Part 12 (1/2)

”I mustn't kiss your face,” said he, ”but your hands I ainst her face

”You wear ers, ”always?”

”Why, yes,” he said, with a little laugh of wonder at her question

”And there is--no one else?”

”My queen!” said he, laughing again

”No, I knew really, Rudolf, I knew really,” and now her hands flew out towards hian to speak quickly: ”Rudolf, last night I had a dreae drea about the king It was you they , and I was your queen But I could see you only very dimly; you were somewhere, but I could not make out where; just sometimes your face ca--yes, and Colonel Sapt and Fritz tried to tell you; the people, too, called out that you were king What did it mean? But your face, when I saw it, was unmoved, and very pale, and you seemed not to hear e said, not even what I said It al Ah, you ,” and she laid a hand on his shoulder

”Sweetheart,” said he gently, ”in dreae visions, so I see and a dead , and I am a very healthy fellow Yet a thousand thanks toof ain

”What does it mean when I dream always of you, except that I always love you?”

”Was it only that?” she said, still unconvinced

What more passed between them I do not know I think that the queen told my wife more, but women will soh they love us, yet we are always in soainst whom they join hands Well, I would not look too far into such secrets, for to know must be, I suppose, to blame, and who is himself so blameless that in such a case he would be free with his censures?

Yet much cannot have passed, for almost close on their talk about the dreauards were in line, and all the women streaay uniforotten Certainly a quiet fell over the old castle, that only the constable's curt tones broke, as he bade Rudolf come by the back way to the stables and mount his horse

”There's no tie the queen even one more ith the man she loved

But Rudolf was not to be hurried into leaving her in such a fashi+on He clapped the constable on the shoulder, laughing, and bidding hiain to the queen and would have knelt before her, but that she would not suffer, and they stood with hands locked Then suddenly she drew hio with you, Rudolf o He walked towards the door; but a sound arrested his steps, and he waited in the middle of the room, his eyes on the door Old Sapt flew to the threshold, his sword half-way out of its sheath There was a step coe, and the feet stopped outside the door

”Is it the king?” whispered Rudolf

”I don't know,” said Sapt

”No, it's not the king,” ca certainty from Queen Flavia

They waited: a low knock sounded on the door Still for a ently

”We must open,” said Sapt ”Behind the curtain with you, Rudolf”

The queen sat down, and Sapt piled a heap of papers before her, that it h he and she transacted business But his precautions were interrupted by a hoarse, eager, low cry from outside, ”Quick! in God's name, quick!”

They knew the voice for Bernenstein's The queen sprang up, Rudolf came out, Sapt turned the key The lieutenant entered, hurried, breathless, pale

”Well?” asked Sapt

”He has got away?” cried Rudolf, guessing in a ht Bernenstein back

”Yes, he's got away Just as we left the town and reached the open road towards Tarlenhei to walk all the way? I was not loath to go quicker, and we broke into a trot But I--ah, what a pestilent fool I a of hi a bullet ready for hiuessed Sapt, with a grim smile