Here, of course, a danger presented itself.
None of my servants were in the secret; only my wife, in whom the queen herself had confided, knew Rudolf, and she did not expect to see him, since she was ignorant of the recent course of events.

Rudolf was quite alive to the peril, and regretted the absence of his faithful attendant, who could have cleared the way for him.

The pouring rain gave him an excuse for twisting a scarf about his face and pulling his coat-collar up to his ears, while the gusts of wind made the cramming of his hat low down over his eyes no more than a natural precaution against its loss.
Thus masked from curious eyes, he drew rein before my door, and, having dismounted, rang the bell.

When the butler came a strange hoarse voice, half-stifled by folds of scarf, asked for the countess, alleging for pretext a message from myself.

The man hesitated, as well he might, to leave the stranger alone with the door open and the contents of the hall at his mercy.