I nodded. "And come along—let us get away from here."
Without a word, he vaulted back and we moved off.
The whole thing had occurred so unexpectedly and so swiftly that the few Masques, who had been in the vicinity, evidently had not noticed the murderous nature of the assault; and the peculiar arrangement of the hedges and trees had enabled my assailant to disappear almost instantly. Indeed, but for Moore's vaulting the boxwood after him, it is likely no one would have suspected anything unusual.
Several men came up and inquired if they could be of any assistance, but I assured them it was a matter of no consequence—that I had, evidently, been mistaken for another—or it was only a bit of pleasantry from some friend who had recognized me.
"But that you are uninjured," remarked one, "I should almost say it was a case of attempted assassination."
I laughed. "An assassination would fit in well with the costumes and the garden—everything is mediaeval to-night."
"Except the electric lights," Moore threw in, dryly; and we bowed ourselves away.
"I suppose we may now assume that somebody knows my disguise," I observed. "Did you see my friend with the dagger?"
"Yes—as much of him as there was to see—he wore a long black cloak and was rather above medium size. If Your Highness had not stopped me I might have caught him."
"That's just why I stopped you," said I. "I didn't want to embarrass the De Vierles. Think what it would mean to them to have it known that one of their guests had attempted to stab to death an Archduke."