Page:Anthony Hope - Rupert of Hentzau.djvu/268

254 tones. "Don't go, Rudolf. He'll kill you. Never mind the letter. Don't go: I had rather a thousand times that the King had it than that you should … Oh, my dear, don't go!"

"I must go," he said softly.

Again she began to implore him, but he would not yield. Helga moved towards the door, but Rudolf stopped her.

"No," he said, "you must stay with her, you must go to the palace with her."

Even as he spoke they heard the wheels of a carriage driven quickly to the door. By now I had met Anton von Strofzin and heard from him that the King was at my house. As I dashed up, the news was confirmed by the comments and jokes of the crowd.

"Ah, he's in a hurry," they said. "He's kept the King waiting. He’ll get a wigging."

As may be supposed, I paid little heed to them. I sprang out and ran up the steps to the door. I saw my wife's face at the window: she herself ran to the door and opened it for me.

"Good God," I whispered, "do all these people know he's here, and take him for the King?"

"Yes," she said. "We couldn't help it, he showed himself at the door."

It was worse than I dreamt: not two or three people, but all that crowd were victims