The lantern, which happened to have been snatched up by some one in the hurry of flight as the object nearest at hand, was found and lighted, and Nathan led the way out of the clearing. As Cyril followed him, the little King’s eye fell on a sweet cake with which one of the Jewesses was feeding her baby, and he stretched out his hands hungrily. “Please give me some too,” he entreated.
“The poor child is starving!” cried the woman, breaking off half the cake, and handing it to him over Cyril’s shoulder.
“God bless you!” said the Queen, earnestly, laying her hand on the Jewess’s arm; “I will never forget what you have done to-night.”
And she passed on, leaving the women wondering over the German words, which the Rabbi had not caught sufficiently to interpret. The path up which Nathan was leading his party was rough and steep, and the light of the lantern was not of much use to any one but himself; but the rest followed him without a murmur, although their weary limbs almost refused to carry them up the rugged ascent. When the forest ended abruptly, however, and they found themselves on the bare mountain-side, the Queen gave way at last. She had tripped over a stone, and only saved herself by catching at Cyril; and when she released his arm, her strength failed her.
“I can’t go any farther,” she said, sitting down on the ground. “Go on, and leave me here.”
“Nonsense, madame!” said Cyril sharply. “Take the child,” he added to Fräulein von Staubach, “and give the rugs to the Jew boy.”
“I did not come here to carry your parcels,” protested the indignant Nathan.
“Do as you are told!” said Cyril, and, to his own intense astonishment, Nathan obeyed meekly. “Come, madame, take my arm,” and he raised the Queen from the ground. “I presume you do not wish to be seized with rheumatism as a consequence of this adventure; but you don’t appear to have noticed that it is raining.”
If the Queen had not noticed the rain under the shade of the trees, it was very evident in the open, and she allowed herself to be helped on a little farther. Then she stopped again, half-crying—
“Please let me go. I cannot walk another step.”