Then his quarry left the wood, by an exceedingly small gap, and ran down a field path toward the village of Little Deeping. By the time the count was through the gap she had a lead of a hundred yards. To his joy, in the open country, on the smoother path, he made up the lost ground quickly. When they reached the common, he was a bare forty yards behind her. He was not surprised when in despair she left the path and bolted into the refuge of an old house that stood beside it.
Mopping his hot wet brow he walked up the garden path with a victorious air, and knocked firmly on the door. Sarah opened it; and he demanded the instant surrender of the princess. Sarah heard him with an exasperating air of blank bewilderment. He repeated his demand more firmly and loudly.
Sarah called to Mrs. Dangerfield: “Please, mum: ’ere’s a furrin gentleman asking for a princess. I expect as it’s that there missing one.”
“Do nod mock! She ’ees ’ere!” cried the count fiercely.
Then Mrs. Dangerfield came out of the dining-room where she had been arranging flowers, and came to the door.
“The princess is not here,” she said gently.
“But I haf zeen ’er! She haf now ad once coom! She ’ides!” cried the count.
At that moment Erebus came down the hall airily swinging her sunbonnet by its strings. The eyes of the count opened wide; so did his mouth.
“I expect he means me. At least he’s run after me all the way from the knoll here,” said Erebus in a clear quiet voice.
The count’s eyes returned to their sockets; and he had a sudden outburst of fluent German. He did not think that any of his hearers could understand that portion of his native tongue he was using; he hoped they could not; he could not help it if they did.