“You have the key of that stable door. Give it to me.”
He handed it over with a deep sigh.
“You have saved your skin,” I said curtly; “but you must remain here. You will be safe, if you make no effort to resist. If you do that, I shall leave orders that you are to be shot.” I said this much as though it were my daily custom to catch men and murder them; and the very tone I used added to his fears.
I left him a minute in the care of Chris; and as Karasch had arrived I told him to have the man bound and locked up in one of the many vaults in the basement of the house.
I was glad to be relieved of his presence, and then set to work to carry out the scheme which his story had suggested. When Karasch came back I told him what I had learnt and asked him how he had fared.
“Except the handful of men on whom I knew I could trust, I have done little,” he said.
“They may be enough for my altered plans. Can you get them to-night, and above all can you get uniforms for them?”
“I fear not, Excellency. It is past midnight.”
“Get the men then. I’ll find uniforms for them.”
“My plan is to go to the Princess’s house at once; to wait for the men who are coming to arrest her; make them prisoners and then play their part. They will be able to provide us with the costumes,” I added, smiling grimly.