When the horse galloped up to the door, the Princess turned on her side
and went to sleep. In the common-room below Gaydon and Wogan were
smoking a pipe of tobacco over the fire. Both men rose on the instant;
Wogan stealthily opened the door an inch or so and looked down the
passage. Gaydon raised a corner of the blind and peered through the
window. The two remaining members of the party, Misset and O'Toole, who
as lackeys had served the supper of the Princess, were now eating their
own. When the Princess turned over on her side, and Wogan stepped on
tiptoe to the door and Gaydon peeped through the window, Misset laid
down his knife and fork, and drawing a flask from his pocket emptied its
contents into an earthenware water-jug which stood upon the table.
O'Toole, for his part, simply continued to eat.

"He is getting off his horse," said Gaydon.

"Has he ridden hard, do you think?" asked Misset.

"He looks in a mighty ill-humour."

O'Toole looked up from his plate, and became gradually aware that
something was occurring. Before he could speak, however, Gaydon dropped
the blind.

"He is coming in. It will never do for him to find the four of us
together. He may not be the courier from Innspruck; on the other hand,
he may, and seeing the four of us he will ask questions of the landlord.
Seeing no more than two, he will very likely ask none."