rose the question that had hovered there once before. Was he indeed,
after all, quite sane?

"Then please come with me the safest way to my father's," she urged.
"He will know what is best to do."

"He cannot make me shave," insisted Barney.

"Why do you wish not to shave?" asked the girl.

"It is a matter of my honor," he replied. "I had my choice of
wearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red roses for six
months, or a beard for twelve. If I shave off the beard before the
fifth of November I shall be without honor in the sight of all men
or else I shall have to wear the green bonnet. The beard is bad
enough, but the bonnet--ugh!"

Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor fellow was
indeed quite demented, but she had seen no indications of violence
as yet, though when that too might develop there was no telling.
However, he was to her Leopold of Lutha, and her father's house had
been loyal to him or his ancestors for three hundred years.

If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless still
must she do all within her power to save her king from recapture and
to lead him in safety to the castle upon the Tann.

"Come," she said; "we waste time here. Let us make haste, for the
way is long. At best we cannot reach Tann by dark."