that you will waste no words. As you love me, Hugh, you will do
what I ask and be silent."

"What can I do?"

"Go with me to Vienna tonight."

"That would be most imprudent. Your reputation----"

"I care nothing. Will you accompany me?"

Renwick shrugged. "Of course."

"Then do as I bid you. I will show you a way out to a small gate from
the garden by which you can reach the public road. Go to your Inn. Make
arrangements for an automobile. I will join you tonight." She peered in
all directions through the foliage and then led the way through the
bushes in a direction opposite to that by which they had come. Renwick
followed silently, his mind turbulent. What was his duty? And where did
it conflict with Marishka's mad plan? What would his Ambassador have
wished him to do? And in what could he serve England best? He must have
time to think. For the present at least Marishka should have her way.
Indeed, had he wished, he saw no means of dissuading her. He would go
with her to Vienna, make a clean breast of things to his Chief, before
Marishka could carry out her plan. After that the matter would be out of
his hands.

The girl descended some steps to a narrow gate in the hedge. Here
Renwick paused a moment to clasp her in his arms.

"Beloved," she whispered, "not now. Go. Follow the path to the wall. You
must climb it. Let no one see you descend. Au revoir. God be with you."

And she was gone.

CHAPTER II

COURT SECRETS

Hugh Renwick lay flat upon the coping of the wall for a moment peering
up and down the road until sure at last that the way was clear, when he
let himself down and walked rapidly in the direction of the village. The
events of the last hour were of a nature to disturb the equanimity of an
existence less well ordered than his. The winning of the Countess
Marishka, an achievement upon which he had set his whole soul for many
uncertain weeks in which hope and fear had fought a daily battle in his
heart--that in itself had been enough to convince him that the gods
looked upon him with favor--but this other _coup de foudre_! Whatever
the means by which his information had been obtained, the mere
possession of it and the revelation of it to his Ambassador was a
diplomatic achievement of the highest importance. There had long been
rumors of an _entente_ between Archduke and Kaiser, but _this_! He
rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was awake.

Hugh Renwick was merely the average Englishma