that stood by the ambassador--whose name was Count Sergius of
Antheim--stooped down and whispered in his excellency's ear, upon
which he rose and advanced towards the king, uncovering his head and
bowing profoundly. For he chose to assume that the king had ridden to
meet him out of excessive graciousness and courtesy towards the Grand
Duke; so that he began, to the impatient king's infinite annoyance, to
make a very long and stately speech, assuring his majesty of the great
hope and joy with which his master awaited the result of the embassy;
for, said he, since the king was so zealous in his cause, his master
could not bring himself to doubt of success, and therefore most
confidently looked to win for his bride the most exalted and lovely
lady in the world, the peerless Princess Osra, the glory of the court
of Strelsau, and the brightest jewel in the crown of the king, her
brother. And having brought this period to a prosperous conclusion,
Count Sergius took breath, and began another that promised to be fully
as magnificent and not a whit less long. So that, before it was well
started, the king smote his hand on his thigh and roared:

"Heavens, man, while you're making speeches, that rascal is carrying
off my sister!"

Count Sergius, who was an elderly man of handsome presence and great
dignity, being thus rudely and strangely interrupted, showed great
astonishment and offence; but the officer by him covered his mouth
with his hand to hide a smile. For the moment that the king had spoken
these impetuous words he was himself overwhelmed with confusion; for
the last thing that he wished the Grand Duke's ambassador to know was
that the princess whom his master courted had run away that morning
with a student of the University of Strelsau. Accordingly he began,
very hastily, and with more regard for prudence than for truth, to
tell Count Sergius how a noted and bold criminal had that morning
swooped down on the princess as she rode unattended outside the city,
and carried her off--which seemed to the ambassador a very strange
story. But the king told it with great fervor, and he besought the
count to scatter his attendants all through the wood, and seek the
robber. Yet he charged them not to kill the man themselves, but to
keep him till he came. "For I have sworn to kill him with my own
hand," he cried.

Now Count Sergius, however much astonished he might be, could do
nothing but accede to the king's request, and he s