Misset looked blankly at Wogan.
"Why, one can turn the key," said he.
"To be sure," said Wogan, with a laugh of admiration for that device of
which he had bethought himself, and which he ascribed to Misset, "if
there's a key; but if there's no key, why, a chair tilted against the
door to catch the handle, eh?"
Misset locked the door, not at all comprehending that device, and
returned to his seat.
"We are to draw the greatest prize that ever was drawn," resumed Wogan,
and he broke off.
"But is there a cupboard in the room? No matter; I forgot that this is
Gaydon's lodging, and Gaydon's not the man to overlook a cupboard."
Gaydon jumped up from his chair.
"But upon my word there is a cupboard," he cried, and crossing to a
corner of the room he opened a door and looked in. Wogan laughed again
as though Gaydon's examination of the cupboard was a very good joke.
"There will be nobody in it," he cried. "Gaydon will never feel a hand
gripping the life out of his throat because he forgot to search a
cupboard."
The cupboard was empty, as it happened. But Gaydon had left the door of
the street open when he went out to meet Wogan; there had been time and
to spare for any man to creep upstairs and hide himself had there been a
man in Schlestadt that night minded to hear. Gaydon returned to his
chair.
"We are to draw the biggest prize in all Europe," said Wogan.
"There!" cried O'Toole. "Will you be pleased to remember when next I
have an idea that I was right?"
"But not for ourselves," added Wogan.
O'Toole's face fell.
"Oh, we are to hand it on to a third party," said he.
"Yes."
"Well, after all, that's quite of a piece with our luck."
"Who is the third party?" asked Misset.
"The King."
Misset started up from his chair and leaned forward, his hands upon the
arms.
"The King," said O'Toole; "to be sure, that makes a difference."
Gaydon asked quietly, "And what is the prize?"
"The Princess Clementina," said Wogan. "We are to rescue her from her
prison in Innspruck."
Even Gaydon was startled.
"We four!" he exclaimed.
"We four!" repeated Misset, staring at Wogan. His mouth was open; his
eyes started from his head; he stammered in his speech. "We four against
a nation, against half Europe!"