He was not in a good humor that day: the king had ruffled him also, and Colonel Sapt had no great reserve of patience.
"If we haven't cut one another's throats before then, we shall all be at Zenda by the time you arrive at Wintenberg," he said.

"The court moves there to-morrow, and I shall be there as long as the king is." He paused, and then added: "Destroy the letter if there's any danger." I nodded my head.
"And destroy yourself with it, if there's the only way," he went on with a surly smile.

"Heaven knows why she must send such a silly message at all; but since she must, she'd better have sent me with it." I knew that Sapt was in the way of jeering at all sentiment, and I took no notice of the terms that he applied to the queen's farewell.

I contented myself with answering the last part of what he said.
"No, it's better you should be here," I urged.

"For if I should lose the letter--though there's little chance of it--you could prevent it from coming to the king." "I could try," he grinned.