is
believing. Ah, thanks. It's as you say. You're puzzled what it means,
Count?"

"I don't know at all what it means!"

"How strange! Because I can guess so well."

"You are very acute, sir."

"It seems to me a simple thing to guess, my lord."

"And pray," said Rischenheim, endeavoring to assume an easy and
sarcastic air, "what does your wisdom tell you that the message means?"

"I think, my lord, that the message is an address."

"An address! I never thought of that. But I know no Holf."

"I don't think it's Holf's address."

"Whose, then?" asked Rischenheim, biting his nail, and looking furtively
at the constable.

"Why," said Sapt, "the present address of Count Rupert of Hentzau."

As he spoke, he fixed his eyes on the eyes of Rischenheim. He gave a
short, sharp laugh, then put his revolver in his pocket and bowed to the
count.

"In truth, you are very convenient, my dear Count," said he.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VI. THE TASK OF THE QUEEN'S SERVANTS

THE doctor who attended me at Wintenberg was not only discreet, but also
indulgent; perhaps he had the sense to see that little benefit would
come to a sick man from fretting in helplessness on his back, when he
was on fire to be afoot. I fear he thought the baker's rolling-pin was
in my mind, but at any rate I extorted a consent from him, and was on
my way home from Wintenberg not much more than twelve hours after Rudolf
Rassendyll left me. Thus I arrived at my own house in Strelsau on the
same Friday morning that witnessed the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim's
two-fold interview with the king at the Castle of Zenda. The moment I
had arrived, I sent James, whose assistance had been, and continued
to be, in all respects most valuable, to despatch a message to the
constable, acquainting him with my whereabouts, and putting myself
entirely at his disposal. Sapt received this message while a council of
war was being held, and the information it gave aided not a little in
the arrangements that the constable and Rudolf Rassendyll made. What
these were I must now relate, although, I fear, at the risk of some
tediousness.

Yet that council of war in Zenda was held under no common circumstances.
Cowed as Rischenheim appeared, they dared not let him out of their
sight. Rudolf could not leave the room into which Sapt had locked him;
the king's absence was to be short, and before he came again Rudolf must
be gone, Rischenheim safely disposed