hall lamps. By Heaven, I felt as a lost child must
on sight of his mother! I stretched out my hand to him, over the side of
the wagon, murmuring, "I've lost it."

He started at the words, and sprang forward to me. Then he turned
quickly to the carrier.

"This gentleman is my friend," he said. "Give him to me. I'll speak to
you later." He waited while I was lifted down from the wagon into
the arms that he held ready for me, and himself carried me across the
threshold. I was quite clear in the head by now and understood all that
passed. There were one or two people in the hall, but Mr. Rassendyll
took no heed of them. He bore me quickly upstairs and into his
sitting-room. There he set me down in an arm-chair, and stood opposite
to me. He was smiling, but anxiety was awake in his eyes.

"I've lost it," I said again, looking up at him pitifully enough.

"That's all right," said he, nodding. "Will you wait, or can you tell
me?"

"Yes, but give me some brandy," said I.

Rudolf gave me a little brandy mixed in a great deal of water, and then
I made shift to tell him. Though faint, I was not confused, and I gave
my story in brief, hurried, yet sufficient words. He made no sign till I
mentioned the letter. Then his face changed.

"A letter, too?" he exclaimed, in a strange mixture of increased
apprehension and unlooked-for joy.

"Yes, a letter, too; she wrote a letter, and I carried that as well as
the box. I've lost them both, Rudolf. God help me, I've lost them both!
Rupert has the letter too!" I think I must have been weak and unmanned
from the blow I had received, for my composure broke down here. Rudolf
stepped up to me and wrung me by the hand. I mastered myself again and
looked in his face as he stood in thought, his hand caressing the strong
curve of his clean-shaven chin. Now that I was with him again it seemed
as though I had never lost him; as though we were still together in
Strelsau or at Tarlenheim, planning how to hoodwink Black Michael,
send Rupert of Hentzau to his own place, and bring the king back to his
throne. For Mr. Rassendyll, as he stood before me now, was changed in
nothing since our last meeting, nor indeed since he reigned in Strelsau,
save that a few flecks of gray spotted his hair.

My battered head ached most consumedly. Mr. Rassendyll rang the bell
twice, and a short, thickset man of middle age appeared; he wore a suit
of tweed, and had the air of smartness and respectability which marks