ascended like incense to the Grand Duchess at the
open window, adding much to the lady's intense bewilderment.

"What has that man been doing?" demanded the Grand Duchess in a loud,
firm voice; but nobody answered, for the very good reason that nobody
heard. The attention of all those below was entirely taken up with
their own concerns.

"Pray, mein frau, let him carry our things indoors," Virginia was
insisting, while the tall man stood among the three women, motionless,
but apparently a prey to conflicting emotions. If the Grand Duchess
had not been obsessed with a certain idea, which was growing in her
mind, she must have seen that his dark face betrayed a mingling of
amusement, impatience, annoyance, and boyish mischief. He looked like
a man who had somehow stumbled into a false position from which it
would be difficult to escape with dignity, yet which he half enjoyed.
Torn between a desire to laugh, and fly into a rage with the officious
landlady, he frowned warningly at Frau Yorvan, smiled at the Princess,
and divided his energies between quick, secret gestures intended for
the eyes of the Rhaetian woman, and endeavors to unburden himself in
his own time and way, of the load he carried.

With each instant the perturbation of the Grand Duchess grew. Why did
the man not speak out what he had to say? Why did the landlady first
strive to seize the things from his back, then suddenly shrink as if
in fear, leaving the tall fellow to his own devices? Ah, but that was
a terrible look he gave her at last--the poor, good woman! Perhaps he
was a brigand! And the Grand Duchess remembered tales she had
read--tales of fearful deeds, even in these modern days, done in wild,
mountain fastnesses, and remote villages such as Alleheiligen. Not in
Rhaetia, perhaps; but then, there was no reason why they should not
happen in Rhaetia, at a place like this. And if there were not
something evil, something to be dreaded about this big, dark-browed
fellow, why had Frau Yorvan uttered that exclamation of frantic dismay
at sight of him, and rushed like a madwoman out of the house?

It occurred to the Grand Duchess that the man must be some notorious
desperado of the mountains, who had obtained her daughter's
confidence, or got her and Miss Portman into his power. But, she
remembered, fortunately some or all of the mysterious gentlemen
stopping at the inn, had returned and were at this moment assembled in
the room adjoining hers. The Gra