ghness had not calculated upon that."

"What do you infer?" cried Otto; "that I had you arrested?"

"The inference is simple," said the Doctor.

"Colonel Gordon," said the Prince, "oblige me so far, and set me right
with Herr von Hohenstockwitz."

"Gentlemen," said the Colonel, "you are both arrested on the same
warrant in the name of the Princess Seraphina, acting regent,
countersigned by Prime Minister Freiherr von Gondremark, and dated the
day before yesterday, the twelfth. I reveal to you the secrets of the
prison-house," he added.

"Otto," said Gotthold, "I ask you to pardon my suspicions."

"Gotthold," said the Prince, "I am not certain I can grant you that."

"Your Highness is, I am sure, far too magnanimous to hesitate," said the
Colonel. "But allow me: we speak at home in my religion of the means of
grace: and I now propose to offer them." So saying, the Colonel lighted
a bright lamp which he attached to one side of the carriage, and from
below the front seat produced a goodly basket adorned with the long
necks of bottles. "_Tu spem reducis_--how does it go, Doctor?" he asked
gaily. "I am, in a sense, your host; and I am sure you are both far too
considerate of my embarrassing position to refuse to do me honour.
Gentlemen, I drink to the Prince!"

"Colonel," said Otto, "we have a jovial entertainer. I drink to Colonel
Gordon."

Thereupon all three took their wine very pleasantly; and even as they
did so, the carriage with a lurch turned into the high-road and began to
make better speed.

All was bright within; the wine had coloured Gotthold's cheek; dim forms
of forest trees, dwindling and spiring, scarves of the starry sky, now
wide and now narrow, raced past the windows; through one that was left
open the air of the woods came in with a nocturnal raciness; and the
roll of wheels and the tune of the trotting horses sounded merrily on
the ear. Toast followed toast; glass after glass was bowed across and
emptied by the trio; and presently there began to fall upon them a
luxurious spell, under the influence of which little but the sound of
quiet and confidential laughter interrupted the long intervals of
meditative silence.

"Otto," said Gotthold, after one of these seasons of quiet, "I do not
ask you to forgive me. Were the parts reversed, I could not forgive
you."

"Well," said Otto, "it is a phrase we use. I do forgive you, but your
words and your suspicions rankle; and not yours alone. It is id