vo. Where are they now?"

Another voice replied, "I do not know, Excellency. They were at prayers
in the Capuchin Church."

"When does their train leave Vienna?"

"At six--from the Staats Bahnhof--Excellency."

"It is six o'clock now," cried the other voice in dismay. "We are too
late----"

Marishka heard no more. It was enough. Too late! She had failed. Her
sacrifice, her atonement,--fruitless. She sank into a chair and buried
her face in her hands, trying to think. But in her head was a dull chaos
of sounds, echoes of her wild ride, and her body swayed as she sat. She
had never fainted, but for a moment it seemed that she lost
consciousness. She found herself presently staring through her fingers
at the pattern in the gray aubusson carpet--and wondering where she was.
Then she heard the voices again and remembered that she must listen.

The voice of the one they called Excellency was speaking.

"_Herr Gott_, Goritz! Austria's mad archdukes! The telegraph also
closed! It is unbelievable. I must send a message in code to Berlin."

"It would be delayed," said Goritz dryly.

"But something must be done----"

"If you will permit----"

"Speak."

"Excellency, this is a desperate game. I thought perhaps we should
arrive in time to get a message through. But Herr Windt has wasted no
time. We must suit our actions to the emergency----"

"Of course. But how?"

"Go to Sarajevo--at once."

"But I----"

"Not you, Excellency. I shall go. A railroad book, Graf Mendel, if you
please. Today is the twenty-sixth. The Archduke goes by way of Budapest.
We can save several hours, I think, by way of Gratz and Agram--if there
is a train tonight."

"And the Countess Strahni?"

"Your Excellency may well see her usefulness merely in telling what has
happened in her efforts to reach the ear of the Duchess of Hohenberg. No
word from you to Archduke Franz could be more convincing----"

"_Ja wohl_, even if I could send it----"

"And you cannot--of that I am convinced."

Another voice broke in.

"A train at eight--Excellency--by way of Oedenburg and Brueck--reaching
Marburg in the morning----"

"Good!"

"And from there," added Goritz, "by automobile along the new military
road through Brod. We might reach Sarajevo tomorrow night--surely by
Sunday morning."

"If that would not be too late."

"It is the only thing to do."

A silence. And then--

"The Countess Strahni is here?"

"Yes, Excellency."

"You will ma