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 point," I answered. "If your men make blunders of this kind, and don't know the difference between her Highness and her friends, who can tell where she is?"

"You will find it a hazardous work to play tricks on us!" he cried furiously.

"I play tricks on you, indeed! It is you who seem to be amusing yourselves with us," I said, with an insolent laugh. "But you will have to answer for it, I promise you."

"Silence!" he shouted; and I shrugged my shoulders and threw up my hands in response.

He muttered some hurried instructions to Captain Wolasky, who left the room to carry them out. I glanced at my watch. It was a quarter to ten; three hours since Christina had started, and I calculated that, if all had gone well, she would be at least two stages to the frontier, and beyond hope of pursuit by any troops that could now be despatched after her. For aught else I cared nothing.

I edged close to Spernow, and managed to whisper to him:

"If you get a chance try to steal off, you two, in the confusion;" and just as I had said this Captain Wolasky came back with a file of soldiers, and the officer at the table ordered them to lead me away.

"You have your orders, Captain Wolasky," he said in sharp, peremptory tones, and I was led away, Wolasky following me.

He took me out through the hall, now thronged with soldiers, to the front of the house, where a small troop of horsemen were drawn up; and then, halting at a spot where the light of a lamp fell full upon his face, he looked at me with a peculiar expression in his eyes