He lifted the hat from the Princess’ head, and the light of a near-by street lamp, that shone above the walls, fell full on the coils of high piled hair, and the fair face below it.
Both men cried out in astonishment, and, kneeling, kissed her hand.
Then they pressed on, finding almost immediately the path by which they had entered.
Meanwhile, the commotion in the garden near the palace had increased, and now the Duke of Lotzen’s stern voice cut sharply into the night, from one of his windows.
“What the devil is all this noise?” he demanded.
“Thieves, Your Highness,” some one answered from below—“five of them in madame’s apartments—they escaped into the garden.”
The Duke made no reply, at least which they could hear; and the Princess laughed.
“He’s off for madame,” she said; “and we are thieves—rather clever of Bigler to have us killed first and recognized later.”
“He didn’t see you,” said Armand; “he recognized me, and thinks this is the chance he missed at the De Saure house.”
A moment later they came into the wide drive-way, and face to face with the Count and a bunch of a dozen men.