Either evil had befallen us,
or the letter had reached the king before we arrived at the
lodge; the probabilities seemed to him to be confined to these
alternatives. Yet when he spoke in this strain to the queen, he
could get from her nothing except, "If we can find Mr.
Rassendyll, he will tell us what to do."
Thus, then, a little after nine in the morning the queen's
carriage drove up to my door. The ladies of the chancellor's
family had enjoyed a very short night's rest, for their heads
came bobbing out of window the moment the wheels were heard; many
people were about now, and the crown on the panels attracted the
usual small crowd of loiterers. Bernenstein sprang out and gave
his hand to the queen. With a hasty slight bow to the onlookers,
she hastened up the two or three steps of the porch, and with her
own hand rang the bell. Inside, the carriage had just been
observed. My wife's waiting-maid ran hastily to her mistress;
Helga was lying on her bed; she rose at once, and after a few
moments of necessary preparations (or such preparations as seem
to ladies necessary, however great the need of haste may be)
hurried downstairs to receive her Majesty--and to warn her
Majesty.
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