“Thanks,” he returned, fervently.
“And now I am ready to go to my friend.”
She turned, and sweeping aside the drapery, pressed upon a spring, and the heavy stone before mentioned swung back.
She then blew a tiny silver whistle which hung at her girdle, and stood waiting.
Almost instantly Robert Ellerton parted the hangings in his room and appeared.
“Mr. Ellerton, come quick!” she exclaimed, her beautiful face all aglow with glad triumph.
There was a joyous ring in her voice that made him quicken his steps, and he had hardly entered her boudoir when his hand was warmly grasped, and the word “Robert!” was uttered in familiar and welcome tones.
“Fredrich! Heaven bless you, my boy, how came you here?”
Gently as they could they told him the whole story, and notwithstanding that he was somewhat prepared to learn that harm had happened to his darling, still his suffering was pitiful when he learned the extent to which the villains had carried their vile plottings.
Dora herself was not paler than he at this moment, and they had hardly finished their account, when he sprang wildly to his feet and begged them to take him to her.