“They saw you?” she gasped. “Undoubtedly,” said he. Then his sense of amusement conquered everything else, and he sat down in a chair, laughing. “I’d give my life,” said he, “to hear the story that the chancellor will be waked up to hear in a minute or two from now!” But a moment’s thought made him grave again. For whether he were the king or Rudolf Rassendyll, he knew that my wife’s name was in equal peril. Knowing this, he stood at nothing to serve her. He turned to her and spoke quickly. “You must rouse one of the servants at once. Send him round to the chancellor’s and tell the chancellor to come here directly. No, write a note. Say the king has come by appointment to see Fritz on some private business, but that Fritz has not kept the appointment, and that the king must now see the chancellor at once. Say there’s not a moment to lose.” She was looking at him with wondering eyes. “Don’t you see,” he said, “if I can impose on Helsing, I may stop those women’s tongues? If nothing’s done, how long do you suppose it’ll be before all Strelsau knows that Fritz von Tarlenheim’s wife let the king in at the window at five o’clock in the morning?” “I don’t understand,” murmured poor Helga in bewilderment. “No, my dear lady, but for Heaven’s sake do what I ask of you. It’s the only chance now.” “I’ll do it,” she said, and sat down to write. Thus it was that, hard on the marvelous tidings which, as I conjecture, the Baroness von Helsing poured into her husband’s drowsy ears, came an imperative summons that the chancellor should wait on the king at the house of Fritz von Tarlenheim. Truly we had tempted fate too far by bringing Rudolf Rassendyll again to Strelsau. CHAPTER XII. BEFORE THEM ALL!