at the 
 queen, as though, she risked me wilUngly. 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 289 
 
 " I could have been such a wife, Fritz," whis- 
 pered the queen. " Yes, I could." 
 
 I had nothing to say; at the moment I might 
 not have been able to say it if I had. There is 
 something in the helpless courage of women that 
 makes me feel soft. We can work and fight; they 
 sit and wait. Yet they do not flinch. Now I 
 know that if I had to sit and think about the thing 
 I should turn cur. 
 
 Well, I went, leaving them there together. I 
 put on plain clothes instead of my uniform, and 
 dropped my revolver into the pocket of my coat. 
 Thus prepared, I slipped out and made my way on 
 foot to the Konigstrasse. 
 
 It was now long past midday, but many folks 
 were at their dinner and the streets were not full. 
 Two or three people recognized me, but I passed 
 by almost unnoticed. There was no sign of stir or 
 excitement, and the flags still floated high in the 
 wind. Sapt had kept his secret; the men of 
 Strelsau thought still that their king lived and was 
 among them. I feared that Rudolf's coming would 
 have been seen, and expected to find a crowd of 
 people near the house. But when I reached it 
 there were no more than ten or a dozen idle fellows 
 lounging about. I began to stroll up and down 
 with as careless an air as I could assume. 
 
 Soon, however, there was a change. The work- 
 
29° RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 men and business folk, their meal finislied, began 
 to come out of their houses and from the restau- 
 rants. The loafers before No. 19 spoke to many of 
 them. Some said, " Indeed ! " shook their heads, 
 smiled and passed on: they had no time to waste 
 in staring at the king. But many waited; lighting 
 their cigars or cigarettes or pipes', they stood gos- 
 siping with one another, looking at their watches 
 now and again, lest they should overstay their 
 leisure. Thus the assembly grew to the number 
 of a couple of hundred. I ceased my walk, for the 
 pavement was too crowded, and hung on the out- 
 skirts of the throng. As I loitered there, a cigar 
 in my mouth, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turn- 
 ing round, I saw the lieutenant. He was in uni- 
 form. By his side was Rischenheim. 
 
 " You're here too, are you ? " said I. " Well, 
 nothing seems to be happening, does it ? " 
 
 For No. 19 showed no sign of life. The shut- 
 ters were up, the door closed; the little shop was 
 not open for business that day. 
 
 Bernenstein shook his head with a smile. His 
 companion took no heed of my remark; he was 
 evidently in a state of great agitation, and his eyes 
 never left the door of the house. I was about to 
 address him, when my attention was abruptly and 
 completely diverted by a glimpse of a head, caught 
 across the shoulders of the bystanders. 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 291 
 
 The fellow whom I saw wore a brown wide- 
 awake hat. The hat was pulled down low over his 
 forehead, but nevertheless beneath its rim there ap- 
 peared a white bandage running round his head. 
 I could not see the face, but the bullet-shaped skull 
 was very familiar to 'me. I was sure from the first 
 moment that the* bandaged man was Bauer. Say- 
 ing- nothing to Bernenstein, I began to steal round 
 outside the crowdi As I went, I heard somebody 
 saying that it was all nonsense; the king was not 
 there: what should the king do in such a house ? 
 The answer was a reference to one of the first 
 loungers; he replied that he did not know what 
 the devil the king did there, but that the king or 
 his double had certainly gone in, and had as cer- 
 tainly not yet come out again. I wished I could 
 have made myself known to them and persuaded 
 them to go away; but my presence would have 
 outweighed my declarations, and been taken as a 
 sure sign that the king was in the house. So I 
 kept on the outskirts and worked my way unob- 
 trusively towards the bandaged head. Evidently 
 Bauer's hurt had not been so serious as to prevent 
 him leaving the infirmary to which the police had 
 carried him: he was come now to await, even as I 
 was awaiting, the issue of Rudolf's visit to the 
 house in the Konigstrasse. 
 
 He had not seen me, for he -was looking at No. 
 
292 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 19 as intently as Rischenheim. Apparently neither 
 had caught sight of the other, or Rischenheim 
 would have shown some embarrassment, Bauer 
 some excitement. I wormed my way quickly 
 towards my former servant. My mind was full of 
 the idea of getting hold of him. I could not forget 
 Bernenstein's remark, " Only Bauer now ! " If I 
 could secure Bauer we were safe. Safe in what ? 
 I did not answer to myself, but the old idea was 
 working in me. Safe in our secret and safe in our 
 plan — ^n the plan on which we all, we here in the 
 city, and those two at the hunting-lodge, had set 
 our minds ! Bauer's death, Bauer's capture, 
 Bauer's silence, however procured, would clear the 
 greatest hindrance from its way. 
 
 Bauer stared intently at the house; I crept cau- 
 tiously up behind him. His hand was in his 
 trousers' pocket; where the curve of the elbow 
 came there with a space between arm and body. 
 I slipped in my left arm and hooked it firmly inside 
 his. He turned round and saw me. 
 
 " Thus we meet again, Bauer," said I. 
 
 He was for a moment flabbergasted, and stared 
 stupidly at me. 
 
 "Are you also hoping to see the king ? " I asked. 
 
 He began to recover himself. A slow, cunning 
 smile spread over his face. 
 
 " The king ? " he asked. 
 
A CROWD IN THE KONIGSTRASSE. 293 
 
 " Well, he's in Strelsau, isn't he ? Who gave 
 you the wound on your head ? " 
 
 Bauer moved his arm as though he meant to 
 withdraw it from my grasp. He found himself 
 tightly held. 
 
 " Where's that bag of mine ? " I asked. 
 
 I do not know what he would have answered, 
 for at this instant there came a sound from behind 
 the closed door of the house. It was as if some 
 one ran rapidly and eagerly towards the door. 
 Then came an oath in a shrill voice, a woman's 
 voice, but harsh and rough. It was answered by 
 an angry cry in a girl's intonation. Full of eager- 
 ness, I drew my arm from Bauer's and sprang for- 
 ward. I heard a chuckle from him and turned 
 round, to see his bandaged head retreating rapidly 
 down the street. I had no time to look to him, for 
 now I saw two men, shoulder to shoulder, making 
 their way through the crowd, regardless of any one 
 in their way, and paying no attention to abuse or 
 remonstrances. They were the lieutenant and 
 Rischenheim. Without a moment's hesitation I 
 set myself to push and battle a way through, 
 thinking to join them in front. On they went, 
 and on I went. All gave place before us in surly 
 reluctance or frightened willingness. We three 
 were together in the first rank of the crowd when 
 the door of the house was flung open, and a girl 
 
294 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 ran out. Her hair was disordered, her face pale, 
 and her eyes full of alarm. There she stood on the 
 doorstep, facing the crowd, which in an instant 
 grew as if by magic to three times its former size, 
 and, little knowing what she did, she cried in the 
 eager accents of sheer terror : 
 
 " Help, help ! The king ! The king ! " 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 
 
 There rises often before my mind the picture of 
 young Rupert, standing where Rischenheim. left 
 him, awaiting the return of his messenger and 
 watching for some sign that should declare to 
 Strelsau the death of its king which his own hand 
 had wrought. His image is one that memory holds 
 clear and distinct, though time may blur the shape 
 of greater and better men, and the position in 
 which he was that morning gives play enough to 
 the imagination. Save for Rischenheim, a broken 
 reed, and Bauer, who was gone, none knew where, 
 he stood alone against a kingdom which he had 
 robbed of its head, and a band of resolute men who 
 would know no rest and no security so long as he 
 lived. For protection he had only a quick brain, 
 his courage, and his secret. Yet he could not fly 
 — he was without resources till his cousin furnished 
 them — and at any moment his opponents might 
 find themselves able to declare the king's death 
 
 295 
 
296 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 and raise the city in hue and cry after him. Such 
 men do not repent; but it may be that he regretted 
 the enterprise which had led him on so far and 
 forced on him a deed so momentous; yet to those 
 who knew him it seems more likely that the smile 
 broadened on his firm full lips as he looked down 
 on the unconscious city. Well, I daresay he would 
 have been too much for me, but I wish I had been 
 the man to find him there. He would not have had 
 it so; for I believe that he asked no better than to 
 cross swords again with Rudolf Rassendyll and set 
 his fortunes on the issue. 
 
 Down below, the old woman was cooking a stew 
 for her dinner, now and then grumbling to herself 
 that the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim was so long 
 away, and Bauer, the rascal, drunk in some pot- 
 house. The kitchen door stood open, and through 
 it could be seen the girl Rosa, busily scrubbing the 
 tiled floor; her color was high and her eyes bright; 
 from time to time she paused in her task, and, rais- 
 ing her head, seemed to listen. The time at which 
 the king needed her was past, but the king had not 
 come. How little the old woman knew for whom 
 she listened ! All her talk had been of Bauer — ^why 
 Bauer did not come and what could have befallen 
 him. It was grand to hold the king's secret for 
 him, and she would hold it with her life; for he had 
 been kind and gracious to her, and he was her man 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR, 297 
 
 of all the men in Strelsau. Bauer was a stumpy 
 fellow; the Count of Hentzau was handsome, hand- 
 some as the devil; but the king was her man. And 
 the king had trusted her; she would die before 
 hurt should come to him. 
 
 There were wheels in the street — quick-rolling 
 wheels. They seemed to stop a few doors away, 
 then to roll on again past the house. The girl's 
 head was raised; the old woman, engrossed in her 
 stewing, took no heed. The girl's straining ear 
 caught a rapid step outside. Then it came — the 
 knock, the sharp knock followed by five light 
 ones. The old woman heard now: dropping 'her 
 spoon into the pot, she lifted the mess off the fire 
 and turned round, saying: " There's the rogue at 
 last ! Open the door for him, Rosa." 
 
 Before she spoke Rosa had darted down the pas- 
 sage. The door opened and shut again. The old 
 woman waddled to the threshold of the kitchen. 
 The passage and the shop were dark behind the 
 closed shutters, but the figure by the girl's side 
 was taller than Bauer's. 
 
 "Who's there?" cried Mother Holf sharply. 
 " The shop's shut to-day: you can't come in." 
 
 " But I am in," came the answer, and Rudolf 
 stepped towards her. The girl followed a pace be- 
 hind, her hands clasped and her eyes alight with 
 excitement. " Don't you know me ? " asked Ru- 
 
298 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 dolf, standing opposite the old woman and smiling 
 down on her. 
 
 There, in the dim light of the low-roofed 
 passage, Mother Holf was fairly puzzled. She 
 knew the story of Mr. Rassendyll; she knew that 
 he was again in Ruritania, it was no surprise to her 
 that he should be in Strelsau; but she did not know 
 that Rupert had killed the king, and she had not 
 seen the king close at hand since his illness and his 
 beard impaired what had been a perfect likeness. 
 In fine, she could not tell whether it were indeed 
 the king who spoke to her or his counterfeit. 
 
 " Who are you ? " she asked, curt and blunt in 
 her confusion. 
 
 The girl broke in with an amused laugh. 
 
 " Why, it's the " She paused. Perhaps the 
 
 king's identity was a secret. 
 
 Rudolf nodded to her. " Tell her who I am," 
 said he. 
 
 " Why, mother, it's the king," whispered Rosa, 
 laughing and blushing. " The king, mother." 
 
 " Ay, if the king's alive, I'm the king," said Ru- 
 dolf. I suppose he wanted to find out how much 
 the old woman knew. 
 
 She made no answer, but stared up at his 
 face. In her bewilderment she forgot to ask 
 how he had learnt the signal that gained him 
 admission. 
 
YOUNG RUPERT /tND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 299 
 
 " I've come to see the Count of Hentzau," 
 Rudolf continued. " Take me to him at 
 once." 
 
 The old woman was across his path in a moment, 
 all defiant, arms akimbo. 
 
 " Nobody can see the count. He's not here," 
 she blurted out. 
 
 " What, can't the king see him ? Not even the 
 king ? " 
 
 " King ! " she cried, peering at him. " Are you 
 the king ? " 
 
 Rosa burst out laughing. 
 
 " Mother, you must have seen the king a hun- 
 dred times," she laughed. 
 
 " The king, or his ghost — what does it matter? " 
 said Rudolf lightly. 
 
 The old woman drew back with an appearance 
 of sudden alarm. 
 
 " His ghost ? Is he ? " 
 
 " His ghost ! " rang out in the girl's merry laugh. 
 " Why, here's the king himself, mother. You 
 don't look much like a ghost, sir." 
 
 Mother Holf's face was livid now, and her eyes 
 staring fixedly. Perhaps it shot into her brain that 
 something had happened to the king, and that this 
 man had come because of it — this man who was in- 
 deed the image, and might have been the spirit, of 
 the king. She leant against the door post, her 
 
300 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 broad bosom heaving under her scanty stuff gown. 
 Yet still — ^was it not the king ? 
 
 " God help us ! " she muttered in fear and be- 
 wilderment. 
 
 " He helps us, never fear," said Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll. " Where is Count Rupert ? " 
 
 The girl had caught alarm from her mother's 
 agitation. 
 
 " He's upstairs in the attic at the top of the 
 house, sir," she whispered in frightened tones, 
 with a glance that fled from her mother's terrified 
 face to Rudolf's set eyes and steady smile. 
 
 What she said was enough for him. He slipped 
 by the old woman and began to mount the stairs. 
 
 The two watched him. Mother Holf as though 
 fascinated, the girl alarmed but still triumphant: 
 she had done what the king bade her. Rudolf 
 turned the corner of the first landing and disap- 
 peared from their sight. The old woman, swearing 
 and muttering, stumbled back into her kitchen, set 
 her stew on the fire, and began to stir it, her eyes 
 set on the flames and careless of the pot. The 
 girl watched her mother for a moment, wondering 
 how she could think of the stew, not guessing that 
 she turned the spoon without a thought of what 
 she did ; then she began to crawl, quickly but 
 noiselessly, up the staircase in the track of Rudolf 
 Rassendyll. She looked back once: the old 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. $01 
 
 woman stirred with a monotonous circular move- 
 ment of her fat arm. Rosa, bent half-double, 
 skimmed upstairs, till she came in sight of the king 
 whom she was so proud to serve. He was on the 
 top landing now, outside the door of a large attic 
 where Rupert of Hentzau was lodged. She saw 
 him lay his hand on the latch of the door; his 
 other hand rested in the pocket of his coat. From 
 the room no sound came; Rupert may have heard 
 the step outside and stood motionless to listen. 
 Rudolf opened the door and walked in. The girl 
 darted breathlessly up the remaining steps, and, 
 coming to the door, just as it swung back on the 
 latch, crouched down by it, listening to what 
 passed within, catching glimpses of forms and 
 movements through the chinks of the crazy hinge 
 and the crevices where the wood of the panel 
 sprung and left a narrow eyehole for her absorbed 
 gazing. 
 
 Rupert of Hentzau had no thought of ghosts; 
 the men he killed lay still where they fell, and 
 slept where they were buried. And he had no won- 
 der at the sight of Rudolf Rassendyll. It told him 
 no more than that Rischenheim's errand had fallen 
 out ill, at which he was not surprised, and that his 
 old enemy was again in his path, at which (as I 
 verily believe) he was more glad than sorry. As 
 Rudolf entered, he had been half-way between 
 
302 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 window and table; he came forward to the table 
 now, and stood leaning the points of two fingers 
 on the unpolished dirty-white deal. 
 
 " Ah, the play-actor ! " said he, with a gleam of 
 his teeth and a toss of his curls, while his second 
 hand, like Mr. Rassendyll's, rested in the pocket of 
 his coat. 
 
 Mr. Rassendyll himself has confessed that in old 
 days it went against the grain with him when Ru- 
 pert called him a play-actor. He was a little older 
 now, and his temper more difficult to stir. 
 
 " Yes, the play-actor," he answered, smiling. 
 "With a shorter part this time, though." 
 
 " What part to-day ? Isn't it the old one, the 
 king with a pasteboard crown ? " asked Rupert, 
 sitting down on the table. " Faith, we shall do 
 handsomely in Ruritania: you have a pasteboard 
 crown, and I (humble man though I am) have 
 given the other one a heavenly crown. What a 
 brave show ! But perhaps I tell you news ? " 
 
 " No, I know what you've done." 
 
 " I take no credit. It was more the dog's doing 
 than mine," said Rupert carelessly. " However, 
 there it is, and dead he is, and there's an end of it. 
 What's your business, play-actor ? " 
 
 At the repetition of this last word, to her so 
 mysterious, the girl outside pressed her eyes more 
 eagerly to the chink and strained her ears to listen 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 303 
 
 more sedulously. And what did the count mean 
 by the " other one " and " a heavenly crown " ? 
 
 " Why not call me king ? " asked Rudolf. 
 
 " They call you that in Strelsau ? " 
 
 " Those that know I'm here." 
 
 " And they are ? " 
 
 " Some few score." 
 
 " And thus," said Rupert, waving an arm to- 
 wards the window, " the town is quiet and the flags 
 fly?" 
 
 " You've been waiting to see them lowered ? " 
 
 " A man likes to have some notice taken of what 
 he has done, " Rupert complained. " However, I 
 can get them lowered when I will." 
 
 " By telling your news ? Would that be good 
 for yourself ? " 
 
 " Forgive me — not that way. Since the king 
 has two lives, it is but in nature that he should 
 have two deaths." 
 
 " And when he has undergone the second ? " 
 
 " I shall live at peace, my friend, on a certain 
 source of income that I possess." He tapped his 
 breast-packet with a slight, defiant laugh. " In 
 these days," said he, " even queens must be careful 
 about their letters. We live in moral times." 
 
 " You don't share the responsibility for it," 
 said Rudolf, smiling. 
 
 " I make my little protest. But what's your 
 
204 RUPERT OF HENTZ^U. 
 
 business, play-actor ? For I think you're rather 
 tiresome." 
 
 Rudolf grew grave. He advanced towards the 
 table, and spoke in low, serious tones. 
 
 " My lord, you're alone in this matter now. 
 Rischenheim is a prisoner; your rogue Bauer I en- 
 countered last night and broke his head." 
 
 " Ah, you did ? " 
 
 " You have what you know of in your hands. 
 If you yield, on my honor I will save your life." 
 
 " You don't desire my blood, then, most forgiv- 
 ing play-actor ? " 
 
 " So much, that I daren't fail to offer you life," 
 answered Rudolf Rassendyll. " Come, sir, your 
 plan has failed: give up the letter." 
 
 Rupert looked at him thoughtfully. 
 
 " You'll see me safe ofif if I give it you ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " I'll prevent your death. Yes, and I'll see you 
 safe." 
 
 " Where to ? " 
 
 " To a fortress, where a trustworthy gentleman 
 will guard you." 
 
 " For how long, my dear friend ? " 
 
 " I hope for many years, my dear Count." 
 
 " In fact, I suppose, as long as ? " 
 
 " Heaven leaves you to the world, Count. It's 
 impossible to set you free." 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 3°S 
 
 " That's the offer, then ? " 
 
 " The extreme limit of indulgence," answered 
 Rudolf. 
 
 Rupert burst into a laugh, half of defiance, yet 
 touched with the ring of true amusement. Then 
 he lit a cigarette and sat puffing and smiling. 
 
 " I should wrong you by straining your kind- 
 ness so far," said he; and in wanton insolence, 
 seeking again to show Mr. Rassendyll the mean 
 esteem in which he held him, and the weariness his 
 presence was, he raised his arms and stretched 
 them above his head, as a man does in the fatigue 
 of tedium. " Heigho ! " he yawned. 
 
 But he had overshot the mark this time. With 
 a sudden swift bound Rudolf was upon him; his 
 hands gripped Rupert's wrists, and with his greater 
 strength he bent back the count's pliant. body till 
 trunk and head lay flat on the table. Neither man 
 spoke; their eyes met; each heard the other's 
 breathing and felt the vapor of it on his face. The 
 girl outside had seen the movement of Rudolf's 
 figure, but her cranny did not serve her to show 
 her the two where they were now; she knelt on her 
 knees in ignorant suspense. Slowly and with pa- 
 tient force Rudolf began to work his enemy's arms 
 towards one another. Rupert had read his de- 
 sign in his eyes and resisted with tense muscles. 
 It seemed as though his arms must crack; but at 
 
3o6 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 last they moved. Inch by inch they were driven 
 closer; now the elbows almost touched; now the 
 wrists joined in reluctant contact. The sweat 
 broke out on the count's brow, and stood in large 
 drops on Rudolf's. Now the wrists were side by 
 side, and slowly the long sinewy fingers of Ru- 
 dolf's right hand, that held one wrist already in 
 their vise, began to creep round the other. The 
 grip seemed to have half numbed Rupert's arms, 
 and his struggles grew fainter. Round both wrists 
 the sinewy fingers climbed and coiled; gradually 
 and timidly the grasp of the other hand was re- 
 laxed and withdrawn. Would the one hold both? 
 With a great spasm of effort Rupert put it to the 
 proof The smile that bent Mr. Rassendyll's lips 
 gave the answer. He could hold both, with one 
 hand he could hold both: not for long, no, but for 
 an instant. And then, in the instant, his left hand, 
 free at last, shot to the breast of the count's coat. 
 It was the same that he had worn at the hunting- 
 lodge, and was ragged and torn from the boar- 
 hound's teeth. Rudolf tore it further open, and 
 his hand dashed in. 
 
 " God's curse on you ! " snarled Rupert of Hent- 
 zau. 
 
 But Mr. Rassendyll still smiled. Then he drew 
 out a letter. A glance at it showed him the 
 queen's seal. As he glanced Rupert made another 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 30^ 
 
 effort. The one hand, wearied out, gave way, and 
 Mr. Rassendyll had no more than time to spring 
 away, holding his prize. The next moment he 
 had his revolver in his hand — none too soon, for 
 Rupert of Hentzau's barrel faced him, and they 
 stood thus, opposite to one another, with no more 
 than three or four feet between the mouths of their 
 weapons. 
 
 There is, indeed, much that may be said against 
 Rupert of Hentzau, the truth about him well-nigh 
 forbidding that charity of judgment which we are 
 taught to observe towards all men. But neither 
 I nor any man who knew him ever found in him a 
 shrinking from danger or a fear of death. It was 
 no feeling such as these, but rather a cool calcula- 
 tion of chances, that now stayed his hand. Even 
 if he were victorious in the duel, and both did not 
 die, yet the noise of the firearms would greatly 
 decrease his chances of escape. Moreover, he was 
 a noted swordsman, and conceived that he was Mr. 
 Rassendyll's superior in that exercise. The steel 
 offered him at once a better prospect for victory 
 and more hope of a safe fight. So he did not pull 
 his trigger, but, maintaining his aim the while, said : 
 
 " I'm not a street bully, and I don't excel in a 
 rough-and-tumble. Will you fight now like a 
 gentleman ? There's a pair of blades in the case 
 yonder." 
 
3o8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Mr. Rassendyll, in his turn, was keenly alive to 
 the peril that still hung over the queen. To kill 
 Rupert would not save her if he himself also were 
 shot and left dead, or so helpless that he could not 
 destroy the letter; and while Rupert's revolver was 
 at his heart he could not tear it up nor reach the 
 fire that burnt on the other side of the room. Nor 
 ■did he fear the result of a trial with steel, for he 
 had kept himself in practice and improved his skill 
 since the days when he came first to Strelsau. 
 
 " As you will," said he. " Provided we settle the 
 matter here and now, the manner is the same to 
 me. 
 
 " Put your revolver on the table, then, and I'll 
 lay mine by the side of it." 
 
 " I beg your pardon," smiled Rudolf, " but you 
 must lay yours down first." 
 
 " I'm to trust you, it seems, but you won't trust 
 me!" 
 
 " Precisely. You know you can trust me; you 
 know that I can't trust you." 
 
 A sudden flush swept over Rupert of Hentzau's 
 face. There were moments when he saw, in the 
 mirror of another's face or words, the estimation in 
 which honorable men held him; and I believe that 
 he hated Mr. Rassendyll most fiercely, not for 
 thwarting his enterprise, but because he had more 
 power than any other man to show him that 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 309 
 
 picture. His brows knit in a frown, and his lips 
 shut tight. 
 
 " Ay, but though you won't fire, you'll destroy 
 the letter," he sneered. " I know your fine distinc- 
 tions." 
 
 " Again I beg your pardon. You know very 
 well that, although all Strelsau were at the door, I 
 wouldn't touch the letter." 
 
 With an angry muttered oath Rupert flung his 
 revolver on the table. Rudolf came forward and 
 laid his by it. Then he took up both, and, crossing 
 to the mantelpiece, laid them there ; between them 
 he placed the queen's letter. A bright blaze burnt 
 in the grate; it needed but the slightest motion 
 of his hand to set the letter beyond all danger. 
 But he placed it carefully on the mantelpiece, and, 
 with a slight smile on his face, turned to Rupert, 
 saying: " Now shall we resume the bout that 
 Fritz von Tarlenheim interrupted in the forest of 
 Zenda ? " 
 
 All this while they had been speaking in sub- 
 dued accents, resolution in one, anger in the other, 
 keeping the voice in an even, deliberate lowness. 
 The girl outside caught only a word here and 
 there; but now suddenly the flash of steel gleamed 
 on her eyes through the crevice of the hinge. She 
 gave a sudden gasp, and, pressing her face closer 
 to the opening, listened and looked. For Rupert 
 
3IO RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 of Hentzau had taken the swords from their case 
 and put them on the table. With a slight bow 
 Rudolf took one, and the two assumed their posi- 
 tions. Suddenly Rupert lowered his point. The 
 frown vanished from his face, and he spoke in his 
 usual banterirxg tone. 
 
 " By the way," said he, " perhaps we're letting 
 our feelings run away with us. Have you more 
 of a mind now to be King of Ruritania ? If so, 
 I'm ready to be the most faithful of your sub- 
 jects." 
 
 " You honor me. Count." 
 
 " Provided, of course, that I'm one of the most 
 favored and the richest. Come, come, the fool is 
 dead now; he lived like a fool and he died like a 
 fool. The place is empty. A dead man has no 
 rights and suiifers no wrongs. Damn it, that's 
 good law, isn't it ? Take his place and his wife. 
 You can pay my price then. Or are you still so 
 virtuous ? Faith, how little some men learn from 
 the world they live in ! If I had your chance " 
 
 " Come, Count, you'd be the last man to trust 
 Rupert of Hentzau." 
 
 " If I made it worth his while ? " 
 
 " But he's a man who would take the pay and 
 betray his associate." 
 
 Again Rupert flushed. When he next spoke his 
 voice was hard, cold, and low. 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 3" 
 
 " By God, Rudolf Rassendyll," said he, " I'll kill 
 you here and now." 
 
 " I ask no better than that you should try." 
 
 " And then I'll proclaim that woman for what 
 she is in all Strelsau. A smile came on his lips as 
 he watched Rudolf's face. 
 
 " Guard yourself, my lord," said Mr. Rassendyll. 
 
 " Ay, for no better than There, man, I'm 
 
 ready for you." For Rudolf's blade had touched 
 his in warning. 
 
 The steel jangled. The girl's pale face was at the 
 crevice of the hinge. She heard the blades cross 
 again and again. Then one would run up the 
 other with a sharp, grating slither. At times she 
 caught a glimpse of a figure in quick forward 
 lunge or rapid wary withdrawal. Her brain was 
 almost paralyzed. Ignorant of the mind and heart 
 of young Rupert, she could not conceive that he 
 tried to kill the king. Yet the words she had 
 caught sounded like the words of men quarreling, 
 and she could not persuade herself that the gentle- 
 men fenced only for pastime. They were not 
 speaking now; but she heard their hard breathing 
 and the movement of their unresting feet on the 
 bare boards of the floor. Then a cry rang out, 
 clear and meriy with the fierce hope of triumph : 
 
 " Nearly ! nearly ! " 
 
 She knew the voice for Rupert of Hentzau's, 
 
312 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 and it was the king who answered calmly, " Nearly 
 isn't quite." 
 
 Again she listened. They seemed to have paused 
 for a moment, for there was no sound, save of the 
 hard breathing and deep-drawn pants of men who 
 rest an instant in the midst of intense exertion. 
 Then came again the clash and the slitherings; and 
 one of them crossed into her view. She knew the 
 tall figure and she saw the red hair: it was the 
 king. Backward step by step he seemed to be 
 driven, coming nearer and nearer to the door. At 
 last there was no more than a foot between him 
 and her; only the crazy panel prevented her put- 
 ting out her hand to touch him. Again the voice 
 of -Rupert rang out in rich exultation, " I have you 
 now ! Say your prayers, King Rudolf 1 " 
 
 " Say your prayers ! " Then they fought. It 
 was earnest, not play. And it was the king — her 
 king — her dear king, who was in great peril of his 
 life. For an instant she knelt, still watching. 
 Then with a low cry of terror she turned and ran 
 headlong down the steep stairs. Her mind could 
 not tell what to do, but her heart cried out that she 
 must do something for her king. Reaching the 
 ground floor, she ran with wide-open eyes into the 
 kitchen. The stew was on the hob, the old woman 
 still held the spoon, but she had ceased to stir and 
 fallen into a chair. 
 
YOUNG RUPERT AND THE PLAY-ACTOR. 3^3 
 
 " He's killing the king ! He's killing the 
 king ! " cried Rosa, seizing her mother by the 
 arm. " Mother, what shall we do ? He's kilHng 
 the king ! " 
 
 The old woman looked up with dull eyes and a 
 stupid, cunning smile. 
 
 " Let them alone," she said. " There's no king 
 here." 
 
 " Yes, yes. He's upstairs in the count's room. 
 They're fighting, he and the Count of Hentzau. 
 Mother, Count Rupert will kill him ! " 
 
 " Let them alone. He the king ? He's no 
 king," muttered the old woman again. 
 
 For an instant Rosa stood looking down on her 
 in helpless despair. Then a light flashed into her 
 eyes. 
 
 " I must call for help," she cried. 
 
 The old woman seemed to spring to sudden life. 
 She jumped up and caught her daughter by the 
 shoulder. 
 
 " No, no," she whispered in quick accents. 
 " You — ^you don't know. Let them alone, you 
 fool ! It's not our business. Let them alone." 
 
 " Let me go, mother, let me go ! Mother, I 
 must help the king ! " 
 
 " I'll not let you go," said Mother Holf. 
 
 But Rosa was young and strong; her heart was 
 fired with terror for the king's danger. 
 
314 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 "1 must go," she cried; and she flung her 
 mother's grasp off from her so that the old woman 
 was thrown back into her chair, and the spoon fell 
 from her hand and clattered on the tiles. But Rosa 
 turned and fled down the passage and through the 
 shop. The bolts delayed her trembling fingers for 
 an instant. Then she flung the door wide. A new 
 amazement filled her eyes at the sight of the eager 
 crowd before the house. Then her eyes fell on me 
 where I stood between the Heutenant and Rischen- 
 heim, and she uttered her wild cry, " Help ! The 
 king ! " 
 
 With one bound I was by her side and in the 
 house, while Bernenstein cried, " Quicker ! " from 
 behind. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 
 
 The things that men call presages, presenti- 
 ments, and so forth, are, to my mind, for the most 
 part idle nothings: sometimes it is only that prob- 
 able events cast before them a natural shadow 
 which superstitious fancy twists into a Heaven-sent 
 warning; oftener the same desire that gives con- 
 ception works fulfilment, and the dreamer sees in 
 the result of his own act and will a mysterious ac- 
 complishment independent of his effort. Yet when 
 I observe thus calmly and with good sense on the 
 matter to the Constable of Zenda, he shakes his 
 head and answers, " But Rudolf Rassendyll knew 
 from the first that he Would come again to Strel- 
 sau and engage young Rupert point to point. 
 Else why did he practise with the foils so as to be 
 a better swordsman the second time than he was 
 the first ? Mayn't God do anything that Fritz von 
 Tarlenheim can't understand ? A pretty notion, 
 on my life ! " And he goes off grumbling. 
 
 315 
 
3i6 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 Well, be it inspiration, or be it delusion — and the 
 difference stands often on a hair's breath — I am 
 glad that Rudolf had it. For if a man once grows 
 rusty, it is everything short of impossible to put 
 the fine polish on his skill again. Mr. Rassendyll 
 had strength, will, coolness, and, of course, cour- 
 age. None would have availed had not his eye been 
 in perfect familiarity with its work, and his hand 
 obeyed it as readily as the bolt slips in a well-oiled 
 groove. As the thing stood, the lithe agility and 
 unmatched dash of young Rupert but just missed 
 being too much for him. He was in deadly peril 
 when the girl Rosa ran down to bring him aid. 
 His practised skill was able to maintain his defence. 
 He sought to do no more, but endured Rupert's 
 fiery attacks and wily feints in an almost motion- 
 less stillness. Almost, I say; for the slight turns of 
 wrist that seem nothing are everything, and served 
 here to keep his skin whole and his life in him. 
 
 There was an instant — Rudolf saw it in his eyes 
 and dwelt on it when he lightly painted the scene 
 for me — ^when there dawned on Rupert of Hent- 
 zau the knowledge that he could not break down 
 his enemy's guard. Surprise, chagrin, amuse- 
 ment, or something like it, seemed blended in his 
 look. He could not make out how he was caught 
 and checked in every effort, meeting, it seemed, a 
 barrier of iron impregnable in rest. His quick 
 
TME TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 31? 
 
 brain grasped the lesson in an instant. If his skill 
 were not the greater, the victory would not be his, 
 for his endurance was the less. He was younger, 
 and his frame was not so closely knit ; pleasure had 
 taken its tithe from him; perhaps a good cause 
 goes for something. Even while he almost pressed 
 Rudolf against the panel of the door, he seemed to 
 know that his measure of success was full. But 
 what the hand could not compass the head might 
 contrive. In quickly conceived strategy he began 
 to give pause in his attack, nay, he retreated a step 
 or two. No scruples hampered' his devices, no code 
 of honor limited the means he would employ. 
 Backing before his opponent, he seemed to Ru- 
 dolf to be faint-hearted; he was bafifled, but seemed 
 despairing; he was weary, but played a more com- 
 plete fatigue. Rudolf advanced, pressing and at- 
 tacking, only to meet a defence as perfect as his 
 own. They were in the middle of the room now, 
 close by the table. Rupert, as though he had eyes 
 in the back of his head, skirted round, avoiding it 
 by a narrow inch. His breathing was quick and 
 distressed, gasp tumbling over gasp, but still his 
 eye was alert and his hand unerring. He had but 
 a few moments' more effort left in him: it was 
 enough if he could reach his goal and perpetrate 
 the trick on which his mind, fertile in every base 
 device, was set. For it was towards the mantel- 
 
3i8 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 piece that his retreat, seeming forced, in truth so 
 deliberate, led him. There was the letter, there 
 lay the revolvers. The time to think of risks was 
 gone by; the time to boggle over what honor al- 
 lowed or forbade had never come to Rupert of 
 Hentzau. If he could not win by force and skill, he 
 would win by guile and by treachery, to the test 
 that he had himself invited. The revolvers lay on 
 the mantelpiece: he meant to possess himself of 
 one, if he could gain an instant in which to snatch 
 it. 
 
 The device that he adopted was nicely chosen. 
 It was too late to call a rest or ask breathing space: 
 Mr. Rassendyll was not blind to the advantage he 
 had won, and chivalry would have turned to folly 
 had it allowed such indulgence. Rupert was hard 
 by the mantelpiece now. The sweat was pouring 
 from his face, and his breast seemed like to burst 
 in the effort after breath; yet he had enough 
 strength for his purpose. He must have slackened 
 his hold on his weapon, for when Rudolf's blade 
 next struck it, it flew from his hand, twirled out of 
 a nerveless grasp, and slid along the floor. Rupert 
 stood disarmed, and Rudolf motionless. 
 
 " Pick it up," said Mr. Rassendyll, never think- 
 ing there had been a trick. 
 
 " Ay, and you'll truss me while I do it." 
 
 " You young fool, don't you know me yet ? " 
 
THE TRIUMPH OP THE KING. 3^9 
 
 and Rudolf, lowering his blade, rested its point on 
 the floor, while with his left hand he indicated Ru- 
 pert's weapon. Yet something warned him : it 
 may be there came a look in Rupert's eyes, perfiaps 
 of scorn for his enemy's simplicity, perhaps of pure 
 triumph in the graceless knavery. Rudolf stood 
 waiting. 
 
 " You swear you won't touch me while I pick it 
 up ? " asked Rupert, shrinking back a little, and 
 thereby getting an inch or two nearer the mantel- 
 piece. 
 
 "You have my promise: pick it up. I won't 
 wait any longer." 
 
 " You won't kill me unarmed ? " cried Rupert, 
 in alarmed scandalized expostulation. 
 
 " No; but " 
 
 The speech went unfinished, unless a sudden cry 
 were its ending. And, as he cried, Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll, dropping his sword on the ground, sprang 
 forward. For Rupert's hand had shot out behind 
 him and was on the butt of one of the revolvers. 
 The whole trick flashed on Rudolf, and he sprang, 
 flinging his long arms round Rupert. But Rupert 
 had the revolver in his hand. 
 
 In all likelihood the two neither heard nor 
 lieeded, though it seemed to me that the creaks 
 and groans of the old stairs were loud enough to 
 
320 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 wake the dead. For now Rosa had given the 
 alarm, Bemenstein and I — or I and Bernenstein 
 (for I was first, and, therefore, may put myself first) 
 — had rushed up. Hard behind us came Rischen- 
 heim, and hot on his heels a score of fellows, push- 
 ing and shouldering and trampling. We in front 
 had a fair start, and gained the stairs unimpeded; 
 Rischenheim was caught up in the ruck and gulfed 
 in the stormy, tossing group that struggled for 
 first footing on the steps. Yet, soon they were 
 after us, and we heard them reach the first landing 
 as we sped up to the last. There was a confused din 
 through all the house, and it seemed now to echo 
 muffled and vague through the walls from the 
 street without. I was conscious of it, although I 
 paid no heed to anything but reaching the room 
 where the king — where Rudolf — was. Now I was 
 there, Bernenstein hanging to my heels. The door 
 did not hold us a second. I was in, he after me. 
 He slammed the door and set his back against it, 
 just as the rush of feet flooded the highest flight of 
 stairs. And at the moment a revolver shot rang 
 clear and loud. 
 
 The lieutenant and I stood still, he against the 
 door, I a pace farther into the room. The sight 
 we saw was enough to arrest us with its strange 
 interest. The smoke of the shot wras curling about, 
 but neither man seemed wounded. The revolver 
 
THE Triumph of the king. 321 
 
 was in Rupert's hand, and its muzzle smoked. But 
 Rupert was jammed against the wall, just by the 
 side of the mantelpiece. With one hand Rudolf had 
 pinned his left arm to the wainscoting higher than 
 his head, with the other he held his right wrist. I 
 drew slowly nearer: if Rudolf were unarmed, I 
 could fairly enforce a truce and put them on an 
 equality; yet, though Rudolf was unarmed, I did 
 nothing. The sight of his face stopped me. He 
 was very pale and his lips were set, but it was his 
 eyes that caught my gaze, for they were glad and 
 merciless. I had never seen him look thus before. 
 I turned from him to young Hentzau's face. Ru- 
 pert's teeth were biting his under lip, the sweat 
 dropped, and the veins swelled large and blue on 
 his forehead; his eyes were set on Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll. Fascinated, I drew nearer. Then I saw 
 what passed. Inch by inch Rupert's arm curved, 
 the elbqw bent, the hand that had pointed al- 
 most straight from him and at Mr. Rassendyll 
 pointed now away from both towards the window. 
 But its motion did not stop; it followed the line 
 of a circle: now it was on Rupert's arm; still it 
 moved, and quicker now, for the power of resist- 
 ance grew less. Rupert was beaten; he felt it and 
 knew it, and I read the knowledge in his eyes. I 
 stepped up to Rudolf Rassendyll. He heard or 
 felt me, and turned his eyes for an instant. I do 
 
32 2 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 not know what my face said, but he shook his head 
 and turned back to Rupert. The revolver, held 
 still in the man's own hand, was at his heart. The 
 motion ceased, the point was reached. 
 
 I looked again at Rupert. Now his face was 
 easier; there was a slight smile on his lips; he 
 flung back his comely head and rested thus against 
 the wainscoting; his eyes asked a question of Ru- 
 dolf Rassendyll. I turned my gaze to where the 
 answer was to come, for Rudolf made none in 
 words. By the swiftest of movements he shifted 
 his grasp from Rupert's wrist and pounced on his 
 hand. Now his forefinger rested on Rupert's and 
 Rupert's was on the trigger. I am no soft-heart, 
 but I laid a hand on his shoulder. He took no 
 heed; I dared do no more. Rupert glanced at 
 me. I caught his look, but what could I say to 
 him ? Again my eyes were riveted on Rudolf's 
 finger. Now it was crooked round Rupert's, seem- 
 ing like a man who strangles another. 
 
 I will not say more. He smiled to the last; his 
 proud head, which had never bent for shame, did 
 not bend for fear. There was a sudden tighten- 
 ing in the pressure of that crooked forefinger, a 
 flash, a noise. He was held up against the wall 
 for an instant by Rudolf's hand; when that was 
 removed he sank, a heap that looked all head and 
 knees. 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 3^3 
 
 But hot on the sound of the discharge came a 
 shout and an oath from Bernenstein. He was 
 hurled away from the door, and through it burst 
 Rischenheim and the whole score after him. They 
 were jostling one another and crying out to know 
 what passed and where the king was. High 
 over all the voices, coming from the back of the 
 throng, I heard the cry of the girl Rosa. But as 
 soon as they were in the room, the same spell that 
 had fastened Bernenstein and me to inactivity im- 
 posed its numbing power on them also. Only 
 Rischenheim gave a sudden sob and ran forward 
 to where his cousin lay. The rest stood staring. 
 For a moment Rudolf faced them. Then, with- 
 out a word, he turned his back. He put out the 
 right hand with which he had just killed Rupert 
 of Hentzau, and took the letter from the mantel- 
 piece. He glanced at the envelope, then he 
 opened the letter. The handwriting banished any 
 last doubt he had; he tore the letter across, and 
 again in four pieces, and yet again in smaller frag- 
 ments. Then he sprinkled the morsels of paper 
 into the blaze of the fire. I believe that every eye 
 in the room followed them and watched till they 
 curled and crinkled into black, wafery ashes. 
 Thus, at last, the queen's letter was safe. 
 
 When he had thus set the seal on his task he 
 turned round to us again. He paid no heed to 
 
324 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Rischenheim, who was crouching down by the 
 body of Rupert; but he looked at Bernenstein and 
 me, and then at the people behind us. He waited 
 a moment before he spoke; then his utterance was 
 not only calm but also very slow, so that he seemed 
 to be choosing his words carefully. 
 
 " Gentlemen," said he, " a full account of this 
 matter will be rendered by myself in due time. 
 For the present it must suffice to say that this 
 gentleman who lies here dead sought an interview 
 with me on private business. I came here to find 
 him, desiring, as he professed to desire, privacy. 
 And here he tried to kill me. The result of his at- 
 tempt you see." 
 
 I bowed low, Bernenstein did the like, and all 
 the rest followed our example. 
 
 " A full account shall be given," said Rudolf. 
 " Now let all leave me, except the Count of Tar- 
 lenheim and Lieutenant von Bernenstein." 
 
 Most unwillingly, with gaping mouths and 
 wonder-struck eyes, the throng filed out of the 
 door. Rischenheim rose to his feet. 
 
 " You stay, if you like," said Rudolf, and the 
 count knelt again by his kinsman. 
 
 Seeing the rough bedsteads by the wall of the 
 attic, I touched Rischenheim on the shoulder and 
 pointed to one of them. Together we lifted Ru- 
 pert of Hentzau. The revolver was still in his 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 3^5 
 
 hand, but Bernenstein disengaged it from his 
 grasp. Then Rischenheim and I laid him down, 
 disposing his body decently and spreading over it 
 his riding cloak, still spotted with the mud gath- 
 ered on his midnight expedition to the hunting- 
 lodge. His face looked much as before the shot 
 was fired; in death, as in life, he was the hand- 
 somest fellow in all Ruritania. I wager that many 
 tender hearts ached and many bright eyes were 
 dimmed for him when the news of his guilt and 
 death went forth. There are ladies still in Strel- 
 sau who wear his trinkets in an ashamed devotion 
 that cannot forget. Well, even I, who had every 
 good cause to hate and scorn him, set the hair 
 smooth on his brow; while Rischenheim w^s sob- 
 bing like a child, and young Bernenstein rested his 
 head on his arm as he leant on the mantelpiece, 
 and would not look at the dead. Rudolf alone 
 seemed not to heed him or think of him. His 
 eyes had lost their unnatural look of joy, and were 
 now calm and tranquil. He took his own revolver 
 from the mantelpiece and put it in his pocket, lay- 
 ing Rupert's neatly where his had been. Then he 
 turned to me and said: 
 
 " Come, let us go to the queen and tell her that 
 the letter is beyond reach of hurt." 
 
 Moved by some impulse, I walked to the win- 
 dow and put my head out. I was seen from below, 
 
326 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 and a great shout greeted me. The crowd before 
 the doors grew every moment; the people flock- 
 ing from all quarters would soon multiply it a hun- 
 dredfold; for such news as had been carried from 
 the attic by twenty wondering tongues spreads like 
 a forest-fire. It would be through Strelsau in a 
 few minutes, through the kingdom in an hour, 
 through Europe in but little longer. Rupert was 
 dead and the letter was safe, but what were we to 
 tell that great concourse concerning their king ? 
 A queer feeling of helpless perplexity came over 
 me and found vent in a foolish laugh. Bernen- 
 stein was by my side; he also looked out, and 
 turned again with an eager face. 
 
 " You'll have a royal progress to your palace," 
 said he to Rudolf Rassendyll. 
 
 Mr. Rassendyll made no answer, but, coming to 
 me, took my arm. We went out, leaving Risch- 
 enheim by the body. I did not think of him; 
 Bernenstein probably thought that he would keep 
 his pledge given to the queen, for he followed us 
 immediately and without demur. There was no- 
 body outside the door. The house was very quiet, 
 and the tumult from the street reached us only in a 
 muffled roar. But when we came to the foot of 
 the stairs we found the two women. Mother Holf 
 stood on the threshold of the kitchen, looking 
 amazed and terrified. Rosa was clinging to her; 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 3^7 
 
 but as soon as Rudolf came in sight, the girl 
 sprang forward and flung herself on her knees be- 
 fore him, pouring out incoherent thanks to Heaven 
 for his safety. He bent down and spoke to her in 
 a whisper; she looked up with a flush of pride on 
 her face. He seemed to hesitate a moment; he 
 glanced at his hands, but he wore no ring save that 
 which the queen had given him long ago. Then 
 he disengaged his chain and took his gold watch 
 from his pocket. Turning it over, he showed me 
 the monogram, R. R. 
 
 " Rudolfus Rex," he whispered with a whimsical 
 smile, and pressed the watch into the girl's hand, 
 saying: " Keep this to remind you of me." 
 
 She laughed and sobbed as she caught it with 
 one hand, while with the other she held his. 
 
 " You must let go," he said gently. " I have 
 much to do." 
 
 I took her by the arm and induced her to rise. 
 Rudolf, released, passed on to where the old 
 woman stood. He spoke to her in a stern, distinct 
 voice. 
 
 " I don't know," he said, " how far you are a 
 party to the plot that was hatched in your house. 
 For the present I am content not to know, 
 for it is no pleasure to me to detect disloyalty 
 or to punish an old woman. But take care ! 
 The first word you speak, the first act you do 
 
328 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 against me, the king, will bring its certain and 
 swift punishment. If you trouble me, I won't spare 
 you. In spite of traitors I am still king in Strel- 
 sau." 
 
 He paused, looking hard in her face. Her lip 
 quivered and her eyes fell. 
 
 " Yes," he repeated, " I am king in Strelsau. 
 Keep your hands out of mischief and your tongue 
 quiet." 
 
 She made no answer. He passed on. I was 
 following, but as I went by her the old woman 
 clutched my arm. 
 
 " In God's name, who is he ? " she whispered. 
 
 " Are you mad ? " I asked, lifting my brows. 
 " Don't you know the king when he speaks to 
 you ? And you'd best remember what he said. 
 He has servants who'll do his orders." 
 
 She let me go and fell back a step. Young Ber- 
 nenstein smiled at her; he at least found more 
 pleasure than anxiety in our position. Thus, then, 
 we left them : the old woman terrified, amazed, 
 doubtful; the girl with ruddy cheeks and shining 
 eyes, clasping in her two hands the keepsake that 
 the king himself had given her. 
 
 Bernenstein had more presence of mind than I. 
 He ran forward, got in front of both of us, and 
 flung the door open. Then, bowing very low, he 
 stood aside to let Rudolf pass. The street was full 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 3^9 
 
 from end to end now, and a mighty shout of wel- 
 come rose from thousands of throats. Hats and 
 handkerchiefs were waved in mad exultation and 
 triumphant loyalty. The tidings of the king's es- 
 cape had flashed through the city, and all were 
 there to do him honor. They had seized some 
 gentleman's landau and taken out the horses. The 
 carriage stood now before the doors of the house. 
 Rudolf had waited a moment on the threshold, lift- 
 ing his hat once or twice; his face was perfectly 
 calm, and I saw no trembling in his hands. In 
 an instant a dozen arms took gentle hold of him 
 and impelled him forward. He mounted into the 
 carriage; Bernenstein and I followed, with bare 
 heads, and sat on the back seat, facing him. The 
 people were round as thick as bees, and it seemed 
 as though we could not move without crushing 
 somebody. Yet presently the wheels turned, and 
 they began to drag us away at a slow walk. Rudolf 
 kept raising his hat, bowing now to right, now to 
 left. But once, as he turned, his eyes met ours. 
 In spite of what was behind and what was in front, 
 we all three smiled. 
 
 " I wish they'd go a little quicker," said Rudolf 
 in a whisper, as he conquered his smile and turned 
 again to acknowledge the loyal greetings of his 
 subjects. 
 
 But what did they know of any need for haste ? 
 
33° RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 They did not know what stood on the turn of the 
 next few hours, nor the momentous question that 
 pressed for instant decision. So far from hurrying, 
 they lengthened our ride by many pauses; they 
 kept us before the cathedral, while some ran and 
 got the joy bells set ringing; we were stopped to 
 receive improvised bouquets from the hands of 
 pretty girls and impetuous handshakings from en- 
 thusiastic loyalists. Through it all Rudolf kept his 
 composure, and seemed to play his part with native 
 kingliness. I heard Bernenstein whisper, " By 
 God, we must stick to it ! " 
 
 At last we came in sight of the palace. Here 
 also there was a great stir. Many officers and sol- 
 diers were about. I saw the chancellor's carriage 
 standing near the portico, and a dozen other hand- 
 some equipages were waiting till they could ap- 
 proach. Our human horses drew us slowly up to 
 the entrance. Helsing was on the steps, and ran 
 down to the carriage, greeting the king with pas- 
 sionate fervor. The shouts of the crowd grew 
 louder still. 
 
 But suddenly a stillness fell on them; it lasted 
 but an instant, and was the prelude to a deafening 
 roar. I was looking at Rudolf and saw his head 
 turn suddenly and his eyes grow bright. I looked 
 where his eyes had gone. There, on the top step of 
 *he broad marble flight, stood the queen, pale as 
 
GOD SAVE THE KING ! "—Page S31 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 33^ 
 
 the marble itself, stretching out her hands towards 
 Rudolf. The people had seen her : she it was 
 whom this last rapturous cheer greeted. My wife 
 stood close behind her, and farther back others of 
 her ladies. Bernenstein and I sprang out. With 
 a last salute to the people Rudolf followed us. He 
 walked up to the highest step but one, and there 
 fell on one knee and kissed the queen's hand. I 
 was by him, and when he looked up in her face I 
 heard him say : 
 
 "All's well. He's dead, and the letter 
 burnt." 
 
 She raised him with her hand. Her lips moved, 
 but it seemed as though she could find no words 
 to speak. She put her arm through his, and thus 
 they stood for an instant, fronting all Strelsau. 
 Again the cheers rang out, and young Bernen- 
 stein sprang forward, waving his helmet and cry- 
 ing like a man possessed, " God save the king ! " 
 I was carried away by his enthusiasm and followed 
 his lead. All the people took up the cry with 
 boundless fervor, and thus we all, high and low in 
 Strelsau, that afternoon hailed Mr. Rassendyll for 
 our king. There had been no such zeal since 
 Henry the Lion came back from his wars, a hun- 
 dred and fifty years ago. 
 
 " And yet," observed old Helsing at my elbow, 
 " agitators say that there is no enthusiasm for the 
 
33* RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 house of Elphberg ! " He took a pinch of snuff 
 in scornful satisfaction. 
 
 Young Bernenstein interrupted his cheering 
 with a short laugh, but fell to his task again in a 
 moment. I had recovered my senses by now, and 
 stood panting, looking down on the crowd. It 
 was growing dusk and the faces became blurred 
 into a white sea. Yet suddenly I seemed to dis- 
 cern one glaring up at me from the middle of the 
 crowd — the pale face of a man with a bandage 
 about his head. I caught Bernenstein's arm 
 and whispered, " Bauer," pointing with my finger 
 where the face was. But, even as I pointed, it was 
 gone; though it seemed impossible for a man 
 to move in that press, yet it was gone. It 
 had come like a cynic's warning across the 
 scene of mock triumph, and went swiftly as it 
 had come, leaving behind it a reminder of our 
 peril. I felt suddenly sick at heart, and almost 
 cried out to the people to have done with their 
 silly shouting. 
 
 At last we got away. The plea of fatigue met 
 all visitors who made their way to the door and 
 sought to offer their congratulations; it could not 
 disperse the crowd that hung persistently and con- 
 tentedly about, ringing us in the palace with a liv- 
 ing fence. We still heard their jests and cheers 
 when we were alone in the small saloon that opens 
 
THE TRIUMPH OP THE KING. 333 
 
 on the gardens. My wife and I had come here at 
 Rudolf's request; Bernenstein had assumed the 
 duty of guarding the door. Evening was now 
 falhng fast, and it grew dark. The garden was 
 quiet; the distant noise of the crowd threw its still- 
 ness into greater relief. Rudolf told us there the 
 story of his struggle with Rupert of Hentzau in the 
 attic of the old house, dwelling on it as lightly as 
 he could. The queen stood by his chair — she 
 would not let him rise; when he finished by telling 
 how he had burnt her letter, she stooped sud- 
 denly and kissed him on the brow. Then she 
 looked straight across at Helga, almost defiantly; 
 but Helga ran to her and caught her in her 
 arms. 
 
 Rudolf Rassendyll sat with his head resting on 
 his hand. He looked up once at the two women; 
 then he caught my eye, and beckoned me to come 
 to him. I approached him, but for several mo- 
 ments he did not speak. Again he motioned to 
 me, and, resting my hand on the arm of his chair, I 
 bent my head close down to his. He glanced 
 again at the queen, seeming afraid that she would 
 hear what he wished to say. 
 
 " Fritz," he wliispered at last, " as soon as it's 
 fairly dark I must get away. Bernenstein will come 
 with me. You must stay here." 
 
 " Where can you go ? " 
 
334 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " To the lodge. I must meet Sapt and arrange 
 matters with him." 
 
 I did not understand what plan he had in his 
 head, or what scheme he could contrive. But at 
 the moment my mind was not directed to such 
 matters; it was set on the sight before my eyes. 
 
 " And the queen ? " I whispered in answer to 
 him. 
 
 Low as my voice was, she heard it. She turned 
 to us with a sudden, startled movement, still hold- 
 ing Helga's hand. Her eyes searched our faces, 
 and she knew in an instant of what we had been 
 speaking. A little longer still she stood, gazing 
 at us. Then she suddenly sprang forward and 
 threw herself on her knees before Rudolf, her 
 hands uplifted and resting on his shoulders. She 
 forgot our presence, and everything in the world, 
 save her great dread of losing him again. 
 
 " Not again, Rudolf, my darling ! Not again ! 
 Rudolf, I can't bear it again." 
 
 Then she dropped her head on his knees and 
 sobbed. 
 
 He raised his hand and gently stroked the 
 gleaming hair. But he did not look at her. He 
 gazed out at the garden, which grew dark and 
 dreary in the gathering gloom. His lips were 
 tight set and his face pale and drawn. 
 
 I watched him for a moment, then I drew my 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF THE KING. 335 
 
 wife away, and we sat down at a table some way 
 off. From outside still came the cheers and tu- 
 mult of the joyful, excited crowd. Within there 
 was no sound but the queen's stifled sobbing. Ru- 
 dolf caressed her shining hair and gazed into the 
 night with sad, set eyes. 
 
 She raised her head and looked into his fac». 
 
 " You'll break my heart," she said. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 FOR OUR LOVE AND HER HONOR. 
 
 Rupert of Hentzau was dead ! That was the 
 thought which, among all our perplexities, came 
 back to me, carrying with it a wonderful relief. 
 To those who have not learnt in fighting against 
 him the height of his audacity and the reach of his 
 designs, it may well seem incredible that his death 
 should breed comfort at a moment when the future 
 was still so dark and uncertain. Yet to me it was 
 so great a thing that I could hardly bring myself 
 to the conviction that we had done with him. 
 True, he was dead; but could he not strike a blow 
 at us even from beyond the gulf ? 
 
 Such were the half-superstitious thoughts that 
 forced their way into my mind as I stood looking 
 out on the crowd which obstinately encircled the 
 front of the palace. I was alone; Rudolf was with 
 the queen, my wife was resting, Bernenstein had 
 sat down to a meal for which I could find no ap- 
 petite. By an effort I freed myself from my fan- 
 
 336 
 
FOR OUR LOVE AND HER HONOR. 337 
 
 cies and tried to concentrate my brain on the facts 
 of our position. We were ringed round with diffi- 
 culties. To solve them was beyond my power; 
 but I knew where my wish and longing lay. I had 
 no desire to find means by which Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll should escape unknown from Strelsau; the 
 king, although dead, be again in death the king, 
 and the queen be left desolate on her mournful 
 and solitary throne. It might be that a brain more 
 astute than mine could bring all this to pass. My 
 imagination would have none of it, but dwelt lov- 
 ingly on the reign of him who was now king in 
 Strelsau, declaring that to give the kingdom such 
 a ruler would be a splendid fraud, and prove a 
 stroke so bold as to defy detection. Against it 
 stood only the suspicions of Mother Holf — fear or 
 money would close her lips — and the knowledge of 
 Bauer; Bauer's mouth also could be shut, ay, and 
 should be before we were many days older. My 
 reverie led me far; I saw the future years unroll 
 before me in the fair record of a great king^s sover- 
 eignty. It seemed to me that by the violence and 
 bloodshed we had passed through, fate, for once 
 penitent, was but righting the mistake made when 
 Rudolf was not born a king. 
 
 For a long while I stood thus, musing and 
 dreaming; I was roused by the sound of the door 
 opening and closing; turning, I saw the queen. 
 
33^ RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 She was alone, and came towards me with timid 
 steps. She looked out for a moment on the square 
 and the people, but drew back suddenly in appar- 
 ent fear lest they should see her. Then she sat 
 down and turned her face towards mine. I read 
 in her ey«s something of the conflict of emotions 
 which possessed her; she seemed at once to depre- 
 cate my disapproval and to ask my sympathy; she 
 prayed me to be gentle to her fault and kind to her 
 happiness; self-reproach shadowed her joy, but the 
 golden gleam of it strayed through. I looked 
 eagerly at her; this would not have been her bear- 
 ing had she come from a last farewell; for the 
 radiance was there, however much dimmed by sor- 
 row and by fearfulness. 
 
 " Fritz," she began softly, " I am wicked — so 
 wicked. Won't God punish me for my glad- 
 ness ? " 
 
 I fear I paid little heed to her trouble, though I 
 can understand it well enough now. 
 
 " Gladness ? " I cried in a low voice. " Then 
 you've persuaded him ? " 
 
 She smiled at me for an instant. 
 
 " I mean, you've agreed ? " I stammered. 
 
 Her eyes again sought mine, and she said in a 
 whisper: 
 
 " Some day, not now. Oh, not now. Now 
 would be too much. But some day, Fritz, if God 
 
FOR OUR LOVE AND HER HONOR. 339 
 
 will not deal too hardly with me, I — I shall be his, 
 Fritz." 
 
 I was intent on my vision, not on hers. I 
 wanted him king; she did not care what he was, 
 so that he was hers, so that he should not leave 
 her. 
 
 " He'll take the throne," I cried triumphantly. 
 
 " No, no, no. Not the throne. He's going 
 away." 
 
 " Going away ! " I could not keep the dismay 
 out of my voice. 
 
 " Yes, now. But not — not for ever. It will be 
 long — oh, so long — but I can bear it, if I know 
 
 that at last " She stopped, still looking up at 
 
 me with eyes that implored pardon and sympathy. 
 
 " I don't understand," said I, bluntly, and, I fear, 
 gruffly, also. 
 
 "You were right," she said: "I did persuade 
 him. He wanted to go away again as he went 
 before. Ought I to have let him ? Yes, yes ! 
 But I couldn't. Fritz, hadn't I done enough ? 
 You don't know what I've endured. And I must 
 endure more still. For he will go now, and the 
 time will be very long. But, at last, we shall be 
 together. There is pity in God; we shall be to- 
 gether at last." 
 
 " If he goes now, how can he come back ? " 
 
 " He will not come back; I shall go to him. I 
 
34© RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 shall give up the throne and go to him, some day, 
 when I can be spared from here, when I've done 
 my — my work." 
 
 I was aghast at this shattering of my vision, yet 
 I could not be hard to her. I said nothing, but 
 took her hand and pressed it. 
 
 " You wanted him to be king ? " she whispered. 
 
 " With all my heart, madam," said I. 
 
 " He wouldn't, Fritz. No, and I shouldn't dare 
 to do that, either." 
 
 I fell back on the practical difficulties. 
 
 " But how can he go ? " I asked. 
 
 " I don't know. But he knows ; he has' a 
 plan." 
 
 We fell again into silence; her eyes grew more 
 calm, and seemed to look forward in patient hope 
 to the time when her happiness should come to 
 her. I felt like a man suddenly robbed of the ex- 
 altation of wine and sunk to dull apathy. 
 
 " I don't see how he can go," I said sullenly. 
 
 She did not answer me. A moment later the 
 door again opened. Rudolf came in, followed by 
 Bernenstein. Both wore riding-boots and cloaks. 
 I saw on Bernenstein's face just such a look of 
 disappointment as I knew must be on mine. Ru- 
 dolf seemed calm and even happy. He walked 
 straight up to the queen. 
 
 " The horses will be ready in a few minutes," he 
 
FOR OUR LOl^E AND HER HONOR. 341 
 
 said gently. Then, turning to me, he asked, " You 
 know what we're going to do, Fritz ? " 
 
 " Not I, sire," I answered, sulkily. 
 
 " Not I, sire! " he repeated, in a half-merry, half- 
 sad mockery. Then he came between Bernen- 
 stein and me and passed his arms through ours. 
 " You two villains ! " he said. " You two un- 
 scrupulous villains ! Here you are. as rough as 
 bears, because I won't be a thief ! Why have I 
 killed young Rupert and left you rogues alive ? " 
 
 I felt the friendly pressure of his hand on ttiy 
 arm. I could not answer him. With eveiy word 
 from his lips and every moment of his presence 
 my sorrow grew keener that he would not stay. 
 Bernenstein looked across at me and shrugged his 
 shoulders despairingly. Rudolf gave a little laugh. 
 
 " You won't forgive me for not being as great a 
 rogue, won't you ? " he asked. 
 
 Well, I found nothing to say, but I took my arm 
 out of his and clasped his hand. He gripped mine 
 hard. 
 
 "That's old Fritz!" he said; and he caught 
 hold of Bernenstein's hand, which the lieutenant 
 yielded with some reluctance. Now for the plan," 
 said he. " Bernenstein and I set out at once for 
 the lodges — ^yes, publicly, as publicly as we can. 
 I shall ride right through the people there, show- 
 ing myself to as many as will look at me, and 
 
342 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 letting it be known to everybody where I'm going. 
 We shall get there quite early to-morrow, before 
 it's light. There we shall find what you know. 
 We shall find Sapt, too, and he'll put the finishing 
 touches to our plan for us. Hullo, what's that ? " 
 
 There was a sudden fresh shouting from the 
 large crowd that still lingered outside the palace. 
 I ran to the window, and saw a commotion in the 
 midst of them. I flung the sash up. Then I heard 
 a well-known, loud, strident voice: 
 
 " Make way, you rascals, make way." 
 
 I turned round again, full of excitement. 
 
 " It's Sapt himself ! " I said. " He's riding like 
 mad through the crowd, and your servant's just 
 behind him." 
 
 " My God, what's happened ? Why have they 
 left the lodge ? " cried Bernenstein. 
 
 The queen looked up in startled alarm, and, 
 rising to her feet, came and passed her arm 
 through Rudolf's. Thus we all stood, listening to 
 the people good-naturedly cheering Sapt, whom 
 they had recognized, and bantering James, whom 
 they took for a servant of the constable's. 
 
 The minutes seemed very long as we waited in 
 utter perplexity, almost in consternation. The 
 same thought was in the mind of all of us, silently 
 imparted by one to another in the glances we ex- 
 changed. What could have brought' them from 
 
FOR OUR LOVE AND HER HONOR. 343 
 
 their guard of the great secret, save its discovery ? 
 They would never have left their post while the 
 fulfilment of their trust was possible. By some 
 mishap, soitne unforeseen chance, the king's body 
 must have been discovered. Then the king's death 
 was known, and the news of it might any moment 
 astonish and bewilder the city. 
 
 At last the door was flung open, and a servant 
 announced the Constable of Zenda. Sapt was cov- 
 ered with dust and mud, and James, who entered 
 close on his heels, was in no better plight. Evi- 
 dently they had ridden hard and furiously; indeed 
 they were still panting. Sapt, with a most perfunc- 
 tory bow to the queen, came straight to where Ru- 
 dolf stood. 
 
 " Is he dead ? " he asked, without preface. 
 
 " Yes, Rupert is dead," answered Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll: " I killed him." 
 
 " And the letter ? " 
 
 " I burnt it." 
 
 " And Rischenheim ? " 
 
 The queen struck in. 
 
 " The Count of Luzau-Rischenheim will say and 
 do nothing against me," she said. 
 
 Sapt lift-ed his brows a little. 
 
 " Well, and Bauer ? " he asked. 
 
 " Bauer's at large," I answered. 
 
 " Hum ! Well, it's only Bauer," said the con- 
 
344 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Stable, seeming tolerably well pleased. Then his 
 eyes fell on Rudolf and Bernenstein. He stretched 
 out his hand and pointed to their riding-boots. 
 " Whither away so late at night ? " he asked. 
 
 " First together to the lodge, to find you, then 
 I alone to the frontier," said Mr. Rassendyll. 
 
 " One thing at a time. The frontier will wait. 
 What does your Majesty want with me at the 
 lodge ? " 
 
 " I want so to contrive that I shall be no longer 
 your Majesty," said Rudolf. 
 
 Sapt flung himself into a chair and took off his 
 gloves. 
 
 " Come, tell me what hcis happened to-day in 
 Strelsau," he said. 
 
 We gave a short and hurried account. He lis- 
 tened with few signs of approval or disapproval, 
 but I thought I saw a gleam in his eyes w'hen I 
 described how all the city had hailed Rudolf as its 
 king and the queen received him as her husband 
 before the eyes of all. Again the hope and vision, 
 shattered by Rudolf's calm resolution, inspired me. 
 Sapt said little, but he had the air of a man with 
 some news in reserve. He seemed to be compar- 
 ing what we told him with something already 
 known to him but unknown to us. The little ser- 
 vant stood all the while in respectful stillness by 
 the door; but I could see by a glance at his alert 
 
FOR OUR LOyE AND HER HONOR. 345 
 
 face that he followed the whole scene with keen 
 attention. 
 
 At the end of the story, Rudolf turned to Sapt. 
 
 " And your secret — is it safe ? " he asked. 
 
 " Ay, it's safe enough ! " 
 
 " Nobody has seen what you had to hide ? " 
 
 " No; and nobody knows that the king is dead," 
 answered Sapt. 
 
 " Then what brings you here ? " 
 
 " Why, the same thing that was about to bring 
 you to the lodge: the need of a meeting between 
 yourself and me, sire." 
 
 " But the lodge — is it left unguarded ? " 
 
 " The lodge is safe enough," said Colonel Sapt. 
 
 Unquestionably there was a secret, a new secret, 
 hidden behind the curt words and brusque man- 
 ner. I could restrain myself no longer, and 
 sprang forward, saying: "What is it? Tell us. 
 Constable ! " 
 
 He looked at me, then glanced at Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll. 
 
 " I should like to hear your plan first," he said 
 to Rudolf. " How do you mean to account for 
 your presence alive in the city to-day, when the 
 king has lain dead in the shooting-box since last 
 night ? " 
 
 We drew close together as Rudolf began his 
 answer. Sapt alone lay back in his chair. The 
 
346 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 queen also had resumed her seat; she seemed to 
 pay little heed to what we said. I think that she 
 was still engrossed with the struggle and tumult 
 in her own soul. The sin of which she accused her- 
 self, and the joy to which her whole being sprang 
 in a greeting which would not be abashed, were at 
 strife between themselves, but joined hands to ex- 
 clude from her mind any other thought. 
 
 " In an hour I must be gone from here," began 
 Rudolf. 
 
 " If you wish that, it's easy," observed Colonel 
 Sapt. 
 
 " Come, Sapt, be reasonable," smiled Mr. 
 Rassendyll. " Early to-morrow, we — ^you and 
 I—" 
 
 " Oh, I also ? " asked the colonel. 
 
 "Yes; you, Bernenstein, and I will be at the 
 lodge." 
 
 " That's not impossible, though I have had 
 nearly enough riding." 
 
 Rudolf fixed his eyes firmly on Sapt's. 
 
 " You see," he said, " the king reaches his hunt- 
 ing-lodge early in the morning." 
 
 " I follow you, sire." 
 
 " And what happens there, Sapt ? Does he 
 shoot himself accidentally ? " 
 
 " Well, that happens sometimes." 
 
 " Or does an assassin kill him ? " 
 
FOR OUR LOi^E /1ND HER HONOR. 347 
 
 " Eh, but you've made the best assassin unavail- 
 able." 
 
 Even at this moment I could not help smiling 
 at the old fellow's surly wit and Rudolf's amused 
 tolerance of it. 
 
 " Or does his faithful attendant, Herbert, shoot 
 him ? " 
 
 " What, make poor Herbert a murderer ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ! By accident — and then, in remorse, 
 kill himself." 
 
 " That's very pretty. But doctors have awk- 
 ward views as to when a man can have shot him- 
 self." 
 
 " My good Constable, doctors have palms as 
 well as ideas. If you fill the one you supply the 
 other." 
 
 " I think," said Sapt, " that both the plans are 
 good. Suppose we choose the latter, what then ? " 
 
 " Why, then, by to-morrow at midday the news 
 flashes through Ruritania — yes, and through 
 Europe — that the king, miraculously preserved to- 
 day " 
 
 " Praise be to God ! " interjected Colonel Sapt; 
 and young Bernenstein laughed. 
 
 " Has met a tragic end." 
 
 " It will occasion great grief," said Sapt. 
 
 " Meanwhile, I am safe over the frontier." 
 
 " Oh, you are quite safe ? " 
 
348 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " Absolutely. And in the afternoon of to-mor- 
 row, you and Bernenstein will set out for Strelsau, 
 bringing with you the body of the king." And 
 Rudolf, after a pause, whispered, " You must shave 
 his face. And if the doctors want to talk about 
 how long he's been dead, why, they have, as I say, 
 palms." 
 
 Sapt sat silent for a while, apparently consider- 
 ing the scheme. It was risky enough in all con- 
 science, but success had made Rudolf bold, and he 
 had learnt how slow suspicion is if a deception be 
 bold enough. It is only likely frauds that are de- 
 tected. 
 
 " Well, what do you say ? " asked Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll. I observed that he said nothing to Sapt of 
 what the queen and he had determined to do after- 
 wards. 
 
 Sapt wrinkled his forehead. I saw him glance at 
 James, and the slightest, briefest smile showed on 
 James's face. 
 
 " It's dangerous, of course," pursued Rudolf. 
 " But I believe that when they see the king's 
 body " 
 
 "That's the point," interrupted Sapt. "They 
 can't see the king's body." 
 
 Rudolf looked at him with some surprise. Then 
 speaking in a low voice, lest the queen should 
 hear and be distressed, he went on: "You must 
 
FOR OUR LOyE AND HER HONOR. 349 
 
 prepare it, you know. Bring it here in a shell ; 
 only a few officials need see the face." 
 
 Sapt rose to his feet and stood facing Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll. 
 
 " The plan's a pretty one, but it breaks down at 
 one point," said he in a strange voice, even harsher 
 than his was wont to be. I was on fire with excite- 
 ment, for I would have staked my life now that he 
 had some strange tidings for us. " There is no 
 body," said he. 
 
 Even Mr. Rassendyll's composure gave way. 
 He sprang forward, catching Sapt by the arm. 
 
 " No body ? What do you mean ? " he ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 Sapt cast another glance at James, and then be- 
 gan in an even, mechanical voice, as though he 
 were reading a lesson he had learnt, or playing a 
 part that habit made familiar : 
 
 "That poor fellow Herbert carelessly left a candle 
 burning where the oil and the wood were kept," 
 he said. " This afternoon, about six, James and I 
 lay down for a nap after our meal. At about seven 
 James came to my side and roused me. My 
 room was full of smoke. The lodge was ablaze. 
 I darted out of bed: the fire had made too much 
 headway; we could not hope to quench it; we had 
 
 but one thought " He suddenly paused, and 
 
 looked at James. 
 
350 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " But one thought, to save our companion," 
 said James gravely. 
 
 " But one thought, to save our companion. We 
 rushed to the door of the room where he was. I 
 opened the door and tried to enter. It was certain 
 death. James tried, but fell back. Again I rushed 
 in. James pulled me back: it was but another 
 death. We had to save ourselves. We gained the 
 open air. The lodge was a sfheet of flame. We 
 could do nothing but stand watching, till the 
 swiftly burning wood blackened to ashes and the 
 flames died doAvn. As we watched we knew that 
 all in the cottage must be dead. What could we 
 do ? At last James started oflf in the hope of get- 
 ting help. He found a party of charcoal-burners, 
 and they came with him. The flames were burnt 
 down now; and we and they approached the 
 charred ruins. Everything was in ashes. But " 
 — he lowered his voice — " we found what seemed 
 to be the body of Boris the hound; in another 
 room was a charred corpse, whose hunting-horn, 
 melted to a molten mass, told us that it had been 
 Herbert the forester. And there was another 
 corpse, almost shapeless, utterly unrecognizable. 
 We saw it; the charcoal-burners saw it. Then 
 more peasants came round, drawn by the sight of 
 the flames. None could tell who it was; only I 
 and James knew. And we mounted our horses 
 and have ridden here to tell the king." 
 
FOR OUR LOyE AND HER HONOR. 35 ^ 
 
 Sapt finished his lesson or his story. A sob 
 burst from the queen, and she hid her face in her 
 hands. Bernenstein and I, amazed at this strange 
 tale, scarcely understanding whether it were jest 
 or earnest, stood staring stupidly at Sapt. Then I, 
 overcome by the strange thing, turned half-foolish 
 by the bizarre mingling of comedy and impressive- 
 ness in Sapt's rendering of it, plucked him by the 
 sleeve, and asked, with something between a laugh 
 and a gasp: 
 
 " Who had that other corpse been, Consta- 
 ble ? " 
 
 He turned his small, keen eyes on me in per- 
 sistent gpravity and unflinching effrontery. 
 
 " A Mr. Rassendyll, a friend of the king's, who 
 with his servant James was awaiting his Majesty's 
 return from Strelsau. His servant here is ready 
 to start for England, to tell Mr. Rassendyll's rela- 
 tives the news." 
 
 The queen had begun to listen before now; her 
 eyes were fixed on Sapt, and she had stretched 
 out one arm to him, as if imploring him to read 
 her his riddle. But a few words had in truth de- 
 clared his device plainly enough in all its simplic- 
 ity- Rudolf Rassendyll was dead, his body burnt 
 to a cinder, and the king was alive, whole, and on 
 his throne in Strelsau. Thus had Sapt caught 
 from James, the servant, the infection of his mad- 
 ness, and had fulfilled in action the strange imag- 
 
352 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 ination which the little man had unfolded to him in 
 order to pass their idle hours at the lodge. 
 
 Suddenly Mr. Rassendyll spoke in clear, short 
 tones. 
 
 " This is all a lie, Sapt," said he, and his lips 
 curled in contemptuous amusement. 
 
 " It's no lie that the lodge is burnt, and the 
 bodies in it, and that half a hundred of the peas- 
 ants know it, and that no man could tell the body 
 for the king's. As for the rest, it is a lie. But I 
 think the truth in it is enough to serve." 
 
 The two men stood facing one another with de- 
 fiant eyes. Rudolf had caught the meaning of the 
 great and audacious trick which Sapt and his com- 
 panion had played. It was impossible now to 
 bring the king's body to Strelsau; it seemed no 
 less impossible to declare that the man burnt in 
 the lodge was the king. Thus Sapt had forced 
 Rudolf's hand; he had been inspired by the same 
 vision as we, and endowed with more unshrinking 
 boldness. But when I saw how Rudolf looked at 
 him, I did not know but that they would go from 
 the queen's presence set on a deadly quarrel. Mr. 
 Rassendyll, however, mastered his temper. 
 
 " You're all bent on having me a rascal," he said 
 coldly. " Fritz and Bernenstein here urge me; 
 you, Sapt, try to force me. James, there, is in the 
 plot, for all I know," 
 
FOR OUR LOyE AND HER HONOR. 353 
 
 " I suggested it, sir," said James, not defiantly 
 or with disrespect, but as if in simple dutiful obedi- 
 ence to his master's implied question. 
 
 " As I thought — all of you ! Well, I won't be 
 forced. I see now that there's no way out of thij 
 affair, save one. That one I'll follow." 
 
 We none of us spoke, but waited till he should 
 be pleased to continue. 
 
 " Of the queen's letter I need say nothing and 
 will say nothing," he pursued. " But I will tell 
 them that I'm not the king, but Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll, and that I played the king only in order to 
 serve the queen and punish Rupert of Hentzau. 
 That will serve, and it will cut this net of Sapt's 
 from about my limbs." 
 
 He spoke firmly and coldly; so that when I 
 looked at him I was amazed to see how his lips 
 twitched and that his forehead was moist with 
 sweat. Then I understood what a sudden, swift, 
 and fearful struggle he had suffered, and how the 
 great temptation had wrung and tortured him be- 
 fore he, victorious, had set the thing behind him. 
 I went to him and clasped his hand: this action of 
 mine seemed to soften him. 
 
 " Sapt, Sapt," he said, " you almost made a 
 rogue of me ! " 
 
 Sapt did not respond to his gentler mood. He 
 had been pacing angrily up and down the room. 
 
354 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Now he stopped abruptly before Rudolf, and 
 pointed with his finger at the queen. 
 
 " I make a rogue of you ? " he exclaimed. 
 " And what do you make of our queen, whom we 
 all serve ? What does this truth that you'll tell 
 make of her ? Haven't I heard how she greeted 
 you before all Strelsau as her husband and her 
 love ? Will they believe that she didn't know her 
 husband ? Ay, you may show yourself, you may 
 say they didn't know you. Will they believe she 
 didn't ? Was the king's ring on your finger ? 
 Where is it ? And how comes Mr. Rassendyll to 
 be at Fritz von Tarlenheim's for hours with the 
 queen, when the king is at his hunting-lodge ? 
 A king has died already, and two men besides, to 
 save a word against her. And you — ^you'll be 
 the man to set every tongue in Strelsau talk- 
 ing, and every finger pointing in suspicion at 
 her ! " 
 
 Rudolf made no answer. When Sapt had first 
 uttered the queen's name, he had drawn near and 
 let his hand fall over the back of her chair. She 
 put hers up to meet it, and so they remained. But 
 I saw that Rudolf's face had gone very pale. 
 
 " And we, your friends ? " pursued Sapt. " For 
 we've stood by you as we've stood by the queen, 
 by God we have — Fritz, and young Bernenstein 
 here, and I. If this truth's told, who'll believe 
 
FOR OUR LOVE AND HER HONOR. 355 
 
 that we were loyal to the king, that we didn't 
 know, that we weren't accomplices in the tricking 
 of the king — maybe, in his murder ? Ah, Rudolf 
 Rassendyll, God preserve me from a conscience 
 that won't let me be true to the woman I love, or 
 to the friends who love me ! " 
 
 I had never seen the old fellow so moved; he 
 carried me with him, as he carried Bernenstein. 
 I know now that we were too ready to be con- 
 vinced; rather that, borne along by our passionate 
 desire, we needed no convincing at all. His .ex- 
 cited appeal seemed to us an argument. At least 
 the danger to the queen, on which he dwelt, was 
 real and true and great. 
 
 Then a sudden change came over him. He 
 caught Rudolf's hand and spoke to him again in 
 a low, broken voice, an unwonted softness trans- 
 forming his harsh tones. 
 
 " Lad," he said, " don't say no. Here's the 
 finest lady alive sick for her lover, and the finest 
 country in the world sick for its true king, and 
 the best friends — ay, by Heaven, the best friends — 
 man ever had, sick to call you master. I know 
 nothing about your conscience; but this I know: 
 the king's dead, and the place is empty; and I 
 don't see what Almighty God sent you here for 
 unless it was to fill it. Come, lad — for our love 
 and her honor ! While he was alive I'd have killed 
 
35^ RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 you sooner than let you take it. He's dead. Now 
 — for our love and her honor, lad ! " 
 
 I do not know what thoughts passed in Mr. Ras- 
 sendyll's mind. His face was set and rigid. He 
 made no sign when Sapt finished, but stood as he 
 was, motionless, for a long while. Then he slowly 
 bent his head and looked down into the queen's 
 eyes. For a while she sat looking back into his. 
 Then, carried away by the wild hope of immediate 
 joy, and by her love for him and her pride in the 
 place he was offered, she sprang up and threw her- 
 self at his feet, crying: 
 
 " Yes, yes ! For my sake, Rudolf — for my 
 sake ! " 
 
 " Are you, too, against me, my queen ? " he 
 murmured, caressing her ruddy hair. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE DECISION OF HEAVEN. 
 
 We were half mad that night, Sapt and Bernen- 
 stein and I. The thing seemed to have got into 
 our blood and to have become part of ourselves. 
 For us it was inevitable — nay, it was done. Sapt 
 busied himself in preparing the account of the fire 
 at the hunting-lodge; it was to be communicated 
 to the journals, and it told with much circumstan- 
 tiality how Rudolf Rassendyll had come to visit 
 the king, with James his servant, and, the king 
 being summoned unexpectedly to the capital, had 
 been awaiting his Majesty's return when he met his 
 fate. There was a short history of Rudolf, a glanc- 
 ing reference to his family, a dignified expression 
 of condolence with his relatives, to whom the king 
 was sending messages of deepest regret by the 
 hands of Mr. Rassendyll's servant. At another table 
 young Bemenstein was drawing up, under the con- 
 stable's direction, a narrative of Rupert of Hent- 
 zau's attempt on the king's life and the king's 
 courage in defending himself. The count, eager 
 
 357 
 
3S8 RUPERT OF HENTZMU. 
 
 to return (so it ran), had persuaded the king to 
 meet him by declaring that he held a state-docu- 
 ment of great importance and of a most secret na- 
 ture; the king, with his habitual fearlessness, had 
 gone alone, but only to refuse with scorn Count 
 Rupert's terms. Enraged at this unfavorable re- 
 ception, the audacious criminal had made a sudden 
 attack on the king, with what issue all knew. 
 He had met his own death, while the king, per- 
 ceiving from a glance at the document that it com- 
 promised well known persons, had, with the 
 nobility which marked him, destroyed it unread 
 before the eyes of those who were rushing in to his 
 rescue. I supplied suggestions and improvements; 
 and, engrossed in contriving how to blind curious 
 eyes, we forgot the real and permanent difficulties 
 of the thing we had resolved upon. For us they 
 did not exist ; Sapt met every objection by declar- 
 ing that the thing had been done once and could 
 be done again. Bernenstein and I were not behind 
 him in confidence. We would guard the secret 
 with brain and hand and life, even as we had 
 guarded and kept the secret of the queen's letter, 
 which would now go with Rupert of Hentzau to 
 his grave. Bauer we could catch and silence: nay, 
 who would listen to such a tale from such a man ? 
 Rischenheim was ours; the old woman would keep 
 her doubts between her teeth for her own sake. 
 
THE DECISION OF HEAl^EN. 359 
 
 To his own land and his own people Rudolf must 
 be dead, while the King of Ruritania would stand 
 before all Europe, recognized, unquestioned, un- 
 assailed. True, he must marry the queen again; 
 Sapt was ready with the means, and would hear 
 nothing of the difficulty and risk in finding a hand 
 to perform the necessary ceremony. If we quailed 
 in our courage, we had but to look at the alterna- 
 tive, and find recompense for the perils of what we 
 meant to undertake by a consideration of the des- 
 perate risk involved in abandoning it. Persuaded 
 that the substitution of Rudolf for the king was the 
 only thing which would serve our turn, we asked 
 no longer whether it were possible, but sought 
 only the means to make it safe and yet more safe. 
 
 But Rudolf himself had not spoken. Sapt's ap- 
 peal and the queen's imploring cry had shaken but 
 not overcome him; he had wavered, but he was 
 not won. Yet there was no talk of impossibility 
 or peril in his mouth, any more than in ours: those 
 were not what gave him pause. The score on which 
 he hesitated was whether the thing should be done, 
 not whether it could ; our appeals were not to brace 
 a failing courage, but to cajole a sturdy sense of 
 honor which found the imposture distasteful so 
 soon as it seemed to serve a personal end. To save 
 the king he had played the king in old days, but he 
 did not love to play the king when the profit of it 
 
360 RUPERT OF HENTZ/tU. 
 
 was to be his own. Hence he was unmoved till 
 his care for the fair fame of the queen and the love 
 of his friends joined to buffet his resolution. Then 
 he faltered; but he had not fallen. Yet Colonel 
 Sapt did all as though he 'had given his assent, and 
 watched the last hours in which his flight from 
 Strelsau was possible go quickly by with more 
 than equanimity. Why hurry Rudolf's resolve ? 
 Every moment sliut him closer in the trap of an in- 
 evitable choice. With every hour that he was call«i 
 the king, it became more impossible for him to 
 bear any other name all his days. Therefore Sapt 
 let Mr. Rassendyll doubt and struggle, while he 
 himself wrote his story and laid his long-headed 
 plans. And now and then James, the little servant, 
 came in and went out, sedate and smug, but with 
 a quiet satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. He had 
 made a story for a pastime, and it was being trans- 
 lated into history. He at least would bear his part 
 in it unflinchingly. 
 
 Before now the queen had left us, persuaded to 
 lie down and try to rest till the matter should be 
 settled. Stilled by Rudolf's gentle rebuke, she had 
 urged him no more in words, but there was an en- 
 treaty in her eyes stronger than any spoken prayer, 
 and a piteousness in the lingering of her hand in 
 his harder to resist than ten thousand sad peti- 
 tions. At last he had led her from the room and 
 
THE DECISION OF HEAyEN. 361 
 
 commended her to Helga's care. Then, returning 
 to us, he stood silent a little while. We also were 
 silent, Sapt sitting and looking up at him with his 
 brows knit and his teeth restlessly chewing the 
 moustache on 'his lip. 
 
 " Well, lad ? " he said at last, briefly putting the 
 great question. 
 
 Rudolf walked to the window and seemed to 
 lose himself for a moment in the contemplation of 
 the quiet night. There were no more than a few 
 stragglers in the street now; the moon shone 
 white and clear on the empty square. 
 
 " I should like to walk up and down outside 
 and think it over," he said, turning to us; and, as 
 Bernenstein sprang up to accompany him, he 
 added, " No. Alone." 
 
 " Yes, do," said old Sapt, with a glance at the 
 clock, whose hands were now hard on two o'clock. 
 " Take your time, lad, take your time." 
 
 Rudolf looked at him and broke into a smile. 
 
 " I'm not your dupe, old Sapt," said he, shaking 
 his head. " Trust me, if I decide to get away, I'll 
 get away, be it what o'clock it will." 
 
 " Yes, confound you ! " grinned Colonel Sapt. 
 
 So he left us, and then came that long time of 
 scheming and planning, and most persistent eye- 
 shutting, in which occupations an hour wore its 
 life away; Rudolf had not passed out of the porch. 
 
362 RUPERT OF HENTZj4U. 
 
 and we supposed that he had betaken himself to 
 the gardens, there to fig'ht his battle. Old Sapt, 
 having done his work, suddenly turned talkative. 
 
 " That moon there," he said, pointing his square, 
 thick forefinger at the window, " is a mighty un- 
 trustworthy lady. I've known her wake a villain's 
 conscience before now." 
 
 " I've known her send a lover's to sleep," 
 laughed young Bernenstein, rising from his table, 
 stretching himself, and lighting a cigar. 
 
 " Ay, she's apt to take a man out of wliat he is," 
 pursued old Sapt. " Set a quiet man near her, and 
 he dreams of battle; an ambitious fellow, after ten 
 minutes of her, will ask nothing better than to 
 muse all his life away. I don't trust her, Fritz; I 
 wish the night were dark." 
 
 " What will she do to Rudolf Rassendyll ? " I 
 asked, falling in with the old fellow's whimsical 
 mood. 
 
 " He will see the queen's face in hers," cried Ber- 
 nenstein. 
 
 " He may see God's," said Sapt; and he shook 
 himself as thougli an unwelcome thought had 
 found its way to his mind and lips. 
 
 A pause fell on us, born of the colonel's last re- 
 mark. We looked one another in the face. At 
 last Sapt brought his hand down on the table with 
 a bang. 
 
THE DECISION OF HE/iyEN. 2,^3 
 
 " I'll not go back," he said sullenly, almost 
 fiercely. 
 
 " Nor I," said Bernenstein, drawing himself up. 
 " Nor you, Tarlenheim ? " 
 
 " No, I also go on," I answered. Then again 
 there was a moment's silence. 
 
 " She may make a man soft as a sponge," re- 
 flected Sapt, starting again, "or hard as a bar of 
 steel. I should feel safer if the night were dark. 
 I've looked at her often from my tent and from 
 bare ground, and I know her. She got me a 
 decoration, and once sihe came near to making me 
 turn tail. Have nothing to do with her, young 
 Bernenstein." 
 
 " I'll keep my eyes for beauties nearer at hand," 
 said Bernenstein, whose volatile temper soon 
 threw ofif a serious mood. 
 
 " There's a chance for you, now Rupert of Hent- 
 zau's gone," said Sapt grimly. 
 
 As he spoke there was a knock at the door. 
 When it opened James entered. 
 
 " The Count of Luzau-Rischenheim begs to be 
 allowed to speak with the king," said James. 
 
 " We expect his Majesty every moment. Beg 
 the count to enter," Sapt answered ; and, when 
 Rischenheim came in, he went on, motioning the 
 count to a chair: "We are talking, my lord, of 
 the influence of the moon on the careers of men." 
 
364 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 " What are you going to do ? What have you 
 decided ? " burst out Rischenheim impatiently. 
 
 " We decide nothing," answered Sapt. 
 
 " Then what has Mr. — what has the king de- 
 cided ? " 
 
 " The king decides nothing, my lord. She de- 
 cides," and the old fellow pointed again through 
 the window towards the moon. " At this moment 
 she makes or unmakes a king; but I can't tell you 
 which. What of your cousin ? " 
 
 " You know that my cousin's dead." 
 
 " Yes, I know that. What of him, though ? " 
 
 " Sir," said Rischenheim with some dignity, 
 " since he is dead, let him rest in peace. It is not 
 for us to judge him." 
 
 " He may well wish it were. For, by Heaven, 
 I believe I should let the rogue ofif," said Colonel 
 Sapt, " and I don't think his Judge will." 
 
 " God forgive him, I loved him," said Rischen- 
 heim. " Yes, and many have loved him. His 
 servants loved him, sir." 
 
 " Friend Bauer, for example ? " 
 
 " Yes, Bauer loved him. Where is Bauer ? " 
 
 " I hope he's gone to hell with his loved master," 
 grunted Sapt, but he had the grace to lower his 
 voice and shield his mouth with his hand, so that 
 Rischenheim did not hear. 
 
 " We don't know where he is," I answered. 
 
THE DECISION Oh HE/iVEN. 365 
 
 " I am come," said Rischenheim, " to put my 
 services in all respects at the queen's disposal." 
 
 " And at the king's ? " asked Sapt. 
 
 " At the king's ? But the king is dead." 
 
 " Therefore ' Long live the king ! ' " struck in 
 young Bernenstein. 
 
 " If there should be a king — " began Sapt. 
 
 " You'll do that ? " interrupted Rischenheim in 
 breathless agitation. 
 
 " She is deciding," said Colonel Sapt, and again 
 he pointed to the moon. 
 
 " But she's a plaguey long time about it," re- 
 marked Lieutenant von Bernenstein. 
 
 Rischenheim sat silent for a moment. His face 
 was pale, and when he spoke his voice trembled. 
 But his words were resolute enough. 
 
 " I gave my honor to the queen, and even in that 
 I will serve her if she commands me." 
 
 Bernenstein sprang forward and caught him by 
 the hand. 
 
 " That's what I like," said he, " and damn the 
 moon, colonel ! " 
 
 His sentence was hardly out of his mouth when 
 the door opened, and to our astonishment the 
 queen entered. Helga was just behind her; her 
 clasped hands and frightened eyes seemed to pro- 
 test that their coming was against her will. The 
 queen was clad in a long white robe, and her hair 
 
366 RUPERT OF HBNTZAU. 
 
 hung on her shoulders, being but loosely bound 
 with a ribbon. Her air showed great agitation, 
 and without any greeting or notice of the rest she 
 walked quickly across the room to me. 
 
 " The dream, Fritz," she said. " It has come 
 again. Helga persuaded me to lie down, and I 
 was very tired, so at last I fell asleep. Then it 
 came. I saw him, Fritz — I saw him as plainly as 
 I see you. They all called him king, as they did 
 to-day; but they did not cheer. They were quiet, 
 and looked at him with sad faces. I could not 
 hear what they said ; they spoke in hushed voices. 
 I heard nothing more than ' the king, the king,' 
 and he seemed to hear not even that. He lay still; 
 he was lying on something, something covered 
 with hanging stuff, I couldn't see what it was ; yes, 
 quite still. His face was so pale, and he didn't 
 hear them say ' the king.' Fritz, Fritz, he looked 
 as if he were dead ! Where is he ? Where have 
 you let him go ? " 
 
 She turned from me and her eyes flashed over 
 the rest. 
 
 "Where is he? Why aren't you with him ?" she 
 demanded, with a sudden change of tone; " why 
 aren't you round him ? You should be be- 
 tween him and danger, ready to give your lives 
 for his. Indeed, gentlemen, you take your duty 
 lightly." 
 
THE DECISION OF HEAyEN. 3^7 
 
 It mig-ht be that there was Httle reason in her 
 words. There appeared to be no danger threaten- 
 ing him, and after all he was not our king, much as 
 •we desired to make him such. Yet we did not 
 think of any such matter. We were abashed be- 
 fore her reproof and took her indignation as de- 
 served. We hyng our heads, and Sapt's shame 
 betrayed itself in the dogged sullenness of his 
 answer. 
 
 " He has chosen to go walking, madam, and to 
 go alone. He ordered us — I say, he ordered us 
 not to come. Surely we are right to obey him ? " 
 The sarcastic inflection of his voice conveyed his 
 opinion of the queen's extravagance. 
 
 " Obey him ? Yes. You couldn't go with him 
 if he forbade you. But you should follow him; 
 you should keep him in sight." 
 
 This much she spoke in proud tones and with a 
 disdainful manner, but then came a sudden return 
 to her former bearing. She held out her hands 
 towards me, wailing: 
 
 " Fritz, where is he ? Is he safe ? Find him for 
 me, Fritz; find him." 
 
 "I'll find him for you if he's above ground, 
 madam," I cried, for her appeal touched me to the 
 heart. 
 
 "He's no farther off than the gardens," 
 grumbled old Sapt, still resentful of the queen's 
 
368 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 reproof and scornful of the woman's agitation. 
 He was also out of temper with Rudolf himself, 
 because the moon took so long in deciding 
 whether she would make or unmake a king. 
 
 " The gardens ! " she cried. " Then let us look 
 for him. Oh, you've let him walk in the gardens 
 alone ? " 
 
 " What sliould harm the fellow ? " muttered 
 Sapt. 
 
 She did not hear him, for she had swept out of 
 the room. Helga went with her, and we all fol- 
 lowed, Sapt behind the rest of us, still very surly. 
 I heard him grumbling away as we ran downstairs, 
 and, having passed along the great corridor, came 
 to the small saloon that opened on the gardens. 
 There were no servants about, but we encountered 
 a night-watchman, and Bernenstein snatched the 
 lantern from the astonished man's hand. 
 
 Save for the dim light thus furnished, the room 
 was dark. But outside the windows the moon 
 streamed brightly down on the broad gravel walk, 
 on the formal flower-beds, and the great trees in 
 the gardens. The queen made straight for the 
 window. I followed her, and, having flung the 
 window open, stood by her. The air was sweet, 
 and the breeze struck with grateful coolness on my 
 face. I saw that Sapt had come near and stood 
 on the other side of the queen. My wife and the 
 
THE DECISION OF HE/tyEN. 3^9 
 
 others were behind, looking out where our shoul- 
 ders left space. 
 
 There, in the bright moonlight, on the far side 
 of the broad terrace, close by the line of tall trees 
 that fringed its edge, we saw Rudolf Rassendyll 
 pacing slowly up and down, with his hands behind 
 his back and his eyes fixed on the arbiter of his fate, 
 on her who was to make him a king or send him a 
 fugitive from Strelsau. 
 
 " There he is, madam," said Sapt. " Safe 
 enough ! " 
 
 The queen did not answer. Sapt said no more, 
 and of the rest of us none spoke. We stood watching 
 him as he struggled with his great issue ; a greater 
 surely has seldom fallen to the lot of any man born 
 in a private station. Yet I could read little of it on 
 the face that the rays of white light displayed so 
 clearly, although they turned his healthy tints to a 
 dull gray, and gave unnatural sharpness to his 
 features against the deep background of black 
 foliage. 
 
 I heard the queen's quick breathing, but there 
 was scarcely another sound. I saw her clutch her 
 gown and pull it away a little from her throat; 
 save for that none in the group moved. The lan- 
 tern's light was too dim to force notice from Mr. 
 Rassendyll. Unconscious of our presence, he 
 wrestled with fate that night in the gardens. 
 
3?o RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Suddenly the faintest exclamation came from 
 Sapt. He put his hand back and 'beckoned to 
 Bernenstein. The young man handed his lantern 
 to the constable, who set it close to the side of the 
 window-frame. The queen, absolutely engrossed 
 in her lover, saw nothing, but I perceived what had 
 caught Sapt's attention. There were scores on the 
 paint and indentations in the wood, just at the 
 edge of the panel and near the lock. I glanced 
 at Sapt, who nodded his head. It looked very 
 much as though somebody had tried to force the 
 door that night, employing a knife which had 
 dented the woodwork and scratched the paint. 
 The least thing was enough to alarm us, standing 
 where we stood, and the constable's face was full 
 of suspicion. Who had sought an entrance ? It 
 could be no trained and practised housebreaker; 
 he would have had better tools. 
 
 But now our attention was again diverted. Ru- 
 dolf stopped short. He still looked for a moment 
 at the sky, then his glance dropped to the ground 
 at his feet. A second later he jerked his head — it 
 was bare, and I saw the dark red hair stir with the 
 movement' — like a man who has settled something 
 which caused him a puzzle. In an instant we 
 knew, by the quick intuition of contagious emo- 
 tion, that the question had found its answer. He 
 was by now king or a fugitive. The Lady of the 
 
THE DECISION OF HE/iyEN. 37 1 
 
 Skies had given her decision. The thrill ran 
 through us; I felt the queen draw herself together 
 ■at my side; I felt 'the muscles of Rischenheim's 
 arm which rested against my shoulder grow rigid 
 and taut. Sapt's face was full of eagerness, and 
 he gnawed his moustache silently. We gathered 
 closer to one another. At last we could bear the 
 suspense no longer. With one look at the queen 
 and another at me, Sapt stepped on to the gravel. 
 He would go and learn the answer; thus the unen- 
 durable strain that had stretched us like tortured 
 men on a rack would be relieved. The queen did 
 not answer his glance, nor even seem to see that 
 he had moved. Her eyes were still all for Mr. 
 Rassendyll, her thoughts buried in his; for her 
 happiness was in his hands and lay poised on the 
 issue of that decision whose momentousness held 
 him for a moment motionless on the path. Often 
 I seem to see him as he stood there, tall, straight, 
 and stately, the king a man's fancy paints when he 
 reads of great monarchs who flourished long ago 
 in the springtime of the world. 
 
 Sapt's step crunched on the gravel. Rudolf 
 heard it and turned his head. He saw Sapt, and he 
 saw me also behind Sapt. He smiled composedly 
 and brightly, but he did not move from where he 
 was. He held out both hands towards the con- 
 stable and caught him in their double grasp, still 
 
372 RUPERT OF HEUTZAU. 
 
 smiling down in his face. I was no nearer to readi- 
 ing his decision, though I saw that he had reached 
 a resolution that was immovable and gave peace 
 to his soul. If he meant to go on he would go on 
 now, on to the end, without a backward look or a 
 falter of his foot; if he had chosen the other way, 
 he would depart without a murmur or a hesitation. 
 The queen's quick breathing had ceased, she 
 seemed like a statue; but Rischenheim moved im- 
 patiently, as though he could no longer endure the 
 waiting. 
 
 Sapt's voice came harsh and grating. 
 
 " Well ? " he cried. " Which is it to be— back- 
 ward or forward ? " 
 
 Rudolf pressed his hands and looked into his 
 eyes. The answer asked but a word from him. 
 The queen caught my arm; her rigid limbs seemed 
 to give way, and she would have fallen if I had not 
 supported her. At the same instant a man sprang 
 out of the dark line of tall trees, directly behind 
 Mr. Rassendyll. Bernenstein uttered a loud 
 startled cry and rushed forward, pushing the queen 
 herself violently out of his path. His hand flew 
 to his side, and he ripped the heavy cavalry sword 
 that belonged to his uniform of the Cuirassiers of 
 the Guard from its sheath. I saw it flash in the 
 moonlight, but its flash was quenched in a brighter 
 short blaze. A shot rang out through the quiet 
 
THE DECISION OF HEAJ^EN 373 
 
 gardens. Mr. Rassendyll did not loose his hold of 
 Sapt's hands, but he sank slowly on to his knees. 
 Sapt seemed paralyzed. Again Bernenstein cried 
 out. It was a name this time. 
 
 " Bauer ! By God, Bauer ! " he cried. 
 
 In an instant he was across the path and by the 
 trees. The assassin fired again, but now he missed. 
 We saw the great sword flash high above Bernen- 
 stein's head and heard it whistle through the air. 
 It crashed on the crown of Bauer's head, and he 
 fell like a log to the ground with his skull split. 
 The queen's hold on me relaxed; she sank into 
 Rischenheim's arms. I ran forward and knelt by 
 Mr. Rassendyll. He still held Sapt's hands, and by 
 their help buoyed himself up. But when he saw 
 me he let go of them and sank back against me, 
 his head resting on my chest. He moved his lips, 
 but seemed unable to speak. He was shot through 
 the back. Bauer had avenged the master whom he 
 loved, and was gone to meet him. 
 
 There was a sudden stir from inside the palace. 
 Shutters were flung back and windows thrown 
 open. The group we made stood clean-cut, plainly 
 visible, in the moonlight. A moment later there 
 was a rush of eager feet, and we were surrounded 
 by officers and servants. Bernenstein stood by me 
 now, leaning on his sword; Sapt had not uttered a 
 word; his face was distorted with horror and bit- 
 
374 RUPERT OF HENTZ/IU. 
 
 temess. Rudolf's eyes were closed and his head 
 lay back against me. 
 
 " A man has shot the king," said I, in bald, 
 stupid explanation. 
 
 All at once I found James, Mr. Rassendyll's ser- 
 vant, by me. 
 
 " I have sent for doctors, my lord," he said. 
 " Come, let us carry him in." 
 
 He, Sapt and I lifted Rudolf and bore him 
 across the gravel terrace and into the little saloon. 
 We passed the queen. She was leaning on Risch- 
 enheim's arm, and held my wife's hand. We laid 
 Rudolf down on a couch. Outside I heard Bemen- 
 stein say, " Pick up that fellow and carry him some- 
 where out of sight." Then he also came in, fol- 
 lowed by a crowd. He sent them all to the door, 
 and we were left alone, waiting for the surgeon. 
 The queen came up, Rischenheim still supporting 
 her. 
 
 " Rudolf ! Rudolf ! " she whispered, very softly. 
 
 He opened his eyes, and his lips bent in a smile. 
 She flung herself on her knees and kissed his hand 
 passionately. 
 
 " The surgeon will be here directly," said I. 
 
 Rudolfs eyes had been on the queen. As I 
 spoke he looked up at me, smiled again, and shook 
 his head. I turned away. 
 
 When the surgeon came Sapt and I assisted him 
 
THE DECISION OF HE/iyEN. 375 
 
 in his examination. The queen had been led away, 
 and we were alone. The examination was very 
 short. Then we carried Rudolf to a bed; the near- 
 est chanced to be in Bernenstein's room; there we 
 laid him, and there all that could be done for him 
 was done. All this time we had asked no questions 
 of the surgeon, and he had given no information. 
 We knew too well to ask: we had all seen men die 
 before now, and the look on the face was familiar 
 to us. Two or three more doctors, the most emi- 
 nent in Strelsau, came now, having been hastily 
 summoned. It was their right to be called; but, 
 for all the good they were, they might have been 
 left to sleep the night out in their beds. They drew 
 together in a little group at the end of the room 
 and talked for a few minutes in low tones. James 
 lifted his master's head and gave him a drink of 
 water. Rudolf swallowed it with difficulty. Then 
 I saw him feebly press James's hand, for the little 
 man's face was full of sorrow. As his master smiled 
 the servant mustered a smile in answer. 
 
 I crossed over to the doctors. 
 
 " Well, gentlemen ? " I asked. 
 
 They looked at one another, then the greatest 
 of them said gravely : 
 
 •" The king may live an hour, Count Fritz. 
 Should you not send for a priest ? " 
 
 I went straight back to Rudolf Rassendyll. His 
 
376 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 eyes greeted me and questioned me. He was a 
 man, and I played no silly tricks with him. I bent 
 down and said : 
 
 " An hour, they think, Rudolf." 
 
 He made one restless movement, whether of 
 pain or protest I do not know. Then he spoke, 
 very low, slowly, and with difficulty. 
 
 " Then they can go," he said; and when I spoke 
 of a priest he shook his head. 
 
 I went back to them and asked if anything more 
 could be done. The answer was nothing; but I 
 could not prevail further than to get all save one 
 sent into an adjoining room; he who remained 
 seated himself at a table some way off. Rudolf's 
 eyes had closed again; old Sapt, who had not once 
 spoken since the shot was fired, raised a haggard 
 face to mine. 
 
 " We'd better fetch her to him," he said hoarsely. 
 I nodded my head. 
 
 Sapt went while I stayed by him. Bernenstein 
 came to him, bent down, and kissed his hand. The 
 young fellow, who had borne himself with such 
 reckless courage and dash throughout the affair, 
 was quite unmanned now, and the tears were roll- 
 ing down his face. I could have been much in the 
 same plight, but I would not before Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll. He smiled at Bernenstein. Then he said to 
 me : 
 
THE DECISION OF HEAI^EN. 377 
 
 " Is she coming, Fritz ? " 
 
 " Yes, she's coming, sire," I answered. 
 
 He noticed the style of my address ; a faint 
 amused gleam shot into his languid eyes. 
 
 " Well, for an hour, then," he murmured, and 
 lay back on his pillows. 
 
 She came, dry-eyed, calm, and queenly. We all 
 drew back, and she knelt down by his bed, holding 
 his hand in her two hands. Presently the hand stirred ; 
 she let it go; then, knowing well what he wanted, 
 she raised it herself and placed it on her head, while 
 she bowed her face to the bed. His hand wandered 
 for the last time over the gleaming hair that he had 
 loved so well. She rose, passed her arm about his 
 shoulders, and kissed his lips. Her face rested 
 close to his, and he seemed to speak to her, but 
 we could not have heard the words even if we 
 would. So they remained for a long while. 
 
 The doctor came and felt his pulse, retreating 
 afterwards with close-shut lips. We drew a little 
 nearer, for we knew that he would not be long 
 with us now. Suddenly strength seemed to come 
 upon him. He raised himself in his bed, and spoke 
 in distinct tones. 
 
 " God has decided," he said. " I've tried to do 
 the right thing through it all. Sapt, and Bernen- 
 stein, and you, old Fritz, shake my hand. No, 
 don't kiss it. We've done with pretence now," 
 
378 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 We shook his hand as he bade us. Then he took 
 the queen's hand. Again she knew his mind, and 
 moved it to his lips. 
 
 " In life and in death, my sweet queen," he mur- 
 mured. 
 
 And thus he fell asleep. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE COMING OF THE DREAM. 
 
 There is little need, and I have little heart, to 
 dwell on what followed the death of Mr. Rassen- 
 dyll. The plans we had laid to secure his tenure 
 of the throne, in case he had accepted it, served 
 well in the event of his death. Bauer's lips were 
 for ever sealed; the old woman was too scared and 
 appalled to hint even to her gossips at the sus- 
 picions she entertained. Rischenheim was loyal 
 to the pledge he had given to the queen. The 
 ashes of the hunting-lodge held their secret fast, 
 and none suspected when the charred body which 
 was called Rudolf Rassendyll's was laid to quiet 
 rest in the graveyard of the town of Zenda, hard 
 by the tomb of Herbert the forester. For we had 
 from the first rejected any idea of bringing the 
 king's body to Strelsau and setting it in the place 
 of Mr. Rassendyll's. The difficulties of such an 
 undertaking were almost insuperable; in our hearts 
 we did not desire to conquer them. As a king 
 
 379 
 
380 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 Rudolf Rassendyll had died, as a king let him lie. 
 As a king he lay in his palace at Strelsau, while 
 the news of his murder at the hands of a confed- 
 erate of Rupert of Hentzau went forth to startle 
 and appall the world. At a mighty price our task 
 had been made easy; many might have doubted 
 the living, hone questioned the dead; suspicions 
 which might have gathered round a throne died 
 away at the gate of a vault. The king was dead. 
 Who would ask if it were in truth the king who 
 lay in state in the great hall of the palace, or 
 whether the humble grave at Zenda held the bones 
 of the last male Elphberg ? In the silence of the 
 grave all murmurs and questionings were hushed. 
 Throughout the day people had been passing 
 and repassing through the great hall. There, on a 
 stately bier surmounted by a crown and the droop- 
 ing folds of the royal banner, lay Rudolf Rassen- 
 dyll. The highest officer guarded him; in the 
 cathedral the archbishop said a mass for his soul. 
 He had lain there three days; the evening of the 
 third had come, and early on the morrow he was 
 to be buried. There is a little gallery in the hall, 
 that looks down on the spot where the bier stood; 
 here was I on this evening, and with me Queen 
 Flavia. We were alone together, and together we 
 saw beneath us the calm face of the dead man. He 
 was clad in the white uniform in which he had been 
 
THE COMING OP THE DREAM. 381 
 
 crowned; the ribbon of the Red Rose was across 
 his breast. His hand held a true red rose, fresh 
 and fragrant; Flavia herself had set it there, that 
 even in death he might not miss the chosen token 
 of her love. I had not spoken to her, nor she to 
 me, since we came there. We watched the pomp 
 round him, and the circles of people that came to 
 bring a wreath for him or to look upon his face. 
 I saw a girl come and kneel long at the bier's foot. 
 She rose and went away sobbing, leaving a little 
 circlet of flowers. It was Rosa Holf. I saw 
 women come and go weeping, and men bite their 
 lips as they passed by. Rischenheim came, pale- 
 faced and troubled; and while all came and went, 
 there, immovable, with drawn sword, in military 
 stififness, old Sapt stood at the head of the bier, his 
 eyes set steadily in front of him, and his body never 
 stirring from hour to hour throug'h the long 
 day. 
 
 A distant faint hum of voices reached us. The 
 queen laid her hand on my arm. 
 
 " It is the dream, Fritz," she said. " Hark ! 
 They speak of the king; they speak in low voices 
 and with grief, but they call him king. It's what I 
 saw in the dream. But he does not hear nor heed. 
 No, he can't, hear nor heed even when I call him 
 my king." 
 
 A sudden impulse came on me, and I turned to 
 
382 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 her, asking: "What had he decided, madam? 
 Would he have been king ? " 
 
 She started a little. 
 
 " He didn't tell me," she answered, " and I 
 didn't think of it While he spoke to me." 
 
 " Of what then did he speak, madam ? " 
 
 " Only of his love — of nothing but his love, 
 Fritz," she answered. 
 
 Well, I take it that when a man comes to die, 
 love is more to him than a kingdom: it may be, if 
 we could see truly, that it is more to him even 
 while he lives. 
 
 " Of nothing but his great love for me, Fritz," 
 she said again. " And my love brought him to 
 his death." 
 
 " He wouldn't have had it otherwise," said I. 
 
 " No," she whispered; and she leant over the 
 parapet of the gallery, stretching out her arms to 
 him. But he lay still and quiet, not hearing and 
 not heeding what she murmured, " My king ! 
 my king ! " It was even as it had been in the 
 dream. 
 
 That night James, the servant, took leave of his 
 dead master and of us. He carried to England by 
 word of mouth — for we dared write nothing down 
 — ^the truth concerning the King of Ruritania and 
 Mr. Rassendyll. It was to be told to the Earl of 
 Burlesdon, Rudolf's brother, under a pledge of 
 
THE COMING OP THE DREAM. 3^3 
 
 secrecy; and to this day the earl is the only man 
 besides ourselves who knows the story. His er- 
 rand done, James returned in order to enter the 
 queen's service, in which he still is; and he told 
 us that when Lord Burlesdon had heard the story 
 he sat silent for a great while, and then said : 
 
 " He did well. Some day I will visit his grave. 
 Tell her Majesty that there is still a Rassendyll, if 
 she has need of one." 
 
 The offer was such as should come from a man 
 of Rudolf's name, yet I trust that the queen needs 
 no further service than such as it is our humble 
 duty and dear delight to render her. It is our 
 part to strive to lighten the burden that she bears, 
 and by our love to assuage her undying grief. 
 For she reigns now in Ruritania alone, the last of 
 all the Elphbergs; and her only joy is to talk of 
 Mr. Rassendyll with those few who knew him, her 
 only hope that she may some day be with him 
 again. 
 
 In great pomp we laid him to his rest in the 
 vault of the kings of Ruritania in the Cathedral 
 of Strelsau. There he lies among the princes of 
 the House of Elphberg. I think that if there be 
 indeed any consciousness among the dead, or any 
 knowledge of what passes in the world they have 
 left, they should be proud to call him brother. 
 There rises in memory of him a stately monument,. 
 
384 RUPERT OF HENTZAU. 
 
 and people point it out to one another as the 
 memorial of King Rudolf. I go often to the spot, 
 and recall in thought all that passed when he came 
 the first time to Zenda, and again on his second 
 coming. For I mourn him as a man mourns a 
 trusted leader and a loved comrade, and I should 
 have asked no better than to be allowed to serve 
 him all my days. Yet I serve the queen, and in 
 that I do most truly serve her lover. 
 
 Times change for all of us. The roaring flood 
 of youth goes by, and the stream of life sinks to a 
 quiet flow. Sapt is an old man now; soon my sons 
 will be grown up, men enough themselves to serve 
 Queen Flavia. Yet the memory of Rudolf Ras- 
 sendyll is fresh to me as on the day he died, and 
 the vision of the death of Rupert of Hentzau 
 dances often before my eyes. It may be that some 
 day the whole story shall be told, and men shall 
 judge of it for themselves. To me it seems now 
 as though all had ended well. I must not be mis- 
 understood: my heart is still sore for the loss of 
 him. But we saved the queen's fair fame, and to 
 Rudolf himself the fatal stroke came as a relief 
 from a choice too difficult: on the one side lay 
 what impaired his own honor, on the other what 
 threatened hers. As I think on this my anger at 
 his death is less, though my grief cannot be. To 
 this day I know not how he chose; no, and I don't 
 
THE COMING OF THE DREAM. 3^5 
 
 know how he should have chosen. Yet he had 
 chosen, for his face was calm and clear. 
 
 Come, I have thought so much of him that I 
 will go now and stand before his monument, tak- 
 ing with me my last-born son, a little lad of ten. 
 He is not too young to desire to serve the queen, 
 and not too young to learn to love and reverence 
 him who sleeps there in the vault and was in his 
 life the noblest gentleman I have known. 
 
 I will take the boy with me and tell him what I 
 may of brave King Rudolf, how he fought and how 
 he loved, and how he held the queen's honor and 
 his own above all things in this world. The boy is 
 not too young to learn such lessons from the life 
 of Mr. Rassendyll. And while we stand there I 
 will turn again into his native tongue — ^for, alas, 
 the young rogue loves his toy soldiers better than 
 his Latin ! — the inscription that the queen wrote 
 with her own hand, directing that it should be in- 
 scribed in that stately tongue over the tomb in 
 which her life lies buried. " To Rudolf, who 
 reigned lately in this city, and reigns for ever in 
 her heart. — Queen Flavia." 
 
 I told him the meaning, and he spelt the big 
 words over in his childish voice ; at first he 
 stumbled, but the second time he had it right, and 
 recited with a little touch of awe in his fresh young 
 tones : 
 
386 RUPERT OP HEUTZAU. 
 
 RUDOLFO 
 
 Qui in hac civitate nuper regnavit 
 
 In corde ipsius in sternum regnat 
 
 Flavia Regina. 
 
 I felt his hand tremble in mine, and he looked up 
 in my face. 
 
 " God save the Queen, father," said he. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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