"
"I could try," he grinned. "But on my life, to run the chance for
a letter's sake! A letter's a poor thing to risk the peace of a
kingdom for."
"Unhappily," said I, "it's the only thing that a messenger can
well carry."
"Off with you, then," grumbled the colonel. "Tell Rassendyll from
me that he did well. But tell him to do something more. Let 'em
say good-by and have done with it. Good God, is he going to waste
all his life thinking of a woman he never sees?" Sapt's air was
full of indignation.
"What more is he to do?" I asked. "Isn't his work here done?"
"Ay, it's done. Perhaps it's done," he answered. "At least he has
given us back our good king."
To lay on the king the full blame for what he was would have been
rank injustice. Sapt was not guilty of it, but his disappointment
was bitter that all our efforts had secured no better ruler for
Ruritania. Sapt could serve, but he liked his master to be a man.
"Ay, I'm afraid the lad's work here is done," he said, as I shook
him by the hand. Then a sudden light came in his eyes. "Perhaps
not," he muttered. "Who knows?"
A man need not, I hope, be deemed uxorious for liking a quiet
dinner alone with his wife before he starts on a long journey.
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