Then, as Marie answered, her face fell. 'I do not know,' my girl said. 'After a time I found my way back to the road, but I had scarcely set foot on it when General Tzerclas' troopers surprised me. I gave myself up for lost; I thought that he would kill me. But he only gibed at me, until I almost died of fear, and then he bade one of his men take me up behind him. They carried me with them to the camp outside this city, and three days ago brought me in and shut me up in that house.'
'But the child?' my lady cried. 'What of it?'
'He took it from me,' Marie said. 'I have never seen it since, but I think that he has it in the camp.'
'Does he know whose child it is?'
'I told him,' Marie replied. 'Otherwise they might have let it die on the road. It was a burden to them.'
The Countess shuddered, but in a moment recovered herself. '"While there is life there is hope,"' she said. 'Martin, here is more work for you. We will leave no stone unturned. Count Leuchtenstein must know, of course, but I will tell him myself. If we could get the child back and hand it safe and sound to its father, it would be---- Perhaps the Waldgrave may be able to help us?'
'I think that he will need all his wits to help himself,' I said bluntly.
'Why?' my lady questioned, looking at me in wonder.
'Why?' I cried in astonishment. 'Have you heard nothing about him, my lady?'
'Nothing,' she said.