LONG LIVE THE KING

By Mary Roberts Rinehart

CONTENTS

I. The Crown Prince runs away

II. And sees the World

III. Disgraced

IV. The Terror

V. At the Riding-School

VI. The Chancellor pays a Visit

VII. Tea in the Schoolroom

VIII. The Letter

IX. A Fine Night

X. The Right to live and love

XI. Rather a Wild Night

XII. Two Prisoners

XIII. In the Park

XIV. Nikky does a Reckless Thin

XV. Father and Daughter

XVI. On the Mountain Road

XVII. The Fortress

XVIII. Old Adelbert

XIX. The Committee of Ten

XX. The Delegation

XXI. As a Man may love a Woman

XXII. At Etzel

XXIII. Nikky Makes a Promise

XXIV. The Birthday

XXV. The Gate of the Moon

XXVI. At the Inn

XXVII. The Little Door

XXVIII. The Crown Prince's Pilgrimage

XXIX. Old Adelbert the Traitor

XXX. King Karl

XXXI. Let Mettich guard his Treasure

XXXII. Nikky and Hedwig

XXXIII. The Day of the Carnival

XXXIV. The Pirate's Den

XXXV. The Paper Crown

XXXVI. The King is dead

XXXVII. Long live the King

XXXVIII. In the Road of the Good Children

XXXIX. The Lincoln Penny

LONG LIVE THE KING!

CHAPTER I. THE CROWN PRINCE RUNS AWAY

The Crown Prince sat in the royal box and swung his legs. This washardly princely, but the royal legs did not quite reach the floor fromthe high crimson-velvet seat of his chair. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto was bored. His royal robes, consisting ofa pair of blue serge trousers, a short Eton jacket, and a stiff, rollingcollar of white linen, irked him. 

He had been brought to the Opera House under a misapprehension. Hisaunt, the Archduchess Annunciata, had strongly advocated "The FlyingDutchman, " and his English governess, Miss Braithwaite, had read himsome inspiring literature about it. So here he was, and the FlyingDutchman was not ghostly at all, nor did it fly. It was, from theroyal box, only too plainly a ship which had length and height, withoutthickness. And instead of flying, after dreary aeons of singing, it wasmoved off on creaky rollers by men whose shadows were thrown grotesquelyon the sea backing. 

The orchestra, assisted by a bass solo and intermittent thunder in thewings, was making a deafening din. One of the shadows on the sea backingtook out its handkerchief and wiped its nose. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto looked across at the other royal box, andcaught his Cousin Hedwig's eye. She also had seen the handkerchief;she took out her own scrap of linen, and mimicked the shadow. Then, HerRoyal Highness the Archduchess Annunciata being occupied with the storm, she winked across at Prince Ferdinand William Otto. 

In the opposite box were his two cousins, the Princesses Hedwig andHilda, attended by Hedwig's lady in waiting. When a princess of theCourt becomes seventeen, she drops governesses and takes to ladies inwaiting. Hedwig was eighteen. The Crown Prince liked Hedwig better thanHilda. Although she had been introduced formally to the Court at theChristmas-Eve ball, and had been duly presented by her grandfather, the King, with the usual string of pearls and her own carriage with thespokes of the wheels gilded halfway, only the King and Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto had all-gold wheels, --she still ran off now and then tohave tea with the Crown Prince and Miss Braithwaite in the schoolroom atthe Palace; and she could eat a great deal of bread-and-butter. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto winked back at the Princess Hedwig. Andjust then--"Listen, Otto, " said the Archduchess, leaning forward. "The'Spinning Song'--is it not exquisite?"

"They are only pretending to spin, " remarked Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto. 

Nevertheless he listened obediently. He rather liked it. They had notfooled him at all. They were not really spinning, --any one could seethat, but they were sticking very closely to their business of eachoutsinging the other, and collectively of drowning out the orchestra. 

The spinning chorus was followed by long and tiresome solos. The CrownPrince yawned again, although it was but the middle of the afternoon. Catching Hedwig's eye, he ran his fingers up through his thick yellowhair and grinned. Hedwig blushed. She had confided to him once, whilethey were walking in the garden at the summer palace, that, she wasthinking of being in love with a young lieutenant who was attached tothe King's suite. The Prince who was called Otto, for short, by thefamily, because he actually had eleven names--the Prince had been muchinterested. For some time afterward he had bothered Miss Braithwaite todefine being in love, but he had had no really satisfactory answer. 

In pursuance of his quest for information, he had grown quite friendlywith the young officer, whose name was Larisch, and had finally asked tohave him ride with him at the royal riding-school. The grim old King hadgranted the request, but it had been quite fruitless so far after all. Lieutenant Larisch only grew quite red as to the ears, when love wasmentioned, although he appeared not unwilling to hear Hedwig's name. 

The Crown Prince had developed a strong liking for the young officer. He assured Hedwig one time when she came to tea that when he was kinghe would see that she married the lieutenant. But Hedwig was muchdistressed. 

"I don't want him that way, " she said. "Anyhow, I shall probably have tomarry some wretch with ears that stick out and a bad temper. I dare sayhe's selected already. As to Lieutenant Larisch, I'm sure he's in lovewith Hilda. You should see the way he stares at her. "

"Pish!" said Prince Ferdinand William Otto over his cup. "Hilda is notas pretty as you are. And Nikky and I talk about you frequently. "

"Nikky" was the officer. The Crown Prince was very informal with thepeople he liked. 

"Good gracious!" exclaimed the Princess Hedwig, coloring. "And what doyou say?"

Miss Braithwaite having left the room, Prince Ferdinand William Ottotook another lump of sugar. "Say? Oh, not much, you know. He asks howyou are, and I tell him you are well, and that you ate thirteen piecesof bread at tea, or whatever it may have been. The day Miss Braithwaitehad the toothache, and you and I ate the fruit-cake her sister had sentfrom England, he was very anxious. He said we both deserved to be ill. "

The Princess Hedwig had been blushing uncomfortably, but now she paled. "He dared to say that?" she stormed. "He dared!" And she had picked upher muff and gone out in a fine temper. 

Only--and this was curious--by the next day she had forgiven thelieutenant, and was angry at Ferdinand William Otto. Women are verystrange. 

So now Ferdinand William Otto ran his fingers through his fair hair;which was a favorite gesture of the lieutenant's, and Hedwig blushed. After that she refused to look across at him, but sat staring fixedlyat the stage, where Frau Hugli, in a short skirt, a black velvet bodice, and a white apron, with two yellow braids over her shoulders, waslistening with all the coyness of forty years and six children at hometo the love-making of a man in a false black beard. 

The Archduchess, sitting well back, was nodding. Just outside the royalbox, on the red-velvet sofa, General Mettlich, who was the Chancellor, and had come because he had been invited and stayed outside because hesaid he liked to hear music, not see it, was sound asleep. His martialbosom, with its gold braid, was rising and falling peacefully. Besidehim lay the Prince's crown, a small black derby hat. 

The Princess Hilda looked across, and smiled and nodded at FerdinandWilliam Otto. Then she went back to the music; she held the score inher hand and followed it note by note. She was studying music, and hermother, who was the Archduchess, was watching her. But now and then, when her mother's eyes were glued to the stage, Hilda stole a glanceat the upper balconies where impecunious young officers leaned over therail and gazed at her respectfully. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto considered it all very wearisome. If onecould only wander around the corridor or buy a sandwich from the standat the foot of the great staircase--or, better still, if one could onlyget to the street, alone, and purchase one of the fig women that MissBraithwaite so despised! The Crown Prince felt in his pocket, where hisweek's allowance of pocket-money lay comfortably untouched. 

The Archduchess, shielded by the velvet hangings with the royal arms onthem, was now quite comfortably asleep. From the corridor came soundsindicating that the Chancellor preferred making noises to listeningto them. There were signs on the stage that Frau Hugli, braids, sixchildren, and all, was about to go into the arms of the man with thefalse beard. 

The Crown Prince meditated. He could go out quickly, and be back beforethey knew it. Even if he only wandered about the corridor, it wouldstretch his short legs. And outside it was a fine day. It looked alreadylike spring. 

With the trepidation of a canary who finds his cage door open, and, hopping to the threshold, surveys the world before venturing to exploreit, Prince Ferdinand William Otto rose to his feet, tiptoed past theArchduchess Annunciata, who did not move, and looked around him from thedoorway. 

The Chancellor slept. In the royal dressing-room behind the box a ladyin waiting was sitting and crocheting. She did not care for opera. A maid was spreading the royal ladies' wraps before the fire. Theprincesses had shed their furred carriage boots just inside the door. They were in a row, very small and dainty. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto picked up his hat and concealed it by hisside. Then nonchalantly, as if to stretch his legs by walking ten feetup the corridor and back, he passed the dressing-room door. Anothermoment, and he was out of sight around a bend of the passageway, andbefore him lay liberty. 

Not quite! At the top of the private staircase reserved for the royalfamily a guard commonly stood. He had moved a few feet from his post, however, and was watching the stage through the half-open door of aprivate loge. His rifle, with its fixed bayonet, leaned against thestair-rail. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto passed behind him with outward calmness. At the top of the public staircase, however, he hesitated. Here, everywhere, were brass-buttoned officials of the Opera House. Agarderobe woman stared at him curiously. There was a noise from thehouse, too, --a sound of clapping hands and "bravos. " The little Princelooked at the woman with appeal in his eyes. Then, with his heartthumping, he ran past her, down the white marble staircase, to where thegreat doors promised liberty. 

Olga, the wardrobe woman, came out from behind her counter, and stoodlooking down the marble staircase after the small flying figure. 

"Blessed Saints!" she said, wondering. "How much that child resembledHis Royal Highness!"

The old soldier who rented opera glasses at the second landing, and whohad left a leg in Bosnia, leaned over the railing. "Look at that!"he exclaimed. "He will break a leg, the young rascal! Once I couldhave--but there, he is safe! The good God watches over fools andchildren. "

"It looked like the little Prince, " said the wardrobe woman. "I haveseen him often--he has the same bright hair. "

But the opera-glass man was not listening. He had drawn a long sausagefrom one pocket and a roll from the other, and now, retiring to a farwindow, he stood placidly eating--a bite of sausage, a bite of bread. His mind was in Bosnia, with his leg. And because old Adelbert's mindwas in Bosnia, and because one hears with the mind, and not with theear, he did not hear the sharp question of the sentry who ran down thestairs and paused for a second at the cloak-room. Well for Olga, too, that old Adelbert did not hear her reply. 

"He has not passed here, " she said, with wide and honest eyes; but withan ear toward old Adelbert. "An old gentleman came a moment ago and gota sandwich, which he had left in his overcoat. Perhaps this is whom youare seeking?"

The sentry cursed, and ran down the staircase, the nails in his shoesstriking sharply on the marble. 

At the window, old Adelbert cut off another slice of sausage with hispocket-knife and sauntered back to his table of opera glasses at theangle of the balustrade. The hurrying figure of the sentry below caughthis eye. "Another fool!" he grumbled, looking down. "One would think newlegs grew in place of old ones, like the claws of the sea-creatures!"

But Olga of the cloak-room leaned over her checks, with her lips curvedup in a smile. "The little one!" she thought. "And such courage! Hewill make a great king! Let him have his prank like the other children, and--God bless him and keep him!"

CHAPTER II. AND SEES THE WORLD

The Crown Prince was just a trifle dazzled by the brilliance of hissuccess. He paused for one breathless moment under the porte-cochere ofthe opera house; then he took a long breath and turned to the left. For he knew that at the right, just around the corner; were the royalcarriages, with his own drawn up before the door, and Beppo and Hanserect on the box, their haughty noses red in the wind, for the earlyspring air was biting. 

So he turned to the left, and was at once swallowed up in the streetcrowd. It seemed very strange to him. Not that he was unaccustomed tocrowds. Had he not, that very Christmas, gone shopping in the city, accompanied only by one of his tutors and Miss Braithwaite, and boughtfor his grandfather, the King, a burnt-wood box, which might hold eitherneckties or gloves, and for his cousins silver photograph frames?

But this was different, and for a rather peculiar reason. PrinceFerdinand William Otto had never seen the back of a crowd! The publicwas always lined up, facing him, smiling and bowing and God-blessinghim. Small wonder he thought of most of his future subjects as beingmuch like the ship in the opera, meant only to be viewed from the front. Also, it was surprising to see how stiff and straight their backs were. Prince Ferdinand William Otto had never known that backs could be sorigid. Those with which he was familiar had a way of drooping forwardfrom the middle of the spine up. It was most interesting. 

The next hour was full of remarkable things. For one, he dodged behinda street-car and was almost run over by a taxicab. The policeman on thecorner came out, and taking Ferdinand William Otto by the shoulder, gavehim a talking-to and a shaking. Ferdinand William Otto was furious, butpolicy kept him silent; which proves conclusively that the Crown Princehad not only initiative--witness his flight--but self-control anddiplomacy. Lucky country, to have in prospect such a king!

But even royalty has its weaknesses. At the next corner FerdinandWilliam Otto stopped and invested part of his allowance in the forbiddenfig lady, with arms and legs of dates, and eyes of cloves. He had wantedone of these ever since he could remember, but Miss Braithwaite hadsternly refused to authorize the purchase. In fact, she had had one ofthe dates placed under a microscope, and had shown His Royal Highness anumber of interesting and highly active creatures who made their homestherein. 

His Royal Highness recalled all this with great distinctness, and, immediately dismissing it from his mind, ate the legs and arms of thefig woman with enjoyment. Which--not the eating of the legs and arms, ofcourse, but to be able to dismiss what is unpleasant--is another highlydesirable royal trait. 

So far his movements had been swift and entirely objective. But successrather went to his head. He had never been out alone before. Even atthe summer palace there were always tutors, or Miss Braithwaite, oran aide-de-camp, or something. He hesitated, took out his smallhandkerchief, dusted his shoes with it, and then wiped his face. Behindwas the Opera, looming and gray. Ahead was--the park. 

Note the long allee between rows of trees trimmed to resemble walls ofgreen in summer, and curiously distorted skeletons in winter; note thecoffee-houses, where young officers in uniforms sat under the trees, reading the papers, and rising to bow with great clanking and muchceremony as a gold-wheeled carriage or a pretty girl went by. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto had the fulfillment of a great desirein his small, active mind. This was nothing less than a ride on theAmerican scenic railroad, which had secured a concession in a far cornerof the park. Hedwig's lieutenant had described it to him--how one wastaken in a small car to a dizzy height, and then turned loose on atrack which dropped giddily and rose again, which hurled one throughsheet-iron tunnels of incredible blackness, thrust one out over a gorge, whirled one in mad curves around corners of precipitous heights, andfinally landed one, panting, breathless, shocked, and reeling; butsafe, at the very platform where one had purchased one's ticket threeeternities, which were only minutes, before. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto had put this proposition, like the figwoman, to Miss Braithwaite. Miss Braithwaite replied with the sadhistory of an English child who had clutched at his cap during a crucialmoment on a similar track at the Crystal Palace in London. 

"When they picked him up, " she finished, "every bone in his body wasbroken. "

"Every bone?"

"Every bone, " said Miss Braithwaite solemnly. 

"The little ones in his ears, and all?"

"Every one, " said Miss Braithwaite, refusing to weaken. 

The Crown Prince had pondered. "He must have felt like jelly, " heremarked, and Miss Braithwaite had dropped the subject. 

So now, with freedom and his week's allowance, except the outlay for thefig woman, in his pocket, Prince Ferdinand William Otto started for theLand of Desire. The allee was almost deserted. It was the sacred hourof coffee. The terraces were empty, but from the coffee-houses along thedrive there came a cheerful rattle of cups, a hum of conversation. 

As the early spring twilight fell, the gas-lamps along the allee, alwaysburning, made a twin row of pale stars ahead. At the end, even as thewanderer gazed, he saw myriads of tiny red, white, and blue lights, rising high in the air, outlining the crags and peaks of the sheet-ironmountain which was his destination. The Land of Desire was very near!

There came to his ears, too, the occasional rumble that told of somepalpitating soul being at that moment hurled and twisted and joyouslythrilled, as per the lieutenant's description. 

Now it is a strange thing, but true, that one does not reach the Landof Desire alone; because the half of pleasure is the sharing of it withsomeone else, and the Land of Desire, alone, is not the Land of Desireat all. Quite suddenly, Prince Ferdinand William Otto discovered that hewas lonely. He sat down on the curb under the gas-lamp and ate the figwoman's head, taking out the cloves, because he did not like cloves. At that moment there was a soft whirring off to one side of him, anda yellow bird, rising and failing erratically on the breeze, careenedsuddenly and fell at his feet. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto bent down and picked it up. It was a smalltoy aeroplane, with yellow silk planes, guy-ropes of waxed thread, and awooden rudder, its motive power vested in a tightly twisted rubber. One of the wings was bent. Ferdinand William Otto straightened it, andlooked around for the owner. 

A small boy was standing under the next gas-lamp. "Gee!" he said inEnglish. "Did you see it go that time?"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto eyed the stranger. He was about his ownage, and was dressed in a short pair of corduroy trousers, much bloomedat the knee, a pair of yellow Russia-leather shoes that reached well tohis calves, and, over all, a shaggy white sweater, rolling almost to hischin. On the very back of his head he had the smallest cap that PrinceFerdinand William Otto had ever seen. 

Now, this was exactly the way in which the Crown Prince had alwayswished to dress. He was suddenly conscious of the long trousers on hisown small legs, of the ignominy of his tailless Eton jacket and stiff, rolling collar, of the crowning disgrace of his derby hat. But thelonely feeling had gone from him. 

"This is the best time for flying, " he said, in his perfect English. "All the exhibition flights are at sundown. "

The boy walked slowly over and stood looking down at him. "You oughtto see it fly from the top of Pike's Peak!" he remarked. He had caughtsight of the despised derby, and his eyes widened, but with instinctivegood-breeding he ignored it. "That's Pike's Peak up there. "

He indicated the very top of the Land of Desire. The Prince stared up. 

"How does one get up?" he queried. 

"Ladders. My father's the manager. He lets me up sometimes. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto stared with new awe at the boy. He foundthe fact much more remarkable than if the stranger had stated that hisfather was the King of England. Kings were, as you may say, directly inPrince Ferdinand William Otto's line, but scenic railroads--

"I had thought of taking a journey on it, " he said, after a second'sreflection. "Do you think your father will sell me a ticket?"

"Billy Grimm will. I'll go with you. "

The Prince rose with alacrity. Then he stopped. He must, of course, askthe strange boy to be his guest. But two tickets! Perhaps his allowancewas not sufficient. 

"I must see first how much it costs, " he said with dignity. 

The other boy laughed. "Oh, gee! You come with me. It won't costanything, " he said, and led the way toward the towering lights. 

For Bobby Thorpe to bring a small boy to ride with him was an everydayaffair. Billy Grimm, at the ticket-window, hardly glanced at the boy whostood, trembling with anticipation, in the shadow of the booth. 

The car came, and they climbed in. Perhaps, as they moved off, PrinceFerdinand William Otto had a qualm, occasioned by the remembrance of theEnglish child who had met an untimely end; but if he did, he pluckilyhid it. 

"Put your lid on the floor of the car, " said Bobby Thorpe' depositinghis own atom there. "Father says, if you do that; you're perfectlysafe. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto divined that this referred to his hat, anddrew a small breath of relief. And then they were off, up an endless, clicking roadway, where at the top the car hung for a breathless secondover the gulf below; then, fairly launched, out on a trestle, with thecity far beneath them, and only the red, white, and blue lights forcompany; and into a tunnel, filled with roaring noises and swiftmoving shadows. Then came the end of all things a flying leap down, aheart-breaking, delirious thrill, an upward sweep just as the strain wastoo great for endurance. 

"Isn't it bully?" shouted the American boy against the onrush of thewind. 

"Fine!" shrieked His Royal Highness, and braced himself for another dipinto the gulf. 

Above the roaring of the wind in their ears, neither child had heardthe flying feet of a dozen horses coming down the allee. They never knewthat a hatless young lieutenant, white-lipped with fear, had checked hishorse to its haunches at the ticket-booth, and demanded to know who wasin the Land of Desire. 

"Only the son of the manager, and a boy friend of his, " replied BillyGrimm, in what he called the lingo of the country. "What's wrong? Lostanybody?"

But Hedwig's lieutenant had wheeled his horse without a word, and, jumping him aver the hedge of the allee, was off in a despairing searchof the outskirts of the park, followed by his cavalrymen. 

As the last horse leaped the hedge and disappeared, the car came to astop at the platform. Quivering, Prince Ferdinand William Otto reacheddown for the despised hat. 

"Would you like to go around again?" asked Bobby, quite casually. 

His Highness gasped with joy. "If--if you would be so kind!" he said. 

And at the lordly wave of Bobby's hand, the car moved on. 

CHAPTER III. DISGRACED

At eight o'clock that evening the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Ottoapproached the Palace through the public square. He approached itslowly, for two reasons. First, he did not want to go back. Second, hewas rather frightened. He had an idea that they would be disagreeable. 

There seemed to be a great deal going on at the palace. Carriageswere rolling in under the stone archway and, having discharged theircontents, mostly gentlemen in uniform, were moving off with a thunderingof hoofs that reechoed from the vaulted roof of the entrance. All thelights were on in the wing where his grandfather, the King, lived alone. As his grandfather hated lights, and went to bed early, Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto was slightly puzzled. 

He stood in the square and waited for a chance to slip in unobserved. 

He was very dirty. His august face was streaked with soot, and hisaugust hands likewise. His small derby hat was carefully placed on thevery back of his head at the angle of the American boy's cap. As hiscollar had scratched his neck, he had, at Bobby's suggestion, taken itoff and rolled it up. He decided, as he waited in the square, to put iton again. Miss Braithwaite was very peculiar about collars. 

Came a lull in the line of carriages. Prince Ferdinand William Otto tooka long breath and started forward. As he advanced he stuck his hands inhis pockets and swaggered a trifle. It was, as nearly as possible, anexact imitation of Bobby Thorpe's walk. And to keep up his courage, hequoted that young gentleman's farewell speech to himself: "What d' youcare? They won't eat you, will they?"

At the entrance to the archway stood two sentries. They stood as if theywere carved out of wood. Only their eyes moved. And within, in the courtaround which the Palace was built, were the King's bodyguards. Mostlythey sat on a long bench and exchanged conversation, while one of thempaced back and forth, his gun over his shoulder, in front of them. Prince Ferdinand William Otto knew them all. More than once he hadsecured cigarettes from Lieutenant Larisch and dropped them from one ofhis windows, which were just overhead. They would look straight aheadand not see them, until the officer's back was turned. Then one would belighted and passed along the line. Each man would take one puff and passit on behind his back. It was great fun. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto stood in the shadows and glanced across. The sentries stood like wooden men, but something was wrong in thecourtyard inside. The guards were all standing, and there seemed to bea great many of them. And just as he had made up his mind to take theplunge, so to speak, a part of his own regiment of cavalry came out fromthe courtyard with a thundering of hoofs, wheeled at the street, andclattered off. 

Very unusual, all of it. 

The Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto felt in his pocket for hishandkerchief, and, moistening a corner with his tongue, wiped his face. Then he wiped his shoes. Then, with his hands in his trousers pockets, he sauntered into the light. 

Now sentries are trained to be impassive. The model of a sentry is awooden soldier. A really good sentry does not sneeze or cough on duty. Did any one ever see a sentry, for instance, wipe his nose? Or twirl histhumbs? Or buy a newspaper? Certainly not. 

Therefore the two sentries made no sign when they saw Ferdinand WilliamOtto approaching. But one of them forgot to bring his musket to salute. He crossed himself instead. And something strained around the othersentry's lower jaw suddenly relaxed into a smile as His Royal Highnessdrew a hand from its refuge and saluted. He glanced first at one, thenat the other, rather sheepishly, hesitated between them, clapped his haton more securely, and marched in. 

"The young rascal!" said the second sentry to himself. And by turninghis head slightly--for a sentry learns to see all around like a horse, without twisting his neck--he watched the runaway into the palace. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto went up the stone staircase. Here andthere he passed guards who stared and saluted. Had he not been obsessedwith the vision of Miss Braithwaite, he would have known that relieffollowed in his wake. Messengers clattered down the staircase to thecourtyard. Other messengers, breathless and eager, flew to that lightedwing where the Council sat, and where the old King, propped up in bed, waited and fought terror. 

The Archduchess Annunciata was with her father. Across the corridor theCouncil debated in low tones. 

"Tell me again, " said the King. "How in God's name could it havehappened? In daylight, and with all of you there!"

"I have told you all I know, " said the Archduchess impatiently. "Onemoment he was there. Hedwig and he were making gestures, and I reprovedhim. The next he was gone. Hedwig saw him get up and go out. Shethought--"

"Send for Hedwig. "

"She has retired. She was devoted to him, and--"

"Send for her, " said the King shortly. 

The Archduchess Annunciata went out. The old King lay back, andhis eyes, weary with many years of ruling, of disappointments andbitterness, roved the room. They came to rest at last on the photographof a young man, which stood on his bedside, table. 

He was a very young man, in a uniform. He was boyish, and smiling. Therewas a dog beside him, and its head was on his knee. Wherever one stoodin the room, the eyes of the photograph gazed at one. The King knewthis, and because he was quite old, and because there were few people towhom a king dares to speak his inmost thoughts, he frequently spoke tothe photograph. 

The older he grew, the more he felt, sometimes, as though it knew whathe said. He had begun to think that death, after all, is not the end, but only the beginning of things. This rather worried him, too, attimes. What he wanted was to lay things down, not to take them up. 

"If they've got him, " he said to the picture, "it is out of my hands, and into yours, my boy. "

Much of his life had been spent in waiting, in waiting for a son, inwaiting for that son to grow to be a man, in waiting while that son inhis turn loved and married and begot a man-child, in waiting, when thatson had died a violent death, for the time when his tired hands couldrelinquish the scepter to his grandchild. 

He folded his old hands and waited. From across the corridor came thelow tones of the Council. A silent group of his gentlemen stood in thevestibule outside the door. The King lay on his bed and waited. 

Quite suddenly the door opened. The old man turned his head. Just insidestood a very dirty small boy. 

The Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto was most terribly frightened. Everything was at sixes and sevens. Miss Braithwaite had been crying herhead off, and on seeing him had fallen in a faint. Not that he thoughtit was a real faint. He had unmistakably seen her eyelids quiver. Andwhen she came to she had ordered him no supper, and four pages of Germantranslation, and to go to bed at seven o'clock instead of seven-thirtyfor a week. All the time crying, too. And then she had sent him to hisgrandfather, and taken aromatic ammonia. 

His grandfather said nothing, but looked at him. 

"Here--here I am, sir, " said the Crown Prince from the door. 

The King drew a long breath. But the silence persisted. Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto furtively rubbed a dusty shoe against the back of atrousers leg. 

"I'm afraid I'm not very neat, sir, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, and took a step forward. Until his grandfather commanded him, he couldnot advance into the room. 

"Come here, " said the King. 

He went to the side of the bed. 

"Where have you been?"

"I'm afraid--I ran away, sir. "

"Why?"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto considered. It was rather an awful moment. "I don't exactly know. I just thought I would. "

You see, it was really extremely difficult. To say that he was tiredof things as they were would sound ungrateful. Would, indeed, be mostimpolite. And then, exactly why had he run away?

"Suppose, " said the King, "you draw up a chair and tell me about it. We'd better talk it over, I think. "

His Royal Highness drew up a chair, and sat on it. His feet not reachingthe floor, he hooked them around the chair-rung. This was permissiblebecause, first, the King could not see them from his bed. Second, itkept his knees from shaking. 

"Probably you are aware, " said the King, "that you have alarmed a greatmany people. "

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't think--"

"A prince's duty is to think. "

"Although, " observed His Royal Highness, "I don't really believe MissBraithwaite fainted. She may have thought she fainted, but her eyelidsmoved. "

"Where did you go?"

"To the park, sir. I--I thought I'd like to see the park by myself. "

"Go on. "

"It's very hard to enjoy things with Miss Braithwaite, sir. She does notreally enjoy the things I like. Nikky and I--"

"By 'Nikky' you mean Lieutenant Larisch?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Go on. "

"We like the same things, sir--the Pike's-Peak-or-Bust, and all that. "

The King raised himself on his elbow. "What was that?" he demanded. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto blushed, and explained. It was Bobby'sname for the peak at the top of the Scenic Railway. He had been onthe railway. He had been--his enthusiasm carried him away. His cheeksflushed. He sat forward on the edge of his chair, and gesticulated. Hehad never had such a good time in his life. 

"I was awfully happy, sir, " he ended. "It feels like flying, only safer. And the lights are pretty. It's like fairyland. There were two or threetimes when it seemed as if we'd turn over, or leap the track. But wedidn't. "

The King lay back and thought. More than anything in the world he lovedthis boy. But the occasion demanded a strong hand. "You were happy, "he said. "You were disobedient, you were causing grave anxiety anddistress--and you were happy! The first duty of a prince is to hiscountry. His first lesson is to obey laws. He must always obey certainlaws. A king is but the servant of his people. "

"Yes, sir, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. 

The old King's voice was stern. "Some day you will be the King. Youare being trained for that high office now. And yet you would set theexample of insubordination, disobedience, and reckless disregard of thefeelings of others. "

"Yes, sir, " said prince Ferdinand William Otto, feeling very small andashamed. 

"Not only that. You slipped away. You did not go openly. You sneakedoff, like a thief. Are you proud of it?"

"No, sir. "

"I shall, " said the King, "require no promise from you. Promises arepoor things to hold to. I leave this matter in your own hands, Otto. Youwill be punished by Miss Braithwaite, and for the next ten days you willnot visit me. You may go now. "

Otto got off his chair. He was feeling exceedingly crushed. "Good-night, sir, " he said. And waited for his grandfather to extend his hand. Butthe old King lay looking straight ahead, with his mouth set in grimlines, and his hands folded over his breast. 

At the door the Crown Prince turned and bowed. His grandfather's eyeswere fixed on the two gold eagles over the door, but the photograph onthe table appeared to be smiling at him. 

CHAPTER IV. THE TERROR

Until late that night General Mettlich and the King talked together. The King had been lifted from his bed and sat propped in a great chair. Above his shabby dressing-gown his face showed gaunt and old. In astraight chair facing him sat his old friend and Chancellor. 

"What it has shown is not entirely bad, " said the King, after a pause. "The boy has initiative. And he made no attempt at evasion. He isessentially truthful. "

"What it has also shown, sire, is that no protection is enough. When I, who love the lad, and would--when I could sleep, and let him get away, as I did--"

"The truth is, " said the King, "we are both of us getting old. " Hetapped with his gnarled fingers on the blanket that lay over his knees. "The truth is also, " he observed a moment later, "that the boy has veryfew pleasures. He is alone a great deal. "

General Mettlich raised his shaggy head. Many years of wearing asoldier's cap had not injured his heavy gray hair. He had bristlingeyebrows, white new, and a short, fighting mustache. When he wasirritated, or disagreed with any one, his eyebrows came down and themustache went up. 

Many years of association with his king had given him the right to talkto him as man to man. They even quarreled now and then. It was a braveman who would quarrel with old Ferdinand II. 

So now his eyebrows came down and his mustache went up. "How--alone, sire?"

"You do not regard that bigoted Englishwoman as a companion, do you?"

"He is attached to her. "

"I'm damned if I know why, " observed the old King. "She doesn't appearto have a single human quality. "

Human quality! General Mettlich eyed his king with concern. Since whenhad the reigning family demanded human qualities in their governesses?"She is a thoughtful and conscientious woman, sire, " he said stiffly. Ithappened that he had selected her. "She does her duty. And as to the boybeing lonely, he has no time to be lonely. His tutors--"

"How old is he?"

"Ten next month. "

The King said nothing for a time. Then--"It is hard, " he said atlast, "for seventy-four to see with the eyes of ten. As for thisafternoon--why in the name of a thousand devils did they take him to seethe 'Flying Dutchman'? I detest it. "

"Her Royal Highness--"

"Annunciata is a fool, " said His Majesty. Then dismissing his daughterwith a gesture, "We don't know how to raise our children here, " he saidimpatiently. "The English do better. And even the Germans--"

It is not etiquette to lower one's eyebrows at a king, and glare. ButGeneral Mettlich did it. He was rather a poor subject. "The Germans havenot our problem, sire, " he said, and stuck up his mustache. 

"I'm not going to raise the boy a prisoner, " insisted the Kingstubbornly. Kings have to be very stubborn about things. So many peopledisapprove of the things they want to do. 

Suddenly General Mettlich bent forward and placed a hand on the oldman's knee. "We shall do well, sire, " he said gravely, "to raise the boyat all. "

There was a short silence, which the King broke. "What is new?"

"We have broken up the University meetings, but I fancy they go on, in small groups. I was gratified, however, to observe that a groupof students cheered His Royal Highness yesterday as he rode past theUniversity buildings. "

"Socialism at twenty, " said the King, "is only a symptom of the unrestof early adolescence. Even Hubert"--he glanced at the picture--"wastouched with it. He accused me, I recall, of being merely an accident, asort of stumbling-block in the way of advanced thought!"

He smiled faintly. Then he sighed. "And the others?" he asked. 

"The outlying districts are quiet. So, too, is the city. Too quiet, sire. "

"They are waiting, of course, for my death, " said the King quietly. "Ifonly, you were twenty years younger than I am, it would be better. " Hefixed the General with shrewd eyes. "What do those asses of doctors sayabout me?"

"With care, sire--"

"Come, now. This is no time for evasion. "

"Even at the best, sire--" He looked very ferocious, and cleared histhroat. He was terribly ashamed that his voice was breaking. . "Even atthe best, but of course they can only give an opinion--"

"Six months?"

"A year, sire. "

"And at the worst!" said the King, with a grim smile. Then; followinghis own line of, thought: "But the people love the boy, I think. "

"They do. It is for that reason, sire, that I advise particularcaution. " He hesitated. Then, "Sire, " he said earnestly, "there issomething of which I must speak. The Committee of Ten has organizedagain. "

Involuntarily the King glanced at the photograph on the table. 

"Forgive me, sire, if I waken bitter memories. But I fear--"

"You fear!" said the King. "Since when have you taken to fearing?"

"Nevertheless, " maintained General Mettlich doggedly, "I fear. This quietof the last few months alarms me. Dangerous dogs do not bark. I trust noone. The very air is full of sedition. "

The King twisted his blue-veined old hands together, but his voice wasquiet. "But why?" he demanded, almost fretfully. "If the people are fondof the boy, and I think they are, to--to carry him off, or injure him, would hurt the cause. Even the Terrorists, in the name of a republic, can do nothing without the people. "

"The mob is a curious thing, sire. You have ruled with a strong hand. Our people know nothing but to obey the dominant voice. The boy outof the way, the prospect of the Princess Hedwig on the throne, a fewdemagogues in the public squares--it would be the end. "

The King leaned back and closed his eyes. His thin, arched nose lookedpinched. His face was gray. 

"All this, " he said, "means what? To make the boy a prisoner, to cut offhis few pleasures, and even then, at any time--"

"Yes, sire, " said Mettlich doggedly. "At any time. "

Outside in the anteroom Lieutenant Nikky Larisch roused himself, yawned, and looked at his watch. It was after twelve, and he had had a hard day. He put a velvet cushion behind his head, and resolutely composed himselfto slumber, a slumber in which were various rosy dreams, all centeredabout the Princess Hedwig. Dreams are beyond our control. 

Therefore a young lieutenant running into debt on his pay may withoutpresumption dream of a princess. 

All through the Palace people were sleeping. Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto was asleep, and riding again the little car in the Land of Delight. So that, turning a corner sharply, he almost fell out of bed. 

On the other side of the city the little American boy was asleep also. At that exact time he was being tucked up by an entirely efficient andplacid-eyed American mother, who felt under his head to see that his earwas not turned forward. She liked close-fitting ears. 

Nobody, naturally, was tucking up Prince Ferdinand William Otto. Orattending to his ears. But, of course, there were sentries outside hisdoor, and a valet de chambre to be rung for, and a number of embroideredeagles scattered about on the curtains and things, and a countrysurrounding him which would one day be his, unless--

"At any time, " said General Mettlich, and was grimly silent. 

It was really no time for such a speech. But there is never a good timefor bad news. 

"Well?" inquired the King, after a time. "You have something to suggest, I take it. "

The old soldier cleared his throat. "Sire, " he began, "it is said thata chancellor should have but one passion--his King. I have two: my Kingand my country. "

The King nodded gravely. He knew both passions, relied on both. Andfound them both a bit troublesome at times!

"Once, some years ago, sire, I came to you with a plan. The PrincessHedwig was a child then, and his late Royal Highness was--still withus. For that, and for other reasons, Your Majesty refused to listen. But things have changed. Between us and revolution there stand only thefrail life of a boy and an army none too large, and already, perhaps, affected. There is much discontent, and the offspring of discontent isanarchy. "

The King snarled. But Mettlich had taken his courage in his hands, andwent on. Their neighbor and hereditary foe was Karnia. Could they anylonger afford the enmity of Karnia? One cause of discontent was theexpense of the army, and of the fortifications along the Karnian border. If Karnia were allied with them, there would be no need of so greatan army. They had the mineral wealth, and Karnia the seaports. The olddream of the Empire, of a railway to the sea, would be realized. 

He pleaded well. The idea was not new. To place the little King Otto IXon the throne and keep him there in the face of opposition would requiresupport from outside. Karnia would furnish this support. For a price. 

The price was the Princess Hedwig. 

Outside, Nikky Larisch rose, stretched, and fell to pacing the floor. It was one o'clock, and the palace slept. He lighted a cigarette, andstepping out into a small balcony which overlooked the Square, faced thequiet night. 

"That is my plea, sire, " Mettlich finished. "Karl of Karnia isanxious to marry, and looks this way. To allay discontent and growinginsurrection, to insure the boy's safety and his throne, to beatour swords into ploughshares"--here he caught the King's scowl; andadded--"to a certain extent, and to make us a commercial as well asa military nation, surely, sire, it gains much for us, and loses usnothing. "

"But our independence!" said the King sourly. 

However, he did not dismiss the idea. The fright of the afternoonhad weakened him, and if Mettlich were right--he had what the Kingconsidered a perfectly damnable habit of being right--the Royalist partywould need outside help to maintain the throne. 

"Karnia!" he said. "The lion and the lamb, with the lamb inside thelion! And in, the mean time the boy--"

"He should be watched always. "

"The old she-dragon, the governess--I suppose she is trustworthy?"

"Perfectly. But she is a woman. "

"He has Lussin. " Count Lussin was the Crown Prince's aide-de-camp. 

"He needs a man, sire, " observed the Chancellor rather tartly. 

The King cleared his throat. "This youngster he is so fond of, youngLarisch, would he please you better?" he asked, with ironic deference. 

"A good boy, sire. You may recall that his mother--" He stopped. 

Perhaps the old King's memory was good. Perhaps there was a change inMettlich's voice. 

"A good boy?"

"None better, sire. He is devoted to His Royal Highness. He is stillmuch of a lad himself. I have listened to them talking. It is a questionwhich is the older! He is outside now. "

"Bring him in. I'll have a look at him. "

Nikky, summoned by a chamberlain, stopped inside the doorway and boweddeeply. 

"Come here, " said the King. 

He advanced. 

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-three, sire. "

"In the Grenadiers, I believe. "

Nikky bowed. 

"Like horses?" said the King suddenly. 

"Very much, sire. "

"And boys?"

"I--some boys, sire. "

"Humph! Quite right, too. Little devils, most of them. " He drew himselftap in his chair. "Lieutenant Larisch, " he said, "His Royal Highness theCrown Prince has taken a liking to you. I believe it is to you that ourfright to-day is due. "

Nikky's heart thumped. He went rather pale. 

"It is my intention, Lieutenant Larisch, to place the Crown Prince inyour personal charge. For reasons I need not go into, it is imperativethat he take no more excursions alone. These are strange times, whensedition struts in Court garments, and kings may trust neither theirarmies nor their subjects. I want, " he said, his tone losing itsbitterness, "a real friend for the little Crown Prince. One who is bothbrave and loyal. "

Afterward, in his small room, Nikky composed a neat, well-roundedspeech, in which he expressed his loyalty, gratitude, and undyingdevotion to the Crown Prince. It was an elegant little speech. Unluckily, the occasion for it had gone by two hours. 

"I--I am grateful, sire, " was what he said. "I--" And there he stoppedand choked up. It was rather dreadful. 

"I depend on you, Captain Larisch, " said the King gravely, and noddedhis head in a gesture of dismissal. Nikky backed toward the door, strucka hassock, all but went down, bowed again at the door, and fled. 

"A fine lad, " said General Mettlich, "but no talker. "

"All the better, " replied His Majesty. "I am tired of men who talk well. And"--he smiled faintly--"I am tired of you. You talk too well. You makeme think. I don't want to think. I've been thinking all my life. It istime to rest, my friend. "

CHAPTER V. AT THE RIDING-SCHOOL

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto was indisgrace. 

He had risen at six, bathed, dressed, and gone to Mass, in disgrace. He had breakfasted at seven-thirty on fruit, cereal, and one egg, indisgrace. He had gone to his study at eight o'clock for lessons, indisgrace. A long line of tutors came and went all morning, and he workeddiligently, but he was still in disgrace. All morning long and in theintervals between tutors he had tried to catch Miss Braithwaite's eye. 

Except for the most ordinary civilities, she had refused to look in hisdirection. She was correcting an essay in English on Mr. Gladstone, with a blue pencil, and putting in blue commas every here and there. TheCrown Prince was amazingly weak in commas. When she was all through, shepiled the sheets together and wrote a word on the first page. It mighthave been "good. " On the other hand, it could easily have been "poor. "The motions of the hand are similar. 

At last; in desperation, the Crown Prince deliberately broke off thepoint of his pencil, and went to the desk where Miss Braithwaite sat, monarch of the American pencil-sharpener which was the beloved of hisheart. 

"Again!" said Miss Braithwaite shortly. And raised her eyebrows. 

"It's a very soft pencil, " explained the Crown Prince. "When I pressdown on it, it--it busts. "

"It what?"

"It busts--breaks. " Evidently the English people were not familiar withthis new and fascinating American word. 

He cast a casual glance toward Mr. Gladstone. The word was certainly"poor. " Suddenly a sense of injustice began to rise in him. He hadworked rather hard over Mr. Gladstone. He had done so because he knewthat Miss Braithwaite considered him the greatest man since JesusChrist, and even the Christ had not written "The Influence of Authorityin Matters of Opinion. "

The injustice went to his eyes and made him blink. He had apologized foryesterday, and explained fully. It was not fair. As to commas, anybodycould put in enough commas. 

The French tutor was standing near a photograph of Hedwig, andpretending not to look at it. Prince Ferdinand William Otto had asuspicion that the tutor was in love with Hedwig. On one occasion, whenshe had entered unexpectedly, he had certainly given out the sentence, "Ce dragon etait le vieux serpent, la princesse, " instead of "Ce dragonetait le vieux serpent, le roi. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto did not like the French tutor. His beingsilly about Hedwig was not the reason. Even Nikky had that trouble, and once, when they were all riding together, had said, "Canter on thesnaffle, trot on the curb, " when he meant exactly the opposite. It wasnot that. Part of it was because of his legs, which were inclined toknock at the knees. Mostly it was his eyes, which protruded. "When hereads my French exercises, " he complained once to Hedwig, "he waves themaround like an ant's. "

He and Hedwig usually spoke English together. Like most royalties, theyhad been raised on languages. It was as much as one's brains were worth, sometimes, to try to follow them as they leaped from grammar to grammar. 

"Like an aunt's?" inquired Hedwig, mystified. 

"An ant's. They have eyes on the ends of their feelers, you know. "

But Miss Braithwaite, overhearing, had said that ants have no eyes atall. She had no imagination. 

His taste of liberty had spoiled the Crown Prince for work. Instead ofconjugating a French verb, he made a sketch of the Scenic Railway. Hedrew the little car, and two heads looking over the edge, with a sort ofporcupine effect of hairs standing straight up. 

"Otto!" said Miss Braithwaite sternly. 

Miss Braithwaite did not say "sir" to him or "Your Royal Highness, " likethe tutors. She had taken him from the arms of his mother when he was ababy, and had taught a succession of nurses how to fix his bottles, and made them raise the windows when he slept--which was heresy in thatcountry, and was brought up for discussion in the Parliament. When itcame time for his first tooth, and he was wickedly fretful, and thedoctors had a consultation over him, it was Miss Braithwaite who hadignored everything they said, and rubbed the tooth through with hersilver thimble. Boiled first, of course. 

And when one has cut a Royal Highness's first tooth, and broken him ofsucking his thumb, and held a cold buttered knife against his bruisesto prevent their discoloring, one does get out of the way of being veryformal with him. 

"Otto!" said Miss Braithwaite sternly. 

So he went to work in earnest. He worked at a big desk, which had beenhis father's. As a matter of fact, everything in the room was too bigfor him. It had not occurred to any one to make any concessions to hissize. He went through life, one may say, with his legs dangling, orstanding on tiptoe to see things. 

The suite had been his father's before him. Even the heavy old rug hadbeen worn shabby by the scuffing of his father's feet. On the wall therehung a picture his father had drawn. It was of a yacht in full sail. Prince Hubert had been fifteen when he drew it, and was contemplatingabandoning his princely career and running away to be a pirate. As amatter of fact, the yacht boasted the black flag, as Otto knew quitewell. Nikky had discover it. But none of the grown-ups had recognizedthe damning fact. Nikky was not, strictly speaking a grown-up. 

The sun came through the deep embrasures of the window and set PrinceFerdinand William Otto's feet to wriggling. It penetrated the gloomyfastnesses of the old room and showed its dingy furniture, its greatdesk, its dark velvet portieres, and the old cabinet in which theCrown Prince kept his toys on the top shelf. He had arranged them therehimself, the ones he was fondest of in the front row, so he could lookup and see them; a drum which he still dearly loved, but which madeMiss Braithwaite's headache; a locomotive with a broken spring; asteam-engine which Hedwig had given him, but which the King considereddangerous, and which had never, therefore, had its baptism of fire; anda dilapidated and lop-eared cloth dog. 

He was exceedingly fond of the dog. For quite a long time he had takenit to bed with him at night, and put its head on his pillow. It was themost comforting thing, when the lights were all out. Until he was sevenhe had been allowed a bit of glimmer, a tiny wick floating in a silverdish of lard-oil, for a night-light. But after his eighth birthday thathad been done away with, Miss Braithwaite considering it babyish. 

The sun shone in on the substantial but cheerless room; on the pictureof the Duchess Hedwig, untouched by tragedy or grief; on the heavy, paneled old doors through which, once on a time, Prince Hubert had madehis joyous exits into a world that had so early cast him out; on hisswords, crossed over the fireplace; his light rapier, his heavy cavalrysaber; on the bright head of his little son, around whom already so manyplots and counterplots were centering. 

The Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto found the sun unsettling. Besides, he hated verbs. Nouns were different. One could do somethingwith nouns, although even they had a way of having genders. Intohis head popped a recollection of a delightful pastime of the daybefore--nothing more nor less than flipping paper wads at the guard onthe Scenic Railway as the car went past him. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto tore off the corner of a piece of paper, chewed it deliberately, rounded and hardened it with his royal fingers, and aimed it at M. Puaux. It struck him in the eye. 

Instantly things happened. M. Puaux yelled, and clapped a hand to hiseye. Miss Braithwaite rose. His Royal Highness wrote a rather shakyFrench verb, with the wrong termination. And on to this scene came Nikkyfor the riding-lesson. Nikky, smiling and tidy, and very shiny as toriding-boots and things, and wearing white kid gloves. Every one abouta palace wears white kid gloves, except the royalties themselves. It isextremely expensive. 

Nikky surveyed the scene. He had, of course, bowed inside the door, andall that sort of thing. But Nikky was an informal person, and was quiteapt to bow deeply before his future sovereign, and then poke him in thechest. 

"Well!" said Nikky. 

"Good-morning, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, in a small andnervous voice. 

"Nothing wrong, is there?" demanded Nikky. 

M. Puaux got out his handkerchief and said nothing violently. 

"Otto!" said Miss Braithwaite. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. " He looked about. He was quite convinced that M. Puaux waswhat Bobby would have termed a poor sport, and had not played the gamefairly. The guard at the railway, he felt, would not have yelled andwept. "Oh, well, I threw a piece of paper. That's all. I didn't think itwould hurt. "

Miss Braithwaite rose and glanced at the carpet. But Nikky was quick. Quick and understanding. He put his shiny foot over the paper wad. 

"Paper!" said Miss Braithwaite. "Why did you throw paper? And at M. Puaux?"

"I--just felt like throwing something, " explained His Royal Highness. "Iguess it's the sun, or something. "

Nikky dropped his glove, and miraculously, when he had picked it up thelittle wad was gone. 

"For throwing paper, five marks, " said Miss Braithwaite, and put it downin the book she carried in her pocket. It was rather an awful book. On Saturdays the King looked it over, and demanded explanations. "Foruntidy nails, five marks! A gentleman never has untidy nails, Otto. Forobjecting to winter flannels, two marks. Humph! For pocketing sugar fromthe tea-tray, ten marks! Humph! For lack of attention during religiousinstruction, five marks. Ten off for the sugar, and only five forinattention to religious instruction! What have you to say, sir?"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto looked at Nikky and Nikky looked back. Then Ferdinand William Otto's left eyelid drooped. Nikky was astounded. How was he to know the treasury of strange things that the Crown Princehad tapped the previous afternoon? But, after a glance around the room, Nikky's eyelid drooped also. He slid the paper wad into his pocket. 

"I am afraid His Royal Highness has hurt your eye, M. Puaux, " said MissBraithwaite. Not with sympathy. She hated tutors. 

"Not at all, " said the unhappy young man, testing the eye to discover ifhe could see through it. "I am sure His Royal Highness meant no harm. "M. Puaux went out, with his handkerchief to his eye. He turned at thedoor and bowed, but as no one was paying any attention to him, he madetwo bows. One was to Hedwig's picture. 

While Oskar, his valet, put the Crown Prince into riding-clothes, Nikkyand Miss Braithwaite had a talk. Nikky was the only person to whom MissBraithwaite really unbent. Once he had written to a friend of his inChina, and secured for her a large box of the best China tea. MissBraithwaite only brewed it when the Archduchess made one of her rarevisits to the Crown Prince's apartment. 

But just now their talk was very serious. It began by Nikky's statingthat she was likely to see him a great deal now, and he hoped she wouldnot find him in the way. He had been made aide-de-camp to the CrownPrince, vice Count Lussin, who had resigned on account of illness, having been roused at daybreak out of a healthy sleep to do it. 

Not that Nikky said just that. What he really observed was: "The Kingsent for me last night, Miss Braithwaite, and--and asked me to hangaround. "

Thus Nikky, of his sacred trust! None the less sacred to him, either, that he spoke lightly. He glanced up at the crossed swords, and his eyeswere hard. 

And Miss Braithwaite knew. She reached over and put a hand on his arm. "You and I, " she said. "Out of all the people in this palace, only youand I! The Archduchess hates him. I see it in her eyes. She can neverforgive him for keeping the throne from Hedwig. The Court? Do theyever think of the boy, except to dread his minority, with Mettlich incontrol? A long period of mourning, a regency, no balls, no gayety thatis all they think of. And whom can we trust? The very guards down below, the sentries at our doors, how do we know they are loyal?"

"The people love him, " said Nikky doggedly. 

"The people! Sheep. I do not trust the people. I do not trust any one. Iwatch, but what can I do? The very food we eat--"

"He is coming, " said Nikky softly. And fell to whistling under hisbreath. 

Together Nikky and Prince Ferdinand William Otto went out and down thegreat marble staircase. Sentries saluted. Two flunkies in scarletand gold threw open the doors. A stray dog that had wandered into thecourtyard watched them gravely. 

"I wish, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, "that I might have a dog. "

"A dog! Why?"

"Well, it would be company. Dogs are very friendly. Yesterday I met aboy who has a dog. It sleeps on his bed at night. "

"You have a good many things, you know, " Nikky argued. "You've got adozen horses, for one thing. "

"But a dog's different. " He felt the difference, but he could not putit into words. "And I'd rather have only one horse. I'd get betteracquainted with it. "

Nikky looked back. Although it had been the boast of the royal familyfor a century that it could go about unattended, that its only dangerwas from the overzeal of the people in showing their loyalty, not sincethe death of Prince Hubert had this been true in fact. No guards orsoldiers accompanied them, but the secret police were always near athand. So Nikky looked, made sure that a man in civilian clothingwas close at their heels, and led the way across the Square to theriding-school. 

A small crowd lined up and watched the passing of the little Prince. Ashe passed, men lifted their hats and women bowed. He smiled right andleft, and, took two short steps to one of Nikky's long ones. 

"I have a great many friends, " he said with a sigh of content, as theyneared the riding-school. "I suppose I don't really need a dog. "

"Look here, " said Nikky, after a pause. He was not very quick inthinking things out. He placed, as a fact, more reliance on his rightarm than on his brain. But once he had thought a thing out, itstuck. "Look here, Highness, you didn't treat your friends very wellyesterday. "

"I know;" said Prince Ferdinand William Otto meekly. But PrinceFerdinand William Otto had thought out a defense. "I got back all right, didn't I?" He considered. "It was worth it. A policeman shook me!"

"Which policeman?" demanded Nikky in a terrible tone, and in his furyquite forgot the ragging he had prepared for Otto. 

"I think I'll not tell you, if you don't mind. And I bought a fig lady. I've saved the legs for you. "

Fortune smiled on Nikky that day. Had, indeed, been smiling daily forsome three weeks. Singularly enough, the Princess Hedwig, who had beenplaced on a pony at the early age of two, and who had been wont to boastthat she could ride any horse in her grandfather's stables, was takingriding-lessons. From twelve to one--which was, also singularly, the timePrince Ferdinand William Otto and Nikky rode in the ring--the PrincessHedwig rode also. Rode divinely. Rode saucily. Rode, when Nikky wasahead, tenderly. 

To tell the truth, Prince Ferdinand William Otto rather hoped, thismorning, that Hedwig would not be there. There was a difference in Nikkywhen Hedwig was around. When she was not there he would do all sortsof things, like jumping on his horse while it was going, and ridingbackward in the saddle, and so on. He had once even tried jumping on hishorse as it galloped past him, and missed, and had been awfully ashamedabout it. But when Hedwig was there, there was no skylarking. Theyrode around, and the riding-master put up jumps and they took them. Andfinally Hedwig would get tired, and ask Nikky please to be amusing whileshe rested. And he would not be amusing at all. The Crown Prince feltthat she never really saw Nikky at his best. 

Hedwig was there. She had on a new habit, and a gardenia in herbuttonhole, and she gave Nikky her hand to kiss, but only nodded to theCrown Prince. 

"Hello, Otto!" she said. "I thought you'd have a ball and chain on yourleg to-day. "

"There's nothing wrong with my legs, " said Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto, staring at the nets habit. "But yours look rather queer. "

Hedwig flushed. The truth was that she was wearing, for the first time, a cross-saddle habit of coat and trousers. And coat and trousers wereforbidden to the royal women. She eyed Otto with defiance, and turned anappealing glance to Nikky. But her voice was very dignified. 

"I bought them myself, " she said. "I consider it a perfectly modestcostume, and much safer than the other. "

"It is quite lovely--on you, Highness, " said Nikky. 

In a stiff chair at the edge of the ring Hedwig's lady in waiting satresignedly. She was an elderly woman, and did not ride. Just now shewas absorbed in wondering what would happen to her when the Archduchessdiscovered this new freak of Hedwig's. Perhaps she would better askpermission to go into retreat for a time. The Archduchess, who had noreligion herself, approved of it in others. She took a soft rubber fromher pocket, and tried to erase a spot from her white kid gloves. 

The discovery that Hedwig had two perfectly good legs rather astoundedPrince Ferdinand William Otto. He felt something like consternation. 

"I've never seen any one else dressed like that, " he observed, as thehorses were brought up. 

Hedwig colored again. She looked like an absurdly pretty boy. "Don't bea silly, " she replied, rather sharply. "Every one does it, except here, where old fossils refuse to think that anything new can be proper. If you're going to be that sort of a king when you grow up, I'll gosomewhere else to live. "

Nikky looked gloomy. The prospect, although remote, was dreary. But, as the horses were led out, and he helped Hedwig to her saddle, hebrightened. After all, the future was the future, and now was now. 

"Catch me!" said Hedwig, and dug her royal heels into her horse'sflanks. The Crown Prince climbed into his saddle and followed. They wereoff. 

The riding-school had been built for officers of the army, but was nowused by the Court only. Here the King had ridden as a lad with youngMettlich, his close friend even then. The favorite mare of his lateryears, now old and almost blind, still had a stall in the adjacent royalstables. One of the King's last excursions abroad had been to visit her. 

Overhead, up a great runway, were the state chariots, gilt coaches ofinconceivable weight, traveling carriages of the post-chaise periods, sleighs in which four horses drove abreast, their panels painted by thegreat artists of the time; and one plain little vehicle, very shabby, inwhich the royal children of long ago had fled from a Karnian invasion. 

In one corner, black and gold and forbidding, was the imposing hearse inwhich the dead sovereigns of the country were taken to their long sleepin the vaults under the cathedral. Good, bad, and indifferent, one afterthe other, as their hour came, they had taken this last journey in theold catafalque, and had joined their forbears. Many they had been: menof iron, men of blood, men of flesh, men of water. And now they lay instone crypts, and of all the line only two remained. 

One and all, the royal vehicles were shrouded in sheets, except on oneday of each month when the sheets were removed and the public admitted. But on that morning the great hearse was uncovered, and two men wereworking, one at the upholstery, which he was brushing. The other wascarefully oiling the wood of the body. Save for them, the wide and duskyloft was empty. 

One was a boy, newly come from the country. The other was an elderlyman. It was he who oiled. 

"Many a king has this carried, " said the man. "My father, who was herebefore me, oiled it for the last one. "

"May it be long before it carries another!" commented the boy fervently. 

"It will not be long. The old King fails hourly. And this happening ofyesterday--"

"What happened yesterday?" queried the boy. 

"It was a matter of the Crown Prince. "

"Was he ill?"

"He ran away, " said the man shortly. 

"Ran away?" The boy stopped his dusting, and stared, open-mouthed. 

"Aye, ran away. Grew weary of back-bending, perhaps. I do not know. I donot believe in kings. "

"Not believe in kings?" The boy stopped his brushing. 

"You do, of course, " sneered the man. "Because a thing is, it is right. But I think. I use my brains. I reason. And I do not believe in kings. "

Up the runway came sounds from the ring, the thudding of hoofs, followedby a child's shrill, joyous laughter. The man scowled. 

"Listen!" he said. "We labor and they play. "

"It has always been so. I do not begrudge happiness. "

But the man was not listening. 

"I do not believe in kings, " he said sullenly. 

CHAPTER VI. THE CHANCELLOR PAYS A VISIT

The Archduchess was having tea. Her boudoir was a crowded little room. Nikky had once observed confidentially to Miss Braithwaite that itwas exactly like her, all hung and furnished with things that were notneeded. The Archduchess liked it because it was warm. The palace roomswere mostly large and chilly. She lad a fire there on the warmest daysin spring, and liked to put the coals on, herself. She wrapped them inpieces of paper so she would not soil her hands. 

This afternoon she was not alone. Lounging at a window was the ladywho was in waiting at the time, the Countess Loschek. Just now she wasgetting rather a wigging, but she was remarkably calm. 

"The last three times, " the Archduchess said, stirring her tea, "youhave had a sore throat. "

"It is such a dull book, " explained the Countess. 

"Not at all. It is an improving book. If you would put your mind onit when you are reading, Olga, you would enjoy it. And you would learnsomething, besides. In my opinion, " went on the Archduchess, tasting hertea, "you smoke too many cigarettes. "

The Countess yawned, but silently, at her window. 

Then she consulted a thermometer. "Eighty!" she said briefly, and, coming over, sat down by the tea-table. 

The Countess Loschek was thirty, and very handsome, in an insolent way. She was supposed to be the best-dressed woman at the Court, and to ruleAnnunciata with an iron hand, although it was known that they quarreleda great deal over small things, especially over the coal fire. 

Some said that the real thing that held them together was resentmentthat the little Crown Prince stood between the Princess Hedwig and thethrone. Annunciata was not young, but she was younger than her deadbrother, Hubert. And others said it was because the Countess gatheredup and brought in the news of the Court--the small intrigues and thescandals that constitute life in the restricted walls of a palace. There is a great deal of gossip in a palace where the king is old andeverything rather stupid and dull. 

The Countess yawned again. 

"Where is Hedwig?" demanded the Archduchess. 

"Her Royal Highness is in the nursery, probably. "

"Why probably?"

"She goes there a great deal. "

The Archduchess eyed her. "Well, out with it, " she said. "There issomething seething in that wicked brain of yours. "

The Countess shrugged her shoulders. Not that she resented having awicked brain. She rather fancied the idea. "She and young LieutenantLarisch have tea quite frequently with His Royal Highness. "

"How frequently?"

"Three times this last week, madame. "

"Little fool!" said Annunciata. But she frowned, and sat tapping herteacup with her spoon. She was just a trifle afraid of Hedwig, and shewas more anxious than she would have cared to acknowledge. "It is beingtalked about, of course?"

The Countess shrugged her shoulders. 

"Don't do that!" commanded the Archduchess sharply. "How far do youthink the thing has gone?"

"He is quite mad about her. "

"And Hedwig--but she is silly enough for anything. Do they meet anywhereelse?"

"At the riding-school, I believe. At least, I--"

Here a maid entered and stood waiting at the end of the screen. TheArchduchess Annunciata would have none of the palace flunkies about herwhen she could help it. She had had enough of men, she maintained, inthe person of her late husband, whom she had detested. So except atdinner she was attended by tidy little maids, in gray Quaker costumes, who could carry tea-trays into her crowded boudoir without breakingthings. 

"His Excellency, General Mettlich, " said the maid. 

The Archduchess nodded her august head, and the maid retired. "Go away, Olga, " said the Archduchess. "And you might, " she suggested grimly, "gargle your throat. "

The Chancellor had passed a troubled night. Being old, like the King, herequired little sleep. And for most of the time between one o'clock andhis rising hour of five he had lain in his narrow camp-bed and thought. He had not confided all his worries to the King. 

Evidences of renewed activity on the part of the Terrorists were many. In the past month two of his best secret agents had disappeared. One hadbeen found the day before, stabbed in the back. The Chancellor hadseen the body--an unpleasant sight. But it was not of the dead man thatGeneral Mettlich thought. It was of the other. The dead tell nothing. But the living, under torture, tell many things. And this man Haeckel, young as he was, knew much that was vital. Knew the working of theSecret Service, the names of the outer circle of twelve, knew the codesand passwords, knew, too the ways of the palace, the hidden roomalways ready for emergency, even the passage that led by devious ways, underground, to a distant part of the great park. 

At five General Mettlich had risen, exercised before an open window withan old pair of iron dumbbells, had followed this with a cold bath andhot coffee, and had gone to early Mass at the Cathedral. 

And there, on his knees, he had prayed for a little help. He was, hesaid, getting old and infirm, and he had been too apt all his life torely on his own right arm. But things were getting rather difficult. Heprayed to Our Lady for intercession for the little Prince. He felt, inhis old heart, that the Mother would understand the situation, andhow he felt about it. And he asked in a general supplication, and veryhumbly, for a few years more of life. Not that life meant anything tohim personally. He had outlived most of those he loved. But that hemight serve the King, and after him the boy who would be Otto IX. Headded, for fear they might not understand, having a great deal tolook after, that he had earned all this by many years of loyalty, andbesides, that he knew the situation better than any one else. 

He felt much better after that. Especially as, at the moment he rosefrom his knees, the cathedral clock had chimed and then struck seven. He had found seven a very lucky number, So now he entered the boudoir ofthe Archduchess Annunciata, and the Countess went out another door, andclosed it behind her, immediately opening it about an inch. 

The Chancellor strode around the screen, scratching two tables with hissword as he advanced, and kissed the hand of the Princess Annunciata. They were old enemies and therefore always very polite to each other. The Archduchess offered him a cup of tea, which he took, although shealways made very bad tea. And for a few moments they discussed things. Thus: the King's condition; the replanting of the Place with trees;and the date of bringing out the Princess Hilda, who was still in theschoolroom. 

But the Archduchess suddenly came to business. She was an abrupt person. "And now, General, " she said, "what is it?"

"I am in trouble, Highness, " replied the Chancellor simply. 

"We are most of us in that condition at all times. I suppose you meanthis absurd affair of yesterday. Why such a turmoil about it? The boyran away. When he was ready he returned. It was absurd, and I dare sayyou and I both are being held for our sins. But he is here now, andsafe. "

"I am afraid he is not as safe as you think, madame. "

"Why?"

He sat forward on the edge of his chair, and told her of the studentsat the University, who were being fired by some powerful voice; of thedisappearance of the two spies; of the evidence that the Committee ofTen was meeting again, and the failure to discover their meeting-place;of disaffection among the people, according to the reports of hisagents. And then to the real purpose of his visit. Karl of Karnia had, unofficially, proposed for the Princess Hedwig. He had himself broachedthe matter to the King, who had at least taken it under advisement. TheArchduchess listened, rather pale. There was no mistaking the urgency inthe Chancellor's voice. 

"Madame after centuries of independence we now face a crisis which wecannot meet alone. Believe me, I know of what I speak. United, wecould stand against the world. But a divided kingdom, a disloyal anddiscontented people, spells the end. "

And at last he convinced her. But, because she was built of a contrarymould, she voiced an objection, not to the scheme, but to Karl himself. "I dislike him. He is arrogant and stupid. "

"But powerful, madame. And--what else is there to do?"

There was nothing else, and she knew it. But she refused to broach thematter to Hedwig. 

She stated, and perhaps not without reason, that such a move was to damnthe whole thing at once. She did not use exactly these words, buttheir royal equivalent. And it ended with the Chancellor, looking mostferocious but inwardly uneasy, undertaking to put, as one may say, aflea into the Princess Hedwig's small ear. 

As he strode out, the door into the next room closed quietly. 

CHAPTER VII. TEA IN THE SCHOOLROOM

Tea at the Palace, until the old King had taken to his bed, had been theone cheerful hour of the day. The entire suite gathered in one of thesalons, and remained standing until the King's entrance. After that, formality ceased. Groups formed, footmen in plush with white wigs passedtrays of cakes and sandwiches and tiny gilt cups of exquisite tea. The Court, so to speak, removed its white gloves, and was noisy andinformal. True, at dinner again ceremony and etiquette would reign. The march into the dining-hall between rows of bowing servants, the setconversation, led by the King, the long and tedious courses, the carefulwatch for precedence that was dinner at the Palace. 

But now all that was changed. The King did not leave his apartment. Annunciata occasionally took tea with the suite, but glad for an excuse, left the Court to dine without her. Sometimes for a half-hour shelent her royal if somewhat indifferently attired presence to the salonafterward, where for thirty minutes or so she moved from group to group, exchanging a few more or less gracious words. But such times were rare. The Archduchess, according to Court gossip, had "slumped. "

To Hedwig the change had been a relief. The entourage, with its gossip, its small talk, its liaisons, excited in her only indifference andoccasional loathing. Not that her short life had been without itsaffairs. She was too lovely for that. But they had touched her onlyfaintly. 

On the day of the Chancellor's visit to her mother she went to tea inthe schoolroom. She came in glowing from a walk, with the jacket of herdark velvet suit thrown open, and a bunch of lilies-of-the-valley tuckedin her belt. 

Tea had already come, and Captain Larisch, holding his cup, was standingby the table. The Crown Prince, who was allowed only one cup, was havinga second of hot water and milk, equal parts, and sweetened. 

Hedwig slipped out of her jacket and drew off her gloves. She had hardlyglanced at Nikky, although she knew quite well every motion he had madesince she entered. "I am famished!" she said, and proceeded to eat verylittle and barely touch the tea. "Please don't go, Miss Braithwaite. Andnow, how is everything?"

Followed a long half-hour, in which the Crown Prince talked mostly ofthe Land of Desire and the American boy. Miss Braithwaite, much indulgedby long years of service, crocheted, and Nikky Larisch, from theembrasure of a window, watched the little group. In reality he watchedHedwig, all his humble, boyish heart in his eyes. 

After a time Hedwig slipped the lilies out of her belt and placed themin a glass of water. 

"They are thirsty, poor things, " she said to Otto. Only--and here was astrange thing, if she were really sorry for them--one of the stalks fellto the floor, and she did not trouble to pick it up. Nikky retrieved it, and pretended to place it with the others. But in reality he had palmedit quite neatly, and a little later he pocketed it. Still later, heplaced it in his prayer-book. 

The tea-table became rather noisy. The room echoed with laughter. EvenMiss Braithwaite was compelled to wipe her eyes over some of Nikky'ssallies, and the Crown Prince was left quite gasping. Nikky was reallyin his best form, being most unreasonably happy, and Hedwig, lookingmuch taller than in her boyish riding-clothes--Hedwig was fairlypalpitating with excitement. 

Nikky was a born mimic. First he took off the King's Council, one byone. Then in an instant he was Napoleon, which was easy, of course; andthe next second, with one of the fur tails which had come unfastenedfrom Hedwig's muff, he had become a pirate, with the tail for a greatmustache. One of the very best things he did, however, was to make awidow's cap out of a tea-napkin, and surmount it with a tiny coronet, which was really Hedwig's bracelet. He put it on, drew down his upperlip, and puffed his cheeks, and there was Queen Victoria of England tothe life. 

Hedwig was so delighted with this, that she made him sit down, anddraped one of Miss Braithwaite's shawls about his shoulders. It wasdifficult to look like Queen Victoria under the circumstances, with hersmall hands deftly draping and smoothing. But Nikky did very well. 

It was just as Hedwig was tucking the shawl about his neck to hide thecollar of his tunic, and Miss Braithwaite was looking a trifle offended, because she considered the memory of Queen Victoria not to be trifledwith, and just as Nikky took a fresh breath and puffed out leis cheeksagain, that the Archduchess came in. 

She entered unannounced, save by a jingle of chains, and surveyed theroom with a single furious glance. Queen Victoria's cheeks collapsed andthe coronet slid slightly to one side. Then Nikky rose and jerked offthe shawl and bowed. Every one looked rather frightened, except theCrown Prince. In a sort of horrible silence he advanced and kissedAnnunciata's hand. 

"So--this is what you are doing, " observed Her Royal Highness to Hedwig. "In this--this undignified manner you spend your time!"

"It is very innocent fun, mother. "

For that matter, there was nothing very dignified in the scene thatfollowed. The Archduchess dismissed the governess and the Crown Prince, quite as if he had been an ordinary child, and naughty at that. MissBraithwaite looked truculent. After all, the heir to the throne is theheir to the throne and should have the privilege of his own study. ButHedwig gave her an appealing glance, and she went out, closing the doorwith what came dangerously near being a slam. 

The Archduchess surveyed the two remaining culprits with a terriblegaze. "Now, " she said, "how long have these ridiculous performances beengoing on?"

"Mother!" said Hedwig. 

"Answer me. "

"The question is absurd. There was no harm in what we were doing. Itamused Otto. He has few enough pleasures. Thanks to all of us, he isvery lonely. "

"And since when have you assumed the responsibility for his upbringing?"

"I remember my own dreary childhood, " said Hedwig stiffly. 

The Archduchess turned on her furiously. "More and more, " she said, "asyou grow up, Hedwig, you remind me of your unfortunate father. You havethe same lack of dignity, the same"--she glanced at Nikky--"the samecommon tastes, the same habit of choosing strange society, of forgettingyour rank. "

Hedwig was scarlet, but Nikky had gone pale. As for the Archduchesss, her cameos were rising and falling stormily. With hands that shook;Hedwig picked up her jacket and hat. Then she moved toward the door. 

"Perhaps you are right, mother, " she said, "but I hope I shall neverhave the bad taste to speak ill of the dead. " Then she went out. 

The scene between the Archduchess and Nikky began in a storm and endedin a sort of hopeless quiet. Miss Braithwaite had withdrawn to hersitting-room, but even there she could hear the voice of Annunciata, rasping and angry. 

It was very clear to Nikky from the beginning that the Archduchess'swrath was not for that afternoon alone. And in his guilty young mindrose various memories, all infinitely dear, all infinitely, incrediblyreckless--other frolics around the tea-table, rides in the park, lessonsin the riding-school. Very soon he was confessing them all, in reply tosharp questions. When the tablet of his sins was finally uncovered, theArchduchess was less angry and a great deal more anxious. Hedwig freewas a problem. Hedwig in love with this dashing boy was a greater one. 

"Of one thing I must assure Your Highness, " said Nikky. "These--thesemeetings have been of my seeking. "

"The Princess requires no defense, Captain Larisch. "

That put him back where he belonged, and Annunciata did a littlethinking, while Nikky went on, in his troubled way, running his fingersthrough his hair until he looked rather like an uneasy but ardent-eyedporcupine. He acknowledged that these meetings had meant much to him, everything to him, he would confess, but he had never dared to hope. He had always thought of Her Royal Highness as the granddaughter ofhis King. He had never spoken a word that he need regret. Annunciatalistened, and took his measure shrewdly. He was the sort of young fool, she told herself, who would sacrifice himself and crucify his happinessfor his country. It was on just such shoulders as his that the thronewas upheld. His loyalty was more to be counted on than his heart. 

She changed her tactics adroitly, sat down, even softened her voice. "Ihave been emphatic, Captain Larisch, " she said, "because, as I thinkyou know, things are not going too well with us. To help the situation, certain plans are being made. I will be more explicit. A marriage isplanned for the Princess Hedwig, which will assist us all. It is"--shehesitated imperceptibly--"the King's dearest wish. "

Horror froze on Nikky's face. But he bowed. 

"After what you have told me, I shall ask your cooperation, " saidAnnunciata smoothly. "While there are some of us who deplore thenecessity, still--it exists. And an alliance with Karnia--"

"Karnia!" cried Nikky, violating all ceremonial, of course. "Butsurely--!"

The Archduchess rose and drew herself to her full height. "I have givenyou confidence for confidence, Captain Larisch, " she said coldly. "The Princess Hedwig has not yet been, told. We shall be glad of yourassistance when that time comes. It is possible, that it will not come. In case it does, we shall count on you. "

Nikky bowed deeply as she went out; bowed, with death in his eyes. 

And thus it happened that Captain Nicholas Larisch aide-de-camp to hisRoyal Highness the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto, and of no otherparticular importance, was informed of the Princess Hedwig's projectedmarriage before she was. And not only informed of it, but committed toforward it, if he could!

CHAPTER VIII. THE LETTER

The Countess Loschek was alone. Alone and storming. She had sent hermaid away with a sharp word, and now she was pacing the floor. 

Hedwig, of all people!

She hated her. She had always hated her. For her youth, first; later, when she saw how things were going, for the accident that had made her agranddaughter to the King. 

And Karl. 

Even this last June, when Karl had made his looked-for visit to thesummer palace where the Court had been in, residence, he had already hadthe thing in mind. Even when his arms had been about her, Olga Loschek, he had been looking over her shoulder, as it were, at Hedwig. He had hadit all in his wicked head, even then. For Karl was wicked. None wouldknow it better than she, who was risking everything, life itself, forhim. Wicked; ungrateful, and unscrupulous. She loathed him while sheloved him. 

The thing would happen. This was the way things were done in Courts. An intimation from one side that a certain thing would be agreeableand profitable. A discussion behind closed doors. A reply that theintimation had been well received. Then the formal proposal, and itsacceptance. 

Hedwig would marry Karl. She might be troublesome, would indeed almostcertainly be troublesome. Strangely enough, the Countess hated her themore for that. To value so lightly the thing for which Olga Loschekwould have given her soul, this in itself was hateful. But there wasmore. The Countess saw much with her curiously wide, almost childishlybland eyes; it was only now that it occurred to her to turn what sheknew of Hedwig and Nikky to account. 

She stopped pacing the floor, and sat down. Suppose Hedwig and NikkyLarisch went away together? Hedwig, she felt, would have the courageeven for that. That would stop things. But Hedwig did not trust her. Andthere was about Nikky a dog-like quality of devotion, which warned herthat, the deeper his love for Hedwig, the more unlikely he would be tobring her to disgrace. Nikky might be difficult. 

"The fool!" said the Countess, between her clenched teeth. To both theArchduchess Annunciata and her henchwoman, people were chiefly dividedinto three classes, fools, knaves, and themselves. 

She must try for Hedwig's confidence, then. But Karl! How to reach him?Not with reproaches, not with anger. She knew her man well. To hold himoff was the first thing. To postpone the formal proposal, and gaintime. If the Chancellor had been right, and things were as bad as theyappeared, the King's death would precipitate a crisis. Might, indeed, overturn the throne. 

And Karl had changed. The old days when he loved trouble were gone. Histhoughts, like all thoughts these days, she reflected contemptuously, were turned to peace, not to war. He was for beating his swords intoploughshares, with a vengeance. 

To hold him off, then. To gain time. 

The King was very feeble. This affair of yesterday had told on him. Thegossip of the Court was that the day had seen a change for the worse. His heart was centered on the Crown Prince. 

Ah, here was another viewpoint. Suppose the Crown Prince had not comeback? What would happen, with the King dead, and no king? Chaos, ofcourse. A free hand to revolution. Hedwig fighting for her throne, andinevitably losing it. Then what about Karl and his dreams of peace?

But that was further than she cared to go just then. She would finishcertain work that she had set out to do, and then she was through. Nolonger would dread and terror grip her in the night hours. 

But she would finish. Karl should never say she had failed him. In hernew rage against him she was for cleaning the slate at once. She hadin her possession papers for which he waited or pretended to wait;data secured by means she did not care to remember; plans and figurescarefully compiled--a thousand deaths in one, if, they were found onher. She would get them out of her hands at once. 

It was still but little after five. She brought her papers together onher small mahogany desk, from such hiding places as women know--thelinings of perfumed sachets, the toes of small slippers, the secretpocket in a muff; and having locked her doors, put them in order. Herhands were trembling, but she worked skillfully. She was free until thedinner hour, but she had a great deal to do. The papers in order, shewent to a panel in the wall of her dressing-room; and, sliding it aside, revealed the safe in which her jewels were kept. Not that her jewelswere very valuable, but the safe was there, and she used it. 

The palace, for that matter, was full of cunningly contrivedhiding-places. Some, in times of stress, had held jewels. Others--roomsthese, built in the stone walls and carefully mapped--had held evenroyal refugees themselves. The map was in the King's possession, anddescended from father to son, a curious old paper, with two of thehidden rooms marked off in colored inks as closed. Closed, with strangesecrets beyond, quite certainly. 

The Countess took out a jewel-case, emptied it, lifted its chamoiscushions, and took out a small book. It was an indifferent hiding-place, but long immunity had made her careless. Referring to the book, shewrote a letter in code. It was, to all appearances a friendly letterreferring to a family in her native town, and asking that the recipientsee that assistance be sent them before Thursday of the following week. The assistance was specified with much detail--at her expense to sendso many blankets, so many loaves of bread, a long list. Having finished, she destroyed, by burning, a number of papers watching until thelast ash had turned from dull red to smoking gray. The code-book shehesitated over, but at last, with a shrug of her shoulders, she returnedit to its hiding-place in the jewel case. 

Coupled with her bitterness was a sense of relief. Only when the paperswere destroyed had she realized the weight they had been. She summonedMinna, her maid, and dressed for the street. Then, Minna accompanyingher, she summoned her carriage and went shopping. 

She reached the palace again in time to dress for dinner. Somewhere onthat excursion she had left the letter, to be sent to its destinationover the border by special messenger that night. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto, at the moment of her return, waspreparing for bed. At a quarter to seven he had risen, bowed to MissBraithwaite, said good-night, and disappeared toward his bedroom and hiswaiting valet. But a moment later he reappeared. 

"I beg your pardon, " he said, "but I think your watch is fast. "

Miss Braithwaite consulted it. Then, rising she went to the window andcompared at with the moonlike face of the cathedral clock. 

"There is a difference of five minutes, " she conceded. "But I have noconfidence in the cathedral clock. It needs oiling, probably. Besides, there are always pigeons sitting on the hands. "

"May I wait for five minutes?"

"What could you do in five minutes?"

"Well, " he suggested, rather pleadingly, "we might have a littleconversation, if you axe not too tired. "

Miss Braithwaite sighed. It had been a long day and not a calm one, andconversation with His Highness meant questions, mostly. 

"Very well, " she said. 

"I'm not at all sleepy, " Prince Ferdinand William Otto observed, climbing on a chair. "I thought you might tell me about America. I'mawfully curious about America. "

"I suppose you mean the United States. "

"I'm not sure. It has New York, in it, anyhow. They don't have kings, dothey?"

"No, " said Miss Braithwaite, shortly. She hated republics. 

"What I wondered was, " said Ferdinand William Otto, swinging hislegs, "how they managed without a king. Who tells them what to do? I'minterested, because I met a boy yesterday who came from there, and hetalked quite a lot about it. He was a very interesting boy. "

Miss Braithwaite waived the matter of yesterday. "In a republic, " shesaid, "the people think they can govern themselves. But they do itvery badly. The average intelligence among people in the mass is alwaysrather low. "

"He said, " went on His Royal Highness, pursuing a line of thought, "thatthe greatest man in the world was a man named Lincoln. But that heis dead. And he said that kings were nuisances, and didn't earn theirbread-and-butter. Of course, " Otto hastened to explain, "he didn't knowthat my grandfather is a king. After that, I didn't exactly like to tellhim. It would have made him very uncomfortable. " Here he yawned, butcovered it with a polite hand, and Oskar, his valet, came to the doorwayand stood waiting. He was a dignified person in a plum-colored livery, because the King considered black gloomy for a child. 

The Crown Prince slipped to the floor, and stood with his feet ratherwide apart, looking steadfastly at Miss Braithwaite. "I would like verymuch to see that boy again, " he observed. "He was a nice boy, and verykind-hearted. If we could go to the Scenic Railway when we are out inthe carriage, I--I'd enjoy it. " He saw refusal in her face, for he addedhurriedly, "Not to ride. I just want to look at it. "

Miss Braithwaite was touched, but firm. She explained that it would bebetter if the Crown Prince did not see the boy again; and to softenthe refusal, she reminded him that the American child did not likeroyalties, and that even to wave from his carriage with the gold wheelswould therefore be a tactical error. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto listened, and Oskar waited. And somethingthat had been joyous and singing in a small boy's heart was suddenlystill. 

"I had forgotten about that, " he said. 

Then Miss Braithwaite rose, and the Prince put his heels together with aclick, and bowed, as he had been taught to do. 

"Good-night, " he said. 

"Good-night, Your Highness, " replied Miss Braithwaite. 

At the door Prince Ferdinand William Otto turned and bowed again. Thenhe went out, and the door closed behind him. 

He washed himself, with Oskar standing by, holding a great soft towel. Even the towels were too large. And he brushed his teeth, and had twodrinks of water, because a stiffish feeling in his throat persisted. And at last he crawled up into the high bed that was so much too big forhim, and had to crawl out again, because he had forgotten his prayers. 

When everything was done, and the hour of putting out the light couldno longer be delayed, he said goodnight to Oskar, who bowed. There wasa great deal of, bowing in Otto's world. Then, whisk! it was dark, withonly the moon face of the cathedral clock for company. And as it was nowtwenty minutes past seven, the two hands drooped until it looked like aface with a cruel mouth and was really very poor company. 

Oskar, having bowed himself into the corridor and past the two sentries, reported to a very great dignitary across the hall that His RoyalHighness the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto was in bed. And thedignitary had a chance to go away and get his dinner. 

But alone in his great bed, the Crown Prince was shedding a fewshamefaced tears. He was extremely ashamed of them. He felt that underno circumstances would his soldier father have behaved so. He reachedout and secured one of the two clean folded handkerchiefs that werealways placed on the bedside stand at night, and blew his nose veryloudly. But he could not sleep. 

He gave Miss Braithwaite time to go to her sitting-room, and for eighto'clock to pass, because once every hour, all night, a young gentlemanof the Court, appointed for this purpose and dubbed a "wet-nurse" byjealous comrades, cautiously opened his door and made a stealthy circuitof the room, to see that all was well. 

The Crown Prince got up. He neglected to put on his bedroom slippers, of course, and in his bare feet be padded across the room to the studydoor. It was not entirely dark. A night-light burned there. It stood ona table directly under the two crossed swords. Beneath the swords, in aburnt-wood frame, were the pictures of his father and mother. Hedwig hadgiven him a wood-burning outfit at Christmas, and he had done the workhimself. It consisted of the royal arms, somewhat out of drawing andnot exactly in the center of the frame, and a floral border of daisies, extremely geometrical, because he had drawn them in first with acompass. 

The boy, however, gave the pictures only a hasty glance and proceeded, in a business-like manner, to carry a straight chair to the cabinet. Onthe top shelf sat the old cloth dog. Its shoe-button eyes looked glazedwith sleep, but its ears were quite alert. Very cautiously the CrownPrince unlocked the door, stepped precariously to the lower shelf of thecabinet, hung there by one royal hand, and lifted the dog down. 

At nine o'clock the wet-nurse took off his sword in another room andleaned it against a chair. Then he examined his revolver, in accordancewith a formula prescribed by the old King. Then he went in andexamined the room with a flashlight, and listened to the Crown Prince'sbreathing. He had been a croupy baby. And, at last, he turned theflashlight on to the bed. A pair of shoe-button eyes stared at him fromthe pillow. 

"Well, I'm damned, " said the wet-nurse And went out, looking thoughtful. 

CHAPTER IX. A FINE NIGHT

In a shop where, that afternoon, the Countess had purchased some Lyonssilks, one of the clerks, Peter Niburg, was free at last. At seveno'clock, having put away the last rolls of silk on the shelves behindhim, and covered them with calico to keep off the dust; having givena final glance of disdain at the clerk in the linens, across; havingreached under the counter for his stiff black hat of good quality andhis silver-topped cane; having donned the hat and hung the stick to hisarm with two swaggering gestures; having prepared his offensive, so tospeak, he advanced. 

Between Peter Niburg and Herman Spier of the linens, was a feud. Itssource, in the person of a pretty cashier, had gone, but the feudremained. It was of the sort that smiles with the lips and scowls withthe eyes, that speaks pleasantly quite awful things, although it wasPeter Niburg who did most of the talking. Herman Spier was a moodyindividual, given to brooding. A man who stood behind his linens, andhated with his head down. 

And he hated Peter. God, how he hated him! The cashier was gone, havingmarried a restaurant keeper, and already she waxed fat. But Herman'shatred grew with the days. And business being bad, much of the time hestood behind his linens and thought about a certain matter, which wasthis:

How did Peter Niburg do it?

They were paid the same scant wage. Each Monday they stood together, Peter smiling and he frowning, and received into open palms exactlyenough to live on, without extras. And each Monday Peter pocketed hischeerfully, and went back to his post, twirling his mustache as thoughall the money of the realm jingled in his trousers. 

To accept the inevitable, to smile over one's poverty, that is onething. But there was more to it. Peter made his money go amazingly far. It was Peter, for instance, who on name-days had been able to presentthe little cashier with a nosegay. Which had, by the way, availed himnothing against the delicatessen offerings of the outside rival. When, the summer before, the American Scenic Railway had opened to the public, with much crossing of flags, the national emblem and the Stars andStripes, it was Peter who had invited the lady to an evening of thrillson that same railway at a definite sum per thrill. Nay, more, as Hermanhad seen with his own eyes, taken her afterward to a coffee-house, andshared with her a litre of white wine. A litre, no less. 

Herman himself had been to the Scenic Railway, but only because heoccupied a small room in the house where the American manager lived. Themanager had given tickets to Black Humbert, the concierge, butHumbert was busy with other thing, and was, besides, chary of foreigndeviltries. So he had passed the tickets on. 

It was Peter, then, who made the impossible possible, who wore goodclothes and did not have his boots patched, who went, rumor said, to theOpera now and then, and followed the score on his own battered copy. 

How?

Herman Spier had suspected him of many things; had secretly audited hiscash slips; had watched him for surreptitious parcels of silk. Once hehad thought he had him. But the package of Lyons silk, opened by theproprietor at Herman's suggestion, proved to be material for a fancywaistcoat, and paid for by Peter Niburg's own hand. 

With what? Herman stood confused, even confounded, but still suspicious. And now, this very day, he had stumbled on something. A great lady fromthe Court had made a purchase, and had left, under a roll of silk, aletter. There was no mistake. And Peter Niburg had put away the silk, and pocketed the letter, after a swift glance over the little shop. 

An intrigue, then, with Peter Niburg as the go-between, or--somethingelse. Something vastly more important, the discovery of which wouldbring Herman prominence beyond his fellows in a certain secret order towhich he belonged. 

In a way, he was a stupid man, this pale-eyed clerk who sold the quaintred and yellow cottons of the common people side by side with the heavylinens that furnished forth the tables of the rich. But hatred gave himwits. Gave him speed, too. He was only thirty feet behind Peter Niburgwhen that foppish gentleman reached the corner. 

Herman was skilled in certain matters. He knew, for instance, thata glance into a shop window, a halt to tie a shoe, may be a ruse forpassing a paper to other hands. But Peter did not stop. He went, notmore swiftly than usual, to his customary restaurant, one which facedover the Square and commanded a view of the Palace. And there he settledhimself in a window and ordered his dinner. 

From the outside Herman stared in. He did not dine there. It was, forone thing, a matter of bitterness to see sitting at the cashier's highdesk, the little Marie, grown somewhat with flesh, it is true, but stilllovely in his eyes. It made Herman wince, even now, to see through thewindow that her husband patted her hand as he brought her money to bechanged. 

He lurked in the shadows outside, and watched. Peter sat alone. He hadbowed very stiffly to Marie, and had passed the desk with his chest out. She had told him once that he had a fine figure. 

Peter sat alone, and stared out. Herman took shelter, and watched. ButPeter Niburg did not see him. His eyes were fixed on the gloomy massacross, shot with small lights from deep windows, which was the Palace. 

Peter was calm. He had carried many such letters as the one now hiddenin his breast pocket. No conscience stirred in him. If he did not dothis work, others would. He shrugged his shoulders. He drank his brandy, and glanced at Marie. He found her eyes on him. Pretty eyes they stillwere, and just now speculative. He smiled at her, but she averted herhead, and colored. Many things filled Peter Niburg's mind. If now shewas not happy, what then? Her husband adored her. It was fatal. A womanshould not be too sure of a husband. And probably he bored her. Anothersix months, and perhaps she would not turn away her head. 

He had until midnight. At that hour a messenger would receive the letterfrom him in the colonnade of the cathedral. On this night, each week, the messenger waited. Sometimes there was a letter, sometimes none. Thatwas all. It was amazingly simple, and for it one received the differencebetween penury and comfort. 

Seeing Peter settled, a steaming platter before him, Herman turnedand hurried through the night. This which he had happened on was a bigthing, too big for him alone. Two heads were better than one. He wouldtake advice. 

Off the main avenue he fell into a smart trot. The color came to hispale cheeks. A cold sweat broke out over him. He was short of wind frommany cigarettes. But at last he reached the house. It was near the park. Although the season was early spring and there was more than a hint ofwinter in the air, the Scenic Railway, he perceived, was already openfor business. Certainly the Americans were enterprising. 

The double doors of the tall, gloomy house on the Road of Good Childrenwere already closed for the evening. As he stood panting, after hehad rung the bell, Herman Spier could look across to that remote andunfashionable end of the great park where the people played on pleasantevenings, and where even now, on the heels of winter, the Scenic Railwaymade a pretense at summer. 

The sight recalled that other vision of Marie and Peter Niburg, snuglysettled in a car, Marie a trifle pale and apprehensive. Herman sworesoftly; and opened the doors. 

Black Humbert was not in his bureau, behind the grating. With easyfamiliarity Herman turned to a door beyond and entered. A dirty littleroom, it was littered now with the preparations for a meal. On thebare table were a loaf, a jug of beer, and a dish of fried veal. Theconcierge was at the stove making gravy in a frying-pan--a huge man, bearded and heavy of girth, yet stepping lightly, like a cat. A dark manand called "the Black, " he yet revealed, on full glance, eyes curiouslypale and flat. 

No greeting passed between them. Humbert gave his visitor a quickglance. Herman closed the door, and wiped out the band of his hat. Theconcierge poured the gravy over the meat. 

"I have discovered something, something, " Herman said. "As to its value, I know nothing, or its use to us. "

"Let me judge that. " But the concierge was unmoved, by Herman'sexcitement. He dealt in sensations. His daily tools were men less cleverthan himself, men who constantly made worthless discoveries. And it wasthe dinner hour. His huge body was crying for food. 

"It is a matter of a letter. "

"Sit down, man, and tell it. Or do you wish me to draw the information, like bad teeth?"

"A letter from the Palace, " said Herman. And explained. 

Black Humbert listened. He was skeptical, but not entirely incredulous. He knew the Court--none better. The women of the Court wrote manyletters. He saw a number of them, through one of his men in the postoffice. There were many intrigues. After all, who could blame them?The Court was dreary enough these days, and if they chose to amusethemselves as best they could--one must make allowances. 

"A liaison!" he said at last, with his mouth full. "The Countess ishandsome, and bored. Annunciata is driving her to wickedness, as shedrove her husband. But it is worth consideration. Even the knowledge ofan intrigue is often helpful. Of what size was the letter?"

"A small envelope. I saw no more. "

The concierge reflected. "The Countess uses a gray paper with acoronet. "

"This was white. "

Black Humbert reflected. "There is, of course, a chance that he hasalready passed this on. But even if so, there will be others. TheCountess comes often to the shop?"

"Once in a week, perhaps. "

"So. " The big man rose, and untied his soiled apron. "Go back, " hesaid, "and enter the restaurant. Order a small meal, that you may havefinished when he does. Leave with him and suggest the Hungaria. "

"Hungaria! I have no money. "

"You will need no money. Now, mark this. At a certain corner you will beattacked and robbed. A mere form, " he added, as he saw Herman's pallidface go whiter. "For the real envelope will be substituted another. Inhis breast-pocket, you said. Well, then suggest going to his room. Hemay, " added the concierge grimly, "require your assistance. Leave himat his lodging, but watch the house. It is important to know to whom hedelivers these letters. "

As the man stood, he seemed to the cowering Herman to swell until hedominated the room. He took on authority. To Herman came suddenly thememory of a hidden room, and many men, and one, huge and towering, whoheld the others in the hollow of his hand. Herman turned to go, but atthe door the concierge stopped him. 

"A moment, " he said. "We will select first the shape and fashion of thisenvelope you saw. These matters require finesse. "

He disappeared, returning shortly with a wooden box, filled to thetop with old envelopes. Each had been neatly opened and its contentsextracted. And on each was neatly penned in a corner the name of thesender. Herman watched while the concierge dug through it. 

"Here it is, " he said at last. "The Countess, to her aunt in a nunneryand relating to wool knitting. See, is this the sort of envelope?"

"That is gray, " Herman Spier said sullenly. 

"But in size?"

"It is similar. "

"Good. " He held the envelope to the light and inspected it. "It would beinteresting to know, " he said, "whether the Countess has an aunt in thisnunnery, or whether--but go, man. And hurry. "

Left alone, he got together pens, ink, and carbon paper. He workedawkwardly, his hands too large for the pen, his elbows spread wide overthe table. But the result was fair. He surveyed it with satisfaction. 

Meanwhile, back went Herman over his earlier route. But now he did notrun. His craven knees shook beneath him. Fresh sweat, not of haste butof fear, broke out over him. He who was brave enough of tongue in themeetings, who was capable of rising to heights of cruelty that amountedto ferocity when one of a mob, was a coward alone. 

However, the sight of the restaurant, and of his fellow clerk eatingcalmly, quieted him. Peter Niburg was still alone. Herman took a tablenear him, and ordered a bowl of soup. His hands shook, but the hot foodrevived him. After all, it was simple enough. But, of course, it hingedentirely on his fellow-clerk's agreeing to accompany him. 

He glanced across. Peter Niburg was eating, but his eyes were fixedon Madame Marie, at her high desk. There was speculation in them, andsomething else. Triumph, perhaps. 

Suddenly Herman became calm. Calm with hate. 

And, after all, it was very easy. Peter Niburg was lonely. The burdenof the letter oppressed him. He wanted the comfort of human conversationand the reassurance of a familiar face. When the two met at--the rack bythe door which contained their hats, his expression was almost friendly. They went out together. 

"A fine night, " said Herman, and cast an eye at the sky. 

"Fine enough. "

"Too good to waste in sleep. I was thinking, " observed Herman, "of anhour or two at the Hungaria. "

The Hungaria! Something in Peter's pleasure-hungry heart leaped, but hemocked his fellow-clerk. 

"Since when, " he inquired, "have you frequented the Hungaria?

"I feel in the mood, " was the somewhat sullen reply. "I work hardenough, God knows, to have a little pleasure now and then. " Danger wasmaking him shrewd. He turned away from Peter Niburg, then facedhim again. "If you care to come, " he suggested. "Not a supper, youunderstand; but a glass of wine, Italian champagne, " he added. 

Peter Niburg was fond of sweet champagne. 

Peter Niburg pushed his hat to the back of his head, and hung his stickover his forearm. After all, why not? Marie was gone. Let the past die. If Herman could make the first move, let him, Peter, make the second. Helinked arms with his old enemy. 

"A fine night, " he said. 

CHAPTER X. THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND LOVE

Dinner was over in the dull old dining-room. The Archduchess Annunciatalighted a cigarette, and glanced across the table at Hedwig. 

Hedwig had been very silent during the meal. She had replied civillywhen spoken to, but that was all. Her mother, who had caught theCountess's trick of narrowing her eyes, inspected her from under loweredlids. 

"Well?" she said. "Are you still sulky?"

"I? Not at all, mother. " Her head went up, and she confronted her mothersquarely. 

"I should like to inquire, if I may, " observed the Archduchess, "justhow you have spent the day until the little divertissement on which Istumbled. This morning, for instance?"

Hedwig shrugged her shoulders, but her color rose. It came in a softwave over her neck and mounted higher and higher. "Very quietly, mother, " she said. 

"Naturally. It is always quiet here. But how?"

"I rode. "

"Where?"

"At the riding-school, with Otto. "

"Only with Otto?"

"Captain Larisch was there. "

"Of course! Then you have practically spent the day with him!"

"I have spent most of the day with Otto. "

"This devotion to Otto--it is new, I think. You were eager to get out ofthe nursery. Now, it appears, you must fly back to schoolroom teas andother absurdities. I should like to know why. "

"I think Otto is lonely, mother. "

Hilda took advantage of her mother's preoccupation to select anotherpeach. She was permitted only one, being of the age when fruit causedher, colloquially speaking, to "break out. " She was only faintlyinterested in the conversation. She dreaded these family meals, with hermother's sharp voice and the Countess Loschek's almost too soft one. Butnow a restrained irritability in the tones of the Archduchess made herglance up. The Archduchess was in one of her sudden moods of irritation. Hedwig's remark about Otto's loneliness, the second that day, struckhome. In her anger she forgot her refusal to the Chancellor. 

"I have something to say that will put an end to this sentimentalnonsense of yours, Hedwig. I should forbid your seeing this boy, thisyoung Larisch, if I felt it necessary. I do not. You would probably seehim anyhow, for that matter. Which, as I observed this afternoon, alsoreminds me unpleasantly of your father. " She rose, and threw her boltout of a clear sky. She had had, as a matter of fact, no previousintention of launching any bolt. It was wholly a result of irritation. "It is unnecessary to remind you not to make a fool of yourself. But itmay not be out of place to say that your grandfather has certain plansfor you that will take your mind away from this--this silly boy, soonenough. "

Hedwig had risen, and was standing, very white, with her hands on thetable. "What plans, mother?"

"He will tell you. "

"Not--I am not to be married?"

The Archduchess Annunciata was not all hard. She could never forgiveher children their father. They reminded her daily of a part of herlife that she would have put behind her. But they were her children, andHedwig was all that she was not, gentle and round and young. Suddenlysomething almost like regret stirred in her. 

"Don't look like that, child, " she said. "It is not settled. And, afterall, one marriage or another what difference does it make! Men are men. If one does not care, it makes the things they do unimportant. "

"But surely, " Hedwig gasped, "surely I shall be consulted?"

Annunciata shook her head. They had all risen and Hilda was standing, the peach forgotten, her mouth a little open. As for Olga Loschek, shewas very still, but her eyes burned. The Archduchess remembered herpresence no more than that of the flowers on the table. 

"Mother, you cannot look back, and--and remember your own life, andallow me to be wretched. You cannot!"

Hilda picked up her peach. It was all very exciting, but Hedwig wasbeing rather silly. Besides, why was she so distracted when she did notknow who the man was? It might be some quite handsome person. For Hildawas also at the age when men were handsome or not handsome, and nothingelse. 

Unexpectedly Hedwig began to cry. This Hilda considered going much toofar, and bad taste into the bargain. She slipped the peach into thewaist of her frock. 

The Archduchess hated tears, and her softer moments were only moments. "Dry your eyes, and don't be silly, " she said coldly. "You have alwaysknown that something of the sort was inevitable. "

She moved toward the door. The two princesses and her lady in waitingremained still until she had left the table. Then they fell in behindher, and the little procession moved to the stuffy, boudoir, for coffee. But Hilda slipped her arm around her sister's waist, and the touchcomforted Hedwig. 

"He may be very nice, " Hilda volunteered cautiously. "Perhaps it isKarl. I am quite mad about Karl, myself. "

Hedwig, however, was beyond listening. She went slowly to a window, andstood gazing out. Looming against the sky-line, in the very center ofthe Place, was the heroic figure of her dead grandmother. She fell towondering about these royal women who had preceded her. Her mother, frankly unhappy in her marriage, permanently embittered; hergrandmother. Hedwig had never seen the King young. She could not picturehim as a lover. To her he was a fine and lonely figure. But romantic?Had he ever been romantic?

He had made her mother's marriage, and had lived to regret it. He wouldmake hers. But what about the time when he himself had taken a wife?Hedwig gazed at the statue. Had she too come with unwilling arms? And ifshe had, was it true that after all, in a year or a lifetime, it made nodifference. 

She slipped out on to the balcony and closed the curtains behind her. Asher eyes grew accustomed to the darkness she saw that there was someone below, under the trees. Her heart beat rapidly. In a moment she wascertain. It was Nikky down there, Nikky, gazing up at her as a childmay look at a star. With a quick gesture Hedwig drew the curtain back. A thin ray of light fell on her, on her slim bare arms, on her lightdraperies, on her young face. He had wanted to see her, and he shouldsee her. Then she dropped the curtain, and twisted her hands togetherlest, in spite of her, they reach out toward him. 

Did she fancy it, or did the figure salute her? Then came the quick ringof heels on the old stone pavement. She knew his footsteps, even as sheknew every vibrant, eager inflection of his voice. He went away, acrossthe Square, like one who, having bent his knee to a saint, turns back tothe business of the world. 

In the boudoir the Archduchess had picked up some knitting to soothe herjangled nerves. "You may play now, Hilda, " she said. 

Into Hilda's care-free young life came two bad hours each day. One wasthe dinner hour, when she ate under her mother's pitiless eyes. Theother was the hour after dinner, when, alone in the white drawing-roombeyond the boudoir, with the sliding doors open, she sat at the grandpiano, which was white and gold, like the room, and as cold, and playedto her mother's pitiless ears. 

She went slowly into the drawing-room. Empty, it was a dreary place. Theheavy chandeliers of gold and cut glass were unlighted. The crimson andgilt chairs were covered with white linen. Only the piano, a gleamingoasis in a desert of polished floor, was lighted, and that by two tallcandles in gilt candlesticks that reached from the floor. Hilda, goingreluctantly to her post, was the only bit of life and color in the room. 

At last Annunciata dozed, and Hilda played softly. Played now, not forher mother, but for herself. And as she played she dreamed: of Hedwig'swedding, of her own debut, of Karl, who had fed her romantic heart bytreating her like a woman grown. 

The Countess's opportunity had come. She put down the dreary embroiderywith which she filled the drearier evenings, and moved to the window. She walked quietly, like a cat. 

Her first words to Hedwig were those of Peter Niburg as he linked armswith his enemy and started down the street. "A fine night, Highness, "she said. 

Hedwig raised her eyes to the stars. "It is very lovely. "

"A night to spend out-of-doors, instead of being shut up--" She finishedher, sentence with a shrug of the shoulders. 

Hedwig was not fond of the Countess. She did not know why. Thetruth being, of course, that between them lay the barrier of her owninnocence. Hedwig could not have put this into words, would not, indeed, if she could. But when the Countess's arm touched hers, she drew aside. 

"To-night, " said the lady in waiting dreamily, "I should like to be ina motor, speeding over mountain roads. I come from the mountains, youknow. And I miss them. "

Hedwig said nothing; she wished to be alone with her trouble. 

"In my home, at this time of the year, " the Countess went on, stillsoftly, "they are driving the cattle up into the mountains forthe summer. At night one hears them going--a bell far off, up themountainside, and sometimes one sees the light of a lantern. "

Hedwig moved, a little impatiently, but as the Countess went on, shelistened. After all, Nikky, too, came from the mountains. She saw itall--the great herds moving with deliberate eagerness already sniffingthe green slopes above, and the star of the distant lantern. She couldeven hear the thin note of the bell. And because she was sorry for theCountess, who was homesick, and perhaps because just then she had tospeak to some one, she turned to her at last with the thing that filledher mind. 

"This marriage, " she said bitterly. "Is it talked about? Am I the onlyone in the palace who has not known about it?"

"No, Highness, I had heard nothing. "

"But you knew about it?"

"Only what I heard to-night. Of course, there are always rumors. "

"As to the other, the matter my mother referred to, " Hedwig held herhead very high, "I--she was unjust. Am I never to have any friends?"

The Countess turned and, separating the curtains, surveyed the roomwithin. Annunciata was asleep, and beyond, Hilda was playing dreamily, and very softly, as behooves one whose bedtime is long past. When theCountess dropped the curtain, she turned abruptly to Hedwig. 

"Friends, Highness? One may have friends, of course. It is notfriendship they fear. "

"What then?"

"A lover, " said the Countess softly. "It is impossible to see CaptainLarisch in your presence, and not realize--"

"Go on. "

"And not realize, Highness, that he is in love with you. "

"How silly!" said the Princess Hedwig, with glowing eyes. 

"But Highness!" implored the Countess. "If only you would use a littlecaution. Open defiance is its own defeat. "

"I am not ashamed of what I do, " said Hedwig hotly. 

"Ashamed! Of course not. But things that are harmless in others, in yourposition--you are young. You should have friends, gayety. I am, "she smiled grimly in the darkness, "not so old myself but that I canunderstand. "

"Who told my mother that I was having tea with--with Prince Otto?"

"These things get about. Where there is no gossip, there are plenty toinvent it. And--pardon, Highness--frankness, openness, are not alwaysunderstood. "

Hedwig stood still. The old city was preparing for sleep. In the Placea few lovers loitered, standing close, and the faint tinkling of a belltold of the Blessed Sacrament being carried through the streets to somebedside of the dying. Soon the priest came into view, walking rapidly, with his skirts flapping around his legs. Before him marched a boy, ringing a bell and carrying a lighted lamp. The priest bent his stepsthrough the Place, and the lovers kneeled as he passed by. The PrincessHedwig bowed her head. 

It seemed to her, all at once, that the world was full of wretchednessand death, and of separation, which might be worse than death. The lamp, passing behind trees, shone out fitfully. The bell tinkled--a thin, silvery sound that made her heart ache. 

"I wish I could help you, Highness, " said the Countess. "I should liketo see you happy. But happiness does not come of itself. We must fightfor it. "

"Fight? What chance have I to fight?" Hedwig asked scornfully. 

"One thing, of course, I could do, " pursued the Countess. "On those dayswhen you wish to have tea with--His Royal Highness, I could arrange, perhaps, to let you know if any member of the family intended going tohis apartments. "

It was a moment before Hedwig comprehended. Then she turned to herhaughtily. "When I wish to have tea with my cousin, " she said coldly, "Ishall do it openly, Countess. "

She left the balcony abruptly, abandoning the Countess to solitary fury, the greater because triumph had seemed so near. Alone, she went redand white, bit her lips, behaved according to all the time-honoredtraditions. And even swore--in a polite, lady-in-waiting fashion, to besure--to get even. 

Royalties, as she knew well, were difficult to manage. They would goalong perfectly well, and act like human beings, and rage and fuss andgrieve, and even weep. And then, quite unexpectedly, the royal streakwould show. But royalties in love were rather rare in her experience. Love was, generally speaking, not a royal attribute. Apparently itrequired a new set of rules. 

Altogether, the Countess Loschek worked herself to quite as great a furyas if her motives had been purely altruistic, and not both selfish andwicked. 

That night, while the Prince Ferdinand William Otto hugged thewoolen dog in his sleep; while the Duchess Hilda, in front of herdressing-table, was having her hair brushed; while Nikky roamed thestreets and saw nothing but the vision of a girl on a balcony, a girlwho was lost to him, although she had never been anything else, Hedwigon her knees at the prie-dieu in her dressing-room followed the exampleof the Chancellor, who, too, had felt himself in a tight corner, asone may say, and was growing tired of putting his trust in princes. SoHedwig prayed for many things: for the softening of hard hearts;for Nikky's love; and, perhaps a trifle tardily, for the welfareand recovery of her grandfather, the King. But mostly she prayed forhappiness, for a bit of light and warmth in her gray days--to be allowedto live and love. 

CHAPTER. XI. RATHER A WILD NIGHT

Things were going very wrong for Nikky Larisch. 

Not handsome, in any exact sense, was Nikky, but tall and straight, with a thatch of bright hair not unlike that of the Crown Prince, andas unruly. Tall and straight, and occasionally truculent, with a narrowrapier scar on his left cheek to tell the story of wild student days, and with two clear young eyes that had looked out humorously at theworld until lately. But Nikky was not smiling at the world these days. 

Perhaps, at the very first, he had been in love with the princess, notthe woman. It had been rather like him to fix on the unattainable andworship it from afar. Because, for all the friendliness of their growingintimacy, Hedwig was still a star, whose light touched him, but whosewarmth was not for him. He would have died fighting for her with a smileon his lips. There had been times when he almost wished he might. Heused to figure out pleasant little dramas, in which, fallen on thebattlefield, his last word, uttered in all reverence, was her name. Buthe had no hope of living for her, unless, of course, she should happento need him, which was most unlikely. He had no vanity whatever, although in parade dress, with white gloves, he hoped he cut a decentfigure. 

So she had been his star, and as cold and remote. And then, that verymorning, whether it was the new cross-saddle suit or whatever it was, Hedwig had been thrown. Not badly--she was too expert for that. As amatter of fact, feeling herself going, she had flung two strong youngarms around her horse's neck, and had almost succeeded in lighting onher feet. It was not at all dramatic. 

But Nikky's heart had stopped beating. He had lifted her up from whereshe sat, half vexed and wholly ashamed, and carried her to a chair. Thatwas all. But when it was all over, and Hedwig was only a trifle wobblyand horribly humiliated, Nikky Larisch knew the truth about himself, knew that he was in love with the granddaughter of his King, and thatunder no conceivable circumstances would he ever be able to tell her so. Knew, then, that happiness and he had said a long farewell, and wouldthereafter travel different roads. 

It had stunned him. He had stood quite still and thought about it. AndPrince Ferdinand William Otto had caught him in the act of thinking; andhad stood before him and surveyed him anxiously. 

"You needn't look so worried, you know, " he protested. "She's not reallyhurt. "

Nikky came back, but slowly. He had in a few seconds already traveled along way along the lonely road. But he smiled down at the little Prince. 

"But she might have been, you know. It--it rather alarmed me. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto was for continuing the subject. He blamedthe accident on the new riding-suit, and was royally outspoken about it. "And anyhow, " he finished, "I don't like her in boy's clothes. Half ofher looks like a girl, and the rest doesn't. "

Nikky, letting his eyes rest on her, realized that all of her to him waswonderful, and forever beyond reach. 

So that night he started out to think things over. Probably never beforein his life had he deliberately done such a thing. He had never, as afact, thought much at all. It had been his comfortable habit to let theday take care of itself. Beyond minor problems of finance--minor becausehis income was trifling--he had considered little. In the last borderwar he had distinguished himself only when it was a matter of doing, notof thinking. 

He was very humble about himself. His young swagger was a sortof defiance. And he was not subtle. Taken suddenly, through theChancellor's favor, into the circles of the Court, its intrigues andpoisoned whispers passed him by. He did not know they existed. And hehad one creed, and only one: to love God, honor the King, and live likea gentleman. 

On this boy, then, with the capacity for suffering of his single-mindedtype, had fallen the mantle of trouble. It puzzled him. He did notexactly know what to do about it. And it hurt. It hurt horribly. 

That night, following the Archduchess's confidence, he had stood underthe Palace windows, in the Place, and looked up. Not that he expected tosee Hedwig. He did it instinctively, turning toward her hidden presencewith a sort of bewildered yearning. Across his path, as he turned away, had passed the little procession of the priest and the Sacrament. Heknelt, as did the lovers and the passers-by, and when he got up hefollowed the small flame of the lamp with his eyes as far as he couldsee it. 

This was life, then. One lived and suffered and yearned, and then camedeath. Were there barriers of rank over there? Or were all equal, sothat those who had loved on earth without hope might meet face to face?The tinkle of the bell grew fainter. This weight that he carried, itwould be his all his life. And then, one day, he too would hear the bellcoming nearer and nearer, and he would die, without having lived. 

But he was young, and the night was crisp and beautiful. He took a longbreath, and looked up at the stars. After all, things might not be sobad. Hedwig might refuse this marriage. They were afraid that shewould, or why have asked his help? When he thought of King Karl, he drewhimself up; and his heels rang hard on the pavement. Karl! A hard manand a good king--that was Karl. And old. From the full manhood of histwenty-three years Nikky surveyed Karl's almost forty, and considered itage. 

But soon he was bitter again, bitter and jealous. Back there in thepalace they were plotting their own safety, and making a young girl payfor it. He swore softly. 

It was typical of Nikky to decide that he needed a hard walk. Hetranslated most of his emotions into motion. So he set off briskly, turning into the crowded part of the city. Here were narrow, windingstreets; old houses that overhung above and almost touched, shuttingout all but a thin line of sky; mediaeval doorways of heavy oak and ironthat opened into courtyards, where once armed men had lounged, but wherenow broken wagons and other riffraff were stored. 

And here it was that Nikky happened on the thing that was to take himfar that night, and bring about many curious things. Not far ahead ofhim two men were talking. They went slowly, arm in arm. One was talkingloquaciously, using his free arm, on which hung a cane, to gesticulate. The other walked with bent head. 

Nikky, pausing to light a cigarette, fell behind. But the wind wastricky, and with his third match he stepped into a stone archway, lighted his cigarette, buttoned his tunic high against the chill, andemerged to a silent but violent struggle just ahead. The two men hadbeen attacked by three others, and as he stared, the loquacious one wentdown. Instantly a huge figure of a man outlined against the light from astreet-lamp, crouched over the prostrate form of the fallen man. Evenin the imperceptible second before he started to run toward the group, Nikky saw that the silent one, unmolested, was looking on. 

A moment later he was in the thick of things and fighting gloriously. His soldierly cap fell off. His fair hair bristled with excitement. Heflung out arms that were both furious and strong, and with each blow thegroup assumed a new formation. Unluckily, a great deal of the fightingwas done over the prostrate form of Peter Niburg. 

Suddenly one of the group broke away, and ran down the street. He ranrather like a kangaroo, gathering his feet under him and proceeding bya series of leaps, almost as if he were being shamefully pricked frombehind. At a corner he turned pale, terror-stricken eyes back on thatsinister group, and went on into the labyrinth of small streets. 

But disaster, inglorious disaster, waited for Nikky. Peter Niburg, facedown on the pavement, was groaning, and Nikky had felled one man and wasstarting on a second with the fighting appetite of twenty-three, whensomething happened. One moment Nikky was smiling, with a cut lip, andhair in his eyes, and the next he was dropped like an ox, by a blow frombehind. Landing between his shoulder-blades, it jerked his head backwith a snap, and sent him reeling. A second followed, delivered by ahuge fist. 

Down went Nikky, and lay still. 

The town slept on. Street brawls were not uncommon, especially inthe neighborhood of the Hungaria. Those who roused grumbled aboutquarrelsome students, and slept again. 

Perhaps two minutes later, Nikky got up. He was another minute inlocating himself. His cap lay in the gutter. Beside him, on his back, lay a sprawling and stertorous figure, with, so quick the downfall, acane still hooked to his arm. 

Nikky bent over Peter Niburg. Bending over made his head acheabominably. 

"Here, man!" he said. "Get up! Rouse yourself!"

Peter Niburg made an inarticulate reference to a piece of silk ofcertain quality, and lay still. But his eyes opened slowly, and hestared up at the stars. "A fine night, " he said thickly. "A veryfine--" Suddenly he raised himself to a sitting posture. Terror gave himstrength. "I've been robbed, " he said. "Robbed. I am ruined. I am dead. "

"Tut, " said Nikky, mopping his cut lip. "If you are dead, your spiritspeaks with an uncommonly lusty voice! Come, get up. We present togethera shameful picture of defeat. "

But he raised Peter Niburg gently from the ground and, finding his kneesunstable, from fright or weakness, stood him against a house wall. Peter Niburg, with rolling eyes, felt for his letter, and, the saints bepraised, found it. 

"Ah!" he said, and straightened up. "After all it is not so bad as Ifeared. They got nothing. "

He made a manful effort to walk, but tottered reeled. Nikky caught him. 

"Careful!" he said. "The colossus was doubtless the one who got us boxy, and we are likely to feel his weight for some time. Where do you live?"

Peter Niburg was not for saying. He would have preferred to pursue hissolitary if uncertain way. But Nikky was no half Samaritan. Toward PeterNiburg's lodging, then, they made a slow progress. 

"These recent gentlemen, " said Nikky, as they rent along, "they are, perhaps, personal enemies?"

"I do not know. I saw nothing. "

"One was very large, a giant of a man. Do you now such a man?"

Peter Niburg reflected. He thought not. "But I know why they came, " hesaid unguardedly. "Some early morning, my friend, you will hear of manlying dead in the street, That man will be I. "

"The thought has a moral, " observed Nikky. "Do not trust yourselfout-of-doors at night. "

But he saw that Peter Niburg kept his hand over breast-pocket. 

Never having dealt in mysteries, Nikky was slow recognizing one. But, hereflected, many things were going on in the old city in these troubleddays. 

Came to Nikky, all at once; that this man on his arm might be one of thehidden eyes of Government. 

"These are difficult times, " he ventured, "for those who are loyal. "

Peter Niburg gave him a sidelong glance. "Difficult indeed, " he saidbriefly. 

"But, " said Nikky, "perhaps we fear too much. The people love the boyPrince. And without the people revolution can accomplish nothing. "

"Nothing at all, " assented Peter Niburg. 

"I think, " Nikky observed, finding his companion unresponsive, "that, after I see you safely home, I shall report this small matter to thepolice. Surely there cannot be in the city many such gorillas as ourfriend with the beard and the huge body. "

But here Peter Niburg turned even paler. "Not--not the police!" hestammered. 

"But why? You and I, my friend, will carry their insignia for some days. I have a mind to pay our debts. "

Peter Niburg considered. He stopped and faced Nikky. "I do not wish thepolice, " he said. "Perhaps I have said too little. This is a privatematter. An affair of jealousy. "

"I see!"

"Naturally, not a matter for publicity. "

"Very well, " Nikky assented. But in his mind was rising, dark suspicion. He had stumbled on something. He cursed his stupidity that it meant, sofar, nothing more than a mystery to him. He did not pride himself on hisintelligence. 

"You were not alone, I think?"

Peter Niburg suddenly remembered Herman, and stopped. 

"Your friend must have escaped. "

"He would escape, " said Peter Niburg scornfully. "He is of the type thatruns. "

He lapsed into sullen silence. Soon he paused before a quiet house, oneof the many which housed in cavernous depths uncounted clerks and othersmall fry of the city. "Good-night to you, " said Peter Niburg. Then, rather tardily. "And my thanks. But for you I should now--" he shruggedhis shoulders. 

"Good-night, friend, " said Nikky. "And better keep your bed to-morrow. "

He had turned away, and Peter Niburg entered the house. 

Nikky inspected himself in the glow of a street lamp. Save forsome dust, and a swollen lip, which he could not see, he was notunpresentable. Well enough, anyhow, for the empty streets. But beforehe started he looked the house and the neighborhood over carefully. Hemight wish to return to that house. 

For two hours he walked, and resumed his interrupted train ofthought--past the gloomy University buildings, past the quay, wheresailed the vessels that during peaceful times went along the Ar throughthe low lands of Karnia to the sea. At last, having almost circled thecity, he came to the Cathedral. It was nearly midnight by the clock inthe high tower. He stopped and consulted his watch. The fancy took himto go up the high steps, and look out over the city from the colonnade. 

Once there, he stood leaning against a column, looking out. The sleepingtown appealed to him. Just so had it lain in old feudal times, clusteredabout the church and the Palace, and looking to both for protection. Ithad grown since then, had extended beyond the walls which shelteredit, had now destroyed those walls and, filling in the moat, had builtthereon its circling parks. And other things had changed. No longer, hereflected gloomily, did it look to the palace, save with tolerance andoccasional disloyalty. The old order was changing. And, with all his hotyoung heart, Nikky was for the old order. 

There was some one coming along the quiet streets, with a stealthy, shuffling gait that caught his attention. So, for instance, might aweary or a wounded man drag along. Exactly so, indeed, had Peter Niburgshambled into his house but two hours gone. 

The footsteps paused, hesitated, commenced a painful struggle up theascent. Nikky moved behind his column, and waited. Up and up, weary stepafter weary step. The shadowy figure, coming close, took a form, becamea man--became Peter Niburg. 

Now, indeed, Nikky roused. Beaten and sorely bruised, Peter Niburgshould have been in bed. What stealthy business of the night brought himout?

Fortunately for Nikky's hiding-place, the last step or two proved toomuch for the spy. He groaned, and sat down painfully, near the top. Hishead lolled forward, and he supported it on two shaking hands. Thus hesat, huddled and miserable, for five minutes or thereabouts. The chimerang out overhead the old hymn which the little Crown Prince so oftensang to it:

 "Draw me also, Mary mild, To adore Thee and thy Child! Mary mild, Star in desert drear and wild. "

Time had gone since the old church stood in a desert drear and wild, butstill its chimes rang the old petition, hour after hour. 

At ten minutes past the hour, Nikky heard the engine of an automobile. No machine came in sight, but the throbbing kept on, from which hejudged that a car had been stopped around the corner. Peter Niburgheard it, and rose. A moment later a man, with the springiness of youth, mounted the steps and confronted the messenger. 

Nikky saw a great light. When Peter Niburg put his hand to hisbreast-pocket, there was no longer room for doubt, nor, for that matter, time for thinking. As a matter of fact, never afterward could Nikkyrecall thinking at all. He moved away quietly, hidden by the shadows ofthe colonnade. Behind him, on the steps, the two men were talking. PeterNiburg's nasal voice had taken on a whining note. Short, gruff syllablesreplied. Absorbed in themselves and their business, they neither heardnor saw the figure that slipped through the colonnade, and dropped, abloodcurdling drop, from the high end of it to the street below. 

Nikky's first impulse, beside the car, was to cut a tire. By getting hisopponent into a stooping position; over the damaged wheel, it would beeasier to overcome him. But a hasty search revealed that he had losthis knife in the melee. And second thought gave him a better plan. Afterall, to get the letter was not everything. To know its destination wouldbe important. He had no time to think further. The messenger was comingdown the steps, not stealthily, but clattering, with the ring of nailsin the heels of heavy boots. 

Nikky flung his long length into the tonneau, and there crouched. Itwas dark enough to conceal him, but Nikky's was a large body in a smallplace. However, the chauffeur only glanced at the car, kicked a tirewith a practiced foot, and got in. 

He headed for the open country. Very soon his passenger knew that hewas in for a long ride possibly, a cold ride certainly. Within the citylimits the car moved decorously, but when the suburbs were reached, thedriver put on all his power. He drove carefully, too, as one who mustmake haste but cannot afford accident. 

Nikky grew very uncomfortable. His long legs ached. The place betweenthe shoulders where the concierge had landed his powerful blows throbbedand beat. Also he was puzzled, and he hated being puzzled. He wasunarmed, too. He disliked that most of all. Generally speaking, he felthis position humiliating. He was a soldier, not a spy. His training hadbeen to fight, not to hide and watch. 

After a time he raised his head. He made out that they were going east, toward the mountains, and he cursed the luck that had left his revolverat home. Still he had no plan but to watch. Two hours' ride, at theirpresent rate, would take them over the border and into Karnia. 

Nikky, although no thinker, was not a fool, and he knew rather betterthan most what dangers threatened the country from outside as well. Also, in the back of his impulsive head was a sort of dogged qualitythat was near to obstinacy. He had started this thing and he would seeit through. And as the car approached the border, he began to realizethat this was not of the Terrorists at home, but something sinister, abroad. 

With a squealing of brakes the machine drew up at the frontier. Here wasa chain across the highway, with two sets of guards. Long before theyreached it, a sentry stepped into the road and waved his lantern. 

Nikky burrowed lower into the car, and attempted to look like a rug. Inthe silence, while the sentry evidently examined a passport and flasheda lantern over the chauffeur, Nikky cursed the ticking of his watch, thebeating of his own heart. 

Then came a clanking as the chain dropped in the road. The car bumpedover it, and halted again. The same formalities, this time by Karniansentries. A bit more danger, too, for the captain in charge of the guardasked for matches, and dangled a careless hand over the side, within afew inches of Nikky's head. Then the jerk following a hasty letting-inof the clutch, and they were off again. 

For some time they climbed steadily. But Nikky, who knew the road, bidedhis time. Then at last, at two o'clock, came the steep ascent to thevery crest of the mountain, and a falling-back, gear by gear, until theyclimbed slowly in the lowest. 

Nikky unfolded his length quietly. The gears were grinding, the driverbent low over his wheel. Very deliberately, now that he knew what hewas going to do, Nikky unbuttoned his tunic and slipped it off. It was arash thing, this plan he had in mind, rash under any circumstances, ina moving car particularly rash here, where between the cliff and aprecipice that fell far away below, was only a winding ribbon of unevenroad. 

Here, at the crucial moment, undoubtedly he should have given a lastthought to Hedwig. But alas for romance! As a matter of honesty, hehad completely forgotten Hedwig. This was his work, and with even thehottest of lovers, work and love are things apart. 

So he waited his moment, loveless, as one may say, and then, with onesingularly efficient gesture, he flung his tunic over the chauffeur'shead. He drove a car himself, did Nikky--not his own, of course; he wasfar too poor--and he counted on one thing: an automobile driver actsfrom the spinal cord, and not from the brain. Therefore his brain maybe seething with a thousand frenzies, but he will shove out clutch andbrake feet in an emergency, and hold them out. 

So it happened. The man's hands left the wheel, but he stopped hiscar. Not too soon. Not before it had struck the cliff, and then taken asickening curve out toward the edge of the precipice. But stop it did, on the very edge of eternity, and the chauffeur held it there. 

"Set the hand brake!" Nikky said. The lamps were near enough the edge tomake him dizzy. 

The chauffeur ceased struggling, and set the hand brake. His headwas still covered. But having done that, he commenced a struggle morefurious than forceful, for both of them were handicapped. But Nikky hadsteel-like young arms from which escape was impossible. 

And now Nikky was forced to an unsoldier-like thing that he afterwardtried to forget. For the driver developed unexpected strength, refusedto submit, got the tunic off his head, and, seeing himself attacked byone man only, took courage and fell to. He picked up a wrench from theseat beside him, and made a furious pass at Nikky's head. Nikky duckedand, after a struggle, secured the weapon. All this in the car, over theseat back. 

It was then that Nikky raised the wrench and stunned his man with it. Itwas hateful. The very dull thud of it was sickening. And there was a badminute or two when he thought he had killed his opponent. The man hadsunk down in his seat, a sodden lump of inanimate human flesh. AndNikky, whose business, in a way, was killing; was horrified. 

He tried to find the pulse, but failed--which was not surprising, sincehe had the wrong side of the wrist. Then the unconscious man groaned. For a moment, as he stood over him, Nikky reflected that he was havingrather a murderous night of it. 

The chauffeur wakened, ten minutes later, to find himself securelytied with his own towing rope, and lying extremely close to the edge ofdeath. Beside him on the ground sat a steady-eyed young man with a cutlip. The young man had lighted a cigarette, and was placing it carefullyin the uninjured side of his mouth. 

"Just as soon as you are up to it, " said Nikky, "we shall have a littletalk. "

The chauffeur muttered something in the peasant patois of Karnia. 

"Come, come!" Nikky observed. "Speak up. No hiding behind strangetongues. But first, I have the letter. That saves your worrying aboutit. You can clear your mind for action. " Suddenly Nikky dropped hismocking tone. To be quite frank, now that the man was not dead, andNikky had the letter, he rather fancied himself. But make no mistake--hewas in earnest, grim and deadly earnest. 

"I have a fancy, my friend, " he said, "to take that letter of yours onto its destination. But what that destination is, you are to tell me. "

The man on the ground grinned sardonically. "You know better than to askthat, " he said. "I will never tell you. "

Nikky had thought things out fairly well, for him, in that ten minutes. In a business-like fashion he turned the prostrate prisoner on his side, so that he faced toward the chasm. A late moon showed its depth, and thevalley in which the Ar flowed swiftly. And having thus faced him towardthe next world, Nikky, throwing away his cigarette because it hurthis lip, put a stone or two from the roadway behind his prisoner, andanchored him there. Then he sat down and waited. Except that his earswere burning, he was very calm. 

"Any news?" he asked, at the end of ten minutes' unbroken silence. 

His--prisoner said nothing. He was thinking, doubtless. Weighing things, too, --perhaps life against betrayal, a family against separation. 

Nikky examined the letter again. It was addressed to a border town inLivonia. But the town lay far behind them. The address, then, was afalse one. He whistled softly. He was not, as a fact, as calm as helooked. He had never thrown a man over a precipice before, and hedisliked the idea. Fortunately, his prisoner did not know this. Besides, suppose he did push him over? Dead men are extremely useless abouttelling things. It would, as a fact, leave matters no better thanbefore. Rather worse. 

Half an hour. 

"Come, come, " said Nikky fiercely. "We are losing time. " He lookedfierce, too. His swollen lip did that. And he was nervous. It occurredto him that his prisoner, in desperation, might roll over the edgehimself, which would be most uncomfortable. 

But the precipice, and Nikky's fierce lip, and other things, had got intheir work. The man on the ground stopped muttering in his patois, andturned on Nikky eyes full of hate. 

"I will tell you, " he said. "And you will free me. And after that--"

"Certainly, " Nikky replied equably. "You will follow me to the ends ofthe earth--although that will not be necessary, because I don't intendto go there--and finish me off. " Then, sternly: "Now, where does theletter go? I have a fancy for delivering it myself. "

"If I tell you, what then?"

"This: If you tell me properly, and all goes well, I will return andrelease you. If I do not return, naturally you will not be released. And, for fear you meditate a treachery, I shall gag you and leave you, not here, but back a short distance, in the wood we just passed. And, because you are a brave man, and this thing may be less serious thanI think it is, I give you my word of honor that, if you advise mecorrectly, I shall return and liberate you. "

He was very proud of his plan. He had thought it out carefully. He hadeverything to gain and nothing to lose by it--except, perhaps, hislife. The point was, that he knew he could not take a citizen of Karniaprisoner, because too many things would follow, possibly a war. 

"It's a reasonable proposition, " he observed. "If I come back, you areall right. If I do not, there are a number of disagreeable possibilitiesfor you. "

"I have only your word. "

"And I yours, " said Nikky. 

The chauffeur took a final glance around; as far as he could see, and afinal shuddering look at the valley of the Ar, far below. "I will tellyou, " he said sullenly. 

CHAPTER XII. TWO PRISONERS

Herman Spier had made his escape with the letter. He ran throughtortuous byways of the old city, under arches into courtyards, out againby doorway set in walls, twisted, doubled like a rabbit. And all thiswith no pursuit, save the pricking one of terror. 

But at last he halted, looked about, perceived that only his own guiltyconscience accused him, and took breath. He made his way to the house inthe Road of the Good Children, the letter now buttoned inside his coat, and, finding the doors closed, lurked in the shadow of the park until, an hour later, Black Humbert himself appeared. 

He eyed his creature with cold anger. "It is a marvel, " he sneered, "that such flight as yours has not brought the police in a pack at yourheels. "

"I had the letter, " Herman replied sulkily. "It was necessary to saveit. "

"You were to see where Niburg took the substitute. "

But here Herman was the one to sneer. "Niburg!" he said. "You knowwell enough that he will take no substitute to-night, or any night, Youstrike hard, my friend. "

The concierge growled, and together they entered the house across thestreet. 

In the absence of Humbert, his niece, daughter of a milk-seller near, kept the bureau, answered the bell, and after nine o'clock, when thedoors were bolted, admitted the various occupants of the house and gavethem the tiny tapers with which to light themselves upstairs. She wassewing and singing softly when they entered. Herman Spier's pale facecolored. He suspected the girl of a softness for him, not entirely borneout by the facts. So he straightened his ready-made tie, which hooked tohis collar button, and ogled her. 

"All right, girl. You may go, " said Humbert. His huge bulk seemed tofill the little room. 

"Good-night to you both, " the girl said, and gave Herman Spier a nod. When she was gone, the concierge locked the door behind her. 

"And now, " he said, "for a look at the treasure. "

He rubbed his hands together as Herman produced the letter. Heads close, they examined it under the lamp. Then they glanced at each other. 

"A cipher, " said the concierge shortly. "It tells nothing. "

It was a moment of intense disappointment. In Humbert's mind had beenforming, for the past hour or two, a plan--nothing less than to gohimself before the Council and, with the letter in hand, to point outcertain things which would be valuable. In this way he would serve boththe party and him-self. Preferment would follow. He could demand, underthe corning republic, some high office. Already, of course, he was knownto the Committee, and known well, but rather for brawn than brain. Theyused him. Now-- "Code!" he said. And struck the paper with a hairy fist. "Everything goes wrong. That blond devil interferes, and now this letterspeaks but of blankets and loaves!"

The bell rang, and, taking care to thrust the letter out of sight, the concierge disappeared. Then ensued, in the hall, a short colloquy, followed by a thumping on the staircase. The concierge returned. 

"Old Adelbert, from the Opera, " he said. "He has lost his position, andwould have spent the night airing his grievance. But I sent him off!"

Herman turned his pale eyes toward the giant. "So!" he said. And after apause, "He has some influence among the veterans. "

"And is Royalist to his marrow, " sneered the concierge. He took theletter out again and, bringing a lamp, went over it carefully. It wassigned merely "Olga. " "Blankets and loaves!" he fumed. 

Now, as between the two, Black Humbert furnished evil and strength, butit was the pallid clerk who furnished the cunning. And now he made asuggestion. 

"It is possible, " he said, "that he--upstairs--could help. "

"Adelbert? Are you mad?"

"The other. He knows codes. It was by means of one we caught him. I haveheard that all these things have one basis, and a simple one. "

The concierge considered. Then he rose. "It is worth trying, " heobserved. 

He thrust the letter into his pocket, and the two conspirators went outinto the gloomy hall. There, on a ledge, lay the white tapers, and onehe lighted, shielding it from the draft in the hollow of his great hand. Then he led the way to the top of the house. 

Here were three rooms. One, the best, was Herman Spier's, a poor thingat that. Next to it was old Adelbert's. As they passed the door theycould hear him within, muttering to himself. At the extreme end ofthe narrow corridor, in a passage almost blocked by old furniture, wasanother room, a sort of attic, with a slanting roof. 

Making sure that old Adelbert did not hear them, they went back to thisdoor, which the concierge unlocked. Inside the room was dark. The tapershowed little. As their eyes became accustomed to the darkness, theoutlines of the attic stood revealed, a junk-room, piled high with oldtrunks, and in one corner a bed. 

Black Humbert, taper in hand, approached the bed. Herman remained nearthe door. Now, with the candle near, the bed revealed a man lying on it, and tied with knotted ropes; a young man, with sunken cheeks and weary, desperate eyes. Beside him, on a chair, were the fragments of a meal, abit of broken bread, some cold soup, on which grease had formed a firmcoating. 

Lying there, sleeping and waking and sleeping again, young Haeckel, onetime of His Majesty's secret service and student in the University, hadlost track of the days. He knew not how long he had been a prisoner, except that it had been eternities. Twice a day, morning and evening, came his jailer and loosened his bonds, brought food, of a sort, andallowed him, not out of mercy, but because it was the Committee'spleasure that for a time he should live, to move about the room andbring the blood again to his numbed limbs. 

He was to live because he knew many things which the Committee wouldknow. But, as the concierge daily reminded him, there was a limit tomercy and to patience. 

In the mean time they held him, a hostage against certain contingencies. Held him and kept him barely alive. Already he tottered about theroom when his bonds were removed; but his eyes did not falter, or hiscourage. Those whom he had served so well, he felt, would not forgethim. And meanwhile, knowing what he knew, he would die before he becamethe tool of these workers in the dark. 

So he lay and thought, and slept when thinking became unbearable, andthus went his days and the long nights. 

The concierge untied him, and stood back. "Now, " he said. 

But the boy--he was no more--lay still. He made one effort to rise, andfell back. 

"Up with you!" said the concierge, and jerked him to his feet. He caughtthe rail of the bed, or he would have fallen. "Now--stand like a man. "

He stood then, facing his captors without defiance. He had worn all thatout in the first days of his imprisonment. He was in shirt and trousersonly, his feet bare, his face unshaven--the thin first beard of earlymanhood. 

"Well?" he said at last. "I thought--you've been here once to-night. "

"Right, my cuckoo. But to-night I do you double honor. "

But seeing that Haeckel was swaying, he turned to Herman Spier. "Godown, " he said, "and bring up some brandy. He can do nothing for us inthis state. "

He drank the brandy eagerly when it came, and the concierge poured him asecond quantity. What with weakness and slow starvation, it did what nothreat of personal danger would have done. It broke down his resistance. Not immediately. He fought hard, when the matter was first broachedto him. But in the end he took the letter and, holding it close to thecandle, he examined it closely. His hands shook, his eyes burned. Thetwo Terrorists watched him narrowly. 

Brandy or no brandy, however, he had not lost his wits. He glanced upsuddenly. "Tell me something about this, " he said. "And what will you dofor me if I decode it?"

The concierge would promise anything, and did. Haeckel listened, andknew the offer of liberty was a lie. But there was something about thestory of the letter itself that bore the hall-marks of truth. 

"You see, " finished Black Humbert cunningly, "she--this--lady of theCourt--is plotting with some one, or so we suspect. If it is only aliaison--!" He spread his hands. "If, as is possible, she betrays us toKarnia, that we should find out. It is not, " he added, "among our plansthat Karnia should know too much of us. "

"Who is it?"

"I cannot betray a lady, " said Black Humbert, and leered. 

The brandy was still working, but the spy's mind was clear. He asked fora pencil, and set to work. After all, if there was a spy of Karl's inthe Palace, it were well to know it. He tried complicated methods first, to find that the body of the letter, after all, was simple enough. Byreading every tenth word, he got a consistent message, save that certainsupplies, over which the concierge had railed, were special code wordsfor certain regiments. These he could not decipher. 

"Whoever was to receive this, " he said at last, "would have been inpossession of complete data of the army, equipment and all, and thelocation of various regiments. Probably you and your band of murderershave that already. "

The concierge nodded, no whit ruffled. "And for whom was it intended?"

"I cannot say. The address is fictitious, of course. "

Black Humbert scowled. "So!" he said. "You tell us only a part!"

"There is nothing else to tell. Save, as I have written here, the writerends: 'I must see you at once. Let me know where. '"

The brandy was getting in its work well by that time. He was feelingstrong, his own man again, and reckless. But he was cunning, too. Heyawned. "And in return for all this, what?" he demanded. "I have doneyou a service, friend cut-throat. "

The concierge stuffed letter and translation into his pocket. "Whatwould you have, short of liberty?"

"Air, for one thing. " He stood up and stretched again. God, how stronghe felt! "If you would open that accursed window for an hour--the placereeks. "

Humbert was in high good humor in spite of his protests. In his pockethe held the key to favor, aye, to a plan which he meant to lay beforethe Committee of Ten, a plan breath-taking in its audacity and yetpotential of success. He went to the window and put his great shoulderagainst it. 

Instantly Haeckel overturned the candle and, picking up the chair, hurled it at Herman Spier. He heard the clerk go down as he leaped forthe door. Herman had not locked it. He was in the passage before theconcierge had stumbled past the bed. 

On the stairs his lightness counted. His bare feet made no sound. Hecould hear behind him the great mass of Humbert, hurling itself down. Haeckel ran as he had never run before. The last flight now, with theconcierge well behind, and liberty two seconds away. 

He flung himself against the doors to the street. But they were fastenedby a chain, and the key was not in the lock. 

He crumpled up in a heap as the concierge fell on him with fists likeflails. 

Some time later, old Adelbert heard a sound in the corridor, and peeredout. Humbert, assisted by the lodger, Spier, was carrying to the atticwhat appeared to be an old mattress, rolled up and covered with rags. Inthe morning, outside the door, there was a darkish stain, however, whichmight have been blood. 

CHAPTER XIII. IN THE PARK

At nine o'clock the next morning the Chancellor visited the CrownPrince. He came without ceremony. Lately he had been coming often. Heliked to come in quietly, and sit for an hour in the schoolroom, sayingnothing. Prince Ferdinand William Otto found these occasions rathertrying. 

"I should think, " he protested once to his governess, "that he wouldhave something else to do. He's the Chancellor, he?"

But on this occasion the Chancellor had an errand, the product ofcareful thought. Early as it was, already he had read his morning mailin his study, had dictated his replies, had eaten a frugal breakfast offruit and sausage, and in the small inner room which had heard so manysecrets, had listened to the reports of his agents, and of the King'sphysicians. Neither had been reassuring. 

The King had passed a bad night, and Haeckel was still missing. TheChancellor's heart was heavy. 

The Chancellor watched the Crown Prince, as he sat at the high desk, laboriously writing. It was the hour of English composition, and PrinceFerdinand William Otto was writing a theme. 

"About dogs, " he explained. "I've seen a great many, you know. I coulddo it better with a pencil. My pen sticks in the paper. "

He wrote on, and Mettlich sat and watched. From the boy his gazewandered over the room. He knew it well. Not so many years ago he hadvisited in this very room another bright-haired lad, whose pen had alsostuck in the paper. The Chancellor looked up at the crossed swords, andsomething like a mist came into his keen old eyes. 

He caught Miss Braithwaite's glance, and he knew what was in her mind. For nine years now had come, once a year, the painful anniversary, ofthe death of the late Crown Prince and his young wife. For nine yearshad the city mourned, with flags at half-mast and the bronze statue ofthe old queen draped in black. And for nine years had the day of griefpassed unnoticed by the lad on whom hung the destinies of the kingdom. 

Now they confronted a new situation. The next day but one was theanniversary again. The boy was older, and observant. It would not bepossible to conceal from him the significance of the procession marchingthrough the streets with muffled drums. Even the previous year he haddemanded the reason for crape on his grandmother's statue, and had beenput off, at the cost of Miss Braithwaite's strong feeling for the truth. Also he had not been allowed to see the morning paper, which was, onthese anniversaries, bordered with black. This had annoyed him. TheCrown Prince always read the morning paper--especially the weatherforecast. 

They could not continue to lie to the boy. Truthfulness had been oneof the rules of his rigorous upbringing. And he was now of an age toremember. So the Chancellor sat and waited, and, fingered, his heavywatch-chain. 

Suddenly the Crown Prince looked up. "Have you ever been on a scenicrailway?", he inquired politely. 

The Chancellor regretted that he had not. 

"It's very remarkable, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. "But unlessyou like excitement, perhaps you would not care for it. "

The Chancellor observed that he had had his share of excitement, in his, time, and was now for the ways of quiet. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto had a great many things to say, butthought better of it. Miss Braithwaite disliked Americans, for instance, and it was quite possible that the Chancellor did also. It seemedstrange about Americans. Either one liked them a great deal, or not atall. He put his attention to the theme, and finished it. Then, flushedwith authorship, he looked up. "May I read you the last line of it?" hedemanded of the Chancellor. 

"I shall be honored, Highness. " not often did the Chancellor say"Highness. " Generally he said "Otto" or "my child. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto read aloud, with dancing eyes, his lastline: "'I should like to own a dog. ' I thought, " he said wistfully, "that I might ask my grandfather for one. "

"I see no reason why you should not have a dog, " the Chancellorobserved. 

"Not one to be kept at the stables, " Otto explained. "One to stay withme all the time. One to sleep on the foot of the bed. "

But here the Chancellor threw up his hands. Instantly he visualizedall the objections to dogs, from fleas to rabies. And he put thedifficulties into words. No mean speaker was the Chancellor whenso minded. He was a master of style, of arrangement, of logic andreasoning. He spoke at length, even, at the end, rising and pacing a fewsteps up and down the room. But when he had concluded, when the dog, so to speak, had fled yelping to the country of dead hopes, PrinceFerdinand William Otto merely gulped, and said:

"Well, I wish I could have a dog!"

The Chancellor changed his tactics by changing the subject. "I waswondering this morning, as I crossed the park, if you would enjoy anexcursion soon. Could it be managed, Miss Braithwaite?"

"I dare say, " said Miss Braithwaite dryly. "Although I must say, ifthere is no improvement in punctuation and capital letters--"

"What sort of excursion?" asked His Royal Highness, guardedly. He didnot care for picture galleries. 

"Out-of-doors, to see something interesting. "

But Prince Ferdinand William Otto was cautious with the caution of onewho, by hoping little, may be agreeably disappointed. "A corner-stone, Isuppose, " he said. 

"Not a corner-stone, " said the Chancellor, with eyes that began totwinkle under ferocious brows. "No, Otto. A real excursion, up theriver. "

"To the fort? I do want to see the new fort. "

As a matter of truth, the Chancellor had not thought of the fort. Butlike many another before him, he accepted the suggestion and made it hisown. "To the fort, of course, " said he. 

"And take luncheon along, and eat it there, and have Hedwig and Nikky?And see the guns?"

But this was going too fast. Nikky, of course, would go, and if thePrincess cared to, she too. But luncheon! It was necessary to remind theCrown Prince that the officers at the fort would expect to have himjoin their mess. There was a short parley over this, and it was finallysettled that the officers should serve luncheon, but that there shouldbe no speeches. The Crown Prince had already learned that his presencewas a sort of rod of Aaron, to unloose floods of speeches. Through whatoutpourings of oratory he had sat or stood, in his almost ten years!

"Then that's settled, " he said at last. "I'm very happy. This morning Ishall apologize to M. Puaux. "

During the remainder of the morning the Crown Prince made variousexcursions to the window to see if the weather was holding good. Alsohe asked, during his half-hour's intermission, for the great box of leadsoldiers that was locked away in the cabinet. "I shall pretend thatthe desk is a fort, Miss Braithwaite, " he said. "Do you mind being theenemy, and pretending to be shot now and then?"

But Miss Braithwaite was correcting papers. She was willing to be apassive enemy and be potted at, but she drew the line at falling over. Prince Ferdinand William Otto did not persist. He was far too polite. But he wished in all his soul that Nikky would come. Nikky, he felt, would die often and hard. 

But Nikky did not come. 

Came German and French, mathematics and music and no Nikky. Came at lastthe riding-hour--and still no Nikky. 

At twelve o'clock, Prince Ferdinand William Otto, clad in hisriding-garments of tweed knickers, puttees, and a belted jacket, stoodby the schoolroom window and looked out. The inner windows of his suitefaced the courtyard, but the schoolroom opened over the Place--a badarrangement surely, seeing what distractions to lessons may take placein a public square, what pigeons feeding in the sun, what bands withdrums and drum-majors, what children flying kites. 

"I don't understand it, " the Crown Prince said plaintively. "He isgenerally very punctual. Perhaps--"

But he loyally refused to finish the sentence. The "perhaps" was agrievous thought, nothing less than that Nikky and Hedwig were at thatmoment riding in the ring together, and had both forgotten him. He wasrather used to being forgotten. With the exception of Miss Braithwaite, he was nobody's business, really. His aunt forgot him frequently. OnWednesdays it was his privilege--or not; as you think of it--to takeluncheon with the Archduchess; and once in so often she would forget andgo out. Or be in, and not expecting him, which was as bad. 

"Bless us, I forgot the child, " she would say on these occasions. 

But until now, Nikky had never forgotten. He had been the soul ofremembering, indeed, and rather more than punctual. Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto consulted his watch. It was of gold, and on the inside wasengraved:

"To Ferdinand William Otto from his grandfather, on the occasion of histaking his first communion. "

"It's getting rather late, " he observed. 

Miss Braithwaite looked troubled. "No doubt something has detained him, "she said, with unusual gentleness. "You might work at the frame for yourCousin Hedwig. Then, if Captain Larisch comes, you can still have a partof your lesson. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto brightened. The burntwood photographframe for Hedwig was his delight. And yesterday, as a punishment for theescapade of the day before, it had been put away with an alarming air offinality. He had traced the design himself, from a Christmas card, andit had originally consisted of a ring and small Cupids, alternating withhearts. He liked it very much. The Cupids were engagingly fat. However, Miss Braithwaite had not approved of their state of nature, and it hadbeen necessary to drape them with sashes tied in neat bows. 

The pyrography outfit was produced, and for fifteen minutes PrinceFerdinand William Otto labored, his head on one side, his royal tongueslightly protruded. But, above the thin blue smoke of burning, hisface remained wistful. He was afraid, terribly afraid, that he had beenforgotten again. 

"I hope Nikky is not ill, " he said once. "He smokes a great manycigarettes. He says he knows they are bad for him. "

"Certainly they are bad for him, " said Miss Braithwaite. "They containnicotine, which is a violent poison. A drop of nicotine on the tongue ofa dog will kill it. "

The reference was unfortunate. 

"I wish I might have a dog, " observed Prince Ferdinand William Otto. 

Fortunately, at that moment, Hedwig came in. She came in a trifledefiantly, although that passed unnoticed, and she also cameunannounced, as was her cousinly privilege. And she stood inside thedoor and stared at the Prince. "Well!" she said. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto was equal to the occasion. He hastily drewout his pocket-handkerchief and spread it over the frame. But his facewas rather red. A palace is a most difficult place to have a secret in. 

"Well?" she repeated; with a rising inflection. It was clear thatshe had not noticed the handkerchief incident. "Is there to be noriding-lesson to-day?"

"I don't know. Nikky has not come. "

"Where is he?"

Here the drop of nicotine got in its deadly work. "I'm afraid he isill, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. "He said he smoked too manycigarettes, and--"

"Is Captain Larisch ill?" Hedwig looked at the governess, and lost someof her bright color. 

Miss Braithwaite did not know, and said so. "At the very least, " shewent on, "he should have sent some word. I do not know what thingsare coming to. Since His Majesty's illness, no one seems to have anyresponsibility, or to take any. "

"But of course he would have sent word, " said Hedwig, frowning: "I don'tunderstand it. He has never been so late before, has he?"

"He has never been late at all, " Prince Ferdinand William Otto spoke upquickly. 

After a time Hedwig went away, and the Crown Prince took off hisriding-clothes. He ate a very small luncheon, swallowing mostly a glassof milk and a lump in his throat. And afterward he worked at the frame, for an hour, shading the hearts carefully. At three o'clock he went forhis drive. 

There were two variations to the daily drive: One day they went up theriver--almost as far as the monastery; the next day they went throughthe park. There was always an excitement about the park drive, becausethe people who spied the gold-wheeled carriage always came as closeas possible, to see if it was really the Crown Prince. And when, assometimes happened, it was only Hedwig, or Hilda, and Ferdinand WilliamOtto had been kept at home by a cold, they always looked disappointed. 

This was the park day. The horses moved sedately. Beppo looked severeand haughty. A strange man, in the place of Hans, beside Beppo, watchedthe crowd with keen and vigilant eyes. On the box between them, underhis hand, the new footman had placed a revolver. Beppo sat as far awayfrom it as he dared. The crowd lined up, and smiled and cheered. AndPrince Ferdinand William Otto sat very straight; and bowed right andleft, smiling. 

Old Adelbert, limping across the park to, the Opera, paused and looked. Then he shook his head. The country was indeed come to a strange pass, with only that boy and the feeble old King to stand between it and thethings of which men whispered behind their hands. He went on, withhis head down. A strange pass indeed, with revolution abroad in quietplaces, and a cabal among the governors of the Opera to sell theopera-glass privilege to the highest bidder. 

He went on, full of trouble. 

Olga, the wardrobe woman, was also on her way to the Opera, which facedthe park. She also saw the carriage, and at first her eyes twinkled. Itwas he, of course. The daring of him! But, as the carriage drew nearer, she bent forward. He looked pale, and there was a wistful droop to hismouth. "They have punished him for the little prank, " she muttered. "That tight-faced Englishwoman, of course. The English are a hard race. "She, too, went on. 

As they drew near the end of the park, where the Land of Desire towered, Prince Ferdinand William Otto searched it with eager eyes. How wonderfulit was! How steep and high, and alluring! He glanced sideways at MissBraithwaite, but it was clear that to her it was only a monstrousheap of sheet-iron and steel, adorned with dejected greenery that hadmanifestly been out too soon in the chill air of very early spring. 

A wonderful possibility presented itself. "If I see Bobby, " he asked, "may I stop the carriage and speak to him?"

"Certainly not. "

"Well, may I call to him?"

"Think it over, " suggested Miss Braithwaite. "Would your grandfatherlike to know that you had done anything so undignified?"

He turned to her a rather desperate pair of eyes. "But I could explainto him, " he said. "I was in such a hurry when I left, that I'm afraid Iforgot to thank him. I ought to thank him, really. He was very polite tome. "

Miss Braithwaite sat still in her seat and said nothing. The novelty ofriding in a royal carriage had long since passed away, but she was awarethat her position was most unusual. Not often did a governess, even ofgood family, as she was, ride daily in the park with a crown prince. Ina way, on these occasions, she was more royal than royalty. She had, nowand then, an inclination to bow right and left herself. And she guardedthe dignity of these occasions with a watchful eye. So she said nothingjust then. But later on something occurred to her. "You must remember, Otto, " she said, "that this American child dislikes kings, and our sortof government. " Shades of Mr. Gladstone--our sort of government! "Itis possible, isn't it, that he would resent your being of the rulingfamily? Why not let things be as they are?"

"We were very friendly, " said Ferdinand William Otto in a small voice. "I don't think it would make any difference. "

But the seed was sown in the fertile ground of his young mind, to bearquick fruit. 

It was the Crown Prince who saw Bobby first. 

He was standing on a bench, peering over the shoulders of the crowd. Prince Ferdinand William Otto saw him, and bent forward. "There he is!"he said, in a tense tone. "There on the--"

"Sit up straight, " commanded Miss Braithwaite. 

"May I just wave once? I--"

"Otto!" said Miss Braithwaite, in a terrible voice. 

But a dreadful thing was happening. Bobby was looking directly at him, and making no sign. His mouth was a trifle open, but that was all. Ottohad a momentary glimpse of him, of the small cap set far back, of thewhite sweater, of two coolly critical eyes. Then the crowd closed up, and the carriage moved on. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto sat back in his seat, very pale. ClearlyBobby was through with him. First Nikky had forgotten him, and now theAmerican boy had learned his unfortunate position as one of the detestedorder, and would have none of him. 

"You see, " said Miss Braithwaite, with an air of relief, "he did notknow you. "

Up on the box the man beside Beppo kept his hand on the revolver. Thecarriage turned back toward the Palace. 

Late that afternoon the Chancellor had a visitor. Old Mathilde, hisservant and housekeeper, showed some curiosity but little excitementover it. 'She was, in fact, faintly resentful. The Chancellor had eatenlittle all day, and now, when she had an omelet ready to turn smokingout of the pan, must come the Princess Hedwig on foot like the commonpeople, and demand to see him. 

Mathilde admitted her, and surveyed her uncompromisingly. Royalties werequite as much in her line as they were in the Crown Prince's. 

"He is about to have supper, Highness. "

"Please, Mathilde, " begged Hedwig. "It is very important. "

Mathilde sighed. "As Your Highness wishes, " she agreed, and wentgrumblingly back to the study overlooking the walled garden. 

"You may bring his supper when it is ready, " Hedwig called to her. 

Mathilde was mollified, but she knew what was fitting, if the Princessdid not. The omelet spoiled in the pan. 

The Chancellor was in his old smoking-coat and slippers. He made aneffort to don his tunic, but Hedwig, on Mathilde's heels, caught himin the act. And, after a glance at her face, he relinquished the idea, bowed over her hand, and drew up a chair for her. 

And that was how the Chancellor of the kingdom learned that CaptainLarisch, aide-de-camp to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, haddisappeared. 

"I am afraid it is serious, " she said, watching him with wide, terrifiedeyes. "I know more than you think I do. I--we hear things, even in thePalace. "

Irony here, but unconscious. "I know that there is trouble. And it isnot like Captain Larisch to desert his post. "

"A boyish escapade, Highness, " said the Chancellor. But, in thetwilight, he gripped hard at the arms of his chair. "He will turn up, very much ashamed of himself, to-night or to-morrow. "

"That is what you want to believe. You know better. "

He leaned back in his chair and considered her from under his heavybrows. So this was how things were; another, and an unlooked-forcomplication. Outside he could hear Mathilde's heavy footstep as shewaited impatiently for the Princess to go. The odor of a fresh omeletfilled the little house. Nikky gone, perhaps to join the others who, oneby one, had felt the steel of the Terrorists. And this girl, on whom somuch hung, sitting there, a figure of young tragedy. 

"Highness, " he said at last, "if the worst has happened, --and that Ido not believe, --it will be because there is trouble, as you have said. Sooner or later, we who love our country must make sacrifices for it. Most of all, those in high places will be called upon. And among themyou may be asked to help. "

"I? What can I do?" But she knew, and the Chancellor saw that she knew. 

"It is Karl, then?"

"It may be King Karl, Hedwig. "

Hedwig rose, and the Chancellor got heavily to his feet. She wasfighting for calmness, and she succeeded very well. After all, if Nikkywere gone, what did it matter? Only-- "There are so many of you, " shesaid, rather pitifully. "And you are all so powerful. And against youthere is only--me. "

"Why against us, Highness?"

"Because, " said Hedwig, "because I care for some one else, and I shallcare for him all the rest of my life, even if he never comes back. Youmay marry me to whom you please, but I shall go on caring. I shall neverforget. And I shall make Karl the worst wife in the world, because Ihate him. "

She opened the door and went out without ceremony, because she washard-driven and on the edge of tears. In the corridor she almost ranover the irritated Mathilde, and she wept all the way back to thePalace, much to the dismay of her lady in waiting, who had disapprovedof the excursion anyhow. 

That night, the city was searched for Nikky Larisch, but without result. 

CHAPTER XIV. NIKKY DOES A RECKLESS THING

Nikky Larisch had been having an exciting time. First of all, heexchanged garments with the chauffeur, and cursed his own long legs, which proved difficult to cover adequately. But the chauffeur's long furulster helped considerably. The exchange was rather a ticklish matter, and would have been more so had he not found a revolver in the fur coatpocket. It is always hard to remove a coat from a man whose arms aretied, and trousers are even more difficult. To remove trousers from arefractory prisoner offers problems. They must be dragged off, and agood thrust from a heavy boot, or two boots, has been known to changethe fate of nations. 

However, Nikky's luck stood. His prisoner kicked, but owing to Nikky'swise precaution of having straddled him, nothing untoward happened. 

Behold, then, Nikky of the brave heart standing over his prostrateprisoner, and rolling him, mummy fashion, in his own tunic and a rugfrom the machine. 

"It is cold, my friend, " he said briefly; "but I am a kindly soul, andif you have told me the truth, you will not have so much as a snuffle toremind you of this to-morrow. "

"I have told the truth. "

"As a soldier, of course, " Nikky went on, "I think you have madea mistake. You should have chosen the precipice. But as a privategentleman, I thank you. "

Having examined the knots in the rope, which were very well done, indeed, and having gagged the chauffeur securely, Nikky prepared to go. In his goggles, with the low-visored cap and fur coat, he looked notunlike his late companion. But he had a jaunty step as he walked towardthe car, a bit of swagger that covered, perhaps, just a trifle ofuneasiness. 

For Nikky now knew his destination, knew that he was bound on perilouswork, and that the chances of his returning were about fifty-fifty, orrather less. 

Nevertheless, he was apparently quite calm as he examined the car. He would have chosen, perhaps, a less perilous place to attempt itsmysteries, but needs must. He climbed in, and released the brakes. Then, with great caution, and considerable noise, he worked it away from thebrink of the chasm, and started off. 

He did not know his way. Over the mountains it was plain enough, forthere was but one road. After he descended into the plain of Karnia, however, it became difficult. Sign-posts were few and not explicit. Butat last he found the railroad, which he knew well--that railroad withoutobjective, save as it would serve to move troops toward the border. After that Nikky found it easier. 

But, with his course assured, other difficulties presented themselves. To take the letter to those who would receive it was one thing. Butto deliver it, with all that it might contain, was another. He was notbrilliant, was Nikky. Only brave and simple of heart, and unversed inthe ways of darkness. 

If, now, he could open the letter and remove it, substituting--well, what could he substitute? There were cigarette papers in his pocket. Trust Nikky for that. But how to make the exchange?

Nikky pondered. To cut the side of the envelope presented itself. Butit was not good enough. The best is none too good when one's life is atstake. 

The engine was boiling hard, a dull roaring under the hood thatthreatened trouble. He drew up beside the road and took off thewater-cap. Then he whistled. Why, of course! Had it not been done fromtime immemorial, this steaming of letters? He examined it. It bore noincriminating seal. 

He held the envelope over the water-cap, and was boyishly pleased tofeel the flap loosen. After all, things were easy enough if one usedone's brains. He rather regretted using almost all of his cigarettepapers, of course. He had, perhaps, never heard of the drop of nicotineon the tongue of a dog. 

As for the letter itself, he put it, without even glancing at it, intohis cap, under the lining. Then he sealed the envelope again and driedit against one of the lamps. It looked, he reflected, as good as new. 

He was extremely pleased with himself. 

Before he returned to the machine he consulted his watch. It was threeo'clock. True, the long early spring night gave him four more hours ofdarkness. But the messenger was due at three, at the hunting-lodge in, the mountains which was his destination. He would be, at the best, lateby an hour. 

He pushed the car to its limit. The fine hard road, with its borderof trees, stretched ahead. Nikky surveyed it with a soldier's eye. Amilitary road, or he knew nothing--one along which motor-lorries couldmake express time. A marvelous road, in that sparsely settled place. Then he entered the forest, that kingly reserve in which Karl ran deerfor pastime. 

He was nearing his destination. 

On what the messenger had told him Nikky hung his hope of success. Thiswas, briefly, that he should go to the royal shooting-box at Wedeling, and should go, not to the house itself, but to the gate-keeper's lodge. Here he was to leave his machine, and tap at the door. On its beingopened, he was to say nothing, but to give the letter to him who openedthe door. After that he was to take the machine away to the capital, some sixty miles farther on. 

The message, then, was to the King himself. For Nikky, as all the world, knew that Karl, with some kindred spirits, was at Wedeling, shooting. That is, if the messenger told the truth. Nikky intended to find out. Hewas nothing if not thorough. 

Nikky had lost much of his jaunty air by that time. On the surfacehe was his usual debonair self; but his mouth was grim and rathercontemptuous. This was Karl's way: to propose marriage with a Princessof Livonia, and yet line the country with his spies! Let him butreturn, God willing, with his report, and after that, let them continuenegotiations with Karl if they dared. 

When at last the lights of the lodge at the gate of Wedeling gleamedout through the trees, it was half-pass three, and a wet spring snow wasfalling softly. In an open place Nikky looked up. The stars were gone. 

The lodge now, and the gate-keeper's house. Nikky's heart hammered as heleft the car--hammered with nervousness, not terror. But he went boldlyto the door, and knocked. 

So far all was well. There were footsteps within, and a man stepped outinto the darkness, closing the door behind him. Nikky, who had come sofar to see this very agent, and to take back a description of him, felt thwarted. Things were not being done, he felt, according tospecification. And the man spoke, which was also unexpected. 

"You have the letter?" he asked. 

"It is here. " Luckily he did not speak the patois. 

"I will take it. "

Nikky held it out. The man fumbled for it, took it. 

"Orders have come, " said the voice, "that you remain here for the night. In the morning you are to carry dispatches to the city. "

Poor Nikky! With his car facing toward the lodge, and under necessity, in order to escape, to back it out into the highway! He thought quickly. There was no chance of overpowering his man quickly and silently. Andthe house was not empty. From beyond the door came the sounds of men'svoices, and the thud of drinking-mugs on a bare table. 

"You will take me up to the house, and then put the car away untilmorning. "

Nikky breathed again. It was going to be easy, after all. If only theroad went straight to the shooting-box itself, the rest was simple. Buthe prayed that he make no false turning, to betray his ignorance. 

"Very well, "--he said. 

His companion opened the door behind him. "Ready, now, " he called. "Thecar is here. "

Two men rose from a table where they had been sitting, and put ongreatcoats of fur. The lamplight within quivered in the wind fromthe open door. Nikky was quite calm now. His heart beat its regularseventy-two, and he even reflected, with a sort of grim humor, that theChancellor would find the recital of this escapade much to his taste. Ina modest way Nikky felt that he was making history. 

The man who had received the letter got into the machine beside him. Theother two climbed into the tonneau. And, as if to make the denouementdoubly ridiculous, the road led straight. Nikky, growing extremelycheerful behind his goggles, wondered how much petrol remained in thecar. 

The men behind talked in low tones. Of the shooting, mostly, and theeffect of the snow on it. They had been after pheasants that day, itappeared. 

"They are late to-night, " grumbled one of them, as the house appeared, full lighted. "A tardy start to-morrow again!"

"The King must have his sleep, " commented the other, rather mockingly. 

With a masterly sweep, Nikky drew up his machine before the entrance. Let them once alight, let him but start his car down the road again, andall the devils of the night might follow. He feared nothing. 

But here again Nikky planned too fast. The servant who came out to openthe doors of the motor had brought a message. "His Majesty desires thatthe messenger come in, " was the bomb-shell which exploded in Nikky'sears. 

Nikky hesitated. And then some imp of recklessness in him prompted himnot to run away, but to see the thing through. It was, after all, achance either way. These men beside the car were doubtless armed--one atleast, nearest him, was certainly one of Karl's own secret agents. And, as Nikky paused, he was not certain, but it seemed to him that the mantook, a step toward him. 

"Very well, " said Nikky, grumbling. "But I have had a long ride, and acold one. I need sleep. "

Even then he had a faint hope that the others would precede him, andthat it would be possible to leap back to the car, and escape. But, whether by accident or design, the group closed about him. Flight wasout of the question. 

A little high was Nikky's head as he went in. He had done a stupid thingnow, and he knew it. He should have taken his letter and gone back withit. But, fool or not, he was a soldier. Danger made him calm. 

So he kept his eyes open. The shooting-box was a simple one, built, after the fashion of the mountains, of logs, and wood-lined. The wallsof the hall were hung with skins and the mounted heads of animals, boarand deer, and even an American mountain sheep, testifying to the rangeof its royal owner's activities as a hunter. Great pelts lay on thefloor, and the candelabra were horns cunningly arranged to hold candles. The hall extended to the roof, and a gallery half-way up showed thedoors of the sleeping-apartments. 

The lodge was noisy. Loud talking, the coming and going of servants withtrays, the crackle of wood fires in which whole logs were burning, and, as Nikky and his escort entered, the roaring chorus of a hunting-songfilled the ears. 

Two of the men flung off their heavy coats, and proceeded withoutceremony into the room whence the sounds issued. The third, however, still holding the letter, ushered Nikky into a small side room, asort of study, since it contained a desk. For kings must pursue theirclerical occupations even on holiday. A plain little room it was, containing an American typewriter, and beside the desk only a chair ortwo upholstered in red morocco. 

Nikky had reluctantly removed his cap. His goggles, however, he venturedto retain. He was conscious that his guide was studying him intently. But not with suspicion, he thought: Rather as one who would gauge thecaliber of the man before him. He seemed satisfied, too, for his voice, which had been curt, grew more friendly. 

"You had no trouble?" he asked. 

"None, sir. "

"Did Niburg say anything?"

Niburg, then, was the spy of the cathedral. Nikky reflected. Suddenly hesaw a way out. It was, he afterward proclaimed, not his own thought. It came to him like a message. He burned a candle to his patron saint, sometime later, for it. 

"The man Niburg had had an unfortunate experience, sir. He reportedthat, during an evening stroll, before he met me, he was attacked bythree men, with the evident intention of securing the letter. He wasbadly beaten up. "

His companion started. "Niburg, " he said. "Then--" He glanced at theletter he held. "We must find some one else, " he muttered. "I nevertrusted the fellow. A clerk, nothing else. For this work it takes wit. "

Nikky, sweating with strain; felt that it did, indeed. "He was badlyused up, sir, " he offered. "Could hardly walk, and was still tremblingwith excitement when I met him. "

The man reflected. A serious matter, he felt. Not so serious as it mighthave been, since he held the letter. But it showed many things, andthreatened others. He touched a bell. "Tell his, Majesty, " he said tothe servant who appeared, "that his messenger is here. "

The servant bowed and withdrew. 

Nikky found the wait that followed trying. He thought of Hedwig, and ofthe little Crown Prince. Suddenly he knew that he had had, no rightto attempt this thing. He had given his word, almost, his oath, to theKing, to protect and watch over the boy. And here he was, knowing nowthat mischief was afoot, and powerless. He cursed himself for his folly. 

Then Karl came in. He came alone, closing the door behind him. Nikkyand his companion bowed, and Nikky surveyed him through his goggles. Thesame mocking face he remembered, from Karl's visit to the summer palace, the same easy, graceful carriage, the same small mustache. He was inevening dress, and the bosom of his shirt was slightly rumpled. He hadbeen drinking, but he was not intoxicated. He was slightly flushed, hiseyes were abnormally bright. He looked, for the moment; rather amiable. Nikky was to learn, later on, how easily his smile hardened to aterrifying grin. The long, rather delicate nose of his family, fine hairgrowing a trifle thin, and a thin, straight body this was Karl, King ofKarnia, and long-time enemy to Nikky's own land. 

He ignored Nikky's companion. "You brought a letter?"

Nikky bowed, and the other man held it out. Karl took it. 

"The trip was uneventful?"

"Yes, sire. "

"A bad night for it, " Karl observed, and glanced at the letter in hishand. "Was there any difficulty at the frontier?"

"None, sire. "

Karl tore the end off the envelope. "You will remain here to-night, " hesaid. "To-morrow morning I shall send dispatches to the city. I hope youhave petrol. These fellows here--" He did not complete the sentence. He inserted two royal fingers into the envelope and drew out--Nikky'scigarette papers!

For a moment there was complete silence in the room. Karl turned thepapers over. 

It was then that his face hardened into a horrible grin. He looked up, raising his head slowly. 

"What is this?" he demanded, very quietly. 

"The letter, sire, " said Nikky. 

"The letter! Do you call these a letter?"

Nikky drew himself up. "I have brought the envelope which was given me. "

Without a word Karl held out papers and envelope to the other man, whotook them. Then he turned to Nikky, and now he raised his voice. "Wheredid you get this--hoax?" he demanded. 

"At the cathedral, from the man Niburg. "

"You lie!" said Karl. Then, for a moment, he left Nikky and turned onhis companion in a fury. He let his royal rage beat on that unluckyindividual while the agent stood, white and still. Not until it wasover, and Karl, spent with passion, was pacing the floor, did Nikkyventure a word. 

"If this is not what Your Majesty expected, " he said, "there is perhapsan explanation. "

Karl wheeled on him. "Explanation!"

"The man Niburg was attacked, early last evening, by three men. Theybeat him badly, and attempted to rob him. His story to me, sire. Hebelieved that they were after the letter, but that he had preservedit. It is, of course, a possibility that, while he lay stunned, theysubstituted another envelope for the one he carried. "

Karl tore the envelope from the agent's hands and inspected itcarefully. Evidently, as with the agent, the story started a new trainof thought. Nikky drew a long breath. After all, there was still hopethat the early morning shooting would have another target than himself. 

Karl sat down, and his face relaxed. It was stern, but no longerhorrible. "Tell me this Niburg's story, " he commanded. 

"He was walking through the old city, " Nikky commenced, "when threemen fell on him. One, a large one, knocked him insensible and then wentthrough his pockets. The others--"

"Strange!" said Karl. "If he was insensible, how does he know all this?"

"It was his story, sire, " Nikky explained. But he colored. "A companion, who was with him, ran away. "

"This companion, " Karl queried. "A dark, heavy fellow, was it?"

"No. Rather a pale man, blond. A--" Nikky checked himself. 

But Karl was all suavity. "So, " he said, "while Niburg was unconsciousthe large man took the letter, which was sealed, magically opened it, extracted its contents, replaced them with--this, and then sealed itagain!"

The King turned without haste to a drawer in his desk, and opened it. He was smiling. When he faced about again, Nikky saw that he held arevolver in =his hand. Save that the agent had taken a step forward, nothing in the room had changed. And yet; for Nikky everything hadchanged. 

Nikky had been a reckless fool, but he was brave enough. He smiled, abetter smile than Karl's twisted one. 

"I have a fancy, " said King Karl, "to manage this matter for myself. Keep back, Kaiser. Now, my friend, you will give me the packet ofcigarette papers you carry. "

Resistance would do no good. Nikky brought them out, and Karl's twistedsmile grew broader as he compared them with the ones the envelope hadcontained. 

"You see, " he said, "you show the hand of the novice. You should havethrown these away. But, of course, all your methods are wrong. Why, forinstance, have you come here at all? You have my man--but that I shalltake up later. We will first have the letter. "

But here Nikky stood firm. Let them find the letter. He would nothelp them. But again he cursed himself. There had been a thousandhiding-places along the road--but he must bring the incriminating thingwith him, and thus condemn himself!

Now commenced a curious scene, curious because one of the actorswas Karl of Karnia himself. He seemed curiously loath to bring inassistance, did Karl. Or perhaps the novelty of the affair appealed tohim. And Nikky's resistance to search, with that revolver so close, wasshort-lived. 

Even while he was struggling, Nikky was thinking. Let them get theletter, if they must. Things would at least be no worse than before. But he resolved that no violence would tear from him the place where themessenger was hidden. Until they had got that, he had a chance for life. 

They searched his cap last. Nikky, panting after that strange struggle, saw Kaiser take it from the lining of his cap, and pass it to the King. 

Karl took it. The smile was gone now, and something ugly and terriblehad taken its place. But that, too, faded as he looked at the letter. 

It was a blank piece of note-paper. 

CHAPTER XV. FATHER AND DAUGHTER

With the approach of the anniversary of his son's death, the King grewincreasingly restless. Each year he determined to put away this oldgrief, and each year, as his bodily weakness increased, he found itharder to do so. In vain he filled his weary days with the routine ofhis kingdom. In vain he told himself that there were worse things thanto be cut off in one's prime, that the tragedy of old age is a longtragedy, with but one end. To have out-lived all that one loves, hefelt, was worse by far. To have driven, in one gloomy procession afteranother, to the old Capuchin church and there to have left, prayerfully, some dearly beloved body--that had been his life. His son had escapedthat. But it was poor comfort to him. 

On other years he had had the Crown Prince with him as much as possibleon this dreary day of days. But the Crown Prince was exiled, indisgrace. Not even for the comfort of his small presence could sterndiscipline be relaxed. 

Annunciata was not much comfort to him. They had always differed, moreor less, the truth being, perhaps, that she was too much like the Kingever to sympathize fully with him. Both were arrogant, determined, obstinate. And those qualities, which age was beginning to soften in theKing, were now, in Annunciata, in full strength and blooming. 

But there was more than fundamental similarity at fault. Against herfather the Archduchess held her unhappy marriage. 

"You did this, " she had said once, when an unusually flagrant escapadehad come to the ears of the Palace. "You did it. I told you I hated him. I told you what he was, too. But you had some plan in mind. The plannever materialized, but the marriage did. And here I am. " She hadturned on him then, not angrily, but with cold hostility. "I shall neverforgive you for it, " she said. 

She never had. She made her daily visit to her father, and, as he grewmore feeble, she was moved now and then to pity for him. But it waspity, nothing more. The very hands with which she sometimes changed hispillows were coldly efficient. She had not kissed him in years. 

And now, secretly willing that Hedwig should marry Karl, she was readyto annoy him by objecting to it. 

On the day after her conversation with General Mettlich, she visitedthe King. It was afternoon. The King had spent the morning in hisstudy, propped with pillows as was always the case now, working with asecretary. The secretary was gone when she entered, and he sat alone. Over his knees was spread one of the brilliant rugs that the peasantswove in winter evenings, when the snow beat about their small houses andthe cattle were snug in barns. Above it his thin old face looked pinchedand pale. 

He had passed a trying day. Once having broken down the Chancellor'sbarrier of silence, the King had insisted on full knowledge; withthe result that he had sat, aghast, amid the ruins of his formercomplacency. The country and the smaller cities were comparativelyquiet, so far as demonstrations against the Government were concerned. But unquestionably they plotted. As for the capital, it was a seethingriot of sedition, from the reports. A copy of a newspaper, secretlyprinted and more secretly circulated, had brought fire to the King'seyes. It lay on his knees as his daughter entered. 

Annunciata touched her lips to his hand. Absorbed as he was in othermatters, it struck him, as she bent, that Annunciata was no longeryoung, and that Time w as touching her with an unloving finger. Heviewed her graying hair, her ugly clothes, with the detached eye of age. And he sighed. 

"Well, father, " she said, looking down at him, "how do you feel?"

"Sit down, " he said. The question as to his health was too perfunctoryto require reply. Besides, he anticipated trouble, and it was anage-long habit of his to meet it halfway. 

Annunciata sat, with a jingling of chains. She chose a straight chair, and faced him, very erect. 

"How old is Hedwig?" demanded the King

"Nineteen. "

"And Hilda?"

"Sixteen. "

He knew their ages quite well. It was merely the bugle before theattack. 

"Hedwig is old enough to marry. Her grandmother was not nineteen when Imarried her. "

"It would be better, " said Annunciata, "to marry her while she is young, before she knows any better. "

"Any better than what?" inquired the King testily. 

"Any better than to marry at all. "

The King eyed her. She was not, then, even attempting to hide her claws. But he was an old bird, and not to be caught in an argumentative cage. 

"There are several possibilities for Hedwig, " he said. "I have gone intothe matter pretty thoroughly. As you know, I have had this on my mindfor some time. It is necessary to arrange things before I--go. "

The King, of course, was neither asking nor expecting sympathy from her, but mentally, and somewhat grimly, he compared her unmoved face withthat of his old friend and Chancellor, only a few nights before. 

"It is a regrettable fact, " he went on, "that I must leave, as I shall, a sadly troubled country. But for that--" he paused. But for that, hemeant, he would go gladly. He needed rest. His spirit, still so alive, chafed daily more and more against its worn body. He believed in anotherlife, did the old King. He wanted the hearty handclasp of his boy again. Even the wife who had married him against her will had grown close tohim in later years. He needed her too. A little rest, then, and afterthat a new life, with those who had gone ahead. 

"A sadly troubled country, " he repeated. 

"All countries are troubled. We are no worse than others. "

"Perhaps not. But things are changing. The old order is changing. Thespirit of unrest--I shall not live to see it. You may, Annunciata. Butthe day is coming when all thrones will totter. Like this one. "

Now at last he had pierced her armor. "Like this one!"

"That is what I said. Rouse yourself, Annunciata. Leave that littleboudoir of yours, with its accursed clocks and its heat and itsflub-dubbery, and see what is about you! Discontent! Revolution! We arehardly safe from day to day. Do you think that what happened nine yearsago was a flash that died as it came? Nonsense. Read this!"

He held out the paper and she put on her pince-nez and read itsheadings, a trifle disdainfully. But the next moment she rose, and stoodin front of him, almost as pale as he was. "You allow this sort of thingto be published?"

"No. But it is published. "

"And they dare to say things like this? Why, it--it is--"

"Exactly. It is, undoubtedly. " He was very calm. "I would not havetroubled you with it. But the situation is bad. We are rather helpless. "

"Not--the army too?"

"What can we tell? These things spread like fires. Nothing may happenfor years. On the other hand, tomorrow--!"

The Archduchess was terrified. She had known that there was disaffectionabout. She knew that in the last few years precautions at the Palace hadbeen increased. Sentries were doubled. Men in the uniforms of lackeys, but doing no labor, were everywhere. But with time and safety she hadfelt secure. 

"Of course, " the King resumed, "things are not as bad as that paperindicates. It is the voice of the few, rather than the many. Still, itis a voice. "

Annunciata looked more than her age now. She glanced around the room asthough, already, she heard the mob at the doors. 

"It is not safe to stay here, is it?" she asked. "We could go to thesummer palace. That, at least, is isolated. "

"Too isolated, " said the King dryly. "And flight! The very spark, perhaps, to start a blaze. Besides, " he remind her, "I could not makethe journey. If you would like to go, however, probably it can bearranged. "

But Annunciata was not minded to go without the Court. And shereflected, not unwisely, that if things were really as bad as theyappeared, to isolate herself, helpless in the mountains, would be but toplay into the enemy's hand. 

"To return to the matter of Hedwig's marriage, " said the King. "I--"

"Marriage! When our very lives are threatened!"

"I would be greatly honored, " said the King, "if I might be permitted tofinish what I was saying. "

She had the grace to flush. 

"Under the circumstances, " the King resumed, "Hedwig's marriage takes ongreat significance--great political significance. "

For a half-hour then, he talked to her. More than for years, heunbosomed himself. He had tried. His ministers had tried. Taxes hadbeen lightened; the representation of the people increased, until; as hesaid, he was only nominally a ruler. But discontent remained. Some whohad gone to America and returned with savings enough to set themselvesup in business, had brought back with them the American idea. 

He spoke without bitterness. They refused to allow for the differencebetween a new country and an old land, tilled for many generations. Theyforgot their struggles across the sea and brought back only stories ofprosperity. Emigration had increased, and those who remained whisperedof a new order, where each man was the government, and no man a king. 

Annunciata listened to the end. She felt no pity for those who wouldbetter themselves by discontent and its product, revolt. She felt onlyresentment that her peace was being threatened, her position assailed. And in her resentment she included the King himself. He should have donebetter. These things, taken early enough, could have been arranged. 

And something of this she did not hesitate to say. "Karnia is quietenough, " she finished, a final thrust. 

"Karnia is better off. A lowland, most of it, and fertile. " But a spotof color showed in his old cheeks. "I am glad you spoke of Karnia. Whatever plans we make, Karnia must be considered. "

"Why? Karnia does not consider us. "

He raised his hand. "You are wrong. Just now, Karnia is doing us thehonor of asking an alliance with us. A matrimonial alliance. "

The Archduchess was hardly surprised, as one may believe. But she wasnot minded to yield too easily. The old resentment against her fatherflamed. Indifferent mother though she was, she made capital of a fearfor Hedwig's happiness. In a cold and quiet voice she reminded him ofher own wretchedness, and of Karl's reputation. 

At last she succeeded in irritating the King--a more difficult thingnow than in earlier times, but not so hard a matter at that. He listenedquietly until she had finished, and then sent her away. When she hadgot part way to the door, however, he called her back. And since a kingis a king, even if he is one's father and very old, she came. 

"Just one word more, " he said, in his thin, old, highbred voice. "Muchof your unhappiness was of your own making. You, and you only, knowhow much. But nothing that you have said can change the situation. I ammerely compelled to make the decision alone, and soon. I have not muchtime. "

So, after all, was the matter of the Duchess Hedwig's marriage arranged, a composite outgrowth of expediency and obstinacy, of defiance andanger. And so was it hastened. 

Irritation gave the King strength. That afternoon were summoned in hastethe members of his Council: fat old Friese, young Marschall with the ratface, austere Bayerl with the white skin and burning eyes, and others. And to them all the King disclosed his royal will. There was some demur. Friese, who sweated with displeasure, ranted about old enemies andbroken pledges. But, after all, the King's will was dominant. Friesecould but voice his protest and relapse into greasy silence. 

The Chancellor sat silent during the conclave, silent, but intent. On each speaker he turned his eyes, and waited until at last Karl'sproposal, with its promises, was laid before them in full. Then, andonly then, the Chancellor rose. His speech was short. He told them ofwhat they all knew, their own insecurity. He spoke but a word of theCrown Prince, but that softly. And he drew for them a pictures of thefuture that set their hearts to glowing--a throne secure, a greaterkingdom, freedom from the cost of war, a harbor by the sea. 

And if, as he spoke, he saw not the rat eyes of Marschall, the greedyones of some of the others, but instead a girl's wide and pleading ones, he resolutely went on. Life was a sacrifice. Youth would pass, and lovewith it, but the country must survive. 

The battle, which was no battle at all, was won. He had won. The countryhad won. The Crown Prince had won. Only Hedwig had lost. And onlyMettlich knew just how she had lost. 

When the Council, bowing deep, had gone away, the Chancellor remainedstanding by a window. He was feeling old and very tired. All that day, until the Council met with the King, he had sat in the little officeon a back street, which was the headquarters of the secret service. Allthat day men had come and gone, bringing false clues which led nowhere. The earth had swallowed up Nikky Larisch. 

"I hope you are satisfied, " said the King grimly, from behind him. "Itwas your arrangement. "

"It was my hope, sire, " replied the Chancellor dryly. 

The necessity for work brought the King the strength to do it. Mettlichremained with him. Boxes were brought from vaults, unlocked andexamined. Secretaries came and went. At eight o'clock a frugal dinnerwas spread in the study, and they ate it almost literally over statedocuments. 

On and on, until midnight or thereabouts. Then they stopped. The thingwas arranged. Nothing was left now but to carry the word to Karl. 

Two things were necessary: Haste. The King, having determined it, wouldlose no time. And dignity. The granddaughter of the King must be offeredwith ceremony. No ordinary King's messenger, then, but some dignitary ofthe Court. 

To this emergency Mettlich rose like the doughty old warrior andstatesman that he was. "If you are willing, sire, " he said, as he rose, "I will go myself. "

"When?"

"Since it must be done, the sooner the better. To-night, sire. "

The King smiled. "You were always impatient!" he commented. But helooked almost wistfully at the sturdy and competent old figure beforehim. Thus was he, not so long ago. Cold nights and spring storms hadhad no terrors for him. And something else he felt, although he saidnothing--the stress of a situation which would send his Chancellor outat midnight, into a driving storm, to secure Karl's support. Things mustbe bad indeed!

"To the capital?" he asked. 

"Not so far. Karl is hunting. He is at Wedeling. " He went almostimmediately, and the King summoned his valets, and was got to bed. Butlong after the automobile containing Mettlich and two secret agents wason the road toward the mountains, he tossed on his narrow bed. To whatstraits had they come indeed! He closed his eyes wearily. Something hadgone out of his life. He did not realize at first what it was. When hedid, he smiled his old grim smile in the darkness. 

He had lost a foe. More than anything perhaps, he had dearly loved afoe. 

CHAPTER XVI. ON THE MOUNTAIN ROAD

The low gray car which carried the Chancellor was on its way through themountains. It moved deliberately, for two reasons. First, the Chancellorwas afraid of motors. He had a horseman's hatred and fear of machines. Second, he was not of a mind to rouse King Karl from a night's sleep, even to bring the hand of the Princess Hedwig. His intention was to putup at some inn in a village not far from the lodge and to reach Karl bymessenger early in the morning, before the hunters left for the day. 

Then, all being prepared duly and in order, Mettlich himself wouldarrive, and things would go forward with dignity and dispatch. 

In the mean time he sat back among his furs and thought of many things. He had won a victory which was, after all, but a compromise. He hadchosen the safe way, but it led over the body of a young girl, and heloathed it. Also, he thought of Nikky, and what might be. But the carwas closed and comfortable. The motion soothed him. After a time hedropped asleep. 

The valley of the Ar deepened. The cliff rose above them, a wall brokenhere and there by the offtake of narrow ravines, filled with foresttrees. There was a pause while the chains on the rear wheels weresupplemented by others in front, for there must be no danger of a skid. And another pause, where the road slanted perilously toward the brink ofthe chasm, and caution dictated that the Chancellor alight, and make ahundred feet or so of dangerous curve afoot. 

It required diplomacy to get him out. But it was finally done, and hisheavy figure, draped in its military cape, went on ahead, outlinedby the lamps of the car behind him. The snow was hardly more than acoating, but wet and slippery. Mettlich stalked on, as one who woulddefy the elements, or anything else, to hinder him that night. 

He was well around the curve, and the cliff was broken by a wedge oftimber, when a curiously shaped object projected itself over the edge ofthe bank, and rolling down, lay almost at his feet. The lamps brought itinto sharp relief--a man, gagged and tied, and rolled, cigar shaped, inan automobile robe. 

The Chancellor turned, and called to his men. Then he bent over thebundle. The others ran up, and cut the bonds. What with cold and longinaction, and his recent drop over the bank, the man could not speak. One of the secret-service men had a flask, and held it to his lips. Anamazing situation, indeed, increased by the discovery that under therobe he wore only his undergarments, with a soldier's tunic wrappedaround his shoulders. They carried him into the car, where he lay withhead lolling back, and his swollen tongue protruding. Half dead he was, with cold and long anxiety. The brandy cleared his mind long before hecould speak, and he saw by the uniforms that he was in the hands of theenemy. He turned sulkily silent then, convinced that he had escaped onedeath but to meet another. Twenty-four hours now he had faced eternity, and he was ready. 

He preferred, however, to die fully clothed, and when, in response tohis pointing up the bank and to his inarticulate mouthings, one of thesecret police examined the bit of woodland with his pocket flash, hefound a pair of trousers where Nikky had left them, neatly folded andhung over the branch of a tree. The brandy being supplemented by hotcoffee from a patent bottle, the man revived further, made an effort, and sat up. His tongue was still swollen, but they made out what hesaid. He had been there since the night before. People had passed, afew peasants, a man with a cart, but he could not cry out, and he hadhesitated to risk the plunge to the road. But at last he had made it. Hewas of Karnia, and a King's messenger. 

"I was coming back from the barrier, " he said thickly, "where I hadcarried dispatches to the officer in charge. On my return a man hailedme from the side of, the road, near where you found me. I thought thathe desired to be taken on, and stopped my car. But he attacked me. Hewas armed and I was not. He knocked me senseless, and when I awakenedI was above the road, among trees. I gave myself up when the snowcommenced. Few pass this way. But I heard your car coming and made adesperate effort. "

"Then, " asked one of the agents, "these are not your clothes?"

"They are his; sir. "

The agent produced a flash-light and inspected the garments. Before theChancellor's eyes, button by button, strap on the sleeve, star on thecuff, came into view the uniform of a captain of his own regiment, theGrenadiers. Then one of his own men had done this infamous thing, one ofhis own officers, indeed. 

"Go through the pockets, " he continued sternly. 

Came, into view under the flash a pair of gloves, a box of matches, asilk handkerchief, a card-case. The agent said nothing, but passed acard to the Chancellor, who read it without comment. 

There was silence in the car. 

At last the Chancellor stirred. "This man--he took your car on?"

"Yes. And he has not returned. No other machine has passed. "

The secret-service men exchanged glances. There was more to this thanappeared. Somewhere ahead, then, was Nikky Larisch, with a motor thatdid got belong to him, and wearing clothing which his victim describedas a chauffeur's coat of leather, breeches and puttees, and a furgreatcoat over all. 

"Had the snow commenced when this happened?"

"Not then; sir. Shortly after. "

"Go out with the driver, " the Chancellor ordered one of his men, "andwatch the road for the tracks of another car. Go slowly. "

So it was that, after an hour or so, they picked up Nikky's trail, nowtwenty-four hours old but still clear, and followed it. The Chancellorwas awake enough by this time, and bending forward. The man they hadrescued slept heavily. As the road descended into the foothills, therewere other tracks in the thin snow, and more than once they rousedNikky's victim to pick out his own tire marks. He obeyed dully. Whenat last the trail turned from the highway toward the shooting-box atWedeling, Mettlich fell back with something between a curse and a groan. 

"The fool!" he muttered. "The young fool! It was madness. "

At last they drew up at an inn in the village on the royal preserve, andthe Chancellor, looking rather gray, alighted. He directed that the manthey had rescued be brought in. The Chancellor was not for losing himjust yet. He took a room for him at the inn, and rather cavalierlylocked him in it. 

The dull-eyed landlord, yawning as he lighted the party upstairs withcandles, apparently neither noticed nor cared that the three of themsurrounded a fourth, and that the fourth looked both sullen and ill. 

The car, with one of the secret-service men, Mettlich sent on to followNikky's trail, and to report it to him. The other man was assigned tocustody of the chauffeur. The Chancellor, more relieved than he wouldhave acknowledged, reflected before a fire and over a glass of hot milkthat he was rather unpropitiously bringing Karl a bride!

It was almost four in the morning when the police agent returned. Thetrack he had followed apparently led into the grounds of Wedeling, butwas there lost in many others. It did not, so far as he could discover, lead beyond the lodge gates. 

The Chancellor sipped his hot milk and considered. Nikky Larisch aprisoner in Karl's hands caused him less anxiety than it would have amonth before. But what was behind it all?

The inn, grumbling at its broken rest, settled down to sleep again. Thetwo secret-service agents took turns on chairs outside their prisoner'sdoor, glancing in occasionally to see that he still slept in hisbuilt-in bed. 

At a little before five the man outside the prisoner's door heardsomething inside the room. He glanced in. All was quiet. The prisonerslept heavily, genuine sleep. There was no mistaking it, the sleep of aman warm after long cold and exhaustion, weary after violent effort. Theagent went out again, and locked the door behind him. 

And as the door closed, a trap-door from the kitchen below opened softlyunder the sleeping man's bed. With great caution came the landlord, head first, then shoulders. The space was cramped. He crawled up, like asnake out of a hole, and ducked behind the curtains of the bed. Allwas still quiet, save that the man outside struck a match and lighted apipe. 

Half an hour later, the Chancellor's prisoner, still stiff and weak, wasmaking his way toward the hunting-lodge. 

Kaiser saw him first, and found the story unenlightening. Nor couldKarl, roused by a terrified valet, make much more of it. When the manhad gone, Karl lay back among his pillows and eyed his agent. 

"So Mettlich is here!" he said. "A hasty journey. They must be eager. "

"They must be in trouble, " Kaiser observed dryly. And on thatuncomplimentary comment King Karl slept, his face drawn into a wrysmile. 

But he received the Chancellor of Livonia cordially the next morning, going himself to the lodge doorstep to meet his visitor, and thereshaking hands with him. 

"I am greatly honored, Excellency, " he said, with his twisted smile. 

"And I, sire. "

But the Chancellor watched him from under his shaggy brows. Themessenger had escaped. By now Karl knew the story, knew of his midnightride over the mountains; and the haste it indicated. He sheathedhimself in dignity; did the Chancellor, held his head high and movedponderously, as became one who came to talk of important matters, butnot to ask a boon. 

Karl himself led the way to his study, ignoring the chamberlain, andstood aside to let Mettlich enter. Then he followed and closed the door. 

"It is a long time since you have honored Karnia with a visit, " Karlobserved. "Will you sit down?"

Karl himself did not sit. He stood negligently beside the mantel, an armstretched along it. 

"Not since the battle of the Ar, sire, " replied the Chancellor dryly. Hehad headed an army of invasion then. 

Karl smiled. "I hope that now your errand is more peaceful. "

For answer the Chancellor opened a portfolio he carried, and fumbledamong its papers. But, having found the right one, he held it withoutopening it. "Before we come to that, sire, you have here, I believe, detained for some strange reason, a Captain Larisch, aide-de-camp"--hepaused for effect--"to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Livonia. "

Karl glanced up quickly. "Perhaps, if you will describethis--gentleman--"

"Nonsense, " said the Chancellor testily, "you have him. We have tracedhim here. Although by what authority you hold him I fail to understand. I am here to find out what you have done with him. " The paper trembledin the old man's hand. He knew very well Karl's quick anger, and hefeared for Nikky feared horribly. 

"Done with him?" echoed Karl. "If as Captain Larisch you refer to amadman who the night before last--"

"I do, sire. Madman is the word. "

Of course, it is not etiquette to interrupt a king. But kings were nonovelty to the Chancellor. And quite often, for reasons of state, he hadfound interruptions necessary. 

"He is a prisoner, " Karl said, in a new tone, stern enough now. "Heassaulted and robbed one of my men. He stole certain documents. That hehas not suffered for it already was because--well, because I believedthat the unfortunate distrust between your country and mine, Excellency, was about to end. "

A threat that, undoubtedly. Let the arrangement between Karnia andLivonia be made, with Hedwig to seal the bargain, and Nikky was safeenough. But let Livonia demand too much, or not agree at all, and Nikkywas lost. Thus did Nikky Larisch play his small part in the game ofnations. 

"Suppose, " said Karl unctuously, "that we discuss first another moreimportant matter. I confess to a certain impatience. " He bowed slightly. 

The Chancellor hesitated. Then he glanced thoughtfully at the paper inhis hand. 

Through a long luncheon, the two alone and even the servants dismissed, through a longer afternoon, negotiations went on. Mettlich foughthard on some points, only to meet defeat. Karl stood firm. The greatfortresses on the border must hereafter contain only nominal garrisons. For the seaport strip he had almost doubled his price. The railroad mustbe completed within two years. 

"Since I made my tentative proposal, " Karl said, "certain things havecome to my ears which must be considered. A certain amount of unrest weall have. It is a part of the times we live in. But strange storieshave reached us here, that your revolutionary party is again active, andthreatening. This proposal was made to avoid wars, not to marry them. And civil war--" He shrugged his shoulders. 

"You have said yourself, sire, that we all have a certain discontent. "

"The Princess Hedwig, " Karl said suddenly. "She has been told, ofcourse?"

"Not officially. She knows, however. "

"How does she regard it?"

The Chancellor hesitated. "Like most young women, she would prefermaking her own choice. But that, " he added hastily, "is but a whim. Sheis a lovable and amiable girl. When the time comes she will be willingenough. "

Karl stared out through one of the heavily curtained windows. He was notso sure. And the time had gone by when he would have enjoyed the tamingof a girl. Now he wanted peace--was he not paying a price for it?--andchildren to inherit his well-managed kingdom. And perhaps--who knows?--alittle love. His passionate young days were behind him, but he cravedsomething that his unruly life had not brought him. Before him rose avision of Hedwig her frank eyes, her color that rose and fell, her soft, round body. 

"You have no reason to believe that she has looked elsewhere?"

"None, sire, " said the Chancellor stoutly. 

By late afternoon all was arranged, papers signed and witnessed, and thetwo signatures affixed, the one small and cramped--a soldier's hand;the other bold and flowing--the scrawl of a king. And Hedwig, save forthe ceremony, was the bride of Karl of Karnia. 

It was then that the Chancellor rose and stretched his legs. "And now, sire, " he said, "since we are friends and no longer enemies, you will, Iknow, release that mad boy of mine. "

"When do you start back?"

"Within an hour. "

"Before that time, " said Karl, "you shall have him, Chancellor. "

And with that Mettlich was forced to be content. He trusted Karl no morenow than he ever had. But he made his adieus with no hint of trouble inhis face. 

Karl waited until the machine drove away. He had gone to the doorstepwith the Chancellor, desiring to do him all possible honor. But Mettlichunaccustomed to democratic ways, disapproved of the proceeding, and wasindeed extremely uncomfortable, and drew a sigh of relief when it wasall over. He was of the old order which would keep its royalties ongilded thrones and, having isolated there in grandeur, have gone aboutthe business of the kingdom without them. 

Karl stood for a moment in the open air. It was done, then, and welldone. It was hard to realize. He turned to the west, where for so longbehind the mountains had lurked an enemy. A new era was opening; peace, disarmament, a quiet and prosperous land. He had spent his years of warand women. That was over. 

From far away in the forest he heard the baying of the hounds. Thecrisp air filled his lungs. And even as he watched, a young doe, withrolling eyes, leaped across the drive. Karl watched it with coollyspeculative eyes. 

When he returned to the study the agent Kaiser was already there. In thedemocracy of the lodge men came and went almost at will. But Karl, bigwith plans for the future, would have been alone, and eyed the agentwith disfavor. 

"Well?" he demanded. 

"We have been able to search the Chancellor's rooms, sire, " the agentsaid, "for the articles mentioned last night--a card-case, gloves, and asilk handkerchief, belonging to the prisoner upstairs. He is CaptainLarisch, aide-de-camp to the Crown Prince of Livonia. "

He had, expected Karl to be, impressed. But Karl only looked at him. "Iknow that, " he said coldly. "You are always just a little late with yourinformation, Kaiser. "

Something like malice showed in the agent's face. "Then you also know, sire, that it is this Captain Larisch with whom rumor couples the nameof the Princess Hedwig. " He stepped back a pace or two at sight ofKarl's face. "You requested such information, sire. "

For answer, Karl pointed to the door. 

For some time after he had dismissed the agent, Karl paced his libraryalone. Kaiser brought no unverified information. Therefore the thing wastrue. Therefore he had had his enemy in his hand, and now was pledgedto let him go. For a time, then, Karl paid the penalty of many misdeeds. His triumph was ashes in his mouth. 

What if this boy, infatuated with Hedwig, had hidden somewhere on theroad Olga Loschek's letter? What, then, if he recovered it and took itto Hedwig? What if-- But at last he sent for the prisoner upstairs, andwaited for him with both jealousy and fear in his eyes. 

Five minutes later Nikky Larisch was ushered into the red study, andhaving bowed, an insolent young bow at that, stood and eyed the King. 

"I have sent for you to release you, " said Karl. Nikky drew a longbreath. "I am grateful, sire. "

"You have been interceded for by the Chancellor of Livonia, GeneralMettlich, who has just gone. "

Nikky bowed. 

"Naturally, since you said nothing, of your identity, we could not knowthat you belonged to His Majesty's household. Under the circumstances, it is a pleasure to give you your freedom. "

Nikky, bowed again. 

Karl fixed him with cold eyes. "But before you take leave of us, " hesaid ironically, "I should like the true story of the night before last. Somehow, somewhere, a letter intended for me was exchanged for a blankpaper. I want that letter. "

"I know no more than you, sire. It is not reasonable that I would havetaken the risk I took for an envelope containing nothing. "

"For that matter, " said His Majesty, "there was nothing reasonable aboutanything you did!"

And now Karl played his trump card, played it with watchful eyes onNikky's face. He would see if report spoke the truth, if this blue-eyedboy was in love with Hedwig. He was a jealous man, this Karl of the coldeyes, jealous and passionate. Not as a king, then, watching a humblesoldier of Livonia, but as man to man, he gazed at Nikky. 

"For fear that loyalty keeps you silent, I may say to you that the oldtroubles between Karnia and Livonia are over. "

"I do not understand, sire. "

Karl hesitated. Then, with his twisted smile, he cast the rigidetiquette of such matters to the winds. "It is very simple, " he said. "There will be no more trouble between these two neighboring countries, because a marriage has to-day been arranged--a marriage between thePrincess Hedwig, His Majesty's granddaughter, and myself. "

For a moment Nikky Larisch closed his eyes. 

CHAPTER XVII. THE FORTRESS

The anniversary of the death of Prince Hubert dawned bright and sunny. The Place showed a thin covering of snow, which clung, wet and sticky, to the trees; but by nine o'clock most of it had disappeared, and PrinceFerdinand William Otto was informed that the excursion would take place. 

Two motors took the party, by back streets, to the landing-stage. In thefirst were Annunciata, Hedwig, and the Countess, and at the last momentOtto had salvaged Miss Braithwaite from the second car, and begged aplace for her with him. A police agent sat beside the chauffeur. Alsoanother car, just ahead, contained other agents, by Mettlich's orderbefore his departure--a plain black motor, without the royal arms. 

In the second machine followed a part of the suite, Hedwig's ladyin waiting, two gentlemen of the Court, in parade dress, and FatherGregory, come from his monastery at Etzel to visit his old friend, theKing. 

At the landing-stage a small crowd had gathered on seeing the red carpetlaid and the gilt ropes put up, which indicated a royal visit. A smallgirl, with a hastily secured bouquet in her hot hands, stood nervouslywaiting. In deference to the anniversary, the flowers were tied with ablack ribbon!

Annunciata grumbled when she saw the crowd, and the occupants of thefirst car looked them over carefully. It remained for Hedwig to spy theblack ribbon. In the confusion, she slipped over to the little girl, whowent quite white with excitement. "They are lovely, " Hedwig whispered, "but please take off the black ribbon. " The child eyed her anxiously. "It will come to pieces, Highness. "

"Take the ribbon from your hair. It will be beautiful. "

Which was done! But, as was not unnatural, the child forgot her speech, and merely thrust the bouquet, tied with a large pink bow, into thehands of Prince Ferdinand William Otto. 

"Here, " she said. It was, perhaps, the briefest, and therefore the mostagreeable presentation speech the Crown Prince had ever heard. 

Red carpet and gold ropes and white gloves these last on the waitingofficers--made the scene rather gay. The spring sun shone on thegleaming river, on the white launch with its red velvet cushions, onthe deck chairs, its striped awnings and glittering brass, on the CrownPrince, in uniform, on the bouquet and the ribbon. But somewhere, backof the quay, a band struck up a funeral march, and a beggar, sitting inthe sun, put his hand to his ear. 

"Of course, " he said, to no one in particular. "It is the day. I hadforgotten. "

The quay receded, red carpet and all. Only the blare of the bandfollowed them, and with the persistence of sound over water, followedthem for some time. The Crown Prince put down the bouquet, and proceededto stand near the steersman. 

"When I am grown up, " he observed to that embarrassed sailor, "I hope Ishall be able to steer a boat. "

The steersman looked about cautiously. The royal guests were settlingthemselves in chairs; with rugs over their knees. "It is very easy, YourRoyal Highness, " he said. "See, a turn like this, and what happens? Andthe other way the same. "

Followed a five minutes during which the white launch went on a strangeand devious course, and the Crown Prince grew quite hot and at least twoinches taller. It was, of course, the Archduchess who discovered whatwas happening. She was very disagreeable about it. 

The Archduchess was very disagreeable about everything that day. She wasafraid to stay in the Palace, and afraid to leave it. And just when shehad begun to feel calm, and the sun and fresh air were getting in theirwork, that wretched funeral band had brought back everything she wastrying to forget. 

The Countess was very gay. She said brilliant, rather heartless thingsthat set the group to laughing, and in the intervals she eyed Hedwigwith narrowed eyes and hate in her heart. Hedwig herself was very quiet. The bouquet had contained lilies-of-the-valley, for one thing. 

Miss Braithwaite knitted, and watched that the Crown Prince kept hiswhite gloves clean. 

Just before they left the Palace the Archduchesss had had a moment ofweakening, but the Countess had laughed away her fears. 

"I really think I shall not go, after all, " Annunciata had saidnervously. "There are reasons. "

The Countess had smiled mockingly. "Reasons!" she said. "I know thatmany things are being said. But I also know that General Mettlich is analarmist;" purred the Countess. "And that the King is old and ill, andsees through gray glasses. "

So the Archduchess had submitted to having a plumed and inappropriatehat set high on her head, regardless of the fashion, and had pinned ontwo watches and gone. 

It was Hedwig who showed the most depression on the trip, after all. Early that morning she had attended mass in the royal chapel. All thehousehold had been there, and the King had been wheeled in, and had satin his box, high in the wall, the door of which opened from his privatesuite. 

Looking up, Hedwig had seen his gray old face set and rigid. The Courthad worn black, and the chapel was draped in crepe. She had fallen onher knees and had tried dutifully to pray for the dead Hubert. But herwhole soul was crying out for help for herself. 

So now she sat very quiet, and wondered about things. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto sat by the rail and watched the greenbanks flying by. In one place a group of children were sailing a tinyboat from the bank. It was only a plank, with a crazy cotton sail. Theyshoved it off and watched while the current seized it and carried italong. Then they cheered, and called good-bye to it. 

The Crown Prince leaned over the rail, and when the current caught it, he cheered too, and waved his cap. He was reproved, of course, and someofficious person insisted on tucking the rug around his royal legs. Butwhen no one was looking, he broke a flower from the bouquet and flungit overboard. He pretended that it was a boat, and was going down toKarnia, filled with soldiers ready to fight. 

But the thought of soldiers brought Nikky to his mind. His face clouded. "It's very strange about Nikky, " he said. "He is away somewhere. I wishhe had sent word he was going. "

Hedwig looked out over the river. 

The Archduchess glanced at Miss Braithwaite. "There is no news?" sheasked, in an undertone. 

"None, " said Miss Braithwaite. 

A sudden suspicion rose in Hedwig's mind, and made her turn pale. Whatif they had sent him away? Perhaps they feared him enough for that! Ifthat were true, she would never know. She knew the ways of the Palacewell enough for that. In a sort of terror she glanced around the group, so comfortably disposed. Her mother was looking out, with her cool, impassive gaze. Miss Braithwaite knitted. The Countess, however, mether eyes, and there was something strange in them: triumph and a bit ofterror, too, had she but read them. For the Countess had put in her pleafor a holiday and had been refused. 

The launch drew up near the fort, and the Crown Prince's salute of acertain number of guns was fired. The garrison was drawn up in line, andlooked newly shaved and very, very neat. And the officers came outand stood on the usual red carpet, and bowed deeply, after which theysaluted the Crown Prince and he saluted them. Then the Colonel in chargeshook hands all round, and the band played. It was all very ceremoniousand took a lot of tine. 

The new fortress faced the highroad some five miles from the Karnianborder. It stood on a bluff over the river, and was, as the Crown Princedecided, not so unlike the desk, after all, except that it had a moataround it. 

Hedwig and the Countess went with the party around the fortifications. The Archduchess and Miss Braithwaite had sought a fire. Only theCountess, however, seemed really interested. Hedwig seemed more intenton the distant line of the border than on anything else. She stood on arampart and stared out at it, looking very sad. Even the drill--when ata word all the great guns rose and peeped over the edge at the valleybelow, and then dropped back again as if they had seen enough--even thisfailed to rouse her. 

"I wish you would listen, Hedwig, " said the Crown Prince, almostfretfully. "It's so interesting. The enemy's soldiers would come up theriver in boats, and along that road on foot. And then we would raise theguns and shoot at them. And the guns would drop back again, before theenemy had time to aim at them. "

But Hedwig's interest was so evidently assumed that he turned to theCountess. The Countess professed smiling terror, and stood a little wayback from the guns, looking on. But Prince Ferdinand William Otto atlast coaxed her to the top of the emplacement. 

"There's a fine view up there, " he urged. "And the guns won't hurt you. There's nothing in them. "

To get up it was necessary to climb an iron ladder. Hedwig was alreadythere. About a dozen young officers had helped her up, and ruined asmany pairs of white gloves, although Hedwig could climb like a cat, andreally needed no help at all. 

"You go up, " said the Crown Prince eagerly. "I'll hold your bag, so youcan climb. "

He caught her handbag from her, and instantly something snapped init. The Countess was climbing up the ladder. Rather dismayed, PrinceFerdinand William Otto surveyed the bag. Something had broken, hefeared. And in another moment he saw what it was. The little watch whichwas set in one side of it had slipped away, leaving a round black hole. His heart beat a trifle faster. 

"I'm awfully worried, " he called up to her, as he climbed. "I'm afraidI've broken your bag. Something clicked, and the watch is gone. It isnot on the ground. "

It was well for the Countess that the Colonel was talking to Hedwig. Well for her, too, that the other officers were standing behind withtheir eyes worshipfully on the Princess. The Countess turned gray-white. 

"Don't worry, Highness, " she said, with stiff lips, "The watch fallsback sometimes. I must have it repaired. "

But long after the tour of the ramparts was over, after ammunition-roomshad been visited, with their long lines of waiting shells, after theswitchboard which controlled the river mines had been inspected andexplained, she was still trembling. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto, looking at the bag later on, saw thewatch in place and drew a long breath of relief. 

CHAPTER XVIII. OLD ADELBERT

Old Adelbert of the Opera had lost his position. No longer, a sausage inhis pocket for refreshment, did he leave his little room daily for theOpera. A young man, who made ogling eyes at Olga, of the garde-robe, andwho was not careful to keep the lenses clean, had taken his place. 

He was hurt in his soldier's soul. There was no longer a place in thekingdom for those who had fought for it. The cry was for the young. Andeven in the first twenty-four hours a subtle change went on in him. Hisloyalty, on which he had built his creed of life, turned to bitterness. 

The first day of his idleness he wandered into the back room of thecobbler's shop near by, where the butter-seller from the corner, themaker of artificial flowers for graves, and the cobbler himself weregathered, and listened without protest to such talk as would have rousedhim once to white anger. 

But the iron had not yet gone very deep, and one thing he would notpermit. It was when, in the conversation, one of them attacked the King. Then indeed he was roused to fury. 

"A soldier and a gentleman, " he said. "For him I lost this leg of mine, and lost it without grieving. When I lay in the hospital he himselfcame, and--"

A burst of jeering laughter greeted this, for he had told it many times. Told it, because it was all he had instead of a leg, and although hecould not walk on it, certainly it had supported him through many years. 

"As for the little Crown Prince, " he went on firmly, "I have seen himoften. He came frequently to the Opera. He has a fine head and a brightsmile. He will be a good king. "

But this was met with silence. 

Once upon a time a student named Haeckel had occasionally backed him upin his defense of the royal family. But for some reason or other Haeckelcame no more, and old Adelbert missed him. He had inquired for himfrequently. 

"Where is the boy Haeckle?" he had asked one day. "I have not seen himlately. "

No one had replied. But a sort of grim silence settled over the littleroom. Old Adelbert, however, was not discerning. 

"Perhaps, as a student, he worked too hard" he had answered his ownquestion. "They must both work and play hard, these students. A fine lotof young men. I have watched them at the Opera. Most of them preferredItalian to German music. "

But, that first day of idleness, when he had left the cobbler's, heresolved not to return. They had not been unfriendly, but he had seen atonce there was a difference. He was no longer old Adelbert of the Opera. He was an old man only, and out of work. 

He spent hours that first free afternoon repairing his frayed linen andhis shabby uniform, with his wooden leg stretched out before him and hispipe clutched firmly in his teeth. Then, freshly shaved and brushed, hestarted on a painful search after work. With no result. And, indeed, hewas hopeless before he began. He was old and infirm. There was littlethat he had even the courage to apply for. 

True, he had his small pension, but it came only twice a year, and wassent, intact, to take care of an invalid daughter in the country. Thatwas not his. He never used a penny of it. And he had saved a trifle, by living on air; as the concierge declared. But misfortunes come inthrees, like fires and other calamities. The afternoon of that very daybrought a letter, saying that the daughter was worse and must havean operation. Old Adelbert went to church and burned a candle for herrecovery, and from there to the bank, to send by registered mail thesurgeon's fee. 

He was bankrupt in twenty-four hours. 

That evening in his extremity he did a reckless thing. He wrote a letterto the King. He spent hours over it, first composing it in pencil andthen copying it with ink borrowed from the concierge. It began "Sire, "as he had learned was the form, and went on to remind His Majesty, first, of the hospital incident, which, having been forty years ago, might have slipped the royal memory. Then came the facts--his lostposition, his daughter, the handicap of his wooden leg. It ended with aplea for reinstatement or, failing that, for any sort of work. 

He sent it, unfolded, in a large flat envelope, which also he hadlearned was the correct thing with kings, who for some reason or otherdo not like folded communications. Then he waited. He considered that afew hours should bring a return. 

No answer came. No answer ever came. For the King was ill, andsecretaries carefully sifted the royal mail. 

He waited all of the next day, and out of the mixed emotions of his soulconfided the incident of the letter to Humbert, in his bureau below. 

The concierge smiled in his beard. "What does the King care?" hedemanded. "He will never see that letter. And if he did--you have livedlong, my friend. Have you ever known the King to give, or to do anythingbut take? Name me but one instance. "

And that night, in the concierge's bureau, he was treated to manyincidents, all alike. The Government took, but gave nothing. As wellexpect blood out of a stone. Instances were given, heartlessness piledon heartlessness, one sordid story on another. 

And as he listened there died in old Adelbert's soul his flaming lovefor his sovereign and his belief in him. His eyes took on a hard andhaunted look. That night he walked past the Palace and shook his fist atit. He was greatly ashamed of that, however, and never repeated it. Buthis soul was now an open sore, ready for infection. 

And Black Humbert bided his time. 

On the day of the excursion to the fortress old Adelbert decided toappeal to his fellow lodger, Herman Spier. Now and then, when he wasaffluent, he had paid small tribute to Herman by means of the campcookery on which he prided himself. 

"A soldier's mess!" he would say, and bring in a bowl of soup, or aslice of deer meat, broiled over hot coals in his tiny stove. "Eat it, man. These restaurants know nothing of food. "

To Herman now he turned for advice and help. It was difficult to findthe clerk. He left early, and often came home after midnight in acurious frame of mind, a drunkenness of excitement that was worse thanthat of liquor. 

Herman could not help him. But he eyed the old soldier appraisingly. Heguessed shrewdly the growing uneasiness behind Adelbert's brave front. If now one could enlist such a man for the Cause, that would be worthdoing. He had talked it over with the concierge. Among the veterans theold man was influential, and by this new policy of substituting freshblood for stale, the Government had made many enemies among them. 

"In a shop!" he said coldly. "With that leg? No, my friend. Two legs arehardly enough for what we have to do. "

"Then, for any sort of work. I could sweep and clean. "

"I shall inquire, " said Herman Spier. But he did not intend to. He hadother plans. 

The old man's bitterness had been increased by two things. First, although he had been dismissed without notice, in the middle of theweek, he had been paid only up to the hour of leaving. That was agrievance. Second, being slow on his feet, one of the royal motorcarshad almost run him down, and the police had cursed him roundly for beingin the way. 

"Why be angry?" observed the concierge, on this being reported to him. "The streets are the King's. Who are the dogs of pedestrians but thosethat pay the taxes to build them?"

At last he determined to find Haeckel, the student. He did not know hisChristian name, nor where he lodged. But he knew the corps he belongedto, by his small gray cap with a red band. 

He was very nervous when he made this final effort. Corps houses werecurious places, he had heard, and full of secrets. Even the greatprofessors from the University might not enter without invitation. Andhis experience had been that students paid small respect to uniforms orto age. In truth, he passed the building twice before he could summoncourage to touch the great brass knocker. And the arrogance of itsclamor, when at last he rapped, startled him again. But here at least heneed not have feared. 

The student who was also doorkeeper eyed him kindly. "Well, comrade?" hesaid. 

"I am seeking a student named Haeckel, of this corps, " said old Adelbertstoutly. 

And had violated all etiquette, too, had he but known it!

"Haeckle?" repeated the doorkeeper. "I think--come in, comrade. I willinquire. "

For the name of Haeckel was, just then, one curiously significant. 

He disappeared, and old Adelbert waited. When the doorkeeper returned, it was to tell him to follow him, and to lead the way downstairs. 

There dawned on the old man's eyes a curious sight. In a long basementroom were perhaps thirty students, each armed with a foil, and wearing awire mask. A half dozen lay figures on springs stood in the center in alow row, and before these perspiring youths thrust and parried. Some ofthem, already much scarred, stood and watched. This, then, was wherethe students prepared themselves for duels. Here they fought the mimicbattles that were later on to lead to the much-prized scars. 

Old Adelbert stared with curious, rather scornful eyes. The rapier hedetested. Give him a saber, and a free field, and he would show them. Even yet, he felt, he had not lost his cunning. And the saber requirescunning as well as strength. 

Two or three students came toward him at once. "You are seekingHaeckle?" one of them asked. 

"I am. I knew him, but not well. Lately, however, I have thought--is hehere?"

The students exchanged glances. "He is not here, " one said. "Where didyou know him?"

"He came frequently to a shop I know of--a cobbler's shop, aneighborhood meeting-place. A fine lad. I liked him. But recently he hasnot come, and knowing his corps, I came here to find him. "

They had hoped to learn something from him, and he knew nothing. "He hasdisappeared, " they told him. "He is not at his lodging, and he has lefthis classes. He went away suddenly, leaving everything. That is all weknow. "

It sounded sinister. Old Adelbert, heavy-hearted, turned away andclimbed again to the street. That gateway was closed, too. And he felt apang of uneasiness. What could have happened to the boy? Was the world, after all, only a place of trouble?

But now came good fortune, and, like evil, it came not singly. Theoperation was over, and his daughter on the mend. The fee was paid also. And the second followed on the heels of the first. 

He did not like Americans. Too often, in better days, had he heard themerits of the American republic compared with the shortcomings of hisown government. When, as happened now and then, he met the Americanfamily on the staircase, he drew sharply aside that no touch ofrepublicanism might contaminate his uniform. 

On that day, however, things changed. 

First of all, he met the American lad in the hallway, and was pleased tosee him doff his bit of a cap. Not many, nowadays, uncovered a head tohim. The American lad was going down; Adelbert was climbing, one step ata time, and carrying a small basket of provisions. 

The American boy, having passed, turned, hesitated, went back. "I'd liketo carry that for you, if you don't mind. "

"Carry it?"

"I am very strong, " said the American boy stoutly. 

So Adelbert gave up his basket, and the two went up. Four long flightsof stone stairs led to Adelbert's room. The ascent took time andpatience. 

At the door Adelbert paused. Then, loneliness overcoming prejudice, "Come in, " he said. 

The bare little room appealed to the boy. "It's very nice, it?" he said. "There's nothing to fall over. "

"And but little to sit on, " old Adelbert added dryly. "However, twopeople require but two chairs. Here is one. "

But the boy would not sit down. He ranged the room, frankly curious, exclaimed at the pair of ring doves who lived in a box tied to thewindow-sill, and asked for crumbs for them. Adelbert brought bread fromhis small store. 

The boy cheered him. His interest in the old saber, the intentness withwhich he listened to its history, the politeness with which he ignoredhis host's infirmity, all won the old man's heart. 

These Americans downstairs were not all bad, then. They were too rich, of course. No one should have meat three times a day, as the meat-sellerreported they did. And they were paying double rent for the apartmentbelow. But that, of course, they could not avoid, not knowing the realcharge. 

The boy was frankly delighted. And when old Adelbert brought forth fromhis basket a sausage and, boiling it lightly, served him a slice betweentwo pieces of bread, an odd friendship was begun that was to haveunforeseen consequences. They had broken bread together. 

Between the very old and the very young come sometimes these strongaffections. Perhaps it is that age harkens back to the days of itsyouth, and by being very old, becomes young again. Or is it thatchildren are born old, with the withered, small faces of all the past, and must, year by year, until their maturity, shed this mantle of age?

Gradually, over the meal, and the pigeons, and what not, old Adelbertunburdened his heart. He told of his years at the Opera, where he hadkept his glasses clean and listened to the music until he knew by hearteven the most difficult passages. He told of the Crown Prince, whoalways wished opera-glasses, not because he needed them, but because heliked to turn them wrong end before, and thus make the audience appearat a great distance. And then he told of the loss of his position. 

The American lad listened politely, but his mind was on the CrownPrince. "Does he wear a crown?" he demanded. "I saw him once in acarriage, but I think he had a hat. "

"At the coronation he will wear a crown. "

"Do people do exactly what he tells them?"

Old Adelbert was not certain. He hedged, rather. "Probably, whenever itis good for him. "

"Huh! What's the use of being a prince?" observed the boy, who had heardof privileges being given that way before. "When will he be a king?"

"When the old King dies. He is very old now. I was in a hospital once, after a battle. And he came in. He put his hand on my shoulder, like this" he illustrated it on the child's small one--and said--Considering that old Adelbert no longer loved his King, it is strange torecord that his voice broke. 

"Will he die soon?" Bobby put in. He found kings as much of a novelty asto Prince Ferdinand William Otto they were the usual thing. Bobby's ideaof kings, however, was of the "off with his head" order. 

"Who knows? But when he does, the city will learn at once. The greatbell of the Cathedral, which never rings save at such times, will toll. They say it is a sound never to be forgotten. I, of course, have neverheard it. When it tolls, all in the city will fall on their knees andpray. It is the custom. " Bobby, reared to strict Presbyterianism andaccustomed to kneeling but once a day, and that at night beside hisbed, in the strict privacy of his own apartment, looked rather startled. "What will they pray for?" he said. 

And old Adelbert, with a new bitterness, replied that the sons of kingsneeded much prayer. Sometimes they were hard and did cruel things. 

"And then the Crown Prince will be a king, " Bobby reflected. "If I werea king, I'd make people stand around. And I'd have an automobile and runit myself. But has the Crown Prince only a grandfather, and no father?"

"He died--the boy's father. He was murdered, and the Princess his motheralso. "

Bobby's eyes opened wide. "Who did it?"

"Terrorists, " said old Adelbert. And would not be persuaded to say more. 

That night at dinner Bobby Thorpe delivered himself of quite a speech. He sat at the table, and now and then, when the sour-faced governesslooked at her plate, he slipped a bit of food to his dog, which waitedbeside him. 

"There's a very nice old man upstairs, " he said. "He has a fine sword, and ring-doves, and a wooden leg. And he used to rent opera-glasses tothe Crown Prince, only he turned them around. I'm going to try that withyours, mother. We had sausage together, and he has lost his position, and he's never been on the Scenic Railway, father. I'd like some ticketsfor him. He would like riding, I'm sure, because walking must be prettyhard. And what I want to know is this: Why can't you give him a job, father?"

Bobby being usually taciturn at the table, and entirely occupied withfood, the family stared at him. 

"What sort of a job, son? A man with one leg!"

"He doesn't need legs to chop tickets with. "

The governess listened. She did not like Americans. Barbarians theywere, and these were of the middle class, being in trade. For a scenicrailway is trade, naturally. Except that they paid a fat salary, withan extra month at Christmas, she would not be there. She and Pepy, themaid, had many disputes about this. But Pepy was a Dalmatian, and didnot matter. 

"He means the old soldier upstairs, " said Bobby's mother softly. She wasa gentle person. Her eyes were wide and childlike, and it was a sort ofreligion of the family to keep them full of happiness. 

This also the governess could not understand. 

"So the old soldier is out of work, " mused the head of the family. Head, thought the governess! When they wound him about their fingers! Sheliked men of sterner stuff. In her mountain country the men did asthey wished, and sometimes beat their wives by way of showing theirauthority. Under no circumstances, she felt, would this young man everbeat his wife. He was a weakling. 

The weakling smiled across the table at the wife with the soft eyes. "How about it, mother?" he asked. "Shall the firm of 'Bobby and I' offerhim a job?"

"I would like it very much, " said the weakling's wife, dropping her eyesto hide the pride in them. 

"Suppose, " said the weakling, "that you run up after dinner, Bob, andbring him down. Now sit still, young man, and finish. There's no suchhurry as that. "

And in this fashion did old Adelbert become ticket-chopper of theAmerican Scenic Railway. 

And in this fashion, too, commenced that odd friendship between him andthe American lad that was to have so vital an effect on the very lifeitself of the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto of Livonia. 

Late that evening, old Adelbert's problem having been solved, Pepy themaid and Bobby had a long talk. It concerned itself mainly with kings. Pepy sat in a low chair by the tiled stove in the kitchen, and knitted astocking with a very large foot. 

"What I want to know is this, " said Bobby, swinging his legs on thetable: "What are the Terrorists?"

Pepy dropping her knitting, and stared with open mouth. "What know youof such things?" she demanded. 

"Well, Terrorists killed the Crown Prince's father, and--"

Quite suddenly Pepy leaped from her chair, and covered Bobby's mouthwith her hand. "Hush!" she said, and stared about her with frightenedeyes. The door into the dining-room was open, and the governess satthere with a book. Then, in a whisper: "They are everywhere. No oneknows who they are, nor where they meet. " The superstition of hermountains crept into her voice. "It is said that they have theassistance of the evil one, and that the reason the police cannot findthem is because they take the form of cats. I myself, " she went onimpressively, "crossing the Place one night late, after spending theevening with a friend, saw a line of cats moving in the shadows. Oneof them stopped and looked at me. " Pepy crossed herself. "It had a facelike the Fraulein in there. "

Bobby stared with interest through the doorway. The governess did looklike a cat. She had staring eyes, and a short, wide face. "Maybe's she'sone of them, " he reflected aloud. 

"Oh, for God's sake, hush!" cried Pepy, and fell to knitting rapidly. Nor could Bobby elicit anything further from her. But that night, inhis sleep, he saw a Crown Prince, dressed in velvet and ermine, beingsurrounded and attacked by an army of cats, and went, shivering, tocrawl into his mother's bed. 

CHAPTER XIX. THE COMMITTEE OF TEN

On the evening of the annual day of mourning, the party returned fromthe fortress. The Archduchess slept. The Crown Prince talked, mostly toHedwig, and even she said little. After a time the silence affectedthe boy's high spirits. He leaned back in his chair on the deck ofthe launch, and watched the flying landscape. He counted the riversideshrines to himself. There were, he discovered, just thirteen between thefortress and the city limits. 

Old Father Gregory sat beside him. He had taken off his flat black hat, and it lay on his knee. The ends of his black woolen sash fluttered inthe wind, and he sat, benevolent hands folded, looking out. 

From guns to shrines is rather a jump, and the Crown Prince found itdifficult. 

"Do you consider fighting the duty of a Christian?" inquired the CrownPrince suddenly. 

Father Gregory, whose mind had been far away, with his boys' school atEtzel, started. 

"Fighting? That depends. To defend his home is the Christian duty ofevery man. "

"But during the last war, " persisted Otto, "we went across the mountainsand killed a lot of people. Was that a Christian duty?"

Father Gregory coughed. He had himself tucked up his soutane and walkedforty miles to join the army of invasion, where he had held services, cared for the wounded, and fired a rifle, all with equal spirit. Hechanged the subject to the big guns at the fortress. 

"I think, " observed the Crown Prince, forgetting his scruples, "that ifyou have a pencil and an old envelope to draw on, I'll invent a big gunmyself. "

Which he proceeded to do, putting in a great many wheels and levers, and adding, a folding-table at the side on which the gunners might haveafternoon tea--this last prompted by the arrival just then of cups andsaucers and a tea service. 

It was almost dark when the launch arrived at the quay. The red carpetwas still there, and another crowd. Had Prince Ferdinand William Ottobeen less taken up with finding one of his kid gloves, which he hadlost, he would have noticed that there was a scuffle going on at thevery edge of the red carpet, and that the beggar of the morning wasbeing led away, between two policemen, while a third, running up theriver bank, gingerly deposited a small round object in the water, andstood back. It was merely one of the small incidents of a royal outing, and was never published in the papers. But Father Gregory, whose oldeyes were far-sighted, had seen it all. His hand--the hand of theChurch--was on the shoulder of the Crown Prince as they landed. 

The boy looked around for the little girl of the bouquet. He took animmense interest in little girls, partly because he seldom saw any. Butshe was gone. 

When the motor which had taken them from the quay reached the Palace, Hedwig roused the Archduchess, whose head had dropped forward on herchest. "Here we are, mother, " she said. "You have had a nice sleep. "

But Annunciata muttered something about being glad the wretched day wasover, and every one save Prince Ferdinand William Otto seemed glad toget back. The boy was depressed. He felt, somehow, that they shouldhave enjoyed it, and that, having merely endured it, they had failed himagain. 

He kissed his aunt's hand dutifully when he left her, and went with alagging step to his own apartments. His request to have Hedwig share hissupper had met with a curt negative. 

The Countess, having left her royal mistress in the hands of her maids, went also to her own apartment. She was not surprised, on looking intoher mirror, to find herself haggard and worn. It had been a terribleday. Only a second had separated that gaping lens in her bag from theeyes of the officers about. Never, in an adventurous life, had she feltso near to death. Even now its cold breath chilled her. 

However, that was over, well over. She had done well, too. A dozenpictures of the fortress, of its guns, of even its mine chart as it hungon a wall, were in the bag. Its secrets, so securely held, were hers, and would be Karl's. 

It was a cunningly devised scheme. Two bags, exactly alike as toappearance, had been made. One, which she carried daily, was what itappeared to be. The other contained a camera, tiny but accurate, witha fine lens. When a knob of the fastening was pressed, the watch slidaside and the shutter snapped. The pictures when enlarged had provedthemselves perfect. 

Pleading fatigue, she dismissed her maid and locked the doors. Then sheopened the sliding panel, and unfastened the safe. The roll of filmwas in her hand, ready to be deposited under the false bottom of herjewel-case. 

Within the security of her room, the Countess felt at ease. The chill ofthe day left her, to be followed by a glow of achievement. She even sanga little, a bit of a ballad from her native mountains:

He has gone to the mountains, The far green mountains. (Hear the cattlelowing as they drive them up the hill!) When he comes down he'll loveme; When he comes down he'll marry me. (But what is this that touches mewith fingers dead and chill?)

Still singing, she carried the jewel-case to her table, and sat downbefore it. Then she put a hand to her throat. 

The lock had been forced. 

A glance about showed her that her code-book was gone. In the trayabove, her jewels remained untouched; her pearl collar, the diamondknickknacks the Archduchess had given her on successive Christmases, even a handful of gold coins, all were safe enough. But the code-bookwas gone. 

Then indeed did the Countess look death in the face and found itterrible. For a moment she could not so much as stand without support. It was then that she saw a paper folded under her jewels and took it outwith shaking fingers. In fine, copperplate script she read:

 MADAME, --To-night at one o'clock a closed fiacre will await you in the Street of the Wise Virgins, near the church. You will go in it, without fail, to wherever it takes you. (Signed)THE COMMITTEE OF TEN

The Committee of Ten! This thing had happened to her. Then it was truethat the half-mythical Committee of Ten existed, that this terror ofLivonia was a real terror, which had her by the throat. For there was noescape. None. Now indeed she knew that rumor spoke the truth, and thatthe Terrorists were everywhere. In daylight they had entered her room. They had known of the safe, known of the code. Known how much else?

Wild ideas of flight crossed her mind, to be as instantly abandoned fortheir futility. Where could she go that they would not follow her? Whenshe had reacted from her first shock she fell to pondering the matter, pro and con. What could they want of her? If she was an enemy to thecountry, so were they. But even that led nowhere, for after all, theTerrorists were not enemies to Livonia. They claimed indeed to be itsfriends, to hold in their hands its future and its betterment. Enemiesof the royal house they were, of course. 

She was nearly distracted by that time. She was a brave woman, physically and mentally of hard fiber, but the very name signed to thepaper set her nerves to twitching. It was the Committee of Ten which hadmurdered Prince Hubert and his young wife; the Committee of Ten whichhad exploded a bomb in the very Palace itself, and killed old Breidau, of the King's Council; the Committee of Ten which had burned theGovernment House, and had led the mob in the student riots a year or sobefore. 

Led them, themselves hidden. For none knew their identity. It was saidthat they did not even know each other, wearing masks and long cloaks attheir meetings, and being designated by numbers only. 

In this dread presence, then, she would find herself that night! For shewould go. There was no way out. 

She sent a request to be excused from dinner on the ground of illness, and was, as a result, visited by her royal mistress at nine o'clock. Thehonor was unexpected. Not often did the Archduchess Annunciata sofavor any one. The Countess, lying across her bed in a perfect agonyof apprehension, staggered into her sitting-room and knelt to kiss herlady's hand. 

But the Archduchess, who had come to scoff, believing not at all in theillness, took one shrewd glance at her, and put her hands behind her. 

"It may be, as you say, contagious, Olga, " she said. "You would bettergo to bed and stay there. I shall send Doctor Wiederman to you. "

When she had gone the Countess rang for her maid. She was cool enoughnow, and white, with a cruel line about her mouth that Minna knew well. She went to the door into the corridor, and locked it. 

Then she turned on the maid. "I am ready for you, now. "

"Madame will retire?"

"You little fool! You know what I am ready for!"

The maid stood still. Her wide, bovine eyes, filled with alarm, watchedthe Countess as she moved swiftly across the room to her wardrobe. Whenshe turned about again, she held in her hand a thin black riding-crop. Minna's ruddy color faded. She knew the Loscheks, knew their furies. Strange stories of unbridled passion had oozed from the old ruinedcastle where for so long they had held feudal sway over the countryside. 

"Madame!" she cried, and fell on her knees. "What have I done? Oh, whathave I done?"

"That is what you will tell me, " said the Countess, and brought down thecrop. A livid stripe across the girl's face turned slowly to red. 

"I have done nothing, I swear it. Mother of Pity, help me! I have donenothing. "

The crop descended again, this time on one of the great sleeves of herpeasant costume. So thin it was, so brutal the blow, that it cut intothe muslin. Groaning, the girl fell forward on her face. The Countesscontinued to strike pitiless blows into which she put all her fury, herterror, her frayed and ragged nerves. 

The girl on the floor, from whimpering, fell to crying hard, with greatnoiseless sobs of pain and bewilderment. When at last the blows ceased, she lay still. 

The Countess prodded her with her foot. "Get up, " she commanded. 

But she was startled when she saw the girl's face. It was she who wasthe fool. The welt would tell its own story, and the other servantswould talk. It was already a deep purple, and swollen. Both women weretrembling. The Countess, still holding the crop, sat down. 

"Now!" she said. "You will tell me to whom you gave a certain small bookof which you know. "

"I, madame?"

"You. "

"But what book? I have given nothing, madame. I swear it. "

"Then you admitted some one to this room?"

"No one, madame, except--" She hesitated. 

"Well?"

"There came this afternoon the men who clean madame's windows. No oneelse, madame. "

She put her hand to her cheek, and looked furtively to see if herfingers were stained with blood. The Countess, muttering, fell tofurious pacing of the room. So that was it, of course. The girl wastelling the truth. She was too stupid to lie. Then the Committee of Tenindeed knew everything--had known that she would be away, had known ofthe window cleaners, had known of the safe, and her possession of thecode. 

Cold and calculating rage filled her. Niburg had played her false, ofcourse. But Niburg was only a go-between. He had known nothing of thecodebook. He had given the Committee the letter, and by now they knewall that it told. What did it not know?

She dismissed the girl and put away the riding-crop, then she smoothedthe disorder of her hair and dress. The court physician, calling a halfhour later, found her reading on a chaise longue in her boudoir, lookingpale and handsome; and spent what he considered a pleasant half-hourwith her. He loved gossip, and there was plenty just now. Indicationswere that they would have a wedding soon. An unwilling bride, perhaps, eh? But a lovely one. For him, he was glad that Karnia was to be anally, and not an enemy. He had seen enough of wars. And so on and on, while the Countess smiled and nodded, and shivered in her very heart. 

At eleven o'clock he went away, kissing her hand rather more ferventlythan professionally, although his instinct to place his fingers over thepulse rather spoiled the effect. One thing, however, the Countess hadgained by his visit. He was to urge on the Archduchess the necessity foran immediate vacation for her favorite. 

"Our loss, Countess, " he said, with heavy gallantry. . "But we cannotallow beauty to languish for need of mountain air. "

Then at last he was gone, and she went about her heavy-heartedpreparations for the night. From a corner of her wardrobe she drew along peasant's cape, such a cape as Minna might wear. Over her head, instead of a hat, she threw a gray veil. A careless disguise, but allthat was necessary. The sentries through and about the Palace were notunaccustomed to such shrouded figures slipping out from its gloom tolight, and perhaps to love. 

Before she left, she looked about the room. What assurance had she thatthis very excursion was not a trap, and that in her absence the vaultwould not he looted again? It contained now something infinitelyvaluable--valuable and incriminating--the roll of film. She glancedabout, and seeing a silver vase of roses, hurriedly emptied the waterout, wrapped the film in oiled paper, and dropped it down among thestems. 

The Street of the Wise Virgins was not near the Palace. Even by walkingbriskly she was in danger of being late. The wind kept her back, too. The cloak twisted about her, the veil whipped. She turned once or twiceto see if she were being followed, but the quiet streets were empty. Then, at last, the Street of the Wise Virgins and the fiacre, standingat the curb, with a driver wrapped in rugs against the cold of theFebruary night, and his hat pulled down over his eyes. The Countessstopped beside him. 

"You are expecting a passenger?"

"Yes, madame. "

With her hand on the door, the Countess realized that the fiacre wasalready occupied. As she peered into its darkened interior, the shadowresolved itself into a cloaked and masked figure. She shrank back. 

"Enter, madame, " said a voice. 

The figure appalled her. It was not sufficient to know that behind thehorrifying mask which covered the entire face and head, there was ahuman figure, human pulses that beat, human eyes that appraised her. Shehesitated. 

"Quickly, " said the voice. 

She got in, shrinking into a corner of the carriage. 

Her lips were dry, the roaring of terror was in her ears. The doorclosed. 

Then commenced a drive of which afterward the Countess dared not think. The figure neither moved nor spoke. Inside the carriage reigned the mostcomplete silence. The horse's feet clattered over rough stones, theyturned through narrow, unfamiliar streets, so that she knew not even thedirection they took. After a time the noise grew less. The horse paddedalong dirt roads, in darkness. Then the carriage stopped, and at lastthe shrouded figure moved and spoke. 

"I regret, Countess, that my orders are to blindfold you. "

She drew herself up haughtily. 

"That is not necessary, I think. "

"Very necessary, madame. "

She submitted ungracefully, while he bound a black cloth over her eyes. He drew it very close and knotted it behind. In the act his--fingerstouched her face, and she felt them cold and clammy. The contactsickened her. 

"Your hand, madame. "

She was led out of the carriage, and across soft earth, a devious courseagain, as though they avoided small obstacles. Once her foot touchedsomething low and hard, like marble. Again, in the darkness, theystumbled over a mound. She knew where she was, then--in a graveyard. Butwhich? There were many about the city. 

An open space, the opening of a gate or door that squealed softly, aflight of steps that led downward, and a breath of musty, cold air, dampand cellar-like. 

She was calmer now. Had they meant to kill her, there had been already ahundred chances. It was not death, then, that awaited her--at least, notimmediate death. These precautions, too, could only mean that she was tobe freed again, and must not know where she had been. 

At last, still in unbroken silence, she knew that they had entered alarge space. Their footsteps no longer echoed and re-echoed. Her guidewalked more slowly, and at last paused, releasing her hand. She feltagain the touch of his clammy fingers as he untied the knots of herbandage. He took it off. 

At first she could see little. The silence remained unbroken, and onlythe center of the room was lighted. When her eyes grew accustomed, shemade out the scene slowly. 

A great stone vault, its walls broken into crypts which had containedcaskets of the dead. But the caskets had been removed; and were piled ina corner, and in the niches were rifles. In the center was a pine table, curiously incongruous, and on it writing materials, a cheap clock, and apile of documents. There were two candles only, and these were stuck inskulls--old brown skulls so infinitely removed from all semblance to thehuman that they were not even horrible. It was as if they had been used, not to inspire terror, but because they were at hand and convenient forthe purpose. In the shadow, ranged in a semicircle, were nine figures, all motionless, all masked, and cloaked in black. They sat, anotherincongruity, on plain wooden chairs. But in spite of that they werefigures of dread. The one who had brought her made the tenth. 

Still the silence, broken only by the drip of water from the ceilinginto a tin pail. 

Had she not known the past record of the men before her, the ratheropera bouffe setting with which they chose to surround themselves mighthave aroused her scorn. But Olga Loschek knew too much. She guessedshrewdly that, with the class of men with whom they dealt, it was notenough that their name spelled terror. They must visualize it. They hadtaken their cue from that very church, indeed, beneath which they hid. The church, with its shrines and images, appealed to the eye. They, too, appealed to the eye. Their masks, the carefully constructed and upheldmystery of their identity, the trappings of death about them--it wasskillfully done. 

Not that she was thinking consecutively just then. It was a mentalflash, even as her eyes, growing accustomed to the darkness made out thewhite numeral, from one to ten, on the front of each shroud-like cloak. 

Still no one spoke. The Countess faced them. 

Only her eyes showed her nervousness; she stood haughtily, her head heldhigh. But like most women, she could not endure silence for long, atleast the silence of shrouded figures and intent eyes. 

"Now that I am here, " she demanded, "may I ask why I have beensummoned?"

It was Number Seven who replied. It was Number Seven who, during thehour that followed, spoke for the others. None moved, or but slightly. There was no putting together of heads, no consulting. Evidently all hadbeen carefully prearranged. 

"Look on the table, Countess. You will find there some papers you willperhaps recognize. "

She took a step toward the table and glanced down. The code-book laythere. Also the letter she had sent by Peter Niburg. She made no effortto disclaim them. 

"I recognize them, " she said clearly. 

"You acknowledge, then, that they are yours?"

"I acknowledge nothing. "

"They bear certain indications, madame. "

"Possibly. "

"Do you realize what will happen, madame, if these papers are turnedover to the authorities?"

She shrugged her shoulders. And now Number Seven rose, a tall figure ofmystery, and spoke at length in a cultivated, softly intoned voice. The Countess, listening, felt the voice vaguely familiar, as were theburning eyes behind the mask. 

"It is our hope, madame, " he said, "that you will make it unnecessaryfor the Committee of Ten to use those papers. We have no quarrel withwomen. We wish rather a friend than an enemy. There be those, many ofthem, who call us poor patriots, who would tear down without buildingup. They are wrong. The Committee of Ten, to those who know its motives, has the highest and most loyal of ideals--to the country. "

His voice took on a new, almost a fanatic note. He spoke as well tothe other shrouded figures as to his comrades. No mean orator this. He seldom raised his voice, he made no gestures. Almost, while shelistened, the Countess understood. 

They had watched the gradual decay of the country, he said. Its burdenof taxation grew greater each year. The masses sweated and toiled, tocarry on their backs the dead weight of the aristocracy and the throne. The iron hand of the Chancellor held everything; an old King who woulddie, was dying now, and after that a boy, nominal ruler only, while theChancellor continued his hard rule. And now, as if that were not enough, there was talk of an alliance with Karnia, an alliance which, carriedthrough, would destroy the hope of a republic. 

The Countess stared. 

"No wall is too thick for our ears, " he continued. "Our eyes seeeverywhere. And as we grow in strength, they fear us. Well they may. "

He grew scornful then. To gain support for the tottering throne theChancellor would unite the two countries, that Karl's army, sincehe could not trust his own, might be called on for help. And here hetouched the Countess's raw nerves with a brutal finger. 

"The price of the alliance, madame, is the Princess Hedwig in marriage. The Committee, which knows all things, believes that you have reason todislike this marriage. "

Save that she clutched her cloak more closely, the Countess made nomove. But there was a soft stir among the figures. Perhaps, after all, the Committee as a whole did not know all things. 

"To prevent this alliance, madame, is our first aim. There are others tofollow. But"--he bent forward--"the King will not live many days. It isour hope that that marriage will not occur before his death. "

By this time Olga Loschek knew very well where she stood. The Committeewas propitiatory. She was not in danger, save as it might develop. Theywere, in a measure, putting their case. 

She had followed the speaker closely. When he paused, she was ready forhim. "But, even without a marriage, at any time now a treaty based onthe marriage may be signed. A treaty for a mutually defensive alliance. Austria encroaches daily, and has Germany behind her. We are small fry, here and in Karnia, and we stand in the way. "

"King Karl has broken faith before. He will not support Livonia until hehas received his price. He is determined on the marriage. "

"A marriage of expediency, " said the Countess, impatiently. 

The speaker for the Committee shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps, " hereplied. "Although there are those of us who think that in this matterof expediency, Karl gives more than he receives. He is to-day betterprepared than we are for war. He is more prosperous. As to the treaty, it is probably already signed, or about to be. And here, madame, is thereason for our invitation to you to come here. 

"I have no access to state papers, " the Countess said impatiently. 

"You are too modest, " said Number Seven suavely, and glanced at theletter on the table. 

"The matter lies thus, madame. The Chancellor is now in Karnia. Doubtless he will return with the agreement signed. We shall learn thatin a day or so. We do not approve of this alliance for various reasons, and we intend to take steps to prevent it. The paper itself is nothing. But plainly, Countess, the need a friend in the Palace, one who is inthe confidence of the royal family. "

"And for such friendship, I am to secure safety?"

"Yes, madame. But that is not all. Let me tell you briefly how thingsstand with us. We have, supporting us, certain bodies, workingmen'sguilds, a part of the student body, not so much of the army as wewould wish. Dissatisfied folk, madame, who would exchange the emblem oftyranny for freedom. On the announcement of the King's death, in everypart of the kingdom will go up the cry of liberty. But the movementmust start here. The city must rise against the throne. And against thatthere are two obstacles. " He paused. The clock ticked, and water drippedinto the tin pail with metallic splashes. "The first is this marriage. The second--is the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto. "

The Countess recoiled. "No!"

"A moment, madame. You think badly of us. " Under his mask the Countessdivined a cold smile. "It is not necessary to contemplate violence. There are other methods. The boy could be taken over the border, andhidden until the Republic is firmly established. After that, he isunimportant. "

The Countess, still pale, looked at him scornfully. "You do myintelligence small honor. "

"Where peaceful methods will avail, our methods are peaceful, madame. "

"It was, then, in peace that you murdered Prince Hubert?"

"The errors of the past are past. " Then, with a new sternness: "Makeno mistake. Whether through your agency or another, Countess, when theCathedral bell rouses the city to the King's death, and the people waitin the Place for their new King to come out on the balcony, he will notcome. "

The Countess was not entirely bad. Standing swaying and white-facedbefore the tribunal, she saw suddenly the golden head of the littleCrown Prince, saw him smiling as he had smiled that day in the sunlight, saw him troubled and forlorn as he had been when, that very evening, hehad left them to go to his lonely rooms. Perhaps she reached the biggestmoment of her life then, when she folded her arms and stared proudly atthe shrouded figures before her. 

"I will not do it, " she said. 

Then indeed the tribunal stirred, and sat forward. Perhaps never beforehad it been defied. 

"I will not, " repeated the Countess. 

But Number Seven remained impassive. "A new idea, Countess!" he saidsuavely. "I can understand that your heart recoils. But this thing isinevitable, as I have said. Whether you or another but perhaps with timeto think you may come to another conclusion. We make no threats. Ourposition is, however, one of responsibility. We are compelled to placethe future of the Republic before every other consideration. "

"That is a threat. "

"We remember both our friends and our enemies, madame. And we have onlyfriends and enemies. There is no middle course. If you would like timeto think it over--"

"How much time?" She clutched at the words. 

With time all things were possible. The King might die soon, that night, the next day. Better than any one, save his daughter Annunciata and thephysicians, she knew his condition. The Revolutionists might boast, butthey were not all the people. Once let the boy be crowned, and it wouldtake more than these posing plotters in their theatrical setting tooverthrow him. 

"How much time may I have?"

"Women vary, " said Number Seven mockingly. "Some determine quickly. Others--"

"May I have a month?"

"During which the King may die! Alas, madame, it is now you who do ustoo little honor!"

"A week?" begged the Countess desperately. 

The leader glanced along the line. One head after another nodded slowly. 

"A week it is, madame. Comrade Five!"

The one who had brought her came forward with the bandage. 

"At the end of one week, madame, a fiacre will, as to-night, be waitingin the Street of the Wise Virgins. "

"And these papers?"

"On the day the Republic of Livonia is established, madame, they will bereturned to you. "

He bowed, and returned to his chair. Save for the movements of the manwho placed the bandage over her eyes; there was absolute silence in theroom. 

CHAPTER XX. THE DELEGATION

Prince Ferdinand William Otto was supremely happy. Three quitedelightful things had happened. First, Nikky had returned. He said hefelt perfectly well, but the Crown Prince thought he looked as thoughhe had been ill, and glanced frequently at Nikky's cigarette during theriding-hour. Second, Hedwig did not come to the riding-lesson, and hehad Nikky to himself. Third, he, Prince Ferdinand William Otto, was onthe eve of a birthday. 

This last, however, was not unmixed happiness. For the one day thesentence of exile was to be removed so that he might lunch with theKing, and he was to have strawberry jam with his tea, some that MissBraithwaite's sister had sent from England. But to offset all this, hewas to receive a delegation of citizens. 

He had been well drilled for it. As a matter of fact, on the morning ofNikky's return, they took a few minutes to go over the ceremony, Nikkybeing the delegation. The way they did it was simple. 

Nikky went out into the corridor, and became the Chamberlain. He steppedinside, bowed, and announced: "The delegation from the city, Highness, "standing very stiff, and a trifle bowlegged, as the Chamberlain was. Then he bowed again, and waddled out--the Chamberlain was fat--andbecame the delegation. 

This time he tried to look like a number of people, and was not sosuccessful. But he looked nervous, as delegations always do when theyvisit a Royal Highness. He bowed inside the door, and then came forwardand bowed again. 

"I am, of course, standing in a row, " said Nikky, sotto voce. "Now, whatcomes next?"

"I am to shake hands with every one. "

So they shook hands nine times, because there were to be nine membersof the delegation. And Nikky picked up a brass inkwell from the desk andheld it out before him. 

"Your Highness, " he said, after clearing his throat, for all theworld as Prince Ferdinand William Otto had heard it done frequentlyat cornerstones and openings of hospitals, "Your Highness--we are hereto-day to felicitate Your Highness on reaching the mature age of ten. In testimonial of our--our affection and--er loyalty, we bring to you acasket of gold, containing the congratulations of the city, which we begthat Your Highness may see fit to accept. It will be of no earthly useto you, and will have to be stuck away in a vault and locked up. But itis the custom on these occasions, and far be it from us to give you adecent present that you can use or enjoy!"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto had to cover his mouth with his handto preserve the necessary dignity. He stepped forward and took theink-well. "I thank you very much. Please give my thanks to all thepeople. I am very grateful. It is beautiful. Thank you. "

Whereupon he placed the ink-well on the desk, and he and Nikky againshook hands nine times, counting, to be sure it was right. Then Nikkybacked to the door, getting all tangled up in his sword, bowed again andretired. 

When he reentered, the boy's face was glowing. 

"Gee!" he said, remembering this favorite word of the American boy's. "It's splendid to have you back again, Nikky. You're going to stay now, aren't you?"

"I am. " Nikky's voice was fervent. 

"Where did you go when you went away?"

"I took a short and foolish excursion, Highness. You see, while I lookgrown-up I dare say I am really not. Not quite, anyhow. And now andthen, like other small boys I have heard of, I--well, I run away. And amsorry afterward, of course. "

Miss Braithwaite was not in the study. The Prince looked about, and drewclose--to Nikky. "Did you, really?"

"I did. Some day, when you are older, I'll tell you about it. I--has thePrincess Hedwig been having tea with you, as usual?"

Carelessly spoken as it was, there was a change in Nikky's voice. Andthe Crown Prince was sensitive to voices. Something similar happened toMonsieur Puaux, the French tutor, when he mentioned Hedwig. 

"Not yesterday. We went to the fortress. Nikky, what is it to be inlove?"

Nikky looked startled, "Well, " he said reflectively, "it's to like someone, a lady in your case or mine, of course; to--to like them very much, and want to see them often. "

"Is that all?"

"It's enough, sometimes. But it's more than that. It's being dreadfullyunhappy if the other person isn't around, for one thing. It isn't reallya rational condition. People in love do mad things quite often. "

"I know some one who is in love with Hedwig. "

Nikky looked extremely conscious. There was, too, something the CrownPrince was too small to see, something bitter and hard in his eyes. "Probably a great many are, " he said. "But I'm not sure she would careto have us discuss it. "

"It is my French tutor. "

Nikky laughed suddenly, and flung the boy to his shoulder. "Of coursehe is!" he cried gayly. "And you are, and the Chancellor. And I am, ofcourse. " He stood the boy on the desk. 

"Do you think she is in love, with you?" demanded the Crown Prince, veryseriously. 

"Not a bit of it, young man!"

"But I think she is, " he persisted. "She's always around when you are. "

"Not this morning. "

"But she is, when she can be. She never used to take riding-lessons. Shedoesn't need them. " This was a grievance, but he passed it over. "Andshe always asks where you are. And yesterday, when you were away, shelooked very sad. "

Nikky stood with his hand on the boy's shoulder, and stared outthrough the window. If it were so, if this child, with his uncannysensitiveness, had hit on the truth! If Hedwig felt even a fraction ofwhat he felt, what a tragedy it all was!

He forced himself to smile, however. "If she only likes me just alittle, " he said lightly, "it is more than I dare to hope, or deserve. Come, now, we have spent too much time over love and delegations. Suppose we go and ride. "

But on the way across the Place Prince Ferdinand William Otto resumedthe subject for a moment. "If you would marry Hedwig, " he suggested, an anxious thrill in his voice, "you would live at the Palace always, wouldn't you? And never have to go back to your regiment?" For thebugaboo of losing Nikky to his regiment was always in the back of hissmall head. 

"Now, listen, Otto, and remember, " said Nikky, almost sternly. "Itmay be difficult for you to understand now, but some day you will. Thegranddaughter of the King must marry some one of her own rank. No matterhow hard you and I may wish things to be different, we cannot changethat. And it would be much better never to mention this conversation toyour cousin. Girls, " said Nikky, "are peculiar. "

"Very well, " said the Crown Prince humbly. But he made careful note ofone thing. He was not to talk of this plan to Hedwig, but there wasno other restriction. He could, for instance, take it up withthe Chancellor, or even with the King to-morrow, if he was in anapproachable humor. 

Hedwig was not at the riding-school. This relieved Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto, whose views as to Nikky were entirely selfish, but Nikkyhimself had unaccountably lost his high spirits of the morning. Heplayed, of course, as he always did. And even taught the Crown Princehow to hang over the edge of his saddle, while his horse was cantering, so that bullets would not strike him. 

They rode and frolicked, yelled a bit, got two ponies and whacked a poloball over the tan-bark, until the Crown Prince was sweating royally andwas gloriously flushed. 

"I don't know when I have been so happy, " he said, dragging out hishandkerchief and mopping his face. "It's a great deal pleasanter withoutHedwig, isn't it?"

While they played, overhead the great hearse was ready at last. Itswoodwork shone. Its gold crosses gleamed. No fleck of dust disturbed itsaustere magnificence. 

The man and the boy who had been working on it stood back and surveyedit. 

"All ready, " said the man, leaning on the handle of his long brush. "Nowit may happen any time. "

"It is very handsome. But I am glad I am not the old King. " The boypicked up pails and brushes. "Nothing to look forward to but--that. "

"But much to look back on, " the man observed grimly, "and little that isgood. "

The boy glanced through a window, below which the riding-ring stretchedits brown surface, scarred by nervous hoofs. "I would change places withthe Crown Prince, " he said enviously. "Listen to him! Always laughing. Never to labor, nor worry, nor think of the next day's food--"

"Young fool!" The man came to his shoulder and glanced down also. "Wouldlike to be a princeling, then! No worry. No trouble. Always play, play!"He gripped the boy's shoulder. "Look, lad, at the windows about. Thatis what it is to be a prince. Wherever you look, what do you see?Stablemen? Grooms? Bah, secret agents, watching that no assassin, suchperhaps as you and I, lurk about. "

The boy opened wide, incredulous eyes. "But who would attack a child?"he asked. 

"There be those, nevertheless, " said the man mockingly. "Even a childmay stand in the way of great changes. "

He stopped and stared, wiping the glass clear that he might see better. Nikky without his cap, disheveled and flushed with exertion, was makinga frantic shot at the white ball, rolling past him. Where had he seensuch a head, such a flying mop of hair? Ah! He remembered. It was theflying young devil who had attacked him and the others that night in theby-street, when Peter Niburg lay stunned!

Miss Braithwaite had a bad headache that afternoon, and the Crown Princedrove out with his aunt. The Archduchess Annunciata went shopping. Soonenough she would have Hedwig's trousseau on her mind, so that day shebought for Hilda--Hilda whose long legs had a way of growing out ofskirts, and who was developing a taste of her own in clothes. 

So Hilda and her mother shopped endlessly, and the Crown Prince sat inthe carriage and watched the people. The man beside the coachman satwith alert eyes, and there were others who scanned the crowd intently. But it was a quiet, almost an adoring crowd, and there was even a dog, to Prince Ferdinand William Otto's huge delight. 

The man who owned the dog, seeing the child's eyes on him, put himthrough his tricks. Truly a wonderful dog, that would catch things onits nose and lie dead, rousing only to a whistle which its owner calledGabriel's trumpet. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto, growing excited, leaned quite out of thewindow. "What is your dog's name?" he inquired, in his clear treble. 

The man took off his hat and bowed. "Toto, Highness. He is of Frenchorigin. "

"He is a very nice dog. I have always wanted a dog like that. He must bea great friend. "

"A great friend, Highness. " He would have expatiated on the dog, but hewas uncertain of the etiquette of the procedure. His face beamed withpleasure, however. Then a splendid impulse came to him. This dog, hisboon companion, he would present to the Crown Prince. It was all he had, and he would give it, freely, even though it left him friendless. 

But here again he was at a loss. Was it the proper thing? Did one dosuch things in this fashion, or was there a procedure? He cocked an eyeat the box of the carriage, but the two men sat impressive, immobile. 

Finally he made up his mind. Hat in hand, he stepped forward. "Highness, " he said nervously, "since the dog pleases you, I--I wouldpresent him to you. "

"To me?" The Crown Prince's voice was full of incredulous joy. 

"Yes, Highness. If such a thing be permissible. "

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"He is the best I have, Highness. I wish to offer my best. "

Prince, Ferdinand William Otto almost choked with excitement. "I havealways wanted one, " he cried. "If you are certain you can spare him, I'll be very good to him. No one, " he said, "ever gave me a dog before. I'd like to have him now, if I may. "

The crowd was growing. It pressed closer, pleased at the boy's delight. Truly they were participating in great things. A small cheer and manysmiles followed the lifting of the dog through the open window of thecarriage. And the dog was surely a dog to be proud of. Already it shookhands with the Crown Prince. 

Perhaps, in that motley gathering, there were some who viewed the scenewith hostile eyes, some who saw, not a child glowing with delight over agift, but one of the hated ruling family, a barrier, an obstacle in theway of freedom. But if such there were, they were few. It was, indeed, as the Terrorists feared. The city loved the boy. 

Annunciata, followed by an irritated Hilda, came out of the shop. Hilda's wardrobe had been purchased, and was not to her taste. 

The crowd opened, hats were doffed, backs bent. The Archduchess movedhaughtily, looking neither to the right nor left. Her coming broughtno enthusiasm. Perhaps the curious imagination of the mob found herdisappointing. She did not look like an Archduchess. She looked, indeed, like an unnamiable spinster of the middle class. Hilda, too, was shyand shrinking, and wore an unbecoming hat. Of the three, only the CrownPrince looked royal and as he should have looked. 

"Good Heavens, " cried the Archduchess, and stared into the carriage. "Otto!"

"He is mine, " said the Crown Prince fondly. "He is the cleverest dog. Hecan do all sorts of things. "

"Put him out. "

"But he is mine, " protested Ferdinand William Otto. "He is a gift. Thatgentleman there, in the corduroy jacket--"

"Put him out, " said the Archduchess Annunciata. 

There was nothing else to do. The Crown Prince did not cry. He was muchtoo proud. He thanked the donor again carefully, and regretted that hecould not accept the dog. He said it was a wonderful dog, and just thesort he liked. And the carriage drove away. 

He went back to the Palace, and finding that the governess still had aheadache, settled down to the burnt-wood frame. Once he glanced up atthe woolen dog on its shelf at the top of the cabinet. "Well, anyhow, "he said sturdily, "I still have you. "

CHAPTER XXI. AS A MAN MAY LOVE A WOMAN

Hedwig came to tea that afternoon. She came in softly, and defiantly, for she was doing a forbidden thing, but Prince Ferdinand William Ottohad put away the frame against such a contingency. He had, as a matterof fact, been putting cold cloths on Miss Braithwaite's forehead. 

"I always do it, " he informed Hedwig. "I like doing it. It gives mesomething to do. She likes them rather dry, so the water doesn't rundown her neck. "

Hedwig made a short call on the governess, prostrate on the couch in hersitting-room. The informality of the family relationship had, during herlong service, been extended to include the Englishwoman, who in her turnfound nothing incongruous in the small and kindly services of the littlePrince. So Hedwig sat beside her for a moment, and turned the coldbandage over to freshen it. 

Had Miss Braithwaite not been ill, Hedwig would have talked things overwith her then. There was no one else to whom she could go. Hilda refusedto consider the prospect of marriage as anything but pleasurable, and between her mother and Hedwig there had never been any closerelationship. 

But Miss Braithwaite lay motionless, her face set in lines of suffering, and after a time Hedwig rose and tiptoed out of the room. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto was excited. Tea had already come, and onthe rare occasions when the governess was ill, it was his privilege topour the tea. 

"Nikky is coming, " he said rapidly, "and the three of us will have aparty. Please don't tell me how you like your tea, and see if I canremember. "

"Very well, dear, " Hedwig said gently, and went to the window. 

Behind her Prince Ferdinand William Otto was in a bustle of preparation. Tea in the study was an informal function, served in the English manner, without servants to bother. The Crown Prince drew up a chair before thetea service, and put a cushion on it. He made a final excursion to MissBraithwaite and, returning, climbed on to his chair. 

"Now, when Nikky comes, we are all ready, " he observed. 

Nikky entered almost immediately. 

As a matter of fact, although he showed no trace of it, Nikky had beenhaving an extremely bad time since his return; the Chancellor, who mayor may not have known that his heart was breaking, had given him a verysevere scolding on the way back from Wedeling. It did Nikky good, too, for it roused him to his own defense, and made him forget, for a fewminutes anyhow, that life was over for him, and that the Chancellorcarried his death sentence in his old leather dispatch case. 

After that, arriving in the capital, they had driven to the littleoffice in a back street, and there Nikky had roused himself again enoughto give a description of Peter Niburg, and to give the location of thehouse where he lived. But he slumped again after that, ate no dinner, and spent a longish time in the Place, staring up at Annunciata'swindows, where he had once seen Hedwig on the balcony. 

But of course Hedwig had not learned of his return, and was sittinginside, exactly as despairing as he was, but obliged to converse withher mother in the absence of the Countess. The Archduchess insisted ontalking French, for practice, and they got into quite a wrangle overa verb. And as if to add to the general depression, Hilda had beenreminded of what anniversary it was, and was told to play hymns only. True, now and then, hearing her mother occupied, she played them indotted time, which was a bit more cheerful. 

Then, late in the evening, Nikky was summoned to the King's bedroom, andcame out pale, with his shoulders very square. He had received a realwigging this time, and even contemplated throwing himself in the river. Only he could swim so damnably well!

But he had the natural elasticity of youth, and a sort of persistentbelief in his own luck, rather like the Chancellor's confidence in sevenas a number--a confidence, by the way, which the Countess could easilyhave shaken. So he had wakened the next morning rather cheerful thanotherwise, and over a breakfast of broiled ham had refused to look aheadfarther than the day. 

That afternoon, in the study, Nikky hesitated when he saw Hedwig. Thenhe came and bent low over her hand. And Hedwig, because every instinctyearned to touch his shining, bent head, spoke to him very calmly, wasrather distant, a little cold. 

"You have been away, I think?" she said. 

"For a day or two, Highness. "

The Crown Prince put a small napkin around the handle of the silverteapot. He knew from experience that it was very hot. His face was quitescrewed up with exertion. 

"And to-day, " said Nikky reproachfully, "to-day you did not ride. "

"I did not feel like riding, " Hedwig responded listlessly. "I am tired. I think I am always tired. "

"Lemon and two lumps, " muttered the Crown Prince. "That's Nikky's, Hedwig. Give it to him, please. "

Nikky went a trifle pale as their fingers touched. But he tasted histea, and pronounced it excellent. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto chattered excitedly. He told of the dog, dilating on its cleverness, but passing politely over the manner of itsreturn. Now and then Hedwig glanced at Nikky, when he was not looking, and always, when they dared, the young soldier's eyes were on her. 

"She will take some tea without sugar, " announced the Crown Prince. 

While he poured it, Hedwig was thinking. Was it possible that Nikky, of every one, should have been chosen to carry to Karl the marriagearrangements? What an irony! What a jest! It was true there was a changein him. He looked subdued, almost sad. 

"To Karnia?" she asked, when Prince Ferdinand William Otto had againleft the room. "Officially?"

"Not--exactly. "

"Where, in Karnia?"

"I ended, " Nikky confessed, "at Wedeling. "

Hedwig gazed at him, her elbows propped on the tea-table. "Then, " shesaid, "I think you know. "

"I know, Highness. "

"And you have nothing to say?"

Nikky looked at her with desperate eyes. "What can I say, Highness? Onlythat--it is very terrible to me--that I--" He rose abruptly and stoodlooking down at her. 

"That you--" said Hedwig softly. 

"Highness, " Nikky began huskily, "you know what I would say. And that Icannot. To take advantage of Otto's fancy for me, a child's liking, toviolate the confidence of those who placed me here--I am doing that, every moment. "

"What about me?" Hedwig asked. "Do I count for nothing? Does it notmatter at all how I feel, whether I am happy or wretched? Isn't that asimportant as honor?"

Nikky flung out his hands. "You know, " he said rapidly. "What can I tellyou that you do not know a thousand times? I love you. Not as a subjectmay adore his princess, but as a man loves a woman. "

"I too!" said Hedwig. And held out her hands. 

But he did not take them. Almost it was as though he would protect herfrom herself. But he closed his eyes for a moment, that he might not seethat appealing gesture. "I, who love you more than life, who would, Godhelp me, forfeit eternity for you--I dare not take you in my arms. "

Hedwig's arms fell. She drew herself up. "Love!" she said. "I do notcall that love. "

"It is greater love than you know, " said poor Nikky. But all his couragedied a moment later, and his resolution with it, for without warningHedwig dropped her head on her hands and, crouching forlornly, fell tosobbing. 

"I counted on you, " she said wildly. "And you are like the others. Noone cares how wretched I am. I wish I might die. "

Then indeed Nikky was lost. In an instant he was on his knees besideher, his arms close about her, his head bowed against her breast. AndHedwig relaxed to his embrace. When at last he turned and looked up ather, it was Hedwig who bent and kissed him. 

"At least, " she whispered, "we have had this, We can always remember, whatever comes, that we have had this. "

But Nikky was of very human stuff, and not the sort that may live bymemories. He was very haggard when he rose to his feet--haggard, and hismouth was doggedly set. "I will never give you up, now, " he said. 

Brave words, of course. But as he said them he realized their futility. The eyes he turned on her were, as he claimed her, without hope. Forthere was no escape. He had given his word to stay near the CrownPrince, always to watch him, to guard him with his life, if necessary. And he had promised, at least, not to block the plans for the newalliance. 

Hedwig, with shining eyes, was already planning. 

"We will go away, Nikky, " she said. "And it, must be soon, becauseotherwise--"

Nikky dared not touch her again, knowing what he had to say. "Dearest, "he said, bending toward her, "that is what we cannot do. "

"No?" She looked up, puzzled, but still confident dent. "And why, cowardly one?"

"Because I have given my word to remain with the Crown Prince. " Then, seeing that she still did not comprehend, he explained, swiftly. Afterall, she had a right to know, and he was desperately anxious that sheshould understand. He stood, as many a man has stood before, betweenlove and loyalty to his king, and he was a soldier. He had no choice. 

It was terrible to him to see the light die out of her eyes. But even ashe told her of the dangers that compassed the child and possibly othersof the family, he saw that they touched her remotely, if at all. Whatshe saw, and what he saw, through her eyes, was not riot and anarchy, athreatened throne, death itself. She saw only a vista of dreadful years, herself their victim. She saw her mother's bitter past. She sawthe austere face of her grandmother, hiding behind that mask herdisappointments. 

But all she said, when Nikky finished, was: "I might have known it. Ofcourse they would get me, as they did the others. " But a moment latershe rose and threw out her arms. "How skillful they are! They knew aboutit. It is all a part of the plot. I do not believe there is danger. Allmy life I have heard them talk. That is all they do--talk and plan andplot, and do things in secret. They made you promise never to desertOtto, so that their arrangements need not be interfered with. Oh, I knowthem, better than you do. They are all cruel. It is the blood. "

What Nikky would have said to this was lost by the return of PrinceFerdinand William Otto. He came in, carrying the empty cup carefully. "She took it all, " he said, "and she feels much better. I hope youdidn't eat all the bread and butter. "

Reassured as to this by a glance, he climbed to his chair. "We're allvery happy, aren't we?" he observed. "It's quite a party. When I grow upI shall ask you both to tea every day. "

That evening the Princess Hedwig went unannounced to her grandfather'sapartment, and demanded to be allowed to enter. 

A gentleman-in-waiting bowed deeply, but stood before the door. "YourHighness must pardon my reminding Your Highness, " he said firmly, "thatno one may enter His Majesty's presence without permission. "

"Then go in, " said Hedwig, in a white rage, "and get the permission. "

The gentleman-in-waiting went in, very deliberately, because his dignitywas outraged. The moment he had gone, however, Hedwig flung the dooropen, and followed, standing, a figure of tragic defiance, inside theheavy curtains of the King's bedroom. 

"There is no use saying you won't see me, grandfather. For here I am. "

They eyed each other, the one, it must be told, a trifle uneasily, theother desperately. Then into the King's eyes came a flash of admiration, and just a gleam of amusement. 

"So I perceive, " he said. "Come here, Hedwig. "

The gentleman-in-waiting bowed himself out. His hands, in their tidywhite gloves, would have liked to box Hedwig's ears. He was very upset. If this sort of thing went on, why not a republic at once and be donewith it?

A Sister of Charity was standing by the King's bed. She had cared forhim through many illnesses. In the intervals she retired to her cloisterand read holy books and sewed for the poor. Even now, in her littlechamber off the bedroom, where bottles sat in neat rows, covered withfresh towels, there lay a small gray flannel petticoat to warm the legsof one of the poor. 

The sister went out, her black habit dragging, but she did not sew. Shewas reading a book on the miracles accomplished by pilgrimages to theshrine of Our Lady of the Angels, in the mountains. Could the old Kingbut go there, she felt, he would be cured. Or failing that, if thereshould go for him some emissary, pure in heart and of high purpose, itmight avail. Over this little book she prayed for courage to make thesuggestion. Had she thought of it sooner, she would have spoken toFather Gregory. But the old priest had gone back to his people, to hisboys' school, to his thousand duties in the hills. 

Sometime later she heard bitter crying in the royal bedchamber, and theKing's tones, soothing now and very sad. 

"There is a higher duty than happiness, " he said. "There are greaterthings than love. And one day you will know this. "

When she went in Hedwig had gone, and the old King, lying in his bed, was looking at the portrait a his dead son. 

CHAPTER XXII. AT ETZEL

The following morning the Countess Loschek left for a holiday. Minna, silent and wretched, had packed her things for her, moving about theroom like a broken thing. And the Countess had sat in a chair by awindow, and said nothing. She sent away food untasted, took no notice ofthe packing, and stared, hour after hour, ahead of her. 

Certain things were clear enough. Karl could not now be reached by theold methods. She had, casting caution to the winds, visited theshop where Peter Niburg was employed. But he was not there, and theproprietor, bowing deeply, disclaimed all knowledge of his whereabouts. She would have to go to Karl herself, a difficult matter now. She wouldsurely be watched. And the thousand desperate plans that she thoughtof for escaping from the country and hiding herself, --in America, perhaps, --those were impossible for the same reason. She was helpless. 

She had the choice of but two alternatives, to do as she had beencommanded, for it amounted to that, or to die. The Committee would notkill her, in case she failed them. It would be unnecessary. Enough thatthey place the letter and the code in the hands of the authorities, bysome anonymous means. Well enough she knew the Chancellor's inflexibleanger, and the Archduchess Annunciata's cold rage. They would sweep heraway with a gesture, and she would die the death of all traitors. 

A week! Time had been when a week of the dragging days at the Palacehad seemed eternity. Now the hours flew. The gold clock on herdressing-table, a gift from the Archduchess, marked them with flyinghands. 

She was, for the first time, cut off from the gossip of the Palace. The Archduchess let her severely alone. She disliked having anythinginterfere with her own comfort, disliked having her routine disturbed. But the Countess surmised a great deal. She guessed that Hedwig woulddefy them, and that they would break her spirit with high words. Shesurmised preparations for a hasty marriage--how hasty she dared notthink. And she guessed, too, the hopeless predicament of Nikky Larisch. 

She sat and stared ahead. 

During the afternoon came a package, rather unskillfully tied with agilt cord. Opening it, the Countess disclosed a glove-box of wood, witha design of rather shaky violets burnt into the cover. Inside was anote:

 I am very sorry you are sick. This is to put your gloves in when you travel. Please excuse the work. I have done it in a hurry. FERDINAND WILLIAM OTTO. 

Suddenly the Countess laughed, choking hysterical laughter that alarmedMinna; horrible laughter, which left her paler than ever, and gasping. 

The old castle of the Loscheks looked grim and inhospitable when shereached it that, night. Built during the years when the unbelieveroverran southern Europe, it stood in a commanding position over avalley, and a steep, walled road led up to it. The narrow windows of itsturrets were built, in defiance of the Moslem hordes, in the shapeof the cross. Its walls had been hospitable enough, however, when thecrusaders had thronged by to redeem the Holy Sepulcher from the graspof the infidel. Here, in its stone hall, they had slept in weary rows onthe floor. From its battlements they had stared south and east along theroad their feet must follow. 

But now, its ancient glory and good repute departed, its garrisongone, its drawbridge and moat things of the past, its very hangings andfurnishings mouldering from long neglect, it hung over the valley, apast menace, an empty threat. 

To this dreary refuge the Countess had fled. She wanted the silence ofits still rooms in which to think. Wretched herself, its wretchednesscalled her. As the carriage which had brought her from, the railwayturned into its woods; and she breathed the pungent odor of pine andbalsam, she relaxed for the first time. 

Why was she so hopeless? She could escape. 

She knew the woods well. None who followed her could know them so well. She would get away, and somewhere, in a new world, make a fresh start. Surely, after all, peace was the greatest thing in the world. 

Peace! The word attracted her. There were religious houses where onewould be safe enough, refuges high-walled and secure, into which noalien foot ever penetrated. And, as if to answer the thought, she sawat that moment across the valley the lights of Etzel, the tower of thechurch, with its thirteen bells, the monastery buildings behind it, and set at its feet, like pilgrims come to pray, the low houses of thepeasants. For the church at Etzel contained a celebrated shrine, noneother than that of Our Lady of the Angels, and here came, from all overthe kingdom, long lines of footsore and weary pilgrims, seeking peaceand sanctity, and some a miracle. 

The carriage drove on; Minna, on the box, crossed herself at sight ofthe church, and chatted with the driver, a great figure who crowded herto the very edge of the seat. 

"I am glad to be here, " she said. "I am sick of grandeur. My home isin Etzel. " She turned and inspected the man beside her. "You are anewcomer, I think?"

"I have but just come to Etzel. "

"Then you cannot tell me about my people. " She was disappointed. 

"And you, " inquired the driver, --"you will stay for a visit?"

"A week only. But better than nothing. "

"After that, you return to the city?"

"Yes. Madame the Countess--you would know, if you wereEtzel-born--Madame the Countess is lady-in-waiting to Her RoyalHighness, the Archduchess Annunciata. "

"So!" said the driver. But he was not curious, and the broken roaddemanded his attention. He was but newly come, so very newly that he didnot know his way, and once made a wrong turning. 

The Countess relaxed. She had not been followed. None but themselves hadleft the train. She was sure of that. And looking back, she satisfiedherself that no stealthy foot-traveler dogged their slow progress. Shebreathed quietly, for the first time. 

She slept that night. She had wired ahead of her coming, and theold caretaker and his wife had opened a few rooms, her boudoir anddressing-room, and a breakfast-room on the first floor. They had sweptthe hall too, and built a fire there, but it had been built for a greathousehold, and its emptiness chilled her. 

At four o'clock in the morning she roused at the ringing of a bell, telling that masses had already begun at the church. For with theapproach of Lent pilgrimages had greatly increased in numbers. But sheslept again, to waken to full sunlight, greatly refreshed. 

When she had breakfasted and dressed, she went out on a balcony, andlooked down at the valley. It was late. Already the peasants of Etzelhad gone out to their fields. Children played along its single streets. A few women on the steps of the church made rosaries of beads which theystrung with deft fingers. A band of pilgrims struggled up the valley, the men carrying their coats, for the sun was warm, and the womenholding their skirts from the dust. 

As they neared the church, however, coats were donned. The processiontook on order and dignity. The sight was a familiar one to the Countess. Her eyes dropped to the old wall below, where in the sunshine thecaretaker was beating a rug. Close to him, in intimate and cautiousconversation, was the driver of the night before. Glancing up, they sawher and at once separated. 

Gone was peace, then. The Countess knew knew certainly. "Our eyes seeeverywhere. " Eyes, indeed, eyes that even now the caretaker raisedfurtively from his rug. 

Nevertheless, the Countess was minded to experiment, to be certain. Fornone is so suspicious, she knew, as one who fears suspicion. None soguilty as the guilty. During the forenoon she walked through thewoods, going briskly, with vigorous, mountainbred feet. No crackle ofunderbrush disturbed her. Swift turnings revealed no lurking figuresskulking behind the trunks of trees. But where an ancient stone bridgecrossed a mountain stream, she came on the huge driver of the nightbefore reflectively fishing. 

He saluted her gravely, and the Countess paused and looked at him. "Youhave caught no fish, my friend?" she said. 

"No, madame. But one plays about my hook. "

She turned back. Eyes everywhere, and arms, great hairy arms. And feetthat, for all their size, must step lightly!

Restlessness followed her. She was a virtual Prisoner, free only inname. And the vigilance of the Terrorists obsessed her. She found aday gone, and no plan made. She had come here to think, and consecutivethought was impossible. She went to vespers at the church, and sathuddled in a corner. She suspected every eye that turned on her in frankcuriosity. When, during the "Salve Regina, " the fathers, followed bytheir pupils, went slowly down the aisle, in reverent procession betweenrows of Pilgrims, she saw in their habits only a grim reminder of theblack disguises of the Terrorists. 

On the second day she made a desperate resolve, and characteristicallyput it into execution at once. She sent for the caretaker. When he came, uneasy, for the Loscheks were justly feared in the country side, andeven the thing of which he knew gave him small courage, she lost no timein evasion. 

"Go, " she said; "and bring here your accomplice--"

"My accomplice, madame! I do not--"

"You heard me, " she said. 

He turned, half sullen, half terrified, and paused. "Which do you referto, madame?"

She had seen only the one. Then there were others. Who could tell howmany others?

"The one who drove here. "

So he went, leaving her to desperate reflection. When he returned, itwas to usher in the heavy figure of the spy. 

"Which of you is in authority?" she demanded. 

"I, madame. " It was the spy who spoke. 

She dismissed the caretaker with a gesture. 

"Have you any discretion over me? Or must you refer matters to those whosent you?"

"I must refer to them. "

"How long will it take to send a message and receive a reply?"

He considered. "Until to-morrow night, madame. "

Another day gone, then, and nothing determined!

"Now, listen, " she said, "and listen carefully. I have come here todecide a certain question. Whether you know what that question is ornot, does not matter. But before I decide it I must take a certainjourney. I wish to make that journey. It is into Karnia. "

She watched him. "It is impossible. My instructions--"

"I am not asking your permission. I wish to send a letter to theCommittee. They, and they alone, will determine this thing. Will yousend the letter?"

When he hesitated, perplexed, she got up and moved to her writing-table. 

"I shall write the letter, " she said haughtily. "See that it is sent. When I report at the end of the time that I have sent such a letter, youcan judge better than I the result if it has not been received. "

He was still dubious, but she wrote the letter and gave it to him, herface proud and scornful. But she was not easy, for all that, and shewatched from her balcony to see if any messenger left the castle anddescended the mountain road. She was rewarded, an hour later, by seeinga figure leave the old gateway and start afoot toward the village, apale-faced man with colorless hair. A part of the hidden guard thatsurrounded her, she knew, and somehow familiar. But, although she rackedher brains, she could not remember where she had seen him. 

For the next twenty-four hours she waited. Life became one longendurance. She hated the forest, since she might not visit it alone. Shehated the castle, because it was her prison. She stood for hours thatfirst day on her balcony, surveying with scornful eyes the processionof the devout, weary women, perspiring men, lines of children going tosomething they did not comprehend, and carrying clenched in small, warmhands drooping bunches of early mountain flowers. 

And always, calling her to something she scorned, rang the bells formass or for vespers. The very tower below beckoned her to peace--her, for whom there would never again be peace. She cursed the bell savagely, put her fingers in her ears, to be wakened at dawn the next morning toits insistent call. 

There was no more sleep for her. She lay there in her bare room and gaveherself to bitter reflection. Here, in this very castle, she had metKarl. That was eleven years before. Prince Hubert was living. Duringa period of peace between the two countries a truce had been arranged, treaties signed, with every prospect of permanence. During that timeKarl and Hubert, glad of peace, had come here for the hunting. Sheremembered the stir about their coming, her father's hurried efforts toget things in order, the cleaning and refurbishing, the peasants calledin to serve the royal guests, and stripped of their quaint costumes tobe put into ill-fitting livery. 

They had bought her a new frock for evening wear, the father who wasnow dead, and the old aunt who had raised her--an ugly black satin, toomature for her. She had put it on in that very room, and wept in verydespair. 

Then came the arrival, her father on the doorstep, she and her auntbehind him, and in the hall, lines of uneasy and shuffling peasants. Howawkward and ill at ease they must have seemed! Then came the carriage, Hubert alighting first, then Karl. Karl had seen her instantly, over herfather's bent back. 

Lying there, seeing things with the clear vision of the dawn, shewondered whether, had she met Karl later, in her sophisticated maturity, she would have fallen in love with him. There was no way to know. He haddawned on her then, almost the first man of rank she had ever seen. Shesaw him, not only with fresh eyes, but through the halo of his position. He was the Crown Prince of Karnia then, more dashing than Hubert, whowas already married and had always been a serious youth, handsomer, ablond in a country of few blond men. His joyous smile had not taken onthe mocking twist it acquired later. His blue eyes were gay and joyous. 

When she had bowed and would have kissed his hand, it had been Karl whokissed hers, and straightened to smile down at her. 

"This is a very happy day, Countess, " he had said. 

Then the old aunt had hustled forward, and the peasants had bowednervously, and bustle and noise had filled the old place. 

For four days the royal hunters had stayed. On the third day Karl hadpleaded fatigue, and they had walked through the pine woods. On thatvery devil's bridge he had kissed her. They had had serious talks, too. Karl was ambitious, even then. The two countries were at peace, but forhow long? Contrary to opinion, he said, it was not rulers who led theirpeople into war. It was the people who forced those wars. He spoke oflong antagonisms, old jealousies, trade relations. 

She had listened, flattered, had been an intelligent audience. Even now, she felt that it was her intelligence as much as her beauty that hadensnared Karl. For ensnared he had been. She had dreamed wild dreamsthat night after he kissed her, dreams of being his wife. She was nottoo young to know passion in a man's eyes, and Karl's had burned withit. 

Then, the next day, while the hunters were away, her aunt had come toher, ugly, dowdy, and alarmed. "Little fool!" she had said. "They play, these princes. But they are evil with women, and dangerous. I have seenyour eyes on him, sick with love. And Karl will amuse himself--it is theblood--and go away, laughing. "

She had been working with the satin dress, trying to make it lovelyfor him. Over it her eyes had met her aunt's, small and twitching withanxiety. "But suppose he cares for me?" she had asked. "Sometimes Ithink--Why should you say he is evil?"

"Bah!"

She had grown angry then and, flinging the dress on the floor, had risenhaughtily. "I think he will marry me, " she had announced, to be met withblank surprise, followed by cackling old laughter. 

Karl had gone away, kissing her passionately, before he left her, in thedark hall. And many things had followed. A cousin, married into Karniabecame lady-in-waiting to the old Queen. Olga Loschek had visited her. No accident all this, but a carefully thought-out plan of Karl's. Shehad met Karl again. She was no longer the ill-dressed, awkward girl ofthe mountains, and his passion grew, rather than died. 

He had made further love to her then, urged her to go away with him ona journey to the eastern end of the kingdom, would, indeed, havecompromised her hopelessly. But, young as she was, she had had courageand strength; perhaps shrewdness too. Few women could have resisted him. He was gentleness itself with her, kindly, considerate, passionate. Butshe had kept her head. 

And because she had kept her head, she had kept him. Through his manylapses, his occasional mad adventures, he had always come back to her. Having never possessed her, he had always wanted her. But not enough, she said drearily to herself, to pay the price of marriage. 

She was fair enough to him. Nothing but a morganatic marriage would bepossible, and this would deprive his children of the throne. But lessthan marriage she would not have. 

The old Queen died. Her cousin retired to the country, and raisedpheasants for gayety. Olga Loschek's visits to Karnia ceased. In time aplace was made for her at the Court of Livonia and a brilliant marriagefor her was predicted. But she did not marry. Now and then she retiredto the castle near the border, and Karl visited her there. And, at last, after years, the inevitable happened. 

She was deeply in love, and the years were passing. The burden ofresistance had always been on her, and marriage was out of the question. She was alone now. Her father had died, and the old aunt was inseclusion in a nunnery, where she pottered around a garden and knittedendless garments for the poor. 

For a time Olga had been very happy. Karl's motor crossed the mountains, and he came on foot through the woods. No breath of scandal touched her. And, outwardly, Karl did not change. He was still her ardent lover. Butthe times when they could meet were few. 

And the Court of Livonia heard rumors--a gamekeeper's daughter, anactress in his own capital, these were but two of the many. Olga Loschekwas clever. She never reproached him or brought him to task. She hadfelt that, whatever his lapses, the years had made her necessary to him. 

The war that followed the truce had seen her Karl's spy in Livonia. Shehad undertaken it that the burden of gratitude should be on him--a falsestep, for men chafe under the necessity for gratitude. 

Then had come another peace, and his visit to the summer palace. Therehe had seen Hedwig, grown since his last visit to lovely girlhood, andhaving what Olga Loschek could never again possess, youth. 

And now he would marry her, and Olga Loschek, his tool and spy, was indanger of her life. 

That day, toward evening, the huge man presented himself. He brought noletter, but an oral message. "Permission is given, madame, " he said. "Imyself shall accompany you. "

CHAPTER XXIII. NIKKY MAKES A PROMISE

The Chancellor lived alone, in his little house near the Palace, ahouse that looked strangely like him, overhanging eyebrows and all, withwindows that were like his eyes, clear and concealing many secrets. Agrim, gray little old house, which concealed behind it a walled gardenfull of unexpected charm. And that, too, was like the Chancellor. 

In his study on the ground floor, overlooking the garden, the Chancellorspent his leisure hours. Here, on the broad, desk-like arm of his chair, where so many state documents had lain for signature, most of his mealswere served. Here, free from the ghosts that haunted the upper rooms, hedreamed his dream of a greater kingdom. 

Mathilde kept his house for him, mended and pressed his uniforms, washedand starched his linen, quarreled with the orderly who attended him, anddrove him to bed at night. 

"It is midnight, " she would say firmly--or one o'clock, or even later, for the Chancellor was old, and needed little sleep. "Give me the book. "Because, if she did not take it, he would carry it off to bed, andreading in bed is bad for the eyes. 

"Just a moment, Mathilde, " he would say, and finish a paragraph. Sometimes he went on reading, and forgot about her, to look up, ahalf-hour later, perhaps, and find her still standing there, immobile, firm. 

Then he would sigh, and close the book. 

At his elbow every evening Mathilde placed a glass of milk. If he hadforgotten it, now he sipped it slowly, and the two talked--of homelythings, mostly, the garden, or moths in the closed rooms which had lost, one by one, their beloved occupants, or of a loose tile on the roof. Butnow and then their conversation was more serious. 

Mathilde, haunting the market with its gayly striped booths, its rabbitshung in pairs by the ears, its strings of dried vegetables, its lacebazaars Mathilde was in touch with the people. It was Mathilde, and notone of his agents, who had brought word of the approaching revolt of thecoppersmiths' guild, and enabled him to check it almost before it began. A stoic, this Mathilde, with her tall, spare figure and glowing eyes, stoic and patriot. Once every month she burned four candles before theshrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in the cathedral, because of four sons shehad given to her country. 

On the evening of the day Hedwig had made her futile appeal to the King, the Chancellor sat alone. His dinner, almost untasted, lay at his elbow. It was nine o'clock. At something after seven he had paid his eveningvisit to the King, and had found him uneasy and restless. 

"Sit down;" the King had said. "I need steadying, old friend. "

"Steadying, sire?"

"I have had a visit from Hedwig. Rather a stormy one, poor child. " Heturned and fixed on his Chancellor his faded eyes. "In this course thatyou have laid out, and that I am following, as I always have, " ironythis, but some truth, too, --"have you no misgivings? You still think itis the best thing?"

"It is the only thing. "

"But all this haste, " put in the King querulously. 

"Is that so necessary? Hedwig begs for time. She hardly knows the man. "

"Time! But I thought--" He hesitated. How say to a dying man that timewas the one thing he did not have?

"Another thing. She was incoherent, but I gathered that there was someone else. The whole interview was cyclonic. It seems, however, that thisyoung protege of yours, Larisch, has been making love to her over Otto'shead. "

Mettlich's face hardened, a gradual process, as the news penetrated inall its significance. 

"I should judge, " the King went on relentlessly, "that this vauntedaffection of his for the boy is largely assumed, a cover for othermatters. But, " he added, with a flicker of humor, "my granddaughterassures me that it is she who has made the advances. I believe she askedhim to elope with her, and he refused!"

"A boy-and-girl affair, sire. He is loyal. And in all of this, you and Iare reckoning without Karl. The Princess hardly knows him, and naturallyshe is terrified. But his approaching visit will make many changes. Heis a fine figure of a man, and women--"

"Exactly;" said the King dryly. What the Chancellor meant was that womenalways had loved Karl, and the King understood. 

"His wild days are over, " bluntly observed the Chancellor. "He is forty, sire. "

"Aye, " said the King. "And at forty, a bad man changes his nature, andpurifies himself in marriage! Nonsense, Karl will be as he has alwaysbeen. But we have gone into this before. Only, I am sorry for Hedwig. Hilda would have stood it better. She is like her father. However"--hisvoice hardened "the thing is arranged, and we must carry out ourcontract. Get rid of this young Larisch. "

The Chancellor sat reflecting, his chin dropped forward on his breast. "Otto will miss him. "

"Well, out with it. I may not dismiss him. What, then?"

"It is always easy to send men away. But it is sometimes better toretain them, and force them to your will. We have here an arrangementthat is satisfactory. Larisch is keen, young, and loyal. Hedwig hasthrown herself at him. For that, sire, she is responsible, not he. "

"Then get rid of her, " growled the King. 

The Chancellor rose. "If the situation is left to me, sire, " he said, "I will promise two things. That Otto will keep his friend, and that thePrincess Hedwig will bow to your wishes without further argument. "

"Do it, and God help you!" said the King, again with the flicker ofamusement. 

The Chancellor had gone home, walking heavily along the darkeningstreets. Once again he had conquered. The reins remained in his gnarledold hands. And he was about to put the honor of the country into thekeeping of the son of Maria Menrad, whom he had once loved. 

So now he sat in his study, and waited. A great meerschaum pipe, astag's head with branching antlers and colored dark with years of use, lay on his tray; and on his knee, but no longer distinguishable in thedusk, lay an old daguerreotype of Maria Menrad. 

When he heard Nikky's quick step as he came along the tiled passage, heslipped the case into the pocket of his shabby house-coat, and picked upthe pipe. 

Nikky saluted, and made his way across the room in the twilight, withthe ease of familiarity. "I am late, sir, " he apologized. "We found ourman and he is safely jailed. He made no resistance. "

"Sit down, " said the Chancellor. And, touching a bell, he asked Mathildefor coffee. "So we have him, " he reflected. "The next thing is todiscover if he knows who his assailants were. That, and the person forwhom he acted--However, I sent for you for another reason. What is thisabout the Princess Hedwig?"

"The Princess Hedwig!"

"What folly, boy! A young girl who cannot know her own mind! And forsuch a bit of romantic trifling you would ruin yourself. It is ruin. Youknow that. "

"I am sorry, " Nikky said simply. "As far as my career goes, it does notmatter. But I am thinking of her. "

"A trifle late. "

"But, " Nikky spoke up valiantly, "it is not romantic folly, in the wayyou mean, sir. As long as I live, I shall--It is hopeless, of course, sir. "

"Madness, " commented the Chancellor. "Sheer spring madness. You wouldcarry her off, I dare say, and hide yourselves at the end of a rainbow!Folly!"

Nikky remained silent, a little sullen. 

"The Princess went to the King with her story this evening. " The boystarted. "A cruel proceeding, but the young are always cruel. Theexpected result has followed: the King wishes you sent away. "

"I am at his command, sir. "

The Chancellor filled his pipe from a bowl near by, workingdeliberately. Nikky sat still, rather rigid. 

"May I ask, " he said at last, "that you say to the King that theresponsibility is mine? No possible blame can attach to the PrincessHedwig. I love her, and--I am not clever. I show what I feel. "

He was showing it then, both hurt and terror, not for himself, but forher. His voice shook in spite of his efforts to be every inch a soldier. 

"The immediate result, " said the Chancellor cruelly, "will doubtless bea putting forward of the date for her marriage. " Nikky's hands clenched. "A further result would be your dismissal from the army. One does not dosuch things as you have done, lightly. "

"Lightly!" said Nikky Larisch. "God!"

"But, " continued the Chancellor, "I have a better way. I have faith, forone thing, in your blood. The son of Maria Menrad must be--his mother'sson. And the Crown Prince is attached to you. Not for your sake, but forhis, I am inclined to be lenient. What I shall demand for that leniencyis that no word of love again pass between you and the Princess Hedwig. "

"It would be easier to go away. "

"Aye, of course. But 'easier' is not your word nor mine. " But Nikky'smisery touched him. He rose and placed a heavy hand on the boy'sshoulder. "It is not as simple as that. I know, boy. But you are young, and these things grow less with time. You need not see her. She will beforbidden to visit Otto or to go to the riding-school. You see, I knowabout the riding-school! And, in a short time now, the marriage willsolve many difficulties. "

Nikky closed his eyes. It was getting to be a habit, just as some peoplecrack their knuckles. 

"We need our friends about us, " the Chancellor continued. "The Carnivalis coming, --always a dangerous time for us. The King grows weaker day byday. A crisis is impending for all of us, and we need you. "

Nikky rose, steady enough now, but white to the lips. 

"I give my word, sir, " he said. "I shall say no word of--of how I feelto Hedwig. Not again. She knows and I think, " he added proudly, "thatshe knows I shall not change. That I shall always--"

"Exactly!" said the Chancellor. It was the very, pitch of the King's dryold voice. "Of course she knows, being a woman. And now, good-night. "

But long after Nikky had gone he sat in the darkness. He felt old andtired and a hypocrite. The boy would not forget, as he himself hadnot forgotten. His hand, thrust into his pocket, rested on the fadeddaguerreotype there. 

Peter Niburg was shot at dawn the next morning. He went, a coward, tohis death, held between two guards and crying piteously. But he dieda brave man. Not once in the long hours of his interrogation had hebetrayed the name of the Countess Loschek. 

CHAPTER XXIV. THE BIRTHDAY

The Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto of Livonia was having abirthday. Now, a birthday for a Crown Prince of Livonia is not a matterof a cake with candles on it; and having his ears pulled, once for eachyear and an extra one to grow on. Nor of a holiday from lessons, anda picnic in spring woods. Nor of a party, with children frolicking andscratching the best furniture. 

In the first place, he was wakened at dawn and taken to early servicein the chapel, a solemn function, with the Court assembled and slightlysleepy. The Crown Prince, who was trying to look his additional dignityof years, sat and stood as erect as possible, and yawned only once. 

After breakfast he was visited by the chaplain who had his religiousinstruction in hand, and interrogated. He did not make more than aboutsixty per cent in this, however, and the chaplain departed lookingslightly discouraged. 

Lessons followed, and in each case the tutor reminded him that, havingnow reached his tenth birthday, he should be doing better than inthe past. Especially the French tutor, who had just heard a rumor ofHedwig's marriage. 

At eleven o'clock came word that the King was too ill to have him toluncheon, but that he would see him for a few moments that afternoon. Prince Ferdinand William Otto, who was diagramming the sentence, "Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in America, " and doing it wrong, looked up in dismay. 

"I'd like to know what's the use of having a birthday, " he declaredrebelliously. 

The substitution of luncheon with the Archduchess Annunciata hardlythrilled him. Unluckily he made an observation to that effect, and gotfive off in Miss Braithwaite's little book. 

The King did not approve of birthday gifts. The expensive toys which theCourt would have offered the child were out of key with the simplicityof his rearing. As a matter of fact, the Crown Prince had never heard ofa birthday gift, and had, indeed, small experience of gifts of any kind, except as he made them himself. For that he had a great fondness. Hissmall pocket allowance generally dissipated itself in this way. 

So there were no gifts. None, that is, until the riding-hour came, andNikky, subverter of all discipline. He had brought a fig lady, wrappedin paper. 

"It's quite fresh, " he said, as they walked together across the Place. "I'll give it to you when we get to the riding-school. I saw the womanmyself take it out of her basket. So it has no germs on it. "

But, although he spoke bravely, Nikky was the least bit nervous. Firstof all he was teaching the boy deception. "But why don't they treathim like a human being?" he demanded of himself. Naturally there was noanswer. Maria Menrad's son had a number of birthdays in his mind, realbirthdays with much indulgence connected with them. 

Second, suppose it really had a germ or two on it? Anxiously, havingunwrapped it, he examined it in the sunlight of a window of the ring. Certainly, thus closely inspected, it looked odd. There were smallgranules over it. 

The Crown Prince waited patiently. "Miss Braithwaite says that if youlook at them under a glass, there are bugs on them, " he observed, withinterest. 

"Perhaps, after all, you'd better not have it. "

"They are very small bugs, " said Prince Ferdinand William Ottoanxiously. "I don't object to them at all. "

So, after all, Nikky uneasily presented his gift; and nothing untowardhappened. He was rewarded, however, by such a glow of pleasure andgratitude from the boy that his scruples faded. 

No Hedwig again, to distract Nikky's mind. The lesson went on; trot, canter, low jumps. And then what Nikky called "stunts, " an American wordwhich delighted the Crown Prince. 

But, Nikky, like the big child he was himself, had kept his real news tothe last. 

Already, he was offering himself on the altar of the child's safety. Behind his smiles lay something of the glow of the martyr. His eyes weresunken, his lips drawn. He had not slept at all, nor eaten. But to theboy he meant to show no failing, to be the prince of playmates, thebrother of joy. Perhaps in this way, he felt, lay his justification. 

So now, with the Crown Prince facing toward the Palace again, towardluncheon with his aunt and a meeting with the delegation, Nikky, like anepicure of sensations, said: "By the way, Otto, I found that dog you sawyesterday. What was his name? Toto?"

"Where did you find him? Yes, Toto!"

"I looked him up, " said Nikky modestly. "You see, it's like this: He'sa pretty nice dog. There aren't many dogs like him. And I thought--well, nobody can say I can't have a dog. "

"You've got him? You, yourself?"

"I, myself. I dare say he has fleas, and they will get in the carpet, but--I tell you what I thought: He will be really your dog, do you see?I'll take care of him, and keep him for you, and bring him out to walkwhere you can see him. Then, when they say you may have a dog, you'vegot one, already. All I have to do is to bring him to you. "

Wise Nikky, of the understanding boy's heart. He had brought into thelittle Prince's life its first real interest, something vital, living. And something of the soreness and hurt of the last few hours died inNikky before Prince Ferdinand William Otto's smile. 

"Oh, Nikky!" was all the child said at first, and grew silent for veryhappiness. Then: "We can talk about him. You can tell me all the thingshe does, and I can send him bones, can't I? Unless you don't care tocarry them. "

This, in passing, explains the reason why, to the eyes of astonishedservants, from that day forth the Crown Prince of Livonia apparentlydevoured his chop, bone and all. And why Nikky resembled, at times, awell-setup, trig, and soldierly appearing charnel-house. "If I amever arrested, " he once demurred, "and searched, Highness, I shall beconsigned to a madhouse. "

Luncheon was extremely unsuccessful. His Cousin Hedwig looked as thoughshe had been crying, and Hilda, eating her soup too fast, was sent fromthe table. The Crown Prince, trying to make conversation, chose Nikkyas his best subject, and met an icy silence. Also, attempting to put thebone from a chicken leg in his pocket, he was discovered. 

"What in the world!" exclaimed the Archduchess. "What do you want of achicken bone?"

"I just wanted it, Tante. "

"It is greasy. Look at your fingers!"

"Mother, " Hedwig said quietly, "it is his birthday. "

"I do not need you to remind me of that. Have I not been up since themiddle of the night, for that reason?"

But she said no more, and was a trifle more agreeable during theremainder of the meal. She was just a bit uneasy before Hedwig thosedays. She did not like the look in her eyes. 

That afternoon, attired in his uniform of the Guards, the Crown Princereceived the delegation of citizens in the great audience, chamber ofthe Palace, a solitary little figure, standing on the red carpet beforethe dais at the end. Behind him, stately with velvet hangings, was thetall gilt chair which some day would be his. Afternoon sunlight, comingthrough the long windows along the side, shone on the prisms of theheavy chandeliers, lighted up the paintings of dead and gone kings ofhis line, gleamed in great mirrors and on the polished floor. 

On each side of his small figure the Council grouped itself, fat Friese, rat-faced Marschall, Bayerl, with his soft voice and white cheekslighted by hot eyes, and the others. They stood very stiff, in theirwhite gloves. Behind them were grouped the gentlemen of the Court, in full dress and decorated with orders. At the door stood the LordChamberlain, very gorgeous in scarlet and gold. 

The Chancellor stood near the boy, resplendent in his dress uniform, ablue ribbon across his shirt front, over which Mathilde had taken hours. He was the Mettlich of the public eye now, hard of features, impassive, inflexible. 

In ordinary times less state would have been observed, a smaller room, Mettlich only, or but one or two others, an informal ceremony. But theChancellor shrewdly intended to do the delegation all honor, the Palaceto give its best, that the city, in need, might do likewise. 

And he had staged the affair well. The Crown Prince, standing alone, sosmall, so appealing, against his magnificent background, was a pictureto touch the hardest. Not for nothing had Mettlich studied the people, read their essential simplicity, their answer to any appeal to theheart. These men were men of family. Surely no father of a son could seethat lonely child and not offer him loyalty. 

With the same wisdom, he had given the boy small instruction, and nospeech of thanks. "Let him say what comes into his head, " Mettlich hadreasoned. "It will at least be spontaneous and boyish. "

The Crown Prince was somewhat nervous. He blinked rapidly as thedelegation entered and proceeded up the room. However, happening at thatmoment to remember Nikky with the brass inkwell, he forgot himself inamusement. He took a good look at the gold casket, as it approached, reverently borne, and rather liked its appearance. It would have been, he reflected, extremely convenient to keep things in, pencils anderasers, on his desk. But, of course, he would not have it to keep. Quite a number of things passed into his possession and out again withthe same lightning-like rapidity. 

The first formalities over, and the Crown Prince having shaken handsnine times, the spokesman stepped forward. He had brought a long, written speech, which had already been given to the newspapers. Butafter a moment's hesitation he folded it up. 

"Your Royal Highness, " he said, looking down, "I have here a longspeech, but all that it contains I can say briefly. It is your birthday, Highness. We come, representing many others, to present to you ourcongratulations, and--the love of your people. It is our hope"--Hepaused. Emotion and excitement were getting the better of him--"ourhope, Highness, that you will have many happy years. To further thathope, we are here to-day to say that we, representing all classes, areyour most loyal subjects. We have fought for His Majesty the King, andif necessary we will fight for you. " He glanced beyond the child at theCouncil, and his tone was strong and impassioned: "But to-day we arehere, not to speak of war, but to present to you our congratulations, our devotion, and our loyalty. "

Also a casket. He had forgotten that. He stepped back, was nudged, andrecollected. 

"Also a gift, " he said, and ruined a fine speech among smiles. But thepresentation took place in due order, and Otto cleared his throat. 

"Thank you all very much, " he said. "It is a very beautiful gift. Iadmire it very much. I should like to keep it on my desk, but I supposeit is too valuable. Thank you very much. "

The spokesman hoped that it might be arranged that he keep it on hisdesk, an ever-present reminder of the love of his city. To this theChancellor observed that it would be arranged, and the affair was over. To obviate the difficulty of having the delegation back down the longroom, it was the Crown Prince who departed first, with the Chancellor. 

Altogether, it was comfortably over, and the Chancellor reflected grimlythat the boy had done well. He had made friends of the delegation at atime when he needed friends. As they walked along the long corridors ofthe Palace together, the Chancellor was visualizing another scene, whichmust come soon, pray God with as good result: the time when, the oldKing dead and the solemn bell of the cathedral tolling, this boy wouldstep out on to the balcony overlooking the Place, and show himself tothe great throng below the windows. 

To offset violence and anarchy itself, only that one small figure on thebalcony!

Late in the afternoon the King sent for Prince Ferdinand William Otto. He had not left his bed since the day he had placed the matter ofHedwig's marriage before the Council, and now he knew he would neverleave it. There were times between sleeping and waking when he fanciedhe had already gone, and that only his weary body on the bed remained. At such times he saw Hubert, only, strangely enough, not as a man grown, but as a small boy again; and his Queen, but as she had looked manyyears before, when he married her, and when at last, after months ofmarried wooing, she had crept willing into his arms. 

So, awakening from a doze, he saw the boy there, and called him Hubert. Prince Ferdinand William Otto, feeling rather worried, did the onlything he could think of. He thrust his warm hand into his grandfather'sgroping one, and the touch of his soft flesh roused the King. 

The Sister left them together, and in her small room dropped on herknees before the holy image. There, until he left, she prayed for theKing's soul, for the safety and heavenly guidance of the boy. The windstirred her black habit and touched gently her white coif. She prayed, her pale lips moving silently. 

In the King's bedchamber Prince Ferdinand William Otto sat on a highchair, and talked. He was extremely relieved that his exile was over, but he viewed his grandfather, with alarm. His aunt had certainlyintimated that his running away had made the King worse. And he lookedvery ill. 

"I'm awfully sorry, grandfather, " he said. 

"For what?"

"That I went away the other day, sir. "

"It was, after all, a natural thing to do. "

The Crown Prince could hardly believe his ears. 

"If it could only be arranged safely--a little freedom--" The King laystill with closed eyes. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto felt uneasy. "But I am very comfortable, and--and happy, " he hastened to say. "You are, please, not to worryabout me, sir. And about the paper I threw at Monsieur Puaux the otherday, I am sorry about that too. I don't know exactly why I did it. "

The King still held his hand, but he said nothing. There were manythings he wanted to say. He had gone crooked where this boy must gostraight. He had erred, and the boy must avoid his errors. He hadcherished enmities, and in his age they cherished him. And now-- "May Iask you a question, sir?"

"What is it?"

"Will you tell me about Abraham Lincoln?"

"Why?" The King was awake enough now. He fixed the Crown Prince withkeen eyes. 

"Well, Miss Braithwaite does not care for him. She says he was not agreat man, not as great as Mr. Gladstone, anyhow. But Bobby--that's theboy I met; I told you about him--he says he was the greatest man whoever lived. "

"And who, " asked the King, "do you regard as the greatest man?"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto fidgeted, but he answered bravely, "You, sir. "

"Humph!" The King lay still, smiling slightly. "Well, " he observed, "there are, of course, other opinions as to that. However--AbrahamLincoln was a very great man. A dreamer, a visionary, but a great man. You might ask Miss Braithwaite to teach you his 'Gettysburg Address. 'It is rather a model as to speech-making, although it contains doctrinesthat--well, you'd better learn it. "

He smiled again, to himself. It touched his ironic sense of humor thathe, who had devoted his life to maintaining that all men are not freeand equal, when on that very day that same doctrine of liberty wasundermining his throne--that he should be discussing it with the smallheir to that throne. 

"Yes, sir, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. He hoped it was not verylong. 

"Otto, " said the King suddenly, "do you ever look at your father'spicture?"

"Not always. "

"You might--look at it now and then. I'd like you to do it. "

"Yes, sir. "

CHAPTER XXV. THE GATE OF THE MOON

A curious friendship had sprung up between old Adelbert andBobby Thorpe. In off hours, after school, the boy hung about theticket-taker's booth, swept now to a wonderful cleanliness and adornedwithin with pictures cut from the illustrated papers. The small charcoalfire was Bobby's particular care. He fed and watched it, and havingheard of the baleful effects of charcoal fumes, insisted on more freshair than old Adelbert had ever breathed before. 

"You see, " Bobby would say earnestly, as he brushed away at the floorbeneath the burner, "you don't know that you are being asphyxiated. Youjust feel drowsy, and then, poof!--you're dead. "

Adelbert, dozing between tickets, was liable to be roused by a vigorousshaking, to a pair of anxious eyes gazing at him, and to a draft ofchill spring air from the open door. 

"I but dozed, " he would explain, without anger. "All my life have Ibreathed the fumes and nothing untoward has happened. "

Outwardly he was peaceful. The daughter now received his pension infull, and wrote comforting letters. But his resentment and bitterness atthe loss of his position at the Opera continued, even grew. 

For while he had now even a greater wage, and could eat three meals, besides second breakfast and afternoon coffee, down deep in his heartold Adelbert felt that he had lost caste. The Opera--that was a setting!Great staircases of marble, velvet hangings, the hush before theoverture, and over all the magic and dignity of music. And before hisstall had passed and repassed the world--royalties, the aristocracy, the army. Hoi polloi had used another entrance by which to climb to theupper galleries. He had been, then, of the elect. Aristocrats who hadforgotten their own opera-glasses had requested him to give them of hisbest, had through long years learned to know him there, and had noddedto him as they swept by. The flash of jewels on beautiful necks, theglittering of decorations on uniformed chests, had been his life. 

And now, to what had he fallen! To selling tickets for an Americancatch-penny scheme, patronized by butchers, by housemaids, by the commonpeople a noisy, uproarious crowd, that nevertheless counted their changewith suspicious eyes, and brought lunches in paper boxes, which theyscattered about. 

"Riff-raff!" he said to himself scornfully. 

There was, however, a consolation. He had ordered a new uniform. Not fortwenty years had he ventured the extravagance, and even now his cautioussoul quailed at the price. For the last half-dozen years he had stumpedthrough the streets, painfully aware of shabbiness, of a shiny back, ofpatches, when, on the anniversary of the great battle to which he hadsacrificed a leg, the veterans marched between lines of cheering people. 

Now, on this approaching anniversary, he could go peacefully, nay, evenproudly. The uniform was of the best cloth, and on its second fittingshowed already its marvel of tailoring. The news of it had gone aroundthe neighborhood. The tailor reported visits from those who would feelof the cloth, and figure its expensiveness. In the evening--for heworked only until seven--he had his other preparations: polishing hissword, cleaning his accouterments. 

On an evening a week before the parade would occur, he got out hisboots. He bought always large boots with straight soles, the right notmuch different from the left in shape. Thus he managed thriftily towear, on his one leg, first one of the pair, then the other. But theywere both worn now, and because of the cost of the new uniform, he couldnot buy others. 

Armed with the better of the two he visited the cobbler's shop, andthere met with bitter news. 

"A patch here, and a new heel, comrade, " he said. "With that and apolishing, it will do well enough for marching. "

The usual group was in the shop, mostly young men, a scattering of grayheads. The advocates of strange doctrines, most of them. Old Adelbertdisapproved of them, regarded them with a sort of contempt. 

Now he felt that they smiled behind his back. It was his clothing, hefelt. He shrugged his shoulders disdainfully. He no longer felt ashamedbefore them. Already, although the tailor still pressed its seamsand marked upon it with chalk, he was clad in the dignity of the newuniform. 

He turned and nodded to them. "A fine evening, " he said. "If thisweather holds, we will have--a good day for the marching. " He squinted afaded eye at the sky outside. 

"What marching?"

Old Adelbert turned on the speaker sharply. "Probably you haveforgotten, " he said scornfully, "but in a week comes an anniversarythere are many who will remember. The day of a great battle. Perhaps, "he added, "if you do not know of what I speak, there are some here whowill tell you. "

Unexpectedly the crowd laughed. 

Old Adelbert flushed a dusky red and drew himself up. "Since when, " hedemanded, "does such a speech bring laughter? It was no laughing matterthen. "

"It is the way of the old to live in the past, " a student said. Then, imitating old Adelbert's majestic tone: "We, we live in the future. Eh, comrades?" He turned to the old soldier: "You have not seen thebulletins?"

"Bulletins?"

"There will be no marching, my friend. The uniform now--that is a pity. Perhaps the tailor--" His eyes mocked. 

"No marching?"

"An order of the Council. It seems that the city is bored by theseancient-reminders. It is for peace, and would forget wars. Andprocessions are costly. We grow thrifty. Bands and fireworks cost money, and money, my hero, is scarce--very scarce. "

Again the group laughed. 

After a time he grasped the truth. There was such an order. The causewas given as the King's illness. 

"Since when, " demanded old Adelbert angrily, "has the sound of hissoldiers' marching disturbed the King?"

"The sound of wooden legs annoys him, " observed the mocking student, lighting a cigarette. "He would hear only pleasant sounds, such asthe noise of tax-money pouring into his vaults. Me--I can think of apleasanter: the tolling of the cathedral bell, at a certain time, willbe music to my ears!"

Old Adelbert stood, staring blindly ahead. At last he went out into thestreet, muttering. "They shame us before the people, " he said thickly. 

The order of the Council had indeed been issued, a painful business overwhich Mettlich and the Council had pondered long. For, in the state ofthings, it was deemed unwise to permit any gathering of the populace enmasse. Mobs lead to riots, and riots again to mobs. Five thousand armedmen, veterans, but many of them in their prime, were in themselves adanger. And on these days of anniversary it had been the custom of theUniversity to march also, a guard of honor. Sedition was rife among thestudents. 

The order was finally issued. .. 

Old Adelbert was not keen, but he did not lack understanding. And onething he knew, and knew well. The concierge, downstairs was no patriot. Time had been when, over coffee and bread, he had tried to instill inthe old soldier his own discontent, his new theories of a land whereall were equal and no man king. He had hinted of many who believed ashe did. Only hints, because old Adelbert had raised a trembling hand andproclaimed treason. 

But now?

Late in the evening he made his resolve, and visited the bureau of theconcierge. He was away, however, and his niece spoke through the barredwindow. 

"Two days, or perhaps three, " she said. "He is inspecting a farm in thecountry, with a view to purchase. "

The old soldier had walked by the Palace that night, and had againshaken his fist at its looming shadow. "You will see, " he said, "therebe other sounds more painful than the thump of a wooden leg. "

He was ill that night. He tossed about in a fever. His body ached, even the leg which so long ago had mouldered in its shallow grave on abattle-field. For these things happen. By morning he was better, buthe was a different man. His eyes glowed. His body twitched. He wasstronger, too, for now he broke his sword across his knee, and flung thepieces out of the window. And with them went the last fragment of hisold loyalty to his King. 

Old Adelbert was now, potentially, a traitor. 

The spring came early that year. The last of February saw the parksgreen. Snowdrops appeared in the borders of paths. The swans left theirwooden houses and drifted about in water much colder than the air. Bobbyabandoned the aeroplane for a kite and threw it aloft from Pike's Peak. At night, when he undressed, marbles spilled out of his pockets androlled under the most difficult furniture. Although it was still coldat nights and in the early mornings, he abandoned the white sweater andtook to looking for birds and nests in the trees of the park. It was, of course, much too early for nests, but nevertheless he searched, convinced that even if grown-ups talked wisely of more cold weather, heand the birds knew it was spring. And, of course, the snow-drops. 

On the morning after old Adelbert had turned his back on his King, BobbyThorpe rose early, so early, indeed, that even Pepy still slept in hernarrow bed, and the milk-sellers had not started on their rounds. Theearly rising was a mistake, owing to a watch which had strangely gainedan hour. 

Somewhat disconsolately, he wandered about. Heavy quiet reigned. From awindow he watched the meat-seller hang out a freshly killed deer, justbrought from the mountains He went downstairs and out on the street, past the niece of the concierge, who was scrubbing the stairs. 

"I'm going for a walk, " he told her. "If they send Pepy down you mighttell her I'll be back for breakfast. "

He stood for a time surveying the deer. Then he decided to gohunting himself. The meat-seller obligingly gave him the handle of afloor-brush, and with this improvised gun Bobby went deer-stalking. Heturned into the Park, going stealthily, and searching the landscape withkeen hunter's eyes. Once or twice he leveled his weapon, killed a deer, cut off the head, and went on. His dog trotted, at his heels. When aparticularly good shot presented itself, Bobby said, "Down, Tucker, " andTucker, who played extremely well, would lie down, ears cocked, untilthe quarry was secured. 

Around the old city gate, still standing although the wall of which ithad been a part was gone, there was excellent hunting. Here they killedand skinned a bear, took fine ivory tusks from a dead elephant, andsearched for the trail of a tiger. 

The gate was an excellent place for a tiger. Around it was plantedan almost impenetrable screen of evergreens, so thick that the groundbeneath was quite bare of grass. Here the two hunters crawled onstomachs that began to feel a trifle empty, and here they happened onthe trail. 

Tucker found it first. His stumpy tail grew rigid. Nose to the ground, he crawled and wriggled through the undergrowth, Bobby at his heels. And now Bobby saw the trail, footprints. It is true that they resembledthose of heavy boots with nails. But on the other hand, no one could saysurely that the nail-marks were not those of claws. 

Tucker circled about. The trail grew more exciting. Bobby had to crawlon hands and feet under and through thickets. Branches had been brokenas by the passage of some large body. The sportsman clutched his weaponand went on. 

An hour later the two hunters returned for breakfast. Washing didsomething to restore the leader to a normal appearance, but a wonderingfamily discovered him covered with wounds and strangely silent. 

"Why, Bob, where have you been?" his mother demanded. "Why, I never sawso many scratches!"

"I've been hunting, " he replied briefly. "They don't hurt anyhow. "

Then he relapsed into absorbed silence. His mother, putting cream on hiscereal, placed an experienced hand on his forehead. "Are you sure youfeel well, dear?" she asked. "I think your head is a little hot. "

"I'm all right, mother. "

She was wisely silent, but she ran over in her mind the spring treatmentfor children at home. The blood, she felt, should be thinned after awinter of sausages and rich cocoa. She mentally searched her medicinecase. 

A strange thing happened that day. A broken plate disappeared from theupper shelf of a closet, where Pepy had hidden it; also a cup with anick in it, similarly concealed; also the heel of a loaf of bread. Nor was that the end. For three days a sort of magic reigned in Pepy'skitchen. Ten potatoes, laid out to peel, became eight. Matches and twoends of candle walked out, as it were, on their own feet. A tin pan witha hole in it left the kitchen-table and was discovered hiding in Bobby'sbureau, when the Fraulein put away the washing. 

On the third day Mrs. Thorpe took her husband into their room and closedthe door. 

"Bob, " she said, "I don't want to alarm you. But there is somethingwrong with Bobby. "

"Sick, you mean?"

"I don't know. " Her voice was worried. "He's not a bit like himself. Heis always away, for one thing. And he hardly eats at all. "

"He looks well enough nourished!"

"And he comes home covered with mud. I have never seen his clothes insuch condition. And last night, when he was bathing, I went into thebathroom. He is covered with scratches. "

"Now see here, mother, " the hunter's father protested, "you're theparent of a son, a perfectly hardy, healthy, and normal youngster, withan imagination. Probably he's hunting Indians. I saw him in the Parkyesterday with his air-rifle. Any how, just stop worrying and let himalone. A scratch or two won't hurt him. And as to his not eating, --well, if he's not eating at home he's getting food somewhere, I'll bet you ahat. "

So Bobby was undisturbed, save that the governess protested that heheard nothing she told him, and was absent-minded at his lessons. Butas she was always protesting about something, no one paid any attention. Bobby drew ahead on his pocket allowance without question, and as hisbirthday was not far off, asked for "the dollar to grow on" in advance. He always received a dollar for each year, which went into the bank, anda dollar to grow on, which was his own to spend. 

With the dollar he made a number of purchases candles and candlestick, atoy pistol and caps, one of the masks for the Carnival, now displayed inall the windows, a kitchen-knife, wooden plates, and a piece of bacon. 

Now and then he appeared at the Scenic Railway, abstracted and viewingwith a calculating eye the furnishings of the engine-room and workshop. From there disappeared a broken chair, a piece of old carpet, discardedfrom a car, and a large padlock, but the latter he asked for andobtained. 

His occasional visits to the Railway, however, found him in oldAdelbert's shack. He filled his pockets with charcoal from the pailbeside the stove, and made cautious inquiries as to methods of cookingpotatoes. But the pall of old Adelbert's gloom penetrated at last eventhrough the boy's abstraction. 

"I hope your daughter is not worse, " he said politely, during one of hisvisits to the ticket-booth. 

"She is well. She recovers strength rapidly. "

"And the new uniform--does it fit, you?"

"I do not know, " said old Adelbert grimly. "I have not seen itrecently. "

"On the day of the procession we are all going to watch for you. I'lltell you where we twill be, so you can look for us. "

"There will be no procession. "

Then to the boy old Adelbert poured out the bitterness of his soul. Heshowed where he had torn down the King's picture, and replaced it withone of a dying stag. He reviewed his days in the hospital, and thehardships through which he had passed, to come to this. The King hadforgotten his brave men. 

Bobby listened. "Pretty soon there won't be any kings, " he observed. "Myfather says so. They're out of date. "

"Aye, " said old Adelbert. 

"It would be kind of nice if you had a president. Then, if he acted up, you could put him out. "

"Aye, " said old Adelbert again. 

During the rest of the day Bobby considered. No less a matter than thesharing of a certain secret occupied his mind. Now; half the pleasureof a secret is sharing it, naturally, but it should be with the rightperson. And his old playfellow was changed. Bobby, reflecting, wonderedwhether old Adelbert would really care to join his pirate crew, consisting of Tucker and himself. On the next day, however, he put thematter to the test, having resolved that old Adelbert needed distractionand cheering. 

"You know, " he said, talking through the window of the booth, "I thinkwhen I grow up I'll be a pirate. "

"There be worse trades, " said old Adelbert, whose hand was now againstevery man. 

"And hide treasure, " Bobby went on. "In a--in a cave, you know. Did youever read 'Treasure Island'?"

"I may have forgotten it. I have read many things. "

"You'd hardly forget it. You know--

 'Fifteen men on a dead man's chest Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum. '"

Old Adelbert rather doubted the possibility of fifteen men on one deadman's chest, but he nodded gravely. "A spirited song, " he observed. 

Bobby edged closer to the window. "I've got the cave already. "

"So!"

"Here, in the Park. It is a great secret. I'd like to show it to you. Only it's rather hard to get to. I don't know whether you'd care tocrawl through the bushes to it. "

"A cave--here in the Park?"

"I'll take you, if you'd like to see it. "

Old Adelbert was puzzled. The Park offered, so far as he knew, no placefor a cave. It was a plain, the site of the old wall; and now planted ingrass and flowers. He himself had seen it graded and sown. A cave!

"Where?"

"That's a secret. But I'll show it to you, if you won't tell. "

Old Adelbert agreed to silence. In fact, he repeated after the boy, inEnglish he did not understand, a most blood-curdling oath of secrecy, and made the pirate sign--which, as every one knows, is a skull andcrossbones--in the air with his forefinger. 

"This cave, " he said, half smiling, "must be a most momentous matter!"

Until midday, when the Railway opened for business, the old soldier wasfree. So the next morning, due precautions having been taken, the twoconspirators set off. Three, rather, for Tucker, too, was now of theband of the black flag, having been taken in with due formality a day ortwo before, and behaving well and bravely during the rather trying ritesof initiation. 

Outside the thicket Bobby hesitated. "I ought to blindfold you, " hesaid. "But I guess you'll need your eyes. It's a hard place to get to. "

Perhaps, had he known the difficulties ahead, old Adelbert would nothave gone on. And; had he turned back then, the history of a certainkingdom of Europe would have been changed. Maps, too, and schoolbooks, and the life-story of a small Prince. But he went on. Stronger than hisyoung guide, he did not crawl, but bent aside the stiff and ungainlybranches of the firs. He battled with the thicket, and came outvictorious. . He was not so old, then, or so feeble. His arm would havebeen strong for the King, had not-- "There it is!" cried Bobby. 

Not a cave, it appeared at first. A low doorway, barred with an irongrating, and padlocked. A doorway in the base of a side wall of thegate, and so heaped with leaves that its lower half was covered. 

Bobby produced a key. "I broke the padlock that was on it, " heexplained. "I smashed it with a stone. But I got another. I always lockit. "

Prolonged search produced the key. Old Adelbert's face was set hard. On what dungeon had this boy stumbled? He himself had lived there manyyears, and of no such aperture had he heard mention. It was strange. 

Bobby was removing the leaf-mould with his hands. "It was almost allcovered when I found it, " he said, industriously scraping. "I generallyclose it up like this when I leave. It's a good place for pirates, don'tyou think?"

"Excellent!"

"I've brought some things already. The lock's rusty. There it goes. There are rats. I hope you don't mind rats. "

The door swung in, silently, as though the hinges had been recentlyoiled; as indeed they had, but not by the boy. 

"It's rather dirty, " he explained. "You go down steps first. Be verycareful. "

He extended an earthy hand and led the old man down. "It's dark here, but there's a room below; quite a good room. And I have candles. "

Truly a room. Built of old brick, and damp, but with a free circulationof air. Old Adelbert stared about him. It was not entirely dark. A bitof light entered from the aperture at the head of the steps. By it, evenbefore Bobby had lighted his candle, he saw the broken chair, the pieceof old carpet, and the odds and ends the child had brought. 

"I cook down here sometimes, " said Bobby, struggling with matches thathad felt the damp. "But it is very smoky. I should like to have a stove. You don't know where I can get a secondhand stove, do you? with a longpipe?"

Old Adelbert felt curiously shaken. "None have visited this place sinceyou have been here?" he asked. 

"I don't suppose any one knows about it. Do you?"

"Those who built it, perhaps. But it is old, very old. It is possible--"

He stopped, lost in speculation. There had been a story once of apassageway under the wall, but he recollected nothing clearly. Apassageway leading out beyond the wall, through which, in a great siege, a messenger had been sent for help. But that was of a passage; whilethis was a dungeon. 

The candle was at last lighted. It burned fitfully, illuminating only atiny zone in the darkness. 

"I need a lantern, " Bobby observed. "There's a draft here. It comes fromthe other grating. Sometime, when you have time, I'd like to see what'sbeyond it. I was kind of nervous about going alone. "

It was the old passage, then, of course. Old Adelbert stared as Bobbytook the candle and held it toward a second grated door, like the first, but taller. 

"There are rats there, " he said. "I can hear them; about a million, Iguess. They ate all the bread and bacon I left. Tucker can get through. He must have killed a lot of them. "

"Lend me your candle. "

A close examination revealed to old Adelbert two things: First, that abrick-lined passage, apparently in good repair, led beyond the grating. Second, that it had been recently put in order. A spade and wheelbarrow, both unmistakably of recent make, stood just beyond, the barrow full ofbricks, as though fallen ones had been gathered up. Further, the padlockhad been freshly oiled, and the hinges of the grating. No unused passagethis, but one kept in order and repair. For what?

Bobby had adjusted the mask and thrust the knife through the belt of hisNorfolk jacket. Now, folding his arms, he recited fiercely, "'Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!'"

"A spirited song, " observed old Adelbert, as before. But his eyes wereon the grating. 

That evening Adelbert called to see his friend, the locksmith in theUniversity Place. He possessed, he said, a padlock of which he had lostthe key, and which, being fastened to a chest, he was unable to bringwith him. A large and heavy padlock, perhaps the size of his palm. 

When he left, he carried with him a bundle of keys, tied in a brownpaper. 

But he did not go back to his chest. He went instead to the thicketaround the old gate, which was still termed the "Gate of the Moon, " andthere, armed with a lantern, pursued his investigations during a portionof the night. 

When he had finished, old Adelbert, veteran of many wars, one-timepatriot and newly turned traitor, held in his shaking hands the fate ofthe kingdom. 

CHAPTER XXVI. AT THE INN

The Countess Loschek was on her way across the border. The arrangementswere not of her making. Her plan, which had been to go afoot across themountain to the town of Ar-on-ar, and there to hire a motor, had beenaltered by the arrival at the castle, shortly after the permission wasgiven, of a machine. So short an interval, indeed, had elapsed that sheconcluded, with reason, that this car now placed at her disposal was theone which had brought that permission. 

"The matter of passports for the border is arranged, madame, " BlackHumbert told her. 

"I have my own passports, " she said proudly. 

"They will not be necessary. "

"I will have this interview at my destination alone; or not at all. "

He drew himself to his great height and regarded her with cold eyes. "Asyou wish, " he said. "But it is probably not necessary to remind madamethat, whatever is discussed at this meeting, no word must be mentionedof the Committee, or its plans. "

Although he made no threat, she had shivered. No, there must be no wordof the Committee, or of the terror that drove her to Karl. For, if theworst happened, if he failed her, and she must do the thing they had sether to do, Karl must never know. That card she must play alone. 

So she was not even to use her own passports! Making her hastypreparations, again the Countess marveled. Was there no limit to thepowers of the Committee of Ten? Apparently the whole machinery of theGovernment was theirs to command. Who were they, these men who had satthere immobile behind their masks? Did she meet any of them daily in thePalace? Were the eyes that had regarded her with unfriendly steadinessthat night in the catacombs, eyes that smiled at her day by day, in thevery halls of the King? Had any of those shrouded and menacing figuresbent over her hand with mocking suavity? She wondered. 

A hasty preparation at the last it was, indeed, but a careful toilet hadpreceded it. Now that she was about to see Karl again, after months ofseparation, he must find no flaw in her. She searched her mirror for theravages of the past few days, and found them. Yet, appraising herselfwith cold eyes, she felt she was still beautiful. The shadows about hereyes did not dim them. 

Everything hung on the result of her visit. If Karl persisted, if hewould marry Hedwig in spite of the trouble it would precipitate, thenindeed she was lost. If, on the other hand, he was inclined to peace, if her story of a tottering throne held his hand, she would defy theCommittee of Ten. Karl himself would help her to escape, might indeedhide her. It would not be for long. Without Karl's support the King'sdeath would bring the Terrorists into control. They would have otherthings to do than to hunt her out. Their end would be gained withouther. Let them steal the Crown Prince, then. Let Hedwig fight for herthrone and lose it. Let the streets run, deep with blood and all thepandemonium of hell break loose. 

But if Karl failed her?

Even here was the possibility of further mischance. Suppose the boygone, and the people yet did not rise? Suppose then that Hedwig, by hervery agency, gained the throne and held it. Hedwig, Queen of Livonia inher own right, and Karl's wife!

She clenched her teeth. 

Over country roads the machine jolted and bumped. At daybreak theyhad not yet reached the border. In a narrow lane they encountered apilgrimage of mountain folk, bent for the shrine at Etzel. 

The peasants drew aside to let the Machine pass, and stared at it. Theyhad been traveling afoot all night, and yet another day and a nightwould elapse before they could kneel in the church. 

"A great lady, " said one, a man who carried a sleeping child in hisarms. 

"Perhaps, " said a young girl, "she too has made a pilgrimage. All go toEtzel, the poor and the rich. And all receive grace. "

The Countess did not sleep. She was, with every fiber of her keenbrain, summoning her arguments. She would need them, for she knew--nonebetter--how great a handicap was hers. She loved Karl, and he knew it. What had been her strength had become her weakness. 

Yet she was composed enough when, before the sun was well up, themachine drew up in the village before the inn where Mettlich had spenthis uneasy hours. 

Her heavy veils aroused the curiosity of the landlord. When, shortlyafter, his daughter brought down a letter to be sent at once to theroyal hunting-lodge, he shrugged his shoulders. It was not the firsttime a veiled woman had come to his inn under similar circumstances. After all, great people are but human. One cannot always be a king. 

The Countess breakfasted in her room. The landlord served her himself, and narrowly inspected her. She was not so young as he had hoped, but she was beautiful. And haughty. A very great person, he decided, incognito. 

The King was hunting, he volunteered. There were great doings at thelodge. Perhaps Her Excellency would be proceeding there. 

She eyed him stonily, and then sent him off about his business. 

So all the day she ate her heart out in her bare room. Now and then theclear sound of bugles reached her, but she saw no hunters. Karl followedthe chase late that day. It was evening before she saw the tired horsesstraggling through the village streets. Her courage was oozing by thattime. What more could she say than what he already knew? Many agenciesother than hers kept him informed of the state of affairs in Livonia. Abitter thought, this, for it showed Karl actuated by love of Hedwig, andnot by greed of power. She feared that more than she feared death. 

She had expected to go to the lodge, but at nine o'clock that nightKarl came to her, knocking at the door of her room and entering withoutwaiting for permission. 

The room was small and cozy with firelight. Her scarlet cloak, flungover a chair, made a dash of brilliant color. Two lighted candles on ahigh carved chest, and between them a plaster figure of the Mother andChild, a built-in bed with white curtains--that was the room. 

Before the open fire Olga Loschek sat in her low chair. She wore stillher dark traveling dress; and a veil, ready to be donned at the summonsof a message from Karl, trailed across her knee. In the firelight shelooked very young--young and weary. Karl, who had come hardened to ascene, found her appealing, almost pathetic. 

She rose at his entrance and, after a moment of surprise, smiledfaintly. But she said nothing, nor did Karl, until he had lifted one ofher cold hands and brushed it with his lips. 

"Well!" he said. "And again, Olga!"

"Once again. " She looked up at him. Yes, he was changed. The old Karlwould have taken her in his arms. This new Karl was urbane, smiling, uneasy. 

He said nothing. He was apparently waiting for her to make the firstmove. But she did not help him. She sat down and he drew a small chairto the fire. 

"There is nothing wrong, is there?" he said. "Your note alarmed me. Notthe note, but your coming here. "

"Nothing--and everything. " She felt suddenly very tired. Her very voicewas weary. "I sent you a letter asking you to come to the castle. Therewere things to discuss, and I did not care to take this risk of cominghere. "

"I received no letter. "

"No!" She knew it, of course, but she pretended surprise, a carefullysuppressed alarm. 

"I have what I am afraid is bad news, Olga. The letter was taken. Ireceived only a sheet of blank paper. "

"Karl!" She leaped to her feet. 

She was no mean actress. And behind it all was her real terror, greater, much greater, than he could know. Whatever design she had on Karl'spity, she was only acting at the beginning. Deadly peril was clutchingher, a double peril, of the body and of the soul. 

"Taken! By whom?"

"By some one you know--young Larisch. "

"Larisch!" No acting there. In sheer amazement she dropped back fromhim, staring with wide eyes. Nikky Larisch! Then how had the Terroristsgot it? Was all the world in their employ?

"But--it is impossible!"

"I'm sorry, Olga. But even then there is something to be explained. Weimprisoned him--we got him in a trap, rather by accident. He maintainedthat he had not made away with the papers. A mystery, all of it. Onlyyour man, Niburg, could explain, and he--"

"Yes?"

"I am afraid he will never explain, Olga. "

Then indeed horror had its way with her. Niburg executed as a spy, aftermaking who knew what confession! What then awaited her at the old castleabove the church at Etzel? Karl, seeing her whitening lips, felt astirring of pity. His passion for her was dead, but for a long time hehad loved her, and now, in sheer regret, he drew her to him. 

"Poor girl, " he said softly. "Poor girl!" And drew his hand gently overher hair. 

She shivered at his touch. "I can never go back, " she said brokenly. 

But at that he freed her. "That would be to confess before you areaccused, " he reminded her. "We do not know that Niburg told. He wasdoomed anyhow. To tell would help nothing. The letter, of course, was incode?"

"Yes. "

She sat down again, fighting for composure. 

"I am not very brave, " she said. "It was unexpected. In a moment I shallbe calmer. You must not think that I regret the risk. I have always beenproud to do my best for you. "

That touched him. In the firelight, smiling wanly at him, she was verylike the girl who had attracted him years before. Her usual smilingassurance was gone. She looked sad, appealing. And she was right. Shehad always done her best for him. But he was cautious, too. 

"I owe you more than I can tell you, " he said. "It is the sort of debtthat can never be paid. Your coming here was a terrible risk. Somethingurgent must have brought you. "

She pushed back her heavy hair restlessly. 

"I was anxious. And there were things I felt you should know. "

"What things?"

"The truth about the King's condition, for one. He is dying. Thebulletins lie. He is no better. "

"Why should the bulletins lie?"

"Because there is a crisis. You know it. But you cannot know what weknow--the living in fear, the precautions, everything. "

"So!" said Karl uneasily. "But the Chancellor assured me--" He stopped. It was not yet time to speak of the Chancellor's visit. 

"The Chancellor! He lies, of course. How bad things are you may judgewhen I tell you that a hidden passage from the Palace has been openedand cleared, ready for instant flight. "

It was Karl's turn to be startled. He rose, and stood staring down ather. "Are you certain of that?"

"Certain!" She laughed bitterly. "The Terrorists Revolutionists, theycall themselves--are everywhere. They know everything, see everything. Mettlich's agents are disappearing one by one. No one knows where, butall suspect. Student meetings are prohibited. The yearly procession ofveterans is forbidden, for they trust none, even their old soldiers. TheCouncil meets day after day in secret session. "

"But the army--"

"They do not trust the army. "

Karl's face was grave. Something of the trouble in Livonia he had known. But this argued an immediate crisis. 

"On the King's death, " the Countess said, "a republic will be declared. The Republic of Livonia! The Crown Prince will never reign. "

She shivered, but Karl was absorbed in the situation. 

"Incredible!" he commented. "These fears are sometimes hysterias, butwhat you say of the preparations for flight--I thought the boy was verypopular. "

"With some. But when has a child stood between the mob and the thing itwants? And the thing they cry for is liberty. Down with the royal house!Down with the aristocracy!"

She was calm enough now. Karl was listening, was considering, lookeduneasy. She had been right. He was not for acquiring trouble, even bymarriage. 

But, if she had read Karl, he also knew her. In all the years hehad known her she had never been reckless. Daring enough, but with acalculating daring that took no chances. And yet she had done a recklessthing by coming to him. From under lowered eyelids he considered her. Why had she done it? The situation was serious enough, but even then--"So you came to-day to tell me this?"

She glanced up, and catching his eyes, colored faintly. "These arethings you should know. "

He knew her very well. A jealous woman would go far. He knew now thatshe was jealous. When he spoke it was with calculating brutality. "Youmean, in view of my impending marriage?"

So it was arranged! Finally arranged. Well, she had done her best. Heknew the truth. She had told it fairly. If, knowing it, he persisted, itwould be because her power over him was dead at last. 

"Yes. I do not know how far your arrangements have gone. You have atleast been warned. "

But she saw, by the very way he drew himself up and smiled, that heunderstood. More than that, he doubted her. He questioned what she hadsaid. 

The very fact that she had told him only the truth added to herresentment. 

"You will see, " she said sullenly. 

Because he thought he already saw, and because she had given him a badmoment, Karl chose to be deliberately cruel. "Perhaps!" he said. "Buteven then if this marriage were purely one of expediency, Olga, I mighthesitate. Frankly, I want peace. I am tired of war, tired of bickering, tired of watching and being watched. But it is not one of expediency. Not, at least, only that. You leave out of this discussion the oneelement that I consider important, Hedwig herself. If the PrincessHedwig were to-morrow to be without a country, I should still hope tomarry her. "

She had done well up to now, had kept her courage and her temper, hadtaken her cue from him and been quiet and poised. But more than hiswords, his cruel voice, silky with friendship, drove her to the breakingpoint. Karl, who hated a scene, found himself the victim of one, and wasnone the happier that she who had so long held him off was now herselfat arm's length, and struggling. 

Bitterly, and with reckless passion, she flung at him Hedwig'sinfatuation for young Larisch, and prophesied his dishonor as a resultof it. That leaving him cold and rather sneering, she reviewed theirold intimacy, to be reminded that in that there had been no question ofmarriage, or hope of it. 

"I am only human, Olga, " he said, in an interval when she had fallento quiet weeping. "I loved you very sincerely, and for a long time. Marriage between us was impossible. You always knew that. "

In the end she grew quiet and sat looking into the fire with eyes fullof stony despair. She had tried and failed. There was one way left, onlyone, and even that would not bring him back to her. Let Hedwig escapeand marry Nikky Larisch--still where was she? Let the Terrorists striketheir blow and steal the Crown Prince. Again--where was she?

Her emotions were deadened, all save one, and that was her hatred ofHedwig. The humiliation of that moment was due to her. Somehow, someday, she would be even with Hedwig. Karl left her there at last, huddledin her chair, left full of resentment, the ashes of his old love coldand gray. There was little reminder of the girl of the mountains in thestony-eyed woman he had left sagged low by the fire. 

Once out in the open air, the King of Karnia drew a long breath. Theaffair was over. It had been unpleasant. It was always unpleasant tobreak with a woman. But it was time. He neither loved her nor neededher. Friendly relations between the two countries were established; andsoon, very soon, would be ratified by his marriage. 

It was not of Olga Loschek, but of Hedwig that he thought, as his carclimbed swiftly to the lodge. 

CHAPTER XXVII. THE LITTLE DOOR

Hedwig had given up. She went through her days with a set face, whiteand drawn, but she knew now that the thing she was to do must be done. The King, in that stormy scene when the Sister prayed in the next room, had been sufficiently explicit. They had come on bad times, and could nolonger trust to their own strength. Proud Livonia must ask for help, andthat from beyond her border. 

"We are rotten at the core, " he said bitterly. "An old rot that haseaten deep. God knows, we have tried to cut it away, but it has gone toofar. Times are, indeed, changed when we must ask a woman to save us!"

She had thrown her arms over the bed and buried her face in them. "And Iam to be sacrificed, " she had said, in a flat voice. "I am to go throughmy life like mother, soured and unhappy. Without any love at all. "

The King was stirred. His thin, old body had sunk in the bed until itseemed no body at all. "Why without love?" he asked, almost gently. "Karl knows our condition--not all of it, but he is well aware thatthings are unstable here. Yet he is eager for the marriage. I aminclined to believe that he follows his inclinations, rather than apolitical policy. "

The thought that Karl might love her had not entered her mind. That madethings worse, if anything--a situation unfair to him and horrible toherself. In the silence of her own room, afterward, she ponderedover that. If it were true, then a certain hope she had must berelinquished--none other than to throw herself on his mercy, and beg fora nominal marriage, one that would satisfy the political alliance, butleave both of them free. Horror filled her. She sat for long periods, dry-eyed and rigid. 

The bronze statue of the late Queen, in the Place, fascinated her inthose days. She, too, had been only a pawn in the game of empires; buther face, as Hedwig remembered it, had been calm and without bitterness. The King had mourned her sincerely. What lay behind that placid, ratheraustere old face? Dead dreams? Or were the others right, that after atime it made no difference, that one marriage was the same as another?

She had not seen Nikky save once or twice, and that in the presence ofothers. On these occasions he had bowed low, and passed on. But once shehad caught his eyes on her, and had glowed for hours at what she saw inthem. It braced her somewhat for the impending ordeal of a visit fromKarl. 

The days went on. Dressmakers came and went. In the mountainslace-makers were already working on the veil, and the brocade of whiteand gold for her wedding-gown was on the loom. She was the pale centerof a riot of finery. Dressmakers stood back and raised delighted handsas, one by one; their models were adjusted to her listless figure. 

In the general excitement the Crown Prince was almost forgotten. OnlyNikky remained faithful; but his playing those days was mechanical, and one day he was even severe. This was when he found Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto hanging a cigarette out of a window overlooking thecourtyard, and the line of soldiers underneath in most surprisingconfusion. The officer of the day was not in sight. 

Nikky, entering the stone-paved court, and feeling extremely glum, hadbeen amazed to see the line of guards, who usually sat on a bench, witha sentry or picket, or whatever they called him, parading up and downbefore them--Nikky was amazed to see them one by one leaping into theair, in the most undignified manner. Nikky watched the performance. Thenhe stalked over. They subsided sheepishly. In the air was the cause ofthe excitement, a cigarette dangling at the end of a silk thread, andbobbing up and down. No one was to be seen at the window above. 

Nikky was very tall. He caught the offending atom on its next leap, andjerked it off. As he had suspected, it was one of his own, bearing an"N" and his coat of arms. 

The Crown Prince received that day, with the cigarette as an excuse, a considerable amount of Nikky's general unhappiness and rage at theworld. 

"Well, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, when it was over, "I have todo something, don't I?"

It was Miss Braithwaite's conviction that this prank, and several otherthings, such as sauntering about with his hands in his pockets, andreferring to his hat as a "lid, " were all the result of his meeting thatAmerican boy. 

"He is really not the same child, " she finished. "Oskar found him theother day with a rolled-up piece of paper lighted at the end, pretendinghe was smoking. "

The Chancellor came now and then, but not often. And his visits were notcheering. The Niburg affair had left its mark on him. The incident ofthe beggar on the quay was another scar. The most extreme precautionswere being taken, but a bad time was coming, and must be got oversomehow. 

That bad time was Karl's visit. 

No public announcement of the marriage had yet been made. It was boundto be unpopular. Certainly the revolutionary party would make capital ofit. To put it through by force, if necessary, and, that accomplished, to hold the scourge of Karnia's anger over a refractory people, was hisplan. To soothe them with the news of the cession of the seaport stripwas his hope. 

Sometimes, in the early morning, when the King lay awake, and wasclearer mentally than later in the day, he wondered. He would not liveto see the result of all this planning. But one contingency presenteditself constantly. Suppose the Crown Prince did not live? He was sturdyenough, but it was possible. Then Hedwig, Queen of Karnia, would beQueen of Livonia. A dual kingdom then, with Karl as Hedwig's consort, incontrol, undoubtedly. It would be the end of many dreams. 

It seemed to him in those early hours, that they were, indeed, paying aprice. Preparations were making for Karl's visit. Prince Hubert's roomswere opened at last, and redecorated as well as possible in the shorttime at command, under the supervision of the Archduchess. The resultwas a crowding that was neither dignified nor cheerful. Much as shetrimmed her own lean body, she decorated. But she was busy, at least, and she let Hedwig alone. 

It was not unusual, those days, to find Annunciata, flushed withexertion, in the great suite on an upper floor, in the center of a chaosof furniture, shoving chairs about with her own royal arms, or standing, head on one side, to judge what she termed the composition of a corner. Indignant footmen pushed and carried, and got their wigs crooked andtheir dignified noses dirty, and held rancorous meetings in secludedplaces. 

But Annunciata kept on. It gave her something to think of in place ofthe fear, that filled her, made her weary enough to sleep at night. 

And there was something else that comforted her. 

Beyond the windows of the suite was a flat roof, beneath which was theballroom of the Palace. When the apartment was in use, the roof was madeinto a garden, the ugly old walls hidden with plants in tubs and boxes, the parapet edged with flowers. It was still early, so spring tulipswere planted now on the parapet, early primroses and hyacinths. In thecenter an empty fountain was cleared, its upper basins filled with watervines, its borders a riot of color. When the water was turned on, itwould be quite lovely. 

But it was not the garden on the roof which cheered Annunciata. It had, indeed, rather sad memories. Here had Hubert's young wife kept her cagesof birds, fed with her own hands, and here, before Otto was born, shehad taken the air in a long chintz-covered chair. 

Annunciata, overseeing the roof as she had overseen the apartment, watched the gardeners bringing in their great loads of plants from thesummer palace, and saw that a small door, in a turret, was kept free ofaccess. To that door, everything else failing, the Archduchess pinnedher faith. She carried everywhere with her a key that would open it. 

Long ago had the door been built, long ago, when attacking forces, battering in the doors below, might swarm through the lower floors, heldback on staircases by fighting men who retreated, step by step, until, driven at last to the very top, they were apparently lost. More thanonce; in bygone times the royal family had escaped by that upper door, and the guard after them. It was known to few. 

The staircase in the wall had passed into legend, and the undergroundpassage with it. But they still existed, and had recently been put inorder. The Chancellor had given the command; and because there were fewto be trusted, two monks from the monastery attached to the cathedralhad done the work. 

So the gardeners set out their potted evergreens, and covered theprimroses on the balustrade against frost, and went away. And the roofhad become by magic a garden, the walls were miniature forests, but thedoor remained--a door. 

On a desperate morning Hedwig threw caution to the winds and went to theriding-school. She wore her old habit, and was in the ring, but ridinglistlessly, when Nikky and Otto appeared. 

"And eat. " Nikky was saying. "He always eats. And when I take him fora walk in the park, he digs up bones that other dogs have buried, andcarries them home with him. We look very disreputable. " The Crown Princelaughed with delight, but just then Nikky saw Hedwig, and his own smiledied. 

"There's Hedwig!" said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. "I'm rather gladto see her. Aren't you?"

"Very glad, indeed. "

"You don't look glad. "

"I'm feeling very glad inside. "

They rode together, around and around the long oval, with itswhitewashed railing, its attendant grooms, its watchful eyes overhead. Between Nikky and Hedwig Prince Ferdinand William Otto laughed andchattered, and Hedwig talked a great deal about nothing, with brightspots of red burning in her face. 

Nikky was very silent. He rode with his eyes set ahead; and had to bespoken to twice before he heard. 

"You are not having a very good time, are you?" Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto inquired anxiously. To tell the truth, he had been worried aboutNikky for some days. Nikky had been his one gleam of cheerfulness in aPalace where all was bustle and excitement and every one seemed uneasy. But Nikky's cheerfulness had been forced lately. His smile never reachedhis eyes. "I haven't done anything, have I?" he persisted. 

"Bless you, no!" said Nikky heartily. "I--well, I didn't sleep well lastnight. That's all. "

He met Hedwig's glance squarely over the head of the Crown Prince. 

"Nor did I, " Hedwig said. 

Later, when the boy was jumping, they had a moment together. The CrownPrince was very absorbed. He was just a little nervous about jumping. First he examined his stirrups and thrust his feet well into them. Thenhe jammed his cap down on his head and settled himself, in the saddle, his small knees gripping hard. 

"It's higher than usual, isn't it?" he inquired, squinting at thehurdle. 

The riding-master examined it. "It is an inch lower than yesterday, YourRoyal Highness. "

"Perhaps we'd better have it the same as yesterday, " said the boy, whowas terribly afraid of being afraid. 

Then, all being adjusted, and his mouth set very tight, indeed, Prince Ferdinand William Otto took the first jump, and sailed over itcomfortably. 

"I don't mind at all, after the first, " he confided to theriding-master. 

"Are you angry that I came?" asked Hedwig. 

"Angry? You know better. "

"You don't say anything. "

"Hedwig, " said Nikky desperately, "do you remember what I said to youthe other day? That is in my heart now. I shall never change. That, andmuch more. But I cannot say it to you. I have given my word. "

"Of course they would make you promise. They tried with me, but Irefused. " She held her chin very high. "Why did you promise? They couldnot have forced you. They can do many things, but they cannot controlwhat you may say. "

"There are reasons. Even those I cannot tell you. It would be easier, Hedwig, for me to die than to live on and see what I must see. ButI cannot even die. " He smiled faintly. "You see, I am not keeping mypromise. "

"I think you will not die, " said Hedwig cruelly. "You are too cautious. "

"Yes, I am too cautious, " he agreed heavily. 

"You do not know the meaning of love. "

"Then God grant I may never know, if it is worse than this:"

"If I were a man, and loved a woman, I would think less of myself andmore of her. When I saw her unhappy and being forced to a terriblething, I would move heaven and earth to save her. "

"How would you do it?" said Nikky in a low tone. 

Hedwig shrugged her shoulders. "I would find a way. The world is large. Surely, if one really cared, it could be managed. I should consider myfirst duty to her. "

"I am a soldier, Highness. My first duty is to my country. "

"You?" said Hedwig, now very white. "I was not speaking of you. I wasspeaking of a man who truly loved a woman. "

She rode away, and left him there. And because she was hurt andreckless, and not quite sane, she gave him a very bad half-hour. She jumped again, higher each time, silencing the protests of theriding-master with an imperious gesture. Her horse tired. His sidesheaved, his delicate nostrils dilated. She beat him with her crop, andflung him again at the hurdle. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto was delighted, a trifle envious. "Shejumps better than I do, " he observed to Nikky, "but she is in a very badhumor. "

At last, his patience exhausted and fear in his heart, Nikky went toher. "Hedwig, " he said sternly. "I want you to stop this childishness. You will kill yourself. "

"I am trying very hard to. "

"You will kill your horse. Look at him. "

For answer she raised her crop, but Nikky bent forward and caught thereins. 

"How dare you!" she said furiously. 

For answer Nikky turned and, riding beside her, led her weary horse outof the ring. And long training asserted itself. Hedwig dared not make ascene before the waiting grooms. She rode in speechless rage, as whiteas Nikky, and trembling with fury. She gave him no time to assist her todismount, but slipped off herself and left him, her slim, black-habitedfigure held very straight. 

"I'm afraid she's very angry with you, " said the Crown Prince, as theywalked back to the Palace. "She looked more furious than she did aboutthe fruitcake. "

That afternoon Nikky went for a walk. He took Toto with him, and theymade the circuit of the Park, which formed an irregular circle aboutthe narrow streets of the old citadel where the wall had once stood. Hewalked, as he had done before, because he was in trouble, but withthis difference, that then, he had walked in order to think, and now hewalked to forget. 

In that remote part where the Gate of the Moon stood, and where, outside, in mediaeval times had been the jousting-ground, the Parkwidened. Here was now the city playground, the lake where in winter thepeople held ice carnivals, and where, now that spring was on the way, they rode in the little cars of the Scenic Railway. 

An old soldier with a wooden leg, and a child, were walking togetherby the lake, and conversing seriously. A dog was burying a bone undera near-by tree. Toto, true to his instincts, waited until the bone wascovered, and then, with calm proprietorship, dug it up and carriedit off. Having learned that Nikky now and then carried bones in hispockets, he sat up and presented it to him. Nikky paying no attention atfirst, Toto flung it up in the air, caught it on his nose, balanced it asecond, and dropped it. Then followed a sudden explosion of dog-rage anda mix-up of two dogs, an old soldier, a young one, a boy, and a woodenleg. In the end the wooden leg emerged triumphant, Toto clinging to itunder the impression that he had something quite different. The bone wasflung into the lake, and a snarling truce established. 

But there had been a casualty. Bobby had suffered a severe nip on theforearm, and was surveying it with rather dazed eyes. 

"Gee, it's bleeding!" he said. 

Nikky looked worried, but old Adelbert, who had seen many wounds, recommended tying it up with garlic, and then forgetting it. "It is thefirst quarter of the moon, " he said. "No dog's bite is injurious at thattime. "

Nikky, who had had a sniff of the bone of contention, was not so easy inhis mind. First quarter of the moon it might be, but the bone was not inits first quarter. "I could walk home with the boy, " he suggested, "andget something at a chemist's on the way. "

"Will it hurt?" demanded Bobby. 

"We will ask for something that will not hurt. "

So it happened that Bobby and Tucker, the two pirates, returned that dayto their home under the escort of a tall young man who carried a bottlewrapped in pink paper in his hand, and looked serious. Old Pepy wasat home. She ran about getting basins, and because Nikky had had hisfirst-aid training, in a very short time everything was shipshape, andno one the worse. 

"Do you suppose it will leave a scar?" Bobby demanded. 

"Well, a little one, probably. "

"I've got two pretty good ones already, " Bobby boasted, "not counting myvaccination. Gee! I bet mother'll be surprised. "

"The Americans, " said Pepy, with admiring eyes fixed on their visitor, "are very peculiar about injuries. They speak always of small animalsthat crawl about in wounds and bring poison. "

"Germs!" Bobby explained. "But they know about germs here, too. I, played with a boy one, afternoon at the Scenic Railway--my father is themanager, you know. If you like, I can give you some tickets. And the boysaid a fig lady he had was covered with germs. We ate it anyhow. "

Nikky looked down smilingly. So this was the American lad! Of course. Hecould understand Otto's warm feeling now. They were not unlike, the twochildren. This boy was more sturdy, not so fine, perhaps, but eminentlylikable. He was courageous, too. The iodine had not been pleasant, buthe had only whistled. 

"And nothing happened to the other boy, because of the germs?"

"I don't know. He never came back. He was a funny boy. He had a hat likefather's. Gee!"

Nikky took his departure, followed by Pepy's eyes. As long as he was insight she watched him from the window. "He is some great person, " shesaid to Bobby. "Of the aristocracy. I know the manner. "

"A prince, maybe?"

"Perhaps. You in America, you have no such men, I think, such finesoldiers, aristocrats, and yet gentle. The uniform is considered thehandsomest in Europe. "

"Humph!" said Bobby aggressively. "You ought to see my uncle dressed fora Knight Templar parade. You'd see something. "

Nikky went down the stairs, with Toto at his heels, a valiant andtriumphant Toto, as becomes a dog who has recently vanquished a woodenleg. 

At the foot of the staircase a man was working replacing a loosened tilein the passage; a huge man, clad in a smock and with a bushy black beardtucked in his neck out of the way. Nikky nodded to him, and went out. Like a cat Black Humbert was on his feet, and peering after him from thestreet door. It was he, then, the blond devil who, had fallen on themthat night, and had fought as one who fights for the love of it! Theconcierge went back to the door of his room. 

Herman Spier sat inside. He had fortified his position by that trip tothe mountains, and now spent his days in Black Humbert's dirty kitchen, or in errand-running. He was broiling a sausage on the end of a fork. 

"Quick!" cried Black Humbert. "Along the street, with a black dog at hisheels, goes one you will recognize. Follow him, and find out what youcan. "

Herman Spier put the sausage in his pocket--he had paid for it himself, and meant to have it--and started out. It was late when he returned. 

He gave Nikky's name and position, where his lodgings were, or hadbeen until now. He was about to remove to the Palace, having been madeaide-de-camp to the Crown Prince. 

"So!" said Black Humbert. 

"It is also, " observed Herman Spier, eating his sausage, "this same onewho led the police to Niburg's room. I have the word of the woman whokeeps the house. "

The concierge rose, and struck the table with his fist. "And now hecomes here!" he said. "The boy upstairs was a blind. He has followedus. " He struck the sausage furiously out of Herman's hand. "Tonight thepolice will come. And what then?"

"If you had taken my advice, " said the clerk, "you would have got rid ofthat fellow upstairs long ago. " He picked up the sausage and dusted itwith his hand. "But I do not believe the police will come. The child wasbitten. I saw them enter. "

Nevertheless, that night, while Herman Spier kept watch at the streetdoor, the concierge labored in the little yard behind the house. Hemoved a rabbit hutch and, wedging his huge body behind it, loosened aboard or two in the high wooden fence. 

More than the Palace prepared for flight. 

Still later, old Adelbert roused from sleep. There were footsteps in thepassage outside, the opening of a door. He reflected that the conciergewas an owl and, the sounds persisting, called out an irritable order forquiet. 

Then he slept again, and while he slept the sounds recommenced. Had heglanced out into the passage, then, he would have seen two men, halfsupporting a third, who tottered between them. Thus was the studentHaeckel, patriot and Royalist, led forth to die. 

And he did not die. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. TEE CROWN PRINCE'S PILGRIMAGE

The day when Olga Loschek should have returned to the city found her tooill to travel. No feigned sickness this, but real enough, a matter offever and burning eyes, and of mutterings in troubled sleep. 

Minna was alarmed. She was fond of her mistress, in spite of heroccasional cruelties, and lately the Countess had been strangely gentle. She required little attention, wished to be alone, and lay in her greatbed, looking out steadily at the bleak mountain-tops, to which springnever climbed. 

"She eats nothing, " Minna said despairingly to the caretaker. "And hereyes frighten me. They are always open, even in the night, but they seemto see nothing. "

On the day when she should have returned, the Countess roused herselfenough to send for Black Humbert, fretting in the kitchen below. He hadbelieved that she was malingering until he saw her, but her flushed andhollow cheeks showed her condition. 

"You must return and explain, " she said. "I shall need more time, afterall. " When he hesitated, she added: "There are plenty to watch that I donot escape. I could not, if I would. I have not the strength. "

"Time is passing, " he said gruffly, "and we get nowhere. "

"As soon as I can travel, I will come. "

"If madame wishes, I can take a letter. "

She pondered over that, interlacing her fingers nervously as shereflected. 

"I will send no letter, " she decided, "but I will give you a message, which you can deliver. "

"Yes, madame. "

"Say to the Committee, " she began, and paused. She had thought andthought until her brain burned with thinking, but she had found no wayout. And yet she could not at once bring herself to speech. But at lastshe said it: "Say to the Committee that I have reflected and that Iwill do what they ask. As far, " she added, "as lies in my power. I canonly--"

"That is all the Committee expects, " he said civilly, and with a reliefthat was not lost on her. "With madame's intelligence, to try is tosucceed. "

Nevertheless, he left her well guarded. Even Minna, slipping off for anevening hour with a village sweetheart, was stealthily shadowed. Beforethis, fine ladies had changed garments with their maids and escaped fromdivers unpleasantnesses. 

Olga Loschek lay in her bed, and always there were bells. The cattlewere being driven up into the mountains for the summer grazing, great, soft-eyed herds, their bells tinkling slowly as they made theirdeliberate, soft-footed progress along the valley; the silvery bells formass; the clock striking the hour with its heavy, vibrating clamor ofbronze. 

When she sank into the light sleep of fever, they roused her, orshe slept on; hearing in their tones the great bell of St. Stefan'sannouncing the King's death. Bells, always bells. 

At the end of two days she was able to be up again. She moved languidlyabout her room, still too weak to plan. There were times when shecontemplated suicide, but she knew herself to be too cowardly to do morethan dream of it. 

And on the fourth day came the Crown Prince of Livonia on a pilgrimage. 

The manner of his coming was this:

There are more ways than one of reaching the hearts of an uneasy people. Remission of taxes is a bad one. It argues a mistake in the past, in exacting such tithes. Governments may make errors, but must notacknowledge them. There is the freeing of political prisoners, but that, too, is dangerous, when such prisoners breathe sedition to the veryprison walls. 

And there is the appeal to sentiment. The Government, pinning all itshopes to one small boy, would further endear him to the people. Wilystatesman that he was, the Chancellor had hit on this to offset therumors of Hedwig's marriage. 

But the idea was not his, although he adopted it. It had had itsbirth in the little room with the Prie-dieu and the stand covered withbottles, had been born of the Sister's belief in the miracles of Etzel. 

However, he appropriated it, and took it to the King. 

"A pilgrimage!" said the King, when the mater was broached to him. "Forwhat? My recovery? Cannot you let your servant depart in peace?"

"Pilgrimages, " observed the Chancellor, "have had marvelous results, sire. I do not insist that they perform miracles, as some believe, "--hesmiled faintly, --"but as a matter of public feeling and a remedy fordiscord, they are sometimes efficacious. "

"I see, " said the King. And lay still, looking at the ceiling. 

"Can it be done safely?" he asked at last. 

"The maddest traitor would not threaten the Crown Prince on apilgrimage. The people would tear him limb from limb. "

"Nevertheless, I should take all precautions, " he said dryly. "A madmanmight not recognize the--er--religious nature of the affair. "

The same day the Chancellor visited Prince Ferdinand William Otto, andfound him returned from his drive and busy over Hedwig's photographframe. 

"It is almost done, " he said. "I slipped over in one or two places, butit is not very noticeable, is it?"

The Chancellor observed it judicially, and decided that the slippingover was not noticeable at all. Except during school hours MissBraithwaite always retired during the Chancellor's visits, and so nowthe two were alone. 

"Otto, " said the Chancellor gravely, "I want to talk to you veryseriously. "

"Have I done anything?"

"No. " He smiled. "It is about something I would like you to do. For yourgrandfather. "

"I'll do anything for him, sir. "

"We know that. This is the point. He has been ill for along time. Veryill. "

The boy watched him with a troubled face. "He looks very thin, " he said. "I get quite worried when I see him. "

"Exactly. You have heard of Etzel?"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto's religious instruction was of the best. He had, indeed, heard of Etzel. He knew the famous pilgrimages in order, and could say them rapidly, beginning, the year of Our Lord 915--theEmperor Otto and Adelheid, his spouse; the year of Our Lord 1100, Ulrich, Count of Ruburg; and so on. 

"When people are ill, " he said sagely, "they go to Etzel to be cured. "

"Precisely. But when they cannot go, they send some one else, to prayfor them. And sometimes, if they have faith enough, the holy miraclehappens, and they are cured. "

The Chancellor was deeply religious, and although he had planned thepilgrimage for political reasons, for the moment he lost sight of them. What if, after all, this clear-eyed, clean-hearted child could bringthis miracle of the King's recovery? It was a famous shrine, andstranger things had been brought about by less worthy agencies. 

"I thought, " he said, "that if you would go to Etzel, Otto, and therepray for your grandfather's recovery, it--it would be a good thing. "

The meaning of such a pilgrimage dawned suddenly on the boy. His eyesfilled, and because he considered it unmanly to weep, he slid from hischair and went to the window. There he got out his pocket-handkerchiefand blew his nose. 

"I'm afraid he's going to die, " he said, in a smothered voice. 

The Chancellor followed him to the window, and put an arm around hisshoulders. "Even that would not be so terrible, Otto, " he said. "Death, to the old, is not terrible. It is an open door, through which theygo gladly, because--because those who have gone ahead are waiting justbeyond it. "

"Are my mother and father waiting?"

"Yes, Otto. "

He considered. "And my grandmother?"

"Yes. "

"He'll be very glad to see them all again. "

"Very happy, indeed. But we need him here, too, for a while. You needhim and--I. So we will go and pray to have him wait a little longerbefore he goes away. Hour about it?"

"I'll try. I'm not very good. I do a good many things, you know. "

Here, strangely enough, it was the Chancellor who fumbled for hishandkerchief. A vision had come to him of the two of them kneeling sideby side at Etzel, the little lad who was "not very good, " and he himselfwith his long years behind him of such things as fill a man's life. Andbecause the open door was not so far ahead for him either, and becausehe believed implicitly in the great Record within the Gate, he shook hisshaggy head. 

So the pilgrimage was arranged. With due publicity, of course, and dueprecaution for safety. By train to the foot of the mountains, and thenon foot for the ten miles to Etzel. 

On the next day the Crown Prince fasted, taking nothing but bread anda cup of milk. On the day of the pilgrimage, however, having been dulyprepared, and mass having been said at daybreak in the chapel, with allthe Court present, he was given a substantial breakfast. His small legshad a toilsome journey before them. 

He went through his preparation in a sort of rapt solemnity. So must theboy crusaders have looked as, starting on their long journey, they facedsouth and east, toward the far-distant Sepulcher of Our Lord. 

The King's Council went, the Chancellor, the Mayor of the city, wearingthe great gold chain of his office around his neck, and a handful ofsoldiers, --a simple pilgrimage and the more affecting. There were nostreaming banners, no magnificent vestments. The Archbishop accompaniedthem; and a flag-bearer. 

They went on foot to the railway station through lines of kneelingpeople, the boy still rapt; and looking straight ahead, the Chancellorseemingly also absorbed, but keenly alive to the crowds. As he went on, his face relaxed. It was as if the miracle had already happened. Not themiracle for which the boy would pray, but a greater one. Surely thesekneeling people, gazing with moist and kindly eyes at the Crown Prince, could not, at the hot words of demagogues, turn into the mob he feared. But it had happened before. The people who had, one moment, adored theDauphin of France on his balcony at Versailles, had lived to scream forhis life. 

On and on, through the silent, crowded streets. No drums; no heralds, nobugles. First the standard-bearer; then the Archbishop, walking with hishead bent; then the boy, alone and bareheaded, holding his small hat inmoist; excited fingers; then the others, the Chancellor and the Mayortogether, the Council, the guard. So they moved along, without speech, grave, reverent, earnest. 

At the railway station a man stepped out of the crowd and proffereda paper to the Crown Prince. But he was too absorbed to see it, and amoment later the Chancellor had it, and was staring with hard eyes atthe individual who had presented it. A moment later, without sound, or breach of decorum, the man was between two agents, a prisoner. Thepaper, which the Chancellor read on the train and carefully preserved, was a highly seditious document attacking the Government and ending withthreats. 

The Chancellor, who had started in an exalted frame of mind, satscowling and thoughtful during the journey. How many of those who hadknelt on the street had had similar seditious papers in their pockets? Apeople who could kneel, and, kneeling, plot!

The Countess, standing on her balcony and staring down into the valley, beheld the pilgrimage and had thus her first knowledge of it. She wasincredulous at first, and stood gazing, gripping the stone railing withtense hands. She watched, horror-stricken. The Crown Prince, himself, come to Etzel to pray! For his grandfather, of course. Then, indeed, must things be bad with the King, as bad as they could be. 

The Crown Prince was very warm. She could see the gleam of hishandkerchief as he wiped his damp face. She could see the effort of histired legs to keep step with the standard-bearer. 

The bells again. How she hated them! They rang out now to welcome thepilgrims, and a procession issued from the church door, a lay brotherfirst, carrying a banner, then the fathers, two by two; the boys fromthe church school in long procession. The royal party halted at the footof the street. The fathers advanced. She could make out Father Gregory'sportly figure among them. The bell tolled. The villagers stood inexcited but quiet groups, and watched. 

Then the two banners touched, the schoolboys turned, followed by thepriests. Thus led, went the Crown Prince of Livonia to pray for hisgrandfather's life. 

The church doors closed behind them. 

Olga Loschek fell on her knees. She was shaking from head to foot. Andbecause the religious training of her early life near the shrine hadgiven her faith in miracles, she prayed for one. Rather, she made abargain with God:-- If any word came to her from Karl, any, no matter, to what it pertained, she would take it for a sign, and attempt flight. If she was captured, she would kill herself. 

But, if no word came from Karl by the hour of her departure the nextmorning, then she would do the thing she had set out to do, and let himbeware! The King dead, there would be no King. Only over the dead bodiesof the Livonians would they let him marry Hedwig and the throne. Itwould be war. 

Curiously, while she was still on her knees, her bargain made, the plancame to her by which, when the time came, the Terrorists were to rousethe people to even greater fury. Still kneeling, she turned it over inher mind. It was possible. More, it could be made plausible, with herassistance. And at the vision it evoked, --Mettlich's horror and rage, Hedwig's puling tears, her own triumph, --she took a deep breath. Revengewith a vengeance, retaliation for old hurts and fresh injuries, thesewere what she found on her knees, while the bell in the valley commencedthe mass, and a small boy; very rapt and very earnest, prayed for hisgrandfather's life. 

Yet the bargain came very close to being made the other way that day, and by Karl himself. 

Preparations were being made for his visit to Livonia. Ostensibly thisvisit was made because of the King's illness. Much political capitalwas being made of Karl's going to see, for the last time, the long-timeenemy of his house. While rumor was busy, Karnia was more thansatisfied. Even the Socialist Party approved, and their papers, beingmore frank than the others, spoke openly of the chances of a dualkingdom, the only bar being a small boy. 

On the day of the pilgrimage Karl found himself strangely restless anduneasy. He had returned to his capital the day before, and had busiedhimself until late that night with matters of state. He had slept well, and wakened to a sense of well-being. But, during the afternoon, hebecame uneasy. Olga Loschek haunted him, her face when he had told herabout the letter, her sagging figure when he had left her. 

Something like remorse stirred in him. She had taken great risks forhim. Of all the women he had known, she had most truly and unselfishlyloved him. And for her years of service he had given her contempt. Hereflected, too, that he had, perhaps, made an enemy where he needed afriend. How easy, by innuendo and suggestion, to turn Hedwig againsthim, Hedwig who already fancied herself interested elsewhere. 

Very nearly did he swing the scale in which Olga Loschek had hungher bargain with God--so nearly that in the intervals of affixing hissprawling signature to various documents, he drew a sheet of note-papertoward him. Then, with a shrug, he pushed it away. So Olga Loschek losther bargain. 

At dawn the next morning the Countess, still pale with illness andburning with fever, went back to the city. 

CHAPTER XXIX. OLD ADELBERT THE TRAITOR

"Thus, " said the concierge, frying onions over his stove; "thus havethey always done. But you have been blind. Rather, you would not see. "

Old Adelbert stirred uneasily. "So long as I accept my pension--"

"Why should you not accept your pension. A trifle in exchange for whatyou gave. For them, who now ill-use you, you have gone through life buthalf a man. Women smile behind their hands when you hobble by. "

"I do not hold with women, " said old Adelbert, flushing. "They take alland give nothing. " The onions were done, and the concierge put them, frying-pan and all, on the table. "Come, eat while the food is hot. Andgive nothing, " he repeated, returning to the attack. "You and I ridein no carriages with gilt wheels. We work, or, failing work, we starve. Their feet are on our necks. But one use they have for us, you and me, my friend--to tax us. "

"The taxes are not heavy, " quoth old Adelbert. 

"There are some who find them so. " The concierge heaped his guest'splate with onions. And old Adelbert, who detested onions, and wasbesides in no mood for food, must perforce sample them. 

"I can cook, " boasted his host. "The daughter of my sister cannot cook. She uses milk, always milk. Feeble dishes, I call them. Strong meat forstrong men, comrade. "

Old Adelbert played with his steel fork. "I was a good patriot, " heobserved nervously, "until they made me otherwise. "

"I will make you a better. A patriot is one who is zealous for hiscountry and its welfare. That means much. It means that when theestablished order is bad for a country, it must be changed. Not thatyou and I may benefit. God knows, we may not live to benefit. But thatLivonia may free her neck from the foot of the oppressor, and raise herhead among nations. "

From which it may be seen that old Adelbert had at last joined therevolutionary party, an uneasy and unhappy recruit, it is true, but--arecruit. "If only some half-measure would suffice, " he said, giving upall pretense of eating. "This talk of rousing the mob, of rioting andviolence, I do not like them. "

"Then has age turned the blood in your veins to water!" said theconcierge contemptuously. "Half-measures! Since when has a half-measurebeen useful? Did half-measures win in your boasted battles? And whathalf-measures would you propose?"

Old Adelbert sat silent. Now and then, because his mouth was dry, hetook a sip of beer from his tankard. The concierge ate, taking hugemouthfuls of onions and bread, and surveying his feeble-hearted recruitwith appraising eyes. To win him would mean honor, for old Adelbert, decorated for many braveries, was a power among the veterans. Where heled, others would follow. 

"Make no mistake, " said Black Humbert cunningly. "We aim at nobloodshed. A peaceful revolution, if possible. The King, being dead, will suffer not even humiliation. Let the royal family scatter where itwill. We have no designs on women. The Chancellor, however, must die. "

"I make no plea for him, " said old Adelbert bitterly. "I wrote to himalso, when I lost my position, and received no reply. We passed throughthe same campaigns, as I reminded him, but he did nothing. "

"As for the Crown Prince, " observed the concierge, eyeing the old manover the edge of his tankard, "you know our plan for him. He will becared for as my own child, until we get him beyond the boundaries. Thenhe will be safely delivered to those who know nothing of his birth. Aprivate fund of the Republic will support and educate him. "

Old Adelbert's hands twitched. "He is but a child, " he said, "butalready he knows his rank. "

"It will be wise for him to forget it. " His tone was ominous. Adelbertglanced up quickly, but the Terrorist had seen his error, and maskedit with a grin. "Children forget easily, " he said, "and by this secretknowledge of yours, old comrade, all can be peacefully done. Untilyou brought it to me, we were, I confess, fearful that force would benecessary. To admit the rabble to the Palace would be dangerous. Mobsgo mad at such moments. But now it may be effected with all decency andorder. "

"And the plan?"

"I may tell you this. " The concierge shoved his plate away and bent overthe table. "We have set the day as that of the Carnival. On that day allthe people are on the streets. Processions are forbidden, but the usualcostuming with their corps colors as pompons is allowed. Here andthere will be one of us clad in red, a devil, wearing the colors of HisSatanic Majesty. Those will be of our forces, leaders and speech-makers. When we secure the Crown Prince, he will be put into costume until hecan be concealed. They will seek, if there be time, the Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto. Who will suspect a child, wearing some fantastic garb ofthe Carnival?"

"But the King?" inquired old Adelbert in a shaking voice. "How can youset a day, when the King may rally? I thought all hung on the King'sdeath. "

The concierge bent closer over the table. "Doctor Wiederman, the King'sphysician, is one of us, " he whispered. "The King lives now onlybecause of stimulants to the heart. His body is already dead. When thestimulants cease, he will die. "

Old Adelbert covered his eyes. He had gone too far to retreat now. Driven by brooding and trouble, he had allied himself with the powers ofdarkness. 

The stain, he felt, was already on his forehead. But before him, likea picture on a screen, came the scene by which he had lived for so manyyears, the war hospital, the King by his bed, young then and a very kingin looks, pinning on the breast of his muslin shirt the decoration forbravery. 

He sat silent while the concierge cleared the table, and put the dishesin a pan for his niece to wash. And throughout the evening he saidlittle. At something before midnight he and his host were to set outon a grave matter, nothing less than to visit the Committee of Ten, andimpart the old soldier's discovery. In the interval he sat waiting, andnursing his grievances to keep them warm. 

Men came and went. From beneath the floor came, at intervals, a regularthudding which he had never heard before, and which he now learned was apress. 

"These are days of publicity, " explained the concierge. "Men areinfluenced much by the printed word. Already our bulletins flood thecountry. On the day of the Carnival the city will flame with them, printed in red. They will appear, as if by magic power, everywhere. "

"A call to arms?"

"A call to liberty, " evaded the concierge. 

Not in months had he taken such pleasure in a recruit. He swaggeredabout the room, recounting in boastful tones his influence with theCommittee of Ten. 

"And with reason, " he boasted, pausing before the old soldier. "I haveserved them well; here in this house is sufficient ammunition to fight agreat battle. You, now, you know something of ammunition. You have livedhere for a long time. Yet no portion of this house has been closed toyou. Where, at a guess, is it concealed?"

"It is in this house?"

"So I tell you. Now, where?"

"In the cellar, perhaps. "

"Come, I will show you. " He led old Adelbert by the elbow to a windowoverlooking the yard. Just such an enclosure as each of the neighboringhouses possessed, and surrounded by a high fence. Here was a rabbithutch, built of old boards, and familiar enough to the veteran's eyes;and a dovecote, which loomed now but a deeper shadow among shadows. 

"Carrier-pigeons, " explained the concierge. "You have seen them often, but you suspected nothing, eh? They are my telegraph. Now, look again, comrade. What else?"

"Barrels, " said old Adelbert, squinting. "The winter's refuse from thebuilding. A--a most untidy spot. "

His soldierly soul had revolted for months at the litter under hiswindow. And somewhere, in the disorder, lay his broken sword. His swordbroken, and he-- "Truly untidy, " observed the concierge complacently. "Astudied untidiness, and even then better than a room I shall show youin the cellar, filled to overflowing with boxes containing the winter'sashes. Know you, " he went on, dropping his voice, "that these barrelsand boxes are but--a third full of rubbish. Below that in cases is--whatwe speak of. "

"But I thought--a peaceful revolution, a--"

"We prepare for contingencies. Peace if possible. If not, war. I amtelling you much because, by your oath, you are now one of us, and boundto secrecy. But, beside that, I trust you. You are a man of your word. "

"Yes, " said old Adelbert, drawing himself up. "I am a man of my word. But you cannot fight with cartridges alone. "

"We have rifles, also, in other places. Even I do not know where all ofthem are concealed. " The concierge chuckled in his beard. "The Committeeknows men well. It trusts none too much. There are other depotsthroughout the city, each containing supplies of one sort and another. On the day of the uprising each patriot will be told where to go forequipment. Not before. "

Old Adelbert was undoubtedly impressed. He regarded the concierge withfurtive eyes. He, Adelbert, had lived in the house with this man ofparts for years, and had regarded him as but one of many. 

Black Humbert, waiting for the hour to start and filling his tankardrepeatedly, grew loquacious. He hinted of past matters in which he hadproved his value to the cause. Old Adelbert gathered that, if he hadnot actually murdered the late Crown Prince and his wife, he had beenclosely concerned in it. His thin, old flesh crept with anxiety. It wasa bad business, and he could not withdraw. 

"We should have had the child, too, " boasted the concierge, "and savedmuch bother. But he had been, unknown to us, sent to the country. Amatter of milk, I believe. "

"But you say you do not war on children!"

"Bah! A babe of a few months. Furthermore, " said the concierge, "I havea nose for the police. I scent a spy, as a dog scents a bone. Who, thinkyou, discovered Haeckel?"

"Haeckel!" Old Adelbert sat upright in his chair. 

"Aye, Haeckel, Haeckel the jovial, the archconspirator, who himselfassisted to erect the press you hear beneath your feet. Who but I?I suspected him. He was too fierce. He had no caution. He was what apeaceful citizen may fancy a revolutionist to be. I watched him. He wasnot brave. He was reckless because he had nothing to fear. And at last Icaught him. "

Old Adelbert was sitting forward on the edge of his chair; his jawdropped. "And what then?" he gasped. "He was but a boy. Perhaps youmisjudged him. Boys are reckless. "

"I caught him, " said the concierge. "I have said it. He knew much. Hehad names, places, even dates. For that matter; he confessed. "

"Then he is dead?" quavered old Adelbert. 

The concierge shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, " he said briefly. "Fora time he was kept here, in an upper room. He could have saved himself, if he would. We could have used him. But he turned sulky, refusedspeech, did not eat. When he was taken away, " he added with unction, "he was so weak that he could not walk. " He rose and consulted agreat silver watch. "We can go now, " he said. "The Committee likespromptness. "

They left together, the one striding out with long steps that weresurprisingly light for his size, the other, hanging back a trifle, asone who walks because he must. Old Adelbert, who had loved his Kingbetter than his country, was a lagging "patriot" that night. His breathcame short and labored. His throat was dry. As they passed the Opera, however, he threw his head up. The performance was over, but the greathouse was still lighted, and in the foyer, strutting about, was hissuccessor. Old Adelbert quickened his steps. 

At the edge of the Place, near the statue of the Queen, they took a car, and so reached the borders of the city. After that they walked far. Thescent of the earth, fresh-turned by the plough, was in their nostrils. Cattle, turned out after the long winter, grazed or lay in the fields. Through the ooze of the road the two plodded; old Adelbert strugglingthrough with difficulty, the concierge exhorting him impatiently tohaste. 

At last the leader paused, and surveyed his surroundings: "Here I mustcover your eyes, comrade, " he said. "It is a formality all must complywith. "

Old Adelbert drew back. "I do not like your rule. I am not as other men. I must see where I go. "

"I shall lead you carefully. And, if you fear, I can carry you. " Hechuckled at the thought. But old Adelbert knew well that he could do it, knew that he was as a child to those mighty arms. He submitted to thebandage, however, with an ill grace that caused the concierge to smile. 

"It hurts your dignity, eh, old rooster!" he said jovially. "Others, ofgreater dignity, have felt the same. But all submit in the end. "

He piloted the veteran among the graves with the ease of familiarity. Only once he spoke. "Know you where you are?"

"In a field, " said Adelbert, "recently ploughed. "

"Aye, in a field, right enough. But one which sows corruption, andraises nothing, until perhaps great St. Gabriel calls in his crop. "

Then, realizing the meaning of the mounds over which he trod, oldAdelbert crossed himself. 

"Only a handful know of this meeting-place, " boasted the concierge. "I, and a few others. Only we may meet with the Committee face to face. "

"You must have great influence, " observed old Adelbert timidly. 

"I control the guilds. He who to-day can sway labor to his will ispowerful, very powerful comrade. Labor is the great beast which tires ofcarrying burdens, and is but now learning its strength. "

"Aye, " said old Adelbert. "Had I been wise, I would have joined a guild. Then I might have kept my place at the Opera. As it is, I stood alone, and they put me out. "

"You do not stand alone now. Stand by us, and we will support you. TheRepublic will not forget its friends. "

Thus heartened, old Adelbert brightened up somewhat. Why should he, an old soldier, sweat at the thought of blood? Great changes requiredheroic measures. It was because he was old that he feared change. Hestumped through the passageway without urging, and stood erect and withshoulders squared while the bandage was removed. 

He was rather longer than Olga Loschek had been in comprehending hissurroundings. His old eyes at first saw little but the table and itscandles in their gruesome holders. But when he saw the Committee hisheart failed. Here, embodied before him, was everything he had loathedduring all his upright and loyal years anarchy, murder, treason. Hisface worked. The cords in his neck stood out like strings drawn to thebreaking-point. 

The concierge was speaking. For all his boasting, he was ill at ease. His voice had lost its bravado, and had taken on a fawning note. 

"This is the man of whom word was sent to the Committee, " he said. "I ventured to ask that he be allowed to come here, because he bringsinformation of value. "

"Step forward, comrade, " said the leader. "What is your name andoccupation?"

"Adelbert, Excellency. As to occupation, for years I was connected withthe Opera. Twenty years, Excellency. Then I grew old, and another--"His voice broke. What with excitement and terror, he was close to tears. "Now I am reduced to selling tickets for an American contrivance, afoolish thing, but I earn my bread by it. "

He paused, but the silence continued unbroken. The battery of eyesbehind the masks was turned squarely on him. 

Old Adelbert fidgeted. "Before that, in years gone by, I was in thearmy, " he said, feeling that more was expected of him, and being at aloss. "I fought hard, and once, when I suffered the loss you perceive, the King himself came to my bed, and decorated me. Until lately, I havebeen loyal. Now, I am--here. " His face worked. 

"What is the information that brings you here?"

Suddenly old Adelbert wept, terrible tears that forced their way fromhis faded eyes, and ran down his cheeks. "I cannot, Excellencies!" hecried. "I find I cannot. "

He collapsed into the chair, and throwing his arms across the tablebowed his head on them. His shoulders heaved under his old uniform. TheCommittee stirred, and the concierge caught him brutally by the wrist. 

"Up with you!" he said, from clenched teeth. "What stupidity is this?Would you play with death?"

But old Adelbert was beyond fear. He shook his head. "I cannot, " hemuttered, his face hidden. 

Then the concierge stood erect and folded his arms across his chest. "He is terrified, that is all, " he said. "If the Committee wishes, I cantell them of this matter. Later, he can be interrogated. "

The leader nodded. 

"By chance, " said the concierge, "this--this brave veteran"--he glancedcontemptuously at the huddled figure in the chair, "has come across an oldpassage, the one which rumor has said lay under the city wall, and forwhich we have at different times instituted search. "

He paused, to give his words weight. That they were of supreme interestcould be told by the craning forward of the Committee. 

"The entrance is concealed at the base of the old Gate of the Moon. Ourfriend here followed it, and reports it in good condition. For a mile orthereabouts it follows the line of the destroyed wall. Then it turns andgoes to the Palace itself. "

"Into the Palace?"

"By a flight of stairs, inside the wall, to a door in the roof. Thisdoor, which was locked, he opened, having carried keys with him. Thedoor he describes as in the tower. As it was night, he could not seeclearly, but the roof at that point is flat. "

"Stand up, Adelbert, " said the leader sharply. "This that our comradetells is true?"

"It is true, Excellency. "

"Shown a diagram of the Palace, could you locate this door?"

Old Adelbert stared around him hopelessly. It was done now. Nothing thathe could say or refuse to say would change that. He nodded. 

When, soon after, a chart of the Palace was placed on a table, heindicated the location of the door with a trembling forefinger. "It isthere, " he said thickly. "And may God forgive me for the thing I havedone!"

CHAPTER XXX. KING KARL

"They love us dearly!" said King Karl. 

The Chancellor, who sat beside him in the royal carriage, shrugged hisshoulders. "They have had little reason to love, in the past, Majesty, "he said briefly. 

Karl laughed, and watched the crowd. He and the Chancellor rode alone, Karl's entourage, a very modest one, following in another carriage. There was no military escort, no pomp. It had been felt unwise. Karl, paying ostensibly a visit of sympathy, had come unofficially. 

"But surely, " he observed, as they passed between sullen lines ofpeople, mostly silent, but now and then giving way to a muttering thatsounded ominously like a snarl, --"surely I may make a visit of sympathywithout exciting their wrath!"

"They are children, " said Mettlich contemptuously. "Let one growl, andall growl. Let some one start a cheer, and they will cheer themselveshoarse. "

"Then let some one cheer, for God's sake!" said Karl, and turned hismocking smile to the packed streets. 

The Chancellor was not so calm as he appeared. He had lined the routefrom the station to the Palace with his men; had prepared for everycontingency so far as he could without calling out the guard. As thecarriage, drawn by its four chestnut horses, moved slowly along thestreets, his eyes under their overhanging thatch were watching ahead, searching the crowd for symptoms of unrest. 

Anger he saw in plenty, and suspicion. Scowling faces and frowningbrows. But as yet there was no disorder. He sat with folded arms, magnificent in his uniform beside Karl, who wore civilian dress andlooked less royal than perhaps he felt. 

And Karl, too, watched the crowd, feeling its temper and feigning anindifference he did not feel. Olga Loschek had been right. He did notwant trouble. More than that, he was of an age now to crave popularity. Many of the measures which had made him beloved in his own land had nohigher purpose than this, the smiles of the crowd. So he watched andtalked of indifferent things. 

"It is ten years since I have been here, " he observed, "but there arefew changes. "

"We have built no great buildings, " said Mettlich bluntly. "Wars haveleft us no money, Majesty, for building!"

That being a closed road, so to speak, Karl tried another. "The CrownPrince must be quite a lad, " he experimented. "He was a babe in arms, then, but frail, I thought. "

"He is sturdy now. " The Chancellor relapsed into watchfulness. 

"Before I see the Princess Hedwig, " Karl made another attempt, "it mightbe well to tell me how she feels about things. I would like to feel thatthe prospect is at least not disagreeable to her. "

The Chancellor was not listening. There was trouble ahead. It had come, then, after all. He muttered something behind his gray mustache. Thehorses stopped, as the crowd suddenly closed in front of them. 

"Drive on!" he said angrily, and the coachman touched his whip to thehorses. But they only reared, to be grasped at the bridles by hostilehands ahead. 

Karl half rose from his seat. 

"Sit still, Majesty, " said the Chancellor. "It is the students. Theywill talk, that is all. "

But it came perilously near to being a riot. Led by some students, pushed by others, the crowd surrounded the two carriages, firstmuttering, then yelling. A stone was hurled, and struck one of thehorses. Another dented the body of the carriage itself. A man with ahandkerchief tied over the lower half of his face mounted the shouldersof two companions, and harangued the crowd. They wanted no friendshipwith Karnia. There were those who would sell them out to their neighborand enemy. Were they to lose their national existence? He exhorted themmadly through the handkerchief. Others, further back, also raised abovethe mob, shrieked treason, and called the citizens to arm against thisthing. A Babel of noise, of swinging back and forth, of mounted policepushing through to surround the carriage, of cries and the dominatingvoices of the student-demagogues. Then at last a semblance of order, lowmuttering, an escort of police with drawn revolvers around the carriage, and it moved ahead. 

Through it all the Chancellor had sat with folded arms. Only his lividface told of his fury. Karl, too, had sat impassive, picking at hissmall mustache. But, as the carriage moved on, he said: "A few momentsago I observed that there had been few changes. But there has been, Iperceive, after all, a great change. "

"One cannot judge the many by the few, Majesty. "

But Karl only raised his eyebrows. 

In his rooms, removing the dust of his journey, broken by the automobiletrip across the mountains where the two railroads would some day meet, Karl reflected on the situation. His amour-propre was hurt. Thingsshould have been better managed, for one thing. It was inexcusablethat he had been subjected to such a demonstration. But, aside from theinjury to his pride, was a deeper question. If this was the temperof the people now, what would it be when they found their suspicionsjustified? Had Ogla Loschek been right after all, and not merelyjealous? And if she were, was the game worth the candle?

Pacing the drawing-room of his suite with a cigarette, and cursing thetables and bric-a-brac with which it was cluttered, Karl was of a mindto turn back, after all, Even the prospect which his Ministers had notfailed to recognize, of the Crown Prince never reaching his maturity, was a less pleasing one than it had been. A dual monarchy, one portionof it restless and revolutionary, was less desirable than the presentpeace and prosperity of Karnia. And unrest was contagious. He might findhimself in a difficult position. 

He was, indeed, even now in a difficult position. 

He glanced about his rooms. In one of them Prince Hubert had met hisdeath. It was well enough for Mettlich to say the few could not speakfor the many. It took but one man to do a murder, Karl reflected grimly. 

But when he arrived for tea in the Archduchess's white drawing-room hewas urbane and smiling. Hedwig, standing with cold hands and terrifiedeyes by the tea-table, disliked both his urbanity and his smile. Hekissed the hand of the Archduchess and bent over Hedwig's with a flashof white teeth. 

Then he saw Olga Loschek, and his smile stiffened. The Countess cameforward, curtsied, and as he extended his hand to her, touched itlightly with her lips. They were quite cold. For just an instant theireyes met. 

It was, on the surface, an amiable and quiet teaparty. Hilda, in a newfrock, flirted openly with the King, and read his fortune in tea-leaves. Hedwig had taken up her position by a window, and was conspicuouslysilent. Behind her were the soft ring of silver against china; theCountess's gay tones; Karl's suave ones, assuming gravity, as heinquired for His Majesty; the Archduchess Annunciata pretending asolicitude she did not feel. And all forced, all artificial, OlgaLoschek's heart burning in her, and Karl watching Hedwig with openadmiration and some anxiety. 

"Grandmother, " Hedwig whispered from her window to the austere oldbronze figure in the Place, "was it like this with you, at first? Didyou shiver when he touched your hand? And doesn't it matter, after ayear?"

"Very feeble, " said the Archduchess's voice; behind her, "but sobrave--a lesson to us all. "

"He has had a long and conspicuous career, " Karl observed. "It is sad, but we must all come to it. I hope he will be able to see me. "

"Hedwig!" said her mother, sharply, "your tea is getting cold. "

Hedwig turned toward the room. Listlessness gave her an added dignity, anew charm. Karl's eyes flamed as he watched her. He was a connoisseur inwomen; he had known many who were perhaps more regularly beautiful, butnone, he felt, so lovely. Her freshness and youth made Olga, beautifullydressed, superbly easy, look sophisticated and a trifle hard. Even hercoldness appealed to him. He had a feeling that the coldness was onlya young girl's armor, that under it was a deeply passionate woman. Thethought of seeing her come to deep, vibrant life in his arms thrilledhim. 

When he carried her tea to her, he bent over her. "Please!" he said. "Try to like me. I--"

"I'm sorry, " Hedwig said quickly. "Mother has forgotten the lemon. "

Karl smiled and, shrugging his shoulders, fetched the lemon. "Right, now?" he inquired. "And aren't we going to have a talk together?"

"If you wish it, I dare say we shall. "

"Majesty, " said Hilda, frowning into her teacup. "I see a marriage foryou. " She ignored her mother's scowl, and tilted her cup to examine it. 

"A marriage!" Karl joined her, and peered with mock anxiety at thetea-grounds. "Strange that my fate should be confined in so small acompass! A happy marriage? Which am I?"

"The long yellow leaf. Yes, it looks happy. But you may be rathershocked when I tell you. "

"Shocked?"

"I think, " said Hilda, grinning, "that you are going to marry me. "

"Delightful!"

"And we are going to have--"

"Hilda!" cried the Archduchess fretfully. "Do stop that nonsense and letus talk. I was trying to recall, this morning, " she said to Karl, "whenyou last visited us. " She knew it quite well, but she preferred havingKarl think she had forgotten. "It was, I believe, just before Hubert--"

"Yes, " said Karl gravely, "just before. "

"Otto was a baby then. "

"A very small child. I remember that I was afraid to handle him. "

"He is a curious boy, old beyond his years. Rather a little prig, Ithink. He has an English governess, and she has made him quite a littlewoman. "

Karl laughed, but Hedwig flushed. 

"He is not that sort at all, " she declared stoutly. "He is lonelyand--and rather pathetic. The truth is that no one really cares for him, except--"

"Except Captain Larisch!" said the Archduchess smoothly. "You and he, Hedwig, have done your best by him, surely. "

The bit of byplay was not lost on Karl--the sudden stiffening ofHedwig's back, Olga's narrowed eyes. Olga had been right, then. Trusther for knowing facts when they were disagreeable. His eyes became setand watchful, hard, too, had any noticed. There were ways to deal withsuch a situation, of course. They were giving him this girl to securetheir own safety, and she knew it. Had he not been so mad about her hemight have pitied her, but he felt no pity, only a deep and resentfuldetermination to get rid of Nikky, and then to warm her by his own fire. He might have to break her first. After that manner had many Queens ofKarnia come to the throne. He smiled behind his small mustache. 

When tea was almost over, the Crown Prince was announced. He came in, rather nervously, with hie hands thrust in his trousers pockets. He wasvery shiny with soap and water and his hair was still damp from parting. In his tailless black jacket, his long gray trousers, and his round Etoncollar, he looked like a very anxious little schoolboy, and not royal atall. 

Greetings over, and having requested that his tea be half milk, withfour lumps of sugar, he carried his cup over beside Hedwig, and sat downon a chair. Followed a short silence, with the Archduchess busy with thetea-things, Olga Loschek watching Karl, and Karl intently surveying theCrown Prince. Ferdinand William Otto, who disliked a silence, broke itfirst. 

"I've just taken off my winter flannels, " he observed. "I feel verysmooth and nice underneath. "

Hilda giggled, but Hedwig reached over and stroked his arm. "Of courseyou do, " she said gently. 

"Nikky, " continued Prince Ferdinand William Otto, stirring his tea, "does not wear any flannels. Miss Braithwaite thinks he is verycareless. "

King Karl's eyes gleamed with amusement. He saw the infuriated face ofthe Archduchess, and bent toward the Crown Prince with earnestness. 

"As a matter of fact, " he said, "since you have mentioned the subject, I do not wear any either. Your 'Nikky' and I seem most surprisingly tohave the same tastes--about various things. "

Annunciata was in the last stages of irritation. There was no mistakingthe sneer in Karl's voice. His smile was forced. She guessed that he hadheard of Nikky Larisch before, that, indeed, he knew probably more thanshe did. Just what, she wondered, was there to know? A great deal, ifone could judge by Hedwig's face. 

"I hope you are working hard at your lesson, Otto, " she said, in thesevere tone which Otto had learned that most people use when they referto lessons. 

"I'm afraid I'm not doing very well, Tante. But I've learned the'Gettysburg Address. ' Shall I say it?"

"Heavens, no!" she protested. She had not the faintest idea what the"Gettysburg Address" was. She suspected Mr. Gladstone. 

The Countess had relapsed into silence. A little back from the familycircle, she had watched the whole scene stonily, and knowing Karl asonly a woman who loves sincerely and long can know a man, she knew theinner workings of his mind. She saw anger in the very turn of his headand set of his jaw. But she saw more, jealousy, and was herself half madwith it. 

She knew him well. She had herself, for years, held him by holdingherself dear, by the very difficulty of attaining her. And now thisindifferent, white-faced girl, who might be his, indeed, for the taking, but who would offer or promise no love, was rousing him to the instinctof possession by her very indifference. He had told her the truth, thatnight in the mountain inn. It was Hedwig he wanted, Hedwig herself, herheart, all of her. And, if she knew Karl, he would move heaven and earthto get the thing he wanted. 

She surveyed the group. How little they knew what was in store for them!She, Olga Loschek, by the lifting of a finger, could turn their smugsuperiority into tears and despair, could ruin them and send them flyingfor shelter to the very ends of the earth. 

But when she looked at the little Crown Prince, legs dangling, eatinghis thin bread and butter as only a hungry small boy can eat, sheshivered. By what means must she do all this! By what unspeakable means!

Karl saw the King that evening, a short visit marked by extremeformality, and, on the King's part, by the keen and frank scrutiny ofone who is near the end and fears nothing but the final moment. Karlfound the meeting depressing and the King's eyes disconcerting. 

"It will not be easy going for Otto, " said the King, at the end ofthe short interview. "I should like to feel that his interests will belooked after, not only here, but by you and yours. We have a certainelement here that is troublesome. "

And Karl, with Hedwig in his mind, had promised. 

"His interests shall be mine, sir, " he had said. 

He had bent over the bed then, and raised the thin hand to his lips. Theinterview was over. In the anteroom the King's Master of the Horse, theChamberlain, and a few other gentlemen stood waiting, talking togetherin low tones. But the Chancellor, who had gone in with Karl and thenretired, stood by a window, with his arms folded over his chest, andwaited. He put resolutely out of his mind the face of the dying manon his pillows, and thought only of this thing which he--Mettlich hadbrought about. There was no yielding in his face or in his heart, nodoubt of his course. He saw, instead of the lovers loitering in thePlace, a new and greater kingdom, anarchy held down by an ironshod heel, peace and the fruits thereof, until out of very prosperity the peoplegrew fat and content. 

He saw a boy king, carefully taught, growing into his responsibilitiesuntil, big with the vision of the country's welfare, he should finallyascend the throne. He saw the river filled with ships, carryingmerchandise over the world and returning with the wealth of the world. Great buildings, too, lifted their heads on his horizon, a dream city, with order for disorder, and citizens instead of inhabitants. 

When at last he stirred and sighed, it was because his old friend, inhis bed in the next room, would see nothing of all this, and that hehimself could not hope for more than the beginning, before his time camealso. 

The first large dinner for months was given that night at the Palace, to do King Karl all possible honor. The gold service which had beenpresented to the King by the Czar of Russia was used. The anticipatorygloom of the Court was laid aside, and jewels brought from vaults wereworn for the first time in months. Uniforms of various sorts, but allgorgeous, touched fine shoulders, and came away, bearing white, powderytraces of the meeting. The greenhouses at the summer palace had beensacked for flowers and plants. The corridor from the great salon to thedining-hall; always a dreary passage, had suddenly become a fairy pathof early-spring bloom. Even Annunciata, hung now with ropes of pearls, her hair dressed high for a tiara of diamonds, her cameos exchanged forpearls, looked royal. Proving conclusively that clutter, as to dress, isentirely a matter of value. 

Miss Braithwaite, who had begun recently to think a palace the dreariestplace in the world, and the most commonplace, found the preparationsrather exciting. Being British she dearly loved the aristocracy, andshrugged her shoulders at any family which took up less than a pagein the peerage. She resented deeply the intrusion of the commonerinto British politics, and considered Lloyd George an upstart and aninterloper. 

That evening she took the Crown Prince to see the preparations for thefestivities. The flowers appealed to him, and he asked for and secureda rose, which he held carefully. But the magnificence of the tableonly faintly impressed him, and when he heard that Nikky would not bepresent, he lost interest entirely. "Will they wheel my grandfather in achair?" he inquired. 

"He is too ill, " Miss Braithwaite said. 

"He'll be rather lonely, when they're all at the party. You don'tsuppose I could go and sit with him, do you?"

"It will be long after your bedtime. "

Bedtime being the one rule which was never under any circumstancesbroken, he did not persist. To have insisted might have meant five offin Miss Braithwaite's book, and his record was very good that week. Together the elderly Englishwoman and the boy went back to theschoolroom. 

The Countess Loschek, who had dressed with a heavy heart, was easilythe most beautiful of the women that night. Her color was high withexcitement and anger, her eyes flashed, her splendid shoulders gleamedover the blue and orchid shades of her gown. A little court paid tributeto her beauty, and bowed the deeper and flattered the more as she openlyscorned and flouted them. She caught once a flicker of admiration inKarl's face, and although her head went high, her heart beat stormilyunder it. 

Hedwig was like a flower that required the sun. Only her sun washappiness. She was in soft white chiffons, her hair and frock alikegirlish and unpretentious. Her mother, coming into her dressing room, had eyed her with disfavor. 

"You look like a school-girl, " she said, and had sent for rouge, andwith her own royal hands applied it. Hedwig stood silent, and allowedher to have her way without protest. Had submitted, too, to a diamondpin in her hair, and a string of her mother's pearls. 

"There, " said Annunciata, standing off and surveying her, "you look lesslike a baby. "

She did, indeed? It took Hedwig quite five minutes to wash the rouge offher face, and there was, one might as well confess, a moment when a partof the crown jewels of the kingdom lay in a corner of the room, whence atrembling maid salvaged them, and examined them for damage. 

The Princess Hedwig appeared that evening without rouge, and was theonly woman in the room thus unadorned. Also she wore her coming-outstring of modest pearls and a slightly defiant, somewhat frightened, expression. 

The dinner was endless, which was necessary, since nothing was to followbut conversation. There could, under the circumstances, be no dancing. And the talk at the table, through course after course, was somewhathectic, even under the constraining presence of King Karl. Therewere two reasons for this: Karl's presence and his purpose--as yetunannounced, but surmised, and even known--and the situation in thecity. 

That was bad. The papers had been ordered to make no mention of theoccurrence of the afternoon, but it was well known. There were many atthe table who felt the whole attempt foolhardy, the setting of a matchto inflammable material. There were others who resented Karl's presencein Livonia, and all that it implied. And perhaps there were, too, amongthe guests, one or more who had but recently sat in less august and moreawful company. 

Beneath all the brilliance and chatter, the sparkle and gayety, therewas, then, uneasiness, wretchedness, and even treachery. And outside thePalace, held back by the guards, there still stood a part of the sullencrowd which had watched the arrival of the carriages and automobiles, had craned forward to catch a glimpse of uniform or brilliantly shroudedfigure entering the Palace, and muttered as it looked. 

Dinner was over at last. The party moved back to the salon, a vast andempty place, hung with tapestries and gayly lighted. Here the semblanceof gayety persisted, and Karl, affability itself, spoke a few words toeach of the guests. Then it was over. The guests left, the members ofthe Council, each with a wife on his arm, frowsy, overdressed women mostof them. The Council was chosen for ability and not for birth. At lastonly the suite remained, and constraint vanished. 

The family withdrew shortly after--to a small salon off the large one. And there, at last, Karl cornered Hedwig and demanded speech. 

"Where?" she asked, glancing around the crowded room. 

"I shall have to leave that to you, " he said. "Unless there is abalcony. "

"But do you think it is necessary?"

"Why not?"

"Because what I have to say does not matter. "

"It matters very much to me, " he replied gravely. 

Hedwig went first, slipping away quietly and unnoticed. Karl asked theArchduchess's permission to follow her, and found her waiting therealone, rather desperately calm now, and with a tinge of excited color inher cheeks. Because he cared a great deal, and because, as kings go, he was neither hopelessly bad nor hard, his first words were kind andgenuine, and almost brought her to tears. 

"Poor little girl!" he said. 

He had dropped the curtain behind him, and they stood alone. 

"Don't, " said Hedwig. "I want to be very calm, and I am sorry for myselfalready. "

"Then you think it is all very terrible?"

She did not reply, and he drew a chair for her to the rail. When she wasseated, he took up his position beside her, one arm against a pillar. 

"I wonder, Hedwig, " he said, "if it is not terrible because it is new toyou, and because you do not know me very well. Not, " he added hastily, "that I think your knowing me well would be an advantage! I am not soidiotic. But you do not know me at all, and for a good many years I musthave stood in the light of an enemy. It is not easy to readjust suchthings--witness the reception I had to-day!"

"I do not think of you in that way, as--as an enemy. "

"Then what is it?"

"Why must we talk about it?" Hedwig demanded, looking up at him suddenlywith a flash of her old spirit. "It will not change anything. "

"Perhaps not. Perhaps--yes. You see, I am not quite satisfied. I do notwant you, unless you are willing. It would be a poor bargain for me, andnot quite fair. "

A new turn, this, with a vengeance! Hedwig stared up with startled eyes. It was not enough to be sacrificed. And as she realized all that hung onthe situation, the very life of the kingdom, perhaps the safety of herfamily, everything, she closed her eyes for fear he might see the frightin them. 

Karl bent over and took one of her cold hands between his two warm ones. "Little Hedwig, " he said, "I want you to come willingly because--I carea great deal. I would like you to care, too. Don't you think you would, after a time?"

"After a time!" said Hedwig drearily. "That's what they all say. After atime it doesn't matter. Marriage is always the same--after a time. "

Karl rather winced at that, and released her hands, but put them downgently. "Why should marriage be always the same, after a time?" heinquired. 

"This sort of marriage, without love. "

"It is hardly that, is it? I love you. "

"I wonder how much you love me. "

Karl smiled. He was on his own ground here. The girlish question put himat ease. "Enough for us both, at first, " he said. "After that--"

"But, " said Hedwig desperately, "suppose I know I shall never care foryou, the way you will want me to. You talk of being fair. I want to befair to you. You have a right--" She checked herself abruptly. Afterall, he might have a right to know about Nikky Larisch. But there wereothers who had rights, too--Otto to his throne, her mother and Hildaand all the others, to safety, her grandfather to die in peace, the onlygift she could give him. 

"What I think you want to tell me, is something I already know, " Karlsaid gravely. "Suppose I am willing to take that chance? Suppose I amvain enough, or fool enough, to think that I can make you forget certainthings, certain people. What then?"

"I do not forget easily. "

"But you would try?"

"I would try, " said Hedwig, almost in a whisper. 

Karl bent over and taking her hands, raised her to her feet. 

"Darling, " he said, and suddenly drew her to him. He covered her withhot kisses, her neck, her face, the soft angle below her ear. Thenhe held her away from him triumphantly. "Now, " he said, "have youforgotten?"

But Hedwig, scarlet with shame, faced him steadily. "No, " she said. 

Later in the evening the old King received a present, a rather wiltedrose, to which was pinned a card with "Best wishes from FerdinandWilliam Otto" printed on it in careful letters. 

It was the only flower the King had received during his illness. 

When, that night, he fell asleep, it was still clasped in his old hand, and there was a look of grim tenderness on the face on the pillow, turned toward his dead son's picture. 

CHAPTER XXXI. LET METTLICH GUARD HIS TREASURE

Troubled times now, with the Carnival only a day or two off, and theshop windows gay with banners; with the press under the house of theconcierge running day and night, and turning out vast quantities offlaming bulletins printed in red; with the Committee of Ten in almostconstant session, and Olga Loschek summoned before it, to be told of thepassage, and the thing she was to do; with the old King very closeto the open door, and Hedwig being fitted for her bridal robe and forsomber black at one fitting. 

Troubled times, indeed. The city was smouldering, and from some strangesource had come a new rumor. Nothing less than that the Royalists, headed by the Chancellor, despairing of crowning the boy Prince, would, on the King's death, make away with him, thus putting Hedwig on thethrone Hedwig, Queen of Karnia perhaps already by secret marriage. 

The city, which adored the boy, was seething. The rumor had originatedwith Olga Loschek, who had given it to the Committee as a useful weapon. Thus would she have her revenge on those of the Palace, and at the sametime secure her own safety. Revenge, indeed, for she knew the way ofsuch rumors, how they fly from house to house, street to street. How theinnocent, proclaiming their innocence, look even the more guilty. 

When she had placed the scheme before the Committee of Ten, had seen theeagerness with which they grasped it--"In this way, " she had said, inher scornful, incisive tones, "the onus of the boy is not on you, buton them. Even those who have no sympathy with your movement will burnat such a rumor. The better the citizen, the more a lover of home andorder, the more outraged he will be. Every man in the city with a childof his own will rise against the Palace. "

"Madame, " the leader had said, "you should be of the Committee. "

But she had ignored the speech contemptuously, and gone on to otherthings. 

Now everything was arranged. Black Humbert had put his niece to work ona Carnival dress for a small boy, and had stayed her curiosity by a hintthat it was for the American lad. 

"They are comfortable tenants, " he had said. "Not lavish, perhaps, asrich Americans should be, but orderly, and pleasant. The boy has goodmanners. It would be well to please him. "

So the niece, sewing in the back room, watched Bobby in and out, withpleasant mysteries in her eyes, and sewing sang the song the cathedralchimed:

 "Draw me also, Mary mild, To adore Thee and thy Child! Mary mild, Star in desert drear and wild. "

So she sang, and sewed, and measured Bobby's height as he passed by thewainscoting in the passage, and cunningly cut a pattern. 

"So high, " she reflected, humming, "is his shoulder. And so, to thispanel, should go the little trousers. 'Star in desert drear and wild. '"

Now and then, in the evenings, when the Americans were away, and Bobbywas snug in bed, with Tucker on the tiny feather comfort at his feet, the Fraulein would come downstairs and sit in Black Humbert's room. Atsuch times the niece would be sent on an errand, and the two would talk. The niece, who, although she had no lover, was on the lookout for love, suspected a romance of the middle-aged, and smiled in the half-darknessof the street; smiled with a touch of malice, as one who has pierced thearmor of the fortress, and knows its weakness. 

But it was not of love that Humbert and the Fraulein talked. 

Herman Spier was busy in those days and making plans. Thus, day by day, he dined in the restaurant where the little Marie, now weary of herhusband, sat in idle intervals behind the cashier's desk, and watchedthe grass in the Place emerge from its winter hiding place. When sheturned her eyes to the room, frequently she encountered those of HermanSpier, pale yet burning, fixed on her. And at last, one day when herhusband lay lame with sciatica, she left the desk and paused by Herman'stable. 

"You come frequently now, " she observed. "It is that you like us here, or that you have risen in the shop?"

"I have left the shop, " said Herman, staring at her. Flesh, in amoderate amount, suited her well. He liked plump women. They were, ifyou please, an armful. "And I come to see you. "

"Left the shop!" Marie exclaimed. "And Peter Niburg--he has left also? Inever see him. "

"No, " said Herman non-committally. 

"He is ill, perhaps?"

"He is dead, " said Herman, devouring her with his eyes. 

"Dead!" She put a hand to her plump side. 

"Aye. Shot as a spy. " He took another piece of the excellent pigeon pie. Marie, meantime, lost all her looks, grew pasty white. 

"Of the--the Terrorists?" she demanded, in a whisper. 

"Terrorists! No. Of Karnia. He was no patriot. "

So the little Marie went back to her desk, and to her staring out overthe Place in intervals of business. And what she thought of no one canknow. But that night, and thereafter, she was very tender to her spouse, and put cloths soaked in hot turpentine water on his aching thigh. 

On the surface things went on as usual at the Palace. Karl's visit hadbeen but for a day or two. He had met the Council in session, and hadhad, because of their growing alarm, rather his own way with them. 

But although he had pointed to the King's condition and theirs--as anargument for immediate marriage--he failed. The thing would be done, but properly and in good time. They had a signed agreement to fall backupon, and were in no hurry to pay his price. Karl left them in a badtemper, well concealed, and had the pleasure of being hissed through thestreets. 

But he comforted himself with the thought of Hedwig. He had taken her inhis arms before he left, and she had made no resistance. She had even, in view of all that was at stake, made a desperate effort to return hiskiss, and found herself trembling afterward. 

In two weeks he was to return to her, and he whispered that to her. 

On the day after the dinner-party Otto went to a hospital with MissBraithwaite. It was the custom of the Palace to send the flowersfrom its spectacular functions to the hospitals, and the Crown Princedelighted in these errands. 

So they went, escorted by the functionaries of the hospital, past themilitary wards, where soldiers in shabby uniforms sat on benches inthe spring sunshine, to the general wards beyond. The Crown Prince wasalmost hidden behind the armful he carried. Miss Braithwaite had all shecould hold. A convalescent patient, in slippers many sizes too large forhim, wheeled the remainder in a barrow, and almost upset the barrow inhis excitement. 

Through long corridors into wards fresh-scrubbed against his arrival, with white counterpanes exactly square, and patients forbidden to moveand disturb the geometrical exactness of the beds, went Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto. At each bed he stopped, selected a flower, and held itout. Some there were who reached out, and took it with a smile. Otherslay still, and saw neither boy nor blossom. 

"They sleep, Highness, " the nurse would say. 

"But their eyes are open. "

"They are very weary, and resting. "

In such cases he placed the flower on the pillow, and went on. 

One such; however, lying with vacant eyes fixed on the ceiling, turned and glanced at the boy, and into his empty gaze crept a faintintelligence. It was not much. He seemed to question with his eyes. Thatwas all. As the little procession moved on, however, he raised himselfon his elbow. 

"Lie down!" said the man in the next bed sharply. 

"Who was that?"

The ward, which might have been interested, was busy keeping its coversstraight and in following the progress of the party. For the man had notspoken before. 

"The Crown Prince. "

The sick man lay back and dosed his eyes. Soon he slept. His comrade inthe next bed beckoned to a Sister. 

"He has spoken, " he said. "Either he recovers, or--he dies. "

But again Haeckel did not die. He lived to do his part in the comingcrisis, to prove that even the great hands of Black Humbert on histhroat were not so strong as his own young spirit; lived, indeed, toconfront the Terrorist as one risen from the dead. But that day he layand slept, by curious irony the flower from Karl's banquet in a cup ofwater beside him. 

On the day before the Carnival, Hedwig had a visitor, none other thanthe Countess Loschek. Hedwig, all her color gone now, her high spiritcrushed, her heart torn into fragments and neatly distributed betweenNikky, who had most of it, the Crown Prince, and the old King. Hedwig, having given her permission to come, greeted her politely but withoutenthusiasm. 

"Highness!" said the Countess, surveying her. And then, "You poorchild!" using Karl's words, but without the same inflection, using, indeed, the words a good many were using to Hedwig in those days. 

"I am very tired, " Hedwig explained. "All this fitting, and--everything. "

"I know, perhaps better than you think, Highness. " Also something likeKarl's words. Hedwig reflected with bitterness that everybody knew, butnobody helped her. And, as if in answer to the thought, Olga Loschekcame out plainly. 

"Highness, " she said, "may I speak to you frankly?"

"Please do, " Hedwig replied. "Everybody does, anyhow. Especially when itis something disagreeable. "

Olga Loschek watched her warily. She knew the family as only theoutsider could know it; knew that Hedwig, who would have disclaimed thefact, was like her mother in some things, notably in a disposition tobe mild until a certain moment, submissive, even acquiescent, and thensuddenly to become, as it were, a royalty and grow cold, haughty. Butif Hedwig was driven in those days, so was the Countess, desperate anddriven to desperate methods. 

"I am presuming, Highness, on your mother's kindness to me, and yourown, to speak frankly. "

"Well, go on, " said Hedwig resignedly. But the next words brought her upin her chair. 

"Are you going to allow your life to be ruined?" was what the Countesssaid. 

Careful! Hedwig had thrown up her head and looked at her with hostileeyes. But the next moment she had forgotten she was a princess, and thegranddaughter to the King, and remembered only that she was a woman, and terror-stricken. She flung out her arms, and then buried her face inthem. 

"How can I help it?" she said. 

"How can you do it?" Olga Loschek countered. "After all, it is you whomust do this thing. No one else. It is you they are offering on thealtar of their ambition. "

"Ambition?"

"Ambition. What else is it? Surely you do not believe these tales theytell--old wives' tales of plot and counterplot!"

"But the Chancellor--"

"Certainly the Chancellor!" mocked Olga Loschek. "Highness, for yearshe has had a dream. A great dream. It is not for you and me to say it isnot noble. But, to fulfill his dream to bring prosperity and greatnessto the country, and naturally, to him who plans it, there is a price topay. He would have you pay it. "

Hedwig raised her face and searched the other woman's eyes. 

"That is all, then?" she said. "All this other, this fright, this talkof treason and danger, that is not true?"

"Not so true as he would have you believe, " replied Olga Loscheksteadily. "There are malcontents everywhere, in every land. A few madmenwho dream dreams, like Mettlich himself, only not the same dream. It isall ambition, one dream or another. "

"But my grandfather--"

"An old man, in the hands of his Ministers!"

Hedwig rose and paced the floor, her fingers twisting nervously. "Butit is too late, " she cried at last. "Everything is arranged. I cannotrefuse now. They would--I don't know what they would do to me!"

"Do! To the granddaughter of the King. What can they do?"

That aspect of things; to do her credit, had never occurred to Hedwig. She had seen herself, hopeless and alone, surrounded by the powerful, herself friendless. But, if there was no danger to save her family from?If her very birth, which had counted so far for so little, would bringher immunity and even safety?

She paused in front of the Countess. "What can I do?" she askedpitifully. 

"That I dare not presume to say. I came because I felt--I can only saywhat, in your place, I should do. "

"I am afraid. You would not be afraid. " Hedwig shivered. "What would youdo?"

"If I knew, Highness, that some one, for whom I cared, himself careddeeply enough to make any sacrifice, I should demand happiness. I ratherthink I should lose the world, and gain something like happiness. "

"Demand!" Hedwig said hopelessly. "Yes, you would demand it. I cannotdemand things. I am always too frightened. "

The Countess rose. "I am afraid I have done an unwise thing, " she said, "If your mother knew--" She shrugged her shoulders. 

"You have only been kind. I have so few who really care. "

The Countess curtsied, and made for the door. "I must go, " she said, "before I go further, Highness. My apology is that I saw you unhappy, and that I resented it, because--"

"Yes?"

"Because I considered it unnecessary. "

She was a very wise woman. She left then, and let the next step comefrom Hedwig. It followed, as a matter of record, within the hour, at least four hours sooner than she had anticipated. She was in herboudoir, not reading, not even thinking, but sitting staring ahead, asMinna had seen her do repeatedly in the past weeks. She dared not think, for that matter. 

Although she was still in waiting, the Archduchess was making fewdemands on her. A very fever of preparation was on Annunciata. She spenthours over laces and lingerie, was having jewels reset for Hedwig, afterornate designs of her own contribution, was the center of a cycloneof boxes, tissue paper, material, furs, and fashion books, while maidsscurried about and dealers and dressmakers awaited her pleasure. Shewas, perhaps, happier than she had been for years, visited her father, absently and with pins stuck in her bosom, and looked dowdier and busierthan the lowliest of the seamstresses who, by her thrifty order, weremaking countless undergarments in a room on an upper floor. 

Hedwig's notification that she would visit her, therefore, found theCountess at leisure and alone. She followed the announcement almostimmediately, and if she had shown cowardice before, she showed none now. She disregarded the chair Olga Loschek offered, and came to the pointwith a directness that was like the King's. 

"I have come, " she said simply, "to find out what to do. "

The Countess was as direct. 

"I cannot tell you what to do, Highness. I can only tell you what Iwould do. "

"Very well. " Hedwig showed a touch of impatience. This was quibbling, and it annoyed her. 

"I should go away, now, with the person I cared about. "

"Where would you go?"

"The world is wide, Highness. "

"Not wide enough to hide in, I am afraid. "

"For myself, " said the Countess, "the problem would not be difficult. I should go to my place in the mountains. An old priest, who knows mewell, would perform the marriage. After that they might find me if theyliked. It would be too late. "

Emergency had given Hedwig insight. She saw that the woman beforeher, voicing dangerous doctrine, would protect herself by letting theinitiative come from her. 

"This priest--he might be difficult. "

"Not to a young couple, come to him, perhaps, in peasant costume. Theyare glad to marry, these fathers. There is much irregularity. I fancy, "she added, still with her carefully detached manner, "that a marriagecould be easily arranged. "

But, before long, she had dropped her pretense of aloofness, and wastaking the lead. Hedwig, weary with the struggle, and now tremblingwith nervousness, put herself in her hands, listening while she planned, agreed eagerly to everything. Something of grim amusement came intoOlga Loschek's face after a time. By doing this thing she would loseeverything. It would be impossible to conceal her connivance. No one, knowing Hedwig, would for a moment imagine the plan hers. Or Nikky's, either, for that matter. 

She, then, would lose everything, even Karl, who was already lost toher. But--and her face grew set and her eyes hard--she would let thoseplotters in their grisly catacombs do their own filthy work. Her handswould be clean of that. Hence her amusement that at this late day she, Olga Loschek, should be saving her own soul. 

So it was arranged, to the last detail. For it must be done at once. Hedwig, a trifle terrified, would have postponed it a day or so, but theCountess was insistent. Only she knew how the very hours counted, hadthem numbered, indeed, and watched them flying by with a sinking heart. 

She made a few plans herself, in those moments when Hedwig relapsedinto rapturous if somewhat frightened dreams. She had some money andher jewels. She would go to England, and there live quietly until thingssettled down. Then, perhaps, she would go some day to Karl, and withthis madness for Hedwig dead, of her marriage, perhaps--! She planned nofurther. 

If she gave a fleeting thought to the Palace, to the Crown Prince andhis impending fate, she dismissed it quickly. She had no affection forAnnunciata, and as to the boy, let them look out for him. Let Mettlichguard his treasure, or lose it to his peril. The passage under the gatewas not of her discovery or informing. 

CHAPTER XXXII. NIKKY AND HEDWIG

Nikky had gone back to his lodging, where his servant was packing histhings. For Nikky was now of His Majesty's household, and must exchangehis shabby old rooms for the cold magnificence of the Palace. 

Toto had climbed to the chair beside him, and was inspecting hispockets, one by one. Toto was rather a problem, in the morning. Butthen everything was a problem now. He decided to leave the dog with thelandlady, and to hope for a chance to talk the authorities over. Nikkyhimself considered that a small boy without a dog was as incomplete as, for instance, a buttonhole without a button. 

He was very downhearted. To the Crown Prince, each day, he gave the bestthat was in him, played and rode, invented delightful nonsense to bringthe boy's quick laughter, carried pocketfuls of bones, to the secretrevolt of his soldierly soul, was boyish and tender, frivolous orthoughtful, as the occasion seemed to warrant. 

And always he was watchful, his revolver always ready and in touch, hiseyes keen, his body, even when it seemed most relaxed, always tense tospring. For Nikky knew the temper of the people, knew it as did Mathildegossiping in the market, and even better; knew that a crisis wasapproaching, and that on this small boy in his charge hung that crisis. 

The guard at the Palace had been trebled, but even in that lay weakness. 

"Too many strange faces, " the Chancellor had said to him, shaking hishead. "Too many servants in livery, and flunkies whom no one knows. Howcan we prevent men, in such livery, from impersonating our own agents?One, two, a half-dozen, they could gain access to the Palace, couldcommit a mischief under our very eyes. "

So Nikky trusted in his own right arm and in nothing else. At night thePalace guard was smaller, and could be watched. There were no servantsabout to complicate the situation. But in the daytime, and especiallynow with the procession of milliners and dressmakers, messengers anddealers, it was more difficult. Nikky watched these people, as hehappened on them, with suspicion and hatred. Hatred not only of whatthey might be, but hatred of what they were, of the thing they typified, Hedwig's approaching marriage. 

The very size of the Palace, its unused rooms, its long and ramblingcorridors, its rambling wings and ancient turrets, was against itssafety. 

Since the demonstration against Karl, the riding-school hour had beengiven up. There were no drives in the park. The illness of the Kingfurnished sufficient excuse, but the truth was that the royal family waspractically besieged; by it knew not what. Two police agents had beenfound dead the morning after Karl's departure, on the outskirts of thecity, lying together in a freshly ploughed field. They bore marks ofstruggle, and each had been stabbed through the veins of the neck, asthough they had been first subdued and then scientifically destroyed. 

Nikky, summoned to the Chancellor's house that morning, had beentold the facts, and had stood, rather still and tense, while Mettlichrecounted them. 

"Our very precautions are our danger, " said the Chancellor. "And theKing--" He stopped and sat, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. 

"And the King, sir?"

"Almost at the end. A day or two. "

On that day came fresh news, alarming enough. More copies of theseditious paper were in circulation in the city and the surroundingcountry, passing from hand to hand. The town was searched for thepress which had printed them, but it was not located. Which was notsurprising, since it had been lowered through a trap into a sub-cellarof the house on the Road of the Good Children, and the trapdoor coveredwith rubbish. 

Karl, with Hedwig in his thoughts, had returned to mobilize his army notfar from the border for the spring maneuvers, and at a meeting of theKing's Council the matter of a mobilization in Livonia was seriouslyconsidered. 

Fat Friese favored it, and made an impassioned speech, with sweat thickon his heavy face. 

"I am not cowardly, " he finished. "I fear nothing for myself or forthose belonging to me. But the duty of this Council is to preserve thethrone for the Crown Prince, at any cost. And, if we cannot trust thearmy, in what can we trust?"

"In God, " said the Chancellor grimly. 

In the end nothing was done. Mobilization might precipitate the crisis, and there was always the fear that the army, in parts, was itselfdisloyal. 

It was Marschall, always nervous and now pallid with terror, whosuggested abandoning the marriage between Hedwig and Karl. 

"Until this matter came up, " he said, avoiding Mettlich's eyes, "therewas danger, but of a small party only, the revolutionary one. One which, by increased effort on the part of the secret police, might have beensuppressed. It is this new measure which is fatal. The people detest it. They cannot forget, if we can, the many scores of hatred we still owe toKarnia. We have, by our own act, alienated the better class of citizens. Why not abandon this marriage, which, gentlemen, I believe will befatal. It has not yet been announced. We may still withdraw with honor. "

He looked around the table with anxious, haunted eyes, opened wideso that the pupils appeared small and staring in their setting ofblood-shot white. The Chancellor glanced around, also. 

"It is not always easy to let the people of a country know what is goodfor them and for it. To retreat now is to show our weakness, to make anenemy again of King Karl, and to gain us nothing, not even safety. Aswell abdicate, and turn the country over to the Terrorists! And, in thiscrisis, let me remind you of something you persistently forget. Whateverthe views of the solid citizens may be as to this marriage, --and once itis effected, they will accept it without doubt, --the Crown Prince is nowand will remain the idol of the country. It is on his popularity wemust depend. We must capitalize it. Mobs are sentimental. Whatever theTerrorists may think, this I know: that when the bell announces HisMajesty's death, when Ferdinand William Otto steps out on the balcony, a small and lonely child, they will rally to him. That figure, on thebalcony, will be more potent than a thousand demagogues, haranguing inthe public streets. "

The Council broke up in confusion. Nothing had been done, or would bedone. Mettlich of the Iron Hand had held them, would continue to holdthem. The King, meanwhile, lay dying, Doctor Wiederman in constantattendance, other physicians coming and going. His apartments weresilent. Rugs covered the corridors, that no footfall disturb his quiethours. The nursing Sisters attended him, one by his bedside, one alwayson her knees at the Prie-dieu in the small room beyond. He wantedlittle--now and then a sip of water, the cooled juice of fruit. 

Injections of stimulants, given by Doctor Wiederman himself, had scarredhis old arms with purplish marks, and were absorbed more and more slowlyas the hours went on. 

He rarely slept, but lay inert and not unhappy. Now and then one of hisgentlemen, given permission, tiptoed into the room, and stood lookingdown at his royal master. Annunciata came, and was at last stricken byconscience to a prayer at his bedside. On one of her last visits thatwas. She got up to find his eyes fixed on her. 

"Father, " she began. 

He made no motion. 

"Father, can you hear me?"

"Yes. "

"I--I have been a bad daughter to you. I am sorry. It is late now totell you, but I am sorry. Can I do anything?"

"Otto, " he said, with difficulty. 

"You want to see him?

"No. "

She knew what he meant by that. He would have the boy remember him as hehad seen him last. 

"You are anxious about him?"

"Very--anxious. "

"Listen, father, " she said, stooping over him. "I have been hard andcold. Perhaps you will grant that I have had two reasons for it. But Iam going to do better. I will take care of him and I will do all I canto make him happy. I promise. "

Perhaps it was relief. Perhaps even then the thought of Annunciata'stardy and certain-to-be bungling efforts to make Ferdinand William Ottohappy amused him. He smiled faintly. 

Nikky, watching his rooms being dismantled, rescuing an old pipe now andthen, or a pair of shabby but beloved boots, --Nikky, whistling to keepup his courage, received a note from Hedwig late that afternoon. It wasvery brief:

 To-night at nine o'clock I shall go to the roof beyond Hubert's old rooms, for air. HEDWIG. 

Nikky, who in all his incurious young life had never thought of the roofof the Palace, save as a necessary shelter from the weather, a thing oftiles and gutters, vastly large, looked rather astounded. 

"The roof!" he said, surveying the note. And fell to thinking, such amixture of rapture and despair as only twenty-three, and hopeless, canknow. 

Somehow or other he got through the intervening hours, and before ninehe was on his way. He had the run of the Palace, of course. No onenoticed him as he made his way toward the empty suite which so recentlyhad housed its royal visitor. Annunciata's anxiety had kept the doors ofthe suite unlocked. Knowing nothing, but fearing everything, she sleptwith the key to the turret door under her pillow, and an ear opened foruntoward sounds. 

In the faint moonlight poor Hubert's rooms, with their refurbishedfurnishings covered with white linen, looked cold and almost terrifying. A long window was open, and the velvet curtain swayed as though itshielded some dismal figure. But, when he had crossed the room and drawnthe curtain aside, it was to see a bit of fairyland, the roof moonlitand transformed by growing things into a garden. There was, too, thefairy. 

Hedwig, in a soft white wrap over her dinner dress, was at thebalustrade. The moon, which had robbed the flowers of their colors andmade them ghosts of blossoms, had turned Hedwig into a pale, white fairywith extremely frightened eyes. A very dignified fairy, too, althoughher heart thumped disgracefully. Having taken a most brazen stepforward, she was now for taking two panicky ones back. 

Therefore she pretended not to hear Nikky behind her, and was completelyengrossed in the city lights. 

So Hedwig intended to be remote, and Nikky meant to be firm and very, very loyal. Which shows how young and inexperienced they were. Becauseany one who knows even the beginnings of love knows that its victimssuffer from an atrophy of both reason and conscience, and a hypertrophyof the heart. 

Whatever Nikky had intended--of obeying his promise to the letter, ofputting his country before love, and love out of his life--failed himinstantly. The Nikky, ardent-eyed and tender-armed, who crossed theroof and took her almost fiercely in his arms, was all lover--andtwenty-three. 

"Sweetheart!" he said. "Sweetest heart!"

When, having kissed her, he drew back a trifle for the sheer joy ofagain catching her to him, it was Hedwig who held out her arms to him. 

"I couldn't bear it, " she said simply. "I love you. I had to see youagain. Just once. "

If he had not entirely lost his head before, he lost it then. He stoppedthinking, was content for a time that her arms were about his neck, andhis arms about her, holding her close. They were tense, those arms ofhis, as though he would defy the world to take her away. 

But, although he had stopped thinking, Hedwig had not. It is, at suchtimes, always the woman who thinks. Hedwig, plotting against his honorand for his happiness and hers, was already, with her head on hisbreast, planning the attack. And, having a strategic position, she firedher first gun from there. 

"Never let me go, Nikky, " she whispered. "Hold me, always. "

"Always!" said Nikky, valiantly and absurdly. 

"Like this?"

"Like this, " said Nikky, who was, like most lovers, not particularlyoriginal. He tightened his strong arms about her. 

"They are planning such terrible things. " Shell number two, and highexplosive. "You won't let them take me from you, will you?"

"God!" said poor Nikky, and kissed her hair. "If we could only be likethis always! Your arms, Hedwig, --your sweet arms!" He kissed her arms. 

Gun number three now: "Tell me how much you love me. "

"I--there are no words, darling. And I couldn't live long enough to tellyou, if there were. " Not bad that, for inarticulate Nikky. 

"More than anybody else?"

He shook her a trifle, in his arms. "How can you?" he demanded huskily. "More than anything in the world. More than life, or anything life canbring. More, God help me, than my country. "

But his own words brought him up short. He released her, very gently, and drew back a step. 

"You heard that?" he demanded. "And I mean it. It's incredible, Hedwig, but it is true. "

"I want you to mean it, " Hedwig replied, moving close to him, so thather soft draperies brushed him; the very scent of the faint perfume sheused was in the air he breathed. "I want you to, because Nikky, you aregoing to take me away, aren't you?"

Then, because she dared not give him time to think, she made herplea, --rapid, girlish, rather incoherent, but understandable enough. They would go away together and be married. She had it all plannedand some of it arranged. And then they would hide somewhere, and--"Andalways be together, " she finished, tremulous with anxiety. 

And Nikky? His pulses still beating at her nearness, his eyes on herupturned, despairing young face, turned to him for hope and comfort, what could he do? He took her in his arms again and soothed her, whileshe cried her heart out against his tunic. He said he would do anythingto keep her from unhappiness, and that he would die before he let her goto Karl's arms. But if he had stopped thinking before, he was thinkinghard enough then. 

"To-night?" said Hedwig, raising a tear-stained face. "It is early. Ifwe wait something will happen. I know it. They are so powerful, they cando anything. "

After all, Nikky is poor stuff to try to make a hero of. He was sohuman, and so loving. And he was very, very young, which may perhapsbe his excuse. As well confess his weakness and his temptation. He wastempted. Almost he felt he could not let her go, could not loosen hishold of her. Almost--not quite. 

He put her away from him at last, after he had kissed her eyelids andher forehead, which was by way of renunciation. And then he foldedhis arms, which were treacherous and might betray him. After that, notdaring to look at her, but with his eyes fixed on the irregular sky-lineof the city roofs, he told her many things, of his promise to the King, of the danger, imminent now and very real, of his word of honor not tomake love to her, which he had broken. 

Hedwig listened, growing cold and still, and drawing away a little. Shewas suffering too much to be just. All she could see was that, for amatter of honor, and that debatable, she was to be sacrificed. Thisdanger that all talked of--she had heard that for a dozen years, andnothing had come of it. Nothing, that is, but her own sacrifice. 

She listened, even assented, as he pleaded against his own heart, treacherous arms still folded. And if she saw his arms and not his eyes, it was because she did not look up. 

Halfway through his eager speech, however, she drew her light wrap abouther and turned away. Nikky could not believe that she was going likethat, without a word. But when she had disappeared through the window, he knew, and followed her. He caught her in Hubert's room, and drew hersavagely into his arms. 

But it was a passive, quiescent, and trembling Hedwig who submitted, andthen, freeing herself, went out through the door into the lights of thecorridor. Nikky flung himself, face down, on a shrouded couch and laythere, his face buried in his arms. 

Olga Loschek's last hope was gone. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. THE DAY OF THE CARNIVAL

On the day of the Carnival, which was the last day before the beginningof Lent, Prince Ferdinand William Otto wakened early. The Palace stillslept, and only the street-sweepers were about the streets. PrinceFerdinand William Otto sat up in bed and yawned. This was a special day, he knew, but at first he was too drowsy to remember. 

Then he knew--the Carnival! A delightful day, with the Place full ofpeople in strange costumes--peasants, imps, jesters, who cut capers onthe grass in the Park, little girls in procession, wearing costumes offairies with gauze wings, students who paraded and blew noisy horns, even horses decorated, and now and then a dog dressed as a dancer or asoldier. 

He would have enjoyed dressing Toto in something or other. He decided tomention it to Nikky, and with a child's faith he felt that Nikky would, so to speak, come up to the scratch. 

He yawned again, and began to feel hungry. He decided to get up and takehis own bath. There was nothing like getting a good start for a galaday. And, since with the Crown Prince to decide was to do, which is notalways a royal trait, he took his own bath, being very particular abouthis ears, and not at all particular about the rest of him. Then, noOskar having yet appeared with fresh garments he ducked back into bedagain, quite bare as to his small body, and snuggled down in the sheets. 

Lying there, he planned the day. There were to be no lessons exceptfencing, which could hardly be called a lesson at all, and as he nowknew the "Gettysburg Address, " he meant to ask permission to recite itto his grandfather. To be quite sure of it, he repeated it to himself ashe lay there:--

 "'Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. '

"Free and equal, " he said to himself. That rather puzzled him. Of coursepeople were free, but they did not seem to be equal. In the summer, atthe summer palace, he was only allowed to see a few children, becausethe others were what his Aunt Annunciata called "bourgeois. " And therewas in his mind also something Miss Braithwaite had said, after hisescapade with the American boy. 

"If you must have some child to play with, " she had said severely, "youcould at least choose some one approximately your equal. "

"But he is my equal, " he had protested from the outraged depths of hissmall democratic heart. 

"In birth, " explained Miss Braithwaite. 

"His father has a fine business, " he had said, still rather indignant. "It makes a great deal of money. Not everybody can build a scenicrailway and get it going right. Bobby said so. "

Miss Braithwaite had been silent and obviously unconvinced. Yet thisMr. Lincoln, the American, had certainly said that all men were free andequal. It was very puzzling. 

But, as the morning advanced, as, clothed and fed, the Crown Princefaced the new day, he began to feel a restraint in the air. Peoplecame and went, his grandfather's Equerry, the Chancellor, the LordChamberlain, other gentlemen, connected with the vast and intricatemachinery of the Court, and even Hedwig, in a black frock, all thesepeople came, and talked together, and eyed him when he was not looking. When they left they all bowed rather more than usual, except Hedwig, whokissed him, much to his secret annoyance. 

Every one looked grave, and spoke in a low tone. Also there wassomething wrong with Nikky, who appeared not only grave, but ratherstern and white. Considering that it was the last day before Lent, andCarnival time, Prince Ferdinand William Otto felt vaguely defrauded, rather like the time he had seen "The Flying Dutchman, " which had turnedout to be only a make-believe ship and did not fly at all. To add to thecomplications, Miss Braithwaite had a headache. 

Nikky Larisch had arrived just as Hedwig departed, and even the CrownPrince had recognized something wrong. Nikky had stopped just inside thedoorway, with his eyes rather desperately and hungrily on Hedwig, andHedwig, who should have been scolded, according to Prince Otto, hadpassed him with the haughtiest sort of nod. 

The Crown Prince witnessed the nod with wonder and alarm. 

"We are all rather worried, " he explained afterward to Nikky, to soothehis wounded pride. "My grandfather is not so well to-day. Hedwig is veryunhappy. "

"Yes, " said Nikky miserably, "she does look unhappy. "

"Now, when are we going out?" briskly demanded Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto. "I can hardly wait. I've seen the funniest people already--anddogs. Nikky, I wonder if you could dress Toto, and let me see himsomewhere. "

"Out! You do not want to go out in that crowd, do you?"

"Why--am I not to go?"

His voice was suddenly quite shaky. He was, in a way, so inured todisappointments that he recognized the very tones in which they wereusually announced. So he eyed Nikky with a searching glance, and sawthere the thing he feared. 

"Well, " he said resignedly, "I suppose I can see something from thewindows. Only--I should like to have a really good time occasionally. "He was determined not to cry. "But there are usually a lot of people inthe Place. "

Then, remembering that his grandfather was very ill, he tried to forgethis disappointment in a gift for him. Not burnt wood this time, but thedrawing of a gun, which he explained as he worked, that he had invented. He drew behind the gun a sort of trestle, with little cars, not unlikethe Scenic Railway, on which ammunition was delivered into the breech bysomething strongly resembling a coal-chute. 

There was, after all, little to see from the windows. That part of thePlace near the Palace remained empty and quiet, by order of the King'sphysicians. And although it was Carnival, and the streets were throngedwith people, there was little of Carnival in the air. The city waited. 

Some loyal subjects waited and grieved that the King lay dying. For, although the Palace had carefully repressed his condition, such thingsleak out, and there was the empty and silent Place to bear witness. 

Others waited, too, but not in sorrow. And a certain percentage, theyoung and light-hearted, strutted the streets in fantastic costume, blewhorns and threw confetti and fresh flowers, still dewy from the mountainslopes. The Scenic Railway was crowded with merry-makers, and long linesof people stood waiting their turn at the ticket-booth, where a surlyold veteran, pinched with sleepless nights, sold them tickets andignored their badinage. Family parties, carrying baskets and wheelingbabies in perambulators, took possession of the Park and littered itwith paper bags. And among them, committing horrible crimes, dispatchingwhole families with a wooden gun from behind near-by trees and takinginnumerable prisoners, went a small pirate in a black mask and a sashof scarlet ribbon, from which hung various deadly weapons, including abread-knife, a meat-cleaver, and a hatchet. 

Attempts to make Tucker wear a mask having proved abortive, he wasattired in a pirate flag of black, worn as a blanket, and having on it, in white muslin, what purported to be a skull and cross-bones but whichlooked like the word "ox" with the "O" superimposed over the "X. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto stood at his window and looked out. Something of resentment showed itself in the lines of his figure. Therewas, indeed, rebellion in his heart. This was a real day, a day ofdays, and no one seemed to care that he was missing it. Miss Braithwaitelooked drawn about the eyes, and considered carnivals rather common, and certainly silly. And Nikky looked drawn about the mouth, and did notcare to play. 

Rebellion was dawning in the soul of the Crown Prince, not the impassiverevolt of the "Flying Dutchman" and things which only pretended to be, like the imitation ship and the women who were not really spinning. Thesame rebellion, indeed, which had set old Adelbert against the Kingand turned him traitor, a rebellion against needless disappointment, aprotest for happiness. 

Old Adelbert, forbidden to march in his new uniform, the Crown Prince, forbidden his liberty and shut in a gloomy palace, were blood-brothersin revolt. 

Not that Prince Ferdinand William Otto knew he was in revolt. At firstit consisted only of a consideration of his promise to the Chancellor. But while there had been an understanding, there had been no actualpromise, had there?

Late in the morning Nikky took him to the roof. "We can't go out, oldman, " Nikky said to him, rather startled to discover the unhappiness inthe boy's face, "but I've found a place where we can see more than wecan here. Suppose we try it. "

"Why can't we go out? I've always gone before. "

"Well, " Nikky temporized, "they've made a rule. They make a good manyrules, you know. But they said nothing about the roof. "

"The roof!"

"The roof. The thing that covers us and keeps out the weather. The roof, Highness. " Nikky alternated between formality and the other extreme withthe boy. 

"It slants, doesn't it?" observed his Highness doubtfully. 

"Part of it is quite flat. We can take a ball up there, and get someexercise while we're about it. "

As a matter of fact, Nikky was not altogether unselfish. He would visitthe roof again, where for terrible, wonderful moments he had held Hedwigin his arms. On a pilgrimage, indeed, like that of the Crown Prince toEtzel, Nikky would visit his shrine. 

So they went to the roof. They went through silent corridors, past quietrooms where the suite waited and spoke in whispers, past the very doorof the chamber where the Council sat in session, and where reports werecoming in, hour by hour, as to the condition of things outside. Pastthe apartment of the Archduchess Annunciata, where Hilda, released fromlessons, was trying the effect of jet earrings against her white skin, and the Archduchess herself was sitting by her fire, and contemplatingthe necessity for flight. In her closet was a small bag, alreadypacked in case of necessity. Indeed, more persons than the ArchduchessAnnunciata had so prepared. Miss Braithwaite, for instance, had spent apart of the night over a traveling-case containing a small boy's outfit, and had wept as she worked, which was the reason for her headache. 

The roof proved quite wonderful. One could see the streets crowded withpeople, could hear the soft blare of distant horns. 

"The Scenic Railway is in that direction, " observed the Crown Prince, leaning on the balustrade. "If there were no buildings we could see it. "

"Right here, " Nikky was saying to himself. "At this very spot. She heldout her arms, and I--"

"It looks very interesting, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. "Ofcourse we can't see the costumes, but it is better than nothing. "

"I kissed her, " Nikky was thinking, his heart swelling under his verybest tunic. "Her head was on my breast, and I kissed her. Last of all, I kissed her eyes--her lovely eyes. "

"If I fell off here, " observed the Crown Prince in a meditative voice, "I would be smashed to a jelly, like the child at the Crystal Palace. "

"But now she hates me, " said Nikky's heart, and dropped about thedistance of three buttons. "She hates me. I saw it in her eyes thismorning. God!"

"We might as well play ball now. "

Prince Ferdinand William Otto turned away from the parapet with a sigh. This strange quiet that filled the Palace seemed to have attacked Nikkytoo. Otto hated quiet. 

They played ball, and the Crown Prince took a lesson in curves. But onhis third attempt, he described such a compound--curve that the balldisappeared over an adjacent part of the roof, and although Nikky didsome blood-curdling climbing along gutters, it could not be found. 

It was then that the Majordomo, always a marvelous figure in crimsonand gold, and never seen without white gloves--the Majordomo bowed ina window, and observed that if His Royal Highness pleased, His RoyalHighness's luncheon was served. 

In the shrouded room inside the windows, however, His Royal Highnesspaused and looked around. 

"I've been here before, " he observed. "These were my father's rooms. My mother lived here, too. When I am older, perhaps I can have them. Itwould be convenient on account of my practicing curves on the roof. ButI should need a number of balls. "

He was rather silent on his way back to the schoolroom. But once helooked up rather wistfully at Nikky. 

"If they were living, " he said, "I am pretty sure they would take me outto-day. "

Olga Loschek had found the day one of terror. Annunciata had demandedher attendance all morning, had weakened strangely and demandedfretfully to be comforted. 

"I have been a bad daughter, " she would say. "It was my nature. I waswarped and soured by wretchedness. "

"But you have not been a bad daughter, " the Countess would protest, for the thousandth time. "You have done your duty faithfully. You havestayed here when many another would have been traveling on the Riviera, or--"

"It was no sacrifice, " said Annunciata, in her peevish voice. "I loathetraveling. And now I am being made to suffer for all I have done. Hewill die, and the rest of us--what will happen to us?" She shivered. 

The Countess would take the cue, would enlarge on the precautions forsafety, on the uselessness of fear, on the popularity of the CrownPrince. And Annunciata, for a time at least, would relax. In her newremorse she made frequent visits to the sickroom, passing, a long, thinfigure, clad in black, through lines of bowing gentlemen, to stand bythe bed and wring her hands. But the old King did not even know she wasthere. 

The failure of her plan as to Nikky and Hedwig was known to the Countessthe night before. Hedwig had sent for her and faced her in her boudoir, very white and calm. 

"He refuses, " she said. "There is nothing more to do. "

"Refuses!"

"He has promised not to leave Otto. "

Olga Loschek had been incredulous, at first. It was not possible. Men inlove did not do these things. It was not possible, that, after all, shehad failed. When she realized it, she would have broken out in bitterprotest, but Hedwig's face warned her. "He is right, of course, " Hedwighad said. "You and I were wrong, Countess. There is nothing to do--orsay. "

And the Countess had taken her defeat quietly, with burning eyes and athroat dry with excitement. "I am sorry, Highness, " she said from thedoorway. "I had only hoped to save you from unhappiness. That is all. And, as you say, there is nothing to be done. " So she had gone away andfaced the night, and the day which was to follow. 

The plot was arranged, to the smallest detail. The King, living nowonly so long as it was decreed he should live; would, in mid-afternoon, commence to sink. The entire Court would be gathered in anterooms andsalons near his apartments. In his rooms the Crown Prince would be kept, awaiting the summons to the throne-room, where, on the King's death, theregency would be declared, and the Court would swear fealty to the newKing, Otto the Ninth. By arrangement with the captain of the Palaceguard, who was one of the Committee of Ten, the sentries before theCrown Prince's door were to be of the revolutionary party. Mettlichwould undoubtedly be with the King. Remained then to be reckonedwith only the Prince's personal servants, Miss Braithwaite, and NikkyLarisch. 

The servants offered little difficulty. At that hour, four o'clock, probably only the valet Oskar would be on duty, and his station was atthe end of a corridor, separated by two doors from the schoolroom. Itwas planned that the two men who were to secure the Crown Prince were towear the Palace livery, and to come with a message that the Crown Princewas to accompany them. Then, instead of going to the wing where theCourt was gathered, they would go up to Hubert's rooms, and from thereto the roof and the secret passage. 

Two obstacles were left for the Countess to cope with, and this was herpart of the work. She had already a plan for Miss Braithwaite. But NikkyLarisch?

Over that problem, during the long night hours, Olga Loschek worked. Itwould be possible to overcome Nikky, of course. There would be fourmen, with the sentries, against him. But that would mean struggle and analarm. It was the plan to achieve the abduction quietly, so quietly thatfor perhaps an hour--they hoped for an hour--there would be no alarm. Some time they must have, enough to make the long journey through theunderground passage. Otherwise the opening at the gate would be closed, and the party caught like rats in a hole. 

The necessity for planning served one purpose, at least. It kept herfrom thinking. Possibly it saved her reason, for there were times duringthat last night when Olga Loschek was not far from madness. At dawn, long after Hedwig had forgotten her unhappiness in sleep, the Countesswent wearily to bed. She had dismissed Minna hours before, and as shestood before her mirror, loosening her heavy hair, she saw that all thatwas of youth and loveliness in her had died in the night. A determined, scornful, and hard-eyed woman, she went drearily to bed. 

During the early afternoon the Chancellor visited the Crown Prince. Waiting and watching had made inroads on him, too, but he assumed a sortof heavy jocularity for the boy's benefit. 

"No lessons, eh?" he said. "Then there have been no paper balls for thetutors' eyes, eh?"

"I never did that but once, sir, " said Prince Ferdinand William Ottogravely. 

"So! Once only!"

"And I did that because he was always looking at Hedwig's picture. "

The Chancellor eyed the picture. "I should be the last to condemn himfor that, " he said, and glanced at Nikky. 

"We must get the lad out somewhere for some air, " he observed. "It isnot good to keep him shut up like this. " He turned to the Crown Prince. "In a day or so, " he said, "we shall all go to the summer palace. Youwould like that, eh?"

"Will my grandfather be able to go?"

The Chancellor sighed. "Yes, " he said, "I--he will go to the countryalso. He has loved it very dearly. "

He went, shortly after three o'clock. And, because he was restless anduneasy, he made a round of the Palace, and of the guards. Before hereturned to his vigil outside the King's bedroom, he stood for a momentby a window and looked out. Evidently rumors of the King's condition hadcrept out, in spite of their caution. The Place, kept free of murmurs bythe police, was filling slowly with people; people who took up positionson benches, under the trees, and even sitting on the curb of the street. An orderly and silent crowd it seemed, of the better class. Here andthere he saw police agents in plain clothes, impassive but watchful, onthe lookout for the first cry of treason. 

An hour or two, or three--three at the most and the fate of the Palacewould lie in the hands of that crowd. He could but lead the boy to thebalcony, and await the result. 

CHAPTER XXXIV. THE PIRATE'S DEN

Miss Braithwaite was asleep on the couch in her sitting-room, deeplyasleep, so that when Prince Ferdinand William Otto changed the coldcloth on her head, she did not even move. The Countess Loschek hadbrought her some medicine. 

"It cured her very quickly, " said the Crown Prince, shuffling the cardswith clumsy fingers. He and Nikky were playing a game in which matchesrepresented money. The Crown Prince had won nearly all of them and wasquite pink with excitement. "It's my deal, it? When she goes to sleeplike that, she nearly always wakens up much better. She's very soundasleep. "

Nikky played absently, and lost the game. The Crown Prince triumphantlyscooped up the rest of the matches. "We've had rather a nice day, " heobserved, "even if we didn't go out. Shall we divide them again, andstart all over?"

Nikky, however, proclaimed himself hopelessly beaten and a bad loser. Sothe Crown Prince put away the cards, which belonged to Miss Braithwaite, and with which she played solitaire in the evenings. Then he lounged tothe window, his hands in his pockets. There was something on his mindwhich the Chancellor's reference to Hedwig's picture had recalled. Something he wished to say to Nikky, without looking at him. 

So he clearer throat, and looked out the window, and said, verycasually:

"Hilda says that Hedwig is going to get married. "

"So I hear, Highness. "

"She doesn't seem to be very happy about it. She's crying, most of thetime. "

It was Nikky's turn to clear his throat. "Marriage is a serious matter, "he said. "It is not to be gone into lightly. "

"Once, when I asked you about marriage, you said marriage was when twopeople loved each other, and wanted to be together the rest of theirlives. "

"Well, " hedged Nikky, "that is the idea, rather. "

"I should think, " said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, slightly red, "that you would marry her yourself. "

Nikky, being beyond speech for an instant and looking, had His RoyalHighness but seen him, very tragic and somewhat rigid, the Crown Princewent on:

"She's a very nice girl, " he said; "I think she would make a good wife. "

There was something of reproach in his tone. He had confidently plannedthat Nikky would marry Hedwig, and that they could all live on foreverin the Palace. But, the way things were going, Nikky might marryanybody, and go away to live, and he would lose him. 

"Yes, " said Nikky, in a strange voice, "she--I am sure she would make agood wife. "

At which Prince Ferdinand William Otto turned and looked at him. "Iwish you would marry her yourself, " he said with his nearest approach toimpatience. "I think she'd be willing. I'll ask her, if you want me to. "

Half-past three, then, and Nikky trying to explain, within the limitsof the boy's understanding of life, his position. Members of royalfamilies, he said, looking far away, over the child's head, had to domany things for the good of the country. And marrying was one of them. Something of old Mettlich's creed of prosperity for the land he gave, something of his own hopelessness, too, without knowing it. He sat, bentforward, his hands swung between his knees, and tried to visualize, for Otto's understanding and his own heartache, the results of such amarriage. 

Some of it the boy grasped. A navy, ships, a railroad to the sea--thosehe could understand. Treaties were beyond his comprehension. And, with achild's singleness of idea, he returned to the marriage. 

"I'm sure she doesn't care about it, " he said at last. "If I were KingI would not let her do it. And"--he sat very erect and swung his shortlegs--"when I grow up, I shall fight for a navy, if I want one, and Ishall marry whoever I like. "

At a quarter to four Olga Loschek was announced. She made the curtsyinside the door that Palace ceremonial demanded and inquired for thegoverness. Prince Ferdinand William Otto, who had risen at her entrance, offered to see if she still slept. 

"I think you are a very good doctor, " he said, smiling, and went out toMiss Braithwaite's sitting room. 

It was then that Olga Loschek played the last card, and won. She movedquickly to Nikky's side. 

"I have a message for you, " she said. 

A light leaped into Nikky's eyes. "For me?"

"Do you know where my boudoir is?"

"I--yes, Countess. "

"If you will go there at once and wait, some one will see you there assoon as possible. " She put her hand on his arm. "Don't be foolishand proud, " she said. "She is sorry about last night, and she is veryunhappy. "

The light faded out of Nikky's eyes. She was unhappy and he could donothing. They had a way, in the Palace, of binding one's hands andleaving one helpless. He could not even go to her. 

"I cannot go, Countess, " he said. "She must understand. To-day, of alldays--"

"You mean that you cannot leave the Crown Prince?" She shrugged hershoulders. "You, too! Never have I seen so many faint hearts, suchrolling eyes, such shaking knees! And for what! Because a few timidsouls see a danger that does not exist. "

"I think it does exist, " said Nikky obstinately. 

"I am to take the word to her, then, that you will not come?"

"That I cannot. "

"You are a very foolish boy, " said the Countess, watching him. "Andsince you are so fearful, I myself will remain here. There are sentriesat the doors, and a double guard everywhere. What, in the name of allthat is absurd, can possibly happen?"

That was when she won. For Nikky, who has never been, in all thishistory, anything of a hero, and all of the romantic and lovingboy, --Nikky wavered and fell. 

When Prince Ferdinand William Otto returned, it was with the word thatMiss Braithwaite still slept, and that she looked very comfortable, Nikky was gone, and the Countess stood by a window, holding to the sillto support her shaking body. 

It was done. The boy was in her hands. There was left only to deliverhim to those who, even now, were on the way. Nikky was safe. He wouldwait in her boudoir, and Hedwig would not come. She had sent no message. She was, indeed, at that moment a part of one of those melancholy familygroups which, the world over, in palace or peasant's hut, await thecoming of death. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto chatted. He got out the picture-framefor Hedwig, which was finished now, with the exception of burning hisinitials in the lower left-hand corner. After inquiring politely ifthe smell of burning would annoy her, the Crown Prince drew a ratherbroken-backed "F, " a weak-kneed "W, " and an irregular "O" in the cornerand proceeded to burn them in. He sat bent over the desk, the very tipof his tongue protruding, and worked conscientiously and carefully. Between each letter he burned a dot. 

Suddenly, Olga Loschek became panic-stricken. She could not stay, andsee this thing out. Let them follow her and punish her. She could not. She had done her part. The governess lay in, a drugged sleep. A turn ofthe key, and the door to the passage beyond which Oskar waited would beclosed off. Let follow what must, she would not see it. 

The boy still bent over his work. She wandered about the room, casually, as if examining the pictures on the wall. She stopped, for a bittermoment, before Hedwig's photograph, and, for a shaken one, before thoseof Prince Hubert and his wife. Then she turned the key, and shut Oskarsafely away. 

"Highness, " she said, "Lieutenant Larisch will be here in a moment. Willyou permit me to go?"

Otto was off his chair in an instant. "Certainly, " he said, his mindstill on the "O" which he was shading. 

Old habit was strong in the Countess. Although the boy's rank wasnumbered by moments, although his life was possibly to be counted byhours, she turned at the doorway and swept him a curtsy. Then she wentout, and closed the door behind her. 

The two sentries stood outside. They were of the Terrorists. She knew, and they knew she knew. But neither one made a sign. They stared ahead, and Olga Loschek went out between them. 

Now the psychology of the small boy is a curious thing. It is, for onething, retentive. Ideas become, given time, obsessions. And obsessionsare likely to lead to action. 

The Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto was only a small boy, for allhis title and dignity. And suddenly he felt lonely. Left alone, hereturned to his expectations for the day, and compared them with thefacts. He remembered other carnivals, with his carriage moving throughthe streets, and people showering him with fresh flowers. He ratherglowed at the memory. Then he recalled that the Chancellor had said heneeded fresh air. 

Something occurred to him, something which combined fresh airwith action, yet kept to the letter of his promise--or was there apromise?--not to leave the Palace. 

The idea pleased him. It set him to smiling, and his bright hair toquivering with excitement. It was nothing less than to go up on the roofand find the ball. Nikky would be surprised, having failed himself. Hewould have to be very careful, having in mind the fate of that unluckychild at the Crystal Palace. And he would have to hurry. Nikky would besure to return soon. 

He opened the door on to the great corridor, and stepped out, salutingthe sentries, as he always did. 

"I'll be back in a moment, " he informed them. He was always on terms ofgreat friendliness with the guard, and he knew these men by sight. "Areyou going to be stationed here now?" he inquired pleasantly. 

The two guards were at a loss. But one of them, who had a son of hisown, and hated the whole business, saluted and replied that he knew not. 

"I hope you are, " said Ferdinand William Otto, and went on. 

The sentries regarded one another. "Let him go!" said the one who was afather. 

The other one moved uneasily. "Our orders cover no such contingency, "he muttered. "And, besides, he will come back. " He bore a strongresemblance to the boy, who, in the riding-school, had dusted the royalhearse. "I hope to God he does not come back, " he said stonily. 

Five minutes to four. 

The Crown Prince hurried. The corridors were almost empty. Here andthere he met servants, who stood stiff against the wall until he hadpassed. On the marble staircase, leading up, he met no one, nor onthe upper floor. He was quite warm with running and he paused in hisfather's suite to mop his face. Then he opened a window and went outon the roof. It seemed very large and empty now, and the afternoon sun, sinking low, threw shadows across it. 

Also, from the balustrade, it looked extremely far to the ground. 

Nevertheless, although his heart beat a trifle fast, he was stilldetermined. A climb which Nikky with his long legs had achieved in aleap, took him up to a chimney. Below--it seemed a long way below wasthe gutter. There was a very considerable slant. If one sat down, likeNikky, and slid, and did not slide over the edge, one should fetch up inthe gutter. 

He felt a trifle dizzy. But Nikky's theory was, that if one is afraid todo a thing, better to do it and get over being afraid. 

"I was terribly afraid of a bayonet attack, " Nikky had observed, "untilI was in one. The next one I rather enjoyed!"

So the Crown Prince sat down on the sloping roof behind the chimney, andgathered his legs under him for a slide. 

Then he heard a door open, and footsteps. Very careful footsteps. He wasquite certain Nikky had followed him. But there were cautious voices, too, and neither was Nikky's. It occurred to Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto that a good many people, certainly including Miss Braithwaite, would not approve of either his situation or his position. MissBraithwaite was particularly particular about positions. 

So he sat still beside the chimney, well shielded by the evergreens intubs, until the voices and the footsteps were gone. Then he took all hiscourage in his hands, and slid. Well for him that the ancient buildersof the Palace had been reckless with lead, that the gutter was bothwide and deep. Well for Nikky, too, waiting in the boudoir below andhard-driven between love and anxiety. 

The Crown Prince, unaccustomed to tiles, turned over halfway down, and rolled. He brought up with a jerk in the gutter, quite safe, butextremely frightened. And the horrid memory of the Crystal Palace childfilled his mind, to the exclusion of everything else. He sat there forquite a few minutes. There was no ball in sight, and the roof lookedeven steeper from this point. 

Being completely self-engrossed, therefore, he did not see that the roofhad another visitor. Had two visitors, as a matter of fact. One of themwore a blanket with a white "O" over a white "X" on it, and the otherwore a mask, and considerable kitchen cutlery fastened to his belt. Theyhad come out of a small door in the turret and were very much at ease. They leaned over the parapet and admired the view. They strutted aboutthe flat roof, and sang, at least one of them sang a very strangerefrain, which was something about

 "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest; Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum. "

And then they climbed on one of the garden chairs and looked over theexpanse of the roof, which was when they saw Prince Ferdinand WilliamOtto, and gazed at him. 

"Gee whiz!" said the larger pirate, through his mask. "What are youdoing there?"

The Crown Prince started, and stared. "I am sitting here, " explained theCrown Prince, trying to look as though he usually sat in lead gutters. "I am looking for a ball. "

"You're looking for a fall, I guess, " observed the pirate. "You don'tremember me, kid, do you?"

"I can't see your face, but I know your voice. " His voice trembled withexcitement. 

"Lemme give you a hand, " said the pirate, whipping off his mask. "Youmake me nervous, sitting there. You've got a nerve, you have. "

The Crown Prince looked gratified. "I don't need any assistance, thankyou, " he said. "Perhaps, now I'm here, I'd better look for the ball. "

"I wouldn't bother about the old ball, " said the pirate, rathernervously for an old sea-dog. "You better get back to a safe place. Say, what made you pretend that our Railway made you nervous?"

Prince Ferdinand William Otto climbed up the tiles, trying to look asthough tiles were his native habitat. The pirates both regarded him withadmiration, as he dropped beside them. 

"How did you happen to come here?" asked the Crown Prince. "Did you loseyour aeroplane up here?"

"We came on business, " said the pirate importantly. "Two of the enemyentered our cave. We were guarding it from the underbrush, and saw themgo in. We trailed them. They must die!"

"Really--die?"

"Of course. Death to those who defy us. "

"Death to those who defy us!" repeated the Crown Prince, enjoyinghimself hugely, and quite ready for bloodshed. 

"Look here, Dick Deadeye, " said the larger pirate to the smaller, whostood gravely at attention, "I think he belongs to our crew. What say, old pal?"

Dick Deadeye wagged his tail. 

Some two minutes later, the Crown Prince of Livonia, having sworn thepirate oath of no quarter, except to women and children, was on his wayto the pirate cave. 

He was not running away. He was not disobedient. He was breaking nopromises. Because, from the moment he saw the two confederates, andparticularly from the moment he swore the delightful oath, his past waswiped away. There was, in his consciousness, no Palace, no grandfather, no Miss Braithwaite, even no Nikky. There was only a boy and a dog, anda pirate den awaiting him. 

CHAPTER XXXV. THE PAPER CROWN

Strange that the old Palace roof should, in close succession; have seenNikky forgetting his promise to the Chancellor, and Otto forgetting thathe was not to run away. Strange places, roofs, abiding places, sincelong ago, of witches. 

"How'd you happen to be in that gutter?" Bobby demanded, as they starteddown the staircase in the wall. "Watch out, son, it's pretty steep. "

"I was getting a ball. "

"Is this your house?"

"Well, I live here, " temporized Prince Ferdinand William Otto. Aterrible thought came to him. Suppose this American boy, who detestedkings and princes, should learn who he was!

"It looks like a big place. Is it a barracks?"

"No. " He hesitated. "But there are a good many soldiers here. I--I neversaw these steps before. "

"I should think not, " boasted Bobby. "I discovered them. I guess nobodyelse in the world knows about them. I put up a flag at the bottom andtook possession. They're mine. "

"Really!" said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, quite delighted. He wouldnever have thought of such a thing. 

A door of iron bars at the foot of the long flight of steps--there werefour of them--stood open. Here daylight, which had been growing fainter, entirely ceased. And here Bobby, having replaced his mask, placed anair-rifle over his shoulder, and lighted a candle and held it out to theCrown Prince. 

"You can carry it, " he said. "Only don't let it drip on you. You'llspoil your clothes. " There was a faintly scornful note in his voice, andFerdinand William Otto was quick to hear it. 

"I don't care at all about my clothes, " he protested. And to prove ithe deliberately tilted the candle and let a thin stream of paraffin rundown his short jacket. 

"You're a pretty good sport, " Bobby observed. And from that time on headdressed His Royal Highness as "old sport. "

"Walk faster, old sport, " he would say. "That candle's pretty short, andwe've got a long way to go. " Or--"Say, old sport, I'll make you a masklike this, if you like. I made this one. "

When they reached the old dungeon the candle was about done. There wasonly time to fashion another black mask out of a piece of cloth thatbore a strange resemblance to a black waistcoat. The Crown Prince donnedthis with a wildly beating heart. Never in all his life had he been soexcited. Even Dick Deadeye was interested, and gave up his scenting ofthe strange footsteps that he had followed through the passage, to watchthe proceedings. 

"We can get another candle, and come back and cook something, " said thesenior pirate, tying the mask on with Pieces of brown string. "It getspretty smoky, but I can cook, you'd better believe. "

So this wonderful boy could cook, also! The Crown Prince had never metany one with so many varied attainments. He gazed through the eyeholes, which were rather too far apart, in rapt admiration. 

"As you haven't got a belt, " Bobby said generously, "I'll give you therifle. Ever hold a gun?"

"Oh, yes, " said the Crown Prince. He did not explain that he had beentaught to shoot on the rifle-range of his own regiment, and had wonquite a number of medals. He possessed, indeed, quite a number of smallbut very perfect guns. 

With the last gasp of the candle, the children prepared to depart. Thesenior pirate had already forgotten the two men he had trailed throughthe passage, and was eager to get outdoors. 

"Ready!" he said. "Now, remember, old sport, we are pirates. No quarter, except to women and children. Shoot every man. "

"Even if he is unarmed?" inquired the Crown Prince, who had also studiedstrategy and tactics, and felt that an unarmed man should be takenprisoner. 

"Sure. We don't really shoot them, silly. Now. Get in step. 

 "'Fifteen men on a dead man's chest Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum. '"

They marched up the steps and out through the opening at the top. Ifthere were any who watched, outside the encircling growth of evergreens, they were not on the lookout for two small boys and a dog. And, asbecame pirates, the children made a stealthy exit. 

Then began, for the Crown Prince, such a day of joy as he had neverknown before. Even the Land of Delight faded before this new bliss ofstalking from tree to tree, of killing unsuspecting citizens who sat onrugs on the ground and ate sausages and little cakes. Here and there, where a party had moved on, they salvaged a bit of food--the heel of aloaf, one of the small country apples. Shades of the Court Physicians, under whose direction the Crown Prince was daily fed a carefullybalanced ration!

When they were weary, they stretched out on the ground, and the CrownPrince, whose bed was nightly dried with a warming-pan for fear ofdampness, wallowed blissfully on earth still soft with the meltingfrosts of the winter. He grew muddy and dirty. He had had no hat, ofcourse, and his bright hair hung over his forehead in moist strands. Nowand then he drew a long breath of sheer happiness. 

Around them circled the gayety of the Carnival, bands of students inwhite, with the tall peaked caps of Pierrots. Here and there was ascarlet figure, a devil with horns, who watched the crowd warily. A dog, with the tulle petticoats of a dancer tied around it and a great bow onits neck, made friends with Dick Deadeye, alias Tucker, and joined thegroup. 

But, as dusk descended, the crowd gradually dispersed, some to supper, but some to gather in the Place and in the streets around the Palace. For the rumor that the King was dying would not down. 

At last the senior pirate consulted a large nickel watch. 

"Gee! it's almost supper time, " he said. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto consulted his own watch, the one with theinscription: "To Ferdinand William Otto, from his grandfather, on theoccasion of his taking his first communion. "

"Why can't you come home to supper with me?" asked the senior pirate. "Would your folks kick up a row?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would your family object?"

"There is only one person who would mind, " reflected the Crown Prince, aloud, "and she will be angry anyhow. I--do you think your mother willbe willing?"

"Willing? Sure she will! My governess--but I'll fix her. She's a German, and they're always cranky. Anyhow, it's my birthday. I'm always alloweda guest on birthdays. "

So home together, gayly chatting, went the two children, along thecobble-paved streets of the ancient town, past old churches that hadbeen sacked and pillaged by the very ancestors of one of them, takingshort cuts through narrow passages that twisted and wormed their waybetween, and sometimes beneath, century-old stone houses; acrossthe flower-market, where faint odors of dying violets and crushedlilies-of-the-valley still clung to the bare wooden booths; and so, finally, to the door of a tall building where, from the concierge's roombeside the entrance, came a reek of stewing garlic. 

Neither of the children had noticed the unwonted silence of the streets, which had, almost suddenly, succeeded the noise of the Carnival. Whatfew passers-by they had seen had been hurrying in the direction of thePalace. Twice they had passed soldiers, with lanterns, and once one hadstopped and flashed a light on them. 

"Well, old sport!" said Bobby in English, "anything you can do for me?"

The soldier had passed on, muttering at the insolence of Americanchildren. The two youngsters laughed consumedly at the witticism. Theywere very happy, the lonely little American boy and the lonely littlePrince--happy from sheer gregariousness, from the satisfaction of thatstrongest of human inclinations, next to love--the social instinct. 

The concierge was out. His niece admitted them, and went back toher interrupted cooking. The children hurried up the winding stonestaircase, with its iron rail and its gas lantern, to the second floor. 

In the sitting-room, the sour-faced governess was darning a hole in asmall stocking. She was as close as possible to the green-tile stove, and she was looking very unpleasant; for the egg-shaped darner onlyslipped through the hole, which was a large one. With an irritablegesture she took off her slipper, and, putting one coarse-stockingedfoot on the fender, proceeded to darn by putting the slipper into thestocking and working over it. 

Things looked unpropitious. The Crown Prince ducked behind Bobby. 

The Fraulein looked at the clock. 

"You are fifteen minutes late, " she snapped, and bit the darningthread--not with rage, but because she had forgotten her scissors. 

"I'm sorry, but you see--"

"Whom have you there?"

The Prince cowered. She looked quite like his grandfather when histutor's reports had been unfavorable. 

"A friend of mine, " said Bobby, not a whit daunted. 

The governess put down the stocking and rose. In so doing, she caughther first real glimpse of Ferdinand William Otto, and she staggeredback. 

"Holy Saints!" she said, and went white. Then she stared at the boy, andher color came back. "For a moment, " she muttered "--but no. He is notso tall, nor has he the manner. Yes, he is much smaller!"

Which proves that, whether it wears it or not, royalty is alwaysmeasured to the top of a crown. 

In the next room Bobby's mother was arranging candles on a birthdaycake in the center of the table. Pepy had iced the cake herself, andhad forgotten one of the "b's" in "Bobby" so that the cake really read:"Boby--XII. "

However, it looked delicious, and inside had been baked a tiny blackchina doll and a new American penny, with Abraham Lincoln's head on it. The penny was for good fortune, but the doll was a joke of Pepy's, Bobbybeing aggressively masculine. 

Bobby, having passed the outpost, carried the rest of the situation byassault. He rushed into the dining-room and kissed his mother, with oneeye on the cake. 

"Mother, here's company to supper! Oh, look at the cake! B-O-B-Y'!Mother! That's awful!"

Mrs. Thorpe looked at the cake. "Poor Pepy, " she said. "Suppose she hadmade it 'Booby'?" Then she saw Ferdinand William Otto, and went over, somewhat puzzled, with her hand out. "I am very glad Bobby brought you, "she said. "He has so few little friends--"

Then she stopped, for the Prince had brought his heels together sharply, and, bending over her hand, had kissed it, exactly as he kissed his AuntAnnunciata's when he went to have tea with her. Mrs. Thorpe was fairlystartled, not at the kiss, but at the grace with which the tribute wasrendered. 

Then she looked down, and it restored her composure to find thatFerdinand William Otto, too, had turned eyes toward the cake. He was, after all, only a hungry small boy. With quick tenderness she stoopedand kissed him gravely on the forehead. Caresses were strange toFerdinand William Otto. His warm little heart leaped and pounded. Atthat moment, he would have died for her!

Mr. Thorpe came home a little late. He kissed Bobby twelve times, andone to grow on. He shook hands absently with the visitor, and gavethe Fraulein the evening paper--an extravagance on which he insisted, although one could read the news for nothing by going to the cafe on thecorner. Then he drew his wife aside. 

"Look here!" he said. "Don't tell Bobby--no use exciting him, and ofcourse it's not our funeral anyhow but there's a report that the CrownPrince has been kidnapped. And that's not all. The old King is dying!"

"How terrible!"

"Worse than that. The old King gone and no Crown Prince! It may meanalmost any sort of trouble! I've closed up at the Park for the night. "His arm around his wife, he looked through the doorway to where Bobbyand Ferdinand were counting the candles. "It's made me think prettyhard, " he said. "Bobby mustn't go around alone the way he's been doing. All Americans here are considered millionaires. If the Crown Princecould go, think how easy--"

His arm tightened around his wife, and together they went in tothe birthday feast. Ferdinand William Otto was hungry. He ateeagerly--chicken, fruit compote, potato salad--again shades of the Courtphysicians, who fed him at night a balanced ration of milk, egg, andzwieback! Bobby also ate busily, and conversation languished. 

Then the moment came when, the first cravings appeased, they sat back intheir chairs while Pepy cleared the table and brought in a knife to cutthe cake. Mr. Thorpe had excused himself for a moment. Now he came back, with a bottle wrapped in a newspaper, and sat down again. 

"I thought, " he said, "as this is a real occasion, not exactly Robert'scoming of age, but marking his arrival at years of discretion, theperiod when he ceases to be a small boy and becomes a big one, we mightdrink a toast to it. "

"Robert!" objected the big boy's mother. 

"A teaspoonful each, honey, " he begged. "It changes it from a meresupper to a festivity. "

He poured a few drops of wine into the children's glasses, and filledthem up with water. Then he filled the others, and sat smiling, this bigyoung man, who had brought his loved ones across the sea, and was tryingto make them happy up a flight of stone stairs, above a concierge'sbureau that smelled of garlic. 

"First, " he said, "I believe it is customary to toast the King. Friends, I give you the good King and brave soldier, Ferdinand of Livonia. "

They stood up to drink it, and even Pepy had a glass. 

Ferdinand William Otto was on his feet first. He held his glass up inhis right hand, and his eyes shone. He knew what to do. He had seen theKing's health drunk any number of times. 

"To His Majesty, Ferdinand of Livonia, " he said solemnly. "God keep theKing!"

Over their glasses Mrs. Thorpe's eyes met her husband's. How theytrained their children here!

But Ferdinand William Otto had not finished. "I give you, " he said, inhis clear young treble, holding his glass, "the President of the UnitedStates--The President!"

"The President!" said Mr. Thorpe. 

They drank again, except the Fraulein, who disapproved of children beingmade much of, and only pretended to sip her wine. 

"Bobby, " said his mother, with a catch in her voice, "haven't yousomething to suggest--as a toast?"

Bobby's eyes were on the cake; he came back with difficulty. 

"Well, " he meditated, "I guess--would 'Home' be all right?"

"Home!" they all said, a little shakily, and drank to it. 

Home! To the Thorpes, a little house on a shady street in America; tothe Fraulein, a thatched cottage in the mountains of Germany and anold mother; to Pepy, the room in a tenement where she went at night;to Ferdinand William Otto, a formal suite of apartments in the Palace, surrounded by pomp, ordered by rule and precedent, hardened by militarydiscipline, and unsoftened by family love, save for the grim affectionof the old King. 

Home!

After all, Pepy's plan went astray, for the Fraulein got the china baby, and Ferdinand William Otto the Lincoln penny. 

"That, " said Bobby's father, "is a Lincoln penny, young man. It bearsthe portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Have you ever heard of him?"

The Prince looked up. Did he not know the "Gettysburg Address" by heart?

"Yes, sir, " he said. "The--my grandfather thinks that President Lincolnwas a very great man. "

"One of the world's greatest. I hardly thought, over here--" Mr. Thorpepaused and looked speculatively at the boy. "You'd better keep thatpenny where you won't lose it, " he said soberly. "It doesn't hurt us totry to be good. If you're in trouble, think of the difficulties AbrahamLincoln surmounted. If you want to be great, think how great he was. "He was a trifle ashamed of his own earnestness. "All that for a penny, young man!"

The festivities were taking a serious turn. There was a little packet ateach plate, and now Bobby's mother reached over and opened hers. 

"Oh!" she said, and exhibited a gaudy tissue paper bonnet. Everybody hadone. Mr. Thorpe's was a dunce's cap, and Fraulein's a giddy Pierrette ofblack and white. Bobby had a military cap. With eager fingers FerdinandWilliam Otto opened his; he had never tasted this delicious paper-capjoy before. 

It was a crown, a sturdy bit of gold paper, cut into points and set withred paste jewels--a gem of a crown. He was charmed. He put it on hishead, with the unconsciousness of childhood, and posed delightedly. 

The Fraulein looked at Prince Ferdinand William Otto, and slowly thecolor left her lean face. She stared. It was he, then, and none other. Stupid, not to have known at the beginning! He, the Crown Prince, herein the home of these barbarous Americans, when, by every plan that hadbeen made, he should now be in the hands of those who would dispose ofhim. 

"I give you, " said Mr. Thorpe, raising his glass toward his wife, "thegiver of the feast. Boys, up with you!"

It was then that the Fraulein, making an excuse, slipped out of theroom. 

CHAPTER XXXVI. THE KING IS DEAD

Now at last the old King's hour had come. Mostly he slept, as thoughhis body, eager for its long rest, had already given up the struggle. Stimulants, given by his devoted physician, had no effect. Otherphysicians there were, a group of them, but it was Doctor Wiederman whostood by the bed and waited. 

Father Gregory, his friend of many years, had come again from Etzel, andit was he who had administered the sacrament. The King had roused forit, and had smiled at the father. 

"So!" he said, almost in a whisper, "you would send me clean! It is hardto scour an old kettle. "

Doctor Wiederman bent over the bed. "Majesty, " he implored, "if there isanything we can do to make you comfortable--"

"Give me Hubert's picture, " said the King. When his fingers refused tohold it, Annunciata came forward swiftly and held it before him. But hisheavy eyes closed. With more intuition than might have been expectedof her, the Archduchess laid it on the white coverlet, and placed herfather's hand on it. 

The physicians consulted in an alcove. Annunciata went back to herrestless, noiseless pacing of the room. Father Gregory went to a window, and stared out. He saw, not the silent crowd in the Place, but manyother things; the King, as a boy, chafing under the restraint of Courtceremonial; the King, as a young man, taking a wife who did not lovehim. He saw the King madly in love with his wife, and turning toexcesses to forget her. Then, and for this the old priest thanked theGod who was so real to him, he saw the Queen bear children, and turningto her husband because he was their father. They had lived to lovedeeply and' truly. 

Then had come the inevitable griefs. The Queen had died, and had beensaved a tragedy, for Hubert had been violently done to death. And nowagain a tragedy had come, but one the King would never know. 

The two Sisters of Mercy stood beside the bed, and looked down at thequiet figure. 

"I should wish to die so, " whispered the elder. "A long life, filledwith many deeds, and then to sleep away!"

"A long life, full of many sorrows!" observed the younger one, her eyesfull of tears. "He has outlived all that he loved. "

"Except the little Otto. "

Their glances met, for even here there was a question. 

As if their thought had penetrated the haze which is, perhaps, the mistthat hides from us the gates of heaven, the old King opened his eyes. 

"Otto!" he said. "I--wish--"

Annunciata bent over him. "He is coming, father, " she told him, withwhite lips. 

She slipped to her knees beside the bed, and looked up to DoctorWiederman with appealing eyes. 

"I am afraid, " she whispered. "Can you not--?"

He shook his head. She had asked a question in her glance, and hehad answered. The Crown Prince was gone. Perhaps the search would besuccessful. Could he not be held, then, until the boy was found? AndDoctor Wiederman had answered "No. "

In the antechamber the Council waited, standing and without speech. Butin an armchair beside the door to the King's room the Chancellor sat, his face buried in his hands. In spite of precautions, in spite ofeverything, the blow had fallen. The Crown Prince, to him at once sonand sovereign, the little Crown Prince, was gone. And his old friend, his comrade of many years, lay at his last hour. 

Another regiment left the Palace, to break ranks beyond the crowd, and add to the searchers. They marched to a muffled drum. As the soundreached him, the old warrior stirred. He had come to this, he whohad planned, not for himself, but for his country. And because he wasthinking clearly, in spite of his grief, he saw that his very ambitionfor the boy had been his undoing. In the alliance with Karnia he hadgiven the Terrorists a scourge to flay the people to revolt. 

Now he waited for the King's death. Waited numbly. For, with the tollingof St. Stefan's bell would rise the cry for the new King. 

And there was no King. 

In the little room where the Sisters kept their medicines, so uselessnow, Hedwig knelt at the Prie-dieu and prayed. 

She tried to pray for her grandfather's soul, but she could not. Her onecry was for Otto, that he be saved and brought back. In the study shehad found the burntwood frame, and she held it hugged close to her withits broken-backed "F, " its tottering "W, " and wavering "O", with its fatCupids in sashes, and the places where an over-earnest small hand hadslipped. 

Hilda stood by the stand, and fingered the bottles. Her nose was swollenwith crying, but she was stealthily removing corks and sniffing at thecontents of the bottles with the automatic curiosity of the young. 

The King roused again. "Mettlich?" he asked. 

The elder Sister tiptoed to the door and opened it. The Council turned, dread on their faces. She placed a hand on the Chancellor's shoulder. 

"His Majesty has asked for you. "

When he looked up, dazed, she bent down and took his hand. 

"Courage!" she said quietly. 

The Chancellor stood a second inside the door. Then he went to theside of the bed, and knelt, his lips to the cold, white hand on thecounterpane. 

"Sire!" he choked. "It is I--Mettlich. "

The King looked at him, and placed his hand on the bowed gray head. Thenhis eyes turned to Annunciata and rested there. It was as if he saw her, not as the embittered woman of late years, but as the child of the womanhe had loved. 

"A good friend, and a good daughter, " he said clearly. "Few men die sofortunate, and fewer sovereigns. " His hand moved from Mettlich's head, and rested on the photograph. 

The elder Sister leaned forward and touched his wrist. "Doctor!" shesaid sharply. 

Doctor Wiederman came first, the others following. They grouped aroundthe bed. Then the oldest of them, who had brought Annunciata into theworld, touched her on the shoulder. 

"Madame!" he said. "Madame, I--His Majesty has passed away. "

Mettlich staggered to his feet, and took a long look at the face of hisold sovereign and king. 

In the mean time, things had been happening in the room where theCouncil waited. The Council, free of the restraint of the Chancellor'spresence, had fallen into low-voiced consultation. What was to be done?They knew already the rumors of the streets, and were helpless beforethem. They had done what they could. But the boy was gone, and the cityrising. Already the garrison of the fortress had been ordered to thePalace, but it could not arrive before midnight. Friese had questionedthe wisdom of it, at that, and was for flight as soon as the King died. Bayerl, on the other hand, urged a stand, in the hope that the CrownPrince would be found. 

Their voices, lowered at first, rose acrimoniously; almost theypenetrated to the silent room beyond. On to the discussion came NikkyLarisch, covered with dust and spotted with froth from his horse. Heentered without ceremony, his boyish face drawn and white, his cap gone, his eyes staring. 

"The Chancellor?" he said. 

Some one pointed to the room beyond. 

Nikky hesitated. Then, being young and dramatic, even in tragedy, heunbuckled his sword-belt and took it off, placing it on a table. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "I have come to surrender myself. "

The Council stared. 

"For what reason?" demanded Marschall coldly. 

"I believe it is called high treason. " He closed his eyes for a moment. "It is because of my negligence that this thing has happened. He was inmy charge, and I left him. "

No one said anything. The Council looked at a loss, rather like a flockof sheep confronting some strange animal. 

"I would have shot myself, " said Nikky Larisch, "but it was too easy. "

Then, rather at a loss as to the exact etiquette of arresting one'sself, he bowed slightly and waited. 

The door into the King's bedchamber opened. 

The Chancellor came through, his face working. It closed behind him. 

"Gentlemen of the Council, " he said. "It is my duty my duty--toannounce--" His voice broke; his grizzled chin quivered; tears rolleddown his cheeks. "Friends, " he said pitifully, "our good King--my oldcomrade--is dead!"

The birthday supper was over. It had ended with an American ice-cream, brought in carefully by Pepy, because of its expensiveness. They had cutthe cake with Boby on the top, and the Crown Prince had eaten far morethan was good for him. 

He sat, fingering the Lincoln penny and feeling extremely full and verycontented. 

Then, suddenly, from a far-off church a deep-toned bell began to tollslowly. 

Prince Ferdinand William Otto caught it. St. Stefan's bell! He sat upand listened. The sound was faint; one felt it rather than heard it, butthe slow booming was unmistakable. He got up and pushed his chair back. 

Other bells had taken it up, and now the whole city seemed alive withbells--bells that swung sadly from side to side, as if they said overand over: "Alas, alas!"

Something like panic seized Ferdinand William Otto. Some calamity hadhappened. Some one was perhaps his grandfather. 

He turned an appealing face to Mrs. Thorpe. "I must go, " he said: "I donot wish to appear rude, but something is wrong. The bells--"

Pepy had beet listening, too. Her broad face worked. "They mean butone thing, " she said slowly. "I have heard it said many times. When St. Stefan's tolls life that, the King is dead!"

"No! No!" cried Ferdinand William Otto and ran madly out of the door. 

CHAPTER XXXVII. LONG LIVE THE KING!

While the birthday supper was at its height, in the bureau of theconcierge sat old Adelbert, heavy and despairing. That very day had helearned to what use the Committee would put the information he had giventhem, and his old heart was dead within him. One may not be loyal forseventy years, and then easily become a traitor. 

He had surveyed stonily the costume in which the little Prince was to betaken away. He had watched while the boxes of ammunition were uncoveredin their barrels, he had seen the cobbler's shop become a seething hiveof activity, where all day men had come and gone. He had heard the pressbeneath his feet fall silent because its work was done, and at dusk hehad with his own eyes beheld men who carried forth, under their arms, blazing placards for the walls of the town. 

Then, at seven o'clock, something had happened. 

The concierge's niece had gone, leaving the supper ready cooked on theback of the stove. Old Adelbert sat alone, and watched the red bars ofthe stove fade to black. By that time it was done, and he was of thedamned. The Crown Prince, who was of an age with the American ladupstairs, the Crown Prince was in the hands of his enemies. He, oldAdelbert, had done it. 

And now it was forever too late. Terrible thoughts filled his mind. Hecould not live thus, yet he could not die. The daughter must have thepension. He must live, a traitor, he on whose breast the King himselfhad pinned a decoration. 

He wore his new uniform, in honor of the day. Suddenly he felt that hecould not wear it any longer. He had no right to any uniform. He who hadsold his country was of no country. 

He went slowly out and up the staircase, dragging his wooden legpainfully from step to step. He heard the concierge come in below, hisheavy footsteps reechoed through the building. Inside the door he calledfuriously to his niece. Old Adelbert heard him strike a match to lightthe gas. 

On the staircase he met the Fraulein hurrying down. Her face wasstrained and her eyes glittering. She hesitated, as though she wouldspeak, then she went on past him. He could hear her running. Itreminded the old man of that day in the Opera, when a child ran downthe staircase, and, as is the way of the old, he repeated himself:"One would think new legs grew in place of old ones, like the claws ofsea-creatures, " he said fretfully. And went on up the staircase. 

In his room he sat down on a straight chair inside the door, and staredahead. Then, slowly and mechanically, he took off his new uniformand donned the old one. He would have put on civilian clothes, had hepossessed any. For by the deeds of that day he had forfeited the rightto the King's garb. 

It was there that Black Humbert, hurrying up, found him. The conciergewas livid, his massive frame shook with excitement. 

"Quick!" he said, and swore a great oath. "To the shop of the cobblerHeinz, and tell him this word. Here in the building is the boy. "

"What boy?"

The concierge closed a great hand on the veteran's shoulder. "Who butthe Crown Prince himself!" he said. 

"But I thought--how can he be here?"

"Here is he, in our very hands. It is no time to ask questions. "

"If he is here--"

"He is with the Americans, " hissed the concierge, the veins on hisforehead swollen with excitement. "Now, go, and quickly. I shall watch. Say that when I have secured the lad, I shall take him there. Let allbe ready. An hour ago, " he said, raising his great fists on high, "andeverything lost. Now hurry, old wooden leg. It is a great night. "

"But--I cannot. Already I have done too much. I am damned. I have lostmy soul. I who am soon to die. "

"YOU WILL GO. "

And, at last, he went, hobbling down the staircase recklessly, becausethe looming figure at the stair head was listening. He reached thestreet. There, only a block away, was the cobbler's shop, lighted, butwith the dirty curtains drawn across the window. 

Old Adelbert gazed at it. Then he commended his soul to God, and turnedtoward the Palace. 

He passed the Opera. On Carnival night it should have been open andin gala array, with lines of carriages and machines before it. It wasclosed, and dreary. But old Adelbert saw it not at all. He stumpedalong, panting with haste and exhaustion, to do the thing he had sethimself to do. 

Here was the Palace. Before it were packed dense throngs of silentpeople. Now and then a man put down a box, and rising on it, addressedthe crowd, attempting to rouse them. Each time angry hands pulled himdown, and hisses greeted him as he slunk away. 

Had old Adelbert been alive to anything but his mission, he would haveseen that this was no mob of revolutionists, but a throng of grievingpeople, awaiting the great bell of St. Stefan's with its dire news. 

Then, above their heads, it rang out, slow, ominous, terrible. A sob ranthrough the crowd. In groups, and at last as a whole, the throng knelt. Men uncovered and women wept. 

The bell rang on. At its first notes old Adelbert stopped, staggered, almost fell. Then he uncovered his head. 

"Gone!" he said. "The old King! My old King!"

His face twitched. But the horror behind him drove him on through thekneeling crowd. Where it refused to yield, he drove the iron point ofhis wooden leg into yielding flesh, and so made his way. 

Here, in the throng, Olga of the garderobe met him, and laid a tremblinghand on his arm. He shook her off, but she clung to him. 

"Know you what they are saying?" she whispered. "That the Crown Princeis stolen. And it is true. Soldiers scour the city everywhere. "

"Let me go, " said old Adelbert, fiercely. 

"They say, " she persisted, "that the Chancellor has made away with him, to sell us to Karnia. "

"Fools!" cried old Adelbert, and pushed her off. When she refused torelease him, he planted his iron toe on her shapely one and worked hisway forward. The crowd had risen, and now stood expectantly facing thePalace. Some one raised a cry and others took it up. 

"The King!" they cried. "Show us the little King!"

But the balcony outside the dead King's apartments remained empty. Thecurtains at the long windows were drawn, save at one, opened for air. The breeze shook its curtains to and fro, but no small, childish figureemerged. The cries kept up, but there was a snarl in the note now. 

"The King! Long live the King! Where is he?"

A man in a red costume, near old Adelbert, leaped on a box and lighted aflaming torch. "Aye!" he yelled, "call for the little King. Where is he?What have they done with him?"

Old Adelbert pushed on. The voice of the revolutionist died behind him, in a chorus of fury. From nowhere, apparently, came lighted box-bannersproclaiming the Chancellor's treason, and demanding a Republic. Some ofthem instructed the people to gather around the Parliament, where, itwas stated, leading citizens were already forming a Republic. Some, moreviolent, suggested an advance on the Palace. 

The crowd at first ignored them, but as time went on, it grew ugly. Byall precedent, the new King should be now before them. What, then, ifthis rumor was true? Where was the little King?

Revolution, now, in the making. A flame ready to blaze. Hastily, on theoutskirts of the throng, a delegation formed to visit the Palace, andlearn the truth. Orderly citizens these, braving the terror of thatforbidding and guarded pile in the interests of the land they loved. 

Drums were now beating steadily, filling the air with their throbbing, almost drowning out the solemn tolling of the bell. Around them wererallying angry groups. As the groups grew large, each drum led itsfollowers toward the Government House, where, on the steps; therevolutionary party harangued the crowd. Bonfires sprang up, built ofno one knew what, in the public squares. Red fire burned. The drumsthrobbed. 

The city had not yet risen. It was large and slow to move. Slow, too, to believe in treason, or that it had no king. But it was a matter ofmoments now, not of hours. 

The noise penetrated into the very wards of the hospital. Red firesbathed pale faces on their pillows in a feverish glow. Nurses gatheredat the windows, their uniforms and faces alike scarlet in the glare, andwhispered together. 

One such group gathered near the bedside of the student Haeckel, stillin his lethargy. His body had gained strength, so that he was clothedat times, to wander aimlessly about the ward. But he had remained dazed. Now and then the curtain of the past lifted, but for a moment only. Hehad forgotten his name. He spent long hours struggling to pierce themist. 

But mostly he lay, or sat, as now, beside his bed, a bandage stillon his head, clad in shirt and trousers, bare feet thrust into wornhospital slippers. The red glare had not roused him, nor yet the beat ofthe drums. But a word or two that one of the nurses spoke caught his earand held him. He looked up, and slowly rose to his feet. Unsteadily hemade his way to a window, holding to the sill to steady himself. 

Old Adelbert had been working his way impatiently. The temper of the mobwas growing ugly. It was suspicious, frightened, potentially dangerous. 

The cry of "To the Palace!" greeted his ears he finally emergedbreathless from the throng. 

He stepped boldly to the old stone archway, and faced a line of soldiersthere. "I would see the Chancellor!" he gasped, and saluted. 

The captain of the guard stepped out. "What is it you want?" hedemanded. 

"The Chancellor, " he lowered his voice. "I have news of the CrownPrince. "

Magic words, indeed. Doors opened swiftly before them. But time wasflying, too. In his confusion the old man had only one thought, to reachthe Chancellor. It would have been better to have told his news at once. The climbing of stairs takes time when one is old and fatigued, and hasbut one leg. 

However, at last it way done. Past a room where sat Nikky Larisch, swordless and self-convicted of treason, past a great salon where aterrified Court waited, and waiting, listened to the cries outside, thebeating of many drums, the sound of multitudinous feet, old Adelbertstumped to the door of the room where the Council sat debating and theChancellor paced the floor. 

Small ceremony tow. Led by soldiers, who retired and left him to enteralone, old Adelbert stumbled into the room. He was out of breath anddizzy; his heart beat to suffocation. There was not air enough in allthe world to breathe. He clutched at the velvet hangings of the door, and swayed, but he saw the Chancellor. 

"The Crown Prince, " he said thickly, "is at the home of the Americans. "He stared about him. Strange that the room should suddenly be filledwith a mist. "But there be those--who wait--there--to capture him. "

He caught desperately at the curtains, with their royal arms embroideredin blue and gold. Shameful, in such company, to stagger so!

"Make--haste, " he said, and slid stiffly to the ground. He lay withoutmoving. 

The Council roused then. Mettlich was the first to get to him. But itwas too late. 

Old Adelbert had followed the mist to the gates it concealed. More thanthat, sham traitor that he was, he had followed his King. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. IN THE ROAD OF THE GOOD CHILDREN

Haeckel crept to a window and looked out. Bonfires were springing upin the open square in front of the Government House. Mixed with the redglare came leaping yellow flames. The wooden benches were piled togetherand fired, and by each such pyre stood a gesticulating, shouting reddemon. 

Guns were appearing now. Wagons loaded with them drove into the Square, to be surrounded by a howling mob. The percentage of sober citizenswas growing--sober citizens no longer. For the little King had not beenshown to them. Obviously he could not be shown to them. Therefore rumorwas right, and the boy was gone. 

Against the Palace, therefore, their rage was turned. The shouts forthe little King turned to threats. The Archbishop had come out on thebalcony accompanied by Father Gregory. The Archbishop had raised hishands, but had not obtained silence. Instead, to his horror and dismay, a few stones had been thrown. 

He retired, breathing hard. But Father Gregory had remained, facing thecrowd fearlessly, his arms not raised in benediction, but folded acrosshis chest. Stones rattled about him, but he did not flinch, and at lasthe gained the ears of the crowd. His great voice, stern and fearless;held them. 

"My friends, " he said, "there is work to be done, and you lose time. Wecannot show you the King, because he is not here. While you stand thereshrieking, his enemies have their will of him. The little King has beenstolen from the Palace. "

He might have swayed them, even then. He tried to move them to a searchof the city. But a pallid man, sweating with excitement, climbed on theshoulders of two companions, and faced the crowd. 

"Aye, he is stolen, " he cried. "But who stole him? Not the city. We areloyal. Ask the Palace where he is. Ask those who have allied themselveswith Karnia. Ask Mettlich. "

There was more, of course. The cries of "To the Palace!" increased. Those behind pushed forward, shoving the ones ahead toward the archway, where a line of soldiers with fixed bayonets stood waiting. 

The Archduchess and Hilda with a handful of women, had fled to the roof, and from there saw the advance of the mob. Hedwig had haughtily refusedto go. 

It had seemed to Hedwig that life itself was over. She did not care verymuch. When the Archbishop had been driven back from the balcony, sheforesaw the end. She knew of Nikky's treason now, knew it in all itsbitterness, but not all its truth. And, because she had loved him, although she told herself her love was dead, she sought him out in theroom where he sat and waited. 

She was there when old Adelbert had brought his news and had fallen, before he could finish, Nikky had risen; and looked at her, ratherstonily. Then had followed such a scene as leaves scars, Hedwig blaminghim and forgiving him, and then breaking down and begging him to flight. And Nikky, with the din of the Place in his ears, and forbidden toconfront the mob, listening patiently and shaking his head. How littleshe knew him; after all, to think that he would even try to savehimself. He had earned death. Let it come. 

He was not very clear himself as to how it happened. He had beentricked. But that was no excuse. And in the midst of her appeal to himto save himself, he broke in to ask where Olga Loschek was. 

Hedwig drew herself up. "I do not know, " she said, rather coldly. 

"But after all, " Nikky muttered, thinking of the lady-in-waiting, "escape is cut off. The Palace is surrounded. "

For a moment Hedwig thought she had won. "It is not cut off, " she said. And spoke of the turret door, and whither it led. All at once he saw itall. He looked at her with eyes that dilated with excitement, and thento her anger, shot by her and to the room where the Council waited. Hewas just in time to hear old Adelbert's broken speech, and to see himreel and fall. 

At the hospital, Haeckel, the student, stood by his window, and littleby little the veil lifted. His slow blood stirred first. The beatingof drums, the shrieks of the crowd, the fires, all played their part. Another patient joined him, and together they looked out. 

"Bad work!" said the other man. 

"Aye!" said Haeckel. Then, speaking very slowly, and with difficulty, "Ido not understand. "

"The King is dead. " The man watched him. He had been of interest to theward. 

"Aye, " observed, Haeckel, still uncomprehending. And then, "Dead--theKing?"

"Dead. Hear the bell. "

"Then--" But he could not at once formulate the thought in his mind. Speech came hard. He was still in a cloud. 

"They say, " said the other man, "that the Crown Prince is missing, thathe has been stolen. The people are frenzied. "

He went on, dilating on the rumors. Still Haeckel labored. The King! TheCrown Prince! There was something that he was to do. It was just beyondhim, but he could not remember. Then, by accident, the other man touchedthe hidden spring of his memory. 

"There are some who think that Mettlich--"

"Mettlich!" That was the word. With it the curtain split, as it were, the cloud was gone. Haeckel put a hand to his head. 

A few minutes later, a strange figure dashed out of the hospital. Thenight watchman had joined the mob, and was at that moment selectinga rifle from a cart. Around the cart were students, still in theirCarnival finery, wearing the colors of his own corps. Haeckel, desperateof eye, pallid and gaunt, clad still in his hospital shirt and trousers;Haeckel climbed on to the wagon, and mounted to the seat, a strange, swaying figure, with a bandage on his head. In spite of that, there weresome who knew him. 

"Haeckel!" they cried. The word spread. The crowd of students pressedclose. 

"What would you do?" he cried to them. "You know me. You see me now. I have been done almost to death by those you would aid. Aye, armyourselves, but not against your King. We have sworn to stand together. I call on you, men of my corps, to follow me. There are those whoto-night will murder the little King and put King Mob on the throne. Andthey be those who have tortured roe. Look at me! This they have done tome. " He tore the bandage off and showed his scarred head. "'Quick!" hecried. "I know where they hide, these spawn of hell. Who will follow me?To the King!"

"To the King!"

They took up the cry, a few at first, then all of them. More than hiswords, the gaunt and wounded figure of Haeckel in the cart fought forhim. He reeled before them. Two leaped up and steadied him, finally, indeed, took him on their shoulders, and led the way. They made a wedgeof men, and pushed through the mob. 

"To the little King!" was the cry they raised, and ran, a flying wedgeof white, fantastic figures. Those who were unarmed seized weaponsfrom the crowd as they passed. Urged by Haeckel, they ran through thestreets. 

Haeckel knew. It was because he had known that they had done away withhim. His mind, working now with almost unnatural activity, flew aheadto the house in the Road of the Good Children, and to what might beenacting there. His eyes burned. Now at last he would thwart them, unless-- Just before they turned into the street, a horseman had dashedout of it and flung himself out of the saddle. The door was bolted, but it opened to his ring, and Nikky faced the concierge, Nikky, with adrawn revolver in his hand, and a face deathly white. 

He had had no time to fire, no time even to speak. The revolver flewout of his hand at one blow from the flail-like arms of the concierge. Behind him somewhere was coming, Nikky knew, a detachment of cavalry. But he had outdistanced them, riding frenziedly, had leaped hedges andditches across the Park. He must hold this man until they came. 

Struggling in the grasp of the concierge, he yet listened for them. Fromthe first he knew it was a losing battle. He had lost before. But hefought fiercely, with the strength of a dozen. His frenzy was equaled bythat of the other man, and his weight was less by a half. He went downfinally and lay still, a battered, twisted figure. 

The cavalry, in the mean time, had lost the way, was riding itsfoam-flecked horses along another street, and losing, time when everysecond counted. 

But Black Humbert, breathing hard, had heard sounds in the street, andput up the chain. He stood at bay, a huge, shaken figure at the foot ofthe stone staircase. He was for flight now. But surely--outside at thedoor some one gave the secret knock of the tribunal, and followed itby the pass-word. He breathed again. Friends, of course, come for theammunition. But, to be certain, he went to the window of his bureau, andlooked out through the bars. Students!

"Coming!" he called. And kicked at Nikky's quiet figure as he passed it. Then he unbolted the door, dropped the chain, and opened the door. 

Standing before him, backed by a great crowd of fantastic figures, wasHaeckel. 

They did not kill him at once. At the points of a dozen bayonets, intended for vastly different work, they forced him up the staircase, flight after flight. At first he cried pitifully that he knew nothing ofthe royal child, then he tried to barter what he knew for his life. Theyjeered at him, pricked him shamefully from behind with daggers. 

At the top of the last flight he turnery and faced them. "Gentlemen, friends!" he implored. "I have done him no harm. It was never in my mindto do him an injury. I--"

"He is in the room where you kept me?" asked Haeckel, in a low voice. 

"He is there, and safe. "

Then Haeckel killed him. He struck him with a dagger, and his great bodyfell on the stairs. He was still moving and groaning, as they swarmedover him. 

Haeckel faced the crowd. "There are others, " he said. "I know them all. When we have finished here, we will go on. "

They were fearful of frightening the little King, and only two wentback, with the key that Haeckel had taken from the body of BlackHumbert. They unlocked the door of the back room, to find His Majestysitting on a chair, with a rather moist handkerchief in his hand. He wasnot at all frightened, however, and was weeping for his grandfather. 

"Has the carriage come?" he demanded. "I am waiting for a carriage. "

They assured him that a carriage was on the way, and were very much at aloss. 

"I would like to go quickly, " he said. "I am afraid mygrandfather--Nikky!"

For there stood Nikky in the doorway, a staggering, white-lipped Nikky. He was not too weak to pick the child up, however, and carry him to thehead of the stairs. They had moved the body of the concierge, by hisorder. So he stood there, the boy in his arms, and the students, only anhour before in revolt against him, cheered mightily. 

They met the detachment of cavalry at the door, and thus, in state, rodeback to the Palace where he was to rule, King Otto the Ninth. A very sadlittle King, for Nikky had answered his question honestly. A King whomopped his eyes with a very dirty handkerchief. A weary little King, too, with already a touch of indigestion!

Behind them, in the house on the Road of the Good Children, Haeckel, in an access of fury, ordered the body of the concierge flung from awindow. It lay below, a twisted and shapeless thing, beside the piecesof old Adelbert's broken sword. 

CHAPTER XXXIX. THE LINCOLN PENNY

And so, at last, King Otto the Ninth reached his Palace, and was hurriedup the stairs to the room where the Council waited. Not at all a royalfigure, but a tired little boy in gray trousers, a short black Etoncoat, and a rolling collar which had once been white. 

He gave one glance around the room. "My grandfather!" he said. And fellto crying into his dirty pocket-handkerchief. 

The Chancellor eyed grimly from under his shaggy brows the disreputablefigure of his sovereign. Then he went toward him, and put his hand onhis head. 

"He was very eager for this rest, Otto, ", he said. 

Then he knelt, and very solemnly and with infinite tenderness, he kissedthe small, not overclean, hand. 

One by one the Council did the same thing. 

King Otto straightened his shoulders and put away the handkerchief. Ithad occurred to him that he was a man now and must act a man's part inthe world. 

"May I see him?" he asked. "I--didn't see him before. "

"Your people are waiting, sire, " the Chancellor said gravely. "To aruler, his people must come first. "

And so, in the clear light from the room behind him, Otto the Ninthfirst stood before his people. They looked up, and hard eyes grew soft, tense muscles relaxed. They saw the erectness of the small figure, the steadiness of the blue eyes that had fought back their tears, thehonesty and fire and courage of this small boy who was their King. 

Let such of the revolutionists as remained scream before the ParliamentHouse. Let the flames burn and the drums beat. The solid citizens, thegreat mass of the people, looked up at the King and cheered mightily. Revolution had that night received its death-blow, at the hands of achild. The mob prepared to go home to bed. 

While King Otto stood on the balcony, down below in the crowd anAmerican woman looked up, and suddenly caught her husband by the arm. 

"Robert, " she said, "Robert, it is Bobby's little friend!"

"Nonsense!" he retorted. "It's rather dramatic, isn't it? Nothing likethis at home! See, they've crowned him already. "

But Bobby's mother looked with the clear eyes of most women, and allmothers. 

"They have not crowned him, " she said, smiling, with tears in her eyes. "The absurd little King! They have forgotten to take off his papercrown!"

The dead King lay in state in the royal chapel. Tall candles burned athis head and feet, set in long black standards. His uniform lay at hisfeet, his cap, his sword. The flag of his country was draped across him. He looked very rested. 

In a small private chapel near by lay old Adelbert. They could not dohim too much honor. He, too, looked rested, and he, too, was covered bythe flag, and no one would have guessed that a part of him had died longbefore, and lay buried on a battlefield. It was, unfortunately, his olduniform that he wore. They had added his regimental flag to the nationalone, and on it they had set his shabby cap. He, too, might have been aking. There were candles at his head and feet, also; but, also, he hadnow no sword. 

Thus it happened that old Adelbert the traitor lay in state in thePalace, and that monks, in long brown robes, knelt and prayed by him. Perhaps he needed their prayers. But perhaps, in the great accounting, things are balanced up, the good against the bad. In that ease, whoknows?

The Palace mourned and the Palace rejoiced. Haeckel had told what heknew and the leaders of the Terrorists were in prison. Some, in highplaces, would be hanged with a silken cord, as was their due. And otherswould be aesthetically disposed of. The way was not yet clear ahead, butthe crisis was passed and safely. 

Early in the evening, soon after he had appeared on the balcony, theCourt had sworn fealty to Otto the Ninth. He had stood on the dais inthe throne room, very much washed and brushed by that time, and theceremony had taken place. Such a shout from relieved throats as went up, such a clatter as swords were drawn from scabbards and held upright inthe air. 

"Otto!" they cried. And again, "Otto. "

The little King had turned quite pale with excitement. 

Late in the evening Nikky Larisch went to the Council room. The Councilhad dispersed, and Mettlich sat alone. There were papers all about him, and a glass of milk that had once been hot stood at his elbow. Now andthen, as he worked, he took a sip of it, for more than ever now he mustkeep up his strength. 

When Nikky was announced he frowned. Then, very faintly, he smiled. Buthe was stern enough when the young soldier entered. Nikky came to thepoint at once, having saluted. Not, when you think of it, that he shouldhave saluted. Had he not resigned from the service? Was not his sword, in token of that surrender, still on the table and partly covered withdocuments. Still he did. Habit, probably. 

"I have come, " he said, "to know what I am to do, sir. "

"Do?" asked the Chancellor, coldly. 

"Whether the Crown--whether the King is safe or not, " said Nikky, looking dogged and not at all now like the picture of his mother. "I amguilty of--of all that happened. "

The Chancellor had meant to be very hard. But he had come through agreat deal, and besides, he saw something Nikky did not mean him tosee. He was used to reading men. He saw that the boy had come to thebreaking-point. 

"Sit down, " he said, "and tell me about it. "

But Nikky would not sit. He stood, looking straight ahead, and told thestory. He left nothing out, the scene on the roof, his broken promise. 

"Although, " he added, his only word of extenuation, "God knows I triedto keep it. "

Then the message from the Countess Loschek, and his long wait inher boudoir, to return to the thing he had found. As he went on, theChancellor's hand touched a button. 

"Bring here at once the Countess Loschek, " he said, to the servant whocame. "Take two of the guard, and bring hey. "

Then, remembering the work he had to do, he took another sip of milk. "These things you have done, " he said to Nikky. "And weak and wickedenough they are. But, on the other hand, you found the King. "

"Others found him also. Besides, that does not affect my guilt, sir, "said Nikky steadily. 

Suddenly the Chancellor got up and, going to Nikky, put both hands onhis shoulders. 

Quite to the end now, with the Countess not in her rooms or anywherein the Palace. With the bonfires burned to cold ashes, and the streetsdeserted. With the police making careful search for certain men whosenames Haeckel had given, and tearing frenzied placards from the walls. With Hilda sitting before her dressing-table, holding a silk stocking toher cheek, to see if she would look well in black. With Miss Braithwaitestill lying in her drugged sleep, watched over by the Sisters who hadcared for the dead King, and with Karl, across the mountains, dreamingof a bride who would never be his. 

Quite to the end. Only a word or two now, and we may leave the littleKing to fulfil his splendid destiny. Not a quiet life, we may becertain. Perhaps not a very peaceful or untroubled one. But a brave andsteadfast and honorable one, be sure of that. 

What should we gain by following Olga Loschek, eating her heart outin England, or the Committee of Ten, cowering in its cells? They hadfailed, as the wicked, sooner or later, must fail. Or Karl, growing fatin a prosperous land, alike greedy for conquest and too indolent forbattle?

To finish the day, then, and close with midnight. 

Nikky first, a subdued and rather battered Nikky. He was possessed by adesire, not indeed unknown to lovers, to revisit the place where he andHedwig had met before. The roof--no less. Not even then that he hopedfor himself any more than he had hoped before. But at least it could notbe Karl. 

He felt that he could relinquish her more easily since it was not Karl. As if, poor Nikky, it would ever make any difference who it was, so itwere not he!

Strangely enough, Hedwig also had had a fancy to visit the roof. Shecould not sleep. And, as she had not read the Chancellor's mind, her dressing-room, filled to overflowing with her trousseau, set herfrantic. 

So she had dismissed her maid and gone through Hubert's rooms to theroof. Nikky found her there. He stood quite still for a moment, becauseit was much too good to be true. Also, because he began to trembleagain. He had really turned quite shaky that evening, had Nikky. 

Hedwig did not turn her head. She knew his steps, had really known hemust come, since she was calling him. Actually calling, with all herdetermined young will. Oh, she was shameless!

But now that he had come, it was Nikky who implored, and Hedwig who heldoff. 

"My only thought in all the world, " he said. "Can you ever forgive me?"This was tactless. No lover should ever remind his lady that he haswithstood her. 

"For what?" said Hedwig coolly. 

"For loving you so. " This was much better, quite strategic, indeed. Atrench gained!

"Do you really love me? I wonder. "

But Nikky was tired of words, and rather afraid of them. They were nothis weapons. He trusted more, as has been said somewhere else, in histwo strong arms. 

"Too much ever to let you go, " he said. Which means nothing unless wetake it for granted that she was in his arms. And she was, indeed. 

The King having been examined and given some digestive tablets by theCourt physicians--a group which, strangely enough, did not includeDoctor Wiederman--had been given a warm bath and put to bed. 

There was much formality as to the process now, several gentlemenclinging to their hereditary right to hang around and be nuisancesduring the ceremony. But at last he was left alone with Oskar. 

Alone, of course, as much as a king is ever alone, which, what withextra sentries and so on, is not exactly solitary confinement. 

"Oskar!" said the King from his pillow. 

"Majesty!"

Oskar was gathering the royal garments, which the physicians had orderedburned, in case of germs. 

"Did you ever eat American ice-cream?"

"No, Majesty. Not that I recall. "

"It is very delicious, " observed the King, and settled down in hissheets. He yawned, then sat up suddenly "Oskar!"

"Yes, Majesty. "

"There is something in my trousers pocket. I almost forgot it. Pleasebring them here. "

Sitting up in bed, and under Oskar's disapproving eye, because he, too, was infected with the germ idea, King Otto the Ninth felt around in hissmall pockets, until at last he had found what he wanted. 

"Have I a small box anywhere, a very small box?" he inquired. 

"The one in which Your Majesty's seal ring came is here. Also there isone in the study which contained crayons. "--"I'll have the ring box, "said His Majesty. 

And soon the Lincoln penny rested on a cushion of white velvet, on whichwere the royal arms. 

King Otto looked carefully at the penny and then closed the lid. 

"Whenever I am disagreeable, Oskar, " he said, "or don't care to study, or--or do things that you think my grandfather would not have done, Iwish you'd bring me this box. You'd better keep it near you. "

He lay back and yawned again. 

"Did you ever hear of Abraham Lincoln, Oskar?" he asked:

"I--I have heard the name, Majesty, ", Oskar ventured cautiously. 

"My grandfather thought he was a--great man. " His voice trailed off. "I--should--like--"

The excitements and sorrows of the day left him gently. He stretched hissmall limbs luxuriously, and half turned upon his face. Oskar, who hateddisorder, drew the covering in stiff and geometrical exactness acrosshis small figure, and tiptoed out of the room. 

Sometime after midnight the Chancellor passed the guard and came intothe room. There, standing by the bed, he prayed a soldier's prayer, and into it went all his hopes for his country, his grief for his deadcomrade and sovereign, his loyalty to his new King. 

King Otto, who was, for all the digestive tablets, not sleeping well, roused and saw him there, and sat upright at once. 

"Is it morning?" he asked, blinking. 

"No, Majesty. Lie down and sleep again. "

"Would you mind sitting down for a little while? That is, if you are notsleepy. "

"I am not sleepy, " said the Chancellor, and drew up a great chair. "If Istay, will you try to sleep?"

"Do you mind if I talk a little? It may make me drowsy. "

"Talk if you like, Majesty, " said the old man. King Otto eyed himgravely. 

"Would you mind if I got on your knee?" he asked; almost timidly. In allhis life no one had so held him, and yet Bobby, that very evening, hadclimbed on his father's knee as though it was very generally done. "Iwould like to try how it feels. "

"Come, then, " said the Chancellor. 

The King climbed out of bed and up on his lap. His Chancellor reachedover and dragged a blanket from the bed. 

"For fear of a cold!" he said, and draped it about the little figure. "Now, how is that?"

"It is very comfortable. May I put my head back?"

Long, long years since the Chancellor had sat thus, with a child in hisarms. His sturdy old arms encircled the boy closely. 

"I want to tell about running away, " said the King, wide-eyed in thedusk. "I am sorry. This time I am going to promise not to do it again. "

"Make the promise to yourself, Majesty. It is the best way. "

"I will. I intend to be a very good King. "

"God grant it, Majesty. "

"Like Abraham Lincoln?"

"Like Abraham Lincoln, " said the Chancellor gravely. 

The King, for all his boasted wakefulness, yawned again, and squirmedcloser to the old man's breast. 

"And like my grandfather, " he added. 

"God grant that, also. "

This time it was the Chancellor who yawned, a yawn that was half a sigh. He was very weary, and very sad. 

Suddenly, after a silence, the King spoke: "May a King do anything hewants?"

"Not at all, " said the Chancellor hastily. 

"But, if it will not hurt the people? I want to do two things, or havetwo things. They are both quite easy. " His tone was anxious. 

"What are they?"

"You wouldn't like to promise first, would you?"

The Chancellor smiled in the darkness. 

"Good strategy, but I am an old soldier, Majesty. What are they?"

"First, I would like to have a dog; one to keep with me. "

"I--probably that can be arranged. "

"Thank you. I do want a dog. And--" he hesitated. 

"Yes, Majesty?"

"I am very fond of Nikky, " said the King. "And he is not very happy. Helooks sad, sometimes. I would like him to marry Hedwig, so we can all betogether the rest of our lives. "

The Chancellor hesitated. But, after all, why not? He had followedambition all his life, and where had it brought him? An old man, whoseonly happiness lay in this child in his arms. 

"Perhaps, " he said gently, "that can be arranged also. "

The night air blew softly through the open windows. The little Kingsmiled, contentedly, and closed his eyes. 

"I'm getting rather sleepy, " he said. "But if I'm not too heavy, I'dlike you to hold me a little longer. "

"You are not too heavy, Majesty. "

Soon the Chancellor, worn not with one day, but with many, was nodding. His eyes closed under his fierce eyebrows. Finally they both slept. Theroom was silent. 

Something slipped out of the little King's hand and rolled to the floor. 

It was the box containing the Lincoln penny.