ed snappishly.

"Ah, yes, of course, the carriage," and he twisted me round till I
was forced to look him in the face. Then he smiled, and even laughed a
little.

"Only Bauer now!" said he.

"And Rupert," I remarked sourly.

"Oh, Rupert's dead bones by now," he chuckled, and with that he went out
of the hall door and announced the queen's approach to her servants.
It must be said for young Bernenstein that he was a cheerful
fellow-conspirator. His equanimity almost matched Rudolf's own; I could
not rival it myself.

I drove to the palace with the queen and my wife, the other two
following in a second carriage. I do not know what they said to one
another on the way, but Bernenstein was civil enough to his companion
when I rejoined them. With us my wife was the principal speaker: she
filled up, from what Rudolf had told her, the gaps in our knowledge of
how he had spent his night in Strelsau, and by the time we arrived we
were fully informed in every detail. The queen said little. The impulse
which had dictated her appeal to Rischenheim and carried her through
it seemed to have died away; she had become again subject to fears and
apprehension. I saw her uneasiness when she suddenly put out her hand
and touched mine, whispering:

"He must be at the house by now."

Our way did not lie by the house, and we came to the palace without any
news of our absent chief (so I call him--as such we all, from the queen
herself, then regarded him). She did not speak of him again; but her
eyes seemed to follow me about as though she were silently asking some
service of me; what it was I could not understand. Bernenstein had
disappeared, and the repentant count with him: knowing they were
together, I was in no uneasiness; Bernenstein would see that his
companion contrived no treachery. But I was puzzled by the queen's tacit
appeal. And I was myself on fire for news from the Konigstrasse. It was
now two hours since Rudolf Rassendyll had left us, and no word had come
of him or from him. At last I could bear it no longer. The queen was
sitting with her hand in my wife's; I had been seated on the other side
of the room, for I thought that they might wish to talk to one another;
yet I had not seen them exchange a word. I rose abruptly and crossed the
room to where they were.

"Have you need of my presence, madam, or have I your permission to be
away for a time?" I asked.

"Where do you wish to go, Fritz?" the queen asked with a litt