xplanations which are so little
understood, but there are matters of interest to you."

"Ah."

"You have been ill. Many things have happened. You would like to hear?"

"I am listening."

"It is the trifles of the world which make or prevent its greatest
disasters. The man with the lantern at the bridgehead at Brod did not
know that he held the destiny of Europe in his hand. And yet, this is
the truth. Had he permitted us to pass unquestioned we should have
reached Sarajevo in time to prevent the greatest cataclysm of all the
ages."

Marishka turned toward him, her interest now fully aroused.

"What do you mean?"

"War, Countess Strahni--the most bloody--terrible--in the history of the
world--the event that I have striven all my life to prevent. All of
Europe is ablaze. Millions of men are marching--battles have already
been fought----"

"Horrible? I cannot believe----"

"It is the truth. It followed swiftly upon the assassination at
Sarajevo----"

"Serbia!"

"Serbia first--then Russia--Germany--Belgium--France--England, too----"

"You are speaking the truth?"

"I swear it."

"And Austria?"

"Germany and Austria--against a ring of enemies bent on exterminating
us----"

"England--?"

And while with eager ears she listened, he told her the history of the
long weeks, now growing into months, in which she had been hidden from
the world--including the defeat of the Austrians by the Serbians along
the Drina, and the advance of the Russians in East Prussia and Galicia.

She heard him through until the end, questioning eagerly, then aware of
the dreadful significance of his news, forgetting for the moment her own
animosities, her own questionable position in the greater peril of her
country--and his. His country and hers at war against the world!

"Russia has won victories against Austria--in Galicia?" she urged.

"Yes--the Cossacks already are approaching Lemberg----"

"Lemberg!"

"They are less than two hundred kilometers from us at the present
moment."

"And will they come--here?"

"I hope not," he said with a slow smile. "But Schloss Szolnok is hardly
equipped to resist a siege of modern ordnance."

"And you--why are you here?"

The ingenuousness of her impetuous question seemed to amuse him.

"I?" he said. "I am here because--well, because you--because I had no
other place to go."

"Will you explain?"

"I see no reason why I should not. I chose the place as a temporary
refuge from p