“Very good of you, Strode. Now, shall we be getting off? And on the way I will tell you my story.”
We were just starting when, somewhat to my surprise, a reply to my note came from the Count. It was full of the most profuse apologies, with an explanation to the effect that an inmate of the Monastery had been suddenly seized in the night with a fit of insanity to which he was subject, and it was he who had so unfortunately disturbed me. The writer regretted that the expected arrival of a visitor prevented his waiting upon me at that moment to express his regrets in person, but he hoped to do so later in the day. A very pretty piece of humbug; the surprising part was that the Count should have given himself the trouble to compose it. But perhaps it was intended to serve for a diplomatic explanation.
I flung the precious note across to Strode. “Come along,” I said, “and I’ll tell you what it all means.”
We shouldered our guns and set off towards his shooting ground. On the way I related the whole story, more particularly that part which concerned Asta von Winterstein. When I came to my adventure of the previous night he was greatly excited.
“By Jove! That was a tight corner. I shouldn’t have kept my head as you did. I should have emptied my revolver among the scoundrels and then gone under.”
“Chance stood my friend, as it has done all through,” I said. “No doubt the fellow I knocked into the moat was the man who had been holding forth to you earlier in the evening, and was just home from Carlzig.”
Strode laughed. “I envy you that drive. I could have throttled the brute as he sat jawing away at me; only that was not my line of country.”
We then discussed the situation, and agreed that we were bound to do our utmost to help the imprisoned girl. If only we could be sure she was there.
“Perhaps we two may be able to make more of the business than one,” Strode said. “Anyhow, if I’m not intruding, and you want me, I’m your man.”
I thanked him, and before parting that afternoon it was arranged that he should come over to the Geierthal after dusk, and we would survey the possibilities together. So I left him and took my way back alone through the wooded hills.