old lady moved her dwelling
to Strelsau. Indeed the girl had seemed to haunt the king's foot-steps,
and he had himself joked on her obvious efforts to attract his
attention, and the languishing glances of her great black eyes. But it
is the lot of prominent personages to inspire these strange passions,
and the king had spent as little thought on her as on any of the
romantic girls who found a naughty delight in half-fanciful devotion to
him--devotion starting, in many cases, by an irony of which the king
was happily unconscious, from the brave figure that he made at his
coronation and his picturesque daring in the affair of Black Michael.
The worshipers never came near enough to perceive the alteration in
their idol.

The half then, at least, of Rosa's attachment was justly due to the man
who now stood opposite to her, looking at her with surprise by the murky
light of the strong-smelling oil-lamp. The lamp shook and almost fell
from her hand when she saw him; for the scarf had slid away, and his
features were exposed to full view. Fright, delight, and excitement vied
with one another in her eyes.

"The king!" she whispered in amazement. "No, but--" And she searched his
face wonderingly.

"Is it the beard you miss?" asked Rudolf, fingering his chin. "Mayn't
kings shave when they please, as well as other men?" Her face still
expressed bewilderment, and still a lingering doubt. He bent towards
her, whispering:

"Perhaps I wasn't over-anxious to be known at once."

She flushed with pleasure at the confidence he seemed to put in her.

"I should know you anywhere," she whispered, with a glance of the great
black eyes. "Anywhere, your Majesty."

"Then you'll help me, perhaps?"

"With my life."

"No, no, my dear young lady, merely with a little information. Whose
home is this?"

"My mother's."

"Ah! She takes lodgers?"

The girl appeared vexed at his cautious approaches. "Tell me what you
want to know," she said simply.

"Then who's here?"

"My lord the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim."

"And what's he doing?"

"He's lying on the bed moaning and swearing, because his wounded arm
gives him pain."

"And is nobody else here?"

She looked round warily, and sank her voice to a whisper as she
answered:

"No, not now--nobody else."

"I was seeking a friend of mine," said Rudolf. "I want to see him alone.
It's not easy for a king to see people alone."

"You mean--?"

"Well, you know whom I mean."

"Yes. N