em with a look of
crafty triumph, a very image of intrigue. Then it disappeared silently.

Wogan remembered the voice of the man who had spurred past the doorway
of the inn at Ala. He knew now why he had thought to recognise it. The
exclamation had been one of anger,--because he had seen Clementina and
himself in Italy? He had spurred onwards--towards Trent? There were
those six horses in the stables. Whittington's face had disappeared very
silently. "An honest man," thought Wogan, "does not take off his boots
before he mounts the stairs."

Clementina was still standing at his side. Without changing his attitude
he rapped with his knuckles gently twice upon the boards of the stair.
She turned towards him with a gasp of the breath. He rapped again twice,
fearful lest she should speak to him. She understood that he had given
her the signal to go. She turned on her heel and slipped back into her
room.

CHAPTER XIX

Wogan did not move. In a few minutes he heard voices whispering in the
courtyard below. By that time the Princess should have escaped into the
thicket. The stairs creaked, and again he saw a face over the edge of a
step. It was the flabby face of a stranger, who turned and whispered in
German to others behind him. The face rose; a pair of shoulders, a
portly body, and a pair of unbooted legs became visible. The man carried
a drawn sword; between his closed eyelashes Wogan saw that four others
with the like arms followed. There should have been six; but the sixth
was Harry Whittington, who, to be sure, was not likely to show himself
to Wogan awake. The five men passed the first turn of the stairs without
noise. Wogan was very well pleased with their noiselessness. Men without
boots to their feet were at a very great disadvantage when it came to a
fight. He allowed them to come up to the second turn, he allowed the
leader to ascend the last straight flight until he was almost within
sword-reach, and then he quietly rose to his feet.

"Gentlemen," said he, "I grieve to disappoint you; but I have hired this
lodging for the night."

The leader stopped, discountenanced, and leaned back against his
followers. "You are awake?" he stammered.

"It is a habit of mine."

The leader puffed out his cheeks and assumed an appearance of dignity.

"Then we are saved some loss of time. For we were coming to awake you."

"It was on that account, no doubt," said Wogan, folding his arms, "that
you have all taken o