.

We did not reckon upon either defense or escape, until it was too
late--the first, the last, and the only time Count Saxe was ever
caught napping by his enemies. And it was by my forethought--I say it
with diffidence--that the drawbridge was put in working order. It came
about in this manner.

The ugly duchess, having fallen in love with Count Saxe the first time
she saw him, as all the women did, poor souls, they could not help
themselves--invited him to lodge with his suite at the palace, instead
of at the old schloss with the rats. Never were there such rats. We
used to have regular battues of rats, killing them with our swords.
But Count Saxe was wary--he had no mind to be lodged too far away from
his horses. As it was, our stabling was at an inconvenient distance
from the schloss. But how to get away from the pressing attentions of
a lady is a problem; all will admit that.

One morning, however, a placard was found affixed to the palace gates,
making light of Count Saxe's alleged intention to take up his quarters
at the palace. He happened to arrive just as a great crowd had
assembled, laughing and jeering. He rode up, dismounted, tore the
placard from the iron gateway, cuffed half a dozen grinning fellows,
and like a walking volcano marched into the palace. He demanded
instantly to see the duchess, and after tearing the placard to shreds
in her presence, declared that nothing would induce him to subject her
to such indignities; consequently he would remain at the schloss with
the rats. The duchess glared at him, and in her turn cuffed a saucy
page that laughed behind his hand; and from that hour she was his
enemy. No woman ever forgives a man for being more prudent than she,
and although I swear I know nothing of Count Saxe's affairs with the
ladies, I will admit this, that he was not reckoned a prudish man
exactly.

When he returned to the schloss, and with mirth and heartfelt joy told
me of the thing, my reply was to go and examine the drawbridge. Our
arms and accoutrements were always kept in perfect order, so there was
no need to inspect them. The chains and blocks of the drawbridge were
rusty and moss-grown, but I speedily got them in working order, well
oiled, and the drawbridge moved up and down as smoothly as my lady's
fan opening and shutting. Count Saxe, seeing me at work, with several
men, came to find out what we were doing.

"I am putting the drawbridge in order, sir, because you were so
ext