“No, I know what you’ve done.”
“I take no credit. It was more the dog’s doing than mine,” said Rupert carelessly. “However, there it is, and dead he is, and there’s an end of it. What’s your business, play-actor?”
At the repetition of this last word, to her so mysterious, the girl outside pressed her eyes more eagerly to the chink and strained her ears to listen more sedulously. And what did the count mean by the “other one” and “a heavenly crown”?
“Why not call me king?” asked Rudolf.
“They call you that in Strelsau?”
“Those that know I’m here.”
“And they are—?”
“Some few score.”
“And thus,” said Rupert, waving an arm towards the window, “the town is quiet and the flags fly?”
“You’ve been waiting to see them lowered?”