of us to go together, because in the latter case he
might--assuming that he is in the castle--suspect something, while if I
go alone he will suspect nothing."

"Very well," assented Mildmay, "let it be as you will. But I will, at
all events, accompany you to the castle, and stand by, outside, to lend
you a hand if needful."

"You sailors are very masterful men," observed the professor; "you must
have your own way, I suppose. But be careful that you are not seen by
anybody, as the suspicions of these Russians are easily aroused, and it
would then, perhaps, be very awkward for us both. Shall we go at once?"

"Yes, certainly," answered Mildmay. "But I think we had better return
to the ship for a moment, and acquaint Sir Reginald with our non-success
thus far, and what it is that we propose to do. It is always well to
provide against contingencies as far as possible."

"Right!" assented the professor. "Let us go at once. I am chilled to
the bone with so long a waiting."

A quarter of an hour sufficed the pair to return to the ship, explain
the state of affairs to the rest of the party, and make their way back
to the spot at which they had been so patiently maintaining their watch;
and another half-hour of steady walking took them within sight of the
chateau, where Mildmay snugly ensconced himself behind a big clump of
laurels, through the boughs of which he was able to maintain a close
watch upon the main entrance of the building.

The chateau did not, in this instance, belie its designation, being, in
fact, a massive, gloomy-looking, castellated, stone building, with
battlements, turrets, small windows, a moat, a drawbridge, and a
portcullis, the lower portion of which showed in the head of the archway
that gave access to the interior of the building. The drawbridge was
lowered, and, from his coign of vantage, Mildmay saw the professor
boldly cross it and walk up to the gate, through which, after a brief
parley with the gate-keeper, he disappeared.

Von Schalckenberg's inquiries were of a very prosaic and commonplace
nature. He simply asked whether Count Vasilovich happened to be at
home; and upon being informed--somewhat to his surprise--that he was, he
scribbled a word or two in Russian upon one of his cards, and directed
the gate-keeper to send it up to the count at once. The gate-keeper
very civilly invited the professor into his lodge, a small room formed
in the thickness of the castle wall, and, rin