ve not; they are
suspicions, fears, that's all, but they are no longer vague shapes to
me; they mean something."

"Tell me," he said quietly. He seemed to square his broad shoulders and
to set his jaw firmly, as if to resist physical attack. She knew she had
come with her fears to a man in whose face it was declared that he could
laugh at substance as well as shadow.

"I am seeing you here in this big room, openly, for the simple reason
that if I am being watched this manner of meeting may be above
suspicion. We may speak freely here, for we cannot be heard unless we
raise our voices. Don't betray surprise or consternation. The eyes of
the wall may be better than its ears."

"You don't mean to say you are being watched here in your father's
house?" he demanded.

"I don't know. This I do know: the Count has many spies in Edelweiss. He
is systematically apprised of everything that occurs at court, in the
city, or in the council chamber. So you see, he is being well served,
whether to an evil purpose or to satisfy his own innate curiosity, I do
not know. He has reports almost daily,--voluminous things, partly in
cipher, partly free, and he is forever sending men away on secret,
mysterious missions. Understand, I do not know that he is actually
planning disaster to Graustark. Day before yesterday I saw his secretary
in the streets--a man who has been in his employ for five years or more
and who now pretends to be a lawyer here. His name is Brutus. I spoke
with him. He said that he had left the Count six weeks ago in Vienna,
determined to set out for himself in his chosen profession. He knows, of
course, that I am not and never have been in the confidences of my
husband. I asked him if it was known in Edelweiss that he had served the
Count as secretary. He promptly handed me one of his business cards, on
which he refers to himself as the former trusted and confidential
secretary of Count Marlanx. Now, I happen to know that he is still in my
husband's service,--or was no longer ago than last week."

"My dear Countess, he may be serving him legitimately as an attorney.
There would be nothing strange in that."

"But he is still serving him as confidential secretary. He is here for a
purpose, as my husband's representative. I have not been asleep all
these months at Schloss Marlanx. I have seen and heard enough to
convince me that some great movement is on foot. My intelligence tells
me that it has to do with Graustark. A