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ardFritzing'svoiceveryloudandnear—allsoundsinCreeperCottagewereloudandnear—orderingAnnalisetoaskherGrandDucalHighnesstodescend. "Iwon't,"thoughtPriscilla,buryingherheaddeeper."ThatpoorEmmahaslostthenoteandhe'sgoingtofuss.Iwon'tdescend." ThencameAnnalise'stapatherdoor.Priscilladidnotanswer.Annalisetappedagain.Priscilladidnotanswer,butturningherheadfaceupwardscomposedherselftoanappearanceofsleep. Annalisetappedathirdtime."TheHerrGeheimrathwishestospeaktoyourGrandDucalHighness,"shecalledthroughthedoorandafterapauseopeneditandpeepedin."HerGrandDucalHighnesssleeps,"sheinformedFritzingdownthestairs,hernoseattheangleintheairitalwaystookwhenshespoketohim. "Thenwakeher!Wakeher!"criedFritzing. "Isitpossiblesomethinghashappened?"thoughtAnnalisejoyfully,hereyesgleamingasshewillinglyflewbacktoPriscilla'sdoor,—anything,anything,shethought,soonerthanthelifeshewasleading. PriscillaheardFritzing'sorderandsatupatonce,surprisedatsuchanunprecedentedindifferencetohercomfort.HerheartbegantobeatfasteraswiftfearthatKunitzwasatherheelsseizedhershejumpedupandranout. Fritzingwasstandingatthefootofthestairs. "Comedown,ma'am,"hesaid"Imustspeaktoyouatonce." "What'sthematter?"askedPriscilla,gettingdownthesteeplittlestairsasquicklyaswaspossiblewithouttumbling. "HatefulEnglishtongue,"thoughtAnnalise,towhomthehabitthePrincessandFritzinghadgotintooftalkingEnglishtogetherwasaconstantannoyanceanddisappointment. FritzingprecededPriscillaintoherparlour,andwhenshewasinheshutthedoorbehindher.Thenheleanedhishandsonthetabletosteadyhimselfandconfrontedherwithatwitchingface.Priscillalookedathimappalled.WastheGrandDukeroundthecorner?Lingering,perhaps,amongtheverytombsjustoutsideherwindow?"Whatisit?"sheaskedfaintly. "Ma'am,thefivepoundshasdisappearedforever." "ReallyFritzi,youaretooabsurdaboutthatwretchedfivepounds,"criedPriscilla,blazingintoanger. "Butitwasallwehad." "Allwe—?" "Ma'am,itwaspositivelyourlastpenny." "I—don'tunderstand." Hemadeherunderstand.Withpaperandpencil,withthebillsandhisowncalculations,hemadeherunderstand.Hishandsshook,buthewentthroughwithititembyitem,througheverythingtheyhadspentfromthemomenttheyleftKunitz.Theywereinsuchacorner,sotightlyjammed,thatalleffortstohideitandpretendtherewasnocornerseemedtohimfolly.Henowsawthatsucheffortsalwayshadbeenfolly,andthatheoughttohaveseentoitthathermindonthisimportantpointwasfromthefirstperfectlyclearthennothingwouldhavehappened."Youhavehadthemisfortune,ma'am,tochooseafoolforyourprotectorinthisadventure,"hesaidbitterly,pushingthepapersfromhimasthoughheloathedthesightofthem. Priscillasatdumfoundered.Shewaslookingquitestraightforthefirsttimeatcertainpitilessaspectsoflife.Forthefirsttimeshewasfacetofacewiththesternness,thehardness,therelentlessnessofeverythingthathastodowithmoneysosoonasonehasnotgotany.Itseemedalmostincredibletoherthatshewhohadgivensolavishlytoanybodyandeverybody,whohadbeensogladtogive,whohadthoughtofmoneywhenshethoughtofitatallasathingtobepassedon,asathingthatsoiledoneunlessitwaspassedon,butthat,passedon,becamestrangelyglorifiedandpowerfulforgood—itseemedincrediblethatsheshouldbeinneedofitherself,andunabletothinkofasinglepersonwhowouldgivehersome.Andwhatalittlesheneeded:justtotidethemoverthenextweekortwotilltheyhadgottheirsfromhomeyeteventhatlittle,themerestnothingcomparedtowhatshehadflungaboutinthevillage,wasasunattainableasthoughithadbeenafortune."Canwe—canwenotborr