und the town until he came out upon the
road to Prague. He hid himself behind a hedge a mile from Ohlau, and had
not waited half an hour before a man came riding by in hot haste. The
man wore the Countess's livery of green and scarlet; Wogan decided not
to travel by way of Prague, and returned to the castle content with his
afternoon's work. He had indeed more reason to be content with it than
he knew, for he happened to have remarked the servant's face as well as
his livery, and so at a later time was able to recognise it again. He
had no longer any doubt that a servant in the same livery was well upon
his way to Vienna. The roads were bad, it was true, and the journey
long; but Wogan had not the Prince's consent, and could not tell when he
would obtain it. The servant might return with the Emperor's order for
his arrest before he had obtained it. Wogan was powerless. He sent his
list of names to Gaydon in Schlestadt, but that was the only precaution
he could take. The days passed; Wogan spent them in unavailing
persuasions, and New Year's Day came and found him still at Ohlau and in
a great agitation and distress.

Upon that morning, however, while he was dressing, there came a rap upon
his door, and when he opened it he saw the Prince's treasurer, a foppish
gentleman, very dainty in his words.

"Mr. Warner," said the treasurer, "his Highness has hinted to me his
desires; he has moulded them into the shape of a prayer or a request."

"In a word, he has bidden you," said Wogan.

"Fie, sir! There's a barbarous and improper word, an ill-sounding word;
upon my honour, a word without dignity or merit and banishable from
polite speech. His Highness did most prettily entreat me with a fine
gentleness of condescension befitting a Sunday or a New Year's Day to
bring and present and communicate from hand to hand a gift,--a most
incomparable proper gift, the mirror and image of his most incomparable
proper friendship."

Wogan bowed, and requested the treasurer to enter and be seated the
while he recovered his breath.

"Nay, Mr. Warner, I must be concise, puritanical, and unadorned in my
language as any raw-head or bloody-bones. The cruel, irrevocable moments
pass. I could consume an hour, sir, before I touched as I may say the
hem of the reason of my coming."

"Sir, I do not doubt it," said Wogan.

"But I will not hinder you from forthwith immediately and at once
incorporating with your most particular and inestimable t