"You are here," cried the President, "by the strangest accident, undoubtedly; but a wise man, and a soldier too, must allow for strange accidents in his calculations. I think the rain has stopped, and if we cannot remain here, it is high time to mount our cart. I had almost said the scaffold." The President put aside the rug which he had carefully spread over his knees, rose from the corner of the little sofa, and came up to the General at the window. At this moment the yard-dog began to bark furiously, the farmer's little terrier rushed yelping out at the housedoor; two bright lights appeared between the outhouses, followed soon by others, and the trampling of horses and rolling of wheels sounded on the uneven pavement. "It is the Count himself, I will wager!" cried the President, forgetting all the General's scruples and considerations at the joyful sight of the carriage. "Thank heaven! we shall not at any rate be tortured! My dear Count, how very kind of you!" And he cordially stretched out both hands to the gentleman who quickly came in at the door which the farmer opened for him. CHAPTER VI. The Count responded no less cordially to the President's greeting. "Kind!" he exclaimed, holding fast the other's hands; "and kind of me? Why it is kind indeed, wonderfully kind; but of you, of all of you, to be cast here on the heights of Golmberg, to be thrown upon this most inhospitable shore--inhospitable because no creature ever comes to us, or can come from that side. And now may I ask you to be so kind as to introduce me to General von Werben?" He turned towards the General, who answered his extremely courteous bow with some reserve. "It is not the first time that I have had the pleasure," said he; "I had the honour formerly at Versailles----" "I could not have believed that General von Werben would have remembered so insignificant a matter," cried the Count, "a poor knight of St. John!" "Our meeting occurred on a very remarkable day," said the General; "on the 18th of January." "The day of the proclamation of the German Empire!" interrupted the President, to whom the General's last remark, and the tone in which he made it, seemed of doubtful courtesy; "and here comes our heroine! Fräulein Elsa von Werben, here is our deliverer in the time of need: Count von Golm." "I am highly honoured," said the Count. Elsa, who had just entered the room, answered only by a bow. "Now we are all assembled," cried the President, rubbing his hands. "Captain Schmidt is still missing," said Elsa, looking beyond the Count to her father. "I am only afraid that we shall put the Count's patience to too great a trial," answered the General in a tone of annoyance. "I put myself absolutely at your disposal," said the Count; "but may I ask what the question is?" "There is another gentleman with us, a captain in the merchant service," said the General.