o right
nor left nor behind, but with her face set straight for the little
gate, and she walked as she had been accustomed to walk when all
Strelsau looked on her and hailed her as its glory and its darling.

The sentry slept, or seemed to sleep. Her face was not even veiled
when she opened the little gate. She would not veil her proud face.
It was his to look on now when he would; and thus she stood for an
instant in the gateway, while he sprang to her, and, kneeling, carried
her hand to his lips.

"You are come?" he cried; for though he had believed, yet he wondered.

"I am come," she smiled. "Is not the word of a princess sure? Ah, how
could I not come?"

"See, love," said he, rising, "day dawns in royal purple for you, and
golden love for me."

"The purple is for my king, and the love for me," she whispered, as he
led her to her horse. "Your fortune!" said she, pointing to them.
"But I also have brought a dowry--fancy, five hundred crowns!" and
her mirth and happiness burst out in a laugh. It was so deliciously
little, five hundred crowns!

She was mounted now, and he stood by her.

"Will you turn back?" he said.

"You shall not make me angry," said she. "Come, mount."

"Aye, I must mount," said he. "For if we were found here the king
would kill me."

For the first time the peril of their enterprise seemed to strike,
into her mind, and turned her cheek pale.

"Ah, I forgot! In my happiness I forgot. Mount, mount! Oh, if he found
you!"

He mounted. Once they clasped hands; then they rode swiftly for the
western gate.

"Veil your face," he said; and since he bade her, she obeyed, saying:

"But I can see you through the veil."

The gate stood open, and the gate-warden was not there. They were out
of the city; the morning air blew cold and pure from the meadows along
the river. The horses stretched into an eager gallop. And Osra tore
her veil from her face, and turned on him eyes of radiant triumph.

"It is done," she cried; "it is done!"

"Yes, it is done, my princess," said he.

"And--and it is begun, my prince," said she.

"Yes, and it is begun," said he.

She laughed aloud in absolute joy, and for a moment he also laughed.

But then his face grew grave, and he said:

"I pray you may never grieve for it."

She looked at him with eyes wide in wonder; for an instant she seemed
puzzled, but then she fell again to laughing.

"Grieve for it!" said she between her merry laughs.

King Rudol