"I would ask your Imperial Highness to still consider me your humble
servant to command in any way whatsoever, and to believe that I am ever
ready to serve you and to repay the great debt of gratitude I owe to
you."
And, bending, he took her gloved hand and raised it to his lips in
obeisance to the princess who was to be his queen.
"Adieu, Steinbach," she said in a broken voice. "And for the service
you have rendered me to-night I can only return you the thanks of an
unhappy woman."
Then she turned from him quickly, and hurried down the path to the park
entrance, where shone a single gas lamp, leaving him standing alone,
bowing in silence.
He watched her graceful figure out of sight, then sighed, and turned
away in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later the tall, dark figure of a man emerged noiselessly
from the deep shadow of the tree where, unobserved, he had crept up and
stood concealed. The stranger glanced quickly up and down at the two
receding figures, and then at a leisurely pace strode in the direction
the Princess had taken.
When at last she had turned and was out of sight he halted, took a
cigarette from a silver case, lit it after some difficulty in the
tearing wind, and muttered some words which, though inaudible, were
sufficiently triumphant in tone to show that he was well pleased at his
ingenious piece of espionage.