s professional instincts
keenly aroused. As he shook the bed clothing, there was a tinkle upon
the floor, and a coin rolled into the farthest corner of the room. This
he pounced upon like a dog upon a rat and brought it forth into the
light of the window.

"A _kroner_!" he muttered. "Curious! Could she have dropped it do you
suppose?"

"Perhaps. Her money was in a handbag," cried Renwick with his legs out
of the window. He had already espied a possible mode of escape, and
started running along in the shadow of the hedge.

"Your parole, Herr Renwick!" shouted Windt, scrambling after him.

"Come on then," cried the Englishman over his shoulder while the
Austrian followed swiftly shouting orders to his assistants. "Follow me,
Spivak! The Park gates, Hadwiger! Let no vehicle get out! Linder, notify
Lengelbach--the telegraph!"

Renwick went fast but Herr Windt and the puffing Spivak kept at his
heels as they reached the garden, crossing it at full speed toward the
arbor, whither Renwick led them as though by an inspiration, through the
bushes and toward the small gate beyond, which led to the door in the
wall, over which a week ago he had climbed in his hurried flight with
Marishka to Vienna.

Renwick was thinking rapidly. Had Marishka escaped alone--perhaps
devised a plan of her own to reach Vienna from Budweis in time to come
up with the party of the Archduke? Or had someone----He doubled his
pace, cursing his throbbing head and his own simplicity and impotence. A
trap?

"There is a door?" stammered Windt.

"In the bushes just beyond--a private one--usually locked----"

"Spivak! You hear?"

"I could not know----" panted the other.

"You should have known----"

They reached the small flight of steps that led down, and dashed along
the path among the bushes toward an open gate, emerging upon the road
which marked the beginnings of the village street. There were a few
people in sight, an old man hobbling upon a stick, a child with a dog,
two peasants in the shade of a tree eating their midday meal--and down
the road to the west--a cloud of dust!

The peasants rose in alarm at the rapid approach of the three excited
men, and turned as though to flee into the safety of the adjoining
field, but Renwick overtook them.

"You saw a lady come out of the gate yonder?" he questioned.

"A lady, Excellency?"

"Yes, yes. A lady and perhaps a gentlemen."

"We are merely eating our dinner, Excellency. We--we have no