nto a like snare."

"Wallenstein murdered!" the duke exclaimed in tones of horror.
"Murdered, say you? Impossible!"

"It is but too true, sir," Malcolm replied; "I myself saw his friends
Illo, Terzky, and Kinsky assassinated before my eyes at a banquet.
Wallenstein was murdered by his favourites Leslie and Gordon and the
Irishman Butler. I was seized and thrown into a dungeon, but have
escaped by a miracle to warn you of your danger."

"This is a blow indeed," the duke said mournfully. Turning to his
attendants he ordered them to hang the false messenger to the nearest
tree, and then begged Malcolm to follow him into his tent and give him
full details of this terrible transaction.

"This upsets all our schemes indeed," the duke said when he had
concluded. "What is the strength of the garrison at Egra?"

"There were Butler's dragoons and an infantry regiment in garrison there
when we arrived; six regiments accompanied us on the march, and I
fear that all these must now be considered as having gone over to the
Imperialists."

"Then their force is superior to my own," the duke said, "for I have but
six thousand men with me, and have no artillery heavy enough to make
any impression upon the walls of the town. Much as I should like to meet
these traitors and to deal out to them the punishment they deserve, I
cannot adventure on the siege of Egra until I have communicated this
terrible news to the Swedish chancellor. Egra was all important to us as
affording an entrance into Bohemia so long as Wallenstein was with
us, but now that he has been murdered and our schemes thus suddenly
destroyed I cannot risk the destruction of my force by an assault upon
the city, which is no longer of use to us."

Much as Malcolm would have liked to have seen the punishment of
Wallenstein's treacherous followers, he could not but feel that the
duke's view was, under the circumstances, the correct one. The tents
were speedily struck, and the force fell back with all speed towards
Bavaria, and after accompanying them for a march or two, Malcolm left
them and rode to join his regiment, the duke having already sent off
a messenger to Oxenstiern with a full account of the murder of
Wallenstein.

As none could say what events were likely to follow the changed
position of things, Malcolm determined at once to carry out the original
intention of placing Thekla under the care of his friends at Nuremberg,
in which direction it was not probable t