It was sufficiently
embarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to be thrown into this
false position in company with a beautiful young woman to whom the
king was engaged to be married, and who, with the others, thought
him to be the king, was quite the last word in impossible positions.
Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first pangs of
regret that he was not really the king, and then the realization, so
sudden that it almost took his breath away, that the girl was very
beautiful and very much to be desired. He had not thought about the
matter until her utter impossibility was forced upon him.
It was decided that Joseph should leave the king's apartment at once
and discover in what part of the castle Emma von der Tann was
imprisoned. Their further plans were to depend upon the information
gained by the old man during his tour of investigation of the
castle.
In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of his prison
time and time again. He thought the fellow would never return.
Perhaps he had been detected in the act of spying, and was himself a
prisoner in some other part of the castle! The thought came to
Barney like a blow in the face, for he realized that then he would
be entirely at the mercy of his captors, and that there would be
none to champion the cause of the Princess von der Tann.
When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking point there
came a sound of stealthy movement just outside the door of his room.
Pages:
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60