Part 42 (1/2)

”Why, then, by to-h Ruritania--yes, and through Europe--that the king, miraculously preserved to-day--”

”Praise be to God!” interjected Colonel Sapt; and young Bernenstein laughed

”Has rief,” said Sapt

”Meanwhile, I am safe over the frontier”

”Oh, you are quite safe?”

”Absolutely And in the afternoon of to-ing with you the body of the king” And Rudolf, after a pause, whispered, ”You must shave his face And if the doctors want to talk about how long he's been dead, why, they have, as I say, pal the scheh in all conscience, but success had made Rudolf bold, and he had learnt ho suspicion is if a deception be bold enough It is only likely frauds that are detected

”Well, what do you say?” asked Mr Rassendyll I observed that he said nothing to Sapt of what the queen and he had determined to do afterwards

Sapt wrinkled his forehead I saw hihtest, briefest serous, of course,” pursued Rudolf ”But I believe that when they see the king's body--”

”That's the point,” interrupted Sapt ”They can't see the king's body”

Rudolf looked at hi in a low voice, lest the queen should hear and be distressed, he went on: ”Youit here in a shell; only a few officials need see the face”

Sapt rose to his feet and stood facing Mr Rassendyll

”The plan's a pretty one, but it breaks down at one point,” said he in a strange voice, even harsher than his ont to be I was on fire with excitement, for I would have staked s for us ”There is no body,” said he

Even Mr Rassendyll's co Sapt by the arm

”No body? What do you lance at Jah he were reading a lesson he had learnt, or playing a part that habit made familiar:

”That poor fellow Herbert carelessly left a candle burning where the oil and the ere kept,” he said ”This afternoon, about six, James and I lay down for a nap after our meal At about seven James came to e was ablaze I darted out of bed: the fire had made too much heade could not hope to quench it; we had but one thought!” He suddenly paused, and looked at Jaht, to save our coht, to save our companion We rushed to the door of the room where he was I opened the door and tried to enter It was certain death Jaain I rushed in James pulled me back: it was but another death We had to save ourselves We gained the open air The lodge was a sheet of fla, till the swiftly burning wood blackened to ashes and the flae must be dead What could we do? At last Ja help He found a party of charcoal-burners, and they came with him

The flames were burnt do; and we and they approached the charred ruins Everything was in ashes But”--he lowered his voice--”we found what seemed to be the body of Boris the hound; in another roo-horn, melted to a molten mass, told us that it had been Herbert the forester And there was another corpse, alnizable We saw it; the charcoal-burners saw it Then ht of the flames None could tell who it was; only I and James knew

And we ”

Sapt finished his lesson or his story A sob burst from the queen, and she hid her face in her hands Bernenstein and I, a whether it were jest or earnest, stood staring stupidly at Sapt Then I, overco, turned half-foolish by the bizarreof it, plucked hih and a gasp:

”Who had that other corpse been, Constable?”

He turned his s effrontery