g myself to the conviction that we had done with him. True,
he was dead; but could he not strike a blow at us even from beyond the
gulf?

Such were the half-superstitious thoughts that forced their way into my
mind as I stood looking out on the crowd which obstinately encircled the
front of the palace. I was alone; Rudolf was with the queen, my wife was
resting, Bernenstein had sat down to a meal for which I could find
no appetite. By an effort I freed myself from my fancies and tried to
concentrate my brain on the facts of our position. We were ringed round
with difficulties. To solve them was beyond my power; but I knew where
my wish and longing lay. I had no desire to find means by which Rudolf
Rassendyll should escape unknown from Strelsau; the king, although
dead, be again in death the king, and the queen be left desolate on her
mournful and solitary throne. It might be that a brain more astute than
mine could bring all this to pass. My imagination would have none of
it, but dwelt lovingly on the reign of him who was now king in Strelsau,
declaring that to give the kingdom such a ruler would be a splendid
fraud, and prove a stroke so bold as to defy detection. Against it
stood only the suspicions of Mother Holf--fear or money would close her
lips--and the knowledge of Bauer; Bauer's mouth also could be shut, ay,
and should be before we were many days older. My reverie led me far;
I saw the future years unroll before me in the fair record of a great
king's sovereignty. It seemed to me that by the violence and bloodshed
we had passed through, fate, for once penitent, was but righting the
mistake made when Rudolf was not born a king.

For a long while I stood thus, musing and dreaming; I was roused by the
sound of the door opening and closing; turning, I saw the queen. She was
alone, and came towards me with timid steps. She looked out for a moment
on the square and the people, but drew back suddenly in apparent fear
lest they should see her. Then she sat down and turned her face towards
mine. I read in her eyes something of the conflict of emotions which
possessed her; she seemed at once to deprecate my disapproval and to
ask my sympathy; she prayed me to be gentle to her fault and kind to her
happiness; self-reproach shadowed her joy, but the golden gleam of it
strayed through. I looked eagerly at her; this would not have been her
bearing had she come from a last farewell; for the radiance was there,
however much d