II

Theyfledonbicyclesinthedusk.ThegoddessGoodLuck,whoseemstohaveapredilectionforsinners,helpedtheminahundredways.Withouthertheywouldcertainlynothavegotfar,forbothwereveryignorantoftheartofrunningaway.OnceflightwasdecidedonFritzingplannedelaboratelyandfeverishly,gotthingsthoughtoutandarrangedaswellashe,poorharassedman,possiblycould.Butwhatinthislaw-boundworldcansinnersdowithoutthehelpofLuck?She,amusedandsmilingdame,walkedintothecastleandsmotetheCountessDisthalwithinfluenza,crushingherdownhelplessintoherbed,andholdinghertherefordaysbythethroat.Whileonehandwasdoingthis,withtheothershegailyswepttheGrandDukeintoEastPrussia,aterrificdistance,whither,allunawareofhowhewasbeingtrifledwith,hethoughthewasbeingsweptbyanirresistibledesiretogo,beforethebusinessofPriscilla'spublicbetrothalshouldbegin,andshoottheroebucksofafriend. TheCountesswasthrustintoherbedatnoonofaMondayinOctober.AtthreetheGrandDukestartedforEastPrussia,incognitoinamotor—youknowthedifficultynewshasinreachingpersonsinmotors.AtfouroneofPriscilla'smaids,anobscuredamselwhohadbeenatthemercyoftheothersandwaschosenbecauseshehatedthem,trippedoutofthecastlewithshiningeyesandpocketsheavywithbribes,andcausedherselftobewhiskedawaybytheafternoonexpresstoCologne.Atsix,justasthecastleguardwasbeingrelieved,twopersonsledtheirbicyclesthroughthearchwayanddownacrossthebridge.Itwasdark,andnobodyrecognizedthem.Fritzingwasgotupsportingly,almostwaggishly—heavenknowshissoulwasnotfeelingwaggish—asdifferentlyaspossiblefromhisusualsoberclothes.SomehowheremindedPriscillaofacircus,andshefounditextremelyhardnottolaugh.Onhisheadhehadacapwithear-piecesthathidhisgreyhairroundhisneckagaudyhandkerchiefmuffledwellabouthisfaceimmensegogglescloakedthefamiliaroverhangingeyebrowsanddeep-seteyes,gogglescuriouslyatvariancewiththedapperbrisknessofhisgaiteredlegs.ThePrincesswasinordinaryblueserge,shortandrathershabby,ithavingbeensubjectedforhoursdailyduringthepastweektoroughtreatmentbythemaidnowtravellingtoCologne.Asforherfaceandhair,theywerecompletelyhiddenintheswathingsofamotor-veil. Thesentinelsstaredratherasthesetwofigurespushedtheirbicyclesthroughthegates,andundoubtedlydidforsometimeafterwardswonderwhotheycouldhavebeen.Thesamethinghappeneddownbelowonthebridgebutonceoverthatandinthetownalltheyhadtodowastoridestraightahead.TheyweregoingtobicyclefifteenmilestoRühl,asmalltownwitharailwaystationonthemainlinebetweenKunitzandCologne.ExpresstrainsdonotstopatRühl,buttherewasaslowtrainateightwhichwouldgetthemtoGerstein,thecapitalofthenextduchy,bymidnight.HeretheywouldchangeintotheCologneexpressheretheywouldjointhebribedmaidhereluggagehadbeensentbyFritzing,—aneatbagforhimself,andaneatboxforhisniece.TheneatboxwasfilledwithneatgarmentssuggestedtohimbytheyoungladyintheshopinGersteinwherehehadbeentwodaysbeforetobuythem.Shetoldhimofmanyotherarticleswhich,shesaid,nolady'swardrobecouldbeconsideredcompletewithoutandthedistractedman,fearingthewholeshopwouldpresentlybeputintotrunksandsenttothestationtomeetthem,hadendedbyflingingdowntwonotesforahundredmarkseachandbiddingherkeepstrictlywithinthatlimit.Theyoungladybecameveryscornful.Shetoldhimthatshehadneverheardofanyonebeingclothedfromheadtofootinsideandout,eventobrushes,soap,andanumbrella,fortwohundredmarks.Fritzing,indreadofconspicuousmassesofluggage,yetstaggeredbythegirl'sconviction,pulledoutathirdhundredmarknote,butaddedwordsinhisextremityofsostrongandfinalanature,thatshe,quailing,didkeepwithinthislimit,andtheboxwaspacked.ThusPriscilla'soutfitcostalmostexactlyfifteenpounds.Itwillreadilybeimaginedthatitwasneat. PainfullythetwofugitivesrodethroughthecobbledstreetsofKunitz.Priscillawasveryshakyonabicycle,andsowasFritzing.Someyearsbeforethis,whenithadbeenthefashion,shehadbicycledeverydayinthegrandducalparkontheothersideofthetown.Then,tiredofit,shehadgivenitupandnowforthelastweekortwo,eversinceFritzinghadtoldhert