nd he realized that they were now
approaching the Princess's room. How he came to be ahead of them he
could not imagine. Strange trembling seized his legs, so great was the
relief after the narrow escape. Again he felt the door move slightly
as he pressed against it. The necessity for a partial recovery of his
composure before the next and most important step, impelled him softly
to enter the room for an instant's breath.

Holding to the door he stood inside and drew himself to his full height,
taking a long and tremulous breath. There was no light in the room, but
through the door crack to his left came a dim, broad streak. He now knew
where he was. This room was next to that in which the Princess slept,
for had he not seen the light from her window? Perhaps he was now in the
room of the Countess Dagniar. Next door! Next door! Even now the
daring Geddos and Ostrom were crawling towards the bed of the ruler of
Graustark, not twenty feet away. His first impulse was to cross and open
the door leading to the next room, surmising that it would be unlocked,
but he remembered Anguish, who was doubtless, by this time, stealing up
the stairs. They must not be separated, for it would require two steady,
cool heads to deal with the villains. It was not one man's work. As
he turned to leave the room he thought how wonderfully well they had
succeeded in the delicate enterprise so far.

His knees struck the door, and there was a dull thump, not loud in
reality, but like the report of a gun to him. A sudden rustle in the
darkness of the room and then a sleepy voice, soft and quick, as of a
woman awakening with a start.

"Who is it?"

His heart ceased beating, his body grew stiff and immovable. Again the
voice, a touch of alarm in it now:

"Is that you, Donnox?"

She spoke in German, and the voice came from somewhere in front and
to his right. He could not answer, could not move. The paralysis of
indecision was upon him.

"How is it that the outer door is open?"

This time there was something like a reprimand in the tones, still low.
He almost could see the wide-open, searching eyes.

X. YETIVE

There could be no further hesitation. Something must be done and
instantly. He gently closed the door before answering the third
question. In his nervousness he spoke in English, advancing to the
middle of the room. Impossible to see the woman to whom he hissed this
alarming threat-he only could speculate as to its effect: