rrupting. Sapt's story ran on for eight or nine minutes.
Then he paused, before asking:

"You understand now?"

"Yes, it is wonderful," said the young man, drawing in his breath.

"Pooh!" said Sapt. "Nothing is wonderful: some things are unusual."

Bernenstein was not convinced, and shrugged his shoulders in protest.

"Well?" said the constable, with a quick glance at him.

"I would die for the queen, sir," he answered, clicking his heels
together as though on parade.

"Good," said Sapt. "Then listen," and he began again to talk.
Bernenstein nodded from time to time. "You'll meet him at the gate,"
said the constable, "and bring him straight here. He's not to go
anywhere else, you understand me?"

"Perfectly, Colonel," smiled young Bernenstein.

"The king will be in this room--the king. You know who is the king?"

"Perfectly, Colonel."

"And when the interview is ended, and we go to breakfast--"

"I know who will be the king then. Yes, Colonel."

"Good. But we do him no harm unless--"

"It is necessary."

"Precisely."

Sapt turned away with a little sigh. Bernenstein was an apt pupil, but
the colonel was exhausted by so much explanation. He knocked softly at
the door of the room. The queen's voice bade him enter, and he passed
in. Bernenstein was left alone again in the passage, pondering over what
he had heard and rehearsing the part that it now fell to him to play. As
he thought he may well have raised his head proudly. The service seemed
so great and the honor so high, that he almost wished he could die in
the performing of his role. It would be a finer death than his soldier's
dreams had dared to picture.

At one o'clock Colonel Sapt came out. "Go to bed till six," said he to
Bernenstein.

"I'm not sleepy."

"No, but you will be at eight if you don't sleep now."

"Is the queen coming out, Colonel?"

"In a minute, Lieutenant."

"I should like to kiss her hand."

"Well, if you think it worth waiting a quarter of an hour for!" said
Sapt, with a slight smile.

"You said a minute, sir."

"So did she," answered the constable.

Nevertheless it was a quarter of an hour before Rudolf Rassendyll opened
the door and the queen appeared on the threshold. She was very pale,
and she had been crying, but her eyes were happy and her air firm. The
moment he saw her, young Bernenstein fell on his knee and raised her
hand to his lips.

"To the death, madame," said he, in a trembling voice.

"I knew