aid about it here."
"Is there, then, any truth in the report?" asked the Princess
innocently.
"Truth! It's all truth; that is just where the trouble is. There is
little use of our denying it, because this London paper is evidently
well informed, and to deny it we should have to publish something about
the robbery itself, which we are not inclined to do. It is known,
however, who the two correspondents of this London paper are, and I
believe the police are going to make it so interesting for those two
gentlemen that they will be glad to leave Vienna, for a time at least.
Of course, nothing can be done openly, because Englishmen make such a
fuss when their liberties are encroached upon. One of the young men has
been lured across the frontier by a bogus telegram, and I think the
authorities will see that he does not get back in a hurry; the other we
expect to be rid of before long. Of course, we could expel him, but if
we did, it would be thought that we had done so because he had found out
the truth about the explosion."
"How did you learn of the explosion?" asked the Princess.
"Oh, I have known all about the affair ever since it happened."
The Princess gave Jennie a quick look, which said as plainly as words,
"Here was the news that we wanted in our household, and we never
suspected it." "Why didn't you tell me?" cried the Princess indignantly.
"Well, you see, my dear, you never took much interest in politics, and I
did not think the news would have any attraction for you; besides," he
added, with a smile, "we were all cautioned to keep the matter as secret
as possible."
"And wonderfully well you have managed it!" exclaimed the Princess.
"That shows what comes of trusting a secret to a lot of men; here it is,
published to all the world."
"Not quite all the world my dear. As I have said, Austria will know
nothing regarding it."
"The Princess tells me," said Jennie, "that you were kind enough to
endeavour to get me permission to make some investigation into this
mystery. Have you succeeded?"
"Yes, Miss Baxter, as I said, I have succeeded quite beyond my
expectations, for the lady detective is comparatively an innovation in
Vienna. However, the truth is, the police are completely in a fog, and
they are ready to welcome help from whatever quarter it comes. Here is a
written permit from the very highest authority, which you do not need to
use except in a case of emergency. Here is also an order from the
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