"I have arranged all that," he said, softly. "One of Her Highness's women has left a basement window open. We shall make our way down the area, enter the window, and ascend the back stairs till we stand inside that front door. You will then make your way up the main staircase till you come to a passage; proceeding along this, you will come to a door on the right-hand side. Enter this, and you will see what you have to do.
"If in an hour you hear no alarm, make your way out as you came; but if you are attacked, guard the door you entered by until I can come to you or send assistance. There," he said, with a sigh, for he was no great lover of long speeches, "that is all, and should anything happen to us—well, good-bye, and remember Eagle's Nest"—this with a smile. He gave me a hearty grip of the hand, and we made our way towards the house.
Every thing came about as Von Bieberstein had said. Leaving our cloaks in the area, and with naked swords in our hands, we entered the window, and in a few minutes stood inside the door, the exterior of which I had seen from the square. A confused murmur came from above us, and a dim light hung from a chain above our heads. Von Bieberstein pointed with his sword to the staircase before us, and with a nod I made my way towards it, holding my sword tightly in my hand. It was thickly carpeted, and my ascent was made without noise, and I soon found myself in the passage mentioned.
The voices grew more distinct as I proceeded, until at last, when I reached the door on the right, I could hear a word here and there. The door itself was ajar, but no glimmer of light made its way out, so with my heart in my mouth I quietly pushed it open and entered. I found myself in a long narrow room with one window heavily curtained at one end, but my attention was riveted to what I saw immediately before me. Two heavy curtains, closely drawn together with here and there a bright chink of light penetrating where they met, divided the room I was in from a larger one.
Cautiously advancing towards these, I managed by applying my eye to one of the chinks to see into the room. Round a table, brilliantly lighted by a cluster of electric lights immediately above it, were seated half a dozen men in court dress and wearing swords; at the head of the table and on a seat slightly higher than the others was seated a lady, whom I at once recognised as the companion of my lady of Felixstowe. She was in evening dress, and a coronet of diamonds surrounded her head. She wore several sparkling orders, prominent among which I recognised the White Eagle of the reigning house of Schwannenwald. I looked through my chink long and curiously at her.
"'TO THE HEALTH OF HER SERENE HIGHNESS,' SAID HE."
Standing beside her chair was the equerry Von Zahn, who at that moment was speaking.
"I think we are all agreed, gentlemen," he was saying, "that in the troublous times that must succeed the lamented demise of His present Majesty, the throne of Schwannenwald will have need of a clear head and a firm ruler. Beauty is of course to be respected, but the two do not always go together. When they are united"—and here he bowed with respect to the Duchess—"I for my part see no reason to look further."
His words seemed to have the assent of the men at the table, with the exception of one man who seemed about to speak. But the equerry, evidently divining this, went on quickly.