Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only
subterfuge which seemed at all likely to succeed.
It would, at least, give her a slight reprieve—a
little time in which to think, and possibly find an
avenue from her predicament.
She staggered forward a step, clapped her two hands
above her heart, and reeled as though to fall.
Butzow, who had been watching her narrowly, sprang
forward and caught her in his arms, where she lay
limp with closed eyes as though in a dead faint.
The king ran forward. The people craned their
necks. A sudden burst of exclamations rose throughout
the cathedral, and then Lieutenant Butzow, shouldering
his way past the chancel, carried the Princess Emma
to a little anteroom off the east transept. Behind
him walked the king, the bishop, and Prince Ludwig.
MAENCK BLUNDERS
After a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain
Ernst Maenck left the castle of Blentz. Prince
Peter rode north toward the frontier, Austria, and
safety, Captain Maenck rode south toward Lustadt.
Neither knew that general orders had been issued to
soldiery and gendarmerie of Lutha to capture them dead
or alive. So Prince Peter rode carelessly; but
Captain Maenck, because of the nature of his business
and the proximity of enemies about Lustadt, proceeded
with circumspection.
Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though
he stormed and raged and threatened, he was immediately
packed off under heavy guard back toward Lustadt.
Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate. He
reached the capital of Lutha in safety, though he
had to hide on several occasions from detachments
of troops moving toward the north. Once within
the city he rode rapidly to the house of a friend.
Here he learned that which set him into a fine state
of excitement and profanity. The king and the
Princess Emma von der Tann were to be wed that very
afternoon! It lacked but half an hour to four
o’clock.
Maenck grabbed his cap and dashed from the house before
his astonished friend could ask a single question.
He hurried straight toward the cathedral. The
king had just arrived, and entered when Maenck came
up, breathless. The guard at the doorway did not
recognize him. If they had they would have arrested
him. Instead they contented themselves with refusing
him admission, and when he insisted they threatened
him with arrest.
To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan,
so he turned and walked away. At the first cross
street he turned up the side of the cathedral.
The grounds were walled up on this side, and he sought
in vain for entrance. At the rear he discovered
a limousine standing in the alley where its chauffeur
had left it after depositing his passengers at the
front door of the cathedral. The top of the limousine
was but a foot or two below the top of the wall.
Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from
there to the top. A moment later he dropped to
the earth inside the cathedral grounds. Before
him were many windows. Most of them were too high
for him to reach, and the others that he tried at first
were securely fastened. Passing around the end
of the building, he at last discovered one that was
open—it led into the east transept.
