h dropped jaw
and open mouth!

At his entrance Rollo had taken off his hat with a low bow. The Sergeant
saluted and stood at attention. There was a moment's silence in the
room, but before Rollo had time to speak the Queen-Regent recovered her
self-possession. The daughter of the Bourbons stood erect. Her long hair
streamed in dark glossy waves over her shoulders. Her bosom heaved
visibly under the thin pink wrapper. Anger struggled with fear in her
eyes. Verily Maria Cristina of Naples had plenty of courage.

"Who are you," she cried, "that dare thus to break in upon the privacy
of the Regent Queen of Spain? Duke, call the guard!"

But her husband only shrugged his shoulders and continued to gaze upon
the pair of intruders with a calm exterior.

"Your Majesty," said Rollo, courteously, naturally resuming the
leadership when anything requiring contact with gentlefolk came in the
way, "I am here to inform you that you are in great danger--greater than
I can for the moment make clear to you. The palace is, as I understand,
absolutely without defence--the town is in the same position. It is
within our knowledge that a band of two hundred gipsies are on the march
to attack you this night in order to plunder the chateau, and put to
death every soul within its walls. We have come, therefore, together
with our companions outside, to offer our best services in your
Majesty's defence!"

"But," cried the Queen-Regent, "all this may very well be, but you have
not yet told me who you are and what you are doing here!"

"For myself," answered Rollo, "I am a Scottish gentleman, trained from
my youth to the profession of arms. Those who wait without are for the
present comrades and companions, whom, with your Majesty's permission, I
shall bid to enter. For to be plain, every moment is of the utmost
importance, that we may lose no time in putting the chateau into such a
state of defence as is possible, since the attack of the gipsies may be
expected at any moment!"

Rollo stepped to the window to summon his company, but found them
already assembled on the balcony. It was no time for formal
introductions, yet, as each entered, Rollo, like a true herald,
delivered himself of a brief statement of the position of the individual
in the company. But when La Giralda entered, the stout waiting-maid rose
with a shriek from the floor where she had been sitting.

"Oh, my lady," she cried, "do not trust these wicked people. They have
come