Pawlick shrugged his shoulders. "The master always rides alone."
The Princess seemed hardly to have heard the last words. She roused herself from her meditations.
"See that the horses are put to at once, Pawlick. You will accompany me back to Wilicza. I must be on the spot if any events are preparing there. Go."
Pawlick obeyed. He had hardly closed the door behind him when Countess Morynska stood at her aunt's side.
"Did you hear, aunt? He is going over to the border-station."
"Well?" replied the Princess, "what of it?"
"What of it? Do you think Osiecki will comply?"
"No, he must not comply, come what may. His station is of the greatest importance to us, doubly important in view of what the next few days may bring forth. We must have people there we can trust. The madmen, to risk losing us the post just at this time!"
"They have lost it us," cried Wanda, hastily. "Waldemar will compel them to obey."
"In this particular case he will not use compulsion," replied the Princess. "He avoids all acts of violence. I know that the President himself has specially begged him to do so, and he has given his promise. In L---- they fear nothing so much as a revolt on this side the frontier. Osiecki and his men will yield to nothing short of force; and to that, Waldemar will not resort. You hear he is going over alone."