yourself. Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy. It will mean a

captaincy for me at least. Let me at him--no man can strike Karl

Schonau and live."

"The king is unarmed," cried Emma von der Tann. "Would you murder

him in cold blood?"

"He shall not murder him at all, your highness," said Lieutenant

Butzow quietly. "Give me your sword, Lieutenant Schonau. I place you

under arrest. What you have just said will not please the Regent

when it is reported to him. You should keep your head better when

you are angry."

"It is the truth," growled Schonau, regretting that his anger had

led him into a disclosure of the plot against the king's life, but

like most weak characters fearing to admit himself in error even

more than he feared the consequences of his rash words.

"Do you intend taking my sword?" asked Schonau suddenly, turning

toward Lieutenant Butzow standing beside him.

"We will forget the whole occurrence, lieutenant," replied Butzow,

"if you will promise not to harm his majesty, or offer him or the

Princess von der Tann further humiliation. Their position is

sufficiently unpleasant without our adding to the degradation of

it."

"Very well," grumbled Schonau. "Pass on into the courtyard."

Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade moved forward

through the ballium and the great gate into the court beyond.

"Did you notice," said Barney to the princess, "that even he

believes me to be the king? I cannot fathom it."

Within the castle they were met by a number of servants and

soldiers. An officer escorted them to the great hall, and presently

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