"My daughter wrote that a woman must attend her. It is a necessary
provision."

"Your Highness, Misset has a wife, and the wife matches him."

"They are warned to be ready?"

"At your Highness's first word that slip of paper travels to Schlestadt.
It is unsigned, it imperils no one, it betrays nothing. But it will tell
its story none the less surely to those three men, for Gaydon knows my
hand."

The Prince smiled in approval.

"You have prudence, Mr. Warner, as well as audacity," said he. He gave
the paper back, listened for a little to the Countess, who was bending
over her harp-strings, and then remarked, "The Prince's letter was in
his own hand too?"

"But in cipher."

"Ah!"

The Prince was silent for a while. He balanced himself first on one
foot, then on the other.

"Ciphers," said he, "are curious things, compelling to the imagination
and a provocation to the intellect."

Mr. Wogan kept a grave face and he replied with unconcern, though his