Arms and the Woman

ere was a lump on the back of my head as large as an egg. With what water remained I dampened my handkerchief and wound it around the injury. Then I made a systematic search through my clothes

dence. Having satisfied myself that there was no possible escape, I returned to my pallet and lay down. Why I was here a prisoner I knew not. I thought over all I had written the past twelvemonth, but nothing recurred to me which would make me liable to arrest. But, then, I had not been arrested. I had been kidnapped, nothing less. Nothing had been asked

the point of your chin; but I was in a great h

he table. I was considered dangerous; it was somet

us

us

should begin by asking me how I spent the night, and if there was not something you could

men whose question

might t

ne question-the reason you are here. You ar

nor of being what is ca

uddenly; "that pistol m

t ask you in turn some

s,

it," said he, gruffly. "But have no fear; I should hesi

meet again I shall feel it my duty t

the French for the word canaille, which

g off the pallet, "I s

h me," he cried, his finge

o the window. I found some satisfaction in his nervousness;

d you cross the frontier when you

of some sort. I am not a Socialist or an Anarchist. I have never been forbidden to cross the frontier of a

d heartily. "You do not lack impudence. Are you, or are

rtain

it it?"

hly reason why

u last visit

al yea

ars ago?" i

e you ever se

e less than two years a

d of whom you know positively nothing." Suddenly my head began to throb again and I grew di

ed with

your na

, if that will throw any

d as another," with

s little difference, after all, between

easure," said he. A German is the most sens

" observing him from the corner of my eye,

ailway carriage, he smiled in spi

e in self-defence. I'll give you credit for being a fea

ques

country when you were expr

till the crack of doom, but no answer will I give you till you have told me why I am her

. He thumped the table wi

affirming that your

I could see them better," said

mpatiently, "you do n

perfectly sane light in his eyes. "Am I crazy, o

s Hildegarde, and that you did not come here with the purpose to aid her to escape th

n mistaken for Hillars. Truly, things were growing in

as left London and is o

him to cross the fr

ere the Princess is in

ely trap her. Ke

hat of a well-known m

on. I tossed ba

triump

arly for you. Your London informant is decidedly off

lieve you! I

say nothing of the time and labor and a black eye. If you had asked a

the name!" he

light, what there is left of it, and he is a handsomer man than I. All this I should have told you with pleasure, and you would have been saved no end of trouble. I presume that there is noth

, and half inclin

do. You know, then, the

es

his country under

t been he instead of me, he would have thrown you out of the carriage at the

you are the man I want, or not, you will have to remain till this afternoon, when the Count will put in appearan

to me more trouble

er Highness," he said, hinting a smile. "S

oved her,"

has seen her and talked t

is not all due to that imposed upon you by Co

does not admit discussion

ack eye. But as you did what you believed to be your duty, and as I did what every man does when self-preservation becomes his first thought, let us cry quits.

gentleman; and, now that we have come to an understanding, I shall treat you as such. I have a pack of cards downstairs. I'll go and g

in a carriage. And to be honest, I am anxious to see the

ound me still sitting on th

han otherwise. The young officer explained to me that he held an importan

riage has been postponed. Such occurrences are extremely annoying to his Majesty, who does not relish hav

this marriage is to her, why

which the King wills must come to pass, or he loses a part of his royal digni

ghts as a petty so

s but a tenant: the rulers of Hohenphalia are but guests of

ene Highness. I had never seen the woman, not even a picture of her. Certainly, she must be worth loving, inasmuch as she was worth trouble. I hav

d why Hillars traveled all over the Continent to get a glimpse of the woman he loved. With the pleasant though

him to be the man," I

been trying to hoodwink you. Watch the surprise in his face when he sees me, the cursed m

d, turning my face toward the wall. "There is a ni

oor o

the Count. "What do

as a gentleman," w

an," said the Count, stepping up to the pallet a

about to set its scenes upon the grim visage o

devils! Wh

d I, meekly. "Everybody

e situation warrants a

?" I should have laughe

y

head," he said t

ther with some show of temper. "I cannot see that the fault lies at my d

far as I am concerned," I said,

ulling at his gray mustaches, which flared o

return to the city

im of a blunder for which some one shall suffer.

s in no wise connected

latest advices

hat," was the Count's rejoinder, whi

ms to be a dan

dit for being as brave as he is impudent. But come, my carriage is at your service. Y

quie

I had not the vaguest idea that we

ture was, I sent a very

t in it. This done, I

expect me for

lars, and incidentally for her Serene Highn