the　palace　before　he　even　tried　to　tear　the　strangling　scarf　from　his　neck　and　jaws。　　He　tried　again　and　again；　and　it　was　impossible；　the　men　who　had　knotted　that　gag　knew　the　difference　between　what　a　man　can　do　with　his　hands　in　front　of　him　and　what　he　can　do　with　his　hands　behind　his　head。　　His　legs　were　free　to　leap　like　an　antelope　on　the　mountains；　his　arms　were　free　to　use　any　gesture　or　wave　any　signal；　but　he　could　not　speak。　　A　dumb　devil　was　in　him。
  〃He　had　come　close　to　the　woods　that　walled　in　the　castle　before　he　had　quite　realized　what　his　wordless　state　meant　and　was　meant　to　mean。　　Once　more　he　looked　down　grimly　at　the　bright；　square　labyrinths　of　the　lamp…lit　city　below　him；　and　he　smiled　no　more。　　He　felt　himself　repeating　the　phrases　of　his　former　mood　with　a　murderous　irony。　　Far　as　the　eye　could　see　ran　the　rifles　of　his　friends；　every　one　of　whom　would　shoot　him　dead　if　he　could　not　answer　the　challenge。　　Rifles　were　so　near　that　the　wood　and　ridge　could　be　patrolled　at　regular　intervals；　therefore　it　was　useless　to　hide　in　the　wood　till　morning。　　Rifles　were　ranked　so　far　away　that　an　enemy　could　not　slink　into　the　town　by　any　detour；　therefore　it　was　vain　to　return　to　the　city　by　any　remote　course。　　A　cry　from　him　would　bring　his　soldiers　rushing　up　the　hill。　　But　from　him　no　cry　would　come。
  〃The　moon　had　risen　in　strengthening　silver；　and　the　sky　showed　in　stripes　of　bright；　nocturnal　blue　between　the　black　stripes　of　the　pines　about　the　castle。　　Flowers　of　some　wide　and　feathery　sort　for　he　had　never　noticed　such　things　beforewere　at　once　luminous　and　discoloured　by　the　moonshine；　and　seemed　indescribably　fantastic　as　they　clustered；　as　if　crawling　about　the　roots　of　the　trees。　　Perhaps　his　reason　had　been　suddenly　unseated　by　the　unnatural　captivity　he　carried　with　him；　but　in　that　wood　he　felt　something　unfathomably　Germanthe　fairy　tale。　　He　knew　with　half　his　mind　that　he　was　drawing　near　to　the　castle　of　an　ogrehe　had　forgotten　that　he　was　the　ogre。　　He　remembered　asking　his　mother　if　bears　lived　in　the　old　park　at　home。　　He　stooped　to　pick　a　flower；　as　if　it　were　a　charm　against　enchantment。　　The　stalk　was　stronger　than　he　expected；　and　broke　with　a　slight　snap。　　Carefully　trying　to　place　it　in　his　scarf；　he　heard　the　halloo；　‘Who　goes　there？'　Then　he　remembered　the　scarf　was　not　in　its　usual　place。
  〃He　tried　to　scream　and　was　silent。　　The　second　challenge　came；　and　then　a　shot　that　shrieked　as　it　came　and　then　was　stilled　suddenly　by　impact。　　Otto　of　Grossenmark　lay　very　peacefully　among　the　fairy　trees；　and　would　do　no　more　harm　either　with　gold　or　steel；　only　the　silver　pencil　of　the　moon　would　pick　out　and　trace　here　and　there　the　intricate　ornament　of　his　uniform；　or　the　old　wrinkles　on　his　brow。　　May　God　have　mercy　on　his　soul。
  〃The　sentry　who　had　fired；　according　to　the　strict　orders　of　the　garrison；　naturally　ran　forward　to　find　some　trace　of　his　quarry。　　He　was　a　private　named　Schwartz；　since　not　unknown　in　his　profession；　and　what　he　found　was　a　bald　man　in　uniform；　but　with　his　face　so　bandaged　by　a　kind　of　mask　made　of　his　own　military　scarf　that　nothing　but　open；　dead　eyes　could　be　seen；　glittering　stonily　in　the　moonlight。　　The　bullet　had　gone　through　the　gag　into　the　jaw；　that　is　why　there　was　a　shot…hole　in　the　scarf；　but　only　one　shot。　　Naturally；　if　not　correctly；　young　Schwartz　tore　off　the　mysterious　silken　mask　and　cast　it　on　the　grass；　and　then　he　saw　whom　he　had　slain。
  〃We　cannot　be　certain　of　the　next　phase。　　But　I　incline　to　believe　that　there　was　a　fairy　tale；　after　all；　in　that　little　wood；　horrible　as　was　its　occasion。　　Whether　the　young　lady　named　Hedwig　had　any　previous　knowledge　of　the　soldier　she　saved　and　eventually　married；　or　whether　she　came　accidentally　upon　the　accident　and　their　intimacy　began　that　night；　we　shall　probably　never　know。　　But　we　can　know；　I　fancy；　that　this　Hedwig　was　a　heroine；　and　deserved　to　marry　a　man　who　became　something　of　a　hero。　　She　did　the　bold　and　the　wise　thing。　　She　persuaded　the　sentry　to　go　back　to　his　post；　in　which　place　there　was　nothing　to　connect　him　with　the　disaster；　he　was　but　one　of　the　most　loyal　and　orderly　of　fifty　such　sentries　within　call。　　She　remained　by　the　body　and　gave　the　alarm；　and　there　was　nothing　to　connect　her　with　the　disaster　either；　since　she　had　not　got；　and　could　not　have；　any　firearms。
  〃Well；〃　said　Father　Brown　rising　cheerfully　〃I　hope　they're　happy。〃
  〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　his　friend。
  〃I'm　going　to　have　another　look　at　that　portrait　of　the　Chamberlain；　the　Arnhold　who　betrayed　his　brethren；〃　answered　the　priest。　　〃I　wonder　what　partI　wonder　if　a　man　is　less　a　traitor　when　he　is　twice　a　traitor？〃
  And　he　ruminated　long　before　the　portrait　of　a　white…haired　man　with　black　eyebrows　and　a　pink；　painted　sort　of　smile　that　seemed　to　contradict　the　black　warning　in　his　eyes。
  End