g: go on, go on with you!" she cried shrilly.

The carter got down from his seat without heeding her, and walked round
to the back.

"Here you are, sir," he cried. "Nineteen, Konigstrasse."

A yawn was heard, and the long sigh a man gives as he stretches himself
in the mingled luxury and pain of an awakening after sound refreshing
sleep.

"All right; I'll get down," came in answer from inside.

"Ah, it's the count!" said the old lady to her daughter in satisfied
tones. "What will he say, though, about that rogue Bauer?"

Rupert of Hentzau put his head out from under the wagon-tilt, looked up
and down the street, gave the carter a couple of crowns, leapt down, and
ran lightly across the pavement into the little shop. The wagon moved
on.

"A lucky thing I met him," said Rupert cheerily. "The wagon hid me very
well; and handsome as my face is, I can't let Strelsau enjoy too much of
it just now. Well, mother, what cheer? And you, my pretty, how goes it
with you?" He carelessly brushed the girl's cheek with the glove that
he had drawn off. "Faith, though, I beg your pardon." he added a moment
later, "the glove's not clean enough for that," and he looked at his
buff glove, which was stained with patches of dull rusty brown.

"It's all as when you left, Count Rupert," said Mother Holf, "except
that that rascal Bauer went out last night--"

"That's right enough. But hasn't he returned?"

"No, not yet."

"Hum. No signs of--anybody else?" His look defined the vague question.

The old woman shook her head. The girl turned away to hide a smile.
"Anybody else" meant the king, so she suspected. Well, they should hear
nothing from her. The king himself had charged her to be silent.

"But Rischenheim has come, I suppose?" pursued Rupert.

"Oh, yes; he came, my lord, soon after you went. He wears his arm in a
sling."

"Ah!" cried Rupert in sudden excitement. "As I guessed! The devil! If
only I could do everything myself, and not have to trust to fools and
bunglers! Where's the count?"

"Why, in the attic. You know the way."

"True. But I want some breakfast, mother."

"Rosa shall serve you at once, my lord."

The girl followed Rupert up the narrow crazy staircase of the tall old
house. They passed three floors, all uninhabited; a last steep flight
that brought them right under the deep arched roof. Rupert opened a door
that stood at the top of the stairs, and, followed still by Rosa with
her mysterious happy smil