ite; and now
her face turned white as her dress. For her eyes had fallen on Rudolf
Rassendyll. For a moment the four stood thus; then Rudolf passed Sapt,
thrust Bernenstein's brawny shoulders (the young man had not looked
round) out of the way, and, falling on his knee before the queen, seized
her hand and kissed it. Bernenstein could see now without looking round,
and if astonishment could kill, he would have been a dead man that
instant. He fairly reeled and leant against the wall, his mouth hanging
open. For the king was in bed, and had a beard; yet there was the king,
fully dressed and clean shaven, and he was kissing the queen's hand,
while she gazed down on him in a struggle between amazement, fright, and
joy. A soldier should be prepared for anything, but I cannot be hard on
young Bernenstein's bewilderment.

Yet there was in truth nothing strange in the queen seeking to see old
Sapt that night, nor in her guessing where he would most probably be
found. For she had asked him three times whether news had come from
Wintenberg and each time he had put her off with excuses. Quick to
forbode evil, and conscious of the pledge to fortune that she had given
in her letter, she had determined to know from him whether there were
really cause for alarm, and had stolen, undetected, from her apartments
to seek him. What filled her at once with unbearable apprehension and
incredulous joy was to find Rudolf present in actual flesh and blood,
no longer in sad longing dreams or visions, and to feel his live lips on
her hand.

Lovers count neither time nor danger; but Sapt counted both, and no
more than a moment had passed before, with eager imperative gestures, he
beckoned them to enter the room. The queen obeyed, and Rudolf followed
her.

"Let nobody in, and don't say a word to anybody," whispered Sapt, as
he entered, leaving Bernenstein outside. The young man was half-dazed
still, but he had sense to read the expression in the constable's eyes
and to learn from it that he must give his life sooner than let the door
be opened. So with drawn sword he stood on guard.

It was eleven o'clock when the queen came, and midnight had struck from
the great clock of the castle before the door opened again and Sapt came
out. His sword was not drawn, but he had his revolver in his hand.
He shut the door silently after him and began at once to talk in low,
earnest, quick tones to Bernenstein. Bernenstein listened intently and
without inte