trip to the monastery. In his dreams, waking or sleeping, he had
seen the slim soldier, had heard the muffled voice, and had felt the
womanly caresses. His brain now was in a whirl, busy with thoughts of
love and fear, distraught with anxiety for her and for himself, bursting
with the awful consequences of the hour that was upon them. What was
to become of him? What was to be the end of this drama? What would the
night, the morrow bring about?

He looked back and saw himself as he was a year ago in Washington,
before she came into his life, and then wondered if it could ready be
he who was going through these strange, improbable scenes, these
sensations. It was nine o'clock in the evening when Quinnox returned
to the little room. The waiting one had looked at his watch a hundred
times, had run insanely up and down the passage in quest of the secret
exit, had shouted aloud in the frenzy of desperation.

"Have you seen her?" he cried, grasping the new-comer's hand.

"I have, but, before God, I could not tell her what I had done. Your
visit will be a surprise, I fear a shock."

"Then how am I to see her? Fool! Am I to wait here forever--"

"Have patience! I will take you to her tonight--aye, within an hour.
To-morrow morning she signs away the northern provinces and her
instructions are that she is not to be disturbed to-night. Not even will
she see the Countess Dagmar after nine o'clock. It breaks my heart to
see the sorrow that abounds in the castle to-night. Her Highness insists
on being alone and Bassot, the new guard, has orders to admit no one to
her apartments. He is ill and I have promised that a substitute shall
relieve him at eleven o'clock. You are to be the substitute. Here is
a part of an old uniform of mine, and here is a coat that belonged to
Dannox, who was about your size. Please exchange the clothes you now
have on for these. I apprehend no trouble in reaching her door, for the
household is in gloom and the halls seem barren of life."

He threw the bundle on a chair and Lorry at once proceeded to don the
contents. In a very short time he wore, instead of the cell keeper's
garments, a neat-fitting uniform of the royal guard. He was trembling
violently, chilled to the bone with nervousness, as they began the
ascent of the stairs leading to the chapel. The crisis in his life, he
felt, was near at hand.

Under the stealthy hand of Quinnox the panel opened and they listened
intently for some moments. Th