eturn to Mueller's; each of us stole quietly home to await
the advent of the police, for they would rout out every American in
town in their search for the man with the gun. They would first visit
the consulate and ascertain what I knew of the affair; when they got
through with the rest of the boys Max would be in Doppelkinn. The
police were going to be very busy that night: a princess on one hand
and an anarchist on the other.

There were terrible times, too, in the palace. Long before we watched
Max's train and the vanishing green and red lights at the end of it the
grand duke was having troubles of his own. He was pacing wildly up and
down in his dressing-room. Clutched in his fist was a crumpled sheet
of paper. From time to time he smoothed it out and re-read the
contents. Each time he swore like the celebrated man in Flanders.

_You forced me and I warned you that I would do something desperate.
Do not send for me, for you will never find me till you come to your
senses. I have eloped._

_Hildegarde._

VIII

Shortly before six o'clock--dinner in the palace was rarely served
until half-after eight--the Honorable Betty sat down to her
writing-desk in her boudoir, which opened directly into that belonging
to the princess, to write a few letters home. A dinner was to be given
to the state officials that night, and she knew from experience that
after that solemn event was concluded it would be too late for the
departing mails. She seemed to have no difficulty in composing her
thoughts and transferring them to paper. There were times when she
would lean back, nibble the end of her pen and smile in a dreamy,
retrospective fashion. No doubt her thoughts were pleasant and
agreeable.

She had completed addressing three envelopes, when she heard the door
leading into the princess' boudoir open and close. She turned to
behold the princess herself.

"Why, Gretchen, where are you going?"--noting the grey walking-dress,
the grey hat, the sensible square-toed shoes.

"I am going to visit a sick nurse," replied her Highness, avoiding the
other's eye.

"But shall you have time to dress for dinner?"

"That depends. Besides, the official dinners are a great bore." Her
Highness came forward, caught the dark head of the English girl between
her gloved hands, pressed it against her heart, bent and kissed it.
"What a lovely girl you are, Betty! always unruffled, always
even-tempered. You will grow old