a
pair of irate eyes.

"What is this?" demanded the newcomer, though his voice, too, was
carefully lowered. "Who are you, sir?"

Dan felt his good resolutions ooze away at the other's brutal manner.

"I am a reporter," he said.

"What is your business?"

"Gathering news."

"Your business here, I mean?"

"I was just interviewing the Prince," explained Dan, blandly. "The
_Record_ would be very glad to have his opinion of the Moroccan
situation, of the Italian war, of the triple entente, or of anything
else he cares to talk about. Perhaps he could find a theme in the
destruction of _La Liberte_."

He spoke at random, and was surprised to see how fixedly the other man
regarded him, with eyes in which apprehension seemed to have taken the
place of anger.

"One moment," said Pachmann, for it was he, and he turned and spoke a
few rapid words of German to the Prince, who reddened and nodded
sullenly. Dan judged from the sound of the Admiral's subsequent remarks
that he was swearing; but he preserved a pleasant countenance, the more
easily since, happening to glance up, he saw Chevrial leaning over the
rail of the boat-deck just above them and regarding the scene with an
amused smile. At last, having relieved his feelings, the Admiral fell
silent and pulled absently at the place where his moustache had been.

"When does your paper appear?" Pachmann asked, at last.

"To-morrow morning."

"You would not wish to use the interview before that time?"

"No."

Pachmann breathed a sigh of relief, and his face cleared.

"Then we are prepared to make a bargain with you," he said. "It is most
important that the Prince's incognito be strictly preserved until
to-night. If you will give me your word of honour to say nothing of this
to any one until eight o'clock this evening, I, in return, give you my
word of honour that the Prince, at that hour, will grant you an
interview which I am sure you will find of interest. Do you agree?"

Dan reflected rapidly that he had nothing to lose by such an agreement;
that eight o'clock would release him from his promise in ample time to
write his story; and the interview _might_ really be important.

"Yes," he said; "I agree; but on one condition."

"What is that?" demanded Pachmann, impatiently.

"That the interview be exclusive."

"Exclusive?" echoed Pachmann. "I do not understand."

"I mean by that that no one else is to get the interview but me," Dan
explained.

A sardonic