They're fighting,
he and the Count of Hentzau. Mother, Count Rupert will kill
"Let them alone. He the king? He's no king," muttered the old
woman again.
For an instant Rosa stood looking down on her in helplessdespair.
Then a light flashed into her eyes.
"I must call for help," she cried.
The old woman seemed to spring to sudden life. She jumped up and
caught her daughter by the shoulder.
"No, no," she whispered in quick accents. "You--you don't know.
Let them alone, you fool! It's not our business. Let them alone."
"Let me go, mother, let me go! Mother, I must help the king!"
"I'll not let you go," said Mother Holf.
But Rosa was young and strong; her heart was fired with terror
for the king's danger.
"I must go," she cried; and she flung her mother's grasp off from
her so that the old woman was thrown back into her chair, and the
spoon fell from her hand and clattered on the tiles. But Rosa
turned and fled down the passage and through the shop. The bolts
delayed her trembling fingers for an instant. Then she flung the
door wide. A new amazement filled her eyes at the sight of the
eager crowd before the house. Then her eyes fell on me where I
stood between the lieutenant and Rischenheim, and she uttered her
wild cry, "Help! The king!"
With one bound I was by her side and in the house, while
Bernenstein cried, "Quicker!" from behind.
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