She did not hear him, for she had swept out of the room. Helga
went with her, and we all followed, Sapt behind the rest of us,
still very surly. I heard him grumbling away as we ran
downstairs, and, having passed along the great corridor, came to
the small saloon that opened on the gardens. There were no
servants about, but we encountered a night-watchman, and
Bernenstein snatched the lantern from the astonished man's hand.
Save for the dim light thus furnished, the room was dark. But
outside the windows the moon streamed brightly down on the broad
gravel walk, on the formal flower-beds, and the great trees in
the gardens. The queen made straight for the window. I followed
her, and, having flung the window open, stood by her. The air was
sweet, and the breeze struck with grateful coolness on my face. I
saw that Sapt had come near and stood on the other side of the
queen. My wife and the others were behind, looking out where our
shoulders left space.
There, in the bright moonlight, on the far side of the broad
terrace, close by the line of tall trees that fringed its edge,
we saw Rudolf Rassendyll pacing slowly up and down, with his
hands behind his back and his eyes fixed on the arbiter of his
fate, on her who was to make him a king or send him a fugitive
from Strelsau.
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