"One can but do his best."
"But it will be a great scene. Perhaps the Kaiser himself will be here, or the old Emperor."
"Perhaps."
"Aren't you eager to see them?" asked Ilse, piqued a little at his lack of curiosity.
"Oh yes," replied John, recalling that he must make believe, "but I've seen the Kaiser several times and once at Vienna I could almost have reached out my hand and touched the old Emperor, as he rode on his way to Schonbrunn."
He passed on and they looked after him. They liked the bearing of this young peasant who was respectful, but who certainly was never servile. But it was in John's mind that however brilliant the great council might be he would not see it. He was surely going from Zillenstein but it was for the future to say whether his absence would be short or long.
While John was at the stables young Kratzek sent for his horse, and John, after his custom, led the animal to him. He had long since ceased to fear discovery by the Austrian, and his immunity made him careless, or it may be that Kratzek's eyes were uncommonly keen that day. He stood beside John, as the young American fixed the stirrup, and some motion or gesture of the seeming peasant suddenly appeared familiar to Kratzek.
Before John had realized what he intended Kratzek suddenly seized him by both shoulders and turning him around, looked straight into his eyes.
"Scott, the American, and a spy!" he exclaimed.
John's heart missed several beats. He knew that it was useless to deny, but in a moment or two he had himself under full control.