Rudolf glanced at Sapt. The constable shook his head. Bernenstein"s face fell.
"It"s not that, boy," said old Sapt, half in kindness, half in impatience. "We want you here. Suppose Rupert comes here with Rischenheim!"
The idea was new, but the event was by no means unlikely.
"But you"ll be here, Constable," urged Bernenstein, "and Fritz von Tarlenheim will arrive in an hour."
"Ay, young man," said Sapt, nodding his head; "but when I fight Rupert of Hentzau, I like to have a man to spare," and he grinned broadly, being no whit afraid of what Bernenstein might think of his courage. "Now go and get him a hat," he added, and the lieutenant ran off on the errand.
But the queen cried:
"Are you sending Rudolf alone, then--alone against two?"
"Yes, madam, if I may command the campaign," said Sapt. "I take it he should be equal to the task."
He could not know the feelings of the queen"s heart. She dashed her hand across her eyes, and turned in mute entreaty to Rudolf Ra.s.sendyll.
"I must go," he said softly. "We can"t spare Bernenstein, and I mustn"t stay here."
She said no more. Rudolf walked across to Sapt.
"Take me to the stables. Is the horse good? I daren"t take the train.
Ah, here"s the lieutenant and the hat."
"The horse"ll get you there to-night," said Sapt. "Come along.
Bernenstein, stay with the queen."
At the threshold Rudolf paused, and, turning his head, glanced once at Queen Flavia, who stood still as a statue, watching him go. Then he followed the constable, who brought him where the horse was. Sapt"s devices for securing freedom from observation had served well, and Rudolf mounted unmolested.
"The hat doesn"t fit very well," said Rudolf.
"Like a crown better, eh?" suggested the colonel.
Rudolf laughed as he asked, "Well, what are my orders?"
"Ride round by the moat to the road at the back; then through the forest to Hofbau; you know your way after that. You mustn"t reach Strelsau till it"s dark. Then, if you want a shelter--"
"To Fritz von Tarlenheim"s, yes! From there I shall go straight to the address."
"Ay. And--Rudolf!"
"Yes?"
"Make an end of him this time."
"Please G.o.d. But if he goes to the lodge? He will, unless Rischenheim stops him."
"I"ll be there in case--but I think Rischenheim will stop him."
"If he comes here?"
"Young Bernenstein will die before he suffers him to reach the king."
"Sapt!"
"Ay?"
"Be kind to her."
"Bless the man, yes!"
"Good-by."
"And good luck."
At a swift canter Rudolf darted round the drive that led from the stables, by the moat, to the old forest road behind; five minutes brought him within the shelter of the trees, and he rode on confidently, meeting n.o.body, save here and there a yokel, who, seeing a man ride hard with his head averted, took no more notice of him than to wish that he himself could ride abroad instead of being bound to work. Thus Rudolf Ra.s.sendyll set out again for the walls of Strelsau, through the forest of Zenda. And ahead of him, with an hour"s start, galloped the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim, again a man, and a man with resolution, resentment, and revenge in his heart.
The game was afoot now; who could tell the issue of it?
CHAPTER VII. THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN
I RECEIVED the telegram sent to me by the Constable of Zenda at my own house in Strelsau about one o"clock. It is needless to say that I made immediate preparations to obey his summons. My wife indeed protested--and I must admit with some show of reason--that I was unfit to endure further fatigues, and that my bed was the only proper place for me. I could not listen; and James, Mr. Ra.s.sendyll"s servant, being informed of the summons, was at my elbow with a card of the trains from Strelsau to Zenda, without waiting for any order from me. I had talked to this man in the course of our journey, and discovered that he had been in the service of Lord Topham, formerly British Amba.s.sador to the Court of Ruritania. How far he was acquainted with the secrets of his present master, I did not know, but his familiarity with the city and the country made him of great use to me. We discovered, to our annoyance, that no train left till four o"clock, and then only a slow one; the result was that we could not arrive at the castle till past six o"clock. This hour was not absolutely too late, but I was of course eager to be on the scene of action as early as possible.
"You"d better see if you can get a special, my lord," James suggested; "I"ll run on to the station and arrange about it."
I agreed. Since I was known to be often employed in the king"s service, I could take a special train without exciting remark. James set out, and about a quarter of an hour later I got into my carriage to drive to the station. Just as the horses were about to start, however, the butler approached me.
"I beg your pardon, my lord," said he, "but Bauer didn"t return with your lordship. Is he coming back?"
"No," said I. "Bauer was grossly impertinent on the journey, and I dismissed him."
"Those foreign men are never to be trusted, my lord. And your lordship"s bag?"
"What, hasn"t it come?" I cried. "I told him to send it."
"It"s not arrived, my lord."
"Can the rogue have stolen it?" I exclaimed indignantly.
"If your lordship wishes it, I will mention the matter to the police."
I appeared to consider this proposal.
"Wait till I come back," I ended by saying. "The bag may come, and I have no reason to doubt the fellow"s honesty."
This, I thought, would be the end of my connection with Master Bauer. He had served Rupert"s turn, and would now disappear from the scene. Indeed it may be that Rupert would have liked to dispense with further aid from him; but he had few whom he could trust, and was compelled to employ those few more than once. At any rate he had not done with Bauer, and I very soon received proof of the fact. My house is a couple of miles from the station, and we have to pa.s.s through a considerable part of the old town, where the streets are narrow and tortuous and progress necessarily slow. We had just entered the Konigstra.s.se (and it must be remembered that I had at that time no reason for attaching any special significance to this locality), and were waiting impatiently for a heavy dray to move out of our path, when my coachman, who had overheard the butler"s conversation with me, leant down from his box with an air of lively excitement.