His mind flew to Paddington, and his first sight of the lady on the
platform. There had been near the hour two trains for Westboro', one
of them a local which left London some few minutes later than the
Western express. _That_ later train, no doubt of it, would fetch the
real accomplice to the eloping lady. Bulstrode argued that, should he
declare himself to the Queen at this point for a total stranger, the
revelation would plunge her in despair, anger and frighten her, and
lose him his cause--There was, in view of the cause, he now felt and
nerved himself to the deception, nothing to do but to assume his role
in earnest and play it as well as he might. He had never sat alone in
a travelling carriage and hobnobbed with a Queen, but he gracefully
made his try at the proper address: "Your Majesty," he began, and she
whirled quickly round, pleasure on her face.

"Oh, Gresthaven!" she exclaimed with touching gratitude, extending her
hand. "Thanks, mon ami! I shall not have my title long, and I shall,
I suppose, miss it with other things."

Bulstrode, with her naming of him, knew at length who he was, and
recalled his supposed likeness to a certain Lord Almouth
Gresthaven--famous explorer, traveller and diplomat, cosmopolitan in
his tastes and a dabbler in the politics of other and less significant
countries than his own. In accepting his new personality, the American
winced a little as he bowed over the royal little hand and kissed it.

"Your Majesty will miss many things indeed," he said gravely--"your
kingdom, your people, and the King--the King," he repeated, dwelling on
the word, "who, as you say, loves you."

"My good friend," the lady made a little _moue_--"I know everything you
would say. You can't suppose I haven't thought of it all? To be so
far on my way must I not have carefully considered every step? One is,
after all, a woman--and I am a woman in love."

"One word then," pleaded her unwilling imposter--"one word. Have you
also asked yourself: what chance for happiness a woman can possibly
hope for with a man who allows her to make the sacrifice you are about
to make?"

If his words were straws before the wind to the woman, his simplicity
was impressive to her. "It has seemed to me," Jimmy Bulstrode said,
"that there is a great distinction between love and passion--and that
however great his passion for her, a man should supremely--_supremely
love_ the woman he singles out of all the world.