he palace
years ago, with the old King's authority in my pocket! It is in that bag
now! It is absolute--absolute!--protecting me against anything I may do
in effecting her rescue and return. It is by far more powerful than
anything your government could give us! A King's order makes the police
of the world my underlings! Besides that, she is my special charge, and
no power this side of Azuria can abrogate my authority over her!"

A cold hand wrapped its fingers about my heart. The hopelessness of our
search would have been depressing enough had it not contained the spice
of chase, but to feel that it might be fruitful only to have her
snatched off into a world as unknown, as impossible to me as this far
off kingdom, was crazing. To me it would be like seeing her transported
from one star to another, while I remained on earth to gaze my eyes out
and eat my heart out with endless longing.

"Her mother is regent, you say?" Tommy asked, intuitively sympathizing
with my state of mind.

"Yes. In Roumania a woman may not ascend the throne alone, but in
Azuria, where the Ruman blood has never mixed, she may act as regent if
her heir is a girl too young to marry. But now," he clapped his hands
joyfully, "we can complete the alliance with a neighboring prince--and,
ah, what joy there will be!"

"You've got to catch her first," Tommy said, not without a trace of
spite. "Even if we get near enough to see him, at all, he can see us,
too; then lead us off the track till night and make a run for base."

"So he will, my boy Tommy. And if his lair is to the west, he will
doubtless lead us to the east. But we must sail at dawn--then we shall
see what we shall see!"

"Good night," I said, abruptly kicking back my chair.

Thus our meeting broke up; Gates going first to sink the dynamite and
then leave orders for all canvas to be stretched at peep o' day. Tommy
came on deck with me, and we stood a while looking into the black water.
Off in the town, in a side street near the wharf where sailors'
amusement halls are clustered, some tipsy fellow was bawling a love song
at the top of his voice. He seemed to be the only thing awake in Key
West at this hour. When the song, or his voice, gave out the silence
settled heavier than before. A ship's bell, far over the water, began to
strike, and we counted five mellow strokes: one-one, one-one, one!

"Half-past two," Tommy whispered, "I wonder what Nell's doing!"

"Dreaming of you, no doubt