Part 36 (2/2)
”Who are you?” she asked, curt and blunt in her confusion The girl broke in with an ah
”Why, it's the--” She paused Perhaps the king's identity was a secret
Rudolf nodded to her ”Tell her who I a,” whispered Rosa, laughing and blushi+ng
”The king, ,” said Rudolf I suppose he wanted to find out how much the old woman knew
She made no answer, but stared up at his face In her bewilderained him admission
”I've come to see the Count of Hentzau,” Rudolf continued ”Take me to him at once”
The old woman was across his path in a moment, all defiant, arms akimbo
”nobody can see the count He's not here,” she blurted out
”What, can't the king see hi at hi
”Mother, you hed
”The king, or his ghost--what does it htly
The old wohost? Is he?”
”His ghost!” rang out in the girl'shihost, sir”
Mother Holf's face was livid now, and her eyes staring fixedly Perhaps it shot into her brain that so, and that this e, and ainst the door post, her broad bosoown Yet still--was it not the king?
”God help us!” she muttered in fear and bewilderment
”He helps us, never fear,” said Rudolf Rassendyll ”Where is Count Rupert?”
The girl had caught alaritation ”He's upstairs in the attic at the top of the house, sir,” she whispered in frightened tones, with a glance that fled from her mother's terrified face to Rudolf's set eyes and steady sh for hian to mount the stairs
The tatched hiirl alar bade her Rudolf turned the corner of the first landing and disappeared fro, stuan to stir it, her eyes set on the flairl watched herhow she could think of the stew, not guessing that she turned the spoon without a thought of what she did; then she began to crawl, quickly but noiselessly, up the staircase in the track of Rudolf Rassendyll She looked back once: the old woman stirred with a monotonous circular movement of her fat arm Rosa, bent half-double, ski who now, outside the door of a large attic where Rupert of Hentzau was lodged She saw him lay his hand on the latch of the door; his other hand rested in the pocket of his coat From the room no sound came; Rupert may have heard the step outside and stood motionless to listen Rudolf opened the door and walked in The girl darted breathlessly up the re back on the latch, crouched down by it, listening to what passed within, catching glih the chinks of the crazy hinge and the crevices where the wood of the panel sprung and left a narrow eye hole for her absorbed gazing
Rupert of Hentzau had no thought of ghosts; the men he killed lay still where they fell, and slept where they were buried And he had no wonder at the sight of Rudolf Rassendyll It told him no more than that Rischenheim's errand had fallen out ill, at which he was not surprised, and that his old eneain in his path, at which (as I verily believe) he was lad than sorry As Rudolf entered, he had been half-way bet and table; he ca the points of two fingers on the unpolished dirty-white deal