I am a fortunate man." We came to the gate of the Palace of Plassenburg.
My Lady Princess met us, pale and obviously anxious, with lips compressed and a strange cold glitter in her emerald eyes.
"So strange a thing has happened!" she began.
"No stranger than hath happened to us," cried the Prince.
"Why, what hath happened to you ?" she demanded, quickly.
"Your fine Von Reuss has proved himself a traitor.

He fought a duel with Hugo here all tricked in chain-armor, and when found out he whistled his rascals from the covert to slay us.

But we bested him, and he is over the hill, with Jorian and Boris hot after his heel." "And he hath not gone alone!" said the Princess, and her eyes were brilliant with excitement.
"Not gone alone ?" said the Prince.

"What do you know about this black work ?" "Because Helene, my maid of honor, hath fled to join him," she said, looking anxiously at us, like one who perils much upon a throw of the dice.
I laughed aloud.

So certain was I of the utter impossibility of the thing, that I laughed a laugh of scorn.