The Princess Dehra

s only a bit after eleven, and that was, he knew by experience, the blush of the evening at the American Embassy, wher

g residence on Alta Avenue, and gave them free rein to a merry life, fully assured they would

ached over and

ght cape," he said to th

and crossed to a window a

without looking around, as the

, to the fashionable district out the Avenue, or to the Hanging Garden above the Lake. Occasionally a face, usually a woman's, would lean close to the door and look at the Epsau curiously-it housed the man who was likely to be King. And the man smiled with half bitter cynicism, and wond

rchduke muttered aloud, "yo

esently he laughed. Just inside the door, and standing stiffly at attention, was C

e trouble?" Ar

desired these?"

end for you." The t

are going

es

on duty t

xcused-go

hook his head. "I

"nonsense! I'm for only a

you, sir," the

ooked at him i

ave nervous prostration. Quit it, man, quit it." He flung on the

ute. "Your pardon, sir-but I must go wit

ha

ning always to see that you

aughed until the tears came-and even old Bernheim cond

to put me to bed, n

t, sir,"-with a louder chuckle-"but

dewalk, while you warm the sheets and get the milk," and with another

held open

," he said, an

eet, Arman

u going, Colo

d together and t

he mil

position; with the Regent's command to s

hey have a cow at the American Embassy I'

ed with the faintest

scape recognition-and to-night, as he and Bernheim went out the Avenue, the people made way for him with a respect and defe

ugh I had need for a

moment," th

n the other's arm-"you know, Bernheim, it's not you I

instant he did not reply; when he did

he said,

surprise, and understood; sometimes B

, with sudden gayety, "brace up!

d, and the normal si

ime midnight, as they

d said; "I may be late. Go

elf, sir, if you will permit; the

ys will skin you out of your

he answered seriously, and wondere

friend with a nod a

aid. "I've been thinking abo

il the man had placed the decanters and glasses and retired. "And I've been thinking about yo

igarette and scrutinize

veloped the ungratefulness of kings-I have high

s glass and regarded him

ng daggers and bullets all around me-Bernheim croaks death; and so does Moore; an

ial envelope that lay before him, a

ely," he said, "and here is what I got this eve

hed hastily in pencil on a shee

r no circumstance go out a

y this, you brought

civilized. For my part, I have no patience with your altruism; you've had quite sufficient warning-he tried twice to kill you at the Vierle Masque; and he has told you to your face that you would

truth, he had no particular scruples against meeting Lotzen in the good, old-fashioned, cloak-and-dagger way; but what irked him was the necessity of being always on the qui vive to resist assault or to avoid a trap; and the see

sked; "go down to Lotzen's palace

ivilized ... to a certain point. But what you may do is to take every precaution against him; and

teeth, the smoke floating in a thin strand acro

re not, the whole matter is easy of adjustment-renounce the Crown and marry the Princess ... and live somewhere beyond

the chair-arm, and his glance shifted for an instant to the other's face, then b

. You may go straight to Glory, but that won't help out the poor devils you leave here in Lotzen's clutches, and who have been true to you, never doubting that you would be true to them. Your life belongs to them, now; and you ha

act, but it is more dangerous to our success than recklessness. I'm playing for a Crown and a Nation's favor-let my personal courage be questioned for an instant, and the game is lost as surely as though I were dead. As for my dear cousin of Lotz

ed you all this trouble-I wanted to

disarmed him. Next time, I

to seek death, and he knows you are his master. You'll have to kill him in

ion where he will have to contend with

y. Than the Archduke himself there was

been doing to M

g Elise d

ing adv

And in a particu

d Courtney. "He thinks he is safe fr

ishman-Moore would kill

to respect for royalty; he would hesitate to use

k much on that for immunit

rick should be turned; though, as a matter of

"on the whole, I'm something of a savage myself; Lotz

all are savages at the core-it's only

recious life, and dedicated me to care and prudence and to killing my

y. "I wanted to show you that n

ed up the paper,

uestion I came to ask: what brought Lotzen to the Summer Palace, this

garette and watched the

estion the answer to

what's the answe

. "I pass-unless you ca

ng open the corridor door of the library. A little later Mademoiselle d'Essoldé saw Lotzen come from the library-subsequently he met Moore and casually remarked

conside

be believed. It was quite absurd to offer such a fool explanation, if he really wished to explain-and none knows it better than Lotzen. It was just as though

n's methods," said Armand; "but what concern

ws, possibly,"

in the library-if it were, I

he know you ha

have produced it t

you would-if it proved you

ok Frederic

as not executed-that the whole story is fabricated, and that you have made away with the Book in order to throw the

" said Armand; "and that I've not got the Book-for my pa

hair, and studied the smoke r

the library, I'm more convinced than ever that he hasn't the Bo

aid Armand, "it is to decoy me into a

n of campaign, and it proves conclusively his murderous purpose. I'd be very shy of information that points Book-ward,

Dehra's story and to justify my own claim to the Succession. Indeed, to my mind, I have no chance whatever unless Frederick's decree is produced. However, Lotzen

a steel vest-there's where you get your chance at him. Between the schemer and the ready fighter, I'll gamble on the fighter every time.... I

Henry himself, in his younger days, would have sought with eager blade and joyful heart-a quick, sharp fight that gave the enemy no rest nor quarter

on ring of smoke, and watched him curiousl

aid, "did yo

eproach at Lotzen." He got up. "I'm going; if I sit under your tutelage any

stick?" Cou

ood citizen is

revolver." And when both were declined, he h

, if it is handled properly. I'm glad for this talk, and to have learned how very thin my v

for Moore, the first thing in

paused at t

ced about. "As for you, my dear Dick, you're cut out for a typical missionary-y

alled Courtney, and